Four Fun Things

Lovely, as an Australian familiar with intense sun and sun damage? can I urge you and your family to choose broad brim hats? Rates of skin cancer on ears, especially men’s ears, is alarmingly high and probably not reported on as much in the US as it is here where we are very sun aware. Find a chic straw bowler!

I HAVE read “Open Letter to the Female Hat-Wearing Dog in ‘Go Dog Go’” (I’m SURE it was thanks to COJ), and ever since then, when reading this book to my daughter, I spin much more appropriate responses from the female dog such as “too bad for you I LOVE my hat!” or “why did I even ask you in the first place? I don’t CARE what you think of my hat!” or “I’m going to scoot over here to hang out with my mom who will remind me that I don’t need to listen to what ANYBODY ELSE says about my body or what I wear!” My daughter, now 4, has started to realize that the two words in the little speech bubble above the dog’s head can’t possibly actually represent the multi-word sentences I’m “reading”, so now she always asks me “moooo-ooooooommmmmm is that what REALLY what it says?” “No” I answer her coolly, “It’s what it SHOULD say.” Don’t mind me, I’m just over here killing this whole mom thing. ;)

I love my two Sol à mer hats! The wide brim provides good coverage, and I like their look. I have a black Solie and a reversible Marina (in a color combo no longer available). And I added a cord lock/toggle to the strap of each one for windy weather. I debated buying them for probably a year because they aren’t the least expensive hat, but they’re made in NYC and the quality is nice (UPF 50+, good construction, stylish), and I’m so glad I did. https://solamer.com/

Now I’m just debating eventually getting a Toptote hat clip… I’ve been waiting for one with silver (or black) hardware. They look really practical for people who always have a hat with them.

Honest to god, the “open letter to the female hat-wearing dog” was a huge inspiration to me when I was in the throes of online dating in 2016. I’m a children’s librarian and I was sharing a lot of “witty anecdotes” (aka awful dates, bad men, etc) about being single, so everyone sent it to me. And it hit me like a ton of bricks! I was pursuing a lot of not great men, and I was trying desperately to win over men who would like me despite of myself, not because of. And as ridiculous as that sounds, that (hilarious) article was like a children’s literature themed wake up call. (I met my now-husband in 2017. He likes me for who I am.)

Did anybody else apparently forget how to apply nail polish during the pandemic? I painted my nails yesterday for the first time in MONTHS and it looks like a toddler did them for me.

I love those slides – can you share a link?

I don’t know if the Essie link is an affiliate link but just FYI I’d support COJ via patreon in preference to seeing Amazon links :-)

Wish I could get that baseball cap in the UK!

What sandals are you wearing?!

But now the other dog has the feather. We missed some hidden dialogue there.

I am wearing Evening Sky on my toes & Til the Glitter End on my fingernails by Color Street. I can’t believe no one has mentioned this AMAZING nail polish yet!!!! No matter what I do, be it in a salon or at home, I can’t get a perfect mani or pedi with wet polish. And it never lasts, especially because I would smudge it or gouged it within hours!!! Even if I did it before bed. Color Street not only help me have a GORGEOUS, perfect mani & pedi, but it’s help me with my nail growth and protection from swimming.
And it really feels great to look down at your nails in the sun and have them take your breath away!!
https://www.colorstreet.com/NailsInspiredbyNature/party/2793587
I just love this nail polish!!!
Have a great day!!
Lisa

Just yesterday I started wearing a hat even in my work clothes to go to and from my car. Summer here in the south is no joke. My fiance is much better at selecting hats, and he’s bought me several cool ones, so my advice as a former hat novice is to try some styles you wouldn’t necessarily pick for yourself and at least try them on, and get an outside opinion (text a bestie! or something!). I was surprised to figure out that a trucker hat shape works best for me!

Wallaroo hats are great. Filter for wide brim and UPF 50 +. I just ordered 2 more. Baseball hats don’t cover your ears. Once you’ve had a couple chunks of skin removed by a dermatologist/plastic surgeon, you see hats very differently and embrace them!

Well, I just read the entry posted yesterday on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s website https://www.chimamanda.com/

I found many powerful lines, the essence of which has been articulated many times before–but I find reading the writing of an author who treats words like bonds rather than paint always inspiring.

“…I notice what I find increasingly troubling: a cold-blooded grasping, a hunger to take and take and take, but never give; a massive sense of entitlement; an inability to show gratitude; an ease with dishonesty and pretension and selfishness that is couched in the language of self-care; an expectation always to be helped and rewarded no matter whether deserving or not; language that is slick and sleek but with little emotional intelligence; an astonishing level of self-absorption; an unrealistic expectation of puritanism from others…

I find it obscene.

There are many social-media-savvy people who are choking on sanctimony and lacking in compassion, who can fluidly pontificate on Twitter about kindness but are unable to actually show kindness. People whose social media lives are case studies in emotional aridity…

People who claim to love literature – the messy stories of our humanity – but are also monomaniacally obsessed with whatever is the prevailing ideological orthodoxy. People who demand that you denounce your friends for flimsy reasons in order to remain a member of the chosen puritan class.

People who ask you to ‘educate’ yourself while not having actually read any books themselves, while not being able to intelligently defend their own ideological positions, because by ‘educate,’ they actually mean ‘parrot what I say, flatten all nuance, wish away complexity.’

People who do not recognize that what they call a sophisticated take is really a simplistic mix of abstraction and orthodoxy – sophistication in this case being a showing-off of how au fait they are on the current version of ideological orthodoxy…

People who wield the words ‘violence’ and ‘weaponize’ like tarnished pitchforks. People who depend on obfuscation, who have no compassion for anybody genuinely curious or confused. Ask them a question and you are told that the answer is to repeat a mantra. Ask again for clarity and be accused of violence.

I have spoken to young people who tell me they are terrified to tweet anything, that they read and re-read their tweets because they fear they will be attacked by their own. The assumption of good faith is dead. What matters is not goodness but the appearance of goodness. We are no longer human beings. We are now angels jostling to out-angel one another. God help us. It is obscene.”

I’m trying to get better about not caring what other people think (only have to undo 40 years of ingrained behavior!), but anytime I put on a hat that isn’t a baseball cap, I’m automatically self conscious. Even if I think it looks good! COJ readers are always so wise; anyone have any advice on how to get past this?

Oh please. The hat-wearing dog doesn’t care that the other dog doesn’t like her hats! She walks away with a IDGAF look on her face each time. I have loved that book since I was a kid because their whole interaction is hilarious.

I love Fishnet Stockings but for the Summer I like Essie’s She’s Pampered even more! A pretty pink red that is a bit brighter: https://www.essie.com/nail-polish/enamel/reds/shes-pampered

Malaga Wine (OPI) is a perfect year-round color for toes and fingers! But if you want something a bit more summery – Dutch Tulip or Miami Beet (both OPI) are my go-to’s!

I’m so excited you featured Karma’s “Books” hat!!! As soon as it came out I ordered it and have been wearing it non-stop for running around town causally or early morning walks. I’m normally not a baseball hat kinda girl, but this one is just so cool and I love that instead of a sports team it says Books! My little bookish soul just sings.

Jill, same! ha :)

Baseball hats don’t cut it for me – they still leave much of your face in the sun depending on the time of the day.

The bigger, the better! I also would like to use a golf umbrella but haven’t yet…also Uniqulo has some quality SPF clothing.

I really like these ones: https://www.amazon.com/Simplicity-Womens-Summer-Foldable-283_Natural/dp/B00VHL3IPA/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=women+visor&qid=1623805703&sr=8-3-spons&psc=1&smid=A1IVH2WNZVMHQS&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzUFdNMTZXVEozSVdFJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTM5MDY4MTVTS0lVQU9ZSjFRRCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzU2MjAxNEgxT0kxVjBMUUJBJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Strawberries do not belong in baked goods… nope nope nope. On top of baked goods, alongside baked goods, nearby baked goods…. but not inside! Lol ?

First of all, you need to sport this hat!
https://www.dameproducts.com/collections/accessories/products/hat

Love the company after you have recommended them.

Secondly, I love the Essie color Geranium in summer! Such a happy orange/red.

xoxo

I’m wearing Essie Peach Side Babe on toes (never paint fingers, agreed!) and it is very cute and cheerful for summer. And a little bit 80’s neon. ;)

Quick comment on ‘the’ nail issue….they say regardless of how awful your nails are looking, if you paint them it should deter you from biting them!!<

Hi, Joanna! I’m not sure if you were really seeking advice, but in the event that you or someone else benefits, here goes:
My daughter’s dentist recomended Mavala Stop (https://www.amazon.com/Mavala-Helps-Biting-Thumb-Sucking/dp/B00336WT3O/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=mavala&qid=1623797101&sr=8-5) to help with a thumb sucking habit. It worked like a charm! Though she has had some relapses, we just have to paint her nails again with Mavala consistently, and we can get back on track. Anyway, hope this helps you or another reader!