Broad City for Los Angeles: Ladywood on YouTube

Fans of Broad City know how important the representation of Abbi and Ilana’s friendship is in today’s media landscape. And it wouldn’t be on Comedy Central today if it hadn’t started out as a popular webseries by the same name. If you’re searching for more non-hegemonic representations of modern femininity on YouTube in a sea of makeup tutorials, I cannot recommend Ladywood highly enough.

This webseries is the result of an award winning filmmaker and a Groundlings actor living together and making a thing inspired by their real life friendship. With a healthy list of cast and crew, this project was certainly not shot on an iPhone. To learn more about it, read Auri and Dani’s about page.

I have to be honest, I haven’t watched Broad City nearly as much as I know I should. As a California native, I find it harder to relate to the East Coast themes in the show. The challenges West Coast life presents for 20-somethings are much different from those Abbi and Ilana face in New York City.

In LA’s Little Armenia, Auri and Dani grapple with when to sage their apartment, who to allow as a couch surfer, and how to break a ruinous juice habit. You know, pretty normal stuff for Californians.

Here’s the first episode of four:

You may recognize Auri from the “Guys Experience Periods for the First Time” Buzzfeed video she produced. It went viral and you should watch it, if you haven’t already. But first, warm up with Ladywood‘s “WTF is a Diva Cup,” also known as episode 2.

If you’ve got a lady wood (it had to be said) for this show, check out MyLadyWood.com and share the videos with all your lady friends.

Photography

Backyard Ivy & Rust

The salty air from the beach and San Francisco’s perma-fog make my backyard a utopia for tenacious ivy and rust. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Personal, Photography, Travel

Photo Story: Hiking Mount Tamalpais

Prints and more available on my Society6 shop! Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @adrienneblaine for photo captions.

Personal, Photography

The Sunset

“Even bros like sunsets” observed comedian TJ Miller. That must have been what San Francisco city developers were thinking when they renamed the “Outside Lands” the Sunset District.

Bounded by Golden Gate Park and Ocean Beach, this suburban development within San Francisco is the city’s largest district. But before there were ticky-tacky houses, sand dunes and shrubs were the first to greet the Pacific Ocean.

As a resident of the Sunset District, I have been struck by the way the sun passes over my house and sinks into Ocean Beach every night. It feels like the days are slipping away. In an attempt to capture this unique beach town, I have been venturing out of the house with my camera during the “Golden Hour,” when the sun is low on the horizon and casts everything in a golden glow.

I will be posting some of these photos on Instagram @adrienneblaine under the hashtag #sunsetdistrict. But to see all of my photos in this series, follow this blog on adrienneblaine.com!

KQED

Read My First Article for Bay Area Bites!

Bay Area Bites is a food blog for Northern California’s Public Media KQED. My first article for Bay Area Bites was published today, and you can read it here! The article is titled: “Pie Ranch Sells Food for Thought at Highway One Non-Profit Farm Stand.”

I first came across Pie Ranch while driving from San Francisco to Santa Cruz along Highway One. It was the first time I had taken the coast for this commute and was enjoying the wonderfully scenic drive. As I neared Santa Cruz, I noticed hand-painted signs for pie & coffee cropping up. There is no one who loves pie and coffee more than I do, so I felt compelled to stop and investigate these claims. I pulled into Pie Ranch and wandered into their farm stand.

Can you spot the hummingbird in this picture?

Something about the late afternoon light and the surprise of this quaint roadside offering really captured my imagination. Once inside I was impressed by sumptuous produce and socially conscious offerings. I have been able to visit multiple times and have learned more about the farm with each visit.

If you live in the California Bay Area, or plan to pass through during a road trip on Highway One, you’ll want to check out my article to learn about what Pie Ranch has to offer. Their next family-friendly event is happening this Saturday, April 16!