Weekend Reads #135

I usually take some time off from posting at the end of the year. I will still have some blog posts between now and the 1st of next year, but this will be the last Weekend Reads for 2020. I will be sharing some recaps between now and next Weekend Reads – top items I bought, top items purchased by all of you, personal recaps, and such. I enjoy using this time of year to be a little less polished and a little more personal!

I started this blog way back in 2005 to share my thoughts on fashion and what I wore each day, but it has always been a personal blog. And Weekend Reads is my opportunity to show more of my personal side. This is by far the highest traffic post I share all week and it's an honor that you enjoy this little peek into my brain, my interests, and my reading/listening/viewing habits.

It has also been such a great way to get to know many of you! Your comments have taught me so much and are so much fun! I look forward to a better year with you and to many more weekends we can share together!

Weekend Reads

BTW, thank you to all of you who offered advice about our TV. I had heard about the soap opera feature and we had nothing with the word “smoothing” in our settings, but we changed the clarity from “auto” to “normal” and color from something like real to “warm” and that made a MAJOR impact. I seriously owe you for getting me to dig deeper, find the culprit, like my TV again and not have a perma-headache from it!

I read this last week and cannot believe I forgot to add it to Weekend Reads! Sure, it's about a woman's orgasm whisperer, but what it really showcases is how the patriarchy has screwed up female pleasure. Of COURSE, everything is connected, but why would medicine focus on that when they can make us feel our problem is mental. (MEL)

And if you haven't yet read this piece about Texas wedding photographers, you must. (Texas Monthly)

Facebook has been spying on Instagram users. No, really. (Bloomberg)

Curious about getting a Peloton bike? I think it helps to hear about it from a variety of people. My friend Emily shares her experience being plus size and completing over 50 rides on her Peloton bike. (Authentically Emmie)

Dolly Parton talks about her spiritual practice, her wig collection, and bringing joy to others with RuPaul. (Marie Claire)

About half the world's population will experience menopause, yet it's something not often discussed. In this short documentary, women across England share their intimate, complicated and illuminating experiences with menopause. (New York Times)

Parents share the hard truths about their learning pods. (The Cut)

NPR has been investigating the story behind Nipsey Hussle's murder for more than a year now, to understand how the chance encounter of two men in South Central illustrates deep dysfunction and secrecy within the government entities tasked with keeping communities safe. Learn more in this episode of the podcast, Louder than a Riot. (NPR)

Patagonia’s new CEO plots a post-Trump future and how how his clothing company can continue the climate fight. (Bloomberg)

How to look as hot as Martha Stewart. (Into the Gloss)

What will homes look like in 2021? A lot like they did in the 1970s, according to more than 600 interior designers. (Fast Company)

Despite the marketing hype, you can't ‘boost' your immune system. (MEL)

If you also watched Jingle Jangle and loved the costumes, this article with the film's costume designer Michael Williamson (who also did gorgeous films like The Gentlemen and American Hustle) is for you. (WWD)

Hearing that Biden appointed Rep. Haaland as Secretary of the Interior made me tear up, and gave me hope for the future. This is the kind of government this country deserves. (NPR)

Hear/See/Read

My daughter and I watched the entire first season of the series ‘Selena' on Netflix. If you were a Selena fan, you're likely not a fan of this series. And even if you weren't familiar with the artist, you may still find this series lacking. But what I did love about it, is that it turned my daughter into a Selena fan. This series is not the best, but it is exposing a new generation to Selena's music and for that I appreciate it.

My husband and I, looking for a new series with a few seasons to dive into, began ‘Peaky Blinders' which is also on Netflix. OMG Cillian Murphy is mesmerizing. K agrees he can't take his eyes off him no matter what else is going on in the scene. Sure he's interesting to look at but he also is such a great actor and presence. We're currently in Season 2. If you haven't watched this show, be warned, it's easy to binge it.

I am half-watching ‘Virgin River' on Netflix. I watch it when doing something else because the script is cliche, the acting mediocre, and there isn't a single character I am connected with enough to care to see what happens. But like a Hallmark holiday movie or a chick lit book picked up at Hudson News before a cross-country flight, it's not meant to be deep and thought-provoking. It's good editing photos and addressing holiday cards and creating and sending out invoices TV.

Do note, I think ‘Virgin River' needs a trigger warning for those who have experienced infertility or pregnancy loss. I had no idea this was a running theme when I dove into this series.

For Your Entertainment

2020 has been mighty wild and this parody of “Christmas Wrapping” by HAIM sums a lot of it up. Happy holidays everyone, here's to a MUCH better 2021!