Explore with Cassie
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Philly Fashion Week’s Winter Wonderland Party Wears It Well at Fashion District Philadelphia
This invite was inspo for my crushed-velvet silver ‘holiday glitz’ dress. Mel Campell wrote that Zadie Smith is today considered something of a fashion icon, but as a bookish youth, she told The Rumpus in 2013, she ‘just wanted to live in the library and wear a sack’. Only when she went to Italy, ‘where beauty is taken seriously and enjoyed and it’s okay to enjoy it,’ did she come to ‘appreciate the idea of a beautiful fabric or a nice dress. I never cared about those things when I was young.’ Story, photos by Sharon Kozden I cannot tell you how much my writer self identifies with Zadie Smith’s 2013 comment in the above…
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Holiday Gift Guide for Last Minute Shoppers
by Cassie Hepler Here it is the week before Christmas and have I sent any packages in the mail yet? No. Do I always wait until last minute? Yes. Because present’s day (as I’ve always called it) is hella stressful. The work crunch of shoving in everything you can before attempting to take a legit break is plain exhausting. We are animals after all and this time of year is supposed to be hibernation and rest time. But good ol’ capitalism is at it again although it seems more people are waking up to the fact that corporate America really couldn’t give a flying fart about Americans in general (thanks…
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Explore Weird Wichita, Kansas and Dive into the Heart of the Country
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler If there’s one thing I really like, it’s the underdog. And I feel like Wichita, Kansas is an overlooked diamond in the rough which is why I was quick to agree to a press trip even among all the questionable comments from others. And mind you, our motto is “finding the unusual out of the ordinary” and this place hit the nail on the head. The irony of this story is now a lot of those same people now want to visit after sharing video highlights on my Instagram and TikTok accounts! Read on to see why… Did you know Wichita is the largest city…
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Christmas Village Unwraps 16th Year in Philadelphia’s LOVE Park and City Hall, Festival of Trees Debuts
Presented by Bank of America, Christmas Village in Philadelphia returned to LOVE Park and City Hall in 2023 for a 16th consecutive year. “This is how Christmas should feel. Full of hope, happiness and new beginnings. Full of love, for those we’re with, those we miss and those we’ve found. This is the best feeling, ever! I don’t know what the future holds but, right now, it feels full of promise and excitement.” ~ Jo Thomas, Finding Love at the Christmas Market Story, photos by Sharon Kozden I was back again at the Wynnewood SEPTA Station last week, taking advantage of my employer’s discounted transit-pass program (a.k.a. JAWNT), which enables…
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Christmas Pop-up Bar Tinsel Brings Season’s Gleam to Philadelphia
Tinsel is lit for Christmas 2023! “Oh, heart, let’s never grow too old To smile anew, when Christmas comes, At tassels red and tinsel thread …” ~ Nancy Byrd Turner Story, photos by Sharon Kozden Philadelphia’s beloved and popular Christmas pop-up bar is back! Tinsel came to sleigh on November 24th with its 2023 “Christmas Comedy” theme. In addition to lights galore and always outre displays and decorations, Tinsel is highlighting decades of tee-hees from fan-fav funny movies. Something I really look forward to at Tinsel each season is the specificity to detail in its overall production, decor and presentation. Be on the lookout for the little things. Check every…
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Foodie and Mizzou Fan’s Guide to Exploring Columbia, Missouri
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler It was bound to happen someday… the dreaded almost spending an overnight at the airport debacle. In my over almost 30 years of flying on airplanes, I had the worst and slimiest experience ever though American Airlines. I had a very slim window to make a layover and when I got an email the night before asking if I wanted to get paid (up to $700!) to switch my flight date and times, I had a feeling this wasn’t going to end well. Then at the gate at Phoenix airport, they pushed back the flight time a half hour making it near impossible. More than…
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PNC’s ‘LumiNature’ Winter Light Show Illuminates Philadelphia Zoo
“You have to find what sparks a light in you so that you in your own way can illuminate the world.” ~ Oprah Winfrey Story, photos by Sharon Kozden Watts up, Philadelphia Zoo? A hellota (it’s a word, according to Urban Dictionary!) twinkling and sparkling that runs until Saturday, January 6 is watts up! Know this: If you’re planning to check out PNC’s return of LumiNature, a wintertime light show featuring more than a million lights across 16 illuminated zones, it is presented “with timed entrance tickets available every half hour from 5:00pm to 8:00pm with the experience closing at 9:00pm or 10:00pm depending on visit date. Pre-purchase your timed…
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Stay and Play on North Mountain with Hilton Phoenix Tapatio Cliffs Resort
Photo, story by Cassie Hepler (unless noted otherwise) Just 10 minutes from my house in North Phoenix sits Hilton Phoenix Tapatio Cliffs Resort, nestled back onto North Mountain and tucked away where no one would know just how massive this place truly is… 450 acres of desert! Now that I’m dealing with an elderly cat, I have to constantly think about giving her medication every 8-10 hours and with this staycation it was easy to swing home, dose her and leave again (even if she left me a how she feels about me being gone present on the door mat). Built in 1982, the Spanish Mediterranean architecture is flanked by…
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Philadelphia Flower Show’s The Garden Electric Shines at Pennsylvania Convention Center
The 2023 Philadelphia Flower Show returned to the Pennsylvania Convention Center for the first time since 2020. “Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.” — Luther Burbank Story, photos by Sharon Kozden It was 72 degrees in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania today! That declarative statement warrants an exclamation point because I’m writing on a November day. I’ll take it. Not a cold-weather fan. The temperate temp has perfectly set the scene for my scribbling, as I’m recapping the 2023 Philadelphia Flower Show on the eve of the 2024 Show theme’s announcement. The Philadelphia Flower Show a.k.a. “America’s oldest and finest exhibit…
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Explore Islas Marías, Former Prison Islands in Nayarit, Mexico
Story, photos, videos by Cassie Hepler If you have a dark edge to your soul like me, this all-the-feels Islas Marías (Mary Islands) will resonate well. I have this new thing I do, where I say yes to everything and figure it out later. This trip was one of those yes moments while I was still on a private press trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I had no clue what I was agreeing to but I’m always up for an adventure, twice if I like it. Here’s the thing about Mexico: it’s got a bad rap in the United States even though honestly, the United States is starting to…
