The Gin Closet

Here is a short and incomplete list of topics covered in this book: Alcoholism. Prostitution. Self-mutilation. Extramarital affairs. Eating disorders. Incest. Pregnant strippers. Rape. Child Molestation. Estranged family members. Sexual experimentation. Physical abuse. Abortions. Death. Suicide.

If reading that list seems emotionally exhausting, imagine what reading 270+ pages of that feels like.

Hint: not great.

Back to Home: An Interview with Tristan Prettyman

Way back in 2005, on the other side of the country, I was working in the music department of a Borders bookstore. One day, one of the label reps came in and handed me 10 copies of an EP titled Love. He started talking about the artist, this girl from San Diego named Tristan Prettyman, and I can still remember how enthusiastic he was when he told me I was going to absolutely love her.

He had no idea how right he was.

Road Trip Diaries Part IV: Aspen Mountain Wedding

During the last week in August, Ryan and I dropped the dogs off at boarding, packed up the Versa and embarked on a 5-day road trip through the southwest. Thousands of miles and 35 hours of driving took us through 5 states: California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Arizona. In Part IV, we continue our stay in Aspen and celebrate a beautiful wedding at the top of Aspen Mountain.  

Saturday was the big day! The impetus for our trip was my cousin Brett's wedding at the top of Aspen Mountain and what an amazing day for a wedding it was! The air was crisp but warm and there was hardly a cloud in the sky.

My dad picked us up at the campgrounds and we headed to his room at Aspen Inn to get ready, then we met everyone over at the entrance to the Silver Queen Gondola. The Gondola is in the center of Aspen and normally operates as a ski lift during the winter season. During the summer however, you can take the Gondola for a 15-minute ride to the top of the mountain for picnics, disc golf, hikes, or just to take in the ridiculous views.

The morning of the wedding, however, it was only transporting all of the gorgeous wedding guests gathered at the base of Aspen Mountain. And as soon as we arrived at the summit, we could see why it was such a popular place to get married.

California Naturel

Lately I have been paying a lot more attention to the ingredients in the beauty and hair products that I use everyday. I know that's been the cool kid thing to do for a while now, but I guess I just thought that being that conscious seemed time-consuming, inconvenient, and a little too hip.

Which is a shame because there's no better way to spend time than on taking care of yourself. Inconvenient truths are sometimes the most important kind. And if there's anything I don't have to worry about any time soon, it's being too hip.

This year I've definitely started making an effort into leading a healthier lifestyle in every way possible. From the foods I eat to exercise to the people I surround myself with and the chemicals that I'm exposed to in my household and beauty products. I've been educating myself, reading labels, and trying to find natural replacements for the things I use every day.

One of my first searches has been for new face wash and moisturizer. That's when I stumbled across California Naturel, headquartered right here in California, all the way up the coast in Sausalito.

#GIRLBOSS

Most of the time, I get packages delivered to my office. Such was the case when I had my first order from Nasty Gal delivered a few years ago. Little did I know that "NASTY GAL" would be splashed across the packaging in an incriminating font.

Obvs, I made a point to stress to everyone who saw me shamefully carry the box back to my desk that it was clothes, just totally normal clothes, I swear... Still. Because of that, I didn't really order from Nasty Gal much in the years that followed. I wasn't super impressed by the quality vs the price and it wasn't totally my style anyway.

But recently, Nasty Gal and it's CEO, Sophia Amoruso, started popping up everywhere. Everyone on social media was reading Amoruso's book, #GIRLBOSS, and then my friends started reading it too. By the time my friend Raina chose it for our company's book club selection, I was intrigued enough to give it a shot.