Dear Taylor Swift, Let’s Talk About How You Just Discovered Command Tape
Taylor Swift is approaching a milestone birthday this year—the big 3-0. And while she still has a couple of months to go (her birthday is December 13), she penned a piece for ELLE, “30 Things I Learned Before Turning 30,” in advance of the occasion. Turning 30 can be a milestone year that gets you reflecting on the rights and wrongs that have happened within your 10,950 days of life. Call it what you want, but T-Swift wanted to tell the world that with us, she’d dance in a storm in her best dress. (Translation: She’ll help us understand what we need to know to live our best lives.)
Since I’m turning 27 in a week, I was personally intrigued to read what the pop singer had to say. I only have three years left to do whatever the hell it is she instructs, if I choose to do so. And hey, her life has turned out pretty stellar, so why not be Fearless and make Swift my yoda?
As I progressed through the story, I started to feel like I was getting sucked into Taylor Swift’s brain. “It’s weird because part of me still feels 18 and part of me feels 283, but the actual age I currently am is 29,” she wrote. Same, girl, same.
Then I start getting into the teachings. Lesson 1: Put some boundaries between you and social media. Who hasn’t had a moment of “I’m going to deactivate my account?” Lesson 4: Make steps toward accepting your body. Yas, body positivity. Lesson 9: Easy cocktails is the way to be. Amen to that.
Then, I came across 11. The Master Number in numerology. With such a powerful number comes powerful responsibility. Well, what I read definitely shook me to my core, but not in the way that I expected. “Lesson 11: Recently I discovered Command tape…”
Pause. Stare. Reread to make sure I read it right. Pause again.
She. Just. Discovered. Command. Tape.
I don’t care how dramatic I sound. To the ears of an editor whose days revolve around home design, DIY ideas, and scrappy projects, Command tape is a crucial and significant part of life. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that Swift has realized its beautiful powers before hitting 30. But she has a lot of catching up to do.
To help Taylor’s journey of Command-discovery, I thought it might be helpful to explain how the tape can be used beyond preserving your walls (hey, it’s a start). Behold, three of my favorite can’t-do-without reasons to explore and be adventurous with its many products.
1. Free up so much valuable space: From mini hooks to the big wires, these life-savers are first and foremost space-savers. Hang cooking supplies, big and small, on the walls of your kitchen to seriously clear your counters. If your closet is stuffed to the brim, use the larger hooks to hang your sweaters and scarves. The possibilities are endless.
2. Keep the tangled things untangled: Headphone wires, long necklaces, your cat’s yarn toys—the items that take you five to 10 minutes to undo. The many sized hooks that you can stick wherever you want can help with your mess.
3. Spruce Up More Than Just Your Walls: What about hanging a decorative wreath on the front of your door, or how about stringing twinkling lights across your bare ceiling? Think outside the box and, most importantly, outside the four walls.