2-1-2026 MY INSPO: onto number two

 celebrating year 2 of PeSuit and Tie as well as the start of february, lots of twos. according to chinese numerology, good things come in pairs.

first, i want to celebrate year two of the blog by revisiting my first ever inspo post as well as the most popular inspo entry of the past year.

seems like indie sleaze is still with us thankfully. in my most popular post, i talk about chloe malle becoming chief editor of vogue. i recently listened to her run through with vogue. chloe malle seems critical of whitewashed runways (such as a recent dolce and gabbana show that had no poc's). her approach seems humble and down-to-earth. we know this is far from reality, but i like a sense of hearing what the people want to hear. i still haven't renewed my vogue subscription, and vogue runway being a subscription-based service is deterring me far from giving conde nast the money they are so greedy to take. 

to celebrate february, such a short and sweet month, i wanted to share 28 things to do this month, in honor of self-care and self-love, of course:

1. decorating with candy day - this means adding sprinkles on top and garnishing with lovely shades of red 40 dyed sweet and sour delights to you ice creams, cakes, and cookies. my fave? adding marshmallows into all cookies.

2. smoke out the eyeshadow game - take time experimenting with makeup, try on a new look. i know i've got some looks saved in my reels that i am dying to try. according to the podcast from vogue, a big trend is romantic beauty 

3. feed the birds day - take a walk around the neighborhood and bring some seeds for the birds. enjoy the day at the park or at a bench, or even in front of your yard. queue up nelly furtado - i'm like a bird?

4. national homemade soup day - here's a list of my personal fave homemade soups: roasted pepper soup, creamy butternut squash soup, chicken noodle (with the collagen yum), kale and lamb, blended pea soup, lasagna soup

5. world nutella day - crepes with nutella, or even just a good nutella based dessert is a simple and ecadent snack.

6. national chopstick day - enjoy that sushi platter like there's no tomorrow. better yet - find a simple sushi recipe to make at home too! they come out wonderful

7. stop and smell the roses - for national rose day, go to a garden center, wear something floral, buy yourself some roses, or even tend to your own plants. 

8. tune into the superbowl - i don't know about you, but i will lock in for the halftime show, as well as the opening. green day was announced as the opener. in this political and social climate, i will be having lots of fun watching their performance. 

9. national pizza day - enjoy a slice of cheesy goodness and make it a fun activity for the family or friends by making personal pizzas!

10. national flannel day - make sure you're cozy and cute. for the sake of 2016 nostalgia, might i suggest an oversized flannel shirt tied around the waist and paired with a beanie and full-face makeup? or perhaps, take inspo trom taylor swift's business casual style:

11. make a friend day - do not shy from making small talk at trader joe's. enroll in a book club or walking club. a new pinterest trend is finding pen pals (sib states regressing into your childlike self is in this year), why not find a friend across the country?

12. paczki day - i had a chance to indulge in these delights last weekend. bonus points if you find local, homemade ones.

13. galantine's brunch - is necessary in february. we put so much importance on the relationships, yet the besties matter so much. get your girl group and plan the cutest hangout with snacks for everyone to bring. here's a fun game i recommend: find the sappiest low-budget romantic film, write down the clichés you're expecting into a bingo grid - and you've got the best drinking game. this is confirmed from our 2024 holiday girls' brunch. a recent tiktok i watched suggested the old american girl dolls themed parties. 

14. pop some bubbly - find a good drink (or mocktail) and spend an evening with a grazing board as dinner. to make it more romantic, add some strawberries or edible glitter. 

15. national gum-drop day - don't reserve these for the stale gingerbread cookies. trader joe's has citrus ones that i would personally try.

16. diy day - find a craft that you can do to upcycle something. it could be decorating a show box for keepsakes or making a moodboard with magazines and mail.

17. lunar new year - enjoy a celebration in your local asian district. cleveland has a wonderful lunar new year celebration i hope i'll be able to experience this year.

18. think of a friend - reach out to someone you haven't in a minute, someone you know you haven't heard from in a while. take the time in the day to text or call them. check up and let them know you care. 

19. national mint chocolate day - malley's in the cleveland area has a delightful mint chocolate sundae, as well as various mint chocolate delights. my mom gave us a recipe for mint chocolate chip cookies using real mint leaves. 

20. cherry pie day - also counts if you listen to the song on repeat.

21. plan a visit to your library - check your local library's website for any latest events, such as author interviews, or movie showings. our local library gives out seasonings with recipes, or you can even just bring your laptop or book and spend the day there.

22. be humble day - how can we incorporate putting others' needs in front of ours? the hot take of "you don't owe anything to anyone" slightly turned into a general lack of empathy. take the time of day to be grateful for what you have - especially in the social climate of now, full of uncertainty, broken up families, and injustice on our smartphones. what can we do for our community? how can we give back?

23. try a new sport - or a workout. sign up for a new yoga class or check out a new gym. challenge yourself to try something new, you may excel in it. february 23 is tennis day, but maybe you'll get inspired by the winter olympics too!

24. national tortilla chip day - falls on a taco tuesday too. make it a gourmet experience by making and trying new dips.

25. pick a juicy read - battle the illiteracy epidemic by making sure you borrow a book at the library. bonus points if you get a good romance book. heated rivalry is in my tbr list as we speak. 

26. upcycle a piece of your wardrobe - is there any piece of clothing you're not ready to part with, but it hasn't gotten its cost per wear? sew on some buttons or use textile paint to give the fit some new life. "it only has to make sense to me".

27. go to the movies - rebuke streaming services for a day and get yourself some popcorn and a pop. make it a solo date and enjoy a new blockbuster the old-fashion way. and if the current blockbusters don't excite you, check out the local artsy movie events, like the cleveland cinemathique, or rock and roll hall of fame's thursday movie nights.

28. mall in love - reconnect with your teen self and spend the day at the mall. get yourself an iced coffee, window shop a bit and end the day with the treat at the food court.

black history month icons

february is black history month, and i wanted to honor some (style) icons that represent true black beauty, talent, and resilience.

sasha (bratz) - a fictional character, yes, but the importance lies in the fact that this bratz doll carried style and sass among primarily white barbie dolls in the early 2000s. bratz were seen as progressive because of the diverse characters. 

eartha kitt - beside iconic christmas songs and unique voice (acting - like yzma in the emperor's new groove), eartha kitt was a strong vocalist for women's rights, an advocate for displaced youth, and an lgbtqa+ supporter. according to the europeana website, it notates a crucial point when eartha vocalized her dissatisfaction about the vietnam war to the first lady at the time, lady bird johnson, during a formal women's lunch:

the children of america are not rebelling for no reason. they are not hippies for no reason at all. we don't have what we have on sunset boulevard for no reason. they are rebelling against something. there are so many things burning the people of this country, particularly mothers. they feel they are going to raise sons – and i know what it's like, and you have children of your own, mrs. johnson – we raise children and send them to war.

allegedly it caused the first lady to burst into tears, and from then on eartha kitt was blacklisted by the cia, and her career took a halt in the states. 

ona judge - we could tie this historic and brave woman into fashion as she was the first lady martha washington's personal housemaid and seamstress. ona was born into slavery but met free black people during her time serving in philadelphia and new york when the washingtons "ruled". toward the end of the second washington term, ona was to be sent to the washington granddaughter eliza as a "wedding gift". she managed to escape the home and came to portsmouth. she lived with a free black family still in hiding. ona had to learn other skills as her sewing skills could uncover her. she married jack staines, a free black man, and had a child, eliza. 

the washingtons attempted to convince her to come back, having various messengers sent out as they believed she was "seduced by a french man". her iconic response was "i am a free woman now". i enjoyed listening to the history chicks podcast episode on her, as it painted her story well in the historical and societal context of the time.

tyla - one of harper bazaar's "all stars", this girl made a sensational splash with the song water. tyla has been a red carpet master, let's not forget her met gala balmain sand dress for the sleeping beauties theme. she is dubbed as the queen of popiano - as she merges pop and the south african genre amapiano. for the rolling stones she stated:

when i was a kid, i always hoped that a pop star like rihanna, britney spears or michael jackson would come out of south africa. I wanted a star to come from my hometown. now, for the people of my hometown, i want to be a pop star who represents south africa.

 

rihanna - while i'm slightly annoyed we haven't gotten a new album in 10 years, rihanna built an empire in fashion, beauty, and music. a pioneer of fashion, she is chummy with global designers and fashion powerhouses and was even seen hyping newly appointed dior creative director jonathan anderson after his debut couture show. her pregnancy looks to me are most revolutionary, she showed that pregnant women don't always need to be covered in flowy, and layered material. a pregnant woman can be sexy, edgy, and free from maternal and feminine expectations. and hell - why can't a belly be an accessory?!

tupac shakur - named in rolling stones 100 greatest artists of all time, tupac used his lyricism to shed light on black america and its harsh reality. from a young age he enjoyed poetry and was involved in politics. in my college days getting credits for my criminology minor, i learned a lot about the systemic problems of black america, and how gangs were unfortunately a way to survive in areas with lack of infrastructure, ignored by the masses and by the legislators. tupac was a victim of this systemic violence, and conspiracies still float around his case.