Saturday is Independent Bookstore Day and I’m already dreading the discourse, getting pummeled with posts online about why indie sellers are the only appropriate way to buy a book. Ever. And that whatever you do, for the love of god, you cannot ever ever purchase a book on Amazon. Because every time you do, a writer loses money, a local book shop shuts down and surely a shelter animal can’t find a forever home.

I’m just waiting for the suggestion that it would be better to stop reading altogether, instead of committing the horrific sin of lining Jeff Bezos pockets. As if it will make a difference.

So I’m putting it out there right now, to get it out of the way. I buy books on Amazon and I’m not gonna stop.

Before your launch in with your lecture: don’t. I’m not looking for your absolution. I’ve made peace with my purchases. But I’m tired of the guilt others try to impose for buying a book. Save your braggadociousness — I’m bored with this fight.

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Book censorship is wrong; book banning is wrong; book burning is wrong. I give money to groups that fight those nut-jobs who want to ban books they’ve never read. And yes, I still buy books on Amazon. If that means I’m going to hell, so be it.

I’ve placed 106 orders on Amazon this year. Nine contained books. Of the nine, two were books I ordered elsewhere, first, both used. One never showed up. After way too many in-person attempts to get it rectified, I gave up. The other showed up, but the font was so tiny I couldn’t read it. And I have 20-20 close-up vision. Both got replaced by Amazon within a day.

I also bought an adult coloring book of swear words that I like giving as a gift. Please, hold that against me.

And while you’re at it, tell me:

• “When’s the last time you successfully and easily bought a book that’s out of print?”

• “What about one that’s backordered?”

Like magic, Amazon does both. It even gives you options to buy used.

By all means, support your local bookstores. Visit, hang out, spend money on beverages and buy lots of books. I do that, too, and I’m sure I’ll be there on Saturday in support. But when they don’t have what I want, I buy it on Amazon.

And don’t even start with me on the Public Library. I buy things at the NYC library gift shop to support the cause. In Dallas, I donate money and volunteer my time. I’ve served on two Friends boards, attended budget hearings, and worked book sales where no one showed.

I’m also an avid user. Right now I have 11 books checked out and another 7 ready to be picked up. The hours are ludicrous – only open when everyone is working and closing before we’re done. So getting there is a feat. I have another 30 titles that I’ve requested.

Not that adding titles to your queue is easy, and I say this as someone who works in tech. The search engine limps along, crawling through every type of media --- movies, CDs and probably microfiche. It’s always down at 11 p.m., to the point I’m starting to think it might not even be a machine. The search algorithms are so bad, it was actually the inspiration for Chat GPT.

If that’s not purgatory, I don’t know what is.

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Right now, I am No. 62 out of 233 people waiting for the book Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. I’m more likely to die than get that book. And even if it does arrive, it will have had lots of other fingers all over it before I get my turn. So I’ll probably pick up a disease. Which also could kill me.

The book group I joined, believing it was an excuse to eat lots of cheese and drink wine on a Tuesday, actually reads and discusses the book. I can’t wait weeks for it to arrive. I need the book in my hands, so I can break in the spine and tatter the cover. It’s at least got to look like I read it.

I try to love Bookshop.org but it never sticks. They charge for shipping and delivery takes forever. In the “up to 10 days” they make me wait, I’ve already received, reveled-in and read said book from Amazon. This despite their tagline: Friends don’t let friends buy books on Amazon.

I needed to buy Your Brain on Art and Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity. I can do this on Bookshop.org for $65.65 and receive them in 4 to 10 days, which is basically the window for a home service call. Of that, $6 would go to a local book store.

Amazon is $46.88 and they arrive tomorrow. That’s a difference of $18.77. I’m much better off walking into a local bookseller when I’m in the area and handing them a $20.

Take the book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, which is always a perfect gift. I can get a used copy on eBay for $22.99 and pay for shipping. Barnes & Noble has it for $19.99. Amazon: $12.96, free two-day delivery and it includes a personalized gift message.

Don’t argue with me — talk to the numbers. Amazon sells 300 million books a year in the U.S. with book revenue of $28 billion. Obviously I’m not the only person buying books from Amazon. Math wins. So does instant gratification.

I’ve tried to do my part, damnit.

Judge all you want, believing I’m going to hell in a book bag. But consider this: maybe I’m just one of the few willing to admit the truth.

Don’t agree with me? Great! Start the dialogue so we can at least connect and share. Maybe even learn from each other.

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Cheers to spending our time and money well!

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By now you’ve probably either paid your taxes or filed an extension (been there, done that.) Or maybe you’re one of those who’s betting you won’t get caught and just skipped it altogether. Please let me know how that works out. And if you’re someone who dealt with this annual madness months ago, just know we probably wouldn’t be friends.

Every year it stings. The amount of time it takes to get it all pulled together — even when you’re paying someone else to actually create and file the return. But then there’s the painful part of writing a check to the IRS. Let’s take a minute and pause: think about how much you paid in taxes for last year. Maybe get some coffee? I need a stiff drink.

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I’m pissed about my tax bill. For what I shelled out, there are so many other things I would have rather blown the money on. Like a brand new BMW i5 or an Audi A7. It could also be a Mercedes-Benz E450 4Matic but never again. Car dents like its made of aluminum. Which of course has nothing to do with my driving.

Yes, I made enough money last year to warrant a tax bill the size of a luxury vehicle. I know this is a first-world problem. I don’t take it for granted that I made money last year. I’ve had several years where I made a lot less, and even years where I made less money than what I paid in taxes for 2025. I’ve been laid off more than once. I know what it means to make money and not, sometimes in the same year. Welcome to tech.

But every year I’ve paid my taxes, some years selling jewelry or purses to foot the bill. If my money was being used wisely, say to improve schools or streets, that would be one thing. But knowing my money has to offset the $1 billion a day the country is spending on the war with Iran makes me furious. I’m livid that our government is killing citizens and using our tax dollars to attack free speech.

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I’m not ok that I’m paying my fair share of taxes, yet the wealthiest among us pay none. Take Elon Musk of Tesla fame with his net worth of $795.7 billion. In 2018, he paid $0 in federal income tax. This information is from an investigation by ProPublica.

And before you start thinking “well I’m sure it was a one time thing” stop. It’s not.

Amazon’s Jeff Bezos has a net worth of $259.5 billion, yet in both 2007 and 2011 he paid $0 in federal income taxes. If I also find out his new bride, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, is getting all of her swoon worthy designer duds for free, I’ll lose my shit.

And let’s not forget President Donald Trump, who’s never gotten my vote. He loves to brag about his obscene wealth and also not paying, claiming “that makes me smart.”

It definitely makes me feel like an angry chump. The list of those who’ve paid $0 federal income tax goes on and on, if you want to take a look. I find it demoralizing.

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The strategy isn’t just limited to the uber wealthy. In 2023, 0.4% of those who made more than $1 million didn’t pay any federal taxes either, according to USAFacts.

Maybe that’s what they really mean when they talk about trickle down economics.

As for you and me, next April it will be the same. I’ll again wait too long to pull the papers together, ignoring the accountant who keeps hounding me. Just to write another check that feels way too big, paying for another war I don’t support. Then I’ll look up all the dreamy new cars I won’t be buying. But know what will never be on my list? A Tesla.

Does it make your furious to follow the rules and pay your taxes each year when some pay none? Share your thoughts and let’s talk — comments are open to all.

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Cheers to spending our time and money well!

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Nothing in life is more boring than filling up the car with gas, although drying my hair comes close. So I put it off as long as possible. It’s not the money — it’s the standing there at the pump, always in slow-mo mode, baffled as to why technology hasn’t given it some pep.

The empty tank light doesn’t faze me. It’s only when the car starts offering to look for a gas station that I take action. And before you even think about it — don’t. I’ve already heard from every guy I know who insists on mansplaining to me about how I’m hurting the motor.

So when I finally got around to doing the deed, I stood there watching the numbers climb: $79. I would have preferred a sushi dinner for one, or half a facial. All of which made me wonder — what’s this war in Iran that I didn’t start actually costing me?

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There’s a moment in every Zoom meeting — you know the one — where someone says something that deserves a response that you can’t actually say — out loud, at least. So you mute yourself, bite your lip, and quietly lose it.

Me? I squeeze a neon pink blob, hopefully remembering to keep it under my desk where nobody else can see. It has helped me keep my job.

It is a children’s toy. It costs $9. And you can’t have one.

I wasn’t looking for another impossible-to-find product to obsess over. I’m already deep in a Topo Chico grief spiral without my favorite bubbly beverage — but that’s a whole other problem. And yet here I am, lusting after a neon colored squishy — called NeeDoh — along with the entire rest of the world.

After seeing all the buzz, I went digging through my junk box. Sure enough, it was the hottest toy on the planet, now proudly on display in the center of my office.

Bye Bye Labubu

Selling for between $5 and $10, a NeeDoh is affordable — if you can get your claws on one. Which you won’t. Demand is 10 times higher than the company expected. Within the first nine weeks of the year, NeeDoh sold the entire year’s worth of inventory, the company CEO told Business Insider.

NeeDoh is the most sought after item, online and off. At this point, I’m pretty sure no one even remembers what a Labubu is.

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The company isn’t even accepting orders, posting: “Demand for NeeDoh and our other products is exceptionally high right now, so we’re taking a short pause on new orders.”

One of the very first people to point out the shortage was , right here on Substack in his post: The vanishing of the NeeDoh Nice Cube.

On TikTok, Hello Kitty devotees Agustus & Amy have pivoted to seeking some squish. For themselves — no kids involved. Here’s a video from their Target attempt, which is quite amusing.

@agustusandamy Needohs have people going insane 😱 #needoh #squishy #dumpling #trending #haul fidget toy viral Needohs five below Walmart target shopping haul squish

Don’t even think about finding your fun on Amazon or Temu, which only has a bunch of inferior fakes that are a waste of money and will just break. If you don’t believe me, heed the warnings from the brand.

Beanie Babies & Cabbage Patch Kids

NeeDoh got its start in all things squishy in 2018, launched during the craze for fidget toys and spinners. Interest was primarily from tweens and teens. The brand grew steadily and now offers 50 varieties — pulling in fans in their 20s and 30s along the way. To which we will make no mention of my age at this time, thank you.

At Learning Express Toys & Gifts in Bedford, Mass, they’re getting 50 to 100 calls a day with people looking for NeeDoh. When they got a shipment, people lined up 3 hours before the store opened hoping to land a squeeze.

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To put the demand in context, think the Beanie Babies craze in the ‘90s. Or Cabbage Patch Kids in the ‘80s. My aunt raced through Venture dodging crowds to get me that doll. But many of the craziest collectors weren’t kids — it was full on adult territory.

NeeDoh has that same frenzy. But unlike in my day, the craze is now fueled by fans sharing their hunts on Social Media with videos and photos, multiplying the mania.

In one posted video, you hear a “Good luck to everyone” from someone in the crowd before a store’s doors open and customers start sprinting in.

The toy’s purpose, according to the company: “stretching, smushing, squeezing, and soothing your way to the best mellow and chill.”

Turns out I bought mine Nov. 27, 2024 for $9.20. I couldn’t tell you why. The order also included a home steamer. For wrinkled clothes I guess? The steamer is still in the box.

I thought I ordered the NeeDoh cube that’s the color of a Blue Raspberry flavored Slurpee. Nope. I got neon Barbie pink. And now I need at least a dozen more.

I really want the gummy bear, because they’re delicious — the candy, not the toy, which I haven’t tasted — and it matches my affinity for all things Grateful Dead. You know, the dancing bears. A Dead thing. Don’t worry about it.

Part of the appeal is that no matter what you do to your NeeDoh, it always returns to its original shape. Some users apparently put it in the freezer. While I respect the effort, I won’t be going there.

Radio has gotten ahold of my mushy cubes a few times. When I ask him to drop it — and bribe him with cookies — he does so with a large “thunk” hitting the ground, still intact and his teeth haven’t punctured the cube. Unlike a bunch of my clothing when he was a baby.

And now that I realize I own this hot commodity, I’ve got a plan. Radio and I are going to set up what is essentially a lemonade stand all summer. The neighborhood kids can rent out my NeeDoh, say in 10 minute increments. We’ll make a fortune.

Better yet, I'm going to start selling NeeDoh to Corporate America. We've all got too many Yeti tumblers. Stop already with the AirPods and the branded swag nobody wants. Instead, give out a NeeDoh with every annual review. Give out a NeeDoh with every annual review — compensation for the forty-seven forms you made us fill out documenting our work. It's cheaper than a therapist. Less distracting than a fidget spinner. And it knows better than to hit reply-all.

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Please tell me I’m not the only one who bought something two years ago and doesn’t remember why. And no, I’m not talking about the steamer.

What’s your favorite stress toy? Share in the comments, which are open to everyone.

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The most interesting thing at Coachella this year wasn’t the bands. Not the outfits. Not the person who paid $40,000 for a single-day suite — yup, that’s a real number, not a typo. All the talk was about a billboard on the I-10 promising free ramen to anyone who made it to the end of the night.

Sure I’m a tiny bit older than the target demographic and have never ever had abs that should be on display. Yet Coachella still sucked me and Radio in, where we watched it unfold from my couch, in my pajamas. My midriff was properly covered.

Which got me thinking: when did billboards get interesting again?

Old-school advertising — billboards, of all things — took the big stage at Coachella. Rolling Stone and Billboard are documenting the best boards. Fast Company put out a video. And never before have the words “cool” and billboard shown up together in the same Instagram post.

The digital buzz started about two weeks ago on Reddit as the billboards started getting installed along I-10, on the drive from Los Angeles to Indigo.

On its own, Coachella is always alluring. It’s essentially the official start of the summer music season, drawing 250K people for the first weekend. The people watching is top-notch and the outfits are jaw dropping. And the spending? Real.

GA Passes for the first three-day weekend is $549; $1,199 if you go VIP. A one-day suite costs $40K. All are sold out. This year ticket sales alone will amount to $120 million. That’s before fans spend another $375 on food and drinks, all in the hopes of not passing out in the desert heat.

All a perfect setup to my favorite billboard: “Still here when the festival payment plan kicks in.”

It’s from the ramen noodle brand Maruchan, inviting fans to visit their MaruMart pop-up for a DIY ramen station, merch and snacks to-go. All for free. The stop is stationed at a nearby outlet mall and built out of a shipping container that gets tugged by an Airstream where the ramen is cooked.

Cheap, clever, and aimed directly at people who just blew four figures to watch bands play super short sets in what feels like a sauna.

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Why is a 190-year-old medium having a moment?

The Coachella billboards return to what made billboards interesting when they were first introduced in 1835, advertising a circus coming to town, of all things.

By 1900, Palmolive, Kellogg’s, and Coke were plastering them coast to coast and by 1956 the country was saturated by more than 500,000 lining our highways. Now we’re down to 354,000 billboards nationwide. In 2024, $6 billion was thrown at them, but spend is softening — down 5.1% last year.

The Coachella billboards work because they’re atypical, to the point of being disorienting. They break through the doldrums, returning to what made the roots of the medium work in the beginning: they’re specific to where you’re going and funny, but only in context. They couldn’t exist anywhere else and still work.

A ramen brand mocking a festival only makes sense when you’re near the festival and can visit after the bands end for the night. It’s the opposite of a banner ad on a website shown to the entire world, begging to be ignored. Ramen is never ignored, just ask Radio.

Turns out the most interesting billboard in the world only works in one place. Noodles figured it out. No AI required.

What are your thoughts on billboards? How often do you still eat Ramen? For me I’m more a Kraft mac & cheese girl. Comments are open to everyone, so jump in.

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Branding With Benefits

Coachella Isn't a Music Festival Anymore. It's a Brand Trade Show.

Coachella is not a music festival anymore. It is a showcase of brands fighting for eyeballs in an earned-media-value world, proof that the most powerful marketing channel is not a platform but a moment. And the brands that own the moment, own the conversation…

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7 days ago · 17 likes · Camille Moore

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Diamond Prices are Crashing

Hello friends and happy “World Diamond Day.” Didn’t know today was a special day? Of course you didn’t — this holiday isn’t real. Today is the very first time it’s happening.

Diamonds. We’ve been taught they’re forever, thanks to smart marketing. But what’s actually hap…

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This week tech talk show TBPN sold itself to one of the biggest and most controversial companies it covers: OpenAI. The unexpected acquisition reverberated throughout Tech and Media circles, as if the show hosts smashed the gong they use on air during their 3-hour weekday streaming show.

Why would an AI company prepping for an IPO buy a media show? To control the narrative. The gong was just a bonus.

The laughable part is the company insisting TBPN will maintain its editorial independence. History isn’t in TBPN’s favor. When a billionaire buys a media company, it always starts off with them patting themselves on the back. How their wealth is allowing them to provide this noble gesture to protect Free Speech and Democracy.

It’s bullshit.

Billionaires choke on their own words as soon as it’s a threat to the bottom line or their own personal wealth, backfiring aggressively on the Freedom of Press claims and hurting Democracy as a whole. Because at the end of the day, a billionaire cares most about … their billions.

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To fully dissect just how messy this will get — all of which ultimately will limit what information is available to the public — we’re going to look at two aspects of this news.

1. All the business changes that have already been announced for TBPN, throwing every red flag saying TBPN will not maintain editorial independence.

2. What’s happened every time a billionaire has bought a media brand and kept that brand quiet to cover their own ass, hurting the public. Think the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post, owned by Jeff Bezos of Amazon.

And before you dismiss any concerns, remember media owners impacted the outcome of the last 3 Presidential elections, all involving Donald Trump.

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But knowing this hasn’t made me better at getting dressed. It’s just made me more anxious about it. I know I rarely get it “right” — and I’m quite creative in finding new ways to get it wrong.

So naturally, I shop. If I just had more options, I tell myself, I’d figure it out. Instead I end up with a closet full of things I don’t wear, a car full of crap to return, and a credit card statement that is horrifying. And I’ve got the same problem staring me in the face. It’s a spectacular waste of time and money — which, as it turns out, is the essence of Retail Therapy for me.

What I need is someone who can teach me. A person who knows how to be comfortable in their own skin, has a quiet confidence that allows them to set their own dress code, and is simply unbothered by the opinions of others. Someone who can make showing up look effortless.

Then I met . She grew up the child of a Cold War spy, married a spy, and has spent her life observing them and even working with them. If anyone has mastered the art of showing up, it’s her. I sat down with her hoping she could fix me.

Decide for yourself if she did.

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When you’re on deadline as a reporter, your only focus is the clock. The minutes you have left to file your story. So when my boss came up behind me at my desk, where I was focused on the words, I didn’t think anything of it.

It wasn’t uncommon for him to come stand behind me and read over my shoulder, waiting for me to finish.

“What are you wearing?” he …

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Topo Chico is my adult beverage of choice. With or without vodka, it’s perfect. But always with lime — preferably two. That’s not negotiable. Out for dinner over the weekend, I heard something horrifying.

“We don’t have Topo Chico,” our waiter Carlos informed me in response to my Tito’s and Topo request.

“Sorry,” I asked, thinking I must have misunderstood.

What the Bubble Is Going On?

“Haven’t you heard? There is a shortage of Topo Chico. Aside from what’s already out there in stores, there is none to be found,” Carlos told me with empathy.

No I had not heard. His kind eyes told me he understood my panic.

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I Just Can’t Fall in Love with Quince

At this point it’s impossible to not know Quince. And if you don’t know Quince, you’re probably not reading this. The “affordable” “luxury” brand made news this week after its latest investment round increased the company’s valuation to $10.1 billion — doublin…

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Pores, we see you. We know what you’re holding onto, and it’s time to evict those unwanted tenants. March 10 is National Chemical Peel Day. #FeelThePeel. Sure it’s a Marketing Holiday, so use it as your excuse to get your glow on — and save money on procedures and products!

Missed the date? Don’t fret — it causes frown lines. You’re not too late! Keep reading for tips on how to lock in your skincare savings at your favorite spa.

I am all in on a good chemical peel and get one done regularly, along with lasers. The stronger the better. My request, every time, is always the same

If I don’t see peeling and visible results, it may as well have not happened. I’ll also do my own extractions after the peel when everything is nice and open. It’s when I allow myself to use my closeup mirror. But I can’t keep it out because then I’d pick and prod all the time. But don’t tell my esthetician.

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I’m not alone, investing in peels. Each year we’re spending $724 million on chemical peels, which helps fight acne, stimulate collagen and reduce fine lines. It’s luscious and lovely. And really, there is no downtime. You can go back to work right after. I’ve done it loads of times. If you’re a bit red, who cares? They’ll envy your glow tomorrow.

RETAIL THERAPY: BEAUTY RESEARCH REPORT

Chemical Peel Market Size

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But what I am concerned about, looking at the data, is that my middle-age cohort really needs to catch up and get in on the peel party. We’re underrepresented among chemical peel clients, even though we have the most to gain! Even those 18-25 are going all in, and they’re the fastest growing group to go after their glow. Giddy up!

RETAIL THERAPY: BEAUTY RESEARCH REPORT

Chemical Peels by Age

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Just Say No! Only 70 Countries Use Daylight Savings

I was with colleagues from all over the world this week in Chicago, and it’s always fun to hear how everyone fights jet lag. The Australia crew decided to stay up all night and into the next morning. Our friend from Canada then showed us this image, and I thought it was just a meme making a joke.

It was no joke. For the first time this year, British Columbia has gone rogue from the rest of Canada and broke up with Daylight Savings Time. Go BC! Not to be forgotten, Saskatchewan also skips out.

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Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump want AI tech handed over to them, carte blanche, to use as they please, no questions asked. But the real question is: do we trust the Government and Military not to spy on us?

If we’re living our lives and not a…

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So let’s undress this mess, shall we?

Gwynnies Goods Going Gone Girl

Don’t let the puff piece in Vogue fool you, where they practically suggest the Goop goddess is doing us all a favor by allowing us access to her excess. It was so busy oozing all over her, it glossed over the fact only a portion of the “proceeds” will go to the charity World Central Kitchen.

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Feb. 26 Update: Anthropic isn’t backing down! It’s utterly refreshing to see a business actually have a backbone & refuse to cower to Trump’s threats.

In support, I will continue to choose Claude for AI to show my support.

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I’m a huge music person and go to a ton of shows. It’s a habit I started at a young age and continue to this day, traveling for bands and some weeks hitting concerts a few nights in a row. It makes me feel alive, even if I’m way tired the next day at work from being out late.

My Ideal Look

Jeans, a great-fitting cropped Chanel-esque blazer, and a concert t-shirt. But a legit tee — from shows I attended and bands I love — not some silly reprint from Target, before we stopped shopping there, of course.

Like This, With Edits

First: my legs are not long or thin; they’re short and stumpy and I often have trouble with an inseam being too long. I recently bought this Veronica Beard blazer for $695. One week later the price jumped to $795. So that sorta felt like a win. Typically I’d never pay full price for an item like this, but I had a Nieman Marcus gift card after selling a Gucci purse via Fashionphile. It was all sorta a mess because I couldn’t use the gift card to buy a Louis Vuitton purse, which was my intention.

Instead I got this blazer, which I’ll wear with a fun top or concert tee — never plain white, that’s boring. I also can’t imagine I’d wear brown shoes and I also hate pointy footwear because its feels like hell on my feet.

I’ll spend money on some clothing items, purses, watches and jewelry. I happily mix with less-expensive brands and am thrilled the Gap re-released the Low Rise Long & Lean jeans.

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Why Retail Therapy

Nothing is simple, straightforward or sensical. Retail Therapy is my quirky, sideways look at the shopping I do when my angst takes over. When things feel out of my control; when I don’t feel like I’m enough; and the world is busy yelling at me that I’m too much. Or when I'm over-thinking something — yet again!

Like when I started getting gray hair, something a co-worker pointed out. A guy, no less. So I had to figure out the whole coloring my hair thing when I hadn’t even gotten my acne under control. Now, I battle both.

Distractions turn to obsessions and take over — from the importance of the First Amendment to why fashion hates middle-age women. But I don’t stop there. As a former business reporter, I have to follow the dollars — and make some sense. Sense. Cents. You get it.

I Believe

• Coats should be fashion statements, only

• There is no such thing as “too much” tie-dye

• If you haven’t touched it & tried it on, don’t ever buy anything ‘final sale.’ Ever.

Oh, and I haven’t decided what I want to be when I grow up, so I stopped aging.

What I’m Lusting for Right Now

• The perfect comfortable neutral colored khaki pant that I could easily wear while working without cutting off the circulation at my waist. A big baggy, but it can’t me look like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Woman. I’m eying the Parachute Poplin Pull-On Pant from Buck Mason but luckily they’re out of stock. The $148 price seems a bit high.

• The Laura Brown x Nomasei : ROMA - Sandals in Camoscio Khaki are pretty fabulous, but I’m not spending $570. Rarely do I spend that kind of money on shoes, although I’ve some splurges, mostly boots. I also need to try on a shoe: comfort over fashion and I need to be able to walk in them. Ordering lots of pairs to get delivered to the house is just an unwieldy mess. I’d rather go somewhere and try them on.

• Black fitted leather blazer with fabulous silver buttons. I saw two 2 different women wearing this recently, one in Dallas and the other in Chicago. I was dumb and didn’t stop either to ask the brand.

• More cashmere sweaters — ideally on sale. They have to be worth the money — too many are scratchy, not soft or both. What’s the point? There is a Jenni Kayne I saw that felt incredible, but I’d never spend that on a sweater that I’ll snag on something the first time I wear it. I want a navy v-neck and a short sleeve sweater in a fun color. I’m also liking the idea of lightweight ones in the warmer months because places are always over air conditioned.

What You Won’t Find

This isn’t the site for lists of items you have to go out and buy right this minute.

On Retail Therapy, I talk a ton about spending money and what I buy -- and return. But it’s often in a bigger more esoteric sense. A gap I’m trying to fill, within myself. It’s often me experimenting, trying to figure out how I can feel comfortable in my own skin. To stop second guessing…everything.

Rarely, if ever, do I find the “perfect thing.” But if I do, you’ll be the first to hear about it. But it’s because I want the whole world to know — not because I want you to buy something so I make some pennies. i.e. nothing is an affiliate link.

So far I’ve shared 2 very specific product recommendations:

1. World’s Softest Socks

2. Topo Chico

But more often, I’ll share what’s horrible. What you shouldn’t waste your time and money on; what you should avoid and why. Like why so many headphones devices are horrible for working out if you sweat. And is that’s a normal thing?

Products I Use

But in the spirit of shopping, here are some of the makeup products I currently enjoy.

Merit Beauty

These are my most recent purchases after realizing I don’t know how to put on makeup anymore. I’ve been very happy with everything I’ve purchased.

• Perfecting Complexion Stick: love this thing. Covers up all the things and you can blend it out with a brush or your finger.

• Flush Balm: using this on my cheeks and eyelids and I’m thrilled. Fast and easy.

• Day Glow Hydrating Balm: basically a shimmer stick, which I needed to be told how to put on and where it goes.

• Lip Blush: this was the first thing that got me curious about the brand. These are fun but can go a bit awry. I have it in 2 colors, and one I look like the scary aunt from the the 2025 horror-film Weapons, according to my partner.

Glossier

• No. 1 Pencil for eyes: you can get a good line but it does smuge some from my lower eye, which I hate.

• Lip Liner: it really is non-drying, which should be a requirement.

• Sharpener: it $9 and perfect. I use it on everything and own two. One for home and one for travel.

Ilia

• Mascara: you can remove it without pulling out too many lashes

• Fade Into You finishing power to control my shine

I used to really like the eyeshadows from this brand: both the stick and the liquid tint. But both have different formulas now and I don’t suggest either. The stick breaks way too easily and the tint stings my eyelids. I’ve bought more than one hoping it was a fluke. Nope. Avoid.

Benefit

Brow pencil and Brow+ with the tiny mascara-type wand

Grow Lashes

• Obagi Nu-Cil serum: the woman who does my Botox suggested this. It works - I apply it to both my lashes and brows and both are growing.

Skincare Recommendations: Nope

I’m not sharing skincare recommendations because we each have so many unique conditions about our face and a ton of factors that influence how things work. Like climate and meds. I’ve wasted so much time and money buying products others use that never work and often make my skin worse.

What helped me the most: I finally found a good dermatologist who’s willing to spend a bit of time talking with me. You can tell right away on the first visit if the person will be your go-to or not; trust your gut and move on if they’re only there to charge you.

I found someone new in the practice who’s young enough that she’s building her clientele; she also knows the latest products and technology. With her help, I now rely on a mix of products: prescription, pricey medical-grade ones and mainstream from the drugstore.

Most days I just put on EltaMD UV Skin Recovery Red Color Correcting Green Tint Broad Spectrum SPF 50. That’s one product with lots of words — it’s the green-colored sunscreen. Recommended by said dermatologist.

The Non-CV Me

I work in tech and have for the past 2 decades, but why be specific and age myself? My writing explores how money and time influence our life decisions, big and small. Why these two variables of time and money? Not to sound like a textbook, but these are the only two things you can change and expect a different outcome. Plus, I can be quite literal, and this is a perfect example. But I’ve also yet to see this truism disproven. And I’ve tried, because I love to challenge assumptions.

Here’s what I mean. I spend a lot of time reading the internet and working on my pollinator plants. The plants are easy to justify — they’re pretty, smell amazing, and I love getting dirt under my fingernails, much to the chagrin of my manicurist, Andy. But reading Celebrity gossip, that’s harder to defend. I still don’t know who half the folks are on a red carpet or awards show. And my addiction to buying piles of clothes online just to try to find one thing that worth keeping? That’s dumb. No, that’s insane. It’s a waste of time and money; returning it takes even longer. The question is why I keep doing this, over and over again — that’s Retail Therapy.

Why Retail Therapy Right Now

I’m writing Retail Therapy now because I’m done waiting for permission to publish the pieces I believe are important. The work I want to explore and the stories I want to read. I’ve spent the past several years pitching mainstream publications. I’ve had bits of success, but it’s mostly waiting, not writing. I want to write the stories I want — today. Stories like:

• Why fashion hates middle-age women

• Why high-rise pants suck

• Why independent watch brands are having a moment

So I’m done awaiting someone else’s approval. Now I’m making the rules.

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