Web Time Wasters

How was your week, guys? I popped up to Calgary for three days of fun, intense work with two of my favorite people. I snuck in a visit the the Calgary Tower and stood on those terrifying glass floors 626 feet above the street. Gross/awesome.

Stuff from some of my lovely sponsors

Many of us what to shop ethically but it can be weirdly hard. Stores like Marshalls and TJ Maxx mix the ethical brands in with the sweatshop stuff … and then what? Do we stand in the middle of the aisle, feverishly googling? MadeFAIR makes it easy. Everything they carry is both gorgeous and ethical! Look at this vegan candle! And this pretty skirt!

I’ve been freelancing for 5+ years and I wish I could travel back in time and buy this freelance-specific planner for my 2012 self.

Carolyn’s art is affordable, accessible, and looks gorgeous pretttty much anywhere. Carolyn, if you sent me a copy of this print, I wouldn’t be mad about it. Okay, this one, too.

This weekend I took a workshop called ‘Practicing Difficult And Important Political Conversations’ and it was soooo good! You can learn all the same stuff by reading this book.

“I pledge allegiance to my stuff.”

Writing a book is hard (there’s a reason I backed out of my book deal). I really appreciated Joy’s candor about the process.
In that simmering of excitement and doubt is a sprinkling of self-criticism… a big sprinkling. Like I’m trying to toughen my skin before anyone else takes any lashes at it.  Do you do this?  Do you want to know how good I am at criticizing myself?  Lemme tell you: I’m the best.  There’s no one better.  I’ve looked.  I’ve asked around, but still… I’m the best at beating myself up. 

Why it’s important to pay for real news. A weekly subscription to the New York Times costs $3.75 a week. That’s less than a latte!

10 ways to any room cozier. Into it!

Co-signed. Stop apologizing for the pop culture you love.

Such good motivation: “Wash the plate not because it is dirty nor because you are told to wash it, but because you love the person who will use it next.”

My 15-year-old self is so deeply into this DIY epoxy resin jewelry.

I find these tiny sculptures oddly calming.

Important.
One of the ways I really woke up to how bad racism is in the U.S. was reading an article in Ebony magazine about how to talk to your kids about police. It was in amongst articles about skin products and travel, right there in the middle of all the regular lifestyle magazine stuff. Something about the juxtaposition really brought it home for me emotionally. I knew that talking to your kids about the police is a rote conversation in our black communities, similar to a “birds and bees” talk, but I didn’t understand it emotionally until that moment.

Hope you guys had a good week!