I didn't say it was good, I said I liked it.
Oh God, am I waxing poetic about Taylor Swift on the internet?
Not a lot going on at the moment…
If you were lucky or rich enough to get Eras Tour tickets, you should know that I hate you a little bit (except you Nicole, I could never hate you).
If you have no clue what I’m talking about, or worse, are vehemently anti-Taylor Swift, then you’re probably in the wrong place.
I know that a lot of pretentious jackasses think her music is shit and that pop music in general is the downfall of all art and society. To those people I would say, A.) I guarantee you have only heard her singles and B.) Who cares? Have a little fun. You can like things just for the sake of liking them, did you know?
I really hate music snobs, but that’s not what this is about. This is about me and the single $3,000 Eras Tour Chicago Night 1 ticket that I added to my cart on Stubhub and stared at for a good while before I closed the tab and poured a glass of wine.
And while I honestly think I’m past the age of enjoying a massive stadium tour (I hate crowds and heights, and I don’t feel like shelling out hundreds of dollars to watch a tiny person performing on a glorified TV screen. I can do that at home for free) – I definitely have a ton of FOMO about this tour.
I’ve been a Swiftie (I hate that word) since I was 13 years old and Taylor was 18 and Tim McGraw (the song, not the man. but yes also the man) was on the country radio station we always listened to in the car.
She’s had a knack for putting out albums exactly during particularly pivotal moments in my life - Speak Now during my tumultuous high school years, Red my first year of college (and my first big breakup), 1989 during one of the most difficult years of my life, Folklore/Evermore as I was getting married and moving back to Chicago… anyways. Her music means a lot to me, is all.
Guess I’ll have to wait til I’m 62 and Taylor’s 67 and performing at a suburban Midwestern casino on a Wednesday night. SIGH.
To Read
I had this on my list for ages and finally picked it up almost a year ago. I was hooked from the subtitle – “Love letters from the worst culture we have to offer.” What I wasn’t expecting was to be fully sobbing through an essay about Bath and Body Works’ Warm Vanilla Sugar Body Spray of all goddamn things.
I’ve finally reached the point where the up and coming writers and essayists are roughly the same age as me, which means when I read memoirs and personal essays, I no longer have to pretend like I really knew what went on in the 80s and 90s. It all feels so much more relatable reading things from the point of view of a good old fashioned 00s kid.
I was born in the 90s, certainly, but I was only 6 when the new millennium dawned – so it’s not like I was particularly well-versed in 90s culture, unless you count Sesame Street, Rugrats and Arthur.
But jewel cased CDs, AIM instant messenger, knock off Ugg boots, Bath and Body Works body glitter? Oh baby, I am all in.
Anyways, this book has been the most incredible gem about growing up in the 00s, with odes to Hot Topic, frosted lip gloss, Jersey Shore… the whole nine yards. It’s made me laugh and cry in equal measure, which is the highest praise I can give a book.
Here’s a quote from the book that beautifully outlines what I was blabbering about in my above Taylor Swift diatribe:
by“Life is short. It’s important to attach oneself to the pieces that stick, regardless of whether somebody else believes the stuff is any good.”
– Tacky by Rax King
As I’ve been diving more into Substack, I’ve been enjoying finding new amazing writers to follow, and The Rhubarb Society has quickly become one of my favorite publications! I love Tamsin’s writing voice, it feels like grabbing coffee with a friend. Plus her Tiktoks and Reels are hilarious and I only just put the two together and realized it was the same person.
To Listen
The Strolling Through Stars Hollow playlist comprising every song that was featured or mentioned on Gilmore Girls, as well as some that just have that vibe? It’s great, regardless.
To Buy
A novelty trophy from Jenni Earle! I’ve been eyeing these at like every cute indie gift store ever, and I finally ordered one. Last weekend I painted my dining room a moody dark teal color and I kind of want to go with a Wes Anderson does Dark Academia theme for it, so lots of like vintage trophies and pennants and such. So this will make the perfect addition!
To Scroll
I discovered Joni Lay’s feed and blog last week and oh em gee I’m simply obsessed with everything she does. Her home is so gorgeous and the parties she throws her adorable daughters seem so FUN. Can she adopt me please? Take a scroll for some eye candy:
