little sparkles from February
the sun is coming out, I think
they claim February is the shortest month of the year, but I don’t believe it.
year after year, February feels like this weird limbo state. the sparkle from the New Year is long gone, and my first-week-of-March birthday is around the corner. thus leaving Feb to be the forgotten, annoying middle child.
this February felt like the longest of my life. it felt dark, cold, rainy, and lonely. it felt desperate. it felt empty.
but then last week, the sun came out (literally and metaphorically). the east coast is experiencing its yearly Fake Spring, where the temperature reaches the 70s and then the next week it’s snowing. I began this post while it was sunny and 65 outside, and I’m finishing it with snow out my window. a few days have passed in between, but still — crazy, right?
as I say goodbye to the dreadful month that was February, I feel really hopeful about what March will bring. I feel like my sparkly self is right around the corner. we’ve been in the dark for a little bit, but we’re on the cusp of something good. I feel it!
sparkly reads
the only book I have managed to pick up this month, with the help of my therapist telling me to “start with one page at a time rather than setting out to finish the whole book in one day” (wise lady), is The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez. I’ve loved mostly every Abby Jimenez book I’ve read because my favorite genre of literature is “light, kinda witty, sometimes corny romantic comedy with a predictable plotline and an entirely unrealistic love interest”. it was a pretty light read, and I really enjoyed that it doesn’t really use a lot of my brainpower. I gave it a solid 3.5 stars and immediately jumped into the next book in the series…
…which is The Happy Ever After Playlist. let me tell you how I adoooored this book. I read it in one ravenous sitting, literally staying up until 2am to enjoy every last drop. it is the perfect breezy romance, with a really different plot from my usual suspect rom coms. as a gal who grew up reading Wattpad fanfics imagining myself dating Harry Styles and still dream about dating the frontman of a band, it was like reading a dream come true. I gave this 5 stars, I loved it so much. is it Hemingway? not by any means. was it perfect to me? yes!
another shoutout to my therapist who has over-and-over encouraged me to read The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins, along with the rest of the world. I have a copy, I’ve opened it, and even read the first chapter or two before putting it down. self-help books are just so ~snore~ sometimes. but, I am a woman of my word, and I told my therapist I would have read another chapter by our next session — which means I have, like, a week to do that. someone hold me accountable!
sparkly watches
I would be remiss to not mention Bad Bunny and his spectacular Super Bowl halftime performance which gave me such a proud “I told you so” moment to my friends. the artistry, meaning, and execution behind every single detail was beyond, and I think it should go down in history as the best Super Bowl of the 21st century. I said what I said!
because I suffer from severe FOMO, especially when it comes to trending pop culture, I watched the Tell Me Lies finale… without having seen a single episode of the show. I felt left out of all of the dialogue happening in the culture, so I simply had my sister give me a rundown of all the important plot points and then I pressed play. my (uninformed) consensus? I don’t really understand the hype. it was some of the worst acting I’ve ever seen. and you can say that I “don’t get it” because I didn’t watch the whole show… but it didn’t seem like I missed out on much. still, an enjoyable hour spent on my couch watching trash TV with a pint of ice cream!
I finally ticked off one of the movies on my watchlist from this banner year of film: Eternity. I saw one too many edits of the movie and decided I must behold Elizabeth Olsen on the big screen for myself. the film was a weird, kind of surreal ride (as is the norm for A24) and I was undecided on how I felt about it — up until the last 15 minutes completely won me over. I won’t spoil anything, but I will say that it really took me by surprise after assuming it would be a pretty straightforward ending. I think it stays with you long after you’ve left it. it was a feast for the eyes, and it also had some laugh out loud moments. I watched alone, but it would be a great pick for a movie night with friends/family/partners/anyone.
it is my due diligence to report on reality TV, as I typically have no fewer than three Bravo shows on rotation at any given time. allow me to tell you how delicious the new season of Vanderpump Rules was. the finale was last week, with the reunion starting this week, and I am already mourning it. I had extremely low expectations and almost dared to not tune in this season after they cleaned house and got a whole new cast (honestly, the right call in my opinion — I’m tired of watching Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz being manchildren at their grown age of *checks notes* 40? ish??). this new cast knew the assignment they were given, and they delivered. pointless drama, a messy love triangle/pentagon, drunken trips to wine country, and of course, Lisa Vanderpump along with Ken Todd in tow, holding whatever fluffy purse dog they have at the time. this was the show I looked most forward to dropping each week, especially because we would watch it after Summer House — the Bravo equivalent of taking an upper after a (major) downer. this is your weekly reminder that Kyle Cooke is a big yikes and Amanda Batula should be queen of the world.
sparkly listens
as made famous by PinkPantheress, more famous by Zara Larsson, and even more famous by Alysa Liu, the Stateside remix has been a welcome earworm that has taken over my entire month. I wake up and this song is already on a loop in my brain. I cook dinner and can see the music video & choreography in my head. it’s the perfect pop song and even more meaningful now, thanks to miss Liu. boots!
I thought I knew every single Djo song front and back, but I was reminded of his random single Keep Your Head Up from a few years back that I haven’t heard in forever. every year, there is a song that marks the changing of the seasons from bleak winter to hopeful spring, and this is that song for me this year.
as there’s only a limited time left to enjoy the moodiness of winter, I’ve been occasionally popping on the Twin Peaks soundtrack for a contemplative, nostalgic backdrop to my evenings. (reminder to self: watch The Return and finish out the TPCU!)
as inspired by the events that I expand on in my kind-of-vulnerable post from a few days ago, I’ve been on a One Direction kick this week. I came across this playlist titled “every one direction song but in a very specific order” and it’s kind of exactly what you would hope it would be. truly no notes.
also mentioned in this month’s post, I’ve been on a journey to rediscover my ancient texts, aka things that I loved when I was a younger version of myself. a great example of a (probably niche) ancient text of mine is this Thin Lizzy cover by my favorite band in high school, alt-J. I would listen to this beautiful rendition on repeat as I was falling asleep in my teenage bedroom. it randomly shuffled into my YouTube algorithm the other day and I was instantly transported. it makes me feel so hopeful, sentimental, gushy, kind of sad, and also kind of happy? oh, the weird wonders of nostalgia!
other sparkly things
because I am an Easily Influenced Person, I impulse bought this little face brush / gua sha that I saw three too many Reels showing women’s faces and the lymphatic draining and sculpting after using (in real time!). immediate purchase. I’ve been using it all month and it’s been such a fun addition to my morning routine. I really do feel a difference in my inflammation — plus, it wakes me up in the morning and winds me down at night.
as I’m smack in the middle of my 20’s right now, I find myself wanting to level up different parts of my daily life, routines, wardrobe, etc in an attempt to be a little more ~adult~. the most recent addition to my Grown Up Life is the Dedcool x Ouai laundry detergent + dryer sheets bundle — oh my goodness. the smell is addicting, and there’s something so chic about going back to liquid detergent after using Tide pods for forever. BRB, stocking up on this limited collection.
haven’t stopped thinking about Connor Storrie + Hudson Williams on SNL since I watched his episode. like this picture, please. I love them so much. I love that Connor included Hudson in his first time hosting. I love that they are so pure. they are a beacon of light during these trying times. if you haven’t watched the ice skating skit, you must go do that now. you’re welcome!
keeping with tradition for *checks notes* every post I’ve published so far, I must mention spin class! this month I officially hit the 100 rides mark and it was so sweet! it’s been such an incredible outlet for the last 6 months, and if anything, it just gives me a reason to actually leave my house a few times a week. now you can find my picture on the wall in the front lobby, and thank goodness I was looking cute and not in a post-class sweaty stupor.
sparkly inspo
this month’s roundup of sparkly pins!
our usual stars, glitter, and shiny things, swirly fonts and cursive handwriting, all things pink for Valentine’s Day, kissed signatures, dreaming about my future dog and our cute little apartment, and getting ready to make birthday wishes.
c’est fin for now! excited to see what March holds for us all.
next time we chat, I’ll be older, wiser, hotter, and so much sparklier.
absolutely obsessed with the idea of “little sparkles” as a whole!! also totally feel you on the one direction kick hahahha
Happy early birthday, queen!!!!