Distracting/Comforting Reads And Views, Internet Edition...

Hey...hooo...heyyy...hooo (Hip Hop hooray...anyone?). Sorry, what a week/year eh? Like what NEXT? 

Anyway, just checking in on everyone's sanity meters? I have recently tried to disconnect slightly from elements of the web, in terms of Covid obsessing/what fresh hell is in the news now etc., while at the same time looking for corners of the internet that are stress/drama free. I thought I would share a few things that I liked for anyone interested!

I checked the Garance Dore blog/site for the first time in a while, I have always enjoyed her writing. Her site has had a pretty drastic revamp and is much more magazine in style and has numerous other writers and lots of glossy lifestyle features (it used to be more of a straightforward blog). Which is...whatever. I'm just tired of curation? Which is exactly what I am doing with this post here, I get it, but like...I don't know what separates most big bloggers from magazines anymore, which was kind of the whole point of blogging? Anyhoo.

So I had to hunt a little bit to find her own writing, but I really enjoyed this piece 10 Rules of Being A Creative.

Go Fug Yourself has always been one of my favorite sartorial love it or snark it sites, the "Fug Girls" have such a deep love and understanding of fashion, and during this year of not much fashion they have done a lot of historical fashion deep dives that are very distracting and fun. 

I particularly enjoyed this Classic Vogue covers through the years post (there is a continuation of more recent years I need to check out too). Also worth a click are their look back at questionable/amusing eras in fashion as well as more classic Hollywood eras like this post about Elizabeth Taylor's many wedding dresses or Sophia Loren looking fab always to name a few.

I'm kind of fascinated with the evolution of fashion in the 21st century. Things went from very glam to hippy-ish to barely making any effort/low slung jeans and a tank top at the early 2000s era, whereas now we are back to everyone wearing a ballgown to the opening of an envelope (Hollywood red carpet wise). Well when things start up again. 

McSweeney's is so reliable at producing witty irony/sarcasm-tastic pieces like this I almost take them for granted, but Decorating Tips For The Fall of Society hits a really sweet spot of quasi Martha Stewart autumnal advice meets the pandemic-pocalypse and had me giggling.

In case anyone thinks I survive on nothing but bitter coffee and burnt leaves I will fully hold my hands up and say I have fallen down a few warm toasted marshmallow pumpkin spice internet rabbit holes this strangest of Fall seasons. 

I have followed like 20 of those Instagram "Fall into Fall Y'All/Halloween is here yay" type accounts, I did it last year with the Christmas ones too. They are SO samey and repetitive but also weirdly super soothing, it's basically visual xanax for me. 

Why are pictures of autumn leaves, pumpkin lined driveways and piles of sweaters and books so comforting? I embrace the "Christian girl autumn" meme inside of me fully, probably because I miss New England the most this time of year. 

I also have to admit to falling down a Holderness Family rabbit hole once or twice, I admit I have always been a bit "eh suburban family basic-ness, can't relate as a childless person" about them, but Kim's alter ego "Rona" videos are genuinely funny, and this one "Fall Will Fix Everything" also made me chuckle. I miss wandering around Target with my Mom, sob!

(I cannot find the "center" button I HATE the new Blogger format so much halp!)

As Yoga With Adriene says "Find What Feels Good", we have to, for our own sanity. I admit I oscillate between taking time out for myself to try to enjoy life in whatever way I can right now, and feeling perpetually deeply guilty for not doing ENOUGH to try to help fix the world. 

Like I know it's important to stand up for what's right but anytime I try on most social media platforms it feels like a. a vacuum of like minds sharing the same stuff (Twitter/Insta) or b. annoying people who live in la la land on Facebook/pissing off family whose minds aren't going to be changed ever anyway so what's the point. It kind of feels like screaming into the void at this point, I am burned out to be honest. 

The system is broken, we need to elect less old white men and more women and p.o.c. and LGBTQ people for a more equitable, less deranged and oppressive political system, both in the U.K. and the U.S. We* all agree, racism is bad, Trump is bad, Covid is bad, science is our only hope, life sucks/is hard for a lot of us right now. Only THEN do we have a hope of reversing any of the damage currently being done. And sadly it is too late for a lot of things, like, um. the EARTH, which is when I personally take the time out to fall down a rabbit hole of escape of my own choosing.

So yes, um back to yoga, sorry! I am currently doing the Yoga With Adriene 30 day series "True" after FINALLY completing "Home" in um...a bit longer than 30 days. As with the last series I sometimes come to a day and can't face a harder class (I'm a yoga wimp) so like this week, two days in a row I just chose a different, more chilled sounding practice from elsewhere on her channel. I DO finish the 30 days series in order eventually because I am a completist, so I won't allow myself to cheat by skipping one.

Hm what else...comedian Marc Maron's recent Instagram lives have become a bit of a fun decompressor for the husband and I - coffee with Marc having a reliably entertaining gripey no holds barred rant about the STATE of things is oddly comforting for us. They are basically like the beginning of his (reliably excellent) podcasts, where he monologues off the cuff, except with Instagram he is fielding or ignoring fan questions and chatting as well. 

I feel I should note here that in general Instagram lives are not my bag, they kind of weird/freak me out as an introvert, so I often watch these after the fact! Is this just me? Like when you accidentally stumble across a live in your stories you feel EXPOSED? I don't know maybe I am just a weirdo.

I recently stumbled upon these addictive little mini movies on Youtube by a Chinese vlogger called Liziqi. They are all very similar but feature different food as the central theme of each video - Life of Potato, Life of Tomato, etc., but in each video you get this incredibly soothing planting to harvest montage where you see Liziqi's garden and life. 

And I don't know who films it or how authentic it is but it SEEMS authentic and feels real, to me anyway. We see the beautiful landscapes of rural China and awe at the WORK that she puts in, I do feel a tiny bit lazy watching them sometimes because often Liziqi will like, build a wall with her bare hands to grow her beans or whatever else she has going on. 

It's so hard to describe but it's so engrossing to me. And then she cooks her grandma like three dozen different dishes, they don't tell you what she is cooking or how, it's all a non-narrated video log aside from the occasional casual overheard dialog, soundtracked by soothing zen type music and nature sounds. The sheer variety and resourcefulness of how they grow and process/preserve almost everything themselves in incredibly impressive and I basically just sit with my jaw dropped but also find it incredibly relaxing and inspiring to watch.

That's about it. I am still enjoying my hippy/crystal/astrology/tarot/fun weirdness too but I find that I feel more private/protective about it these days. I had someone ask me about it publicly recently and it made me feel uncomfortable, I think because it's something I am still very much a novice/learner at and I don't feel comfortable opening myself up about it to strangers. But if anyone ever wants to ask me about my favorite witchy/astrology or alternative healer type Youtubers feel free to email me, happy to share. I still say I am a sceptic and super discerning so the ones I follow are like, the real deal in my opinion. Keep your sitch tight in the season of the witch I guess? ;-).

*(look, if you are here, "we" is taken for granted, although I do have friends and family on both sides of the political divide and try not to alienate anyone where possible).