Wishes, Dates & Lotsa Links
Favorite films get remade (sorta), Taylor on repeat, and more!
It’s 11/11. Make a wish.
I wish I were less critical of my thoughts and writing so that I didn’t spend an entire week writing TWO drafts for this intro to then delete them both.
Shit. If I told you my wish, will it not come true? Cause I don’t think I can deal with doing that again…
Meanwhile, next Friday, 11/18, marks 8 years since I up and moved to Paris without so much as a plan or an idea of how long I’d stay.
Funnily (or not?), I still don’t have a plan or an idea of how long I’ll stay, but there’s been a ton of overthinking in the “Hmm…What’s Next?” department for which I am very grateful to have found an English-speaking therapist *and* a career coach for guidance. :)
In the meantime, I’m just trying to stay present and appreciate small joys, which these days include my taking weekly dance classes—from hip-hip to Bollywood—that allow me to live out my childhood fantasy of becoming a backup dancer for Janet Jackson.
Sorry for the short intro this week, but there’s lots more goodies below!
Bon-weekend, friends. xx — Sara
Clickable
“Bad Sisters” and what it means to be in the “sisterverse.” | Catapult
TL;DR: When investing comes at a cost. | The Guardian
How to survive the “pandemic of selfing.” | Unselfing Social
“A best friend is a different type of home entirely.” | Harper’s Bazaar
NYC’s Airbnb hustler is gonna ruin it for the rest of us. | Curbed
On ode to the late restaurant critic Gael Greene. | Bon Appetit
The Spears Saga runs deep. | Vulture
All hail the date palm tree and their sweet fruit. | Smithsonian Mag
Jennifer Aniston, the rising phoenix. | Allure
You don’t look Jewish and other anti-semitic beauty tropes. | The Unpublishable
TL;DR: Are you still the child you once were? | The New Yorker
Watchable
I’m not sure if this sequel to my favorite holiday movie, “A Christmas Story,” will ever live up to the original, but I am still here for it. The actor who played everyone’s favorite four-eyed, BB-gun-loving Ralphie returns—this time, with his own kids to show Santa, put up a tree, and move around in snowsuits. No word yet on whether there will be a leg lamp. And if not, “I’ll shoot yer eye out,” Ralphie!
Speaking of favorites, “Almost Famous” opened on Broadway this week! This semi-autobiographical film by Cameron Crowe has long been the first I’d list on any dating profile, and I love me a musical. But can the iconic Penny Lane, William Miller, and Russell Hammond translate to the stage? Will adding original songs and choreography make it hokey? I can’t tell if I WANT to hear them recite lines like “You are home” or “It’s all happening,” or if it’d feel sacrilege. What say you?
On Repeat: Midnights by Taylor Swift
Hello, my name is Sara and I’m a Swiftie. What started as a slow-burn listen has become a full-on obsession and I can’t choose a favorite song on the new album because they’re all so good. Yes, Taylor has “a sound,” and many of her songs feel familiar, but beyond the musical riffs and refrains, it’s the lyrics that do it for me. To wit: “like snow on a beach, weird but fucking beautiful” or “don’t put me in the basement when I want the penthouse of your heart.” If you haven’t yet given the not-so-subtle revenge singer/songwriter a try, it’s time to see what the fuss is all about.
Currently Overthinking…
…whether to participate in Tik Tok, and, specifically, whether to post the “Teenage Dirtbag” challenge I spent way too much time making…
Souvenir: Colored Lens Glasses
The wrap-around, ski-friendly sunnies found at gas stations have come back as cool, which reminds me of another glasses trend: tinted lenses. From a practical perspective, why any of us thought it wise to walk around with yellow or blue lenses is beyond me.
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