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20-Something, Hipstercrite Life

Hey Lady, Quit Acting Like An Insecure Hot Mess

crazygf
I rarely talking about dating on this blog (I used to more often when I was an early twenty-something hot, steamin’ pile o’ mess and dated a bunch of douchebags), but I don’t pretend that I know any more than anyone else about anything in life. We bloggers sometimes get all high and mighty about telling people what to do- wear this outfit! eat at this restaurant! stare at this picture of my child AND cat!– but in this case, I feel compelled to jump up on my wobbly Ikea-made soapbox and reprimand some of my lady-folk (<– this paragraph is my disclaimer in case I get attacked).
Ladies, I’ve been hearing more and more stories lately about beautiful, smart, electrifying and sensational women who get all crazy-like and start peeping through their completely trustworthy boyfriend’s phone or freaking out when he has lunch with a lady-friend or exchanges words with an ex he’s on good terms with. Some of these stories are shared by the women themselves, while others are shared (more…)
February 11, 2014 by
20-Something, Hipstercrite Life

This is What 30 Looks Like

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I turned 30 last June.

Ever since that day, I’ve been writing less and less on this blog. Half of the reason why is because I started a grown-up writing gig that takes up a lot of my time and mental energy. The other half of the reason why is what this blog post is about.

After turning 30, I became a mess-bag of anxiety. So much so, that all I could think about was my anxiety, and I didn’t want to turn this blog into dozens of posts of me going, “I’m dying! WE’RE ALL DYING!!!” I did write a couple of posts regarding my anxiety and hypochondria, which you can read here and here– if you feel like reading about an unhinged 30-year-old (who doesn’t?)

From most accounts, women LOVE their life after 30. They say that they understand themselves better and no longer make the dumb career/relationship/financial choices that they did in their twenties. These women say they feel more comfortable in their own skin and would not go back to their twenties for ANYTHING, even if it meant getting (more…)

February 7, 2014 by
20-Something, Hipstercrite Life

I Told Myself That By 30, I’d Pay Off All My Debt. And That’s What I Did.

Credit-cards
Yesterday, I paid off the last of my debt.
I made a plan to have my debt paid off by the age of 30, and seven months in, I did just that.
I’ve written about twenty-something finances and debt before and had had some incredible conversations with friends and readers about it.
I used to be embarrassed that I had debt. I felt like a fool, and the shame I felt often felt like a suffocating blanket over my life. On top of embarrassment, I felt anxiety. I would wake up in the night in a cold sweat, feeling like my life was essentially over because my debt became unmanageable (note: I actually didn’t have a lot of debt, but it multiplied exponentially when I fell behind and my APR skyrocketed).
Then, one day, I was no longer embarrassed- I’ll share that day with you shortly– and that is when I began talking freely about my debt on my blog. I have no special insight into the world, but if I walk away from this blog one day, I’ll be most proud of the (more…)
February 4, 2014 by
Music

Interview: Nicole Atkins on her new album, Slow Phaser, and what it’s like to be Springsteen-approved

nicole-atkins

pic via Bowery Boogie

For some magical reason, one of my favorite musicians, Nicole Atkins, did an interview with me for my blog.

As some of you may know, I’ve gushed about her before with a blog post titled “Lady Crush of the Day: Nicole Atkins.”

I guess that post didn’t scare her away (or she hasn’t seen it yet), and she was kind enough to talk with me about her brand new spankin’ album, Slow Phaser.

Slow Phaser is fucking awesome.

And I as I told Nicole is our email exchange, I’m not one to use superlatives. It truly is a work of art that just keeps knocking your socks off, song after song. How can album inspired by Peter Gabriel, Ennio Morricone, Morphine and King Crimson not be? Slow Phaser is a delicious stew of musical genres from the past four decades; it’s guaranteed to blow your mind.

You can get a sneak peek of the full album over at Paste right now. Listen from the beginning to end; every song is magical, but if I had to pick three or four (which is difficult): (more…)

January 31, 2014 by
Film, Music, Pop Culture

12 Signs That You’re a Female Child of the 80s

Traveling back to my childhood home is always difficult for me because it reminds me of how far away from my hoodI am. This bittersweet nostalgia always propels me to search the cellar for spoiled dessert wine my mother bought on a wine tasting trip ten years ago and get loaded. Or as loaded as one can get on spoiled dessert wine. It’s like instant hangover.

About halfway through my visit home, I typically sludge up any number of childhood relics from the closet and begin playing with them, much like I did as a lonely, lonely only child.

I will pull out my old Mall Madness board game and drunkenly sing the Ghostbusters theme while weeping; my mother will run from the couch to see if I’m OK, only to find me sprawled on my bedroom floor, clutching my Alf doll in the fetal position. She’ll roll her eyes and I’ll scream back, “I MISS MY CHILDHOOD, CAN’T YOU SEE?” and then I’ll stare at the starry night of my glow stickers on the ceiling and pass out.

There is something special about (more…)

January 28, 2014 by
Austin, Film, Hipstercrite Life, Pop Culture

What’s Going On With That Movie We Made

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I’ve been trying to avoid writing gobs about our film, Loves Her Gun, on this blog. Though it’s a big part of my life, I don’t want to talk your ear off about it. You all have been super supportive along the way and I really appreciate that. A lot has happened since the film first premiered at SXSW in March of last year, and I want to share some exciting news about the project with you!

1.) We signed with a wonderful Austin-based distributor named Devolver Digital. We couldn’t be happier to have Devolver as Loves Her Gun’s home. A successful business in the world of independent gaming, Devolver has branched into indie film and curated a fantastic slate of genuinely independent cinema. Take a look at their library– they have some great stuff on there! One of their current features that is getting a lot of buzz is Let’s Ruin it With Babies, which just had a feature in the New York Times!

2.) Our film is currently on VOD and Time Warner Cable and will be on iTunes and Netflix soon. (more…)

January 9, 2014 by
Austin

Austin’s Best Restaurants That Don’t Cost an Arm and a Leg

I’ve seen a number of Austin restaurant “best of” lists over the past few weeks, and I don’t know about you, but they frustrate me. Most of the restaurants listed are expensive, at least in Austin standards. They’re the sort of places I can only afford to eat at once or twice a year. Though I appreciate good food, when you are a working-class individual, dropping $50 per person at a restaurant can nearly cause a heart attack.

Even when it isn’t the end of the year, the same restaurants show up on the “best of” lists for Austin. I’m not going to name those restaurants here because I’m sure they’re all delicious and run by hard-working individuals. They deserve the attention they receive, but so do some of the less famous and cheaper restaurants that are sprinkled throughout Austin.

Below is my list of great Austin restaurants for people who make under 40k a year. These are the eateries where you can still spend $10-$15 per person and have a great time. To me, these spots are what made (more…)

December 30, 2013 by
Austin, Film, Pop Culture, Travel, Writing

The Ten Coolest Things That Happened in Austin in 2013

It’s that time of year again- time where everyone makes butt-loads of year-end lists. Considering I have the pop culture-viewing habits of a 68 year-old prisoner in a low-security prison, I’m completely unqualified to create a “best of” list in the fields of film, music or literature. If left to my own devices, my “Top Ten Films of 2013!!!” list would consist solely of Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. I’m completely out of touch and I’m OK with that. I’M OK WITH THAT.
The one thing I know a little about is Austin. I write about this vibrant city often, and I try to stay on top of what’s going on. So that got me thinking: what if I created a list of the coolest things that happened in Austin in 2013? After that thought, I had a subsequent thought about brie cheese.
Here is my list of some of the most awesome, inspiring and breathtaking events that happened in our city. If I’ve forgotten anything, please let me know in the comments!
hb2 protesters
(photo cred: me)
1.) Austinites came together to fight (more…)
December 13, 2013 by
Fashion/Design

My Quest to Find a Natural Deodorant That Doesn’t Make Me Smell Like a Pubescent Boy

natural deodorant

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become increasingly self-aware of my mortality. Because of this, I’m convinced that every single stomach gurgle is in fact an organ-feasting parasite contracted through the drinking fountain at Target or a headache is a long-growing tumor developed via sniffing too many blueberry-scented markers as a first grader. I’m adamant that every animal and inanimate object can and will kill me if given the chance. I stay clear of TVs affixed to restaurant ceilings and walk as far as possible in the opposite direction of squirrels.

My current concern is Alzheimer’s Disease. Unlike my other worries, this fear is not unfounded (warning- Debbie Downer moment about to occur): one in every 10 people over the age of 65 and nearly 50% of people over the age of 85 have Alzheimer’s. I’ve watched my adopted grandfather gradually lose his mind from this horrendous disease. Though researchers are not quite sure what causes Alzheimer’s, there has been long-standing speculation that (more…)

December 5, 2013 by
Austin, Hipstercrite Life, Travel

Thanksgiving 2013: The Time We Got Lost on Death Mountain a.k.a. Enchanted Rock

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Our Thanksgiving involved us getting lost in the woods, narrowly escaping an attack from a porcupine and my boyfriend turning 40 and then promptly falling down and breaking his rib. Because that’s what you do when you turn 40.

Geoff wanted to celebrate this rite of passage by climbing Enchanted Rock. For those of you who are not from Texas, Enchanted Rock is neither enchanted nor a rock. It’s a small, bald mountain in the middle of the countryside that boasts an impressive view of…the countryside. The word “enchanted” implies that there is magic on top of that rock, and though the area is deeply rooted in Native American lore, I did not see any goddamn magic performed on top of that small, bald mount. I would like to petition that Enchanted Rock be renamed, “Gigantic, foliage-impaired land mass”.

See here:

enchanted rock

This picture is a little misleading. This makes Enchanted Rock and the area around it look pleasant, but don’t be fooled. It’s (more…)

December 4, 2013 by