Red, Blue, and Bad Bunny: Notes on Music, Color and Culture
Introducing Supper Club: your new favorite gathering.
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Happy Friday!
It’s officially been over a whole month since my return to Substack—not that it’s monumental for anyone but me. Honestly, so much has changed since I first started writing here. Notes and subscriber chats didn’t exist then; now, they feel essential to the platform. Some people strongly oppose these additions, but I’m choosing to welcome them with curiosity. Anyway, we’re not here to chat about Substack’s new features.
Since returning after a nearly year-long hiatus, I’ve mainly focused on essays and long-form pieces. I love writing those, but truthfully, I don’t always have an essay in me. Over the past year, one of my biggest personal shifts has been learning not to take everything so deeply—sometimes, I don’t have the time for big thoughts, as you might have gathered from my Year In Romance issue a few weeks ago.
That said, I’ve been craving a bit more freedom to explore. After all, I want this newsletter to feel like a literal house—with many areas or rooms. Some spaces for reflection, others for inspiration, and others for pure enjoyment. I want to write what feels most authentic to me at the time (read: I don’t always want to write an essay), and I want this to be a place where you can find more than just my *very* subjective thoughts. Hopefully, you’ll find something you can use or draw inspiration from for your own life.
So, I’m introducing a new column to the newsletter:
Think of Supper Club as a group of women—maybe in their 40s or 50s, though that’s not a requirement—who gather every week at a different house to decompress after a long week at work. Sometimes they play games (I hear Bingo is popular), sometimes they cook, sometimes they watch a movie or a show, sometimes they discuss books or a topic that came up in conversation earlier in the week, sometimes they craft, and other times, they simply chat.
Though we meet at the same house every week (welcome, friend!), and I think it’s safe to say most of us are not in our 40s or 50s (though if you are, that’s cool, too!), I want Supper Club to have that same energy. I want it to be a column where every week brings something slightly different, but you can always count on it being your favorite plan for the week. With that, let’s dive into our first Supper Club gathering.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Rest assured, I only share items I genuinely believe are worth your time.
This Week’s Grocery List
Songs that scratch my head just right—in no particular order.
I’m not quite sure how to explain this feeling, but some songs just hit the right notes, making them feel almost physical. It’s almost as if the music were a person—sitting behind you and quietly soothing you. If you’re always after this feeling, too, here are my top picks:
I compiled all these songs into a playlist called head scratchers, which you can listen to here. I focused less on making it cohesive and more on including as many songs that captured this feeling as possible. I have so many more, too, so if you’d like a part two, let me know!
A Love Letter to Red & Blue
I’ve always wanted red to be my favorite color, and while it isn’t, I find myself drawn to it all the time—especially lately, in combination with blue. For the longest time, my perception of this color combo was strictly tied to patriotism (hello, 4th of July, and the 23 flags that use these colors, including the Dominican flag). That changed a few weeks ago when I stumbled upon the Maria de la Orden Saint Barth Stripes Dress in Blue. It made me realize how playful this combination can be when done right—like the grown-up version of blue and pink or pink and yellow (though those also deserve their moment).
I’ve searched high and low for this dress with no luck. But since then, I’ve built a collection of red and blue finds—from shoes and clothing to home goods and retail spaces. Instead of completely overhauling my bedding or wallpapering my entire room to match this newfound obsession, I’ve decided to channel it more intentionally (for now) by sharing some of my favorite discoveries with you.
(1) If I had a vacation home, the guest room would look like this. Custom headboard by The Beautiful Bed Company. (2) Vintage Martini sign at La Rosa Vermutería in Mallorca, Spain. (3) The Elder Statesman Blue Speed Check Pillow (on final sale right now!). (4) Rediscover graphics from Fiorucci’s archival 1984 Panini collaboration. (5) Shower design featuring Zellige tiles by Studio Faeger, London. Photo by Ellen Christina Hancock. (6) Bode Bold Striped Cardigan: Inspired by a vintage sweater from the 1940s–1950s. (7) Gift wrapping by Cyd Converse of The Sweetest Occasion, December 2009. (8) Vintage Dolce Gabbana gown. (9) Paul’s Daughter in Luna Park, Coney Island. (10) Giuseppe Zanotti heels. (11) Sage and Clare Ballico Nudie Bath Mat in Paprika. (12) The jeans of my childhood. Vintage 80s Deadstock Hush Puppies Jeans. (13) Folk Flower wallpaper by Tess Newall. (14) Jeffrey Campbell Shortcake Gingham Kitten Heel. (15) Evelina Kroon Berry Rain Wool Rug. (16) Loubi’s on the Beach at The Selfridges Corner Shop. Summer 2022. (17) 'All Lobsters Go to Heaven' Cabana by Tombolo Company. (18) Vintage 1940s Los Angeles felt pennant by Hortie Van MFG Co. (Pasadena, CA), featuring a sewn photo of Union Station.
House Favorites
I’m currently working through all my beauty, skincare, and haircare products while prioritizing making more intentional purchases—especially in fashion. Along the way, I’ve found a few new staples and gained a new appreciation for things I already own that I truly love. Here are a few:
Merit Beauty. I haven’t tried all their products, but the ones I own—The Perfecting Complexion Stick, Bronze Balm, and Brush No. 1—are staples in my everyday routine. If I were to try something next, it’d be their Solo Shadows, but I’m holding off until I hit pan on my old palettes.
Abercrombie & Fitch Jeans. After six months without owning a pair of jeans, I gave denim one last shot. I ordered two styles (Curve Love Low Rise Baggy Jean & Curve Love Mid Rise 90s Straight Jean) in four different washes, and to my surprise, they all fit—now I have a whole new jeans collection.
Sam Edelman Flats. Flats are back in my rotation thanks to a silver pair of Sam Edelman flats I picked up on sale at Nordstrom Rack. They’re comfortable and elevate every outfit. I love wearing them with jeans and linen pants!
Too Faced Lip Injection. I bought this at Marshall’s in 2016, and though it’s definitely expired, it’s still my go-to lip product for most outings. It has a tingly feeling that might be the product working—or the fact that it’s expired—but regardless, I’m keeping it forever. Don’t be like me; get a non-expired one at Sephora.
Diary of a Serial Hobbyist
Last year, I came across a ceramic domino set on Pinterest and immediately decided to make one for my dad—the biggest domino fan I know—using air-dry clay. It’s been years since I’ve worked with air-dry clay, though, and it only took one piece for me to realize how out of practice I was. Looking back (and I mean way back, considering I started this in September), I probably should have tackled a smaller project first. But here we are, and I’m committed to seeing it through.
About half the pieces are ready to be sanded, but I still need to make the rest, plus the case. Then, I have to prime and paint every piece. My goal is to finish it by the end of February, so about 90% of the reason I’m sharing here is to hold myself accountable.
If you’re considering trying air-dry clay, I recommend checking out Wendy Stone from Klay Ceramics. She has many tutorials for beginners, including a fun playlist titled “The Pinterest Series.” Learn from my mistakes and start with a small project!
I’m thinking about trying needlepoint once I’m done, but I haven’t fully decided. If you know how to needlepoint, I’d love your advice and suggestions! And if you’re a hobby hoarder like me, let me know in the comments what hobbies I should try this year.
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
I can’t go without discussing Bad Bunny’s latest release, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. Admittedly, there’s a huge probability I would’ve loved this album regardless—it’s Bad Bunny, after all. But still, this album is by far his best work. I promise I’m not biased—Rolling Stone has already given it a 5-star review:
“To write such a proudly Boricua song, and album, at the height of his fame is Benito’s ultimate form of resistance.”
I’ve seen people call this album a love letter to Puerto Rico, but I think everything Bad Bunny creates is a love letter to Puerto Rico and its sisters, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. More than that, this album feels like heartbreak—over his country, its people, and its culture. Living in the Caribbean, where modern colonization is rampant, there’s always an undercurrent of fear that, one day, you’ll have no choice but to leave. For many, that day has already come, which Bad Bunny captures in the song “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” with lines like, “No quería irse pa' Orlando, pero el corrupto lo echó” (“He didn't want to go to Orlando, but the corrupt ones pushed him out”).
Many Americans wonder why Latinos immigrate to the U.S., claiming the quality of life in our countries is much better. And sure, that might be true—from the perspective of an American earning U.S. dollars, reaping the benefits of our land and culture, and knowing they can leave anytime (If you’d like more context on this, I wrote about it here: ‘Is it ethical to live the digital nomad lifestyle?’). Bad Bunny calls out this privilege directly in “TURiSTA.”
In my opinion, the best song on the album is “LA MuDANZA.” In a recent interview, Bad Bunny shared that his goal with this album was to bring generations together, and I believe that was achieved with this song alone. The first time I played it, I was in the car with my parents, and my dad immediately said, “E’ta se va a pegar.” (“This one will go viral.”) The song opens with Bad Bunny recounting how his parents, Lisy and Tito, met—when Tito accompanied his father to work to earn some extra cash. By the end, Bad Bunny declares that he’s not going anywhere—Puerto Rico is his home, where his grandfather was born. The whole song screams, “We’re here, and we’re proud,” no matter how small they try to make Puerto Rico seem.
On a more personal note, this album highlights the importance of capturing and sharing our culture—not just our pain. To be silent is to surrender, and to be loud in our pain is to hand them power. Before opening my design studio in 2020, I had already started pulling back from Instagram—a conscious choice in an effort to be “more present.” But in doing so, I stopped taking pictures altogether, a habit that had become so tied to social media. But this album reminded me that photos existed long before social media—to document our lives and create something for future generations to look back on. Our sazón—our essence—is the one thing they can never take away from us, and capturing that feels more important than ever because it’s through these memories that our stories survive. So now, I’m making a conscious choice to capture more of my life instead—and I guess I have Bad Bunny to thank for that.
If you’d like to dive deeper into this album, I recommend reading this article: Unpacking Bad Bunny's personal and political 'DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS’.
That’s all for this week, friends.
Love from the house,
Wilda xx
“Empathy is not a limited resource.”
I am so heartbroken about everything happening in Los Angeles right now. Natural disasters are everywhere, coming faster and stronger every time, impacting our communities beyond repair. If you don’t know where to start helping, Rachel Davies from Personal Space has compiled a master list of GoFundMe links. Additionally, here are specific lists to support Latine families, Black families, and artists affected by the disaster. And, of course, consider donating to the LAFD.
As I’ve mentioned before, if you’ve visited any impacted areas, check in on the small businesses you supported during your trip. They’ve likely shared the best ways to help them through this time. And if, like me, you’re so removed from the West Coast and can’t fully grasp the scale and destruction caused by these fires, remember that educating yourself is also an act of support.
Housekeeping
I used to love sending my newsletters on Tuesdays, but since the rebrand, I’ve been sending them on Fridays. I can’t decide which feels better, so if you’d kindly let me know below which day you prefer, I would love you (even more) forever.
In case you missed it…
