Hey APW,
Before we get into happy hour, we’ve got some big staff news today! To start, we are sad to be saying goodbye to APW’s longtime Deputy Editor, Lucy Bennett. Lucy joined the team shortly after I returned from maternity leave in 2013, and basically whipped us all into shape. She’s possibly the most organized person we’ve ever had on staff, and definitely the most Southern. Lucy is leaving APW to focus on and launch Campfire Collective, a full service design and marketing group for spirited entrepreneurs and businesses. She’ll also be continuing to grow Good Dogs & Co., thus fulfilling her lifelong dream of making a living by looking at cute animals all day.
And while we are super sad to see Lucy go, we are equally excited to welcome our newest staff member, Najva Sol. (If her name sounds familiar, you maybe read her open thread the other week on confidence and Kimye and then became instantly enamored with her.) Funnily enough, Najva was the only non APW reader who applied for the job. She answered our job listing after discovering APW basically the same day. But her whip-smart writing, unique point-of-view, and fearlessness made it obvious that she was fated for APW (and that we’d be stupid to let her go). She’ll be joining APW as Content Manager, and promises to keep your daily reads as awesome as ever. Awesomer, even.
Here’s a little more about Najva, in her own words:
Najva Sol is a Persian Polymath based in Brooklyn. She’s really good at: spending too much time on Facebook, public speaking, picking textiles, lifestyle photography, making chicken broth, pouring tea, being nerdy, conversational writing, talking about sex, dancing alone in her room, eating locally, freelancing, and being a nomad. She’s not so great at: dating the right people, making poetry her career, or anticipating subway schedules. She’s studied at the New School and CCA, spoken on stage at some fancy colleges, taken photos of all sorts of things, shown her sustainable fashion line at NYFW, but she’s mostly just happy her room is clean. She is recently single (don’t worry, it was a good thing) and lives with three badass roomies (an accessory maker, a photographer, and a visual merchandiser).
She’s super stoked on joining APW, because it’s special to find a spot where a queer POC sex-positive compassionate feminist (with a serious soft spot for romantic comedies) can use all her photo/web geek/social junkie/event production/art direction/business dev/creative writing skills without working for the man (or a man, frankly).
So please join me as we fondly wish Lucy farewell, and then please extend a warm welcome to Najva. And when you’re done with that… it’s your happy hour, so do it.
cheers,
meg
Highlights of APW This Week
Losing my mother while gaining my husband.
Tips for stocking your home bar (and a free $25 credit when you set up your Zola Registry).
How we planned our casual barn wedding for $8k.
I’m thirty, and I don’t know who I want to be.
Meet Celia Grace, the first Fair Trade wedding dress line.
DIY wedding videography tips for non-pros.
The day I decided to be a fat bride.
How to DIY modern geometric glitter place card settings.
A fun, family celebration at home.
My dad won’t commit to a financial contribution.
MSH Events keeps things organized so you don’t have to.
An intimate backyard wedding with a killer blush ball gown.
Link Roundup
Mindy Kaling’s opinion on twenty-two random things.
Raising teenagers: the mother of all problems.
Exonerated and out of prison, and that’s when the trouble starts.
The easiest way to win April Fool’s Day this year.
A black woman was locked in a psych ward for eight days because cops refused to believe she was a high-powered businesswoman.
“Ethnic” actors aren’t stealing white roles.
Dear Nellie Andreeva and Deadline, your piece on “ethnic” casting was bullshit pasta mixed with wack sauce.
How choosing comfort eventually leads to pain.
Eight Ken Dolls from the nineties that literally gave no fucks.
Monica Lewinsky talks about the price of shame.
The on-demand world isn’t about sharing at all. It’s about being served. This is an economy of shut-ins.
The app that lets cats Instagram all by themselves.
What paternity leave really looks like.
Buzzfeed tests which long-lasting lipsticks actually work, so you don’t have to.
