Mixtape
ISSUE 1
MARCH 2026
“The Patriarchy wants us exhausted, burnt out, and over-scheduled because that takes us out of our power.”
So we need to respond to that in a way only a matriarchy would, with wisdom, pragmatism, and deep self compassion.
How can we live in a way that is in revolt of the structures trying to shrink us?
Letter from the Editor
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A Non-Beige Genderless Colorful Kid’s Room
Come tour my son’s nursery with me!
This room began with the sunshine curtains, both a color and image that could be open to gender, race, age, all of the unknowns in adoption.
We couldn’t really do too much of the design without our baby, but once Oliver came home the vision started to unfold.
I pulled together a fun, whimsical space with hand-me-down pieces and a fresh, colorful look.
I put together a gallery wall of homemade and independent art. Different shapes and textures add interest and depth. We chose colorful playful textiles that transition from baby to boyhood.
I removed and replaced old handles and added stripes to a vintage dresser from my best girlfriend, to freshen it up a bit.
The picture frame you see here was an old beat-up slim wood frame. I added the baubles, painted the whole piece yellow, and added a photo of my son in a ball pit with a similar size and colors of the baubles. It fits perfectly in both size and aesthetic and was a free re-fresh since I used supplies I already had.
A dark green canopy makes a bed into a cozy cocoon.
Design-Wise
The shelf was once an old gaudy gold picture frame. My Papa made into a white shelf for my mom’s childhood bedroom that she loved. Then I had it in my room displaying my favorite fragiles.
I had a vision of a deep dark green color (to match both Oliver’s canopy and our bedroom across the hall) with pops of yellow in a collection of taxi cabs to pull out the yellow from the curtains. A few of these newer cabs can be played with, but the older ones are only for decoration. *Any toy dating before recent years has been called into question for safety concerns.
Will and I started our life together in New York as young 20-something’s. We fell in love in Manhattan, we got engaged on Staten Island, we built our creative lives in Brooklyn, and for all 15 years as New Yorkers we dreamed of our family. We returned to our hometown of Alexandria, Virginia for now, but no matter where we live, we will always be New Yorkers at heart.
This taxi cab collection is both fun for Oliver to look at and play with, and it commemorates a place that we connect with. We can’t wait to take Oliver up to our old spots and visit his Godfather in NYC as he gets older.
Many vintage toys aren’t safe for littles to play with anymore - lead paint and weird plastics can still be displayed on a modern shelf for a fun look and nostalgic decor.
Home Hack
A type drawer is an old printing press tool. My grandparents and parents have always had one hanging on the wall filled with tiny trinkets from our family adventures, from concert tickets to figurines to thimbles, type drawers have cubbies in varying sizes- perfect to display the important small items that mean so much but can get lost in the fold.
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Money Saving Tip!
Create a rotating collection of art prints for a bargain with digital files. You can pay anywhere from $15-40+ for a print OR you can find your favorite artists and purchase their artwork as a digital download for a fraction of the price.
I bought one artist’s collection of 100 kids prints for under $15, of animals, fruits, insects, three of which are in frames now. I can change them out as Oliver grows up, I can rotate for the season, or just switch it up because we get bored with it and want a change. I never thought I’d be able to put a Basquiat on a wall in my home, but the digital download option made this possible.
Activism
What I'm fighting for
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Women's Health
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Maker Mom Life
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One of the first things I ever made for Oliver, before he was out of the state we adopted him from, is this little bunny holding a carrot. With Easter next month, for the parents out there that love creating childhood magic without breaking the bank, here are my many buying designs so you can use them to make your decoration process easier for you.
DIY Candy Carrot Treats:
Spotlight
Look to the helpers
Joy Reid, a whip-smart, fierce truthful journalist who held 45’s feet to the fire. Never once did we witness this proud Black woman feign for an instant that this was a normal regime. Every single time there was a debate, press conference, twitter meltdown - Reid help the administration accountable by calling out their hatred, lies, racism, and slimy grifter ways.
Once the second term began, MSNBC did what I never thought they’d do. They fired the one black female journalist who they had on their primetime slots, and the one individual who always held the administration accountable- bending the knee to the disgusting monster and chief who is controlling the media.
They may control mainstream media but they can’t stop independent journalists, so now we watch and listen to the fearless force of journalistic resistance on her OWN platform:
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Fusce ultrices congue nunc, ac tempor quam bibendum id. Nunc in ornare massa, vel lobortis magna. Etiam a porta ipsum, eget aliquet nibh. Proin sit amet vulputate felis. Morbi vitae volutpat orci. Sed lacinia felis sapien, sit amet rutrum diam fringilla quis. Mauris sodales felis nec sagittis tincidunt.
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Back Cover
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