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Hipstercrite Life

Hipstercrite Life, Pop Culture

Bullying: Why Trend Causes Are Important

Vinnie says you’ve been hiding the goods on us, Paulie.

Over the past two years, bullying has been a trendy act to rally against. Causes that catch fire where people discuss like it never existed before then (Kony 2012 anyone?) are kind of cringe-worthy, but the silver lining is that people have finally become aware of/woken up to a cause and care about it. When I find myself rolling my eyes over a tweet, Facebook status or blog post addressing this trendy cause, I just remind myself that it is a good thing that people give a crap (but like most trends, will they forget about the cause next week?)

Bullying seems to be a cause who’s trend has lasted for awhile now. I think bullying was not something people talked about before because they felt it was a “rite of passage” and just a part of human nature. Teens have been killing themselves (or others) for years, but with the current strength of social media and information sharing, their deaths are becoming more widely reported and empathized.

Though (more…)

April 3, 2012 by
Hipstercrite Life

Wisdom Tooth

I just brewed a pot of coffee without a pot underneath it. I also couldn’t think of the word “pot”. Needless to say, I don’t trust myself with writing a post today. I’m not sure what words will come out of my mouth.

I feel like poo today and I’m pretty sure it’s because I have a wisdom tooth coming in. I have a lot of dental work that needs to be done and that fact depresses me. I’m depressed not because I’m scared of the dentist, but because with or without insurance, dental work costs a buttload. If anyone here in Austin has any recommendations on a dentist who is good, but inexpensive or offers a payment plan (that isn’t that stupid dental credit card), please let me know! I feel a health insurance rant post coming on soon.

In the meantime, I’m going to post this picture of my teenage father. This picture weirds me out in so many ways- I love it.

April 2, 2012 by
Fashion/Design, Hipstercrite Life

How To Plant a Garden and Become One With the Earth

I’m building a garden because 1.) I spend way too much time on the internet and want to “Get my hands in the dirt and become one with the Earth” 2.) Want to feel the pride and sweat of eating homegrown vegetables 3.) I’m bored and it’s better than drinking red wine and watching Youtube videos of tigers eating pizza boxes 4.) There was a giant hole in the yard, some cinder blocks and some bags of dirt that needed a home rather than being strewn across the yard.

I made a garden once when I was in college in Upstate New York. Much like this time around, I didn’t read a gosh damn single book, article or sentence about how to grow stuff, so I mainly ended up with rabbit-gorged lettuce, some bland corn, tomatoes (which I don’t like) and one eggplant. This time I’m growing lettuce (I think all the rabbits in Texas have gone extinct), basil, fennel (I think it’s too late in the planting season for fennel), chives (think it’s too late for that too) and I don’t remember what else.

So far everything (more…)

March 29, 2012 by
Hipstercrite Life

When Almost Passing Out During Yoga is Exactly What You Need

Yesterday,  I wrote about how I felt like I was cracking up due to my nighttime anxieties. Trying never to give in and dwell on the negative, I decided I needed to do something about it.

So I picked the most cliché thing possible- I tried yoga for the first time!

Cliché or not, it was well worth it.

I’ve owned two yoga mats in my life and have never actually done yoga. Thanks to my friend Jordan, I finally got the push in the tush I needed to go.

We went to the donation-based Black Swan Yoga on 5th Street. The moment I walked in, I was struck at how peaceful and positive the atmosphere was. I’m not sure why this surprised me. It’s not like they play death metal and talk about cutting yourself at yoga. Everyone was so friendly and not in an over-the-top kind of way. Like a pull you in and hug you and make you feel all warm and gushy kind of way.

I sat down and was instantly struck by the fear that my feet might stink, but when I realized that yoga is not about being self-conscious, (more…)

March 28, 2012 by
Fashion/Design, Hipstercrite Life, Writing

How to Look Like a Flower Child

My mother came of age in one of the most interesting and pivotal times in America.

Sometimes I would lay on the floor and listen to her Simon and Garfunkel, Sly and the Family Stone and Janis Joplin records personalized with her handwritten notes.

I envied her adventures through the late 60’s and early 70’s.

I also envied her kick-ass figure. She was a string bean and had impeccable style.

She’s still one of the most beautiful and creative women I know. I wish she believed that about herself too.

Ugh. Look at those thighs.

I love the green Acapulco t-shirt and white pant suit combo! I wish I could rock the white suit and t-shirt!

Love that high-waist shorts/pants are still in!

Momma stealing a child and a horse while visiting Mexico

March 27, 2012 by
Hipstercrite Life

The Crack-Up

source

The past couple of nights I haven’t felt my strongest.

As I mentioned before, my boyfriend, who I’ve spent nearly every day with since we first met, has left for Portugal for three months. Since I work freelance from the house, I find myself with more alone time than I did before I met Geoff. We don’t have a TV, so there isn’t the omnipresent media voice protecting me from my own thoughts.

Actually, that’s a lie. There is a TV. It’s upstairs in the bedroom, but I refuse to sleep there. I sleep on the couch downstairs because I feel safer there. Upstairs I have no control of what is going on downstairs.

This logic makes no sense.

But back to being alone with your thoughts. It’s a dangerous pastime when you have an overactive imagination. It can be paralyzing. You can absolutely convince yourself of something because all you’re doing hyper-focusing on that thought.

Every night, every damn fucking night, I’m convinced that someone is going to break in. I hear a noise (more…)

March 27, 2012 by
Hipstercrite Life, Pop Culture

What I Learned About Reality TV After Being on a Reality TV Show

I was once on a reality show.

I know. Nowadays that’s not so unique.

You actually have to crawl into a cave and live there for the rest of your life in order to avoid being filmed by reality show cameras. Except someone might tip a Hollywood producer about the person who moved into a cave to avoid reality show cameras, and they’ll want to document your life story.

Even in a relatively small city like Austin, it’s tough not to happen upon a reality show taping.

My reality show, which I will neither tell you the name of nor will it ever see the light of day ever again, was an interesting learning experience.

It taught me that reality shows are made up — even the ones you don’t think are made up (I’m a slow learner). It also taught me that I will never want to be on a reality show ever again. Not only is it a huge invasion of privacy, but you have such little control over how you are perceived.

The reality show I was on? I didn’t really have any say in whether or not I (more…)

March 24, 2012 by
Hipstercrite Life

What I Hope To Find During My First Trip to Europe: My Boyfriend, John Stamos and Cheese

My post over at CultureMap today…

Today my boyfriend leaves for a three-month stay in Portugal. I’m not happy about it.

I’ve spent the past weeks devising a plan to run screaming out onto the tarmac in a rabbit costume before his plane leaves the gate. I figure that a rabbit costume is not threatening enough to get me detained but disorienting enough that the pilots will feel compelled to take reschedule the flight for the next day. Since I won’t want him to leave the next day either, I’ll have to keep doing this every day, which will be how the myth of the human-sized bunny of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport will emerge.

The one good thing about him heading to Europe is that I will have an excuse to visit, if I have the money.

Currently I have a mouth full of cavities and self-employment taxes I need to pay, but I think my mouth and livelihood can take a backseat to Europe, right? I mean, I’m young and I need to take these opportunities while I still can — even (more…)

March 19, 2012 by
Austin, Hipstercrite Life

The Death of Austin, Texas

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A scary realization came to me the other night while I was driving around looking for parking east of Interstate 35 to catch a screening downtown. East of I-35 (East Austin) is typically where I park if I go anywhere downtown; it’s much easier than fighting for or paying for parking.

As I parked deeper than I normally would on the eastside due to the chaos that is SXSW, the realization that parking on the eastside could one day no longer be free hit me like a ton of bricks. Flashbacks of paying hundreds of dollars a year in parking meters, permits and parking tickets in Los Angeles came flooding back.

This may sound like a trivial concern, but it lead to the larger question that had been dancing in my brain while I battled thousands of people through the streets, sidewalks, events and stores as I wandered through SXSW- how much is Austin changing and is it for the better or worse?

I overheard a few rumblings from locals during the film and interactive portion of SXSW that (more…)

March 15, 2012 by