[Witty Title Here]

When was the last time you went to the library?

October 3, 2014 by Cassie

The library is so 2014.

I’ve always been a lover of books and was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by them. (Literally. They were in every room of the house.) Because I never had to leave home to find a good book, I didn’t really spend a whole lot of time inside libraries. But now for the first time, I’ve begun kind of a love affair with the Los Angeles Public Library system. It’s nothing short of amazing.

Living in a small apartment on an even smaller budget means buying books just isn’t practical for me right now. I’d heard great things about L.A.’s libraries (one of the largest systems in the country!), so a couple months ago, I finally decided to get my own library card.

My favorite part? The online library account system, which even has its own app.

When I first checked out the Silver Lake branch, I was disappointed by how small it was. Then I realized I could go online and have any book at any of the other 71 branches sent to mine within days for pick-up. MIND. BLOWN.

Not only can you renew books and place holds online, but you can even create a wishlist and save searches. The wishlist is especially wonderful. Unlike Amazon, the books in THIS wishlist are free, and I’ve been adding books to my list like crazy. I’m going to do all of the reading and go up a hat size.

Another unique L.A. fixture is the Library Store on Wheels. I’ve come across this truck at flea markets and other city events, and it’s filled with awesome gifts for book lovers. Proceeds from the sales go right back to the library system, and you can follow the store on Twitter to catch where the truck will end up next.

I was curious how L.A.’s libraries stacked up against others in the country. Turns out Chicago’s library system was ranked best in the U.S. this year and third best in the world. (Ahead of them internationally were Vancouver and Montreal. New York, San Francisco and Toronto were in the top 10 international libraries, as well.) And go figure – the library in the town where I grew up is nationally recognized for its public library system!

Right now, I’m reading a couple of great books for a journalism class that I saved around $50 by checking them out. When I’m done with those, I plan on making a dent on my ever-growing wishlist.

Here are just a few of the books currently on my wishlist:

The Empathy Exams, by Leslie Jamison
Bad Feminist, by Roxane Gay
The New New Journalism, edited by Robert S. Boynton
The Interestings, by Meg Wolitzer
I Remember Nothing: And Other Reflections, by Nora Ephron
Not That Kind of Girl, by Lena Dunham (I’m the 218th person in line for this one!)

…and so many more.

Do you love the library? What books are currently on your wishlist? I’m looking for more books to add to mine, so comment with your must-reads!

Filed Under: Arts & Culture, Books Tagged With: account system, books, lapl, library, library store on wheels, los angeles, Silver Lake library, truck, wishlist

Through the Lens: photos from September

October 1, 2014 by Cassie

I learned two very important things this week.

The first: Never feel guilty about taking some necessary time off. (Letting go of the guilt of not blogging feels really good, it turns out.) The second: Never say you haven’t been sick in a while. (Your throat will feel sore the very next day.)

September was an intense month all around. Not only did I get back in full-swing at school, but L.A. had temps in the 90s and 100s much of the time. Here’s a look at some of the highlights from September in photos, starting with a visit to Playa del Rey.

The yacht below came chugging into the marina with music blasting and people partying. Its name? “Wet Dream.” Stay classy.

I also went back to the Arts District to check out a funky flea market with tons of talented artists and vendors. I was easily distracted by murals and puppies.

Last week, John and I flew home to the East Coast for his brother’s wedding, and we had a blast partying and staying up too late, hence my feeling under the weather. I didn’t get any photos of the wedding that weren’t blurry—mostly, I just enjoyed myself. (It’s pretty sweet being the best man’s date—V.I.P. treatment!) But I did manage to snap a couple of shots in Annapolis and Baltimore. Going home twice in two months was a nice change of pace from my last eight-month stretch. If I could keep up this new track record, living far away from family wouldn’t seem so bad.

This week, I’m trying to take it easy and shake off this bug. I’ve been reading a lot lately, managing not to kill my basil plant and thinking a lot about spring. I’ll only have a handful of credits left to take for school, so my mind is on employment. (Whoa.)

I’ll be doing more of the same in October, which also happens to be my birthday month. I’ll be turning 25 in a couple of weeks, so I’m deciding what I’d like to do to celebrate. Any suggestions?

That’s all for today—I’ll be less scarce in the next couple of weeks. What are you looking forward to in October?

Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: Annapolis, Arts District, Baltimore, photo roundup, photography, Playa del Rey, through the lens

Beer with a Blogger: Hyperion Public in Silver Lake

September 18, 2014 by Cassie

With temperatures hitting record highs here in Los Angeles, it only seemed fitting to cool down with a brew or two.

Which is why I was delighted when a Twitter friend agreed to be featured in the next installment of Beer with a Blogger! It was a no-brainer when we realized we lived just a couple miles away from one another, and we met up at one of my favorite local spots.

THE BLOGGER

Laura Donovan, an L.A. native who is a regular contributor at Hello Giggles. (She’s also written for Mic, The Maude and more.) Laura is a master of writing listicles and how-tos with an authentic, relatable voice. And in real life, she’s as easy to talk to as you’d expect from her writing. Not only is she super friendly and fun, but Laura is also smart and thoughtful. I always say a good sign that someone is a genuinely nice person is if they ask more questions than you do. Laura’s that kind of person. Check out her writing here, and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

THE BAR

Hyperion Public, a popular neighborhood pub here in Silver Lake with a classy-yet-casual dining room up front, a dark and cozy bar room for sports-watching in the back, and a handful of sidewalk tables for people- and dog-watching outside. They have happy hour seven days a week (late nights during the weekend), and the F Yeah Fries and truffled mac are for real the bomb. Best of all? Hyperion Public is right around the corner from me, so I can enjoy myself with a beer (or two) and walk home!

THE BEER

I enjoyed the El Segundo Citra Pale Ale while Laura had the Trumer Pils. Both were incredibly refreshing on a 100-plus degree day.

Hanging with Laura on a Sunday afternoon was the perfect way to cool off from the heat. We had plenty to talk about, and it was such a trip meeting someone who I feel like I’ve been following online for ages, even though I can’t remember how we came across one another. I’m so happy to have made a new friend!

Are you a blogger living in (or visiting!) L.A.? Do you like beer? , and let’s go to happy hour!

Filed Under: Beer with a Blogger, Life in Los Angeles, People Tagged With: beer with a blogger, hello giggles, hyperion public, laura donovan, silver lake

Interweb Finds: How to eat sushi, grown-ass women & more

September 15, 2014 by Cassie

This weekend, I fell in love with Manhattan Beach.

Like, what-do-I-have-to-do-to-move-here in love. The temperatures in L.A. were as high as 110 in some areas this weekend, but you wouldn’t have known it at the coast. Manhattan Beach was a nice respite from the Venice and Santa Monica madness, and exploring made me feel like I was on vacation. So sweet.

My interweb finds posts will be monthly from now on, which means I’ll be throwing in more links with each post!

Check out this month’s web finds:

My new favorite band is Lucius, and I can’t get this song out of my head. These girls (and guys) are electric live.

For book lovers and list lovers: How many of these books have you read? I enjoy the writer’s challenging of a “Best American Novels” list to which this more inclusive list responds.

Sarah Von Bargen has been killing it with her Grown-Ass Woman series. This post on friendships might just be my favorite.

Aside from the claustrophobia and inability to walk, it’d be cool to be a permaid for Halloween. (See more photos on the mysterious permaid’s site here.)

This might be the reason we hate the word “moist.”

Do you know the right way to eat sushi? (I didn’t know you’re supposed to eat with your hands!)

So interesting: an Australian’s first impression of the U.S.

“Everything is ‘cute’. My top was cute, my hair looked cute, oh, isn’t that sign cute? I don’t think I’ve every called something cute if it wasn’t a small child or an animal…”

The oldest person to have ever lived just celebrated her 127th birthday. And sadly, the world’s tallest dog just died.

Reese Witherspoon seems so down-to-earth in this interview, and one essay argues that the upcoming films Wild and The Good Lie have saved her career. I can’t wait to see her portray Cheryl Strayed on the big screen.

College is a ludicrous waste of money. Strong words. Do you agree?

Such a thoughtful post from Shannon: Does your partner need to be a feminist?

“I think about how long it took me to understand the term, to not instinctually shrink away from it, and I wonder, is it more important that my boyfriend identifies as a feminist or that he acts like one?”

This post on getting stuck in the consumerism trap probably rings familiar for a lot of people. I’ve become much more aware of it myself lately.

That’s all for this month! Check back Thursday for the return of Beer with a Blogger.

Filed Under: Interweb Finds Tagged With: grown-ass woman, how to eat sushi, Interweb Finds, Lucius, permaid, Wild

Feminist to Follow: Kate from Clear the Way

September 5, 2014 by Cassie

Contrary to what comment threads on any website might indicate, there are a lot of thoughtful, intelligent and well-meaning folks on the interwebs.

Such folks give me hope that we’re not doomed to a future of violence, misogyny and overall mayhem. (And it’s tough not to feel that way when reading the news these days.) That’s why I’d like to take some time to highlight the people who are spreading good on the web by fostering important discussions and inspiring new ways of thinking.

Enter the “Feminist to Follow” series, in which I introduce you to awesome people writing about feminism.

Every month, you’ll meet a new blogger who touches on the topic in engaging and meaningful ways. And I’d like to kick off the series with the lovely Kate of Clear the Way.

I only discovered Clear the Way somewhat recently, but I’m already a huge fan.

Earlier this year, Kate launched the series Feminist Fridays to open up a regular dialogue about all things feminism. And “dialogue” really is the appropriate word to describe the series, as it’s filled with words and interviews with other bloggers about their experiences. I love how the series manages to encompass everything from sexism and the patriarchy to art and music. The series is as diverse and entertaining as the rest of Kate’s blog, which also touches on fashion, decor, vegan recipes and writing.

What I love most about Clear the Way is that it has everything I love in a lifestyle blog—style, food, thoughts on blogging—but it goes beyond the basic requirements of that genre and ties in feminism in a way that makes it accessible and relatable.

Here’s Kate in her own words:

“Blogging about feminism is important because your blog should be an extension of yourself, and if you are passionate about feminism you should share it. Opening up about feminism on my blog through my Feminist Fridays series has been amazing for me and my blog because it has allowed me to talk about the things that are really important to me and connect with others who have similar passions.”

Some must-read posts from Clear the Way:

How Do You Deal: Disapproval – in which Kate and several other ladies discuss criticism of their feminist views from others
Fem Fridays: Be Bright – a message of inspiration and support for those inevitable dark days
Everyday Feminism – a series in which guest contributors write about how they live out feminism every day

Today, I added my own thoughts to Kate’s Everyday Feminism series, and you can check it out on her blog here.

For those not already a fan of Clear the Way, make sure you check out Kate’s blog. What other feminist bloggers do you love to follow?

Filed Under: Featured Writers, Feminism, Feminist to Follow, People Tagged With: blogger, clear the way, feminism, Feminist Fridays, feminist to follow

Through the lens: photos from August

September 3, 2014 by Cassie

Why does the week after a long holiday weekend always seem to last longer?

I’m not sure what the deal with that phenomenon is, though I’m gearing up for a long, busy September. But before I do, here’s one last look back at August in photos. I spent most of August soaking up summer, playing tourist around L.A. and going bicoastal to spend some time with family at home.

These two gorgeous girls are my little sisters, except they’re not so little anymore. When I went home, we took a trip to Oxford, Maryland, the cutest little coastal town. My sisters have spent a lot of time there, and clearly they were in their element longboarding and biking everywhere we went. They gave me a tour of all the (adorable) waterfront homes.

And when my college roomie/BFF came to visit me here in L.A., we went to all the must-see places in the city, including Malibu, the Griffith Observatory, Hollywood and more.

This month, I’m starting a new paid internship, going home again briefly for a wedding and hopefully having a little fun between classes and work. One goal I’m really striving for is to find a comfortable work-life balance to manage my time better. Ideally, that will mean good sleep every night (no super late nights!), efficient time logged online and an up-to-date calendar that’ll prevent me from letting anything slip by. Do you have any tips for time management while balancing school, work and life?

Check-in time: What are you looking forward to in September?

Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: capitol records, griffith observatory, los angeles, maryland, oxford, photo roundup, photography, through the lens, venice