What's inspiring me to get dressed today

a glimpse ahead.

Here we are, out in the desert. We can’t go home yet, but we are so lucky that we still have a home to go back to. We’re lucky for a million reasons, but the thing that comes to mind first right now is our community. I have a crew of moms out here and their kids have been incredible substitute cousins and playmates for mine, and they’ve been like a pack of surrogate sisters to me. I would be a less well woman, and a much worse parent this week without them. Mom friends, man. What a gift.

If you’d like to donate to help the fire relief efforts, my best suggestion is to make $15 donations to as many GoFundMe’s as you can. Here’s a list of funds supporting Black families who were displaced by the fires in Altadena. This neighborhood isn’t getting the same level of attention as others, and there’s a concern that relief efforts will be disproportionate as well. This list is really excellent as well, and prioritize funds that have reached less than 30% of their goal. I read this suggestion - if you’re far away and feeling helpless and would like to make a huge difference, choose one of these families, and dedicate yourself to seeing their goals met. The thing I read was like, pretend they’re your own family, your best friends, or your neighbors and share the hell out of that link and work to get everyone you know involved until their goal is met. I really like that.

My son’s preschool teacher lost a home in the Palisades, which her whole family helped renovate. If you’re at a loss, she’s an amazing woman.

Baby2Baby is also raising funds for supplies for displaced families, and here’s the fundraiser for the LA Fire Department’s Wildfire Emergency fund.

Like I said on Saturday, as weird as it feels to work right now, it feels weirder not to. Writing this newsletter brings me a lot of joy, and it feels good to get back to work a little bit. I love you guys, thank you for checking on us and giving me an outlet!

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As much as I don’t like to buy into the whole thing of new year new you, there is an undeniable clean slate feeling that’s compelling. I get all excited and energized to DO AND MAKE and while my fantasies have been benched this January (I’m also going on week four of unstructured time with the kids at home), in the quiet moments, I have found myself daydreaming about things I might like to try this year.

I feel like I go in cycles of feeling very INSPIRED and energized, and then very meh. But right now, at the start of the year, I’m inspired to start shifting my personal style a little bit, and I usually set a few alerts for vintage items that I want to work into my wardrobe somehow. But like I said, I can get a little bit grabby grabby grabby with this, scattering my efforts like glitter into the wind. When I was discussing the differences between pleasure/luxury and the spiral afterwards, I realized I should have framed it as Pleasure vs Luxury. I’m seeking pleasure, and usually when I find it, a feeling of luxuriousness follows. Here’s where I’m looking this year, and what’s got my creative….juices pumping (sorry!!!).

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I remember years and years ago (around 2014-2016), when Delpozo was a huge thing, being absolutely struck by (the designer) Josep Font’s sense of color, and the combinations he used. They were so unexpected, and didn’t exactly clash or “go” together. I don’t have the words to describe it. If I can borrow from this distinctly TikTok-ian concept, Delpozo in the 2010’s is my Roman Empire.