Weekend Reads for the End of July

Next month I am cruising to the Riviera Maya… want to join me? I will be a mentor for the Influencers of Midlife Masterclass taking place on the Virgin Cruises ship Valiant Lady from August 24-29.

I, along with several other content creators, bloggers, and influencers who are over 40 will be sharing what we know in intimate settings where questions can be asked, audits can be done, and you get to pick our brains. However, one does not need to be an influencer to be on this cruise. It's just going to be a great time and a great getaway before the snowball of Labor Day to Halloween to Thanksgiving to the winter holidays happens.

I am excited to have a getaway with a few great women, but I also look forward to taking a solo trip where I can focus on myself as a person, not just a mom, wife, or part of a group. If you are interested, check out this link and scroll down to Riviera Maya. And you KNOW I will be sharing a recap of the cruise along with what I packed and wore!

Weekend Reads

Amy Sherald cancels her Smithsonian show, citing censorship. (New York Times – gift link)

Feeling flush? Americans can Venmo government to help pay off US debt. (The Guardian)

Compression culture is making you stupid and uninteresting. (Learning-Loving & Meaning-Making on Substack)

‘South Park’ creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone battled Comedy Central over showing the president's genitals, refusing to blur his penis. (Variety)

What happened to the idea of “middle age?” (Allure)

Doctors urge FDA to remove black box warning on hormone therapy for menopause. (NPR)

Why Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s death has hit the Black community so deeply. (CNN)

The Osbournes rocked so the Kardashians could keep up. (NBC News)

This fedora is truly crushable and was great even stuffed into the back of an overflowing minivan on our road trip!

Why so many seniors can't afford long-term care. (Time)

Meet the female weightlifters in their 70s and 80s. (The Guardian)

Why is airplane WiFi still so bad? (The Atlantic – gift link)

So obsessed, on my second bar. Totally wipes away all B.O. from any part of the body yet gentle enough to use on your face! I like the tangerine.

How Pucci bucked the luxury downturn to become the brand of the season. (New York Times – gift link)

The female innovator who changed American fashion. (Gloria)

Sale Alert & Style Inspo

hat | sunglasses | earrings | necklace | tinted lip balm | bracelet | blouse (XXS-XXL) | jeans (2-18 & petite) | bag | city scarf | sandals

jacket (XXS-XXL & petite/tall) | earrings | necklace | ring | dress (XXS-XXL & petite/tall) | blouse (XXS-XXL & petite/tall) | tote | hat | sneakers | skirt (23-33) | sunglasses | scarf | purse | vest (XS-XL) | sandals

monokini swimsuit (2-26W & petite/long torso) | sunglasses | sweater (XXXL-3X) | cap | earrings | bag charm | necklace | sandals | red dress (0-20/22) | striped sweater tank (XS-XL) | berry print swimsuit (0-24 & long torso) | ivory print dress (XXS-3X) | lip and cheek color | scarf | smocked top (00-24) | belt | bag

Universal Standard's linen collection is 40% off and I think this is a sale worth checking out. I LOVE US linen; I have a lot of it and it has held up beautifully from year to year. My picks:

• For average to tall folks, the Kite dress is lovely. Wear solo or jazz up with a belt at the bottom of your ribcage. For my fellow shorties, the Kuki is a better choice. And I have the Sunshower from two summers ago and love it and am thrilled to see it was brought back (hides your bra straps!).
• Speaking of hiding bra straps, the Promenade jumpsuit is stellar. Wear with or without the self belt, or switch up with a different belt. It's a hair too long for me but cheap to get hemmed and for the leggy ladies, this also looks super cute cropped.
• The Odeon dress is great for work, for casual days, as a swim coverup, as a duster over a tank and linen pants.
• This top and these shorts make a chic and breezy matched set. I have the set in the Beachgrass print but now want to get it in Ink Bloom print.

See/Hear/Read

Our daughter asked if we would take her and her friends to see Superman and we decided to go with them. I had heard good things, and I've been in the mood for an uplifting superhero movie. Superman did not disappoint.

David Corenswet is an excellent Superman. He is handsome and looks innocent and thoughtful and frustrated and angry and hurt with full lips and a square jaw and a perfect black curl over his big bright blue eyes. He's not dark, he's not comical, he's not overly muscular, never shirtless, just a good old American dreamboat.

Mrs. Maisel is Lois Lane in Doc Martens, Emperor Peter III is Lex Luthor, Gideon Gemstone is Jimmy Olsen, Ellie's girlfriend Dina is Hawkgirl, Captain Reynolds is The Green Lantern, the vampire Laurent is Mister Terrific, NoHo Hank is Metamorpho, and Mike Pence works at The Daily Planet for the Editor in Chief, Detective Bunk Moreland. Essentially, you will recognize a lot of the actors in the cast of Superman, and I think the casting was well done.

There has been some drama about Superman being “woke,” but aren't all good superhero stories? Superman may be an alien, but he's as human as you and me, and he's just trying to be the best person possible. Brains may be more powerful than brawn, but intelligence comes in a range of types and seen in a range of people. It's easy to fall into a mob mentality and accept what you see on the news, but when you think critically and factor in your personal experiences, you are more likely to uncover the truth. They say nice guys finish last, but the nice guys are usually the ones who are the last ones standing, thanks to friendships and trust.

For Your Entertainment

Some retro trends that have returned have me shaking my head. Those oversized brown hip belts were atrocious the first go-round, why the hell are they back? But watching Tyler, the Creator's first video to accompany his latest album, DON'T TAP THE GLASS… this is a vintage style that is excellent and feels so right in 2025. So are the cameos in the video (LeBron James and Maverick Carter, as well as Pusha T and Malice from Clipse).

My daughter, the music snob, is a big Tyler, the Creator fan and had us listen to his new album over vacation. It's a really great album and this single isn't the best song on it. I encourage you to check it out, especially if you feel all music these days feels formulaic, that rap is boring and repetitive, that they don't make music like they used to. They don't, but this isn't the same world, and artists like Tyler, the Creator do a great job creating art from this present existence.