Ask the Edit: A Roundup of Short Questions

Many of these are from an Instagram AMA request I put up last month:

What is the dumbest thing you buy every week?  

This is an easy one.  I buy bottled, fruit flavored water.  The single-use plastic is bad for the planet and I could just drink water from the tap for “free.”  And I continue to drink it despite the fact that no one seems to know what “fruit essence” is, because the FDA doesn’t require them to tell us.

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Which item of clothing can you not afford to lose?

Ooh, good question.  My Veronica Beard baseball tees; they’re cool and easy to wear.  Need something similar for less?  WHBM has you covered.

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What is Sloane’s favorite thing?

Bluey.  Bluey is life.  Also, for a show with over 100 episodes, the fact that only 3-5 of them are annoying, and adults can watch them without feeling like your senses are under assault is a real accomplishment.  The Australians deserve a Nobel Prize for creating this show.

Also, I’ve discovered that if you are not right on top of the Bluey new releases at Target, they sell out quickly.  So I now stalk the shelves for character-printed sweatsuits with the same laser focus that I once used on designer shoes and bags.

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I’m in a lipstick rut. Can you recco a good product to try?

My MOH swears by these Summer Fridays lip oils.  They’re sold out almost everywhere.  So I had to hunt for one, but I found them surprisingly moisturizing for a lip color.  I bought the Mauve, and it’s an easy shade, but I think I would buy the Rosewood to get more impact.

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How often do you color your hair?

I religiously attend my color appointment every five weeks.  I’d like to go every four weeks, but my colorist says that’s a waste of money.  But six weeks gives me a level of root, I cannot abide.

If for some reason, it needs to be longer, I use this temporary spray on hair color.

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What’s the best book you read in 2023?

Since I only finished one . . . I guess it was the Moscow Rules.  I’ve always like spy novels, but this book is a compilation of true stories about the CIA’s work in Moscow during the Cold War.  It was written by Tony Mendez (of Argo fame) and Jonna Mendez (former CIA Chief of Disguise).  I also highly recommend Jonna’s videos by WIRED on her work at the Office of Technical Services.

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Is your remodel done? What is your best tip?

We are in the home stretch of a five-year remodel, because that’s how it is in real life.  You complete rooms as you save up the money and as you can get on your contractor’s schedule.  No one walks in here Studio McGee style and turns an entire house over in two months.

My best tip is to look for discounted stores that sell big ticket items.  We had a quote for kitchen cabinets that was $27,000, and that was five years ago.  The price floored me.  So I started visiting the Huntwood factory showroom near our house every two weeks.  One day, I walked in and all of the cabinetry displays from the Canadian showroom had been shipped back to the factory and were all on sale.  I got enough cabinets to do my kitchen, island, pantry, laundry room and a built in desk for $7,000.

We also buy all of our doors and windows at a warehouse that buys contractor returns.  We get the same windows that cost $400-$900 at retail for $75-$125.  As long as the frames are all the same color and material, no one will know.  Last week, we bought a set of interior french doors that were $800 at Home Depot for $180 plus pickup cost.  So get on the internet and look for a contractor supply, an overstock warehouse or a factory showroom.  You might not get exactly what you want, but you’ll get something really close for such a deal that you won’t care that the cabinets are shaker and not flat front.