We have binged in a random series of RHBH from 2016 and the amount of $ and products wasted in unnecessary glam squads was nauseating.

My mutinous self blossomed like a paperwhite in the spring.

• There are two chapters in the book dedicated dive-in style to what not to do to dress/live/eat the Italian way: “Don’t take yourself too seriously” and “You don’t owe pretty to anyone”.

There isn’t a right or wrong way for being not perfect, what is perfect for you could be imperfect for me. Many things have changed in the last two years that I feel I owe you some details on how to not be perfect and happily ever after.

So to a year of:

no to flat stomach and yes to an overload of drapes;

imperfect smokey eye;

attempting at finding the perfect pose for a selfie/hating to pose and take a picture of yourself;

avoiding t-shirts loaded with feminist messages;

rewearing staples in different looks du jour, instead of repeating outfits;

deliberately not matching colors, but insisting on navy blue and black together;

maintaining the obsolete iPhone 7 alive and no Air Pods;

wearing stripes;

• aiming at preserving a certain mental equilibrium and taking breaks;

• NOT accepting the new state of being “pandemic fine”-noun-a state of being in which you are employed and healthy during a pandemic but also tired and depressed and feel like trash all the time;

• saying NO with no regrets or FOMO;

• shielding yourself from anxiety-provoking news;

• abundance of sparkle and a cig here and there, absence of flip flops, flannel pajamas;

• banned words: girlboss, hustle, “you can do it”;

• being single and OK with it;

• ignoring chromotherapy or whatever is called that thing that gives you a wheel of colors you should wear;

• not buying anything new, again. Turns out in 2021 I was able to manage a full overhaul of my wardrobe after I realized my body had changed and there was no going back, but I had also committed to the no new clothes. I kept the promise with second-hand apps. my seamstress and hand-me-downs;

• delete/eliminate/ignore toxic people/relationships/other people’s opinions/phone contacts;

• no flip-flops allowed or furry slides.