The May S.C.R.O.L.L.
Why my Pinterest feed is elite, straight sizing is a joke, and I love sushi despite being a very picky eater.
May is one of my favorite months. The transition from spring to summer is elite: longer days, warmer weather, and the introduction of Summer Fridays all make my head swim with little hearts. I read, crafted, and ate a lot of sushi. What could be better?!
S. Scrolling: Pinterest for Look What Skate Made summer ‘26 inspo
I LOVE Pinterest. I know it’s full of ads these days, but my feed is AI free and fabulous. Last month, I wrote about how Suzanna and I used Pinterest to inspire our first Look What Skate Made drop. Now, I’m here to talk about the second iteration of that Pinterest board.
Look through the saved pins and you’ll see a few themes. Namely, buttons on everything and bikini motifs. The summer ‘26 collection is loosely titled, “Buttons and Bikinis.” We’re experimenting with new forms, mainly towel shorts and hair accessories.
We’re still in the early stages of actually creating this collection, so watch this space to see how everything develops!!
C. Creating: 27 hours in 31 days
I went hard on necklaces this month, mostly working on a new (to me) format. Instead of using my signature stretchy cord, I’ve been experimenting with nylon-coated beading wire in a sturdier version of my beaded necklaces. They’re adjustable, with a long chain on one side and clasp on the other. I’m also still working on stretchy necklaces: An order of 48 for Tender Loving Empire, to be specific. My goal is to make two a day for 24 days to get them done within a month. So far, I’m a day ahead of schedule.
Though I spent more than 6 hours making bag charms, I don’t have many pieces to show for it. That’s because I worked a Mother’s Day event as Goldfinch Collective’s assistant, constructing bag charms, necklaces, and even an anklet out of Victoria’s collection of handmade plastic picture charms. It was so much fun to work with another jewelry maker and learn how she does things!
Last month, I introduced a new beaded medium to my Atracker app: hair accessories. I bought a huge collection of hair clips from eBay and have been adding little beaded pins to them. Though they’re mostly for the Look What Skate Made summer collection, I obviously had to make myself a set that I’ve been wearing for a statement.
R. Reading: 4 books (888 pages)
After completing 0 books in April, I finished two of the books I’d started as well as beginning and completing Vanderpump Rules cast mate Scheana Shay’s memoir. I also started a couple of other books, and made progress on the essay I’ve been reading on children’s rights in the 21st century.
“Severance” by Ling Ma: This book immediately earned a spot on my “Favorites” list on Storygraph. I love a book with a split timeline, set in Brooklyn, at the end of the world. Suze and Eliana also read this book, and we got to discuss it (if minimally) together in NYC.
“The Dispossessed” by Ursula K. Le Guin: Another book on my Favorites list, though this one was a reread. I finished the 10% I had left in this reread early in May, and spent the rest of the month thinking about it.
“Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird” by Agustina Bazterrica: This is another reread. After reading the rest of Agustina Bazterrica’s catalog, I revisited the first piece of hers I ever read in 2024. It held up as both intriguing and disgusting.
“My Good Side: A Memoir” by Scheana Shay: Like I do with most Bravolebrity books I read, I fell asleep listening to this one on the plane. So, I mostly got the early days of Scheana’s life. I have nothing to say other than that I already knew most of what I heard.
O. Opposing: One Size Fits “Most”
Being fat has saved my life. I’m not being dramatic, for once. I could go long on how gaining weight has been a self-sustaining product of recovery for me, but I’ve overshared enough on the internet in my lifetime. So, just know that I am fat because I’m alive, and I’m alive because I’m fat.
Why, then, are strangers so pressed about my existence in a bigger body? I can tell you that my closest friends and doctors agree it’s not a problem, socially or medically (I could also go long on the research showing that fatphobia is based in racism and misogyny, not medical or scientific data, but that’s not my job. Listen to “Maintenance Phase.”). Yet I have two separate stories from the trip to New York where my size was called into attention, both focused on what I wear.
First, I encountered an “adjustable” knee brace that did NOT fit. At about 3 PM on day 2 of the 5 days we spent in Brooklyn, I had to Doordash a knee brace to the apartment swap because all the walking had made my knee hurt. The knee brace kept sagging, despite advertising that it would fit anyone thanks to a series of adjustable velcro strips. It was annoying not just because it looked weird, but because the constant sagging made the device ineffective.
Second, I went into a store that only sold straight sizes. This is far from uncommon, so I know my place in these stores. I ooh and ahh over a couple pieces, look at all the accessories, and sit down to scroll TikTok. To me, it’s pretty fun. A salesperson at this particular store caught me in the first stage of this routine, and offered to pull me anything I wanted in my size. Annoying, considering they don’t sell my size.
I don’t trust any brand that doesn’t make size diverse pieces. That doesn’t just mean clothing, I learned this month.
L. Listening: My May playlist in NYC
I had two conditions for driving Suze, Alex, and Ava from Brooklyn to Asbury Park last week. First, I would need a plain bagel with butter and an iced vanilla latte with whole milk. Second, we’d be listening to my pump-up playlist the whole way.
As the primary driver to my passenger princess wife, I don’t often have aux privileges. I was thrilled to make my wife, their brother, and his girlfriend listen to my favorite Slayyyter tracks on repeat.
L. Loving: Sushi
I ate sushi four times the two weeks of May. I’m a famously picky eater, driven to indiscriminately discriminate against unfamiliar foods by a history of extreme acid reflux. But sushi has been a safe food for me since I was in middle school.
I actually don’t have anything else to say other than that I love sushi :)