Tis I. The one who bought allll the Trader Joe’s Valentine’s Day peanut butter cups. Yep. It was me. I did it.
This month has been a whirlwind, with writing projects, an impromptu office change, and lots of reading. I also want to take the time to celebrate some of my favorite Black creators in honor of Black History Month, as well as reflect on Bad Bunny’s historic Super Bowl performance.
💕 Aimee
Happenings at Home
Things have been crazy here this month—my husband traveling for work four weeks in a row, kids getting sick, pets deciding they want to hurt their paws and go to the vet. (Admittedly, it was just one pet and one paw. But that’s my furry child, and it felt like a lot.)
I put too much pressure on myself to finish a short story by a due date that I set, which wouldn’t have been a problem if not for all the stuff I mentioned in the paragraph above. I loved every second of writing my story, but I stressed myself out by rushing through the process. After that, I jumped straight into manuscript revisions. Perhaps I should have taken half a day to rest first, because my body sure yelled at me afterwards.
But this past weekend, I finally took a break. I didn’t need veg time on the couch. I wanted to dress up and get out of the house, so we had a nice lunch with the kids and did some shopping downtown. The change of scenery was exactly the kind of rest my body and brain needed. Sometimes it’s not physical rest that does the trick. Sometimes it’s just fun.
On a whim, my husband and I decided to trade offices yesterday, and both of us feel like we got the better end of the bargain. I was in the upstairs game room, while he had the nicer but smaller office downstairs. Now we’ve flipped. He’s over the moon about having more space and privacy away from the noise downstairs, and I feel so blessed to have a legit office space where I can display all my nerdy stuff on the shelves.
All in all, a hectic but great month. I’m so excited about sharing my short story—hopefully one day soon.
Happy Black History Month!
Here are some of my favorite Black YouTube creators and why they’re so special to me. I hope you’ll follow them and send them some love, not just this month, but all year round.
In particular, I wanted to feature women. Black women get me emotional because of the love and care I’ve personally witnessed and experienced. Their warmth and compassion are unmatched, and so often, they’re not met with the celebration they deserve. So let’s celebrate.
Visit her Youtube channel here.
This beautiful woman is the tough love you need. It’s like having a big sister bundle you up, call you “my darling,” and tell you exactly what you need to hear to empower you, but never tear you down. Pearl has lovingly fussed at me until I snapped out of moments of self-pity and took charge of my life. What a lovely voice, a lovely message, a lovely woman. I adore her, okay?
Visit her Youtube channel here.
Black women have the most beautiful hair, and Annagjid (Kee) provides education for them. As much as I love watching these stunning transformations, which often use a hot comb for straightening, I hope these ladies know their natural coils and curls are beautiful, too. Around the world, there are many people with straight hair who envy what you have. (It’s me. I’m people.) You’re absolutely gorgeous.
Visit her Youtube channel here.
I’m not kidding when I say I enjoy watching Black hair care videos. To me, it’s the same as watching any artist at their craft. Hadassa takes it to another level by providing detangling services for women in need, and this is the kind of thing that gets me emotional. Hair matting happens when something devastating happens in someone’s personal life—depression, health issues, or any number of things. The amount of compassion and love that comes from Hadassa is inspiring.
Visit her Youtube channel here.
This lovely lady loves to organize and decorate her home. I swear, if you were to look at any random closet or drawer in Nikki’s house, the contents would be immaculate. Everything labeled with its own divider. Every scrap of fabric, pressed and stored properly. I bet she doesn’t even have a junk drawer. She’s amazing, inspirational, and a sweetheart to boot. I’ve watched Nikki for the better part of a decade and even own her book!
Visit her Youtube channel here.
Toni is just the sweetest. A savvy businesswoman, a talented crochet designer, a competent educator, all with the warmth of a friend. Oh, and she also taught me Tunisian crochet. I made her Bahama Wrap this past December. I also adore her mother (Momma Gwen), and I’m confident Toni’s other subscribers feel the same!
Why am I featuring all YouTube channels here? Because I spend an embarrassing amount of my free time on YouTube. 😅 There are no sponsored or affiliate links on this page. I’m just a fan of these ladies.
Thoughts on Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Performance
I should title this section, Bad Bunny’s Masterclass: How to Lift Others Up Instead of Punching Them Down. But first, a disclaimer. I have never listened to Bad Bunny’s music. That’s simply because I don’t listen to much rap.
However, when I saw his Super Bowl performance, I instantly became a fan of the Bunny and his Badness. What struck me most is that in a time of such division and hate, he would have been justified in slamming the U.S. government for its treatment of marginalized communities. For its treatment of Puerto Rico, who is literally part of the United States. And, of course, for everything that’s happening with ICE right now.
But Bad Bunny did something more powerful. He showed us the stunning beauty of his culture—the humanity of people all over the Latino and Hispanic worlds—while the U.S. government tries to Other them. I hope it made the folks up in Washington squirm.
Thank you, Benito, for reminding us that we’re all Americans.
I’ve heard some people didn’t like Lady Gaga’s presence at the Super Bowl, and while I respect that opinion, here’s mine. Listen to the words she sang while surrounded by lovely brown people: If the world was ending, I’d wanna be next to you.
She made the same quiet point in her rendition of Mister Roger’s “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” This message carries particular weight when it comes from a white person because it models how allyship can look in practice. It’s a message that says: I want you here. You belong here. Please, won’t you be my neighbor?
In the age of ICE raids, I think that’s an important thing to say.
What I’m Reading: A Rant
This month, I’ve still been reading Sarah J. Maas’s ACOTAR series, most recently A Court of Silver Flames. In last month’s post, I talked a bit about how people reduce these books to mere “fairy sex,” which kinda ticks me off.
A Court of Silver Flames was probably my least favorite in the series—literally only because it had more graphic sex than all the other books combined. But I’ve heard people say that’s the exact reason this book is their favorite. So who’s right?
Answer: who cares?
I don’t like when people shame something that doesn’t align with their personal tastes. Do you know how difficult it is to write a series of that magnitude, let alone a single book? The world-building and intertwining plot threads? The huge cast of characters that actually resonate with people? These books are popular for a reason. Constructive criticism in literature is fair, but it’s important to know the difference between proper criticism and personal opinion. Reducing an author’s hard work to mere “fairy sex” is not a fair critique. That reeks of jealousy and misogyny.
The best kind of constructive criticism comes from a desire for an author to reach their full creative potential. Not to conform them to your personal tastes. And certainly not to tear them down in order to make yourself feel superior.
As for me, I enjoyed the second ACOTAR book quite a bit! I hear she’s coming out with other releases soon.
Okay, I’m done with my heated opinions for the month. 🤓 See you in March.
Featured image: Photo by Eli Pluma on Unsplash
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