Welcome to the Group Chat (pt. 3)
Lots happening, hello March! March is soo underrated. The days feel much longer, the weather in DC has been so mild, and blooms are coming! I even wrote this edition sitting outside—spring is about to be sprung. I’m giddy!! The downside is record-high pollen, but you take the good with the bad.
My proudest moment in February was avoiding the Cut article about their financial guru getting scammed out of 50k in a shoe box. I can’t summarize any better because my eyes glazed over any time I saw it mentioned.
Otherwise, it was a quick month, and tonight, we are back in the group chat!
📚Reading: The Women by Kristin Hannah
My book club just read this book, and I loved it. The main character is complex, the author very successfully immerses you in a historical world, and there are plenty of big feelings.
📰Reading: An Analog Library of All the Lives I’ve Lived
A wonderful letter from an avid diarist who has been chronicling her life since she was 9. I romanticize being able to look back at different stages of life with such detail, but I’ve never been able to keep up with a journal so I actually really like the new Journal app on my phone. To each their own!
📰Reading:
With so much to keep up on around the country and how overwhelming the topic is, this Substack will keep you informed on the latest on abortion rights. It’s extremely well done. I don’t always have the capacity to read every day, but try to catch up every weekend.
🎧Listening: Flightless Bird: Costco
Lovers of Costco unite. From under the Armchair Expert umbrella and perspective of an Australian journalist, Flightless Bird dives into the things that make America special, and certainly, what’s more American than Costco?
🎧Listening: In Case You Don’t Live Forever by Ben Platt
LOLLLL! I was listening to last Wednesday’s the Toast this morning and their mention of this song reminded me of the absolute chokehold it had me in circa 2019. I spent the better part of the day listening on repeat—don’t start unless you are looking for an absolutely EMO period of time.
🎧Listening: Inside the Massive Ideological Split Between Young Men and Women on the Big Story
📺Watching: The Holdovers
I love Paul Giamatti, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph is a joy to watch. I watched once it was available on streaming and recommend, especially before the Oscars next weekend!
📺Watching: The Traitors, Season 2
I wanted to see what the hype was about, particularly as a Survivor fan. There’s something very 2024 about watching G-list reality TV stars duke it out for more name ID and influencing prowess. When you put that aside, it’s an easy throw on show that’ll keep you entertained.
📺Premiering: Regime on HBO
We need a new Sunday night show. Succession, Mere of Easttown, True Detective, Game of Thrones, Big Little Lies, the Sopranos…the ritual of a Sunday night show hits different and I’m excited to tune in tonight to Kate Winslet’s latest.
Corners of the internet that may be useful around a water cooler/dinner table/your group chat
O.M.G. Reformation dropped their voter registration campaign, aptly titled, “You’ve Got the Power” and chose Monica Lewinsky as the face of it. Iconic, full stop. It gives Reformation depth that I didn’t think they had while also showing they are in on the joke. A small collection accompanied the campaign, and I am pining for this two piece set. For even more, I enjoyed Monica’s candor in this piece.
Speaking of icons, the world lost one in Iris Apfel this week.
Hottest culture conspiracy out there right now is: where is Princess Kate?! I stand firmly in the camp that she is not missing. Mostly because I’ve seen enough crime shows to know that the only people who disappear quietly are those who don’t have anyone to look for them loudly, and from what I saw of Kate’s mom in The Crown, she seems relentless. I don’t think the Palace could pull one over on her.
Who TF did I marry? This was an epic—52 parts to be exact—of a TikTok story that was hours and hours long. Admittedly, I only watch a few episodes, but here’s a summary of the never-ending twists and turns of this prior relationship.
You don’t need to be a fan of Vanderpump Rules to appreciate the glory of this piece.
Breathe in, breathe out all the pseudo-healthy cooking myths. Praise up, white rice over brown.
Apparently, a free the nip sentiment is the most dominant through-line at Paris Fashion Week, and all I’ve gotta say about that is noOoOooo, not for me, please!
Get ready for next weekend with Who Votes for the Oscars, and How Do They Do It?
Things that have caught my eye
I’ll start with a few pieces I’ve shared with friends recently, and then a few things that are just cute! Simple as that.
The need: A dress for a work cocktail party that would also make sense in said friend’s closet.
I immediately thought of this dress. On sale and SO versatile! The fact that this is on sale in black makes it a near no-brainer. I’ve seen other colors on resale sites too!
The need: A blue bridesmaid dress
I’m still scouring the interwebs for this one, but a few I’ve sent my friend’s way.
I’ve been crushing on this throw-on-for-anything Target dress.
I’m a sucker for a contrast collar, and love a short-sleeve sweater for transitional weather.
New workout dresses from Abercrombie are sure signs of Spring.
Very cute, ruffly white button-down that I saw on
this week that’s now on my wishlist.COS coming in hot with the pleat, cuff combo.
Cuyana recently dropped a slate blue, and the oversized bucket bag would be perfect for work, travel, Saturday.
I don’t know many brides this year, but these little white dresses are too cute to not share.
Theory Overlay Dress: The overlay dress reminds me of this skirt I found on ThredUp after falling in love with this one that is leaps and bounds out of my price range. Only 12 more days of hoping it’s still there 🤞
I *love love love* these pleats. The price is steep, v sorry for making you fall in love with it.
And bringing up with the rear by speaking of denim, this Ganni dress!!! Love!
Soo many cute takes on denim shirts and jackets right now. I’m holding out for finding this denim jacket secondhand, but some other great options ⬇️
Belted at every price point, from Old Navy to Gap to Mango (my fav) to Sezane
Lady jacket in lighter denim and darker denim
And a very cute collared version.
Okay the Mille blouse is so good I’m truly obsessed with it and the mango denim jacket is high on my wishlist (just not sure how to rationalize yet another Jean jacket, hehe).
Every week I think ‘THIS is my favorite Peach Picks edition’ - you continue to outdo yourself! My jaw dropped when you said you successfully avoided the scammer article from The Cut.