Oh Messy Life #14: To Pack and Wear
My Oceania packing list plus Peyton saw The Dare, Sable on scent, Caitlin on a lack of solutions, new Dirt merch, and a Proper Chune courtesy Bon Iver
Welcome to Oh Messy Life, the column that never reclines its seat on an airplane.
Above is a list of everything I’m bringing on Leah and I’s honeymoon. It’s built around the “333 packing method,” which encourages users to pack three shirts, three pants, and three pairs of shoes to create a nearly endless combination of outfits. Leah learned about it on TikTok, and so I decided to make it my personality for the next two weeks. I decided to type everything out after reading ’s newsletter, Style Toast, and how “we’re all doing our best Joan Didion impression… curating roundups and digital collages like a postmodern ode to Joan’s [iconic packing] list.”
While it seems odd to call a packing list “writing,” I’ve found it taps into a similar creative sensation, forcing you to capture a particular moment and mood. It’s a character portrait like pretty much everything else. Notice the AirPods for listening to Chunes. Notice the mouth guard, which I need because I grind my teeth in my sleep. Notice the books and the subtle revelation that I am a total fraud; someone who is happy to evoke Didion knowing full well I’ve only read her Packing List.
Oh Messy Life
made an interesting point about The Nibs and pet parenthood last week at Kevin’s birthday. “You’re caring for something, and you have this power over it, to the point where you can decide whether it lives or dies,” she said. “You’re basically playing God.”
She's so lucky, she's a star: goes on tour in a few days. I don’t have the inside scoop, but she previewed a Britney Spears cover on Instagram that sounds pretty good. TICKETS.
chatted with The Zoe Report about designing her eau de parfum and debut essay collection tie-in, Die Hot With A Vengence. She says she wanted the scent to be “a bit goth”, which is perfect because I was just listening to The Cure.
“No one wants to hear that there isn’t a solution”: on news organizations’ endless pivots to video, which I found interesting given some publishers are exploring the benefits of good old-fashioned texting. READ.
It brings me great joy to know is friends with Andy from this season of Survivor. One interesting thing she mentioned is just how long it takes people to get on the show. Andy’s apparently been auditioning for the better part of a decade. That’s a lot of pressure.
The expanding Dirtyverse: hot on the heels of my first-ever appearance on the website (talking about Jack’s Mannequin no less) and co. just released some new hats. BUY.
And saw New York City’s The Dare in Vancouver. She writes:
(1) He didn’t take the stage until 12:30 AM which very NYC of him. (2) He’s got fantastic energy and stage presence but the crowd took it a bit too far. (3) The Dare gig was the sneakily-vaping-indoors capital of the world.
Proper Chune
I was too busy to listen to much music this week, but I always have time for Bonnybear.