Starving, Insatiable...

3.14 SPRING Swap

2012-02-15T08:34:00.001-05:00

Spring is right around the corner! I love spring! I love pastels and all the Easter candy! And I love snail mail and getting packages of goodies. When Krystal and I met Erin in Marco Island a handful of weekends ago, we decided that we wanted to host a swap that we know no one else would be doing! Enter: 3.14, or algebra's Pi (because we are all internal nerds, maybe? hehe). Erin came up with this entire swap idea and we became a part of it!

Basically, enter your information into the form below. Our goal is to have you all reveal your swap goodies on March 14th. Therefore, we will partner you up on or around the 24th and we figured that you all could send out the packages to your partners by the 5th.

So join us, won't you? :)

**NOTE: Use your mouse to scroll inside the form below to get to all the questions**

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Dear Blog World

2012-02-14T09:10:00.002-05:00

Dear Blog World,

You are really annoying the crap out of me. You make it hard to still love to blog here. You are full of people who preach kindness and respect, but are the least kind and least respectful to their fellow bloggers. You are full of people who talk behind the backs of others. You are full of superficiality and empty blog posts about crap I don't want to read. (Thank goodness for the little X in the upper corner of my browser.) I've unfollowed a number of blogs recently because the posting drove me crazy. The worst kind of people in your world are the ones who say they don't care about "numbers", but continue to mention how they want more. Ugh.

Honestly, it's the person who makes the blog. I admit, it drives me a little crazy when spelling and grammar aren't perfect in a post (it also drives me crazy when there is bright pink and crazy neon everywhere), but ultimately, if I have grown to like the blogger as a person, then I love the blog, "errors" aside. I comment frequently on blogs that hold my interest and blogs written by bloggers that I am glad to know. If I love you, I'll read a blog post, with no pictures, that is a million pages long. I'll read it through to the end, make mental notes of what I want to comment about, and then do so (Lorraine, I'm talking about you! Heart youuuu!). Substance and being connected to the blogger makes me come back for more.

By the way, let's dissolve these cliques. My God, everyone is at least in their twenties, right? I'm no longer in middle school. Therefore, I don't start drama or participate in it. How someone can get involved in someone else's drama OVER THE INTERNET is something I'll never understand. In fact, how about you take a refresher course in common courtesy, manners and the saying, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all". Who honestly cares that much to bring other people down over Twitter or in their blog. If you don't agree with what someone says, then ignore them, or POLITELY disagree. I'm sick of bloggers who think they were handcrafted with God's grace and do no wrong and then I see them lashing out at someone on Twitter and getting involved in a conversation that never involved them in the beginning.

Here is what I'm going to do. I'm going to unfollow those blogs that just don't hold me anymore. I sincerely apologize if you notice and are upset. My unfollowing could be for a number of reasons, but ultimately, it's because I just don't honestly read your blog enough. I'm also going to limit what I link up to. Krystal and I were even talking yesterday about how the next linkup will be "What'd You Eat For Breakfast Friday". Does there have to be a linkup for everything on God's green earth? Sigh. I can't take it. I am also guilty of linking up for a number of things (especially when I first started), but it was so I could just have content and I wrote the blog post on auto-pilot, not truly caring what I was contributing to my blog. I looked back at the number of "empty" posts and I hate half my blog. Granted, I love some linkups and I think it's a nice way to share tips or stories with others. But, 95% of the blogs I currently follow do all linkups. Don't you go out ever? Don't you have a weekend event to share with us? I'd be more excited to learn about you and your friends going out to your favorite place than what color you painted your nails every.single.week (and I loooove me some nail polish). (To clarify, I'm talking about those who only linkup to things and never write about anything else.) The other 5% of the blogs in my reader are amazing. My goal is to find blogs that fit in the other 5% and increase that number. I love bloggers that have enough to say that they don't have to use linkups as fillers just so they have something on the page.

Also, comment back every once in a while. You don't have to reply to every comment I make on your blog, but you are rude to not respond, ever.

Now, I know a lot of you will agree with me. I know some of you may call me a hypocrite and to you, I say, read this post in its entirety. I do participate in linkups (especially lately and especially in the beginning- I admit), but I also write about a lot of other things.

Another goal of mine is to showcase those blogs that you might not know about. I read blogs that I don't ever see mentioned in the blogs I read (which are usually the same people who read my blog). The bloggers I'm referring to have their own "group", I'm sure. Groups can mingle, though. I want us to mingle. I'm going to start dedicating random posts here and there to my favorite blogs that aren't part of the popular crowd that I'm used to seeing. I love a lot of the popular blogs too, but hey, people already know about you :)

I've been wanting to write this for so long. Reading blogs feels like a chore sometimes and I shouldn't feel that way. It's time to clean up my reader.

Sincerely,
Me

Edit: I just realized I wrote this post on Valentines Day! Have a happy one! :)
Edit #2: Since I know some of you will go check if I unfollowed you (I would too! haha), I thought I'd let you all know that when I started using Google Reader, as opposed to Blogger, to read blogs, I ended up just adding your site to my Google Reader Subscriptions instead of following via GFC. So, a lot of you won't actually see me in your GFC followers widget. Just know that if I comment at least every once in a while, I follow :)

Favorite of the Week! (Makeup)

2012-02-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

The other week, I was reading a blog post by Terri and she did a product review of Lipslicks Lipgloss by Covergirl.

I was brought back to middle school and I got all nostalgic, remembering when I first discovered this lipgloss. I had not used it in a while so during my next trip to Wal-greens, I threw one in my basket. It's some of the best!

Our Love Story

2012-02-10T13:50:00.000-05:00

I've been seeing this love story linkup everywhere lately and I figured I would play along too. :)

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

It will be SIX years in December. Seriously, longer than most married couples I know...that have children. What does this tell me? That I need a ring so we can get this show on the road.

One of our first pictures together

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}

Mike was one of the heads of security at some clubs in downtown Tampa called Channelside. We had a mutual friend so whenever my friend and I would go out, he would get us in for free and get us free drinks all night. We didn't speak for a while because I just stood behind my friend for the most part and just whispered "thank you" when I had my cranberry vodka in hand. But eventually, after a handful of months, he got my phone number from another mutual friend and called me. In that conversation, we spoke for hours about ligers vs. monkeys vs. other creatures. We talked about ourselves and whether we were dog or cat people (answer: dog). Etc etc. Then, he asked me out on our first date...to his friend's wedding. After the first date, he drew me comics of other dates he wanted to take me on. 4 months later, I moved in. And over 5 years later, here we are.

3. If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry? {do tell}

Oh yes, we will be married. A lot of people judge and don't understand what I'm doing with him when it's been over 5 years without an engagement. It's nobody's business, but Mike has a lot of pride. He wants to provide for me, buy me a nice ring, and pay for the wedding ourselves (even though I've already told him my mom has a nice little egg in her savings just for us). His family doesn't finance anything except house, car, HUGE things so he needs the funds to buy a nice ring outright. He doesn't believe in starting a marriage where the couple has limited funds because we know a lot of marital stress comes from finances. I'm 100% supportive of his take on this and will wait patiently until he's done with school and making the big monies. :)

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding? If not, where would you like to get married? And will it be big or small?

We would like to get married outdoors, on a nice March day (just because this is the only Spring month in Florida where you can guarantee some weather in the 70s), surrounded by oak trees. Perfection. Or a garden. I want it to be about 100 people.

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!

He calls me babe (and babyyyyy, when he's been drinking a little too much lol), but I just call him by his name. I've never been one for pet names or nick names with significant others.

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

He has the biggest heart. He isn't overly emotional or anything, but he cares so much. I'll never forget when he charged (and then paid off- even though he doesn't like credit cards) my dog's tumor removal surgery for me. He is also the funniest person I know, hands down. I also love that he's into fitness. Though he would usually work out more and we are both being lazy, I love his body haha. Sounds so weird typing that, but I do. He used to be semi-pro MMA and whew, love the shoulders. Still gets me every time.

7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?

My ideal proposal will be sweet, but funny. It will take me by surprise and be something so out of the ordinary. Even though he isn't really romantic, he did tell me that a proposal should be special and a wonderful "story" to tell and be the most romantic day besides your wedding. I can't wait! He better live up to these expectations he has set for himself! haha

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

Neither LOL. When we buy each other stuff, it's practical purchases. Usually, though, we plan an outing or event for each other. He'll do one and I'll do one, or we'll decide together. This year, we are going to the Lightning vs. Sharks hockey game on the 16th. We loooove hockey. His dad is a florist too so he delivers flowers for him on V-day and then comes home really late. We never celebrate on the actual day. BUT, he always brings me flowers (he better, right? being surrounded by them all day)

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

Both! Most often, we watch a movie and relax on the couch, but a nice dinner during sunset would be most appreciated.

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

A Mediterranean cruise. I told him this is our honeymoon for sure. It would be amazing to depart from Spain, cruise and visit Italy, Greece, Croatia.

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.

My parents just recently divorced so because the boyfriend is working really late, I plan on taking my mom out for dinner and a movie and then coming home to snuggle with him :)

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?

I told him he better buy me a nice slice of pizza on the way to the hockey game. I don't ever ask for anything, really.

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

Laugh together.

14. Show us a picture of what love means to you.

Excuse the blurry and weird look on my face. We, and the picture-taker, had been drinking for my 26th birthday in Orlando hehehehhee

Book Club Friday- 2 Books At Once

2012-02-10T10:47:00.000-05:00

I saw that a lot of people were setting 2012 reading goals on Goodreads and I wanted to join in. I'm going through books like crazy so I set a lofty (I think?) goal of reading 60 books in 2012. So far, I'm 2 books ahead. I'm currently reading two books right now:

from Amazon:

The timely and critically acclaimed debut novel that's becoming a word-of-mouth phenomenon. An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, that takes us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the atrocities of the present.

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption, and it is also about the power of fathers over sons-their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

The first Afghan novel to be written in English, The Kite Runner tells a sweeping story of family, love, and friendship against a backdrop of history that has not been told in fiction before, bringing to mind the large canvases of the Russian writers of the nineteenth century. But just as it is old-fashioned in its narration, it is contemporary in its subject-the devastating history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years. As emotionally gripping as it is tender, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful debut.

I have a lot of Goodreads friends who have read this book and rated it pretty high. So far, I'm completely into it. I am also reading:

from Goodreads:

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

This is the second book in the Matched trilogy. I liked Matched, but didn't think it was amazing. It was good enough to continue the series, though. So far The Kite Runner is holding my attention more, but I checked Crossed out from the library so I have to keep reading.

What books are you reading right now? Link up so I can check them out!

AND, if you haven't yet, join me on Goodreads!

It's OK Thursdays

2012-02-09T10:04:00.000-05:00

Linking up for It's Ok Thursday!

It's OK...

...to not get the appeal of David Beckham.
...to spend 3 hours writing your grocery list.
...to laugh when people do the ugly cry. Did anyone watch Casey S on The Bachelor? LOL!
...to search through Goodwill for books. When I went with Krystal a couple of weeks ago, I scored 5 great books. One of them was Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close which happened to have an autograph from the author on the title page! (I didn't notice until way later.)
...to buy at least one lipgloss or chapstick when I go to Target. Their beauty section just draws me.
...to shop on your lunch break and not have time to try anything on. That's okay, that's what returns are for. I did score a Jason Wu for Target shirt! (I have to return the dress I bought.)
...to be reading 2 books at once. One is a book I started before my 2nd book was available at the library.
...to really need a raise, or else need a new job ASAP. I'm tired of almost living paycheck to paycheck.

My TV Schedule

2012-02-07T08:54:00.000-05:00

If you have been reading this blog for a little while and/or following my updates on GetGlue, you know how much I love me some TV. I could veg out on the couch, watching my favorite shows, for days (probably). I thought I'd share my weekly schedule:

Monday

Gossip Girl

Hart of Dixie

The Voice

Smash

Bad Girl's Club

The Bachelor

Tuesday

Tori & Dean

Glee

Teen Mom (I still don't know why I watch this)

Wednesday

Top Chef

Survivor

American Idol

American Horror Story

Thursday

Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Big Bang Theory

Archer

The Challenge: Battle of the Exes

American Idol

Jersey Shore

Grey's Anatomy

Friday

Who are we kidding? Nothing comes on on Friday.

Saturday

Nothing comes on here either.

Sunday

The Walking Dead

Mob Wives

I tried to include shows that are off-season right now too. Also, I watch all seasons of Real Housewives (they always change days every season) and I watch Giada at Home every day :)

Told ya, I have a lot of shows...

What do you watch? Is there something that I'm missing? More importantly, does anyone have as many scheduled shows as I do?

I'm a Sponsor!

2012-02-06T13:39:00.000-05:00

A blog sponsor, that is. I am sponsoring Krystal's blog because she is one of my favorite people ever and I highly suggest you read my sponsor post. I made myself laugh. Also, I pretty much linked all of my social media outlets so you can stalk me more efficiently now. ;)

Favorite of the Week! (TV Show)

2012-02-06T10:06:00.000-05:00

Last week, Mad Men was my Favorite of the Week. I was watching it like crazy. As much as I love it, for some reason I put it away (for now) and picked up where I left off on The Office. This was, of course, after I finished reading Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and I remembered how much I loved this show. I don't know why I stopped watching it when I did either. I was always behind because I started watching in the 3rd season so I had to play catch-up on Netflix and I continue to play catch-up on Netflix.

The last episode I had watched was Jim and Pam's wedding (last episode of Season 5), but now I'm just episodes away from Michael Scott's last day. Saddddd.

Book Club Friday- The Lover's Dictionary

2012-02-03T10:04:00.000-05:00

I've seen The Lover's Dictionary all over GoodReads (add me!) and recently, it became available at my library so I picked it up!

from Amazon:

basis, n.

There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself.

If the moment doesn’t pass, that’s it—you’re done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it’s even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover’s face.

How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.

***

This book, with the short entries like dictionary definitions, is unlike anything I've ever read before. It made me sad, happy, confused, and pushing for the nameless main characters, even though the book does not go in chronological order and even though you don't really get to know too much about them. I know that doesn't sound like something that would be easy to get into, but it was and I recommend it! Check it out!

Stuff Nobody in Tampa Says

2012-02-01T09:55:00.000-05:00

You've seen the Shit ______ Says videos everywhere, right? Well, the morning show for the local radio station I used to work for has created a "Stuff Nobody in Tampa Says" video and between my Tampa pals, it's gone viral haha. If you've never been to Tampa, this'll give you a good idea of how it is. And if you are from the Tampa area, I'm sure you are LOL LOL LOLlerskating all over right now.

For the record, the morning show (Steve, Holly, Miguel) are some of the funniest and nicest co-workers I have EVER had.

My Netflix Queue

2012-01-31T09:47:00.000-05:00

I love movies. Really, I do. But, often times, I find it hard to sit through an entire movie if I'm just at home, on my couch. I always feel like I have to be doing something else also (reading, computer-ing, etc) and I can't sit still and truly enjoy the movie a lot of the time. I have Netflix. In my queue, I have 357 DVDs and 67 in my Instant Queue. But, given that I have a short attention span, I've found that I'm basically wasting my money on having the option for DVDs by mail. The DVDs just sit there by my TV for a month before I watch them. Before I fully cancel my DVDs by mail option, I want to get some movies in.

Here are the movies in my Queue that are on the top of my To-Watch list:

*brief film synopses from Netflix*

This drama centers on Harvey Milk, the openly gay politician who was murdered along with Mayor George Moscone by a disgruntled city supervisor.

(number 1 and 2)

Four best friends buy a mysterious pair of pants that fit each of them despite their differing sizes and makes whoever wears them feel fabulous.

When 243-year-old Mr. Magorium falls ill, he turns over his fantastical toy store to his manager, who isn't sure if she's ready to take the reins.

Feeling spurned after being cut from the national team, newly single softball player Lisa finds herself in a heated love triangle.

As Cindy and Dean muddle through their languishing marriage, they hearken back to the golden days when life was filled with possibility and romance.

A young couple's experiences traveling together in Paris make them question the kind of life they want to live.

In 1960s Jackson, Miss., aspiring writer Eugenia Phelan crosses taboo racial lines by conversing with Aibeleen Clark about her life as a housekeeper, and their ensuing friendship upsets the fragile dynamic between the haves and the have-nots.

So, am I missing any? Are there any must-see movies on your list?

Last Friday Night! (Tampa Bloggers Meetup)

2012-01-30T15:26:00.001-05:00

It was during the Golden Globes and I was pretty bored watching it by myself. So, what does any blogger do? They take to Twitter so they can have some company! I couldn't tell you about the Golden Globes after Michelle Williams won because I got wrapped up talking with Nichole and Becca about having a Tampa Bloggers Meetup. In one complete conversation, we decided we would meet, we decided we wanted to be real life friends, we decided that we would hang out even when it wasn't an official meetup. In short, we made a lot of commitments that we intend on keeping.

Before we knew it, Nichole initiated an email chain with some Tampa-area bloggers, Becca picked a place that I was dying to try, and we heard from everyone with enthusiasm about meeting! 2 weeks later, on this past Friday night, we all met at Fly Bar, eager to see what everyone was like.

When we sat down, we all instantly started chatting and we really got along! These girls are amazing! I took a picture with Lauren first. We wanted to text the photo to a mutual friend :)

I should have used my flash. Usually iPhone photos aren't this gritty.

We chatted about blogs, books, events, restaurants, the St. Pete Fresh Market, etc etc etc. It was some of the most fun!

Our whole table! (Picture from Lauren)

One side...me, Jessica, Nichole, Lane (Photo from Lauren)

The other side...Meghan, Jessie, Kari, Becca, Lauren (Photo from Lauren)

After we spent a couple of hours getting to know each other, some of the girls had to leave and the rest of us decided to go up to the rooftop bar. Unfortunately, the rooftop bar was closed off for a private party and we aren't too weird to have our meetup underneath the stairs so we headed down the street to Taps for another drink. On the way, some very nice ladies took our picture :)

(Photo from Meghan)

I seriously cannot speak kindly enough about these girls and we can't wait for the many more meetups to follow! Next stop is Becca's house for some dinner and conversation. We hope to gather other Tampa bloggers and just keep making our meetups bigger and better! So, if you are a Bay-area blogger, or even if you aren't and would like to just follow along, please check out our new group blog, Tampa Bay Blogger Gals! We'll be sharing our blogs, posting about meetups and recapping with lots of pictures!

xoxo

Favorite of the Week! (TV Show)

2012-01-30T09:22:00.000-05:00

Linking up with Erin, again, especially since she has officially become my real life friend (if you are just tuning in, we met 2 weekends ago and it was fabuloussss).

Anyway, since I now only have Netflix Instant (I was finding it to be a waste of money to have both the DVD and Instant Queue service), I've been finding new shows and movies to watch. I've had Mad Men in my queue for a pretty long while, but between my re-watching of Felicity and being completely engrossed in these Young Adult novels all of a sudden, I didn't feel like I had time to start a new series.

Finally, I decided to watch and I can't get enough!

This show is so good! I never understood the appeal of Jon Hamm until I started watching Mr. Draper. Now, I'm a little infatuated.

Do you watch Mad Men? Do you think I'm crazy for waiting so long?

I Was Tagged By Friends :)

2012-01-26T15:40:00.000-05:00

First, I was tagged by Nichole and given the Versatile Blogger award!

Recipients of this award are to share 7 things about themselves. Here you are!

I started painting my nails in 2006. Before that, I hardly ever did because I thought I looked funny. I don't know why. I used to have artificial nails when I was, like, 12...I don't know why I did that either. Now that I started painting my nails, I have to have polish at any given time. I hate my nails when they're plain.
When I was 21/22, I would go out regularly and drink at least 4 Long Islands and at least 1 shot. I mean, not every night, psh. But, that was my drink of choice. Now? I can't stomach Long Islands or anything with a lot of Sour mix.
Danielle and I almost applied for Bad Girls Club. We didn't get beyond entertaining the idea and this was obviously before she had her baby, but we wanted to live in a mansion for a couple of months and thought this was the way to do it.
Speaking of applying for reality shows, the boyfriend and I plan on applying to be on The Amazing Race. We would make a really good team. I think we'd get picked if he tells the producers he will propose to me if we win and he wants to make sure we can handle the biggest stress ever...or something like that. Hahaha. Anything to get on the show! He will also be applying for Survivor.
I'm socially awkward. Well, I can be. I'm outgoing, but sometimes, I don't know what to say to people I don't know. Tomorrow, I'm going to the Tampa Bloggers Meetup and meeting everyone (but Nichole- I already met her) for the first time. Amazingly, I'm not nervous.
I still hold my breath when I drive by a cemetery. I don't walk under ladders. I stay away from black cats. In a nutshell, I'm superstitious.
I slapped a friend of mine in the face, hard, in the middle of the skating rink when we were younger. I remember I did it because she called me a bitch, I don't remember why she did. We ended up being over it an hour later after we went our separate ways with our Slush Puppies and nachos. We are still Facebook friends to this day. (Ps: I'm totally not like this anymore. I have never put my hands on anyone after this except to hug LOL.)

I'd love to read 7 random facts about all of you, but I'm entirely too lazy to tag anyone. :)

Second, I was tagged by Erin! The rules here are to post 11 facts about yourself (see above because I'm not adding more-heh) and then answer the questions that Erin asked. Here we gooooo

Are you a sports fan? If so, what is your favorite sport? Am I a sports fan? In a word: YES! (a very emphatic one). I like sporting events more than most things. Hockey is my absolute favorite and as a born and raised Tampanian, the Tampa Bay Lightning are the best, in my eyes. I'm excited for the day that Erin comes to Tampa and sees a Lightning vs. Flyers game with me!
If you could marry any celeb, who would it be and why? Hm. Well, in Hollywood, you have to make sure you are with a loyal dude, right? They are hard to come by. So, I suppose I'd pick Hugh Jackman. He's flippin' Wolverine! And he's good looking, faithful, funny, loves to sing, charitable and loves sports. Anddd he has an amazing accent.
If you had to choose between not being able to speak, being deaf or being blind, what would you choose? I would choose to not be able to speak, I guess. That's so difficult. I couldn't imagine not seeing. I couldn't imagine not hearing. At least if you can't speak, you can sign language, write, do most normal things.
What is your best feature? I would say my eyes (that's what I get the most compliments on). I have big eyes, with long lashes. I never have to curl my lashes and only a quick swipe of mascara is all I need.
Do you believe in ghosts? YES.
If you could choose one celebrity that annoyed the absolute crap out of you to fall off the face of the Earth and never be heard from again, who would you choose? Easy. The Geico caveman.
Cats or dogs? Dogs all the way. Right now, we only have a cat. I suppose she's alright ;)
If you won the lottery, what would your very FIRST purchase be? I would purchase the help of an investment adviser and someone who could assist me with asset protection. Having a lot of money can be scary!
If you had the choice of any designer to design something special for you, who would it be and what would it be? I would have Maggie Sottero design my wedding dress. Hands down.
If you could meet one person in history past or present, who would it be? I would like to meet my great grandfather who died way before I was born. There is a story in him that I would like to know more about.
What was your first car? Oh God. When I was 15, my grandparents bought me a 1989 Honda Accord, with pop up headlights. It cost $1,700 and had dents all over it. Something like this (but worse)...

The car gave me nothing but trouble, except when it was totaled and I got more money out of it than we paid. One time, I took it through the car wash and the wash just stopped in the middle of the cycle. It made me leave the wash with soap, LATHERED, all over my car. It was so thick, I had to use the wipers multiple times and drive home with windows down to see anything. That's right- I drove home with soap all over my car. At 16, I was far too embarrassed to park and complain inside.

Now tell me: How would you answer some of the questions above?

Fun With Our Phones Monday (Photo Challenge 8-21)

2012-01-23T12:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday! Today I'm linking up with Savanah and Ashlee to show the photos that I've seriously been slacking on. I've been taking pictures, but just haven't felt like blogging about them lately. I think I've been busy?

Anyway, again, here are the "prompts":

Last time, I posted for days 1-7....and, it's been 2 weeks since. Oh well. Here are photos 8-21!

8) My sky on the way to work, thanks to Hipstamatic Disposable app on my iPhone. Download it!

9) While actually blogging isn't my daily routine, checking Blogger and my favorite blogs are.

10) Childhood: Well, the story is that I "rented" The Wizard of Oz from Netflix and then lost it so I submitted a ticket and they just sent me the next DVD in my queue. I then found the Wizard of Oz DVD and fully intended on returning it, but um, I don't know that I still will. Truth.

11) This is where I sleep. I need a mattress sham, or whatever that's called. LOL

12) The Starbucks cup lady is neat.

13) My bag has tons of crap in it and I can't ever get it organized enough.

14) At the time that I took this picture I was reading Divergent. (So, so good, by the way.) Since then, I've read Matched and I'm currently reading 2 books: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd.

15) This was my iPhone wallpaper on Day 15. Pretty pretty.

16) I was actually at the office that morning. This was the view.

17) Hello, water.

18) I bought pens. I was happy. I love pens.

19) So I realize that fireballs are really hot, but when you get to the core, they are sweet!

20) I politely asked the boyfriend if he would pose for my "Someone You Love" prompt, but he was smiling really creepy so instead, we placed our skunk/badger hat on the cat.

21) I decided to take a reflection picture of my cell phone cover. I get compliments on it often.

Favorite of the Week!

2012-01-23T10:06:00.000-05:00

More details to follow in another day because I'm being uber lazy this morning, but my Favorite of the Week is friends! I drove 2 hours to see Krystal and then we drove about 40 minutes to see Erin who was vacationing in Marco Island with her family. Gah! It was so fun and she's so pretty and stylish and freaking awesome (and sunburnt hehehe)!

We had such a good time that before we knew it, it was 1am and time to head back to Krystal's house for the night. Now, I'm hoping Erin comes back so we can go to a Lightning vs. Flyers hockey game :)

I'm absent.

2012-01-19T10:17:00.000-05:00

No, seriously, I am. I'm on Erin's blog today, guest posting about the things you should do in Florida, should you vacation here!

Go check it out!

Also, be jelly because I going with Krystal to meet her this weekend!!

Favorite of the Week!

2012-01-16T11:16:00.000-05:00

Today, I'm linking up with Erin! I have three favorites this week...

First, Krystal's post today is fabulous. She is sharing an iPhone app that we both have. It's this disposable camera and before you can view the pictures, you have to finish the roll of "film". The best part is that if you are Facebook friends, you can share cameras and take pictures on the same roll. More than 2 people can participate too! If you sign up, add me on Facebook and we can share cameras. How awesome is that??

Second, Erin is hosting a great giveaway! Check it out!!

Third, Krystal and I are adventuring to Marco Island, Florida where Erin will be vacationing with her family! We are both so excited to finally meet her in person!

Photo A Day Challenge: Week 1

2012-01-10T08:01:00.000-05:00

I saw Krystal post about the photo challenge that she's participating in. She's linked up with Laura to show the pictures she took throughout the week. Laura has a linkup every Sunday, if you'd like to participate! There aren't any rules except to post one photo for every day of the week. I've decided to copy Krystal and follow the Photo A Day Challenge that she's doing:

Given that it's now January 10th, I'm obviously a week behind. So, I'm going to just show my first week's pictures now (I took these mostly in one day haha).

1) Me: Thank goodness for Instagram.

2) Breakfast: I've become semi-obsessed with Cheerios.

3) I adore my cat TingTing, obvi.

4) My "letterbox". I mostly get letters via email.

5) I wore this dress yesterday.

6) Scentsy makes me smile. It's awesome to have a house that smells nice.

7) I received this Vera Bradley clutch for Christmas and it's my favorite!

Favorite of the Week!

2012-01-09T11:06:00.000-05:00

Today, I'm linking up with Erin for Favorite of the Week!

My Favorite of the Week is this beauty:

That's right. While I don't have my iPad yet, I will. I've decided to buy one. Why not? I realize it's a pretty penny for one of these, but in my mind, it's worth it because it has the functionality I require from any laptop, but it's cheaper (also, I won't buy anything but a Mac laptop now that I have experienced the amazingness of one).

Do you have an iPad? What things/apps do you have on it? Tell me tell me!

A New Blog Layout!

2012-01-05T17:28:00.000-05:00

If you are reading in Google Reader, click on over to view my blog!

I won a giveaway on Leeann's blog that included a pre-made template.

I wanted to give a special shout-out to my blog designer, Sarah!

See her blog here.

See her portfolio here.

Check out her template Etsy shop here.

If you buy from her shop, she'll email you the instructions, template, header, and whatever else you get with the design. She's uber friendly and well, I just love the look of my blog!

I Suppose I'll Post Some Resolutions...

2012-01-05T10:48:00.000-05:00

(mostly because Krystal wants to hold me accountable for things I probably won't accomplish-heh)

Okay, so...2011 came and went. I didn't like it. I took an even bigger pay cut than I had the year before (all voluntary, but necessary). I gained like, 10 pounds. I spent what feels like a bajillion dollars on 5 weddings, and especially on weddings I was in. I'm still broke. Bonus is that I actually saw 5 weddings last year (I love weddings). The boyfriend didn't get any of the firefighter jobs he applied for (it's kind of hard when you are 1 applicant out of 1,600 and the department is only hiring 8 people). I decided not to go to Nursing school even after getting accepted and taking a year and a half to do (and pay for) all the pre-requisites. Worst of all, my beloved dog died.

Dear 2011: I mostly hated you.

I'm hoping 2012 will be a much better year. I see a lot of people lacing their Facebook and Twitter posts with optimism for what lies ahead. I'm...cautiously optimistic. I hope 2012 will be my year. I feel like it can be.

1. Become involved. I'm already accomplishing this. After dropping Nursing like a bad habit, I finally decided to commit myself to getting into the non-profit world and making a career of it. I have researched multiple schools for their Masters of Public Administration degree (like a MBA, but for the public and government sectors). I have joined Women in Action through the Crisis Center of Tampa as a Junior Member and I will be serving on their Social and Planning committees. I have an interview with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society today for the position of Event Coordinator. I am working on becoming a Friend of the local Chamber of Commerce. I have plans to attend as many YEP (Young Elite Professionals) socials as I can to network. I started volunteering for the Tampa Bay Beagle Rescue.

2. Work out more. Yeah, yeah, everyone says this. A small percentage stick to it. I will be in that small percentage. We paid for a gym membership and we rarely used it. A lot of this has to do with the fact that I work until 5 and the last two semesters, the boyfriend has had school at night 4x a week. And I hate going to the gym by myself. I tried working out at home using my DVDs, but there were so many distractions. I don't like going running outside because I feel like everyone is watching and I look crazy. But, I have to do it. I'm uncomfortable in my body.

3. Take better care of myself. I need to focus on caring for my acne-prone skin and my hair that's prone to breakage. I need to eat healthier. Notice I say "healthIER". I feel like everyone needs to give themselves some leeway. If I don't, I'm prone to lose my self control when I realize that I won't be able to stop thinking about that Chik-fil-a sandwich until I have it and then I'll be disappointed in myself when I eat it. If you vow to eat healthIER, you can give yourself some slack. Yesterday, the boyfriend bought us some pizza. I opted for thin crust with light sauce and cheese, topped with mushrooms and onions. Ordinarily, I would have eaten a pan pizza loaded with pepperoni and cheese. I don't want to deny myself what I enjoy to eat, but I have to be smarter about it and plan my daily meals.

4. Clean. The bane of my existence. I hate cleaning. I especially hate cleaning when I clean and then feel I've accomplished nothing because there is still so much more to clean. Our condo, between gathering my long-forgotten items from my parent's house when it finally sold and re-arranging everything, has gathered more junk and less space and it's driving me crazy. The only completely effective way to deep clean this place is to take everything out of one room so it's bare and then go to work. The only problem is that we then don't have room to put that stuff in this 900 sq. ft. condo. Curse you, condo! I'm working on this, but I get frustrated and quit often.

5. Stop wasting. I don't recycle. I buy lots of food at the grocery store and then we can't eat it fast enough before it goes bad. I throw items away that I don't want when I should be giving it away to friends or donating to the needy. I waste time...a lot. I need to change all of this.

6. Save money. I think this'll be hard in the new year. Last year was the year of weddings and I have a feeling that this year is the year of babies. A lot of my friends are talking about trying, trying soon, actively trying, or are already pregnant. I love me some babies, but I think I was broke in 2011 because of weddings and I'll be broke in 2012 because of babies. That's totally okay because I love helping my friends, being involved and celebrating. I just have to learn to save more elsewhere so I'm not in the hole more often than not this time around.

And that's all. My resolutions for 2012. I hope I can stick with the majority of them, in some capacity. I won't beat myself up over it if I don't. If I have a lull, I'll jump right back on the wagon.

Here's to making 2012 the best it can be.

New Years Eve Shenanigans

2012-01-04T11:07:00.000-05:00

Well, I knew my NYE would be great when I made plans with some awesome out of town friends. But, to recap, we bought tickets to the Lightning vs. Hurricanes game. Being that my friends came in from North Carolina, I thought it would be perfect for some friendly rivalry. Bonus? The Lightning won. But, anyway, I was excited to show them our new Forum (we had $40 million done in renovations from all padded seats, cup holders for everyone, a new organ section, plus more). It was one of the most fun times I've had at a game ever, but I attribute that to the company :)

After, we headed to The Stone Soup Company for dinner. It was recommended by my friend Tracy and I just had to try it!

Pesto Spinach Pasta: Fresh spinach and mushrooms sauteed in a pesto cream and truffle oil with feta over linguine

Shrimp Seafood Pasta: Lobsta Chowda soup reduced with chunks of white fish, shrimp and lobster sauteed with a hint of curry over linguine

"Fabulous" French Onion Soup: One of the best I've ever had

The "Real" Cuban: Roasted mojo pork grilled and roasted mixed with sliced ham, Swiss cheese, mayo-mustard sauce, pickle and served with mojo juice for dipping

Given that we also ate a whole pizza at the hockey game, I was so stuffed when we were done.

Next, it was time to secure a table at one of our favorite spots, Centro Cantina. We have a friend who is a bartender here and we come here at least twice a month for some drinks and relaxation. This place has a number of those swirly slushy alcoholic beverages. My favorite is Grape Crush because it tastes like Dimetapp. We ended up with a pretty great view (even though the tower on the parking garage hid the fireworks I was so desperate to see) and we enjoyed the set list this live band was playing. We danced, we sang, we rang in 2012!

Happy 2012!

*Note: I fully intended on posting my lame sauce Resolutions (one being to not procrastinate anymore- see how successful I am already?), but that's more boring than blogging pictures of delicious food and me dancing with a silly hat on.

My Goodies, My Goodies

2011-12-29T17:01:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, I'm totally late on posting about my Christmas! I idiotically thought that the craziness would wind down once Christmas was over and done with, but no. I've been frantically trying to find something to do for NYE (we have friends in town and want to show them a good time), as well as making dinner plans and happy hour plans with friends (including a couple who just announced their pregnancy)! Of course, the dinner plans are with this couple, not the happy hour plans ;)

So, my Christmas officially started when Krystal announced that she was driving up to her house here to hang out a little bit and pick up their Christmas decorations. She planned on passing the outlet malls that I was shopping at (where I picked up this gem)...

and she wanted to stop by with my Christmas gifts! (We were uncertain if we'd see each other again before the holiday.) I got so many goodies, you guys!

This print is perfect.

Plus, socks, more notecards, glow bracelets, lip balm and felt wall art that says Home Sweet Home!

Then, the weekend before Christmas, some of my friends and I decided to go to dinner at a Japanese steakhouse and exchange presents. We gathered everything and met outside of the restaurant in a small courtyard area where nobody was because it was a little chilly.

Here, I got lots more goodies!!

From my friend Autumn:

Vera bracelet :)

A very pretty scarf that TingTing is so lovingly modeling for you all.

Plus, nail polishes, bubble bath and really cute notepads with my initial on them.

From my friend Jess:

I love Vera! And so many pockets!

From my BFF Jackie:

Every year, she gets me something to promote breast cancer awareness, a cause that is very near and dear to me.

Alessi EVOO

Alessi Pasta Sauce

Alessi Balsamic Vinegar

along with a bamboo cutting board (hello, awesome!) and some pasta that was unlike anything I've had before. I made the pasta with the sauce last night for dinner. Delicioso!

The next night, it was time for our Ugly Sweater party, hosted by Autumn, Will and their cat Ricky!

Before going to the party, I was helping my mom with some stuff at her house and she insisted that I wear this reindeer headband she got for me and take a picture with her dog so she could enter us in the Cutest Holiday Photo contest online.

(I swear I'm not squishing her haha)

When the boyfriend got there later, she made us take a picture together.

Then, the week to Christmas was a whirlwind! My mom was moving and I promised to help, I had stuff to bake, I had plans to make and last minute wrapping to complete. Finally, Christmas Eve was upon us. We gathered at my mom's house, with the boyfriend's family, and had lunch. Here, the boyfriend and I received a matching shirt from Jackie and her hubby:

After lunch, the boyfriend insisted on me opening my Christmas gift from him. I was excited, but I think he was more excited than me! He just couldn't wait. If you read my latest post, you know what it is, but anyway, he made me wear my Badger beanie so I couldn't see what it was as he placed it on my lap. Then, when I opened my eyes, the most beautiful thing ever was there!

AND THENNNN, we headed to my grandfather's house to celebrate with my dad's side of the family with a nice Cuban and Italian dinner. I got lots of cash and gift cards, as well as:

My mom is incredibly sentimental and was upset about this being the first year that she would be alone Christmas morning. So, the boyfriend and I stayed the night. In the morning, we had coffee and I opened my gifts from mom. She got me a vanity with a chair and drawer and everything (awesome because I do my makeup in the bathroom now), a large jewelry box, more cash monies, more socks (can't have enough), a machine that dries your nails in 2 minutes (squeeeee!) and some other randoms.

For lunch, we headed to the boyfriend's brother's house for time with his family. We got annual passes to Busch Gardens as well as some gift cards!

And then while everyone relaxed after a heavy meal, the boyfriend pushed his nephew around in his car. What a great way to end the day :)

I hope everyone had an amazing holiday! If I don't check in before the new year, have a safe evening and say hello to 2012!

My Most Favoritest Christmas Gift

2011-12-27T11:01:00.000-05:00

Oh yes ladies. I am now the proud owner of a white Kitchenaid Artisan stand mixer! The boyfriend got it for me so I can be the happiest little cook in all the land!

Guest Post: Amber from Brunch With Amber

2011-12-23T08:15:00.000-05:00

Well, well, well we have another guest post from a favorite of mine: Amber from Brunch with Amber! If you don't already follow her, be sure to do so! I love all of her posts and don't forget to link up with her and Neely for It's Ok Thursdays!

*****

Well hey there Starving, Insatiable readers!I'm Amber, and I blog over at Brunch with Amber. I also tweet like a mad woman.

I like talking about a little bit of everything in my life. My amazing family, my fabulous friends and my super hot boyfriend. Feel free to come by and read about my shenanigans!When Jen said she needed some guest posters, I decided to share my Christmas wish list with all of you!I could go on and on about things I'll never in a million years get, but instead.. I'll be more realistic with y'all today. ;)I have a pair of olive colored TOMS and I LOVE them. But since red is my favorite color, I must get these. Hands down, comfiest shoes ever. If you don't own any, go get some. Now!

Source: toms.com via Amber on Pinterest

Although I live in Texas, it still gets pretty cold here, and I think I'd look extra cute in a new Northface fleece.

Source: thenorthface.com via Amber on Pinterest

A girl can never have too many lotions and potions. My 2 all-time favorite perfumes are J'Adore by Christan Dior and Daisy by Marc Jacobs. Smells like heaven!

Source: sephora.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: search.ulta.com via Amber on Pinterest

Since one of my "resolutions" for 2012 is to take better care of my skin, I think I'd really benefit from having one of those fancy Clarisonic cleansers. I'll take pink please!

Source: polyvore.com via Amber on Pinterest

My current laptop is starting to fail on me, and I'm thinking it's time to get a new one. A macbook sounds lovely, doesn't it?

Source: google.it via Amber on Pinterest

And, as always.. I'm appreciative of any and all gift cards, but mostly ones to Starbucks and Amazon. Because you can never have too much coffee, or enough money to buy books on your Kindle!I hope you all have a VERY Merry Christmas/Kwanzaa/Hannakuh and get all that is on YOUR list! :)Stop by and say hi sometime!

*****

Thanks Amber!

Also, this is the last post until after the holidays! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

5 Years and a Holiday Festival

2011-12-22T09:21:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe I've been with the boyfriend for half a freaking decade now. It's been a normal relationship, full of love and arguments (mostly love...awww) and fun. I'm excited for the next 5 years. Our anniversary was on December 9th so that night we ate at Ruby Tuesday with a BOGO coupon and saw New Years Eve (with free movie tickets) in theaters. We are nothing if not simple- we have a good time no matter where we go or what we do.

New Years Eve was really cute, by the way.

On December 10th (Saturday), we had a day planned of attending a holiday festival in St. Petersburg, eating at a fancy restaurant (I had a gift card!) and staying at a hotel for the night.

Well, when it's Christmas in Florida, we have a lot of festivals with or without fake snow, but mostly with lots of heat and sunshine. So, when I saw that St. Pete was having a holiday fest, complete with live music, vendors, a chili cook-off and food trucks, I was totally roped in!

As soon as we arrived, we headed straight for the food trucks, deciding on Michelle Faedo's On The Go because their menu was the most appetizing. We decided on a stuffed potato (not pictured) and chicken wings.

They were pretty much the most perfect wings ever.

Other trucks included:

Fire Monkey

Fat Tortillas

Gone Bananas! This truck features frozen banana treats and whipped banana frozen yogurt. Everything is organic, gluten-free and vegan. And oh so yummy!

Toppings to the whipped banana include: chocolate syrup, maple syrup, rainbow sprinkles, chocolate sprinkles, peanut butter, almond joy, dark chocolate chips, cookie crumbs, walnuts, almonds, blueberries, pecans, strawberry swirl, graham crackers and coconut.

I opted for peanut butter.

We also had Wicked 'Wiches, which may be the most known food truck around.

We were interested in everything on the menu, but ultimately decided on Mama's Meatloaf.

In case you can't read the menu, Mama's Meatloaf sandwich is composed of a hearty slice of meatloaf, french fried onions, potato stix and mama's sunday dinner sauce. With the sandwich, we got a side of sweet potato chips with caramel dripped over them. Whoa, so good.

Next was Mediterranean Fusion...

And I had a yum greek salad.

And lastly, we took home a dozen cupcakes from The Cuppin Cake!

We went home with some Choc-O-Nutter, Cherry Bomb (cherry icing on a cake made of delicious and Red Bull), Vanilla Peppermint, White Chocolate Raspberry, Apple Pie a la Mode, and Vanilla Buttercream.

We left a little early and missed the other food trucks that were scheduled, but we did stay for the Chili Cook-off!

This one was my favorite from Alfresco's at the Vinoy Renaissance Hotel & Resort..

The weather was perfect so we made sure to relax by the water too!

That's the St. Pete Pier in the background!

Later, when we went to the hotel, we saw a sign that said that the restaurant we were going to go to was closed for holiday parties! The entire reason that we want to go to that restaurant and stay at the adjoining hotel was because we had a gift card and we figured we could both have a great night of food and lots o' drinks and then just walk to our room without having to drive anywhere! But, once we saw that the restaurant was closed, we just cancelled the whole thing. Which ended up being fine because we were beyond stuffed from the holiday festival. We will re-plan the whole thing for January when the restaurant is in full effect again!

Guest Post: Casey from Stress Case

2011-12-21T09:31:00.000-05:00

We have another guest post! I'm so glad I've had some people volunteer. I had found myself with less and less time for anything. Anyway, Casey signed up! I'm a new reader of her blog and I love it. You should too! She's cute, funny, entertaining. Enjoy the guest post (I know I did!) and then go follow her blog!

*****

Hello, friends of Jennifer! I am so honored to be spending some time here on Starving, Instiable! I only wish I could be half as funny as JLo is! My name is Casey, and I blog over at Stress Case!

When racking my brain for what I could blabber on about here in Jen's little corner of the Blog World, Neely's most recent Holiday Blog Challenge came to mind (which me and Jen both participated in!).One of the topics was Goals or Resolutions for 2012.Now, the term Resolutions really leaves a sour taste in my mouth, so I never use it. For me, it just seems to be begging for failure, so I shared my Top 10 Things I'd Like to do in 2012, and I thought I'd share a little bit about some of those with y'all today!Here goes:

1. Buy a condo.

Yup, we want to become home owners this year. We live with my parents (ahem, in the bedroom I grew up in...now living here with my husband), and we have made that short-term sacrifice for our long-term goal of becoming homeowners before we reach the age of 25!

2. Start making lunch more often.

I never make lunch. I'm a nurse, and I work right next to the hospital and I always always always eat at the hospital cafeteria. I'd like the start making lunches to a. benefit the pocketbook a little more, and b. stop having to choke down hospital food every day.

3. Work out more often.

This year, I started working out regularly for the first time in my life. I started (and almost completed) C25K, and did participate in my very first 5K! Then, I started working fulltime, and life got in the way of my newfound healthy habits. I have totally slacked off and not only do I not feel as good, but my jeans are a leetle too tight for my liking nowadays. Time to get back on the fitness wagon!

Me and my cousin, friend, and fellow blogger, Tutor Girl after we ran our 5K back in May.

4. Read more books.

Self explanitory - love reading, need to get some more reading time in in 2012!

5. Further my nursing education.

I have talked about nursing education on my blog HERE if you're interested in finding out the little path I'm on. I would really really love to get my RN licensure in 2012, but if not completed, I'd like to at least carve a huge chunk out of the process!

6. Visit my family on the East Coast.

I have family in Delaware and Virginia, some of which I haven't seen in years. Also, my Handsome Hubster hasn't been to the East Coast ever! Need to show that guy what a real Philly cheesesteak looks like, and I'd like for him to see Times Square for himself and not in a movie!

7. Support my Hubster as he starts law school in the Fall.

That's right, I've got a future lawyer on my hands. My sweet and super smart Handsome Husband is planning to start law school in Fall of 2012, and I want to be his number one cheerleader as he buries himself in textbooks and mock trial for 3+ years!

8. Grow my wardrobe in a thrifty and practical way.

I like to think I am a pretty thrifty shopper, but I'd like get a bit more pratical. Probably could do without another hot pink skirt or leapard print top - need to get some more high quality basic pieces up in this closet! You can see some of my favorite outfits that I've shared on the blog HERE.

9. Do more things with my girlfriends!

I love my lady friends, and need to never forget to make them a priority in my life!

See more wedding photos HERE.

10. Start thinking about having a little kidlet.

Key word: Thinking.

See HERE.
(and also HERE.)

Thanks for having me, Jennifer! I hope I didn't bore y'all to death with my non-resolutions - come take a looksie at my little corner of the blogosphere sometime!

*****

Thanks Casey!! :)

I went Old Navy shopping, courtesy of Krystal!

2011-12-20T08:30:00.000-05:00

Crowdtap is a pretty awesome website, you guys. You answer poll questions, get points, get items, money, whatever. You should sign up. Luckily for Krystal and me and some other friends of hers, she was selected as a Old Navy shopper...or something and what that meant was that she scored these amazing coupons (1 for her and 3 for friends). Each coupon entitled the holder to a FREE sweater, FREE pants and FREE winter accessory! Holy cow! So, I went shopping and I only allowed myself to buy the items on the list...no more because I'm poor. Anyway, here is what I got:

Women's Cable-Knit Cardigan (black)

Women's Chunky-Knit Scarf (marshmallow white)

Women's Perfect Khakis (black)

My office environment is completely casual so I wear whatever I want if we aren't meeting clients. If we do have a client appointment, it's appropriate to wear nice jeans and a nice shirt, if you don't feel like wearing slacks. The black khakis are a perfect in-between! And they are so cozy. I've actually fallen asleep in them haha. On accident, of course.

And the best part of this whole thing? I saved over $80! Thanks to Krystal and Crowdtap for the awesome coupon!

My Favorite of the Week!

2011-12-19T14:05:00.000-05:00

So, while Christmas shopping is done, I still have a buttload of presents to wrap. And I'm probably the world's slowest wrapper because I'm terrible at it, but still try to get it perfect and then my paper is all wrinkly and ugly from trying to fold the same part of the paper over and over again. Anyway, I went to dinner last night with 3 friends of mine and we exchanged Christmas gifts. I got some really great things (I'll blog those later), but I got this amazing DVD that I watched as I wrapped presents.

Oh yes, friends. A DVD of all of Britney's music videos! I was in heaven while watching/listening to the DVD and wrapping gifts! It was amazzeeee. So, this is my favorite of the week.

What's yours??

Guest Post: Danielle from And Then There Were Three

2011-12-16T09:54:00.000-05:00

Guys! We have a special guest today! Danielle, who is my real life friend, immediately said yes when I asked if she wanted to guest post. You see, I personally think more people should follow her blog so go do it...now! Anyway, given that tons of bloggers are either new moms or are pregnant or trying for a baby, her post is perfect! Check out her baby must-haves. Oh, and she summarizes our history, complete with some embarrassing photos. Hehe

******

Let me start off by saying that I'm excited to guest post over here on Jen's blog!

Let me tell you a quick back story on us...

We met through Coke (no, not the coke you're thinking, but like Coca-Cola aka Pop aka Soda)

when we worked together at the horrible place.

Want to really know what we did all day long?

Draw penis pictures & laugh hysterically....

while we were supposed to be on the phones.

or jumping because we're ra-tards.

Oops.

Oh..and don't hate us because we also met Tori Spelling.

And ew, I look so gross. I was like 5 months preggo & this is around 10pm at night after being at work alllll day long. What a girl does to meet someone she loves...

We've known each other for roughly 3 going on 4 years..holy crap! I didn't realize it was that long.

Anyways, so my blog is pretty much like this post- all over the crazy world.

WHY?

Well, it could be that I have an adorable (so what if I'm biased) 14 going on 15 month old & she keeps me busy so when I get the time to relax my mind is going in 500 different directions. I'm also studying for my RN and I work 3 days a week. Phew. Did that make you tired just reading it?

Oh, my name is Danielle..I forgot to mention that.

So, let's continue with baby MUST HAVES.

1) Summer infant baby monitor:

This is a 100% no questions asked MANDATORY item! In my book. Rylee didn't start sleeping in her own bedroom until she was 6 months old & I'm SO thankful I had this. I love being able to look at her every second if I want to- or if she made a peep I was able to turn over & see what was going on without having to get out of my bed. I still use this, every single day/night, and I absolutely LOVE it.

This was taken today when I peeked over & she was snuggled up with her blanket. :) PS. I don't know why it has lines in it- it really doesn't in person.

2) Changing pad:

You know, we never bought a changing table because I thought it was a waste of space, but I will say I'm glad that we are using her dresser as our changing table for now. We just bought a pad & there we had it. I still use this changing pad for every single diaper change.

3) Portable place mat

This isn't my kid. I stole this online ;)

I'm a freak about her eating off the table. I think it's disgusting. I always ask someone if they question why I do what I do "would you do that?!" Would you eat off of a nasty table? I don't think so..or at least I wouldn't. So, we bought this handy dandy thing. I love it because it's reusable and it catches the food if they drop it in front of them! Rylee has now mastered throwing food everywhere, though, so this thing doesn't catch a lot of hers. :P

4) Medela Breast Pump

I know not everyone breastfeeds, but if you're even going to attempt it a pump is 100% necessary. I was fortunate enough to nurse Rylee for a full year and I used this pump EVERY single day up until she was 11 months old. It helped me spend the small ($300) fortune to buy it when I realized my insurance reimbursed me for it! :D I've never used a different brand for a pump, but I just knew if I was going to spend any amount of money on something like this I wanted the best. I love, love, love my pump & for now it's sitting in the closet until #2 comes along.

5) City Mini Stroller

I knew I never wanted a travel system because they are way too big & bulky. And heavy too. I'm a little girl. I need something that's light. We went to the store & tested out all sorts of strollers. I fell in love with this one. You can easily fold this baby up with one hand..seriously..it's like a mothers dream. This is a small fortune, too, but it's so worth it! Go test one out & you'll come back thanking me. and your hubby? he may hate me.

I could really go on & on & on & on about everything I wouldn't skimp out on, but I realize this post is getting long. If you've stayed with me this whole time...THANKS! :) I'm also going to host a giveaway once I hit 100 followers. I'm at 92 now. So, go follow if you like me & maybe you'll win a nice little prize.

******

Thank you, friend! For those of you who have babies, what have been your must-haves? Lets add to the list! And don't forget to check out Danielle's blog!

My MOH Chronicles

2011-12-13T19:56:00.000-05:00

There is nothing quite like being a Maid-Of-Honor. I would know- I was lucky enough to be one in my BFF's wedding over Thanksgiving weekend! In the months leading up to and especially the day before and of, there was plenty of running around. So so much, but it was so worth it in the end! The running around wasn't too bad anyway! ;)

From the bridal shower to the bachelorette party, from the gift-buying to the MOH speech, everything was perfect! This is a pretty picture-filled post, but it's worth it! Here is the recap of Jackie's wedding festivities:

First, we had her bridal shower in this beautiful clubhouse and I came up with the idea of a candy buffet, which was such a huge hit. We didn't even end up spending too much money- we spent about the same as we would for individual favors. We had spinach dip, fruit salad, buffalo chicken dip, cubans, etc etc foods. Sangria, lemonade, iced tea. I bought a recipe box off of Etsy and had recipe cards made up to insert in the invitations so everyone could bring a recipe for the bride!

And then Jackie got sick right before her scheduled bachelorette party and the doctor said that she should go out to a club and drink and have a good time and basically, if we weren't such a fun group of friends, that doctor would have ruined our time. But, we were able to cancel hotel and VIP reservations and we planned for a dinner and game night at our friend's house instead. (We will still be doing the whole shebang, probably in January).

Lobster & Shrimp with Angel Hair

We played Dream Phone and some other game that is pretty interactive. And we obviously love mustaches.

Then, before we all knew it, it was wedding time! The day before the wedding, we set up the reception hall, had the rehearsal dinner, got our nails done, and then Jackie and I stayed at the hotel downtown, went to dinner downstairs, and she actually slept well!

Our room view.

Vegetable Rigatoni with Shrimp

Cuban Coffee Creme Brulee

Then, the next day, it was time for the wedding and we had my mom and aunt come to the hotel to do makeup, as well as one of the other bridesmaid's mom to do our hair.

All ready to go!

Then, I gave the most nerve-wracking speech ever. And made Jackie cry. And it was success. Winning!

And there was a cupcake tree!

And I took a picture with the boyfriend :)

And perhaps, best of all, there was a photo booth. I've seen more and more photo booths popping up in weddings now- it's practically a staple. And I don't think it ever gets old.

Be prepared for photo overload.

YMCA, anyone?

This picture of my friend Starla cracks me up!

Look! It's Danielle!

so funny story...we were in Key West in September for our other friend's bachelorette party and everyone is dead asleep after a long night of drinking/walking/being Key West vacationers and Jackie screams, at the top of her lungs, "Who the F are you?!". Starla (far left) wakes up and looks around, panicked (obviously). Then, Jackie repeats herself. That's when Starla realizes that Jackie is screaming in her sleep and she tells her to hush. Jackie goes back to sleep and nobody else was woken up. Here, we are re-enacting the scene.

Bridal party!

Fun times :)

I Paint Again!

2011-12-12T23:01:00.000-05:00

As I've described before (Part 1 and Part 2), I'm loving this place nearby called Sketch and Sip. Basically, you sign up for a class with an instructor who will give you very good and detailed instructions on how to paint the scene and you can bring your favorite beverages and snacks! Sketch and Sip is always having deals on Groupon or Living Social and I make sure to purchase at least one every time!

This past Friday, I spent my evening with my friends Brandy and Jackie. There was supposed to be six people in the class, but once it became apparent that the other 3 people wouldn't be attending, Patty, the instructor who we've had before and is excellent, told us that we could choose whichever painted we wanted! Woohoo!

What is it??

A mountain scene with waves breaking!

I think we all did so well. This was Brandy's first time doing a painting class with us and like any newbie, was so convinced that her painting would come out looking like a bunch of doodoo. But, we were all so pleased with the results!

Did I ever share my previous painting experience? I thought I had, but I can't find the post in my archives. So, here it is again...a beach scene, painted with my mom and aunt!

Last month, there was another special and my mom bought us vouchers. So, I'll be going again soon!

Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge: Day 9

2011-12-08T11:10:00.000-05:00

Today's topic is: 2012 Goals/Resolutions

Where do I begin? I had so many goals for myself for 2011 and I feel like I didn't do well enough. Here we go:

Eat right and exercise regularly. Everyone has this resolution, right? I know I have for the past 5 years...or so. Anyway, I'm sick of making the resolution and not keeping it.
Take my daily vitamins. The boyfriend spent a lot of money on healthy, all-natural vitamins like my daily multi, fiber, calcium and I never used them.
Organize the condo. And by organize, I mean clean, donate, get rid of stuff, clean and organize every nook and cranny!!
Buy a dining table. This may seem like a silly resolution. Why don't I just go out and BUY a table right now? Well, simply put: I'm broke. We're broke. I bought this $100 dining set from Wal-Mart and 3 months later, all chairs are broken. The table is wobbly. I want a nice set. One that won't get me issues. And one that probably costs a lot more money.
Write more. I've been a writer for Examiner.com for a handful of months now, but I only have two posts written. Shame, shame, shame on me. I was so busy, but instead of watching endless episodes of Felicity, I could have been writing and gaining exposure for myself.
Write my cookbook. I want to finish it in 2012.
Wear more lingerie. I've been slacking!!

Now that I've shared some of my resolutions, link up and tell us yours!

Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge: Day 8

2011-12-07T08:24:00.000-05:00

Today's topic is: Christmas Wish List

I've been many other bloggers post their Christmas wish lists and I've been itching to do it. But, I knew this topic was coming up! So, here it is...my Christmas Wish List (that I probably won't get because everything is expensive haha)

via

Oh yes, as a self-proclaimed foodie and as a home cook most nights of the week, I'm ashamed to say that I don't own this yet!

via

And some knivesss!! Oh wait, I already bought myself these. Weee!

I saw this on Caroline's post and now I have to have it!

Speaking of Michael Kors, I love him. I've been lusting after this bag:

I love the chains!

Macbook Pro. I have a Macbook already (the all white one), but the Pro...well, I should have just gotten this one to begin with. I think I like it better.

Toms! Specially, these Ash University Rope Sole Women's Classics

Can you believe it? I don't own this movie!!

And last, but FAR from least, an engagement ring. I am pretty positive that 2011 isn't my year, but I hope for it anyway.

Sigh.

What do you want for Christmas??? It's right around the corner!!

Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge: Day 7

2011-12-06T11:35:00.001-05:00

Today's topic is: How do you celebrate the holidays?

Christmas! Every year, we have Christmas Eve dinner of roast pork, black beans and rice, yucca, and salad. We stuff ourselves and then the boyfriend and I head home for some sleep before getting back up and meeting with his family for midnight mass at church. Then, Christmas day, we celebrate with tons more food before we take a nap and eat leftovers at night. It's glorious :)

Tubular Tuesdays Music Linkup # : Soundtrack Songs

2011-12-06T06:05:00.005-05:00

So, here I was, thinking that my favorite week was going to be the 80s or 90s, but then I started saving all of these fabulous soundtrack songs and I'm uber excited to share! *Note: some of these songs don't actually appear on a soundtrack, but they are part of movies/TV shows and well, that's good enough for me.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow- Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (50 First Dates)

This song is so pretty!

Glasgow Love Theme (Love Actually)

Ah, one of my favorite movies ever. This is the song that *I think* I will walk down the aisle to. I love the part in the song that sounds like a grand entrance hehe.

Flightless Bird, American Mouth- Iron & Wine (Twilight)

I'm a fan of Twilight. I'm not afraid to admit it. But, in my opinion, the soundtracks are even better than the movies and books themselves. This song played in the first movie when Edward and Bella dance outside at the prom. It plays again in the most recent movie when Bella walks down the aisle.

The Blower's Daughter- Damien Rice (Closer)

Closer is an excellent movie too! I love this song so hard.

Singing in the Rain- Gene Kelly (Singing In The Rain)

I'm a fan of old movies and boy, am I a fan of Gene Kelly. Yum.

For Me and My Gal- Judy Garland & Gene Kelly (For Me and My Gal)

::sigh::

Leavin' On A Jet Plane- Armageddon Guys (Armageddon)

Marry You- Glee Cast (Glee)
I love this song!

Ain't No Mountain High Enough- Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (Stepmom)

Songbird- Eva Cassidy (Love Actually)

Don't Rain On My Parade- Lea Michele (Glee)

Get It Right- Lea Michele (Glee)

Obvi, I'm a big Glee fan.

Also:

La Vie Boheme- Cast (Rent)
I seriously know every single word- loves it! When Anthony Pascal and Anthony Rapp (the originals) went on tour again for Rent, I saw them 3 times!

And oh man...one of the best musicals EVER (in my opinion) is The Last 5 Years!

The Next 10 Minutes- Norbert Leo Butz & Sherie Rene Scott (The Last 5 Years)
Such a beautiful song.

Defying Gravity- Idina Menzel & Kristin Chenoweth (Wicked)

Link up and tell us your favorite soundtrack songs!

Favorite of the Week! (Game)

2011-12-05T11:41:00.000-05:00

Today, I'm linking up with my friend Erin for Favorite of the Week!

Can I just preface this by saying that I must really love you all to share this?

And that I feel like a dork?

And that I know, I know, this is totally lame.

But, my favorite of the week is...

It's an iPhone game by Zynga. I was playing Hanging with Friends (which is another favorite- add me: JBuggica) and I saw the little advertisement for Dream Zoo. I figured since it was free, that I should give it a try.

I love it. And I feel like the biggest nerd ever.

In this game, you basically maintain a zoo: get animals, breed, get rare breeds and upgrade to Champions, create pathways and decor for visitors, visit other zoos and help out, etc.

It's fun!

Here is part of my zoo:

Do you play any corny games? (I might be interested-haha)

Nail Polish Swap Reveal!

2011-12-05T10:44:00.000-05:00

Lucky me! Lucky me! I was partnered up with one of the bestest bloggers in all the land, Erin, for the nail polish swap hosted by Celia and Tara! Today, all participants share what we received.

I got 5 e.l.f polishes for their holiday collection in that cute, glittery box (!!!) and a Butter London red! Plus, how cutesy is Erin's card??

Here are the details:

in Golden Goddess

in Royal Purple

in Mod Mauve

in Red Velvet

in Metal Madness

So pretty, right??

And the best part? I don't own any of these colors, which is pretty surprising given that I own too many polishes to count.

Here is the Butter London I got:

in Come To Bed Red

Whoa.

When Erin and I were chatting, I mentioned that I have yet to try Butter London and that my bright red polish was almost out (it's one of those colors that I wear most often), so when I received a bright red Butter London, I was ecstatic!!

I have yet to try the polishes because, surprisingly, the french manicure from my friend's wedding over a week ago is still going strong on my hands and feet (I swear, my nail place is the best!..pst...it's not even shellac). Once it wears off, the Butter London will be the first polish I grab. I may even top my ring fingers with the gold glitter!

Thank you, Erin, for everything!! <3

***

My other post today: Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge (Favorite Holiday Desserts/Treats)

WAHOO!!

Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge: Day 6

2011-12-05T08:53:00.000-05:00

Today's topic is: Christmas Dessert/Treat Recipe

Last year for Christmas, I made Raspberry Pound Cake with Vin Santo Cream and it was a hit.

I've also made White Chocolate Peppermint Bark, which was so yummy. This year, I think I'll try Red Velvet Cake!

Thank you, Cuisine at Home magazine!

What treats are you all making this year? Can you send some my way? k thx.

Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge: Day 5

2011-12-02T10:29:00.000-05:00

Today's topic is: Ideal Outfit for Christmas/NYE Festivities

Okay so I don't really dress up for the holidays. I always have the intention and then before I know it, the holidays are upon us and I avoid the malls like the plague. But, I received an Express coupon in the mail the other day and well, I couldn't help but browse the website.

Tell me: Which one is your favorite??

Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge: Day 4

2011-12-01T09:34:00.000-05:00

Today's topic is: Favorite Holiday Movies/TV Specials

My favorite movie to watch every.single.year is ELF!

Can you believe this movie came out almost 10 years ago??

Another favorite, around the holidays and otherwise, is Love Actually (in fact, I think I'll watch it tonight...):

It just doesn't get any better than this:

Or...

Oh, oh! And I love The Grinch!

What are your favorite holiday movies/TV specials??

Giveaway Winner Announced!

2011-12-01T09:17:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago, I posted my giveaway for an Urban Decay eyeshadow palette and a bottle of Sephora brush shampoo and I received a lot of responses! Thanks to everyone who entered!!

The lucky winner is...

Cait! from Fit, Fierce and Fabulous!

Congratulations!

I just sent you an email so make sure to respond within 48 hours or I'll have to pick a new winner and you'll be sad face!

Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge: Day 3

2011-11-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

Today's topic is: Holiday Decor

As much as it pains me to admit, I do not decorate our condo for Christmas. ::gasp:: I know. I just never get around to cleaning/organizing enough so we have room to put extra things up. I don't have room to store decorations. At least, not yet. It's been a very slow, arduous process to get this condo organized. And yet, I keep accumulating more stuff (I have a shopping problem). But, my goal in 2012 is to get the condo organized where everything has a place, everything is put away, everything is stored and clean.

In anticipation of Christmas 2012, I have created a Christmas Inspiration board and I will start adding crafts and ideas so I'm fully prepared for the year ahead!

What Christmas crafts do you recommend?

Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge: Day 2

2011-11-29T10:26:00.000-05:00

Today's topic is: Favorite Holiday Tradition (New or Old)

My boyfriend's mom likes tacky things. I don't really know why, but she appreciates the hell out of a tacky gift. She cherishes it and it makes her laugh. This year will mark our third time getting her a rat nutcracker for Christmas. It's so freaking funny to watch her laugh over it and then proudly display it on her shelf.

Last year, we got her the king rat!

My favorite old (and current) holiday tradition is playing cards with my family. Specifically, King's Court. It's a card game that came out in 1983 and so my family has been playing for 28 years or so. The best way to describe it is "Medieval Uno". It can actually be complicated and people get hardcore.

Oh, how I love the holidays!

Tubular Tuesdays Music Linkup #5: Current

2011-11-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to our weekly linkup! Thanks to everyone who have participated so far! Today, we are discussing our favorite songs of today. To be honest, I don't listen too much to the radio so I'm not as passionate about current music as the past music. But, I still have some favorites!...Here we go!

Train- Marry Me

Thanks to my radio station gig, I worked the Maroon 5/Train concert and got to stay and watch! Whoa. When I say this was one of the best concerts I've ever been to, I mean it. (And I've been to a lot of concerts.) Both acts were amazing. Pat, the lead singer from Train, walked through the paths in the venue, touching peoples' hands (including my own) while singing this song. I developed a crush. I cried. It was awesome. You can read my concert recap here.

Foster the People- Pumped Up Kicks

Cage the Elephant- Aberdeen

Mumford and Sons- Little Lion Man

The Black Keys- Tighten Up

Adele- Someone Like You

Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood- Remind Me

Taylor Swift- Mean

This song is strangely addicting and catchy.

Now, tell us what your favorite songs of today are!

Next week, join us for favorite songs of Soundtracks!

Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge: Day 1

2011-11-28T12:13:00.000-05:00

I'm linking up with Amber and Neely for their holiday blog challenge! It's time to focus on the season! Woo!

Today's topic is: Favorite Gift Received EVER

Well, it's been 27 years of Christmases and I can't think of anything I was happier to receive than my diamond Snowflake necklace last year. The boyfriend bought this necklace and it came in this small box that was in a large box that was surrounded by chocolate and red velvet. I thought it was an engagement ring. And I was a little disappointed. But, once that wore off, I realized that he got me the perfect gift. He put a lot of thought into it (it was the first jewelry he ever got me) and I'll be wearing it this holiday season too.

Favorite of the Week! (Kitchen)

2011-11-28T11:36:00.000-05:00

Happy Cyber Monday! Yay for Ebates! Combine the two and I'm sitting here, entering my credit card information, anticipating cash back, and getting a great deal on a kitchen knife set on the Food Network website. For as much as I cook, you'd think I'd have some knives. Nope, I don't. I have one knife that I bought just because it has a pink handle and I have a large knife that was just here in the condo when I moved in with the boyfriend. I've been eyeing nice knife sets, but nothing was in my budget. At least, nothing that I was interested in. But, today, I found my prized kitchen possession. I can't wait until it ships!

Find Edge Synergy Knife Block Set (17 pc.) by J.A. Henckels International

Ah, love.

Guest Post: Neely from A Complete Waste of Makeup!!

2011-11-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Guys! We have a great blogger in your midst today! Neely is one of the very first blogs I ever read and she was one of my first followers. She's always available on Twitter, email, blogger. Always commenting and replying to comments. I adore her! Given that she's off for a week, she mentioned in her post that she'd be happy to guest post for people and I had to leave a comment asking her to do so here. Chances are you all read her blog anyway, but she's never been here on my blog, as a guest. Please show Neely mega loves and tell her how awesome her post is (and really, it IS)!

*****

Hey Jen's readers! My name is Neely and for those of you who don't know me well I'm fabulous :) haha. Also I blog over at A Complete Waste of Makeup and I twitter like its my job. I am a big drinker of nonfat lattes and wine. I love peanut butter, orbit gum, and anything involving fashion: Tory Burch shoes, handbags, toms, boots. Im pretty sure the invention of the iPhone both ruined and made my life better. I have the most amazeballs people in my life.

When lovely Jen asked me to guest post I was so excited! I have been reading her blog for a long time and I love her humor. She is seriously one of the funniest, sweetest people on the internets :)

Jen by request of Krystal asked me to do a tour of my closet. This video is terrible, because I used my iphone but it is a tour of my crazy large closet. Please excuse the messy shelves, and laundry basket full of dirty clothes :)

ENJOY!

Come check out my blog, its a good time :)

XOXO

Neely

It's OK Thursdays: Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T22:24:00.000-05:00

It's Thanksgiving! I hope you all are as stuffed as me. In fact, if I was going over my MOH speech again and again, I'd probably have fallen into a turkey-induced coma by now. So,

It's Okay...

to eat 3 Thanksgiving dinners. I'm beyond stuffed, but it was all delicious.
to buy my first pair of Spanx and immediately worry about my ability to pee without dribbling on myself.
to not go shopping on Black Friday. I have more important things to do, like wedding preparation! Though I would like the Kitchenaid Stand Mixer that's on super sale.
stay up until 11pm last night to watch Felicity. And then wake up at 1am and watch Felicity until 4am. And then wake back up at 6am and watch even more Felicity. I loved the show then and I love the show now.
to be thankful for bloggers. I used to think it was totally weird to feel thankful for people you didn't even know, but it's not.
to be almost done Christmas shopping!

So, what are you finding to be "okay" today? And more importantly, what goodies did you all consume??

Oh, How Pinteresting: The Baking Edition

2011-11-23T11:44:00.000-05:00

It's Thanksgiving eve! That usually means hours of baking in my teeny kitchen (mostly because I don't have a large food processor that holds everything), but being that it's my BFF's wedding on Saturday and I have yet to write my MOH speech (how do you write a speech to encompass a decade of friendship?!), I'll be spending my evening doing just that. Oh, and getting my hair did because there is probably little that's more unattractive than your MOH's gray hair peeking through in photos.

Anyway, just because I don't have the time to bake doesn't mean that I'm not pinning and drooling over other things that amazing people baked. They aren't all even Thanksgiving-related, but normally, I bake whatever I feel like anyway and it's success. Here are my most recent baking pins:

via

I'm a big fan of Claire's blog and I make sure I never miss a post. Her recipes, well, I die for them. They are so good! And healthier! These are her Pumpkin Almond Chocolate Chip Muffins.

via

Lemon Cake with Raspberry Mousse, by Betty Crocker.

via

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Yogurt cupcakes, by Skinny Taste.

via

Butterfinger Cheesecakes, by Bakers Royale

via

Pumpkin Pound Cake, by Sing For Your Supper

Mmm! Lucky for me, my sister-in-law and her mother are fantastic bakers so I'll get my fair share of sweet treats! After the craziness of this weekend, I think I'll bake at least 2 of these. You know, in preparation for next year because I have to sample and perfect and make sure everything comes out great, right??

Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Tubular Tuesdays Music Linkup #4: 00s

2011-11-22T06:02:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to our weekly link up! Today, we are showcasing our favorite songs from the 00s, non-current. Next week, come back to show us your favorite songs of today! Last time, we discussed the 90s and I swore that even though I had an intense love of everything teenybopper, I wouldn't delve too far into those favorite songs. However, I simply can't hold back. I need teenybopper music like I need oxygen. (In fact, a Christmas without 'Nsync is no Christmas at all, in my opinion. One of my favorite CDs of all time is their holidays one...but it is from the 90s, so moving on.)

So, the following are my 10 favorite teenybopper songs from the 2000s. In all honesty, I know every song by heart on every CD and I will still jam out in my car and sing at the top of my lungs.

'Nsync- It Makes Me Ill (2000)

I know the mini raps. I remember the dance.

Britney Spears- Stronger (2000)

I loved Britney before this video came out, but then my love for her skyrocketed. I wanted, with all of my heart, to be able to dance with a chair like that.

BBMak- Back Here (2000)

Seriously. All of these guys were good looking. Especially Christian. Yum.

O-Town- All or Nothing (2001)

How's about that Krystal and I once stood outside of a Walmart for hours in line, waiting to meet them. We were with 3 other girls and each of us bought a present for one member of the group. And we got signatures. And we ate McDonalds. And Krystal got sick and puked in the bathroom. Hhahaha.

98 Degrees- My Everything (2000)

Actually, their best CD was released in 1998, but I forgot about them last week!!

Ok, now that I've listed out my favorite songs from my teenybopper days (notice: I didn't include the Backstreet Boys because...yuck), here are my favorite non-teenybopper songs!

Jimmy Eat World- No Sensitivity (2000)

American Hi Fi- Wall of Sound (2001)

Motion City Soundtrack- My Favorite Accident (2003)
No Doubt- Simple Kind of Life (2000)

Vanessa Carlton- Ordinary Day (2002)

Something Corporate- Cavanaugh Park (2000)
Brand New- The No Seatbelt Song (2001)
Saves the Day- Nightingale (2001)
The Juliana Theory- Don't Push Love Away (2000)
Hinder- Lips of an Angel (2005)
Foo Fighters- All My Life (2002)
Augustana- Boston (2005)

And finally: EVERYTHING from EVERY album from Dashboard Confessional. In case you did not know, my blog title comes from one of their songs. They are my favorite group of all time. Love me some Chris Carrabba.

Your turn! Link up and tell us your favorite 2000s songs! Next week, come back for songs of today. The week following, it's time for Soundtrack songs!

Favorite of the Week!

2011-11-21T11:05:00.000-05:00

Link up with Erin!

You all need to go link up with Erin; she's awesome! Always commenting, blogging, interacting on Twitter. And she was my partner for Celia and Tara's nail polish swap! (Because I adore her mucho mas, I added some extras to her package!)

Anyway, Ulta has a deal running where if you spend $30 or more in perfume, you get a free ice bucket and two wine glasses. Of course, I convince myself that I was running low on my Dior J'adore so I could get some freebies. I opted for the Burberry Body perfume. It's perfect!! A close second was Coach's Poppy.

What perfume do you all use?

*****

Ps: Don't forget to enter my giveaway! There is an Urban Decay palette and Sephora brush shampoo up for grabs! 8 days left to enter!

Pps: Also remember to link up with me and Krystal for Tubular Tuesdays tomorrow! We are discussing our favorite songs of the 2000s!

Mustaches Make Everything Better

2011-11-20T09:44:00.000-05:00

Last night, we had my BFF's bachelorette party. As I mentioned before, we had to change all of our plans because she got sick and was given instructions by her doc to not drink too much and to take it easy for the next week if she wanted to be better for her wedding next weekend. We originally had the VIP rooftop area reserved in a local club overlooking downtown St. Petersburg (and we will still do that after the holidays!), but given the circumstances, we decided just to have dinner and then do game night at our friend's house.

We played a sex question game, we played Dream Phone (who remembers this game?? lololol), and others and we just had a blast. One of the best parts were the $1 mustaches I bought from Party City. Some of the girls had to leave, but the 5 remaining took so many photos:

Mustaches make everything funnier.

Book Club Friday- Chronicle Books' Happy Haulidays

2011-11-18T09:24:00.000-05:00

Link up with Heather!

Last week, I spoke about my love for the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series and since then, I've started Book #2: The Girl Who Played With Fire. It's so good, you guys. In the beginning, there is a whole bunch of paragraphs that talk about mathematics because, for whatever reason, that's what Dragon Tattoo girl is interested in, but even that is good. I'm still surprised I didn't get through these sooner.

Anyway, I decided to do something a little different for Book Club Friday. I have the opportunity at Chronicle Books to win $500 worth of books of my choosing! They are giving away $500 in books (each!) to one blogger, one commenter on the winning blog, and one charity. And the winner gets to choose the commenter who wins AND the charity that gets the books. So make sure you comment on this POST! It could be YOU!

Here are the books I'd pick and if you are the winning commenter, you get the same books as me!

Whew, that's a lot for $500! I love me some cookbooks! I would then give $500 worth of books (which would be different than my list, obvi) to a local charity called It's All About Kids. They are a non-profit children's advocacy organization that provides mentoring enrichment programs and promotes Literacy Campaigns to academically at-risk children in the community. Make sure you comment on this post for a chance to win!

*****

**Don't forget to enter my giveaway for an Urban Decay palette and Sephora brush shampoo!!**

It's OK Thursdays

2011-11-17T14:59:00.000-05:00

I'm linking up with Neely and Amber!

It's Okay...

- to need to buy spanx because the bridesmaids dress you bought is a tad bit tight than you remember it being. HAhAHA. oops. Maybe I should have laid off on the Pizza Rolls.

- to have my TV on in the background as I work from home.

- to have to completely change the plans for my BFF's bachelorette party this weekend. The poor thing has a chest infection, can't go drinking, and has to rest, rest, rest if she wants to be okay for her wedding next weekend. So now we are having a quiet dinner and a game night at our other friend's house.

- to listen to the Glee station on Pandora. :)

- to be re-watching Felicity. That show was always the best! Ben, FTW!

- to still be begging my boyfriend for another dog. Eventually he'll give in, right?

- to throw in a little something(s) extra in the package for my awesome nail polish swap partner, Erin!

200 Followers Giveaway!!

2011-11-16T10:16:00.000-05:00

Thank You!!

Woohoo! Yeah, I'm dancing like Napolean Dynamite! Thanks to all you people who actually like me and especially to those who RT'ed to try to gather me followers; whatever we all did worked! I got my 200th follower last night and all of you- You're quality. I always said that 200 was my goal (of course, my goal will increase again, now that I know I can make it) and I am stoked that it's here. Who knew I'd "meet" such wonderful blog people that I actually like to interact with more than most people I know in person? Heh heh.

Can we have a mega Blogger meetup? I promise to bring my most fun self. And candy.

Anyway, I knew I'd eventually get here so I was proactive and bought 2 items that I know all of you could probably use! This is not a sponsored post- I'm just happy and thankful and wanted to show it! So, what's up for grabs?

Urban Decay Mariposa Palette (via)

It's new, it's exclusive (apparently; what is exclusivity anyway?), and a limited edition. The set contains 10 hues and comes with a travel size eyeshadow brush. Who has and loves the Naked Palette? We all know UD makes some amazing products! So excited!

Sephora Purifying Brush Shampoo To-Go (6 oz.) (via)

With all the gunk that can form on makeup brushes, you neeeed a way to clean them.

UP FOR GRABS:

Urban Decay's Mariposa Palette AND Sephora's Purifying Brush Shampoo To-Go

(There will only be one winner. The winner will get both items.)

MANDATORY ENTRY:

Must be a follower of my blog; comment and say hi! (1 entry)

EXTRA:

Follow me on Twitter (@JLoBug) and leave a comment saying you do. (1 entry)
Tweet about this giveaway. You can use: "Enter @jlobug's 200 followers GIVEAWAY to win an Urban Decay Palette AND Sephora Brush Shampoo! http://jlobug.blogspot.com." Make sure you leave the link to your tweet in the comments section! (2 entries)
"Like" my new Facebook fan page! Ok, I just created this last night so it needs some obvious work, but I'll get there. (2 entries)
Blog about this giveaway. (3 entries)
Tell me what your most beloved beauty product is! I'm always looking for new things to try. It can be for your face, eyes, skin, lip, anything! (1 entry)

Feel free to either leave all entries in one comment or break it down into multiple comments. Either way will be fine.

This giveaway will run until Wednesday, November 30th at midnight EST. At that time, I will select a winner using Random.org. I will announce the winner here and send an email to the lucky one. If the winner does not respond withing 48 hours, I will select a new winner.

Good luck!! :)

Tubular Tuesdays Music Linkup #3: 90s

2011-11-15T05:46:00.002-05:00

So how about Krystal and I were the biggest boyband fans EVER? Seriously, no, we were. No one could have topped us. We were stalkers and crazies and I'm pretty sure if I saw Ashley Parker Angel outs and abouts, I'd still jump his bones. The 90s bred the boy band fever, which lasted into Y2K. I was going to dedicate this entire 90s (and my 2000s) post to my favorite boy band songs, but if I did that, I would have, oh....approximately 50,000 songs listed here. So, while it is hard to resist the temptation, here is a completely normal post on my favorite 90s songs :)
The Cure- Friday I'm In Love (1991)This song comes on our local station all the time and I never, ever change the radio when it's on! You just can't! It's such an amazing song by The Cure!
5ive- When the Lights Go Out (1998)
'N Sync- Tearin' Up My Heart (1998)
Radiohead- Creep (1992)
Presidents of the United States- Peaches (1995)"Peaches come from a can! They were put there by a man!"- haha perfection
Bone Thugs N Harmony- Crossroads (1996)This music video scared me, but I loved the song!
Hanson- MMMBop (1997)
Alanis Morissette- Hand In My Pocket (1995)
Aqua- Barbie Girl (1997)
Soundgarden- Black Hole Sun (1994)
Others:Nirvana- Smells like Teen Spirit (1991)TLC- Waterfalls (1994)Oasis- Wonderwall (1995)The Fugees- Killing Me Softly (1996)Joan Osborne- One of Us (1995)Fione Apple- Criminal (1996)Weezer- Buddy Holly (1994)Montell Jordan- This Is How we do It (1995)The Black Crowes- She Talks to Angels (1990)Jewel- You Were Meant for Me (1995)LFO- Summer Girls (1999)Smashing Pumpkins- 1979 (1996)Bryan Adams- (Everything I Do) I Do it for You (1991)
Now, link up! Share your favorite 90s songs!

Linkup: My Favorite of the Week!

2011-11-14T09:02:00.000-05:00

Today I'm linking up with Erin for Favorite of the Week!

My Favorite of the Week is Nene from Real Housewives of Atlanta. I love all of the Real Housewives series and Atlanta isn't my favorite, but Nene cracks me up.

"I'm a size 10. I could be a size 8 if I wanted to, but I'm effin hungry."

Reminder!

2011-11-13T23:20:00.000-05:00

The 90s were a great decade, huh? Do you like to jam out to these songs in your car? Do you remember watching Pop-Up Video and wanting to get so.many.CDs? Are you constantly trying to find awesome songs to download? Then please linkup Tuesday with Krystal and me for Tubular Tuesdays: The 90s Edition!

Me? I'm starting on my Tuesday post now because I have way too many songs to share!

See you all there!

Review: Little Old Lady Recipes Cookbook

2011-11-12T10:07:00.008-05:00

I have been given the opportunity to review Little Old Lady Recipes: Comfort Food and Kitchen Table Wisdom. This book is dedicated to classic food and the people who have passed those recipes down from generation to generation.

The main premise behind this cookbook by Meg Favreau is that we can go back to the simple foods that started it all- before kitchen equipment and these fancy spices and oils (though truffle oil in mac & cheese is amazing); back to the comforting foods that we all had during family dinners. The author gathered recipes and kitchen table wisdom (such as, "There isn't much a good cake won't fix") from generations of women and shared both with us all.

The cookbook is broken down into the following sections:

Breakfasts and Coffee Klatch
Soups, Salads, and Casseroles
Appetizers and Refreshments
Suppers and Side Dishes
Sweets and Treats

I was immediately drawn to the Greatest Green Bean Casserole so I decided to give it a try.

Greatest Green Bean Casserole (serves 6)

Ingredients:

4 cups frozen green beans (the skinny ones), thawed

Can of cream of mushroom soup

1 3/4 cups fried onions

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup Parmesan

Ground pepper

Directions:

Mix the green beans, soup, 1 cup of the fried onions, milk, Parmesan, and a little bit of pepper in a bowl.

Scoop into a casserole dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the casserole is set.

Top with the remaining fried onions.

***

See? It's so simple and it's so delicious. Other recipes that caught my attention were: Macaroni and Cheese Casserole, Deviled Eggs, Ladies' Party Punch, Chicken and Dumplings, Pierogies, and Bread Pudding.

I know this cookbook will become a staple in my kitchen. These are so many dishes whose ingredients are from items you would normally find in your cabinets anyhow.

Go buy this book! (Amazon)

Book Club Friday (to prove just how behind on reading I am)

2011-11-11T09:51:00.000-05:00

I think this is my first time linking up for Book Club Friday. Really? Fail on me.

Anyway, I remember that at some point, I used to be the person who would buy books as soon as they came out. I would splurge on hardcover because I just had to read the newest book. I'd make tons of book recommendations to friends. Now, I'm finding myself behind on the popular series. I'm confuzzled as to how this happened. A couple of months ago, I found myself being the only one who hadn't read The Hunger Games series. So, I promptly checked out the books at my local library and loved them. After, I found myself being the only person who hadn't read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. Although, I did try to read the first novel and I stopped before I got to the 3rd chapter. I blame it on the fact that I was on a cruise with my girl friends and we didn't really allow for any down time. Now, I'm on the first book and I think the series is amazing!!

From Amazon: A spellbinding amalgam of murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue.

It’s about the disappearance forty years ago of Harriet Vanger, a young scion of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden . . . and about her octogenarian uncle, determined to know the truth about what he believes was her murder.

It’s about Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently at the wrong end of a libel case, hired to get to the bottom of Harriet’s disappearance . . . and about Lisbeth Salander, a twenty-four-year-old pierced and tattooed genius hacker possessed of the hard-earned wisdom of someone twice her age—and a terrifying capacity for ruthlessness to go with it—who assists Blomkvist with the investigation. This unlikely team discovers a vein of nearly unfathomable iniquity running through the Vanger family, astonishing corruption in the highest echelons of Swedish industrialism—and an unexpected connection between themselves.

It’s a contagiously exciting, stunningly intelligent novel about society at its most hidden, and about the intimate lives of a brilliantly realized cast of characters, all of them forced to face the darker aspects of their world and of their own lives.

I'm getting super into it- reading into the wee hours of the morning (or, you know, more like 1am).

Someone please tell me I wasn't the last one to try these books out.

BBC's Top 100 Books of All Time

2011-11-10T09:41:00.000-05:00

I was reading Hannah's blog yesterday and saw her do this same post. Here I was thinking I've read a trillion classic and awesome books and this list put me to shame. Thanks a lot, BBC. Now, I've added a bunch of books to my to-read list. Here is the list (the bold titles are the ones I've read):

1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen- Can I just say how awesome all versions of this movie are? Cause they are.
2. The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series – JK Rowling- Duh!!! I live for these books.
5. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee- I may or may not have read this. I don't remember.
6. The Bible- Well, I haven't done through the WHOLE thing, but I've read and know the basics.
7. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
11. Little Women – Louisa M Alcott- Great movie; great book!
12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 – Joseph Heller- My favoritest book ever!
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger- For once, I thought the movie was better than the book. The book is crazy confusing.
20. Middlemarch – George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House – Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
34. Emma – Jane Austen
35. Persuasion – Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne
41. Animal Farm – George Orwell
42. The DaVinci Code – Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving
45. The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies – William Golding
50. Atonement – Ian McEwan- I love this movie! Mostly because James McAvoy is in it.
51. Life of Pi – Yann Martel
52. Dune – Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World – Aldous Huxley- One of my favorites.
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
62. Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History – Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road – Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
69. Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick – Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
72. Dracula – Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses – James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath- Another favorite!
77. Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal – Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession – AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas – David Mitchel
83. The Color Purple – Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte’s Web – EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
94. Watership Down – Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet – William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

27 out of 100, Jennifer, really? Shame on me.

Which books have you read? Are there any that you think should be on the list, but isn't?

What I'm Loving Wednesday: Journals

2011-11-09T15:20:00.000-05:00

Link up here!

Aside from the amazing birthday love I received yesterday (seriously, thank you to everyone!), I am loving journals lately. I've always been a fan of journals, writing for the sake of writing and doodling for the sake of doodling. Krystal is the journaling QUEEN, though. Every journal I want, have, love came from her ideas through her Pinterest or her blog. She also shares her journal info with me via text so that's always fun. It's because of her that I've spent more money than I should on these things.

One

Wreck This Journal journal:

on Amazon

Well, so I heard about this journal a while back and I bought it because it's so cool! Ashley, a blogger you all should follow because her blog is ammmazzzinngggg, actually has great posts of her Wreck This Journal experience in her archives.

From Amazon: "For anyone who's ever wished to, but had trouble starting, keeping, or finishing a journal or sketchbook comes Wreck This Journal, an illustrated book that features a subversive collection of prompts, asking readers to muster up their best mistake- and mess-making abilities to fill the pages of the book (and destroy them). Acclaimed illustrator Keri Smith encourages journalers to engage in "destructive" acts-poking holes through pages, adding photos and defacing them, painting with coffee, and more-in order to experience the true creative process. Readers discover a new way of art and journal making-and new ways to escape the fear of the blank page and fully engage in the creative process."

I have only completed a couple of pages (I'm non-committal sometimes like that), but I really want to do this and document it. Some of the prompts are so fun!

Two

Smash Journal:

on Amazon

I'm having some fun with this one. I only received it about a week ago and haven't had the opportunity to gather things to place in it, but I will. For those of you who just can't bring yourself to spend money and time on a full-fledged scrapbook, this Smash journal is for you. The concept is that you just "smash" in things (using the "smash stick"- a "stick" with a pen on one end and a glue stick on the other- that comes with it) that you want to keep. There are also stickers, labels, tapes, etc that you can buy to vamp up your smashing!

Three

Vacation journal

from Journals Unlimited

I don't get opportunities to go on too many vacations due to lack of funds, BUT when we do go, we have a great time and we usually have tons of stories to tell. I would love to document our vacations more so I never forget details.

Four

Gadanke Doodle To-Do journal:

from Gadanke

Rather than explain how to use this journal, check out Krystal's awesome post about it here.

Five

One Line A Day book:

on Amazon

Starting on October 31st, I have been documenting events and thoughts of my days. I really like the idea that in one book, I have five years of memories that I can look back on. All it takes is a very short paragraph per day. I admit- every time I write, I wonder if five years later, if I'll remember what I'm writing about or if I'll have to search my memory bank in my brain lol.

Now, if you readers have any journals you recommend, please let me know. I'd love to check them out!

Tubular Tuesdays Music Linkup #2: 80s

2011-11-08T06:02:00.004-05:00

Welcome to week two of Tubular Tuesday, hosted by me and Krystal!

For this particular week, I put off and put off and put off beginning to write this post because I was so overwhelmed. Then, last night, I finally started drafting. It took me all freaking night long (mostly because my iPod is just CONSUMED with high-caliber 80s tunes) but here it is, finally! I hope you all enjoy these songs (and the 80s) as much as I do. Here is to my birth generation. Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! I am 27 years young today!

In celebration of my BIRTHDAY, here is a song about balloons and a song- I think the only song?- with my name in it:

Nena- 99 Red Balloons (1983)

Eric Carmen- Make Me Lose Control (1988)

Now, here are some of my favorite 80s songs and many runners up. Really, I have to put runners up in these linkups and it's not because they are truly runners up, but mostly because I just cannot limit these songs!!

New Kids on the Block- You Got It (The Right Stuff) (1988)

Whitesnake- Here I Go Again (1982)

Asia- Heat of the Moment (1982)

A-Ha- Take On Me (1985)- I remember LOVING this music video!

Wham!- Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (1984)- I had a routine to this song in dance class!

When In Rome- The Promise (1988)

Randy Travis- Forever and Ever, Amen (1987)

Paula Abdul- Straight Up (1988)- I can't believe she was my age when she recorded this song!

Runners up that are not really runners up because they are just as awesome!:

Journey- Open Arms (1981)

Queen & David Bowie- Under Pressure (1981)

Madonna- Like A Prayer (1989)

Cyndi Lauper- Time After Time (1984)

Rick Springfield- Jessie's Girl (1981)

Debbie Gibson- Lost in Your Eyes (1989)

Heart- What About Love (1985)

REO Speedwagon- Keep On Loving You (1980)

Modern English- Melt With You (1982)

Bonnie Tyler- Total Eclipse of the Heart (1983)

Now your turn! Link up and share your favorite 80s songs! Feel free to go overboard like I did. :)

And then, link up with us in the upcoming weeks:
TUESDAYS

November 15th *** 90s
November 22nd *** 00s
November 29th *** Current
December 6th *** Bonus Week: Soundtracks

Linkup: Fun With Our Phones Monday!

2011-11-07T13:03:00.000-05:00

So, I did A LOT with my phone this weekend. Like, A LOT! I went out and took pictures and videos with my cell Friday and Saturday.

Friday:

It was my friend Bonnie's 30th birthday party so we went out to eat at Mellow Mushroom, drank some beers at World of Beer, and then went to a strip club. So much fun!!

Orange Blossom Pilsner- yum!

A delicious raspberry beer.

Pepperoni pizza is the way to go!

I want to preface the following video by saying that we 3 girls are all girls. I know that sounds like a weird statement, but you'll see what I mean:

Seeee?? So in the parking lot of the strip club, we were just standing there and I noticed that we all seemed to have something in between our legs. What the heck? I still don't know the explanation for it, but of course, we had to bust a move.

Saturday:

I won some stuff from Tracy's blog and being that she works about 20 minutes from my house, I decided to eat lunch at her restaurant and pick up my prizes! If you are in the Tampa area, I highly recommend Eats American Grill. Everything is so good!! Before we headed out, I had to take a picture of TingTing laying on the new bed my mom bought us. I texted her the picture and said, "Meow! Grandma, I love the bed you bought me!"

Anyway, we met some friends at Eats and they loved the food too. With complimentary crispy chips and their special secret sauce, you can't really go wrong. (We consumed the chips way too fast for a picture to be taken with a camera.) The chips pretty much filled me up, but it didn't stop me from eating a couple of fried pickles and almost my entire plate of chicken tenders, sauteed mushrooms, and mac & cheese.

At Eats, Tracy and I were discussing the newest Pinkberry flavors: Pumpkin and Peppermint. Neither of us had tried either one so I vowed, as stuffed as I was, to stop at Pinkberry and sample each. Both were amazing, but ultimately, I decided on the newest Peppermint flavor. It's peppermint ice cream with minty bark and drizzled chocolate that hardens like Magic Shell!

After Pinkberry, I headed to another mall down the street to pick up my free birthday gift from Sephora! If you sign up for their Beauty Insider card (a free rewards program), you'll get a free gift during your birthday month! I got a 6 oz bottle of Philosophy's Birthday Cake Shower Gel/Shampoo combo.

When we got back home, I decided to take a short nap. We had plans to go out that night with the boyfriend's brother and sister-in-law, but after the long and crazy night we had Friday, I had to catch some ZZZZs. When I finally woke up, I dressed in a hurry and we headed to Lowry Park Zoo for their Zoofari event, an all you can eat and drink festival at the zoo. It's at night so the weather was amazing and perfect. With over 50 food vendors, we were waddling to our car by the end of the night.

This sloth greeted us on the way in!

Pumpkin Beer with Whipped Cream from BJ's Brewhouse

Pork Confit and Potatoes from Bistro Bleu

Pumpkin Creme Brulee from Grille 54

Sausage pasta and a risotto ball from Grille54

This is ALLLL cake from the International Culinary School!

(The above photos represent 1/3rd of the food consumed that evening. It's just that as I drank and ate more, I also forgot to take photos more.)

So yeah, the following pictures have "Proof" all over them, but I AM ordering the shots. I just wanted to share now!

My lovely sister-in-law (well, not technically. But, practically)