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Austin, Music, Pop Culture, Writing

RSVPster: Revolutionizing the SXSW festival going experience

rsvpster

Have y’all heard of RSVPster, yet?

How could you not with their recent FREAKIN’ AWESOME Forbes interview and all.

This brilliant service created by one Austin woman, Jennifer Sinski, is revolutionizing the festival going experience.

So, we all know how insanely Godzilla-like SXSW has become, right? All the unofficial parties, shows, taco face-stuffing contests and free swag that is open to us is often hard to keep up with. Sinski, who was already the go-to party RSVPer for her friends, came up with the idea in 2011 to have a concierge service that does the SXSW RSVPing for you- all for a mere $40. Not only will RSVPster get you on the list of every open, unofficial party and event at the festival, they will also send you a full calendar of dates and time to update to your iCal or Google Cal.

In its first year, RSVPster proved to be popular and Sinski brought on business partner, Miles Dahmann. Word of mouth spread quickly and the site gained customers and press. Now in its (more…)

February 26, 2013 by
Film, Pop Culture, Writing

How to Not Annoy Bloggers With Your Press Release

public relations

via All Points PR

I’m now a publicist!

Kind of.

I have a secret to share with you: there is no money in independent film and you often have to become your own press agent, cheerleader, champion and drinking buddy.

I’ve been (nervously) sending out press releases for our film Loves Her Gun and I can’t help but feel like a GIANT ASSHOLE every time I hit the “send” button. You see, I receive a fair chunk of press releases for my blog each week and the majority of the time I completely disregard them. If the sender- particularly the actual client and not the publicist- appears to have put effort in their attempts to reach out to me, then I will politely respond with a “thank you for reaching out, but this isn’t a good fit….yada yada blah blah.” If the press release is from a publicist who included me on a mass email with no regard to what my blog is actually about, then I promptly banish them to my trash. (more…)

February 25, 2013 by
Hipstercrite Life, Writing

I Need Your Blogging Expertise! What Should My New Layout Look Like?

Over a year and a half ago I switched from Blogger to WordPress,  two-column template to magazine layout.

Moving to WordPress was the best decision I ever made for my blog (note to Blogger bloggers: my traffic doubled shortly after I switched to WordPress).

My initial drive to move to the magazine layout was that I was ambitiously planning on posting multiple times in a day. I wanted my blog to become an online zine of sorts, where one could find plenty of posts on Austin lifestyle, fashion, pop culture, etc.

Yeahhhh….that didn’t happen.

Blogging every day is hard. Blogging multiple times a day is really hard.

The zine idea I had was more appropriate for a team of writers and not one pseudo-writer who spends her days holed up on the couch in her sweatpants. I guess if I wanted to take Hipstercrite to that level, I could have, but I kind of just like blogging whatever the hell I want to whenever the hell I want to (i.e. don’t fix something if it ain’t broken).

So….with (more…)

February 20, 2013 by
Pop Culture

The 5 Hottest U.S. Presidents

It’s President’s Day, everyone!

Wait, it is President’s Day, right?

Once you’re out of grade school all these holidays kind of meld together.

And since I’m no longer in grade school, I’m going to celebrate President’s Day by discussing the hottest leaders to ever grace our country’s history!

Who is your POTUS crush and why?

john kennedy pt 109

John F. Kennedy

Why He’s Hot:
– During WWII, his boat, PT 109, was cut in half and sank, but that didn’t slow down ol’  mean dog JFK. No, that man swam to a remote island pulling his badly hurt shipmate with his mo-fo’ing teeth.
– There was no food or drinking water on the island, so like a boss, Kennedy swam 4  kilometers to a nearby island for food and water and then swam back to take the men to another island with food and water.
– He and his shipmates survived on coconuts for six days. For those six days, Kennedy’s potassium levels were excellent.
– He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1957 for his book Profiles in Courage.
– He created the Peace Corps (more…)

February 18, 2013 by
20-Something, Hipstercrite Life

Love is the Digestive Cacophony of Eating a Large Mexican Meal

note on mirror

a note for my sweetheart- throw up all you’d like

I don’t write about my boyfriend much anymore because it grosses some folks out. Understandably so- I don’t like reading sappy shit either.

Because of this, some dude I know named “Geoff” only comes up occasionally in my blog posts.

But it’s Valentine’s Day, dammit, and I’m going to talk about my lover.

Did the word “lover” just get under your skin there?

Because it most certainly got under mine and I wrote it. Yuk.

Geoff and I will not celebrate Valentine’s Day in any special way today. We will probably go out to eat later tonight which is something we do every night because he has an aversion to eating at home. We might take advantage of Gourmand’s $20 two sandwiches and a bottle of Boone’s Farm deal due to the delightful irony of it. And because we’re small town folk at heart.

We may do something special four days later since that day will be our anniversary. A trip to Enchanted Rock has been in the talks.

February (more…)

February 14, 2013 by
Austin, Hipstercrite Life

Why I Need to Meet More Jews

Woody Allen Jewish

I need to meet more Jews.

I came to this conclusion last week after talking to a Jew.

They’re somewhat elusive here in Austin, so anytime I come across one it’s a big freakin’ deal.

Why is it such a big deal?

Because I’m Jewish.

Because when I come across another M.O.B. (Member of the Tribe- a phrase a fellow Jew shared with me), the world and my life finally make sense.

Let me be clear: like many religion-challenged Jews, I’m non-practicing.

My grandmother was raised in an Orthodox Jewish household. At a certain turning point she was like “fffff this shit” and turned her back on the religion. She raised my mother in the Whatever faith, who subsequently raised me similarly. Needless to say religion has never been the terrifying and guiding light in our lives. All my close family members call themselves “spiritual” and shoot the shit with God in their own ways.

Though we didn’t go to temple and because the faith ran down my mother’s bloodline, the Jewy-ness of my (more…)

February 13, 2013 by
Austin, Fashion/Design, Pop Culture

Most Romantic Places in Austin to Instagram on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is coming up!

Since it’s an Instagram world and we all have to live in it, I’ve compiled a list of local spots to take obnoxiously adorable photos with your sweetheart on V-day. You won’t be the first couple to take photos here and you can count on your future kids barfing when they see these cutesy photos of their ‘rents, but heck, it’s your love and you can do whatever the hell you want with it. If you want to suck face in front of Jo’s Coffee while a professional photog snaps your photo, suck away.

Note to Austin-area business owners: If you want to receive a lot of foot traffic and free press, put a romantic mural on the outside of your building. Thank me later by giving me free swag from your business.

What do you think is the most romantic spot in Austin?

you're my butter half austin

The “You’re My Butter Half” toast & butter pat street art on the side of the United Way building 2000 E. MLK – photo via me!

i love you so much austin

The simple yet sweet “I love you so much” text written on the side of (more…)

February 12, 2013 by
Austin, Fashion/Design, Pop Culture

Hipster Valentine’s Day Gift Guide 2013

Are you a fan of Valentine’s Day?

I’m not a fan of Valentine’s Day.

I spent so many years single that V-Day became a day of celebrating my bitter, unrelenting scorn.

But now this will be my second holiday with someone special and I realize that I didn’t dislike V-day because I was single, I just don’t like it period.

IT’S A STUPID HOLIDAY!

Actually, most holidays are stupid- except for Halloween. That is not a stupid holiday.

But you know what?

A lot of really cool people make really cool stuff that make great Valentine’s Day gifts.  Their stuff is so hip, it makes me want to celebrate Valentine’s Day every day (which I kind of do already- that’s why I think having a holiday to express your love  is silly-willy).

As some of you know, I’m friends with the fine folks over at Scoutmob.

Their artisan shoppe boasts a kick-ass collection of handmade art, clothing and decor by talented folks in New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Detroit…and Austin. Our very own Austin-bred (more…)

February 6, 2013 by