5 things I'm thinking about this week

I just had to google “what’s the opposite of daylight saving time?”. Standard time is only the time that more than 60% of the world uses. #facepalm

As I was leaving Sunday dinner last night, it dawned on me that this was the last time for awhile that I’ll be leaving in the dark. Six-thirty sunsets will soon become seven-thirty, and I’m excited to feel like I have more time in the day starting soon.

In case you’re (not) curious, I did not end up buying the necklace I had my eye on last week with my Jenny Bird coupon. I did stick with the mixed metals theme and picked up the 70’s Wave Hoops, above. They’re chunky, yet modern, and I love that you can choose between featuring gold or silver by switching up what ear you put them in. I’ve even seen Jenny herself wear them backwards, all these options make me pretty happy with my purchase.

Speaking of new things, here are 5 of them that I’m thinking about this week.

1. Onitsuka Tiger Shoes: I didn’t end up getting the Hoka’s I mentioned last week. The $10 shipping was a huge turnoff, and I found a pair of Nike’s on winter clearance from Dick’s that I splurged on. But speaking of sneakers, Meg Stratchan mentioned these Onituska ones in her Harper’s Bazaar profile, and consider me influenced. Given how quickly Adidas Samba’s are aging, these seem like the perfect, light summer sneaker. Now to choose, black or white?

2. Lancome Tonique Confort Re-Hydrating Comforting Toner: this has been on my vanity all winter, and I swear it’s one of the only things keeping my skin from drying out. A little goes a long way, this toner has a milky texture that instantly re-hydrates, without leaving skin icky, and I love that it’s alcohol-free. I pour a small drop in my hands and pat on my face, its the perfect start to my morning skincare routine.

3. Saarinen Dining Table: I am on an investment furniture buying freeze until I solidify a more permanent housing situation, but man if I had the space, I know exactly what I’d buy: a Saarinen Dining Table. I’ve been dreaming for years about one the smaller rounds in a sunny breakfast nook, or one of the oval shapes turning a formal dining room super modern. I blame DWR’s Semi-Annual Sale for reminding me of my wanderlust, they’re even offering free shipping! Someday….

4. West Elm Beatrix Table Lamp: while I can’t( won’t) splurge on furniture right now, I can continue to refine my entry way console and purchase decor and I think this lamp might make the shortlist. It’s footprint is super small, and I love how a super traditional linen shade looks modern with its smaller shape juxtaposed with the lamps slim profile. The height is perfect too, it’s tall enough to balance out a large piece of artwork on the other side of the console.

5. ela x Sasha Exeter Frame Clutch: ever since this collab dropped I’ve been eyeing this clutch. I love how oversized it is, it’s perfect. I don’t think I’d carry this with the shoulder strap, but love the option, instead I’m obsessed with the hinge and how much stuff this can hold. Even better? This is a Canadian brand and I love to buy Canadian whenever I can.

What I'm looking forward to this March

Looking back on February, it seemed a lot more eventful than I anticipated. At one point I found myself asking “is mercury in retrograde?” (it wasn’t), as February threw a bunch more curveballs my way than I expected. “Good” curveballs included some events at work and a surprisingly mild month (outdoor walks saved my anxiety), while some of the “bad” curveballs also included some work events and some unanticipated repairs needed to my home. I don’t know about you, but when my work life and home life are unstable at the same time, it throws me off my equilibrium. 

I’m looking ahead and putting this month behind me - and looking forward to all of these things for March.

1. The Killers Concert: I’m so freaking excited for this show this month. The Killers are one of my favourite bands and I can’t wait to dance and sing my face off at their concert later this month.

2. Daylight Savings: the daylight after I come home from work does wonders for my psyche, decompressing after I get home with a walk outside helps me reset my equilibrium. I’m so excited for this to be permanent in a week.

3. School Spring Breaks: everything slows down in our office during Spring Break season, and I’m excited to get some “heads down” time to tackle some of the big ideas I’m been brainstorming and plow through my to-do list. 

4. Ted Lasso Season 3: FINALLY my favourite tv show is back! I already have it on my calendar. 

5. Daffodils: my favourite flower starts blooming this month and Trader Joe’s has them for CHEAP. I love the pop of yellow they bring to my home, a true sign of spring. 

5 Things I'm thinking about this week

One of my favourite Sunday reads is “Hi Everyone with Hillary Kerr”. Hillary has been a trusted fashion editor for years, one whose recommendations I’ve grown to love and trust over the years. Her newsletter this past Sunday titled “5 Things You Should Read, Shop, Watch, Try, and Make Right Now” inspired me to write my own version this week.

My take is probably going to be a little more window shopping, and a little less buying and reviewing; I’m very much in a less-consumption, more-decluttering state right now. But sharing inspirations and ideas never hurt anyone, so lets see where this goes!

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A post shared by BY MALENE BIRGER (@bymalenebirger)

1. Lawless Lip Plumping Line-Smoothing Tinted Lip Balm: in a world full of matte lipsticks, I’m a tinted lip balm. The colours on these new Lawless ones look gorgeous, I especially have my eye on Lover. And the lip-plumping benefits are chef’s kiss, who doesn’t love your lips but better? The best part? They’re a Hillary rec, so I might as well “add to cart” right now.

2. Daisy Jones & The Six: the hype on this show seems to be everywhere, so I really hope that it’s good. From fashion, to beauty, to music, it seems everyone has thier eye on this miniseries to shape our tastes and culture this Spring. I do love me a musical tv show, so I think I’m going to have to check this one out this Friday.

3. By Malene Birger Vannah Scarf: I can NOT get this scarf out of my head. I’ve been eyeing since the after-Christmas sales and I just might have to pull the trigger. I love how long and cozy it is, and it’s got a substantial weight to it too. I’m also not convinced that we’re not done with winter here, and I want to upgrade my scarf game, so maybe its time to make her mine?

4. HOKA Clifton 8 Running Shoe: I think I really need a new pair of running shoes. Achy knees after longer walks on the weekend sure aren’t sexy, so I think I might be time to upgrade my shoe game. I’ve heard great things about HOKA’s and these are on sale

5. Jenny Bird Sofia Choker: I have a 20% off coupon to JB that expires at the end of the month, and I really think I might use it on this necklace. I’ve been mixing metals in my outfits a lot more lately, and I love how this choker lets you choose one metal or the other, or both! Stay tuned.

Why I can't quit Twitter, yet

Rihanna’s halftime show. The Grammy’s hip hop tribute. Damar Hamlin’s injury on a Monday night. The White Lotus finale.

During cultural moments like these, Twitter is still the place I want to be while witnessing the action live.

No other social media platform has yet to provide a live, second screen experience the rivals twitter, especially during live sporting events.

Watching news and commentary live is 100% what keeps me on the bird app. The sense of community it provides during cultural moments that we’re all watching collectively makes it special. The live news stream is like a colour commentator watching along side us. Being on Twitter during live events is like watching television with all your most interesting friends in the same room. Or attending a lecture of a mentor or creator you’ve always wanted to hear speak.

This sense of community twitter fosters is why what’s happening to the rest of it is so sad. :(

Feeling the same. Still seeing real time tweets but the 2nd screen behavior hasn’t been there for monoculture moments for a while.

Super Bowl might be the exception? https://t.co/1dz7YvHm3B

— Michael J. Miraflor (@michaelmiraflor) February 6, 2023

To be crystal clear, hate speech should never tolerated, online or off. And the proliferation of it on my favourite platform is disgusting. Likewise, the bots, the fakes, the “who knows what else is being created” by evil people (governments or not), is also really, really concerning. In a world where trust and truth are hard to come by, these bad actors are trying to flood our town halls with evil to keep us from congregating.

And sadly, it seems to be working. During live events our timelines are being sucked of relevant tweets to join the conversation. Even sadder, lately it seems some of my well-curated sports timeline has just moved along from the app all together. And don’t get me started on the “For You” tab. It’s so disappointing to watch Twitter let “the algorithm” curate our feeds based on engagement, instead of in real time like we’ve all come to love.

So hey Twitter, could you maybe clean up your act just a smidge? We all just want our online water cooler back so we can hang out again.

What I'm looking forward to this February

I’m a few days late on here, but I’m holding myself accountable to look towards the positive for our new month. Reflecting back for a moment on January…

Six on Tour was AMAZING. Full of girl power and cast that oozed charisma, it was 80 minutes of fun, and the soundtrack is constantly streaming in my home. My Apple watch challenge for January was 17 outdoor walks and I managed to complete it! The fresh air and sunshine was a godsend for my mental health to kick off the new year. And we really lucked out with some mild weather (which I never thought I’d be grateful for!). I know we won’t get this lucky in February. The one thing I didn’t get to in January was soup! But I’m looking forward to digging into my cookbooks this month, or maybe try one of these.

1. Our Blooming Youth. I’ll always make time for a new Park Hyung-Sik drama, especially if its a romance! This will be the perfect cozy treat during the week.

2. All the rom coms! I’m not as pumped for the Superbowl or the Grammy’s as I have been in years past, but what I am pumped for is all the rom-coms that release this month. I love the frothy escape they provide and I’m especially excited for the Reese/Ashton one.

3. 6pm sunsets. Give me all the daylight! The perks of being on the west side of EST is our late sunsets. Soon I’ll be able to get in more walks after work as the sun sets later, and I can’t wait. soon i’ll get more walk after works.

4. Retreat Fashion. It’s corporate retreat month at my job. These days have a tendency to be a lot for my introverted self, but the one positive they do offer is a chance to play with fashion. Playing with a more relaxed silhouette sounds fund, and I’m excited to see what I come up with.

5. A day off! Speaking of said retreats - I’m treating myself to a day off shortly after one of them. I’m excited to decompress, maybe catch up with a friend, and have a well-deserved ME day.

6. Valentine’s Day Candy - on my unofficial candy rankings, Valentine’s Day candy comes in at a solid #2. Easter, of course, is number one, (mini-eggs, DUH), but the plethora of dark chocolate the Valentine’s Day brings to the table is second to none. Isn’t dark chocolate the kind that’s good for you too?