Shitty Happens
I’ve watched comedian Sam Reece turn plastic cutlery into a crown, wear a bedazzled Tums bottle as a bag, and add tiny disco ball tiles to a tissue box (“I just made sobbing a lot more fun”)—her “low-stakes, high-impact” DIY antics (@shittycraftclub on TikTok and IG) are hilarious and heartwarming. Plus, New Yorkers can attend her IRL Shitty Crafting events! –Lisa Butterworth
@shittycraftclub A love letter to @ROMMYDEBOMMY ? #shittycrafts #crafttok #craftersoftiktok #diybag #diydesigner ♬ original sound – Shitty Craft Club
Doll Parts
Any doll could be made with brown yarn, but the beauty of Yolonda Jordan’s My Pretty Brown Doll: Crochet Patterns for a Doll That Looks Like You is that dolls—and creators—of color are at the center of the book, not a variation on a theme. The hands that demonstrate crocheting are brown hands, and the patterns reflect the wide variety of shades of brown skin and shapes of African-American hair—including Afro puffs. –Debbie Stoller
Cool Cat
Maybe it’s because my first high-school job was at the Sanrio store, but my love for Hello Kitty runs deep, so I want to pack all my beach beers and picnic essentials in Igloo’s new collection, which features the red-bowed icon and her friends on tumblers, lunch and tote bags, and their famous Playmate cooler. ($19.99-$44.99, igloocoolers.com.) –L.B.
Fruit Loot
I picked up a couple jars of Girl Meets Dirt preserves on my last trip to Cowgirl Creamery and the flavors—Shiro plum with mint, rhubarb lavender—have been knocking my cheese boards outta the park ever since. Founder Audra Lawlor also produces shrubs and bitters from her century-old orchards on Orcas Island off the coast of Washington, which are the real summer jams. ($12-$18, girlmeetsdirt.com.) –L.B.
String Theory
Calling all shredders! Fender’s new electric guitar, Player Plus Meteora HH, and the Player Plus Active Meteora Bass (pictured above), not only come in cool colors, but we also have it on good authority (i.e., an endorsement from Michelle Zauner, aka Japanese Breakfast) that they are excellent for lady hands, which might make them worth the splurge. ($1,149.99-$1,199.99, fender.com.) –L.B. (Image courtesy of Fender)
Photo of Sam Reece by Bridget Badore
This article originally appeared in BUST’s Summer 2022 print edition. Subscribe today!
