May 2022 Favorites

Hello!

We have come to the end of my favorite month– and what a month it has been.

I binged the Johnny Depp v Amber Heard trial. My thoughts on it were the #1 post of the month. As I review this, we are still on verdict watch. I enjoyed watching videos from the attorneys who stood in line and saw the jury reactions to certain parts of the trial. It was so insightful.

I cleaned out my closet. Sold clothes for the first time. I am halfway through my Elegant Stylist course with Anna Bey.

As I cleaned out my closet, I played a Real Housewives of Beverly Hills episode for the first time ever. Never seen one of those shows. It was absurdly dramatic. It’s like a group of women who don’t feel comfortable with one another or trust one another who are forced into experiences together with zoomed-in slow facial expressions. Wild. I can’t believe people actually think this is an acceptable dynamic. Have we normalized this behavior? If we have, this explains so much.

I will say that the hospitality these women show each other– the guest rooms, the goody bags and gifts– their attention to detail is astounding (they probably have people for this, but hey, we can always get inspired by ideas). It makes me want to be more thoughtful.

Here are some of the things that inspired me this month:

Marta Lozano’s Wedding:

This Bianca Jagger interview

The Lisa Rinna Beauty Tips

The second most popular post: Overheard in the Courthouse

“What the really great artists do is they’re entirely themselves. They’re entirely themselves, they’ve got their own vision, they have their own way of fracturing reality, and if it’s authentic and true, you will feel it in your nerve endings.” David Foster Wallace

I love the idea of fracturing reality…

“There’s a lot of people who don’t want freedom, whether physical or emotional. It can be hard to understand for those of us who do.” Calvin Correli

“The more disciplined you are, the harder you are to control.” Ed Latimore

I keep trying to think of the ways in which I can keep discipline strong. Latimore is so right. The disciplined are not an easy bunch to war against. I want to be in that bunch.

“I believe in getting into hot water; it keeps you clean.” G.K. Chesterton

Today, I had my noodle lunch spill all over my skirt. I did the whole ritual of spot cleaning with hot water. You then dab the area to absorb the oil that rises off the fabric. Then, you use dish detergent and soak it for three hours. And then the final wash. That is what hot water does. It can cleanse something deep. Don’t be afraid to get in hot water.

“...to truly see the dignity of others and to truly love them meant that love would wage war against the evil that had so terribly harmed them. To do this, she became convinced we must first see in each person a reflection of God Himself and respond with the kind of humility and passion to serve that such an awesome revelation requires.” Eric Metaxas

To love someone is to war against that which harms them.

“Those who use their power to oppress do not have the luxury of freedom.” Erwin McManus

“…was that I was a person with dignity and self-respect and I should not set my sights lower than anybody just because I was black. We were taught to be ambitious and to believe that we could do what we wanted in life.” Rosa Parks

We need to teach this more in school, rather than teaching people that they can’t or that they are victims. What if we had a generation that truly believed they could do anything. Imagine what that would do to the world!

“Competitive victimhood is the only game you win by becoming a loser. When people can’t compete by merit, they try to get attention through pity.” Ed Latimore

“The longer you live, the more you begin to realize that things you once thought were disparate narratives in your life were actually always interwoven.” Erwin McManus

“Jesus exposed the lie of loving God without loving people.” Erwin McManus

I think sometimes, in our efforts to be right or avoid the judgment we would cast on another, we would forget the important element of loving people. This is a way in which we reflect the love we have received from God. You can’t love God without loving and feeling for people. This requires kindness. It’s a thought that now pops into my mind when I feel a conversation or interaction get a bit savage.

“If Johnny loses this case, humanity has officially gone down the drain.” Jesus Enrique Rosas

If you want a masterclass in body language, watch The Body Language Guy’s commentary on the trial. It is GOLD. He did one viewing party, and then, we just couldn’t part ways. The community came together day after day. We saw the evidence unfold each day. We stared in shock and disbelief together when certain people testified. I learned so much. Thank you, Mr. Rosas, for that gift!

“Every minute of every day, the ego and the soul are doing battle. When courage is absent, the ego keeps on winning. But when courage is present, the soul wins every time.” Beth Kempton

I hope we choose courage every time. Win!