Slice Of Life Summer

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Quote of the Week By Kinnerith Din

“Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd little waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like.”― Lemony Snicket

Join the Les Adore Writers Team!🫶

For You, With Love💌

As Drake once said, “We live in a generation of not being in love and not being together. But we sure make it feel like we're together because we’re scared to see each other with somebody else.”

Gen Z fears connection. Distance becomes dissonance, and social media only exacerbates this disconnect. TikTok trends romanticize parasocial relationships, turning our deepest vulnerabilities into internet ephemera that appears on our “For You Pages.” Instead of handwritten love letters sealed with a kiss, our generation has normalized master manipulators who slide into DMs with fire emojis. We bury our most human emotions—passion and fear—under layers of self-protection, shielding ourselves from the very thing that gives life its deepest meaning: love. 

So I ask: What is love, if not the echoes we leave in each other?  

TikTok reimagines intimacy as 15–second clips and digital hearts. But even in the endless scroll, we are still reaching for each other. We find comfort in knowing that strangers feel the same aches, connect with our stories, and make meaning of the glimpses of our lives that we share. We try to run away from connection, togetherness, and community, but love refuses to vanish; it remakes itself and finds us anyway. Whether through screens or on paper, love finds its way to you.

PROTECT THE DOLLS!🎀

MTV’s Video Music Awards (VMAs) are an iconic pop culture staple every year. From Miley Cyrus twerking on Robin Thicke to Sabrina Carpenter making out with an alien, one thing you can always count on is to expect the unexpected.

Last night's VMA performance from Sabrina Carpenter was the right kind of unexpected. She performed her latest disco-pop single, Tears, from her newest album Man’s Best Friend alongside famous queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race such as Symone Symonè, Lexi Love, and Denali, plus ballroom legends including Honey Balenciaga. 

While Ms. Short n’ Sweet made a splash during her showery dance break, her performers made a statement with cheeky signs that read “PROTECT TRANS RIGHTS” “SUPPORT LOCAL DRAG” “IF YOU HATE YOU’LL ‘NEVER GET LAID.’”  Most of the signs were light hearted and fun, but giving the queens space to use their voice, share their message, and share the art form of voguing, is monumental– especially now. So far, this administration has erased LGBTQ freedoms by rolling back protections, mandating discrimination, and weaponizing federal law against transgender people. A bold performance such as this one sends a clear message. Many celebrities have become increasingly quiet about social justice, so it's amazing to see a mainstream celebrity who still cares and uses a platform as big as the VMAs to advocate for change. She deserves her 10s!

The Looks We’re Copying from the VMAs🎶

They must mean it when they say pop culture really paves the way for trends, because this week’s ins and outs all come from one thing: the 2025 VMAs.

With performances from your favorite artists’ favorite artists, the fashion, music, and makeup gave us all that much-needed fall inspo.

For my Sabrina girlies: grab yourself this Edikted top to mirror her red carpet look. And if you’re an Ariana stan at heart, French Connection has a perfect alternative to her polka-dot top.

Red lip? Always a classic. Recreate Doja Cat’s pouty lips with Charlotte Tilbury Hydrating Lipstick in Red Carpet Red.

Keep This Stock Ticker on Your Watchlist

They’re a private company, but Pacaso just reserved the Nasdaq ticker “$PCSO.”

No surprise the same firms that backed Uber, eBay, and Venmo already invested in Pacaso. What is unique is Pacaso is giving the same opportunity to everyday investors. And 10,000+ people have already joined them.

Created a former Zillow exec who sold his first venture for $120M, Pacaso brings co-ownership to the $1.3T vacation home industry.

They’ve generated $1B+ worth of luxury home transactions across 2,000+ owners. That’s good for more than $110M in gross profit since inception, including 41% YoY growth last year alone.

And you can join them today for just $2.90/share. But don’t wait too long. Invest in Pacaso before the opportunity ends September 18.

Invest While You Still Can

_{Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.}

Celebrate NYFW with Genie Couture!🧞

Those who live in New York City know it is the place where creatives and dreamers come together to shine. One of our favorite dreamers and designers, Jeanie Yujin, a recent Princeton graduate, has embarked on an exciting new chapter—hosting her debut exclusive NYFW show! Her collection draws inspiration from the elegance of Art Nouveau, bringing together timeless artistry with a modern edge.

For Jeanie, design goes beyond crafting garments and pieces—it is about weaving together history, nature, and architecture into wearable art. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, but for Jeanie, it’s found in time and intricate detail–the essence of her creative vision.”

Email [email protected] to RSVP

With this collection, she invites us not only to admire fashion but to experience it as a living expression of art and imagination.

Butter Dates, the Internet’s Easiest Snack 🤌 

There’s a new snack making the rounds on TikTok and Instagram, and it’s surprisingly simple: dates stuffed with butter. The idea is straightforward—split open a Medjool date, add a small piece of cold butter, and finish with a pinch of flaky salt, if you like. That’s it.

It might not sound like much, but the combo works. The natural sweetness of the date pairs with the creamy butter for a bite that’s rich, filling, and just different enough to feel interesting. Some people keep them chilled for a firmer texture, while others let them sit at room temperature so the butter softens into the date.

They also happen to be a smarter swap for dessert or late-night snacking. Dates bring fiber and nutrients, while the butter adds some staying power—making it a snack that actually satisfies. Easy to make, easy to eat, and definitely one of those trends worth trying.

Want to try it yourself? Check out the full recipe here: Butter-Stuffed Dates Recipe

Barbie Was Tired Too.❤️‍🩹

Everyone’s seen Barbie by now (at least, I hope so). Next time you watch or even rewatch Barbie, look deeper. When we look beyond the glitter and punchlines, Barbie is asking: What happens when you don’t want to be an idea anymore? Barbie was made to be everything. To be perfect, inspiring, iconic, of course…but when you’re expected to be everything, when do you get to be vulnerable? Meanwhile, Ken just exists. No expectations. No pressure. And somehow, that’s enough. For many women there is an expectation to be strong, polished, excellent, and never falter. It’s a quiet exhaustion that doesn’t always show, but may linger for a lot of women. What moved me most was Barbie’s breakdown. It was the moment she let herself be uncertain, emotional, and human. That unraveling wasn't a weakness. If you ask me it was a sign of freedom and liberation to feel what she was suppressing. Barbie isn’t just about gender roles, it’s about the cost of performance, and the courage it takes to step away from what the world wants you to be and become who you want to be.

Summer’s Over🍂🛫

All great things must come to an end –isn’t that what they say? I have to admit coming home to America felt like waking up from a dream, and I’ve been reminiscing about my time abroad ever since school started. What I’ll give this summer is that it’s when I grew the most, personally. Aside from seeing amazing things, I’m even more thankful for the people I met and what I learned about myself. To wrap up I’ll give you the universal truths I’ve found across all my travels:

Walking is the best way to get to know a city. 

Talk to everyone, they may become your next favorite story.

BE EARLY for your trains. 

Splurge on food, save on travel. 

Have a pickpocket-proof bag. 

Try the local food and wines –the worst that can happen is you don’t like it.

Take pictures but then stop. Be present; you might not remember the sight but you’ll remember the feeling.

Early mornings are worth it.

Sleep when you get home. 

Try everything, see everything, go everywhere. 

Remember, traveling will have hiccups and stressors, just roll with the punches. Sometimes it’s about the journey, and I’ve found it always works out. 

Summer’s over, and so is who I was before it.

Unsettling Settling 🌊

This week’s theme is settling in– settling into college, into myself, into familiar rhythms and new routines; settling in despite the wild instability of college life that awaits.  

I return to the opening lines of a poem that comforts me in this unsettling settling: 

“You do not have to be good… you only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.” – Mary Oliver, “Wild Geese.” 

See you in October❤️