“We have finished the passionate and philosophical ‘novel’ of the Revolution; we must now begin its history.” ~Napoleon sista
The Revolution: January to October 2026
Helloooo my loves,
It’s November, my birthday is around the corner, and No Sugar November has officially begun, so we’re focused focused.
Before we get started, let this be your sign, that the best is yet to come. There is still time. Whatever’s causing you to worry, doubt, or feel anxious, isn’t from God. God is good, He’s answered you already, now is the time to receive. Open your heart.
More on this later this week, but for now welcome to Pocket Book From Love Itself.
Here’s what’s inside:
what Tuesday’s election (if you’re in America) means for your money,
major AI deals because you should kind of know these things if for no other reason than it gives you Something to Talk About,
grants you can apply for right now if you’re an entrepreneur
move over K + J beauty, C beauty is coming for your spot
my faves lately
what to speak over your life this week
🗳️ election day is tomorrow. here’s why it matters. (tl;dr pray and vote)
If you’re in America, election day is Tuesday, November 3. We spend so much time talking about presidential elections that we forget the president can’t actually do everything he wants to do. He needs Congress. And on Tuesday, we’re voting for the people who decide how much of President Trump’s agenda gets done over the next two years. By the way, I don’t care who is and who isn’t president, I care about what God’s doing.
The 101 No Zoey: Tuesday decides who controls Congress. Congress decides which laws pass. Those laws reach your taxes, your grocery prices, energy costs, businesses you might start - etc.
a quick government lesson
Congress has two parts; the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House has 435 voting members who serve two (2) year terms, and the Senate has 100 members who serve six-year (6) terms.
Every two years, we vote for the entire House, the one that serves two years, and about a third of the Senate (the ones who serve six). For most bills to become law, both groups have to agree before the president can sign.
Right now, Republicans control both. If they keep control after Tuesday, Trump will have more room to pursue his plans for taxes, government spending, energy, immigration and other policies.
If Democrats win the House, they can block or change legislation Republicans want to pass. If Democrats win the Senate too, they’ll have more power over the president’s appointments, including federal judges, and more influence over how the government spends.
Mind you, the president doesn’t suddenly lose all his power. He can still veto bills, carry out existing laws and take certain actions without Congress. Passing new laws just gets a whole lot more complicated.
And this is where it gets interesting, because we’re not just talking about parties arguing with each other. We’re talking about money.
first of all, your taxes
In July 2025, Trump signed a major tax law that extended lower individual income-tax rates and created new deductions for certain tips and overtime pay.
The law also made a tax deduction for qualifying small biz income permanent. So if you’re self employed, selling digital products, running an online shop or making money through your own business, these rules affect how much of your income you get to keep.
and yes, creators count
On October 15, the Small Business Administration released guidance recognizing qualifying content creators as small businesses within its lending and contracting programs. That covers podcasters, video producers, digital publishers, and anyone building a business around their content.
No, that doesn’t mean you can wake up tomorrow and demand a business grant because you have an Instagram account. (There are real grants open this week, though. Scroll to money.) It means qualifying creators finally have clear guidance on where their businesses fit in federal programs, and Congress shapes the laws and funding behind those programs. See why government policy matters?
then there’s gas (and most importantly flights)
Gas prices are tied to the price of crude oil, which is traded around the world. When something disrupts the global oil supply, prices rise. That’s part of why the ongoing conflict involving Iran matters so much economically.
And guess what airplanes use? Jet fuel. Airfares are at a 10-year high because of it, with Thanksgiving tickets up about 30% from last year.
I’m not saying flights will magically get cheaper on Wednesday if a certain party wins, airlines also set prices based on demand, competition and available seats. But there’s a real connection between what’s happening internationally, the government’s energy and foreign policy, and the price of your next lil trippy trip.
okay, but what about the stock market?
Historically, stocks have done pretty well after midterms. According to Capital Group, the S&P 500 has gained about 15% on average in the 12 months after a midterm election since 1950.
FIFTEEN PERCENT.
So are we about to enter some incredible rally? Not necessarily. The market cares about company profits, inflation and interest rates. When prices across the economy rise (aka inflation), the Federal Reserve can raise interest rates. That makes mortgages, business loans and credit cards more expensive, and it can make it harder for companies to grow.
Elections matter to investors because they clarify what the government might do next, and markets don’t love uncertainty.
but yes, your vote actually counts
I know some people feel like their vote doesn’t matter, especially if they live in a state that votes the same way every presidential election. But midterms work differently. There’s no Electoral College deciding a congressional race. House members are elected directly by voters in their districts, and senators by voters across their states.
Tuesday isn’t just about Congress, either. Depending on where you live, you may also be voting for a governor, state lawmakers, local officials or ballot measures. These people make decisions about housing, education, transportation, and healthcare etc.
You don’t have to follow politics every day or understand every policy proposal. But it’s worth knowing what the people asking for your vote plan to do with it. Find your state’s official election site at vote.gov.
So go vote. If you don’t feel like it at least pray because…yeah just pray. Matter of fact just do both.
🌍 everywhere else
Gen Z is protesting the cost of living literally everywhere. More than 140,000 young people signed up to march in 23 German cities on Halloween, and students are marching across Europe. My honest take? It might not get better soon. SO what’s our solution? Trust God for the grace to make more. (Keep scrolling.)
There may be a diplomatic opening in the US-Iran war: Iran is in talks through Qatari mediators in Doha.
💸 money honey
Make more, part two. Here’s where the money is moving, and some you can go get.
There’s a whole industry behind the AI tools we use: the models, the chips, the data centers, and the companies protecting all of it. Here’s what’s new, and where the money is moving.
🤖 what’s new in AI
A satellite wrote a haiku. Yes, in space. Google says its experimental Project Suncatcher prototype ran Gemma 4 onboard and sent a poem back to Earth. This is an early computing experiment, with heat and radiation testing still ahead. A full commercial data center in orbit is a much bigger (very reasonable) next step.
Meta quietly launched an AI fashion app called Style Sketch. Would you let an app style you?
You can try on makeup inside ChatGPT now. Maybelline just became the first beauty brand to put live virtual try-on in ChatGPT. Ask for a look by occasion or undertone, try the shades with your camera or a selfie, then see where to buy (Mass Market Retailers). Would you trust it with your foundation shade?
🔋 the big AI checks
$63 billion to help power Anthropic. On October 26, Bank of America, Blackstone, Citi and Morgan Stanley announced a $63 billion financing structure to buy Broadcom AI chips and networking equipment, then lease them to Anthropic. Deliveries are expected to start in 2027. That’s equipment financing, rather than a $63 billion investment in Anthropic’s shares. Running AI takes a lot of actual machines.
Wabi raised $55 million at a $1.25 billion valuation. Its October 29 announcement adds another consumer AI story: a personal agent and mini-apps people can create and use. Founder Eugenia Kuyda also created Replika.
🖥️ and cybersecurity is getting paid toooo
Upwind raised $400 million. Its October 28 funding round backs security for cloud and AI infrastructure. Its AI agents investigate attacks, test whether weaknesses can actually be exploited, and help teams work out what to fix. This is money going toward defending the systems AI runs on.
Infisical raised $40 million at a $600 million valuation. The October 27 announcement is about securing the passwords, digital keys and permissions behind software. Its Agent Vault lets AI agents access sensitive systems without exposing the underlying credentials. The $40 million is new funding; $600 million is the company’s valuation. Two different numbers.
My read? As AI gets more useful, the questions get bigger: who supplies the computing power, what can these systems access, and who keeps the data safe? That’s why I want us paying attention to the businesses around AI too. There’s a lot happening beyond the app on your phone and every discerning diva knows what’s going on and where.
If you’re curious, I broke down the AI bubble in A Girl’s Guide to the Financial Markets.
Want to try experiment with AI yourself? Here’s a freee week of Claude Pro
💼 grant me down
money you can apply for if you’re building stufff ♡
Sephora Beauty Grant with the Fifteen Percent Pledge: $100,000 for beauty businesses led by underrepresented founders. Due Nov 6.
Swarovski Creatives for Our Future: €20,000 in project funding for 21 to 30-year-olds in fashion, jewelry, design, photography and more. Open worldwide. Due Nov 9.
Trusted Creator Fellowship: a $5,000 stipend for creators who make information-focused content. Due Nov 13.
Tory Burch Foundation Fellows: a $5,000 education grant for women founders. Due Nov 17.
Decoy Creator Grant: $10,000. Due Dec 15.
Thirteen Lune’s Studio 13 will choose 13 beauty brands for seed funding and a spot in its store.
✨ beauty bb
Spring 2027 is all about the lippp. Paris made the case for statement lips. At Tom Ford, lead makeup artist Lucy Bridge built a glossy red lip with Tom Ford Beauty’s Runway Lip Pencil in 105 Private Client, Runway Liquid Lip Color Matte in 16 Scarlet Rouge and Gloss Luxe in 01 Disclosure, then added Runway Gel Eyeliner in 08 Bronze on the waterline (The Zoe Report). At Dries Van Noten, Thomas de Kluyver faded burgundy into bright red. At Dior, Peter Philips paired a glittery cat-eye wing with an otherwise bare, dewy face (Bustle).
If you want the red lip now: Victoria Beckham Beauty just launched Rouge Victoria, a range of matte reds from bright poppy to deep merlot. I love the House Red biblically.
C-beauty, and where to actually buy it. Chinese beauty brands are going after global shelf space. Flower Knows, the brand with the fairytale packaging, landed at Ulta with prices from an $8 hair clip to a $45 eyeshadow palette, and the US is its biggest market outside China. Judydoll’s sales grew from $232 million in 2023 to $345 million in 2024. This is the next wave of global beauty, and it says a lot about how culture shapes what we buy.
The sephora sale is onnn. I wasn’t planning on ahem…participating, but I’m just a girl at the end of the day.
🥣 eating
No Sugar November
It’s No Sugar November. For all my lock-in baddies, this is one last push of Getting In the Habit of Doing Hard Things before the year ends. Here’s the deal if you’re joining me.
The rule: no refined sugar and no artificial sweeteners. Natural sweetness stays, in moderation.
Put it back: cookies and candy, Benny’s (Ben & Jerry’s), cakes and cupcakes, donuts and pastries, anything with refined sugar on the label, and lab-made sweeteners (erythritol, I’m looking at you).
Keep it: fruit (your best friend this month!!!), dates, pure maple syrup, raw honey, and agave (dumbest sweetener idk, that’s just me though).
Thanksgiving is one day, do with it what you will. I’m doing this because I made myself a promiseeeee and it’s about to be my birthday lol.
🤠 obsessing
Over my new comfort youtuber she came up on recommended and I just love her vlogs so comforting - share your fav with me!
📖 words
The Moment Winter Ends by Whitney Amazeen. I love her books because they reinforce my hopeless romantic heart’s desires, you’ll love them too they’re so cozy
The Kensingtons and its spinoff, series: a Gossip Girl-like series I can’t get enough of. CW Farnsworth can write man, that’s all I gotta say
💌 before you go
May God protect you, may the God of all peace surround you, and may His angels be released to comfort and instruct you. Today is the least you’ll ever be, you’re a great influence on society, people send for the wisdom and gifts God has placed in you, may the work of your hands be blessed, may it glorify the Father, and may the love of Jesus Christ abound in and through your life in Jesus name, amen.
The year isn’t over, and neither are you. Pick one hard thing this month and do it on purpose. If you need a push, I wrote a whole treatise on courage.
love you serious,
zozo ♡
I appreciate you taking the time to write all this up!! So much to chew on 🤔💖✨