Sting and blister
Getting organized, the MTV vault, figure skaters, my trip to Mexico
Hello and happy 2026 everyone. Two weeks in and the fun has just begun…
I started the year with some personal housekeeping. I actually do need to be clean, tidy, and organized in order to not spin out of control mentally. I’m traditionally not a planner girl, but I thought why not try it this year?
I went to McNally Jackson in Soho and got the 2026 planner by Important Flowers, the one that Sofia Coppola designed. It did feel slightly bigger than I wanted it to be, but it was too fun to pass up. The planner is split by monthly and weekly sections with tons of sidebars for random notes. There’s a cute section towards the back that prompts you to list any movies you want to see, books to read, or restaurants to visit over the year ahead.
The cover is such a pretty shade of blue and I like the double ribbons a lot. It also felt cute to get a handwritten note from Sofia. What a randomly special thing. I’m enjoying this thing a lot so far, but let’s see if I keep it up past April.
Another random overly type A thing I did to start my year was to buy a proper gym bag and stock it with mini toiletries so that it is truly grab-and-go ready.
I genuinely have to haul around so much shit five days a week, it felt like something had to give. Most days I’m bringing a book with me, lunch, now my new planner, and a full gym outfit, shoes included. The bag I got had to fit everything and beyond.
I went with this black denim duffle from LA Apparel. It’s a bit relaxed, but the black keeps it slightly polished. I didn’t want to go with an overly fussy leather tote because its purpose is gym bag.
It’s been great to have so far. It sits in the same spot waiting for me every night to pick up in the morning. I don’t have to fill my bag with face wash, moisturizer, etc. each time because it’s already packed with minis and is ready to go. Paying for convenience can sometimes feel like the biggest luxury in the world.
I also like the hardware and everything seems very durable. I like that this could also double as a very roomy but easy personal item for a flight. The employee at the store did warn about color transfer, so if you get one that isn’t white, wash it before you use it. Just FYI!
Rewatch vault
Over the holidays I started rewatching MTV’s the City. This was the Hills spinoff where Whitney Port becomes the main chick and pursues her career in fashion. It is such a delicious watch I’m actually sick because I finished all the episodes last night and it ends so abruptly.
I love the season one cast so much and feel like the romantic breakdowns are really missing from season two. However, the Olivia and Erin feud by season two is like incredible television…
These chicks are obviously all in their bubble and they somehow never leave the Meatpacking district or like Soho. It’s just such a time capsule and such a bizarrely optimistic outlook of 2008. The demographic like rich LA blonde girls who are just making it work in NYC with no experience or money, but their parents have plenty. It’s pure indulgence for me. I know it’s all fake, but the drama was fabricated beautifully.
I do think Olivia Palermo needs to be studied, because the edits on that show absolutely dragged her through every episode. You almost can’t image a more unlikeable, entitled, and rude coworker based on this show alone. I’ve seen Olivia at random events over the years with her insanely handsome husband. I can’t help but wonder how her time on the show impacted things for her. From what I can tell, she is doing great.
Ice princesses
We’re in a moment of figure skaters. We have the Winter Olympics coming up in Italy this February. Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski are both on the cast of this new season of Traitors. I just think it’s important to open the schools and make sure that figure skating is on everyone’s radar.
I am completely beside myself about this new queen of these United States: Miss Alysa Liu. She’s simply too cool.
Her whole thing is that she started her career when she was basically a baby and was the first woman (young lady?) from any country to complete both a quadruple jump and triple Axel in the same program. Also, I grew up figure skating for like 10 years, and this is all stuff you wouldn’t even imagine seeing. She’s unreal.
Her career took a pivot in 2020 when she had her first break ever when the rinks closed and decided that it felt… really nice. In an insane turn of events she retired from the sport at 16 years old. Two years later she decided to return to in kind of the most unreal way imaginable. She decided she would return to her coaches on her own terms, and without the heavy coaxing from her omnipresent father. Her comeback debut was at the 2025 World Championships in Japan where she skated to MacArthur Park (Live) by Donna Summer and literally got the gold medal. It’s too perfect, too aligned, too fated. I couldn’t write a more perfect story.
Now, she is back again killing it, and is returning for the Milano Cortina next month. She recently got a cute haircut and dyed it in cool bleach stripes similar to Rosalia’s bleach halo. She’s looking absolutely perfect.
She returned to the competition stage last week for the U.S. national championships. She did her short program again to Promise by Laufey which makes me cry it’s so beautiful. And of course she shocked me to my core by skating to a Gaga medley for her free skate. I genuinely cannot handle her.
Back in my day (grandma voice), things were maybe a little antiquated, but any lyrics in music were banned from competition programs until like 2014. It was all instrumentals and classical music, which I found to be very beautiful actually. Things eventually changed and it was refreshing to see skaters integrate more modern music. I literally get CHILLS watching Johnny Weir’s performance to My Way by Frank Sinatra.
I do fully embrace the use of lyrics and new music, but some of it has gotten a bit loosey goosey and needs to tighten up a bit. No shade, and I have a lot of respect for the Quad God (Ilia Malinin), but I think he leans too far into the athletic prowess and the caliber of artistry is slipping. Both must exist in this sport if you ask me. The quad jumps are sick, but let’s button it up a bit please. That being said, he is soooo fun to watch.
I did just watch Alysa’s 60 minutes interview and they asked if she considered herself an athlete vs. an artist and she said she’s an artist first. And THAT is why she is my girl. I’ll say it again, I die for her.
Desert time
I spent the transitional days into the new year in Mexico. I went to visit the in laws and soak up as much sun and good weather as humanly possible. It is still early winter, but please don’t remind me...
Here’s what I did.
Got to Hermosillo. Spent time going to parks and going on walks and runs. Tried to start off the days with a little sun before it gets too hot and keep active because there is sooo much to eat here. Unbelievable food.
First big day we went to the central market. Roberto got menudo. I went for cow cheek and head tacos for lunch.
Went to the Sonora Museum of Art. Really amazing visit. Dogs everywhere.
Cruising around.
Got beers in this cave on a hill. Gorgeous vibe.
Took a bae-cation to San Carlos for a night for some time by the water.
Went on an afternoon boat ride. Our captain caught like 7 yellowfin that morning. Brought Wuthering Heights as my boat read, which was a really odd and not the vibe. Our fearless captain prepared some of the mornings catch into ceviche two ways, insane. Beautiful day.
However, I did try to snorkel for approximately two minutes before I was stung all over my arm by some microscopic creature that comes out when the water is cold. Turned into a bunch of tiny blisters by nighttime. Ouch!!
Watched the sunset with margs and carajillos. Blisters only mildly burning by this point.
Next day was cloudy and chilly, but made the most of it at the beach. Picked out a million shells and stuffed some in my pocket. A few minutes later I decided to check if they contained anyone inside and discovered they all had baby crabs in them.
My bad!! They were promptly released.
On the way back to Hermosillo, we stopped at this roadside shack that does ceviche inside of coconuts. The most incredible thing I ate on this trip. They even put the coconut water in a to-go baggie.
Spent the next few days with family, eating more, and just taking it super easy. We watched the entirety of the show Dead Girls on Netflix. It is incredible. I’m now obsessed with Paulina Gaitan, even though her character was sooo evil. The show is B.O.A.T.S. (based on a true story…..) and really fucked up.
I rang in the new year with crazy food poisoning that lasted a full 24 hours, but was good as new by the 2nd. That was my big cleanse I guess. I spent the first day of the year watching Zohran’s inauguration and the new season of Owning Manhattan.
Went to a delicious barbeque with the family. Grandma taught me to eat oranges rind and all. Not bad actually, but don’t think I’ll be making that my thing.
Basically, I had an amazing time and dream of going back already. By the end my Spanish was finally coming to me in ways that was pretty useful. I’m ready to study abroad. Need a sabbatical.
Ok signing off. Leaving you with my other latest obsession Los Aptos. They’re these young Mexican kids from my hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana making really cool regional Mexican music from like one of their bedrooms.
Their song IND to JFK is soooo good and literally my vibe if I were leaving my man in Indiana for someone in New York… It’s very dreamy and a little punk. The music video is so sweet too. I cannot get enough of these cuties!!
Xoxo happy 2026 chicas locas
alysa and baby rachael are angels on ice 👼🏻