Slice Of Life Summer

Welcome back!🌞🤸 We are excited to share a NYC event from our partners at The Playground:

For those who are in New York this summer, meet other interns and students in the city through The Playground. The Playground is a social community for NYC interns co-founded by two rising seniors at Harvard and Wharton. They're hosting a BYO picnic this Saturday July 12th at 6 PM. You can find out more information and RSVP here or on their website!

Concert coming up? Date Night?🫦

Recommending: This outfit🍒

Top: Miss Sixty

Skirt: Savage Culture

So Tokyo 2010 coded - it’s giving Shibuya night out! This fit would be so cute paired with a nasty kitten heel or yellow fur boot.

Welcome to early summer, where your biggest concern is what the UV index will be during prime tanning hours. This week, we’ll focus on the perfect tanning essentials for a summer afternoon! 🏖️

Focus on the three P’s: protection, primer, and perfect suits. 

SPF is your best friend if you’re an ultimate tanner— layer Sun Bum’s Sunscreen in SPF 30, and prime with Hawaiian Tropic’s Dark Tanning Coconut Oil. The result? A golden glow and tan lines that last all month.

Frankies Bikinis collab with Kylie Jenner is every vintage-lovers’ dream: serving Marilyn Monroe with a taste of lace and polka dots.

To escape baking in this city-sized sauna, New Yorkers have made it a mission to hop on the quickest plane ride to the farthest possible destination. And to help with the meticulous task of outfit planning that includes being able to fit your 10-day outfits in a 23kg suitcase–Slice of Life has your style covered.

This season, floral prints have taken over every single social media platform. The girls are stepping onto sandy runways during sunset hour wearing their cutest, colorful dresses and matching slippers all to get the summer Instagram picture.

After analyzing these looks, my favorite simple styling tip is to grab a few beautiful $7 Hawaiian flower clips. You can easily attach them to your hair, sandals, or slippers—and voilà, your whole outfit is instantly tied together. It’s the easiest way to add a playful pop of summer charm without breaking the bank or a sweat!

When it comes to summer style, florals never miss—there’s just something about a flower accent that perfectly captures the spirit of the season.

Healthy Recipe: Tomato Flights 🍅✈️

Tomato flights are the summer trend I didn’t know I needed. The idea is simple: grab a few heirloom tomatoes, slice them thick, and top each one differently–like ricotta and honey, basil and balsamic, or feta and chili crisp. Think of it like a tasting board, but for tomatoes.

The trend started picking up on TikTok, especially after @alessandrabrontsema posted her version. It’s now all over food pages and even got its own write-up from Martha Stewart. The best part? It requires zero cooking and still feels like you made something impressive.

It’s perfect for hot days when you want something light, fresh, and a little unexpected. Plus, the colors are unreal. Serve it as a snack, lunch, or even as a pretty side dish for a summer dinner. No rules–just good tomatoes and a few fun toppings.

My Dream date. Cute. 🙄

Watching Love Island USA while tucked in a weighted blanket and drinking endless iced vanilla matcha? My Dream date. Cute. But if you’re not caught up on Season 7, stop reading here—because I’ve got spoilers.

News flash: The Huda vs. Chelley and Olandria controversy isn’t just juicy television—it exposes  a deeper cultural code. Black women are not given the optimism of a redemption arc.

Less than 24 hours after episode 26 aired, Chelley and Olandria collectively lost over 50,000 followers and were quickly labeled as “mean girls” and “bullies” across TikTok. 

Could Chelley and Olandria have handled their confrontation with Huda differently? Perhaps. But calling them “mean girls” dismisses the legitimacy of their frustration while simultaneously vindicating Huda from accountability.

This moment on Love Island USA reflects a broader issue: audiences struggle to empathize with Black women unless they're overtly submissive.

Huda gets to be misunderstood and emotional. She gets to be human. Meanwhile, Chelley and Olandria’s boundaries are called “attacks,” and their tone becomes the focus rather than their truth. 

And the gag is, Chelley and Olandria’s instincts weren’t wrong. Huda’s behaviors that they called out—emotional manipulation, performative victimhood, deflection—were confirmed on camera. But by then, the narrative had already been written–and Chelley and Olandria’s villain arc was in full motion.

“Are you from Nashville? Because you’re the only ‘ten I see’!” 🤠

Nashville isn’t just the top bachelorette destination in the U.S.–it’s a blend of country, class, and culture that is worth visiting for anyone. While I’ve visited many times, my trip this past June was the best yet–here’s my recs for the best time in Tennessee. 

Broadway: Instantly recognizable, Broadway is the pulse of Nashville day or night. Walk up and down the street after dark to get those iconic photos & find a honky tonk that matches your vibe– the choices are endless!

Boot Country: This boot store deserves a rec all its own, thanks to the unbelievable “buy 1 get 2 free” offer! I was skeptical, but walked out with 3 stunning pairs of leather cowboy boots for the price of one. 

Martin’s BBQ: Get in line early–this BBQ is beyond worth it. Enjoy some of America’s best brisket, their mac and cheese, and a range of sausage, pork, and chicken while listening to rooftop live music. 

Centennial Park: A nice escape from downtown, this is home to the Parthenon (not the Greek one, but rather a stunning art museum!) as well as the Taylor Swift Bench and Vanderbilt University. 

National Museum of African American Music: Stars from Ella Fitzgerald to Whitney Houston are celebrated at this museum, located right in the center of Nashville on Broadway. 

Welcome back to The Interlude–otherwise known as Quiet Parts, the Column–with art and poetry pairings for the busy patron. Each week, I’ll be sharing some things I’m reading, seeing, and the ways I’m staying invested in culture  this summer. 

This week, I spent some time in the Berkshires and returned to one of my favorite paintings by Danielle Mckinney:

In anticipation of Mckinney’s residency at Brandeis’s Rose Art Museum this upcoming year, I have been studying her work. This painting in particular pairs perfectly with a short poem I also love: “Earth I Thank You,” by Anne Spencer, which begins “Earth I thank you,” and ends “I am here!” 

When in Rome, when in Rome…🍝

Well, one thing I've learned about Italy’s capital is that there’s almost no way to do everything. But don’t be dismayed–if you go in with a game plan, there is nothing holding you back from achieving everything on your bucket list. Let’s talk about it. 

Rome is overflowing with iconic landmarks, history, museums, and churches. My tip? Make a primary and secondary bucket list. Determine the 5-6 most important things to do and prioritize them. 

What you’ve heard is true: get up early. Iconic sights are quiet in the early morning and you’ll get quality time there. For big excursions, book tickets ahead. 

Style tip: go light - flowy skirts and breezy shirts will do you good. Ditch the sandals at home and opt for comfortable walking shoes. I walked 100,000 steps in two days. Be kind to your feet. 

If wearing a tank top, bring a cover up for your shoulders if you plan on going into churches. They won’t let you in if they’re exposed.

Your time in Rome can fly by, but remember to slow down and savor the moment. It’s home to some of the best food and sightseeing in the world. Take a lesson from the Romans and carpe diem. 

“Luck?”🍀

Have you ever achieved something and immediately thought, “I probably just got lucky”?  That anxious spiral is imposter syndrome, and it’s the focus of one of my favorite episodes of Therapy for Black Girls, hosted by Dr. Joy Harden Bradford. In “The Truth About Imposter Syndrome & Perfectionism,” Dr. Joy and guest Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin break down the roots of imposter syndrome and how it manifests for Black women and other marginalized people.

Imposter Syndrome is not just the fear of failing, but the fear that you might succeed and not know what to do next. That success might bring higher expectations, more eyes on you, more pressure to perform. So instead of celebrating ourselves, we brace for collapse. We over prepare. We shrink. We deflect praise. It’s a cycle where our accomplishments feel so accidental and our mistakes feel defining. These patterns don’t just appear out of nowhere. They’re shaped by family, race, class, gender, and more. What makes this episode so powerful is that it doesn’t just name the feeling, but it traces its roots and how it can be unlearned. It reminds us that imposter syndrome isn’t a flaw. It’s a reaction to a world that hasn’t always made space for us to feel worthy.

Quote of the Week By Kinnerith Din

“The world is full of painful stories. Sometimes it seems as though there aren't any other kind and yet I found myself thinking how beautiful that glint of water was through the trees.”

― Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Sower