Sustainable Baddie’s April Staff Faves: Mermaidcore, Lana Del Rey, & more!
Happy Earth Month & Sustainable Baddie Birth Month to all! April is a huge month for Sustainable Baddies everywhere as we start to get out of that winter slump and add a little spring to our step. We spent this Earth Month celebrating all things susty with a series of articles on sustainable swaps, and round-ups of all of our favorite sustainable resources, and we even went on the ground and tried using our reusable mug all around New York. We also had the opportunity to attend a few events around the city including a night hosted by the Mushroom Council (the official ingredient of Earth Month), an upcycled jewelry launch from The RealReal and Presley Oldham, and Sustainable Fashion
The Sustainable Baddie team is enjoying nature from around the U.S. and outside! We have been enjoying spring on the East Coast, in the North East, in Los Angeles, and in Europe. Through all of our adventures, big and small, we have curated a list of earthly delights that brought us joy, piqued our interest, and taught us something new. If you are looking for some refreshing reccs or a momentary escape from reality, then we hope you enjoy this month's round-up of staff faves. Think style inspo, creative muses, moving our bodies, and so much more! As always… what were your faves this month?
Natasha Lopez (she/her): Staff Writer, reporting from Europe
Amsterdam (the actual city, not the movie):
“As someone who intensely identifies with Jason Segel’s character in SLC Punk, Amsterdam feels like the perfect place to live out a life as a tree hugger with a case of the rage. The canal houses are gorgeous, people smoke freely, and best of all, there are barely any cars (I hate cars). As I normally do in a new city, I went on a walking tour with a very cool local named Paul (he lives on a boat in the canals, but unfortunately his houseboat sunk recently) and while we were walking around, we ran into a guy riding a flowery colorfully decorated bike. Paul called him over and told us a story about how the guy is an artist and his wife, who has epilepsy, suffers from memory loss and couldn’t find her bike one day, so he decorated it with flowers so she’d never have trouble recognizing it. He then proceeded to tell us that the guy was almost always on something. Which I think is a lovely balance and perfectly represents Amsterdam and its people. I hope I find myself in Amsterdam again very soon.”
European Thrifting:
“Over the past month I’ve been able to explore thrift stores in Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Rome, and London and it has been so much fun to compare the thrift scene in these cities to the ones back home. I’ve found that many cities will have clusters of thrift stores in one area which makes it so easy to find a variety of styles and prices! Of course, I have made some incredible (IMO) thrift purchases since I’ve been here, and can’t wait to find different ways to wear them when I get back home.”
Writing & Other Poets:
“Part of the reason I decided to move to Europe for two months was that I wanted to get far away from everything I know and get some writing done for my next book. Although I don’t think I’ve fully fleshed out any one piece, I have had and started a million and one pieces which I hope will develop into works I really love. I love getting inspo from other poets and read Blue Horses by Mary Oliver and On Sun Swalling by Dakota Warren this past month. Both books were amazingly written and a source of inspiration for getting in touch with the naturalist in me and my love for all things beautiful.”
Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd? by Lana del Rey: “Motheeeeeer!!!! Lately (as in the last year or so haha) I have been reconnecting with the music and artists I loved growing up. Lana del Rey’s first album was probably one of the first things that sparked my love for poetry and a bit of pride in being a Sad Girl™. Though I’ve been a fan of hers and have followed her music since then, I don’t think I have loved an entire album of hers the same way I loved Born to Die until DYKTTATUOB. Maybe it’s a weird circular growing pains moment type of thing, but I know when I’m 33 I’m going to listen to this album and remember being 23, the same way I listen to Born to Die now and remember being 13.”
Carla Juarez (they/them): Managing Editor, reporting from Los Angeles
Mermaidcore -
“It’s been nearly everywhere on inspo boards and micro trend videos, and it’s been persistently rattling in my brain as I look for spring and summer fashion inspiration. But, to me, the more alluring aspect of this aesthetic has been its darker, more mysterious undertones: glimmery, slippery, and cool-toned. I’m not very good at makeup but I’ve made it my mission to experiment more with shimmery blue and purple eyeshadow to give me that siren look. I want my face to be utterly iridescent with holographic colors! Or at least evoke the pearly blues and grays of John William Waterhouse’s A Mermaid painting.”
Rock climbing -
“After hitting a slump at the gym, I was looking for ways to keep my body active outside. I thought a sport might be nice, even though I was never that athletic kid in high school or college. I was starting to feel like there wasn’t a space for me to start a new form of movement that didn’t involve weights or a treadmill, that is, until I tried rock climbing. Although it’s technically not happening outside in nature, I am in a whole new environment. My second attempt was definitely more enjoyable; I was taking more risks, not second-guessing myself, and not fearing failure or the fall. Also, the second time, I didn’t wake up as sore!”
Crochet spring tops -
“I am definitely being biased here because I’ve been working on making my own crochet mesh tops. Though LA weather has been unexpectedly colder this month, there have been sunnier days. Simultaneously, I’ve also been into piercings and other embellishments around the bust/chest area. It’s been so fun to design and make these kinds of tops.”
Aparna Sridaran (she/her), Content Editor, reporting from Boston
Home Depot -
“I’ve had a bit of a rodent issue in my home lately, so naturally I’ve had to buy a lot of home improvement-related items. Sufficed to say, I now realize why dads are always at Home Depot. It’s supremely confusing and can be daunting, but it’s actually kind of cool to be looking through aisles and aisles of random screws, parts, and light fixtures that each have a design and purpose. Also, the people there were dope and taught me how to rid myself of pests the budget-friendly way (aka not paying someone to do it). And there were so many women working at the Boston location I went to, which gave me a lot more confidence to do more complicated repairs myself in the future.”
“Marijuana Edibles and Pounds (and Pounds) of Pasta: Jia Tolentino on Writing and Cooking” for Bon Appétit
“I recently read (and haven’t been able to stop thinking about) this sort of pre-pandemic article by Jia Tolentino on cultivating a writing routine and the meditative nature of cooking. I love the realization in this piece that writing in particular is difficult to quality-control. You can never really be sure if your vibes are going to be on or off that day, and that’s the nature of not only art but life as well. It’s short but insightful.”
Overthinking Less + Communication for Anxiety Management -
“I’ve had a few moments at work in the past few weeks where I realized my mental health and perfectionism were setting higher expectations for me than my actual colleagues were. I’d sit down and talk to them after building something up so much in my head, only to realize that I’d been doing way more and stressing way more than I needed to. Not every workplace is safe (especially not under disaster capitalism), but I’ve realized that whatever people around me expect will always be secondary to the expectations and grace I do or do not give myself, and I have the power to let myself be imperfect!”
As always… what were your faves this month?