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Episode 55 : Don't Give a Chic
Description
It's the dead center of August in Wichita, and So THIS Happened hosts Jen Cole and Rachel Chappelle are living squarely in "the in-between" — still sweating through summer, already reaching for pumpkin spice. Grab the last pour of a good rosé and settle in, because this one's got Trend Decoder history, a big event announcement, and a Taylor Swift deep-dive that gets surprisingly tender.
TREND DECODER: A PERSONAL BEST
Rachel went in blind, as always, and walked away with a perfect score — 4 out of 4, her best Trend Decoder performance yet (up from 3.5 out of 4 last time).
- "Things More Damaging Than..." — Rachel nailed the format on the first guess, riffing on things more damaging than a glass of wine before landing squarely on the real trend
- "Extra Services I Offer That No One Ever Books..." — another direct hit, complete with a pitch for a So THIS Happened version (therapist, hydrator, on-call Band-Aid dispenser)
- Bonus round: "Kinda Chic" — didn't count toward the score, but gave us the line of the night and, fittingly, this episode's title
ONE LAST POUR: VINZANT WINES' EVIE & ROSE
The girls poured the final bottle of the rosé VinZant Wines sent home with Jen from Kansas City — Evie & Rose, a classically fermented rosé with wild strawberry and citrus notes. Verdict: smooth, well-balanced, and worth seeking out. You can find VinZant pours locally at Bubbles Champagne Bar.
THE IN-BETWEEN
This week's episode theme, and it showed up everywhere: still summer by the calendar, already fall in spirit. The proof was in the details — a Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini at this week's Coffee Break session at GROW, back-to-school for Nathan (Jen's youngest, starting his senior year) the same week Jen's oldest, Nick, heads off to Kansas State. Two very different kinds of goodbye, landing in the same seven days.
Also very "in-between": Jen's marketing company, Backspace Media, is relaunching — new site landing at backspacewichita.com this week, with personal branding, podcast coaching, and event content creation services now open for booking.
SOMETHING'S BREWING: A RICHARD O'BRIEN'S ROCKY HORROR SHOW NIGHT
So THIS Happened is teaming up with Vu Events, Douglas Production Group, and the Rocky Horror Show team for a ticketed, dress-up event at Doc's Hangar at the end of October. Expect a live podcast recording, special guests, and full themed energy — ticket price and date are still being finalized, so watch the socials for the Facebook event drop.
HITS DIFFERENT: "CRUEL SUMMER" — TAYLOR SWIFT
This week's pick, from Taylor Swift's Lover album, chosen for obvious August-shaped reasons.
- Rachel's read: a song about fleeting summer relationships and the nostalgia that lingers — loving something fully while already knowing it won't last
- Jen connected it to her own "church camp boyfriend" summers, and the bittersweet summer she started dating her daughter Macy's dad right before leaving for college
- The two agreed the song isn't just about romance — seasonal friendships and "ladies room best friend" moments carry the same fleeting, worth-it feeling
- Bonus tangent: Jen's infamous Eastborough speeding ticket (22 in a 20, on the way to buy fox ears for a Halloween costume) — filed permanently under fall nostalgia
BEFORE YOU GO
- Merch is live — Pairs Well with Champagne and Caviar Bumps, plus scrunchies from Bella Bonita Designs and patches from Happy Camper Hat Company
- Next Sip Squad Session: Sunday, August 23rd, 6:30 PM at Tor Brewing, featuring Sophii Jones of Jupiter House Marketing & PR
- Come hungry — Tor's Cajun frie