The last time we drove back home to Michigan (from Philadelphia), we stopped somewhere in Ohio for coffee. I did one of those Starbucks order-ahead things, we drove up, Mike pulled the car over, and I ran in to grab our coffees. There was a man outside, not affiliated with Starbucks, just some middle-aged white dude who would look everyone in the eye as they went in and say, “GOOD MORNING TO YOU”.
He’d do this whole walk-in-a-slow circle thing, appraising. And if someone didn’t respond, he go, “HEY! I said GOOD MORNING,” staring even more intently at them. The whole scene felt rather threatening. His faux politeness seemed to have a sinister undercurrent.
And that was before I realized he had a gun.
So a random stranger, outside of a Starbucks, was wearing a gun strapped to his hip while demanding everyone greet him with “good morning”. And that weird slow-circle-walking that he was doing was merely to better show off his gun.
Frankly, I was terrified. His behavior was wildly inappropriate. What if he decided he didn’t like someone? What if he decided that something had gone wrong? And seeing a gun in that setting – in a random Starbucks with my kids in the car, a gun not attached to a trained professional whose job is public safety – I was scared. This moment did not feel like one that should happen in a civilized society.
And, based on the decisions that have come out of the Supreme Court this week, I’m very concerned that this is where we’re headed.
So.Informed has a pretty good break-down of the court’s recent ruling on guns. And Liz Plank has the best (and funniest – is it funny? I can no longer tell) reminder that there are still ways to get an abortion in red states (set up a forwarding address in abortion-legal states, then order the abortion pill to those addresses), and it’s important to spread the word. But please consider donating to Abortion Funds, an organization that is working to ensure that every women has equal access to healthcare options like abortion.
But I think it’s also important to remember that, “Women are not without electoral or political power. It is noteworthy that the percentage of women who register to vote and cast ballots is consistently higher than the percentage of men who do so.”
As my friend K so eloquently put it, that’s one of the only sentences in the Dobbs v. Jackson opinion (the one that overturned Roe) which doesn’t infuriate.
Our political power matters. Let’s use it.
We have BIG plans. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is coming up, and we’re always trying to find a way to give those of you who care complete coverage…without annoying the rest of you. I’ll have more details soon, but the key is going to be our newsletter. If you sign up for “All things Nordstrom Anniversary Sale” in our newsletter, you’ll get an email whenever we publish an NSale try-on article (they look like this). Even better, this group will also get special newsletters that are basically sneak peeks before our try-on articles publish to the blog. Which might matter, considering the speed at which certain pieces sell out. Anyway, if you’re into this type of stuff (as well as some behind-the-scenes workings), the “All things Nordstrom Anniversary Sale” is your best bet. Right now, we don’t plan on starting these special newsletters until shopping starts (July 6), and then we’ll likely be sending several emails a day, but only for the first few days. After that, our special newsletters will either taper off dramatically or stop altogether, so this is not a long-term thing. Bottom line? Sign up for our newsletter, and/or check your newsletter subscribe preferences (they’re at the bottom of every newsletter), to make sure you’ve signed up for our extra Nordstrom coverage. And, of course, these preferences can be changed at any time.
Linzi was right. I’ve been rolling my eyes at her Fitflop obsession for years now, and, I, well…I bought these. In beige. And they’re fabulous. Like those Amazon cushion slides, but wayyyyy more supportive. I’m now on the hunt for more, and Linz swears that Fitflop.com has the best selection.
Two words: Low. Rise. I am, as I type this, wearing FRAME’s low-rise cargo pants, and they are so exactly like a pair I wore in the early 2000’s that putting them on felt like coming home. They’re super soft, comfortable, and the color is gorgeous. Fit is TTS. For a more affordable version, try Free People’s low rise utility pant.
My new sunnies. I just picked up these Quay sunglasses for $55, and LOVE them. They look just like the pair of Isabel Marant’s I’ve been coveting.
The gorgeous Venezuelan. One of my friends sauntered out to the pool wearing this Amazon dress as a cover-up and looked AMAZING. Sidenote: she always looks amazing. Still. Worth a try.
It’s running season…and these socks are arguably the cutest running socks I’ve ever seen. They’d be especially cute with Hokas.
Seems appropriate. For Father’s Day, we all met at the park for a game of pickleball (apparently we are that old), and noticed all of the dads were wearing Vuori shorts. Like…all of them. The styles varied somewhat, but if anyone cares, Mike’s favorite is the Aim Short. It looks wayyyy better IRL than on the model.
I’m gonna run. We’re at the shore this weekend, and the waves are calling. And ps. you guys were right about this suit. 😉
Hang in there, Gang.
xo,
S
Shana that is f*cking terrifying. Did anyone call the cops? Impossible to believe that could be considered legal. I am heart broken too about recent developments – how do evil people get so much power? *WE VOTED THEM IN*. Alright, now let’s vote them out.
Ahhh thanks for this. It WAS terrifying. So much so that I’m still thinking about it, all these months later.
Shana, I am with Julia, that is beyond f*cking terrifying. I fear for what is happening and the direction we are headed. I have two teen boys and they discuss the failings of our country in terms of organizing. They are far more eloquent in their talking points, but they shared that much of this has been due to a concerted effort on behalf of conservatives to stack the courts and political spots. They discussed their concern that the rest of us are not organizing in such a strategic way. They also talk about said politicians now making it harder to vote, speak up etc. I guess this is my longwinded way of saying, on the one hand I am terrified for our future because of my sons’ generation and yet on the other hand I am hopeful because of them. I would love any suggestions on how to organize to make effective change…
Thank god for the next generation. Did you see AOC’s rant on IG? It was so spot-on. “…we must be PRECISE with what we need and we will do with that power: How many seats does the party need to codify Roe? Dems must SAY THAT. Not just ‘go vote’ or ‘give us $6 to win.’ That’s demoralizing, losing, unfocused nonsense.”
Yes, yes, yes.
I would like to suggest that the quote above is JUST AS FUCKING INFURIATING as the rest of Trolito’s opinion. While it may be true, the fact that women should have to “work harder!” “Take it to the ole’ ballot box!” and “just keep workin that democratic process [gals]!” for access to *healthcare* is one of the more patronizing portions of the opinion (which is saying a lot).
On a much lighter note, I thought I would never say this, but I’m over the Nordstrom anniversary sale. Almost nothing is available by the time I can shop it, and much of it seems low quality. I think some brands produce items specifically for the sale, and it shows. I ended up returning everything I bought last year. I would love to see less coverage of it.
Love your blog, and am particularly impressed that you’ve managed to keep it up, despite the fact that you no longer have any right to self determination! Thanks SCOTUS!!
Yup – totally fair. (and now I’m pissed all over again).
But ok – the lighter note I also totally get. And I do suspect *many* brands are producing items specifically for the sale. The fact that FRAME has polyester tops in the sale (and nowhere else) and Vince sweaters in the sale have morphed from 100% cashmere to mostly wool? Yup – not good. But after taking inventory in my closet…I still come away with enough good stuff (that I wear for years) to make it worth my time. But we’re having lots of conversations over here about being much picker, and keeping an eye out for the low-quality compromises. The North Face, on the other hand, seems to include styles from previous seasons, which can sometimes be welcome. I remember a jacket I loved sold out everywhere one Fall…only to show up in the NSale the following year. I’m totally on board with bringing back really good styles. But the FRAME/Vince approach pisses me off. But whatever – this is a long-winded way of saying that I get being over the sale. And while we’ll still be covering it, we’re trying to keep it to only a few critical days, and plan on having a bunch of non-NSale coverage as well.
This all makes excellent sense. I thought that the La Ligne sweater I bought was a little shorter and maybe a different material than their usual, and the Clare V leopard bag – same. I could have been imagining both though? Nothing makes sense anymore in this world! I would love a post on the “true finds” of the sale, taking into account the Vince/ Frame approach. I didn’t know that about the North Face! That is a hot tip indeed.
Oooo….LOVE this idea!!!! On it.