Author Archives: Gene

About Gene

Passionate about trying new things and then writing about them. My background is in Film, Media, and Talent Acquisition, so there's much to explore. Still trying to figure out the perfect iced coffee and oat milk ratio; any tips? Gene

White Sweater Dress from Amazon

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Yes. I found it on Amazon!

The salad could have been better, but the desserts made up for it.

This dress was worth blogging about; not only is it affordable, but it really does hug your frame and make you feel comfortable. It was extremely hot at the restaurant, so I had to roll up my sleeves upward, but other than that, it was perfect.

The Cherfly v-neck sweater dress from Amazon is perfect for fall evening wear on a budget. This dress ranges from 45.00 USD to 52.98 USD. It’s incredibly comfortable, fits slightly loose but still flattering. If you’re shorter than 5’6, you may want to wear heels for a longer/slimmer elegant look, or it may come off as a bathrobe. The fabric isn’t quality but dressing it with some great accessories make such a difference.

My nail polish is from Essie in Luxedo.  Since the main focus of my outfit was white, I wanted my nails to contrast the dress, which I think worked out great.

For accessories – Anything with gold, amber, and nude tones = my go-to.

Nude heels are by BCBGeneration, I would have opted for open-toe, but it was F R E E Z I N G that evening. No, thank you.

My amber watch is from Kapten and Son in Campina Mesh. It’s a rose gold classic dainty watch with a white face. I’ve had it for about four years now.

Round teardrop earrings: I found these at Marshals, and I’m so bummed I didn’t keep the box, but I found similar ones from Lucky Brand.

Makeup: Though you can’t see it, I wore a bright red lipstick from MAC called Lady Danger, a bold tomato red.

Perfume: By Dolce and Gabbana “L’imperatrice,“ it smells like sweet citrus and florals in the summer sun. I bought this when I visited friends in Florida; the warm weather made me buy it!! I have no regrets but I think it was totally an impulse buy.

✨ Things I wore ✨

Please, Don't Gawk. Logo

 

I’ve taken a bit of a break with PDG because there are many moving parts right now, but hopeful that it’ll come back to normal soon. New spaces, books, and tips are already on my to-do list for me to share with you. Can’t wait to share the exciting updates with you (and photos).

Chat soon. ❤️

G

Book Review: Tender is the Flesh by Augustina Bazterrica

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After a grave virus eats away most animal life, Augustina’s characters resort to cannibalism in this dystopian universe.

Genre: Dystopian Fiction

I stumbled across this book and now cannot see the world the same again. This experience is life-altering, simply because there are severe parallels between our current factory farming and the world that Bazterrica creates in her novel. Human flesh* (a specific kind of human-bred meat) is nothing more than a way to feed and indulge those who can afford it.

Breakdown: Augustina does a tremendous job describing the characters and their headspace to her readers in this dystopian world. Once horrified by their choice to eat humans, the main character is now faced with living in their reality, working at a farming factory where they breed, kill, and sell human meat. The narrator describes the laws established to produce this meat, which they call “heads” and walks us through the process of treating them like farm animals. These “heads” are tortured, killed, abused, and without dignity (much like factory farming). 

Read it if: You want to be seriously horrified. 

Is it funny: No… oh no..

The cover: An amalgamation of a half-human and half-cow –terrifying.

Do I recommend it: I really do. If you’re not into horror or dystopian readings, this is a great one, to begin with. I am still recovering from it…

Rating: 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review: The Sum of Small Things by Elizabeth Currid-Halkett

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Grab this non-fiction book on Scribd

From breastfeeding etiquette to shopping at Whole Foods, Elizabeth Currid-Halkett writes about the inconspicuous and conspicuous differences in classes one can recognize by observing simple everyday activities.

Genre: Self-help

A colleague of mine amassed a substantial amount of wealth, making it effortless to retire before forty. It got me thinking of what their new life will look like. I’ve always heard how the wealthy take their vacations, shop, and eat, but this time, I wanted to find a book that could tell me more about the differences and similarities between classes in general. This book was a really great start in funding my curiosity. If you rather listen to it, you should try scribd.com

Read it if: You’re up for an entertaining and easy read, filled with neat factoids about classes, happening in real-time.

What’s it about: You’ll learn about the class systems of today and why we do the things we do when it comes to money, class, and status. Elizabeth discusses the aspirational class’s upward mobility to achieve and succeed in everyday social and work life. She does a great job at bringing back historical theorists that discuss the ideas of class and the need to impress or suppress the concept of wealth depending on several geographical, racial, and cultural perspectives.

Is it funny: No, but I find that a non-issue!

The cover: Satisfying to look at, true to the book.

Do I recommend it: I do. I did not expect this book to indulge me the way it did. It was cleverly written and allowed me to see certain examples she used in the book in real-time (cough cough, Whole Foods). Thanks, Elizabeth!

Rating: 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️