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Weekend Open Thread

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colorblocked wool sweater in light pink, medium blue, and medium green

Something on your mind? Chat about it here.

I've liked this 100% wool sweater since I first saw it — and now it's on sale! This, and a lot of other things, are included in Nordstrom's new spring markdowns, with savings of up to 50%. The sweater is only 30% off, alas, but I'll take it.

The sweater was $160, but is now marked to $112 at Nordstrom, or $104 at Boden (but they have fewer sizes remaining).

(Another cute stripey option: this Frame cardigan, also part of the sale.)

Sales of note for 5/30/25:

121 Comments

  1. What is your favorite recent romantic comedy? My family always likes to watch them when we’re visiting.

    2. No Hard Feelings, Anyone But You, Hit Man, My Old Ass, Palm Springs, Challengers (not exactly a comedy, but parts are funny)

    4. If you are open to a TV show, Starstruck on HBO Max is so good. Six episode seasons and episodes are short

    5. Our Little Secret with Lindsay Lohan on Netflix. It’s a holiday movie from last year, but maybe you haven’t seen it yet.

    7. is 2022 recent? We watched The Lost City with my MIL and kids last time she was visiting and it was very fun.

    8. This isn’t recent, but it flies under the radar and I adore it: Next Stop Wonderland.

      1. Not the OP, but thanks for the recommendation; we’d missed this one and enjoyed it.

    9. Down With Love is streaming right now and it’s my favorite. Very silly, sweet, and the costumes are fabulous. Also Drop Dead Gorgeous, but that only works if your family has a sense of humor (my in-laws do not).

  2. I love a good rom com

    Nothing hill
    Pretty woman
    How to lose a guy in 10 days
    Devil wears Prada (sort of rom com)
    The wedding planner
    Maid in Manhattan
    You’re got mail
    Sleepless in Seattle
    When Harry Met Sally
    10 things I hate about you
    13 going on 30
    My best friends wedding
    Crazy stupid love
    Crazy rich Asians
    The princess bride

    1. As someone who is not a movie person I saw the devil wears Prada and my brain was immediately like “there’s others who listen to metal here too?!?!” then I remembered it was a move.

  3. Is there a postage stamp shortage going on right now in the US? I was at the post office today and they were nearly out of stamps. My choices were Betty White, Allen Toussaint, pinatas, or hummingbirds. While the selection was funny, it left me wondering if this is some unnoticed impact of the current administration or just a fluke.

    1. I wonder if a lot of people are buying them online or at big box stores like Costco? I have bought specialty stamps but online only. Looking at USPS.com it looks like a lot are coming out next week, also, so maybe that’s why.

    2. I don’t know, but this made me look online (where I usually buy stamps) and the ones coming out next month include Good Night Moon stamps. There are also some nice Appalachian Trail ones.

    3. I don’t know but I rewatched the West Wing episode last night where Josh and Donna were going round and round about whether to put a Puerto Rican-statehood advocate on a stamp. Good times, man.

    4. Not sure if this is why but when I was at the post office to mail a package the lady in front of me was buying 2000 stamps and they had to run through the entire place to scrap together enough. From what she was saying it was for a wedding. Maybe it’s wedding season related?

    5. There were recent headlines about a proposed rate hike (only like 3 cents, IIRC). My guess is that triggered people to stock up on Forever stamps at the current price.

    6. I bought a lifetime supply of Ruth Bader Ginsburg stamps and that’s all I’ll use, mostly because they say RBG Forever on them

  4. If you could buy a business, what kind of business would you buy? I always used to joke about buying a franchise, or I’ve heard people say they make good money by owning vending machines.

    3. It depends what your goals are: passive income? a bigger role in the community? high profits? And it depends on how much money you have available to sink into the investment. Buying a car dealership or a real estate agency is very different from opening up a new fast food location under a franchise model.

      It’s a lot of work, but I would buy one of the local marinas where people rent boat slips in the summer. Of course, it would take a medium-sized fortune to do this!

    4. I knew somebody whose family owned vending machines and they made major bank.

      I always thought I’d love to have a martial arts studio.

      1. Yes, I’m the car wash/parking garage poster above. There’s an hefty initial expenses to set it up but not an ongoing high labor cost. Daily attention seems minimal compared to other businesses. And finally it hinges on land ownership—at least I would never do this without outright owning the land—so if I want to stop running/maintaining the business I still hold a valuable asset in the land.

        1. Me again—Now I’m wondering if maybe I should own a strip mall and rent it out? Does being a landlord count as business owner for the purpose of this question?

          1. Owning a strip mall sounds risky in this day and age. Small business are suffering, as are small family restaurants and shopping malls are on their last legs. Turnover can be high, and this is such an unstable time for getting loans/investing. I agree with you on owning the land, but searching strategically for sites to open long term storage facilities (especially right on the edge of pricier suburbs / city centers) and then being able to let it run itself with minimal local management is the dream. In my opinion.

          2. I say yes but as a lawyer to strip mall owners, I think you are underestimating the work and the risks in that business.

    6. Assuming that it’s an established business where I don’t have to worry too much about staying in business, local hardware store. Just for the community aspect, and because I like power tools and gardening.

      1. Can I come work there part time when I retire? I, too, like gardening (um, both kinds) and happily putter around in the tools rows of my local hardware store, which is sadly closing. I will chitchat with new homeowners and the regulars, show them how to repair a hole in drywall – the one home repair I do well. Sounds like a great 15-20 hr a week gig when I just want out of the house and to fund my coffee habit.

    7. Fantasy: Barneys New York or another luxury department store. Reality: a chain of doctor’s office parking lots. Those places seem to print money.

  5. Religious people help me with a fashion question please!
    Tomorrow I’m going to an evening “Easter Vigil” service at which there will be several baptisms. Is this a festive occasion or somber? I can’t figure out what to wear and the dude I’m going with will be in basic dude attire (khakis and a blazer; he wears uniforms for work and is not a fashion help for me).

    3. Catholic service? They do adult confirmations at Easter vigil.

      I wouldn’t got festive in the sense of evening wedding attire; aim more for nice church attire. Think any sort of weather appropriate dress (that covers the shoulders) or slacks and a nice top.

      Are you related to the one of the catechumens? Is there a reception afterwards? (It’s often hard, because the vigil usually ends around 9 or 10 pm, later if you’re in the far western edge of the time zone.)

    4. Is this the first time going to services with a significant other? If so, I’d get a feel for the denomination/church from their website, and what you know of the local area. If it’s a small town and maybe if it’s not, you’re red meat for busy bodies, so the blander the better, since just being there will draw attention to yourself. I’d wear a fairly classic dress and shoes. I’d stay away from anything loud, short or trendy.

    5. People will likely be wearing the same kind of outfit you’d wear to a wedding or baby shower.

    6. Festive! At our Easter vigil we ring bells, throw confetti, and pass around chocolate. It is loooong, loud, colorful and fun. But it’s not like Easter morning showy (no hats or big dresses). If you’re not sure how conservative/traditional the church is, wear a spring dress that covers your shoulders, knees and cleavage, and shoes you can stand in a long time.

    7. What you’d wear to a baby shower at a country club. Be prepared for it to be LONG depending on the denomination. We tried a new to us church for Easter vigil and had to leave after an hour and a half.

    8. I find myself with no plans this whole weekend and this thread is making me want to post up across the street from a church with a latte and a book I can pretend to read. I am in SE so there are actually spots where I could watch multiple churches.

      1. If you did this and posted your observations and comparisons here, I would read it with interest!

        1. As would I! I love the pageantry of Easter services. There are always oodles of flowers, big flashy choral works, brass and timpani, our church organist pulls out all the stops literally and figuratively…and then the congregation’s outfits are the cherry on top. I bet you get lots of hats in the south, too, which makes it even more fun!

          1. Wishing happy descanting, humane call times, and lots of coffee to all my fellow church musicians tomorrow! He11 Week—I mean Holy Week—is almost over!

          2. I am Altar Guild and I always call it the marathon of the Christian year! (I am in the midst of my five services in four days.). Happy Easter to all who celebrate!

            OP – I thought of you last night. Brave to make Vigil your first service.

  6. I’m seeing headlines about banning student visas, not enrolling international students, and uncertainty for H1B visas.

    I would think that attracting young intelligent trainable minds to the US is a good thing. Presumably, if these young people end up being able to make it work in a foreign country and successfully settle, then they are smart, hard workers, and reasonably healthy.

    I’m also assuming that the ones who successfully immigrate are more likely to be the smarter ones and it’s a brain drain for their own country. China and India are probably pretty thrilled with these headlines.

    Am I missing something? Is it just racism?

    2. I also see it as another way to cut/destabilize university funding streams (while being racist! Wooo, bonus! /s). International students often pay full freight to attend. They are a very important revenue stream for many programs.

      1. Especially for small colleges and for big places without big endowments, they depend heavily on revenue from international students. It’s a way to get ones that are on shaky financial footing already to close up shop.

    3. The people making these decisions aren’t hoping for good things for this country. They want to punish us for events of 2020 and cultivate relationships that may provide them a safe place to land elsewhere if the courts ever catch up with them here.

      1. i can’t wait for the day all these demons realize they themselves need to seek asylum.

    4. It’s funny for someone so concerned about trade deficits. Higher education is one area where we run a huge surplus (both monetarily and in human capital), but Trump just wants to destroy it for the sake of being able to have power over the universities and to own the libs.

    5. If you think H1b visas are about attracting young intelligent minds, you are indeed missing something. The majority of H1B visas go to third part companies like Infosys and Cognizant. They then provide contractors to tech companies, depressing salaries and taking away opportunities from citizens. They also prevent small companies who do need a specific skill set from being to access visas. The entire visa program needs to be revamped.

      2. My understanding from the CS majors at my son’s college is that the H1B visas have done a number on the CS job market. So much of CS can be outsourced to India or other countries where wages are lower, so to have even the local jobs taken by H1B visa holders is frustrating.

        1. I’m a recent CS grad (older returning student). The best international grads are able to stay. The mediocre ones can’t find jobs and end up going back to their country. The US-born students definitely have a leg up in the job market, but it’s not a handout. The ones who cheated/partied/slept/ChatGPTd their way through undergrad and can’t BS their way through a technical interview can’t get jobs (nor should they) regardless of national origin. The American slackers end up working helpdesk somewhere, while the foreign slackers go back to their country.

    7. Australia and probably other countries are setting up mechanisms to take researchers and scientists. Considering getting in line.

    8. It is racism. It has been in discussion for a while in my Jewish circles (made the hair stand up on the back of my neck when I came up in casual conversation at brunch with friends in Dec 2023 and I guess I was not alarmed enough) but I think it was seized upon by opportunistic white nationalists since.
      Not only would it be a brain drain because of missing out on foreign talent, it would threaten American universities, which absolutely rely on tuition money from full-freight-paying foreign students to operate.

      1. While I think many of Trump’s actions involving immigrants are about racism, and I’m sure there’s a tinge of it here too, I actually don’t think it’s his primary motivation in targeting student visas. In this case, it’s much more about exerting power over universities in a politically advantageous way. The president and executive branch have fairly unchecked power in this area compared to others, so they’re choosing to use it. Like you say, most universities are financially dependent on international students, rely on international grad students and postdocs to do research, and most of the people at universities find it incredibly upsetting to see students deported or forced to leave (the cruelty is the point, after all). At the same time, this plays well with the MAGA base, either for racist reasons, because they don’t like universities, or because they can tie it to the protests and getting rid of uppity foreigners who dared to believe in the constitution. So it’s a win-win for him, and who cares about the long term consequences, he won’t be around to have to deal with them!

        1. “getting rid of uppity foreigners who dared to believe in the constitution” describes pretty well how it feels to me, as a directly impacted person. STEM researcher who’s worked here nearly a decade, doing work that I believe in and built a life. Nom I’m only half-heartedly working on my green card petition because I don’t know if it’s worth staying or if that parking ticket from two years ago will be the reason they deport me without due process, or whether my funding gets cut tomorrow.

          2. You’re not the only one here in exactly that situation…. I daily am running scenarios on how to manage if I have to go.

        2. I think this is fair – the administration’s motivation is mixed. I think the popularity is racism.

          1. And I will also say “getting rid of uppity foreigners who dared to believe in the Constitution” = racism/bigotry here.

          2. Yeah, by uppity foreigners I meant both racism and xenophobia, which are distinct but often related.

    9. I think the threat to cut international students entirely is ~mostly~ financial: both that undergrad international students are likely to pay full freight; and international grad students and postdocs are completely critical to research programs (and some of that, unfortunately, is that certain PIs prefer them, because they know they’ll put up with mistreatment because their student visa is on the line). And then a big pile of racism and *because we can* on top.

        1. It’s a way to exercise power with a politically weak demographic, which is how you get to escalate power to others once that becomes accepted. I keep thinking of that poem, “First they came for the socialists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a socialist…”

  7. PSA: the Sephora Sun Safety kit is now at stores (but not on the website yet). $39.
    Contents:
    Biossance zinc mineral sunscreen
    Ultra violet the supreme screen spf 50
    Peter Thomas Roth water drench spf 45
    Super goop play everyday spf 50
    Super goop glow screen golden hour spf 40
    Lancôme up expert aqua gel defense
    Tatcha the silk sunscreen
    Kiehls better screen uv serum
    Cay skin isle lip balm spf 30
    Dr Dennis gross all physical ultimate defense spf 50
    Glow recipe watermelon glow dew balm spf 45
    Innisfree daily uv defense spf 36 (not a typo, it says 36!)
    Summer fridays shade drops mineral milk spf 30

    I bought this last year and found it a good way to test out different sunscreens without investing too much money. Also great to have travel sizes.

    Happy Sephora Day to all who celebrate!

    1. Thank you. I buy it most years to try out new things. I love having the sample size to throw in my bag when going out for the day.

    3. I bought this last year. I love having a small bottle of sunscreen with me at all times just in case you’re outside unexpectedly or it’s been more than 2 hours since the last application.

  8. For those following the legal actions ongoing against some of Trump’s Executive Orders, where are you donating to help the legal costs?

    I give the ACLU and Southern Poverty Law Center regularly.
    And I gave to Common Cause Educational Fund and Democracy Forward earlier this year.

    I know, it’s overwhelming. Any recommendations appreciated.

    1. I’m donating to a local organization that serves a farm worker immigrant population. The ACLU has its head up its *ss on too many issues and I’d rather go local.

      1. Are there legal cases ongoing where they are?

        I feel like my major action/investments focuses right now need to be in the courts (and the many non-profits bringing the cases) and in preserving / registering / monitoring the voting process. So this is where I am putting my time and $. But the breath of course of all the court cases is staggering.

        I am dreaming that our Democratic party is in parallel finding good future candidates and writing our version of 2025 (i.e. 2029), but I fear it isn’t so.

    3. Democracy Forward – they are taking the lions share of the work and are incredibly effective. After that, Indivisible.

    4. I give here and there, but the bulk of my giving has been on a monthly draft to the Southern Poverty Law Center since the day after the 2016 election.

    5. Democracy forward and CREW (citizens for responsibility and ethics in Washington)

    6. Not quite what you’re looking for, but I have monthly contributions set up for 2 orgs that focus on running dems for local elections – run for something (national) and blue Ohio.

    8. The SPLC tends to cast too big of a net. They bought into the FBI fake category of Black Identity Extremists in reliance on a hack named JJ MacNab. It was a racist attempt to go after individual black offenders rather than focus on the real threat of white supremacy. They don’t get my money anymore. If you want to know more, google the Intercept and Black Identity Extremist.

  9. This is floating around my SM feeds and I hadn’t thought of it in these terms so I thought I’d post… from a Financial Times op-ed by Senator Chris Murphy:

    “Once Trump has most law firms, universities, news organisations and private companies under his thumb, it will become almost impossible for any form of opposition to gain traction. His weaponised Department of Justice can arrest protesters and there will be fewer lawyers to defend them.
    University research and academic discussion of ideas that run counter to the Trump ideology will be threatened. Private companies will not object as the rule of law collapses. This is not some innovative new strategy – it is the global playbook for democratically elected leaders who want to stay in power forever.“

    I had just looked at the law firms as retribution and universities as owning the libs, but I think he has a scary point about the pattern.

    1. Absolutely, though I think coming after the universities and research funding is both a power grab and retribution. I think it’s been quite striking how hard medical research funding has been hit, with huge cuts at NIH and CDC, and looking at the areas targeted, it seems pretty clear that’s at least partially because he’s mad about Covid. If you haven’t been paying close attention, some of this has gone under the radar in the news because there so much going on, but there’s already been big decreases in NIH funding to universities, with additional ones proposed, and lots of individual grants have been cancelled. It’s less surprising, but it also looks like climate research is pretty much screwed, and there are massive cuts proposed for NOAA, NSF, and science at DOE and NASA too. Better just not to know anything inconvenient.

    2. That’s why it’s important that Harvard, the richest university in the world, took a stand. Every university should band together and defend their institutions.

      It’s absolutely correct that this isn’t novel. This is what Trump has promised for years and what dictators around the world always do. Trump is good for one thing – doing the horrible stuff he says he’s going to do.

    3. If possible, might like to keep an eye on where federal facilities and services are retained, when most seem to be shut down. For example, reportedly a bunch of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offices around the country were to be shut down this past Friday (a court halted that process), but not a specific office in Georgia. That, probably not coincidentally, is a “red” state. This is not how our federal government is supposed to operate. Republican members of Congress are willingly ceding their power as a co-equal branch of government to control the budget. They fear being primaried, but if enough of them switch parties, control of Congress will flip.

      1. Such an interesting point about GA. Not only a battleground state but I think their electors are chosen by popular vote, so gerrymandering doesn’t have such a big effect on the presidential election.

  10. Since we are talking politics, I want to thank the people of Maryland (my former state) for electing a decent and brave man in Chris Van Hollen.

  11. Anyone have the Lo & Sons Nouvelle? Love the shape and looks practical as a weekend purse but even at current sale price, seems a bit expensive for a nylon bag.

    1. I’m really picky about functionality on purses so my two cents: I’m meh bc of the zipper design, which looks like it would grate on my hands all the time. I prefer bags with either the small (i.e., not sharp) zippers, like what I think is on the interior cc compartment of this bag, or like Longchamp’s bags. Or where the zipper is large like this one, where they get themselves out of the way when not in use (like they’re not attached all the way to the corners, and as such, the flaps holding the zipper fold down into the bag, getting the teeth out of the way, when the bag is open). Especially on slim compartments like the one presumably designed for your phone.

  12. Not recent at all but we just saw P&P in the theater (20th anniversary) and it was so so nice to be in a theater with everyone laughing at their favorite parts!

  13. My adult-sized teens and I have a bazillion tees. If I whittle it down to 10-20 per person, we maybe have 20 extras. They all have words on them — camps, school, events. Are these donate-able? Or just trash?

    1. For the cotton ones, call your local wildlife rescue/rehab. T-shirts are often requested for bedding. They’re soft, but the knit is dense enough that baby claws won’t get caught in them. And it is baby season!

    2. If there’s anything you’d buy at Marine Layer, they have a cotton recycling program (“take back bag”). You have to pay $20 for the bag, but you can put any kind of clothes in it, and you get a $40 credit when you return it for recycling

    3. Single event tees probably don’t have any resale value as clothing items. They are made as single use.

      They might have value as recycled textile, for ragmaking. If your community recycling plant or the place you donate collect or sell textiles for recycling, you should absolutely donate them.

      Their value and use for ragmaking will depend on the material. Blends are more difficult to reuse than 100 pst. cotton or 100 pst. polyester. If you trash them they will have no new value, so I would start with donation/recycling.

    4. If any of the t-shirts have fond memories associated with them, you could have them made into a quilt.

    5. yes goodwill in my area takes t-shirts with words if they’re in good condition otherwise.

    7. You could try posting on buy nothing, especially the local school tees. If they are barely worn and higher quality for a tshirt, then they probably would be resold oversees through Goodwill like donation programs. If any of them are “cool”, you have a chance at thrift stores. If they’re a little worn/stained, I’d just use them as household rags, or to throw over plants during freezes.

      If your kids are sentimental, you could make them into a quilt or have it made into a quilt as a gift.

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