[Witty Title Here]

On the trail

November 23, 2012 by Cassie

A few weeks ago, McKenzie and I got together for a long-overdue picture-taking session. We went up to the bike trail just a few minutes from my house on what could be described as the perfect fall afternoon: gorgeous sunlight, weather for wearing light layers, and beautiful fall colors everywhere. I took an entire roll of film before realizing I had accidentally left the light meter off. Womp. I wasn’t sure what that would mean for all the pictures I had just taken, but luckily, they turned out gorgeous. That macro shot above? I spent probably a full two minutes trying to focus my camera just right. And MAN was I psyched to see how it turned out. Here are a few more of my favorites from that outing.

The donkey above is named Mikey. He is the sweetest, most personable donkey I’ve ever met. (Not that I know many.) McKenzie and I were lavishing him with attention, and finally the two horses nearby took notice and ambled over as if to say, “Hey! We want our ears rubbed, too!” This one kind of got up in my face about it, actually, and promptly sneezed on me. We’re all good friends now.

Notice how many photos of McKenzie taking photos I have? It’s a behind-the-scenes look at our photo walk, if you will! For the picture below, I waded into the water with my boots and crouched down so close that my butt almost got wet. (And yes, I used up an exposure on a picture of my feet.)

This old stone house is right off the trail for anyone to snoop around. (Which clearly, you’re not supposed to. So clearly, we did.) I always wonder what must’ve happened for any house to remain abandoned for so long. Obviously, this one’s an oldie. It’ll probably still be there a hundred years from now!

If every fall day could be like that afternoon was, I’d never complain about the chill in the air. But I gotta say, I’m lucky to live in such a beautiful (and photogenic) area. Now that most of the leaves in these photos are gone, maybe I’ll go back to the bike trail to try out some black and white film.

If you want to see more images from our lovely photo walk, check out McKenzie’s blog post from a few weeks back. I’m off to eat some leftover mashed potatoes…

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: fall colors, film photography, NCR bike trail, photo walk

Because there are better ways to say “I’m busy.”

November 21, 2012 by Cassie

Some people use “I’m busy” as an excuse to get out of something they don’t want to do.

Others use it to sound important.

I fall into neither category (um, unless I really don’t want to do something… I figure it’s more polite than telling the truth), yet “I’m busy” is constantly coming out of my mouth to explain why I can’t do something.

But I feel like I should clarify, because I’m not really that busy. I just feel like I am.

Some people have a high tolerance for busyness. In fact, they thrive on it. If these people weren’t constantly occupied in some way, they’d go absolutely insane. I both admire and am slightly frightened by these people. Because while I think it’s really cool that they’re able to work on five projects simultaneously, maintain a social calendar in which a week of obligations is the equivalent to a year of my own, and squeeze in the occasional obstacle course relay race… I just could never imagine myself doing all of that. Nor do I want to.

Don’t get me wrong—I want to live life to its fullest extent. I’ll admit I sometimes shy away from things that I really should be pushing myself toward. (That’s a blog post for another time.) But the thing is, there is only so much I can take on before feeling completely overwhelmed. Usually, by the time I realize this, I’ve already said “yes” to one thing I wasn’t totally comfortable agreeing to in the first place, because I believe in reality I should be able to balance all of these very manageable to-dos. Since that is not my reality, I sometimes just need to decline an invite to go downtown for happy hour… for sanity’s sake.

Unfortunately, that can lead to guilt. I don’t like telling people “no.” It’s a mild form of confrontation in that it elicits the response, “Why not?” And, well, why not? I am not a Very Important Person. Or a mom. I don’t have multiple jobs. So what’s the problem?

As is true with pain, loud noises, and Jamaican Grammy-winning dance hall and reggae artist Sean Paul, my tolerance for whirlwind activity levels is low. I crave adventure, social time, and fulfilling work, yes, but I also need to even that out with down time—me time—in order to be happy. Not just less crazed or more relaxed (although those things, too), but happy.

But until I’m actually a Very Important Person? “I’m busy” won’t cut it. “I’m busy” sounds like a lie. “I’m busy” sounds like, “I’d rather do anything else than hang out with you.”

If, like me, you’re guilty of this, here are a few alternatives we can both start using instead:

– “I’m feeling a little overwhelmed this week. How about next Friday?”
– “I can’t commit to anything right now, so feel free to go ahead without me.”
– “I don’t want to blow you off, but I’ve spent my entire week in the car. How about an old-fashioned phone chat Friday night?”
– “I’d really rather hang out in a small group of close friends than go to a drunkfest reunion with people I haven’t seen or spoken to in years. Dinner at my house soon?”

(This last one? That would be me right now. Hello, high school reunion!) Oh, and let’s all remember—everyone is busy, and no one wants to hear about it.

Ahhh. I feel better already. Does anyone else feel the same way, or am I the only easily flustered, over-committed blogger out there? In any case, I will not let my mind wander in that direction tomorrow. I’m going to relish in my two days off from work, stuff my face like a lady, and do some much-needed catching up with family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving!

Filed Under: Thoughts on Life Tagged With: better ways to say I'm busy, language

So much win.

November 18, 2012 by Cassie

(All photos by Steve Ruark, courtesy of Baltimore Sun)

Welp, guys, you did it—you voted Witty Title Here for Maryland’s best personal blog in the Baltimore Sun‘s Mobbies awards, and I am touched. Truly. Seeing as I’ve never won a popularity contest in my life, I now understand the ego boost, excessive pride, and illusions of grandeur that come with such a bestowment as this. You may all now start referring to me as Madame Cass of Wit. I’ve explained to my loved ones that they shouldn’t be offended if I snap at them when they interrupt my writing time. It’s just that Madame has an award-winning blog to maintain, and the pressure of delivering her readers witty, insightful, and thought-provoking content on the reg is all-consuming. Leave my dinner tray at the door.

I jest, of course. In all honesty, the day of the Mobbies awards, I went back and forth between imagining what a victory blog post might entail if I won and what kind of entertaining online pity party I could conjure up in the case of defeat. I knew I stood a chance based on how many kind people told me they (and their moms!) had voted for me, but there was still that voice of self-doubt telling me not to get my hopes up.

Luckily, I would have the chance to tell that little voice she’s an asshole. On Wednesday night, John and I drove down to the Creative Alliance, where the awards party was held. We checked out a funky art exhibit as we snacked on some delicious free food and drank very reasonably priced Flying Dog beer.

I knew that several people I follow on Twitter would be there. But, like, it’s kind of weird to introduce yourself to people whose faces you’ve only seen in a filtered 81 x 81 px profile picture. When I finally mustered up the courage to say hello, I felt more at ease.

After some boozin’ and schmoozin’, the awards ceremony kicked off in the small theater area next to the gallery. I didn’t have much time to be nervous. After a quick introduction, the presenters launched right into the awards, and Best Personal Blog was the very first category! At least if I don’t win, we can sneak right out of here and maybe take some food with us, I may or may not have thought to myself as they prepared to call the winner.

But you already know who the winner was. When they called Witty Title Here, I excitedly handed over my camera to John and walked up to the stage. Earlier in the day, it was announced online by the Mobbies Twitter account that winners would get a one-line acceptance speech. This was one thing I didn’t over-think. I knew exactly what I would say, and after accepting my certificate and not-entirely-flattering-but-still-awesome-Mobbies-hat, I delivered the following (and quite dramatically, I might add):

I’m just a girl standing in front of a guy asking, “Do you smell that?”

Yup. I reeeeeally said that. And people laughed. It was one of my proudest moments to date, and I don’t even care if that’s kind of ridiculous to admit.

I was so elated by my win that I didn’t hear them call the Best Photography Blog award that came after mine, though I would find out later that I placed second in that category. (Pressure’s on to keep taking lovely pictures for you folks!) The rest of the awards ceremony went by pretty quickly, and several other winners gave funny little one-liners. I was met with many congrats from friendly Twitter friends and strangers, and John was super-excited for me, which meant a lot.

And that is IT! This is what glory feels like. I can’t thank you guys enough for coming out in droves to make this blog here a winner. Whether you’re one of the people kind enough to leave comments letting me know you enjoyed a post (which I ALWAYS appreciate), or someone who reads regularly but remains anonymous (which I appreciate JUST as much), or even just an occasional passerby (hullo!), I am grateful for your business… I mean readership. Despite all the self-doubt I am prone to from time to time, I never doubt whether writing this little blog is worth it. ‘Cause it sooooo is. And that very first picture up top? SERIOUSLY makes me look like a wistful President-elect straight off the campaign trail. See you in 2016.

I didn’t forget I offered hand-written thank-you notes to those who voted for me. Want snail mail? Send your address to . It’ll be great. Think that’s kind of weird? Download this token of gratitude instead. Print it out. Hang it on your wall. You’re welcome.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: baltimore sun, best personal blog, the mobbies

The “Lucky” Ones – An interview with personal finance whiz Sarah Greesonbach

November 15, 2012 by Cassie

Time for another edition of The “Lucky” Ones series, and you know what that means—it’s almost-but-not-quite the weekend! Last night was the Mobbies awards, and I had an awesome time meeting fellow bloggers and attempting to identify them based on my memory of their Twitter pictures. I also maaaaybe have good news to report back (spoiler alert: I WON!!), but I’ll save it for the recap that will come this weekend. Right now, I’ve got an excellent interview lined up. Meet personal finance blogger Sarah Greesonbach!

It should be noted that Sarah Greesonbach isn’t just a personal finance blogger. She also writes about life, love, careers, and design, among other things. But it’s her passion for smart money managing that sets her apart. Whether doling out advice on surviving unemployment or drinking on the cheap at Starbucks, Sarah’s expert tips make even the most adverse-to-budgeting willing to reconsider the daily to-go latte.

Before blogging, Sarah was an English teacher, and she’s currently pursuing ventures in young adult fiction. By day, she works as a quality of life support liaison for military families and finds just enough spare time in her busy schedule to read, exercise, and experiment with slow-cooking.

And here she is!

Finance can be a very unsexy topic. How did your finance blogging get its start, and how do you keep the content fresh and relatable?

This is tricky, because some would argue that there’s no way for personal finance to be fresh and relatable because the basics are so basic: spend less, earn more. And the numbers involved could keep things pretty dry. But that’s kind of like saying we should stop talking about health because we all know about exercising and eating right. That doesn’t make it any easier!

I got started because I found myself with a lot of opinions and questions and I needed an outlet for it. There are so many permutations and perspectives of life and finance because everything is new the first time you experience it for yourself. So while I could read a book about a person clawing their way out of debt, I could also read a blog about it and write one of my own and all three would be original stories.

What keeps my content fresh and hopefully relatable is the attempt share my own personal story of debt, career, and relationships to make sure I’m not making any stupid mistakes.

Would you mind sharing some of your own financial ups and downs? How did they affect you on a more personal level?

I have been very, very lucky to have not felt the consequence of most of my bad decisions. I have a student loan and a car loan that I wish I had put more thought into, but I have also had gainful employment to pay for these things without severe financial discomfort.

The ups and downs (and the personal realizations) have been more about realizing the freedom I am missing out on by having these loans. For example, did you know that if you don’t have expenses you don’t need to earn an income? Like… if you had no car loan, student loan, rent bill, or property to insure, you could literally travel the world and freelance on a comparatively tiny sum of money? My college self did not know that, and so my late-20s self cannot do that. A good lesson to learn. If you want any kind of freedom, pay attention to your money.

Have you had to make any sacrifices along the way? Why is it important for anyone to be willing to do so?

I struggle with some serious workaholic/OCD problems, so if anything the only thing that feels like a sacrifice is to not be working, cleaning, or doing something productive. In that sense, I have made sacrifices in limiting the amount of work to do for my health. To stop working, put down the computer and relax and destress is something I struggle with (and fail with) daily, but I am getting better about it.

Apparently human beings were made to enjoy being alive, not work themselves to death. Who knew? And it stinks but it is so important to reach that breaking point where you find out what is too much — it helps you to realign your priorities and make sure you are working on the things that matter. For example: a perfectly-in-order bathroom and clean laundry? Not more important than spooning my husband.

Is achieving financial stability a matter of trial and error, or are there any fail-proof ways to lead a comfortable life?

I would like to think that the whole of society is accruing more and more information every century and that that information will be effectively organized and stored and lead to never making mistakes ever again…but yeah, that’s not happening. So it will always be a slightly educated trial and error. But the trick is that you can decide to be comfortable in the face of trial and error, it is a matter of what Rainer Maria Rilke says about “loving the unresolved question itself”. Because if you can be happy while you’re trying to figure things out, figuring things out will be the icing on the cake.

What are some of the most common indulgences you see other people buy into?

Stuff. Just stuff. We downgraded from a 4-bedroom house to a 2-bedroom apartment and I can’t even remember all the crap we used to own that we now make do without. I’m sure when we have kids we’ll need more, but it’s so refreshing to go home and just see things I need or want — no wondering where to put something or moving things to get to another thing. It also saves us money to not be constantly shopping for things to cover our home space with. Our decor isn’t utilitarian, by any stretch, but we’re slowly swapping out the unnecessities for necessities and really enjoying the process. It also takes me about two hours to do all of our laundry with a half-size washing machine. That makes me very happy.

What’s the best thing a young professional new to the working world can do for themselves in terms of money and establishing independence?

I failed financially for a long time because my goals were so unspecific. Even though I heard the “save, save, save” motto from my parents and friends, it never seemed real to me so I never really saved. But there are two quick ways to start caring a lot about money:

1 – Add up how much you have made in the past 3 years and compare it to your savings account. For example, as a teacher I made a little over a 100G in 2-3 years. It’s easy to think about blowing $50 on dinner or a few hundred on groceries, but when you look back on three years and say one hundred thousand dollars passed through my hands, and I have nothing to show for it, finances get really real really quickly.

2 – Set your first starter-goal to save up two pay checks. This is such a huge freedom-thing. No one should feel trapped in a job or so stressed about being fired or laid off that they have stress dreams. Find the number it would take for you and your spouse to leisurely job hunt for a month and save that amount. The day that we officially saved enough money to cover one paycheck was very emotional for me. The thought that I could get fired or laid off and — while it would suck and be stressful — we would literally be able to pay our bills and have food for a few weeks was an incredible feeling (and seems so simple and obvious now!).

You also blog on a number of other topics, like careers, relationships, and design. Explain your passion for these and how they all tie in together in your life and blog.

My guiding light has always been the hope that someone else out there has the same questions I have. Why some things are so easy for other people but so hard for me, or vice versa. So when it comes to ideas for writing, it’s a matter of what’s been on my mind lately – making friends and being a friend, having a successful career and choosing a professional direction, and then sometimes just struggles with blog design and social media. Even though these are random bits of life, the thing they have in common is me experiencing them and wondering about them.

How do you stay motivated to keep writing constantly on top of a demanding day job?

I am motivated by my desire to create meaningful and useful work.

After college, I went through a very long dry spell of putting everything I have into my career, leaving very little for myself or anything creative. So when my career as a teacher turned out to be toxic for me, it was a huge let down and I struggled for a long time to get back to feeling like myself.

Writing has been the only constant for me. When things were good or when things were bad, in the back of my mind I could hear all the professors and supportive people I’ve known saying write, write, write. And it’s true. A crappy poem or an illogical paragraph is embarrassing, but it’s something you have created and put into the world. Not to get all High Fidelity on you, but deciding to have a voice and be a part of the creative output is something I am very proud of and that I try to remind myself of daily. Now, hopefully after a while it will be good stuff you’re putting out. But even if it’s not, at the end of your work day you can look back and say I birthed that and it is mine.

So, when I get home from a long day and a long commute of working for someone else, it’s a life-affirming and energizing practice to put my time into something that is for me and my loved ones. And it is a kind of stress release, too: when I get down about people who are having (what appears to be) crazier adventures than mine or making tons more money, I am able to have a certain amount of pride that I created something and that I am doing something special to me, too.

Describe your path to reaching your dream job. How can others do the same?

You would think it would be as simple as finding out what you like to do and finding a job that matches that description, but I learned the hard way that you won’t like doing anything very long if it is with the wrong people. So, my goal in life is to find my people—where are the people I want to be (and be with) hanging out and interacting? As a teacher, I was doing what I loved (talking about English and explaining things) but the people I was with all day hated English. It broke me down. So I am looking for that perfect combination of words and complementary people.

The best advice that has come my way was over on Brazen Life a few weeks ago where a writer suggested that finding the perfect job is much like finding the perfect spouse. And it makes so much sense — jobs are almost as different as people, so how could you possibly know anything about your dream job until you find it (or create it). So the way to be successful is to find a job that you share interests with and try it out. I think it is very common for the new generation to job hop 3-5 times before finding the right fit.

What do you love most about what you do?

After 28 years of living, all I know about myself is that I like communicating ideas through writing. Sometimes that’s personal finance writing, and sometimes it’s as simple as crafting the perfect (and I mean perfect!) email! So, in my current job I get to do a lot of emailing and coordinating, and that is very satisfying to me.

Are there any books you’d recommend to anyone looking for a way to improve their financial destiny?

How’s this for being cheeky: any book at all. Read instead of going out to dinner. Read instead of going shopping for fun. Read instead of paying $10 on a movie ticket, then talk to your friends about it over tea in your own house. This will improve your spiritual, emotional, and psychological destiny, and the savings will help with your finances, too.

Sarah, you rock! Thanks so much for being a part of The “Lucky” Ones series—you’ve got a great attitude. Like what Sarah has to say? Please let her know in the comments!

Filed Under: Interviews, People, The "Lucky" Ones Tagged With: budgeting, personal finance, Sarah Greesonbach, The "Lucky" Ones

Interweb Finds: Puppy prints, YA fiction’s bad rap & more

November 11, 2012 by Cassie

William Wegman print

I love William Wegman. Every year, my godfather gives me signed William Wegman calendars for Christmas, because his son works with him. How wonderful is the print above? It’s exclusive for 20×200. I want it.

The other night, I had a dream I was running around in Paris (where, sadly, I’ve never been), and I was very agitated. Everywhere I went, I kept forgetting my camera, and there were scenes left and right that I was dying to capture. Clearly I didn’t learn from my dream, because on Friday, John and I went to check out author Ken Foster talk about his book, I’m a Good Dog—a photo-filled testament to the innate goodness of pit bulls. The talk and signing took place at Atomic Books in Hampden, which is a pretty photogenic part of town. And in the store was a man with an enormous beard, pierced ears, tattoos on his neck, and camouflage pants. In his arms, he swaddled a brand-new pit bull puppy—rolls of fat, sleepy eyes and all. Not only did I want to steal the puppy from his arms (THE UNBEARABLE CUTENESS), but I so wished I could’ve taken his picture. The tough exterior this guy possessed was in total contrast to his new-father manner toward this tiny, innocent creature, and it would’ve made for a beautiful image. But alas, I did not bring my camera, and instead I just stared at him and his dog like a crazy person. Still kicking myself.

Anyway, onto this week’s collection from the webz:

I can’t get enough of dogs. There’s a reason why—they’re better than therapy. Aaaand while we’re on the subject of puppiez, this book sounds like a good read, too.

Don’t you love when characters on TV live in places they wouldn’t be able to afford in real life? Here are five NYC apartments from TV and the real cost of rent.

It feels good to help other people. Why volunteering can make you healthier.

Here’s an article that’ll make you think—partly because the title is misleading. From NY Times, “Why I am Pro-Life.”

Whether you’re happy Obama won or bitter that Romney didn’t, this should make you laugh. Photos of Mitt Romney looking longingly at people.

THIS is what I’d like to make my cross-country trip in. And when I get to California, THIS is where I’d like to live. Thank you very much.

As the daughter of a YA fiction author, I have always enjoyed books geared toward teens. But the genre unfairly gets a bad rap from some critics. This blog post defending YA literature hits home.

Speaking of books and reading, these vintage photos of readers (pre-Kindle era) are fascinating. I love how for many, reading was a group activity.

Hope you had a great weekend!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: i can't wait to grow up and have dogs, Interweb Finds, reading, YA fiction

Want: stuff

November 9, 2012 by cassie

You’ve seen word clouds before. They’re fun, harmless tools for collecting your most-used words all in one place. Alyssa over from Lyss.me wrote a pretty cool post earlier in which she used Wordle to do the very same. I loved how hers conveyed the distinct mood of the novel she’s been working on. Words like “figure,” “dark,” “spine,” and “pain” are all very prominent in her cloud, and it’s an intriguing glimpse into what she’s writing when she’s not blogging.

So I thought I’d try it out myself. And what did I get when I entered my blog URL? A collection of words that make sense: “people,” “time,” “think,” “book.” And smack-dab in the middle, “want” and “stuff” next to each other in that order. Lovely.

Based on this, is it time for a moment of self-reflection to reconsider my priorities? Well, maybe. I do have a lot of stuff. Books, CDs, and clothes, mostly. Man, do I have a lot of clothes. And when I see a particularly beautiful piece of clothing, it’s hard to resist. But for the most part, there’s not a lot I really want for in terms of material things. In fact, these days, what I really want is to pare down my collections to just the items I love. It’s no easy task, but slowly, I’d like to become more mobile and less weighed down by the things I own. I could never be a minimalist—there’s too much art and photography I’d like to hang on my walls, too many books that have sentimental value to give up. But as is true with writing, editing is an essential part of maintaining order and sanity.

Of course, my overuse of the word “stuff” doesn’t just refer to the tangible. There’s a lot of stuff going on in this old head of mine. I’ve got a lot of stuff in the works. How’s that for vague? Maybe all it means is I need to come up with more imaginative words to describe what I want to convey.

Some of the words I’d like to see bigger in this little cloud of mine? “Idea,” “creative,” and “goal” are just a few. But I love that “love” is in there twice. Once lowercase, and again in all caps, for emphasis.

One thing’s for sure—this post isn’t helping make “want” or “stuff” any smaller. Guess I have a lot more writing to do.

Today is the last day to vote for Witty Title Here in the Mobbies! Thanks to all who have voted so far. Hopefully there’ll be a celebratory post of sorts next week.