October 20, 2020

New look, everyone! (Major thanks to my friend, Whitney, for helping with the new logo! 👏💥) Ok, let’s just get to it.

1.

“How are you?” is probably the easiest (yet possibly most loaded) question we could ask each other right now. In this latest episode of “A Thing or Two,” a podcast fave hosted by best friends and work wives, Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo, the two share updates on their current moods and day-to-day rhythms, as we go into month eight of the pandemic (with a critical election, winter weather and the holidays just around the bend). Aside from the relatability around navigating friendships and socializing right now, this chat was also a gentle reminder that, regardless of the state of the world, it’s just good to check in with one another—even the friends you think you know best.

2.

Name that Oscar-winning actor whose parents were thrice married, twice divorced. His mother broke his father’s nose with a telephone. And his father died making love to her! And yet life still turned out…ok, ok, ok? I was hell-bent on Mariah Carey’s autobiography for my next salacious celebrity tell-all, until I read this weekend’s NY Times story chronicling the new Matthew McConaughey memoir. Between the shocking bits recounted in the article, and McConaughey’s proclivity for referring to himself in the third person, I’m anticipating some good storytelling.

3.

I love aliens. My dad is one. My best friend Jodie is one. They have the best accents. And Jodie just founded Aliens For Democracy, a resource for non-citizens who want to get politically involved—despite not having an actual vote—in the upcoming election. For many immigrants here right now, this is the most crucial election of their lives, and A4D is an urgent reminder that casting a ballot is nothing to take for granted.

4.

Don’t let this week’s warm weather fool you. Winter still has every intention of plowing our way and parking her ass for a solid few months. Growing up, we used to wear balaclavas (aka nelsons) under our coat and snowsuit hoods as an extra base layer of warmth while we’d sled outdoors. With masking up still very much happening these days, could this upcoming cold weather season be ripe for a balaclava revival? Some designers and brands like Marine Serre, Richard Quinn and Supreme seem to think so.

5.

Remember shopping in stores? And those randomly-placed chairs or benches typically designated for suffering boyfriends and husbands to take a load off while their partners disappeared to fitting rooms for endless periods of time? Here’s an Instagram account dedicated to those poor suckers.

Was this forwarded to you? Here’s where you can sign up. Or visit www.lauraneilson.com.