See How I Graduated With a Masters? Very Mindful. | TL;RIA #04

Whether or not you know me isn't essential. Over the course of (hopefully) many TL; RIA editions, you'll naturally get to learn more about me. TL; RIA (Too Long; Read It Anyways) is a laundry list of the things I find interesting on the internet. As a social media manager, freelance music writer, tired podcast host, blogger, graphic designer, fashionista, aspiring polyglot... my eyes are on many different parts of the web. Let me 'put you on' to something that wasn't on your radar in every issue!

Personal Wins ??

I know it's been a while since you've heard from me, but that's because I'm now a 2x college graduate! I have officially graduated from my Master's program about a month ago!

Naturally, as I move forward in my career, I'll be seeking out Branding job opportunities. With an undergraduate degree in Advertising and MPS in Branding, I'm looking forward to what the future holds. Sending my appreciation in advance to those who support me on this new path. Connections are everything, and I'm incredibly grateful for the network I have.

During the final 100 days we have been tasked with completing a project (of our choice) once a day for the next 3+ months. Here's a post from the project –?a brief dive into the history of Japanese maid costumes and maid cafes: https://medium.com/anime-fashion/fashion-in-anime-at-your-service-60a16c96331c

The project has been paused indefinitely, but follow me on Medium to know when I start it back up.

Digital Discourse ??

In this section, I usually talk about things that are happening around the internet.

Brat vs. Demure

Brat is the title of Charli xcx’s sixth studio album. As described by Yahoo! , it's meant to be "reminiscent of Y2K and indie sleaze fashion trends, being brat was essentially defined as being an “It” girl, but doing it effortlessly. It’s about not taking yourself too seriously but also not being afraid to speak your truth."

Whereas "demure is a state of mind and the exact opposite of brat." On the site, Know Your Meme, the about section says the following:

Very Demure, Very Mindful is a viral video and catchphrase popularized by TikToker Jools Lebron. The TikToker posted a series of videos about how to look "demure" at work in early August 2024, including one in which they said, "See how I do my makeup for work? Very demure, very mindful.

The two trends have contrasting vibes just like the beginning and end of summer. I just hope by the Fall, we wrap it up.

Tabs on Travel ??

Back in February, I took my very first solo trip to Hong Kong! If anyone reading this ever wants to try traveling by themselves, I'd highly recommend the city/country. It's pretty easy to navigate and you can generally communicate with everyone due to the fact English is widely spoken there. (Hong Kong is a former British territory and will be returned to China around 2040.) Until 2040, if you're a U.S. passport holder you can enter Hong Kong visa-free.

I have been in the trenches balancing work and school, but when I finally get the chance, I'll be updating thelastdebutante.com with thoughts, tips, and pics from my trip.

Read This ??

New year, clean slate.

In an effort to find new articles to read this year, I'm dumping all the articles on last year's "to-read" list here. Hopefully, you'll find at least one of them interesting. And on my end, I aspire to read them at some point –?maybe now that I graduated from grad school, I'll finally have time. For now, I'm glad I get to close some tabs.

• "Zoom fatigue" may affect the brain and heart, study finds. An expert explains how to prevent it.
• The Underbelly Of Stan Culture: The Psychology, Legality, Of The Stan Experience
• Meet the FWMN "It Girl": Saeteesh’ (fun fact: I used to be a blogger for Fashion Week MN !)
• For Matt Rife, Being a Hot Comic Isn’t All Laughs (If you'd like to hear my Matt Rife thoughts, leave a comment and I'll happily indulge.)
• Review: In ‘KPOP,’ Korean Pop and Broadway Meet (Too) Cute
• Meet Me in My Office, in Men’s Underwear on 5
• The 40-hour workweek started with autoworkers—now they’re trying to make 32 hours the new norm
• How Internet Nepo-Friends Have Cultivated Their Own Online Stardom
• Birkenstock says feminism will boost sales for the long term
• Brynn Whitfield Knows How To Land The Lover Of Your Dreams
• Don’t Come For Bobbi Althoff
• Fashion Sees the Future
• Why Your Next Vacation Should Be a Language Class Abroad (Hint: It’s Nothing Like High School)
• New study finds PFAS "forever chemicals" in drinking water from 45% of faucets across U.S.
• With Erin Lee Carr’s ‘The Ringleader,’ Rachel Lee finally tells her side of the Bling Ring case
• Why I Stay: 45 Young BIPOC Voices on The Fashion Industry
• Now That Aliyah Bah’s Style Is TikTok Famous, She Can Never Go Back
• How A Former Lala Writer Worked Her Way To Running Social Media At Vogue (In Under 2.5 Years)
• Amelia Dimoldenberg Thinks We’re All Forgetting How to Flirt
• Glow Recipe's Viral Influencer Trip Hotel Is A Kardashian Fave

Listen To This ??

While in grad school, I didn't really have time to enjoy the things I used to. I was far too busy trying to catch up on assigned readings and classwork. During this time, my K-pop consumption greatly decreased (with the exception of the frequent break-time doom scroll.) However, now that I'm out of the trenches I am excited to casually listen to the genre again. My favorite tune right now is "Touch" but Katseye –?who have a Netflix special .

Word of The Day ??

Pedagogy: the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept.

Gratitude ????

To you! Thanks for reading this far. I know it has been months (eight to be exact) since I last published a newsletter. I appreciate you for connecting with me in this way. It truly means a lot. These last few months have not been a walk in the park, but the propsect of sharing my thoughts with the peeps reading this always leaves a smile on my face. It hope it brings one to yours as well.

Lukewarm Take ?

The subscription-based subscription model has and will continue to cost consumers. Creative apps, cloud storage, newsletters (not this one!), streaming TV and music, all of these are now exclusively available through streaming.

I am an elder Gen-Z, a geriatric Gen-Z or Zillenial if you will, and I remember when subscriptions were only applicable to certain sectors. Now, everything from ride-sharing apps to skincare routines take a chunk out of people's pockets on a monthly basis. These monthly expenses build up and spread a user's disposable income thin. In these trying times with an uncertain economy, people have to prioritize what they're going to spend money on.

What was formerly revolutionary is now antiquated. And consumers, including myself, are stuck sending companies money every month until kingdom come. Thinking about how much I will spend in my lifetime on subscriptions grinds my gears.

Discounts 4 You (Referral Links) ??

• Hello Fresh
• Care/Of
• Italic
• Girlfriend
• Lyft
• Uber
• Doordash
• YesStyle (for K-beauty products)
• Going (flight deals)
• Topicals

P.S. I am a writer, not an editor, there may be some typos and run-on sentences in this newsletter. Please bear with me.