Today’s little treat is a splash of summer and an announcement. I’ll be taking a break from posting until September (you may see me in your inbox sooner to discuss The Bachelorette!!!), as I take a bit of a media-consumption break and focus on moving out of state. Before I log off for a bit, I wanted to leave you with five snapshots of my summer so far.
1. summer is for the sucias
I train my eyes to stay tuned in to sucia movements in the culture. And as a sucia-lover, I of course attended the Tokischa concert in San Francisco a few weeks ago and it was quite impressive. Tokischa has been making waves ever since she posed as a dog in the music video for her collaboration with J Balvin, where she sings “Yo soy una perra en calor.” The translation for this is something like “I’m a dog in heat,” where “perra” is also a derogatory term similar to bitch. Being a “perra” could also translate to being a “hot girl” or “baddie,” when used by said hot and cool women. At the concert, it’s clear that being “perra” has become Tokischa’s brand and a rallying cry for her burgeoning standom. Several times throughout the concert, Tokischa, lovingly called “Toki” by her fans,” called out, “La que no es perra, no está de moda.” While many may be turned off by Tokischa’s embrace of perra stylings—twerking in lingerie, “edgy” lyrics, and shameless attitude—it’s hard not to love her for the way she makes her audience feel adored. At different points in the night, she entered the audience to gift a single calla lily to the audience member she deemed the “mas perra,” or “baddest bitch.” This play between suciedad and fragility is similar to Billie Eillish’s album title HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, which explicitly suggests a kind of love that can be both sexy (hard) and demure (soft).
I also have been listening to Kehlani’s new album, Crash which features my beloved Young Miko, an up-and-coming masc lesbian and Puerto Rican raggaetonera. Their track “Sucia,” which also features Jill Scott, was a bit of a let-down. I found myself yearning for something more similar to Tokischa’s up-tempo and unabashed embrace of women’s sexuality that allows you to shake some a*s to the beat, rather than a sultry ballad. But nevertheless, I’m happy to see the sucias thriving and connecting across the hemisphere.
2. therapy is still very much *in*
I love my therapist with all my heart. I am sheepish to share this with others, but I see my therapist three times a week. I have been to couples therapy, and I’d do it again! I have been talking recently (as I often do) about mental health stigma as it relates to race and class, and I suppose I wanted to put it out into the world that no matter what you’ve been told or think about addiction, anger, depression, or self-hate, it is not a sign of weakness to feel or struggle. It is a sign that we live in a difficult and complicated world. Also, if you’re still unsure if therapy is for you, I’d recommend watching Pixar’s Inside Out. If you cry, tear up, or feel anything, therapy is for YOU babyyy! I’m also thinking of starting to finally watch Couples Therapy (available on Paramount+, Prime and Hulu) because soooo many people have told me to.
3. trivia nights are hard but rewarding
We should all be going to a local bar, restaurant, or movie theater for weekly trivia nights. It’s just so fun to have an activity to do with your friends and loved ones that doesn’t require equipment (like bike riding) or super steep entry fee (like a pottery class). I recently went to trivia for only the second time, and I’m sad it’s taken me this long. My team was called “Justin Timberlake World Tour” (my friends are very silly) and we ended up placing dead-middle, with the help of a bartender who took pity on us in the beer theme round. Excuse me for not knowing that “Rausch” is apparently some kind of beer and translates to “smoky”??? Nevertheless, it was a 10/10 experience.
4. sell your stuff online
I’m moving out of state, which sadly means I am selling all my belongings. It’s bittersweet. I’m such a nostalgic person that I can imbue a spoon with meaning, making it hard to say goodbye. But I also crave reinvention and the joy of nesting from scratch. Because it’s too expensive to take everything with me, I’ve been posting nonstop on Poshmark and Facebook Marketplace, and I am shocked by the items people go crazy for. I posted a little shelf I got from Etsy seller BeckyShelves (Becky, the artisan you are!) that held my jewelry and has little hearts carved on the side. There was a bidding war! I felt special, like Hugh Grant as a silly little auctioneer in Mickey Blue Eyes (1999).
5. stay up late reading a little novel
I recently devoured Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (2022), At Her Service by Amy Spalding (2024), and Ursula Villarreal-Moura’s debut novel Like Happiness (2024). I have barely read this year because I’ve been running around prepping for my cross-country move, but oh my goodness, there’s nothing as sweet as when I stay up late reading a little novel. I feel like a kid again. There’s something so peak-summer feeling about reading a book into the wee hours of the morning. It’s like I’m truly in another world where nothing matters other than these little guys in my mind. Nothing can touch me—not my bank account, not my insurance waivers, not my family politics—because when it’s 1 AM and I’m reading, I’m just a little kid on summer break. Someone call Dua Lipa, I’ve got the key to your endless summer vacation right here!
Thank you for reading and supporting little treats! See you soon :)