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Hipstercrite Life, Writing

Anatomy of Writer’s Block

via Three Hundred Pages

Do you ever find yourself staring blankly at the computer screen with a large and heavy brick sitting smack dead in the middle of your right cerebral cortex?

Of course you do. You’re a writer and writer’s block happens all the time.

That doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck ass any less.

The way writer’s block occurs is different from person to person. When many writers find inspiration from any upheaval in their life, I want to retreat into my head and turn away from anything that resembles a blank computer screen or pen and paper. I need structure and normalcy in my life to feel creative, though out of both those things comes nothing remotely interesting to write about. Only in living life do we truly have fodder worth writing.

Having been interested in creating “stuff” my entire life, I randomly find myself in creative ruts from time to time. It often seems that there is no rhyme or reason to the blockages, but I know that is not true. It takes a lot of (more…)

June 25, 2012 by
Film, Pop Culture

Six Best Christopher Guest Characters

Vulture recently announced that filmmaker/actor Christopher Guest is working on a new sitcom in the same improvised-vein as his previous films. The show, titled Family Tree, stars Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids) as he “attempts to track down his real family”. Actor and regular Guest player Jim Piddock will be helping the funny man with this project.

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty excited to hear the news. Christopher Guest has been a creative icon of mine since first seeing Waiting for Guffman as a teenager and Chris O’Dowd did a knockout performance in Bridesmaids. Though Guest’s last film, For Your Consideration, seemed to be rock bottom, he can only work his way up from there, right? RIGHT?!

I wanted to take this moment to reflect on some of my favorite Guest characters. The beauty of every Guest character is that you can see a little bit of yourself in all of them. From the blissfully ignorant Libby Mae Brown in Waiting for Guffman to the misunderstood genius-stoner Mitch (more…)

June 22, 2012 by
Fashion/Design

Best Nail Polish in the World is by American Apparel

I’ve never been a girly girl.

I don’t wear pink, I’ve never gotten a manicure or pedicure, I’ve never envisioned what my wedding dress will look like and I haven’t brushed my hair regularly in three years (note- this doesn’t mean my hair is dirty, I do indeed wash my hair).

However, I love the living crap out of Sephora, I could watch every Ryan Gosling movie ever made and I do enjoy some red lipstick and smokey eyes once in awhile.

But, most of the time I like sitting in yoga pants, tank top and watching my butt grow larger and larger the longer I work from home.

If I ever need a quick reminder that there is a woman somewhere beneath the unsexiness, I whip out my American Apparel nail polish.

American Apparel’s nail polish is quite possibly the best out there. It’s non-toxic, comes in a slew of unique colors and lasts for weeks. Weeks, I tell you!

Slap a clear top coat on your nails and you’re set for the long haul. Screw OPI or all the expensive salon junk.

I (more…)

June 21, 2012 by
Fashion/Design

Saddle Shoes for the Kid in Every Adult

Geoff is back in town after 3 long months working in Portugal! Huzzah!

Having been in Europe, he was inspired to own a pair of Dr. Marten’s and decided to look when back in Austin.

Bad freakin’ idea.

Do you know that only eight stores in Austin carry Docs? And the first one we went to (Tyler’s) said they no longer carry them because they didn’t sell?

Austin being has fashion forward-backward as it is, it surprises me that Docs aren’t popular. When I think about it, I rarely see the bright yellow stitch adorning people’s footsies here in ATX.

I was not looking for shoes at all because I’m broke as ffffffff, but came across a pair of saddle shoes by Keds on clearance ($25) and IN MY SIZE at Tyler’s! Having size 9-9 1/2 feet means you never find good shit on sale. It also means you look like a clown half of the time. The beauty of these saddle shoes are that they’re made out of soft suede and conform to your foot rather than looking all dumpy. I also have senior citizen knees (more…)

June 20, 2012 by
20-Something

Is Getting a College Degree Worth It Nowadays?

Look at our sexy $40,000 pieces of white paper. LOOK AT THEM!

I have a secret to share: I do not have a college degree.

Only 21 credits and a whole lotta self-worth short.

Sometimes I wish I had my college degree, but I do not regret the choice I made that prevented me from getting it.

During my junior year of college, I was offered a job at an Academy Award-winning actor’s production company in Los Angeles. Being a fan of the actor and having always wanted to work in Hollywood, it was a no-brainer decision. College degree or looking like a giant asshole with a bluetooth headset and yelling at complete strangers because I couldn’t yell back at my own boss for making me feel like a worthless piece of turd? Duh, no brainerz.

My mother made me promise that I would finish my degree while I worked.

Yeah, that didn’t happen.

Try being a 24/7 personal assistant in Hollywood and going to school. I ended up flunking a class because I was only capable of staring at the wall and (more…)

June 19, 2012 by
Writing

When Sharing is Too Much: Tips on Healthy Self-Promotion

Recently, The Austin Post was kind of enough to write a feature on me. It was very sweet of them considering I’m about as interesting as a ADD-tainted squirrel these days.

In the comments someone bemoaned that I “brag too much about my connections” and “whine about turning 30”. I would be lying if I didn’t admit these sort of comments bother the living shit out of me, but I typically get over them in about five minutes (of drinking). Though I don’t think the commenter is correct in that I brag about my connections (having Jeff Goldblum rub his boner up against you doesn’t mean you know him!), it did make me contemplate the nature of over sharing in blogging and social media.

Though I’ve been blogging for over three years now, I’m still learning the rules as to what is too much when it comes to self-promotion. I tended to lean on not broadcasting my accomplishments for my social network to see, but then I realized that most people do. In fact, most people who get ahead do a healthy (more…)

June 15, 2012 by
Hipstercrite Life

Goodbye, New York

My trip is coming to an end tomorrow and I’ll return to regular blogging soon.

In the meantime, here are a few more pics from my trip home.

Some more remembering to stop and smell the roses….

Momma representin’ Marfa in Central New York

My friend Dan is the vineyard manager at Long Point Winery

Dan showing us his vineyard

Lindsay (Dan’s wife) is learning to spin wool 

This dog has four legs; she hates wearing clothing

June 14, 2012 by
Hipstercrite Life, Travel

Remembering to Stop and Smell the Roses

As I get older, trips home vary in emotion. When I travel back to Central New York in the winter, I join the legions of individuals who feel depressed and forlorn. My hometown feels as though it has been forgotten- which it has, in a way. However, during the summer, the area feels alive and thriving and downright gorgeous- which it is. I’ve lived in or traveled through nearly two thirds of this country and there is no place quite like the American Northeast in the summer and fall. Nothing compares to the rolling green hills, the soft grass and the luscious wildflowers.

This trip I have reconnected with old friends and seen extended family. This might not sound like anything particularly special, but considering I come from a small family and am not always best at keeping in touch with people, this has been a very therapeutic and enjoyable experience. I’ve also gotten to lay in the grass while staring at the sky, paint my grandmother’s toe nails, take naps next to my favorite little Jack (more…)

June 13, 2012 by
Austin, Fashion/Design

Vinca: Your New (Or Already) Favorite Locally-Made Jewelry

source: Vinca USA

Nestled in a garage apartment in Central Austin is Vinca, the inspired jewelry company of Amanda Dimova. Vinca concocts plastic, wood, crystal and leather jewelry and decorations for kids and the kid in every adult.

Ten of thousands of cupcake earrings, unicorn rings and mustache necklaces have been designed, cut and shipped out of Dimova’s 200 square foot space. At Fab.com alone, Vinca saw over 11,000 pieces sold.

Not too shabby for a business initially started as an experiment.

Amanda Dimova grew up in Brownsville, Texas at her parents’ shoe factory, Bear Feet. As a child, she learned to be creative with the excess leather lying around the factory. It was here that she developed her entrepreneurial spark.

“I always had this idea I would either continue the shoe business, or use it to make something new. From a young age I aspired to be self-employed, though I wasn’t quite sure how it would happen,” Dimova says.

In middle school, the Dimova family moved (more…)

June 12, 2012 by