Introducing… drumroll… Blanche’s Book Club! I have been thinking for a few months that maaaaybe I should join a book club. After all, it would serve as a way to meet people AND read a few books. But then I realized, finding the right book club actually takes work, and what if they read books […]
MoreAbout two weeks ago, John Mayer announced he was joining SnapChat. The interwebs completely ATE this up, because: 1. SnapChat is for teens, right? And John Mayer is 38. And 2., What happened to all of that jazz about not making a complete fool of yourself online, Mr. Mayer? Well, hell’s bells. I’m 30 and […]
MoreOkay, so who am I kidding? Obviously your guess is as good as mine when it comes to what the hell is going to happen in Season 5 of “Girls”, but it premiers THIS Sunday night, so let’s get to guessing! Here’s what I do know: when we left off in season 4, Shoshanna takes […]
MoreInstead of it being a “Woman You Should Know”, today it’s more about a Women’s Brand You Should Know, because I sat down with Ashley Stewart, just one of the founders behind The Patent Pump, an all-female powerhouse for branding (located in Baton Rouge, LA) that just reached its two-year anniversary. Very cool. So, here’s […]
MoreHello! Monday is back again, but I’m here to lighten things up with a slew of life lessons I have learned from watching the hilarious show, “Workaholics” on Comedy Central. I came across this show randomly about a year ago, and have anticipated every episode since. If you’re not regularly watching, you’ll want to jump […]
MoreValentine’s Day is two days away, and I’m single, very single. I don’t even have a crush and I ALWAYS have a crush. I mean, I’ve still got John Mayer, so no worries there. So, what does a single girl LOVE on Valentine’s Day? Let me tell you what: Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot […]
MoreMany years ago, I bought a plum lip pot from Victoria’s Secret (similar item here). It was so dark in the little jar, but when you put it on, it was sheer, yet bold. I used it up quickly, because it was an incredibly luxe gloss that I absolutely loved. Ever since, I’m always on […]
MoreOkay, so I can’t complain too much about the cold weather, living in Austin, Texas. But I know many of you, my dear readers, are freezing your little butts off this winter. The funny thing about Austin is that I really never know what the weather is going to be like. When I moved here, […]
MoreThis week, it occurred to me that I’m only a few weeks away from having lived in Austin for six months! Can you believe it? It has really flown by. But, I can say that I am finally starting to feel like things are falling into place. I’m learning my way around, finding my groove, […]
MoreIt’s a new year, a new you… could a new job be in store? Or, perhaps you’re considering an entire career change. If you’re new to The Bitter Lemon (Welcome!), let me fill you in: I unexpectedly lost my job at the end of 2014, spent most of 2015 hunting down my dream job, before […]
MoreI’ve been reading the same book for, like, seven months. And it’s not a thick book, it’s an easy, fun read. I’ve just only looked at it about twice. And why? Let me explain that I used to read ALL. THE. TIME. There were years, not long ago, where I read 25 books a year. […]
MoreYeeeeehaawwww – here we are, yet again, on another fine Friday! The good news is you’ve made it through another week… and I have no bad news because it’s FRIDAY. Between work and dance classes, the weeks seem to fly by pretty fast, but the weekends speed right on as well. This weekend, I’m really […]
MoreThe “Winter Blues” are a real thing (often referred to by smarter people as Seasonal Affective Disorder), and I’m here to report that there’s a way to rid yourself of these doldrums and turn that frown upside-down! Truth-be-told, I got to thinking about things that make me happy, and things that make other people happy. […]
MoreEver notice that my Monday posts are about alcohol? Perhaps it’s because I’m fresh off a weekend of partying (not really), that I really don’t want to go back to the office (maybe), or that I just have a drinking problem (perhaps), in general. Eh, who really cares? Last week, I was super jealous of […]
MoreIt’s FRIDAY! I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather this week, so it’s been a struggle to keep up with work, dance, and well, all the other writing shenanigans I’ve got up my sleeve, but I freaking made it! Monday night was the first OFFICIAL dance practice for my performance at the end of […]
MoreOver the holidays, my mom treated me to an afternoon at the spa (Viva Day Spa in downtown, Austin, if you’re curious). We had manis and pedis, but we also enjoyed organic facials. I’ve had many facials in my life, but this one was fantastic! So much so, that I wanted to get some of […]
MoreIf you’re lucky enough to have today off, I’m jealous. But, maybe it’ll give you a chance to whip up a treat for the man in your life, and his best friend – his dog! Even though I’m currently bitter on the guy situation, I’m NOT suggesting men are dogs and we should bake them […]
MoreI am SO, SO happy today is Friday! This week at the office was a doozy, and I’d be lying if I haven’t been emotionally drained sorting out my own emotions simultaneously – you ever have weeks like that? I’m really looking forward to a weekend on the couch, only emerging for trips to the […]
MoreIt’s Thirsty Thursday (uh, so what if I’m 9 years out of college…), so let’s be adult about one thing and NOT have a hangover tomorrow! That’s what we call t-e-a-m-w-o-r-k. For years, my girlfriend and I have been hosting “Ladies Night,” which basically means we eat delicious food, watch trashy TV, and drink multiple […]
MoreEveryone knows I’m obsessed with John Mayer and Justin Bieber – it’s not like I’ve made any sort of effort to keep that a secret. I was riding in the car a few weeks ago when they said on the radio that Mr. Mayer was spotted getting into a car with Katy Perry on New […]
MoreGiven that I did about ZERO reading in 2015, I only asked for one book for Christmas, and it wasn’t even a novel. Instead, I asked for a cookbook, particularly Haylie Duff’s “The Real Girl’s Kitchen,” which serves as a companion to her TV series on the Cooking Channel. Upon getting with the times and […]
MoreWhoop — first blog of 2016! I thought it would feel more weird writing that number, but I feel like I’ve had my eye on 2016 for awhile now. Perhaps it’s just because a majority of my 2015 totally sucked. But it’s a fresh year, and although I feel like I make New Years goals/resolutions […]
MoreOkay folks, it’s New Year’s Eve, and if you’ve been around The Bitter Lemon for a bit, you know I’m not too big on NYE festivities. I don’t exactly know why – I think the main thing that bothers me is that everyone is out to make it the #BestNightEver …and then it just ends […]
MoreHey gang! Anyone else back at work today? I am, and I can already tell it’s not going to be an easy few days before we get another long weekend (how spoiled do I sound right now?). Anyway, I feel like I’m being annoying and beating this course over your head, but this will be […]
MoreIt should come as NO surprise that the holiday season has got me thinking back (pretty sure I love to live in the past). But the interesting thing is that it was a little candle I got in the mail that really sent me down memory lane. A few weeks ago, there was a tea […]
MoreI KNOW there’s a ton of you out there who are SO amped it’s Friday — teachers, worker-folk, I’m sure you’re all ready for the 5 o’clock hour to strike so you can race out the door to not waste a MINUTE of your holiday break. And I don’t blame you one bit. I do […]
MoreThe holidays are here and that means one thing: DRINKS! Okay, so maybe it’s like that ALL year ’round, but let’s pretend like we’re not all functioning drunks, K? Delish.com has put together a list of wines that you’ll love, according to your zodiac sign. And, I’m not sure what the information is based off, […]
MoreI had every intention of posting a sexy little fiction piece today, but when I got out of my dance class (Twerk and Burn) last night, my passenger’s side window had been shattered. The bastard was after an old (very old) Coach laptop bag, and although inside the bag wasn’t a laptop (thank God), there […]
MoreA few weeks ago, we were #Blessed with the release of Justin Bieber’s latest album, “Purpose,” (his 6th number 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart) and I don’t know if y’all understand just HOW excited I was about it! I pre-ordered the album about a month before its release, and waited until midnight the […]
MoreAlmost 100 days ago, many of you sent your well wishes my way when I announced I was starting a new job (again, thank you). And last Wednesday, I completed my “Capstone presentation” at said job — meaning I’ve completed all of my SEO training and am in this gig for good (or at least […]
MoreNope, not talking about the Adele song (dare I say it, but I don’t think it’s that great…). Now that I’ve chased off all the readers, it’s freaking Friday, and I feel like Christmas is right around the corner, and I put up my Christmas tree last night, and even hung the stockings with care. […]
MoreThat’s right, I’ve got cellulite. While it has an oddly nice ring to it, I freaking haaaaate it! I’ll be honest here, I’ve really never had body issues until the last year or so. Part of it came from being a gym rat, and getting obsessive over what I ate and how often I hit […]
MoreRemember last week? Last week, when I was so excited to join Operation Turkey (the North Austin branch) and hundreds of volunteers to serve thousands of homeless people? Well, the actual experience completely blew. Here’s what happened… After I signed my friend and I up for the volunteer job (for which I signed us up […]
MoreWe are just a few days away from Thanksgiving and I’m so, so excited! Thanksgiving means the official start of the holiday season, and of course lots of food and drink, but I’m also looking forward to donating my time Thanksgiving morning. On Thursday morning, my best friend Sheena is joining me to help Operation […]
MoreY’all… it’s FRIDAY!! The exciting thing about THIS Friday is that for most of us, next week is a short week, then we get a looooong weekend. I cannot really explain how happy this makes me. I’ve felt so stressed this week; stressed over things that are out of my control (isn’t that the worst), […]
MoreA few weeks ago, my favorite radio show, “Johnjay and Rich,” got to talking about red flags in dating. Now, red flags are nothing new, but a lot of the red flags they were talking about were silly — like, don’t date a guy if he wears cargo pants. If wearing cargo pants is the […]
MoreThis has nothing to do with cups. It doesn’t even have anything to do with what’s inside the cups. Let me start by telling you just how much I used to love Starbucks. It was a lot. As I type this, I’m sipping coffee from a Starbucks mug. In fact, when I made my coffee […]
MoreToday is the day that Beliebers and One Directioners can rejoice — as Justin Bieber AND One Direction released their NEW albums at midnight! Today may as well be Christmas, because we’ve (and by me, I mean all of us) been waiting for this day FOR-EV-ER. And okay, so there may be a little friendly […]
MoreIf you were ever worried that I’d run out of celebrity crushes, fear not my friends. Lately, I’ve noticed that I go through crushes pretty quick. My crushes in real life never like me back, so it leaves me to the only alternative: loading up on celeb crushes and hoping one day ONE of these […]
MoreFor some reason, I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job of hiding the fact that I’m a TV junkie… not sure HOW I was able to hide it (hell, maybe I haven’t), but I’m here to assure you, it’s true. I’m a TV junkie. I’d love to tell you that hey, it’s fall, […]
MoreHowdy! Whew, I’m SO happy it’s Friday! It’s been a crazy-busy week all around, and it flew by. It’s supposed to rain (again) in Austin this weekend, so if you’re following me on SnapChat (OrangeJulius7), be prepped for lots of couch-lounging-DVR-CSI-snaps, K? I officially joined Dance Austin this week, so I can attempt to whip […]
MoreA few weeks ago, a coworker headed to Vegas for the weekend to see Britney Spears at Planet Hollywood. I was SO jealous…and couldn’t wait to hear all about it come Monday. Since Britney debuted with “Baby One More Time,” I’ve been a huge fan. When she took over MTV in her school girl uniform, […]
MoreThe following is an original piece, written by Holly A. Phillips in 2007. It’s a story based on her favorite hockey player, Sean Avery. Read previous sections of this story here, here, here, here, and here (okay, so it’s kind of long). Walking usually cleared my mind, but it was still buzzing when I reached […]
MoreIt sounds a little weird that I’m giving you a tour inside my bathroom, but hey, when I say I’ll let you in my home, I mean it! Click on the video to get the visuals on my bathroom (which is attached to my bedroom and has a separate entrance in the hallway) and my […]
MoreLast week, my office decided to have a costume contest this Friday. Otherwise, let’s be CLEAR: I would not have done anything associated with Halloween. But, I’m down for a contest. I tried to think of costumes that would be easy to assemble, comfortable to wear to work, creative, and easy on the wallet. I […]
MoreHere we are, at the start of another week. And, I’m excited to say that I’m starting a new series here on the blog: “Dirty 30.” Dirty 30 is going to focus on all of the shitty things that happen once you turn 30. What a joy, right? The first Dirty 30 installment is on […]
MoreThe following is an original piece, written by Holly A. Phillips in 2007. It’s a story based on her favorite hockey player, Sean Avery. Read previous sections of this story here, here, here, and here (okay, so it’s kind of long). “You can sit down,” she said. I took her word and sat on the […]
MoreThe competition is on! I’m lucky enough to live in a city that’s full of different food joints, and don’t worry, I’ve got a list of the ones I want to try (and it’s getting longer by the day). Of course, I’ll be right here to report all of my findings with you. So, the […]
MoreNothing like a Robert Palmer reference to jump start your Monday, right? A few weeks ago, a fabulous friend pointed me toward a Modern Love article from the New York Times, “Overcoming Love Addiction: One Apple Martini at a Time.” The title intrigued me, but the author said things I could really identify with. My […]
MoreThe following is an original short story, written by Holly A. Phillips in 2007, inspired by her favorite NHL player, Sean Avery. Read part one, two, and three, if you’re interested… “Bro, damn, where you going?” 12 asked. “Out there…you know,” I said. “Haven’t seen you head that way in… Well, ever,” he said. “Uh […]
MoreHappy Monday, y’all! After the weekend I had, I feel like I need another few days just to rest, what about you? I did a ton of cooking and baking (look for a new recipe right here on Thursday) over the last few weeks, and as promised, I told you I’d invite you into my […]
MoreThe following is an original piece of fiction written by Holly A. Phillips in 2007. The story was inspired by her favorite hockey player, Sean Avery. Catch up by reading part one and part two. We practiced in a smaller rink right outside the city. Practice began at nine and after warm-ups, drills, and weights; […]
MoreTuesday night, I smudged my apartment. “Smudging” is another way of describing a cleanse, often performed in a home or a building in effort to rid the presence of negative energy. A proper smudging ceremony can be done in many different ways, but they’re often performed while burning herbs (often bundles of sage) and repeating […]
MoreAs some of you may know, I only joined the iPhone clan in March. I have yet to fully understand the obsession with these things (I really, really loved my Blackberry), and with the rollout of iOs 9 that completely fucked up my phone, I’m less than impressed. But, there’s a few apps I’m loving […]
MoreWe played the Wolverines in the Square three days after we killed the Flyers. I had just walked into the locker room when the usual pre-game banter sparked. “Who you gonna piss off tonight man?” 58 asked. “I heard Carmen was pretty irritable. I bet I can shake a fucker up,” I told him. “Dude […]
MoreLast weekend, my fantastic and beautiful hair stylist (and friend) Lydia (she’s at the Garrett Neal Studio, you should call her!), reminded me that the BEST way to meet someone special is through mutual friends. I do think it’s a smart move, but there are even studies behind it, saying that it’s statistically how most […]
MoreThe following is an original fiction piece, written by Holly A. Phillips in 2007, with great inspiration form her favorite hockey player, Sean Avery. I had 30 seconds left in the penalty box. From my bench, I could see the rows of puck fucks in the lower sections. “Once we go Black…” one sign read; […]
MoreI’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is, I just found out a few days ago that Elijah Wood lives in Austin! According to my coworker, he lives downtown and frequents the Whole Foods at least twice a week to… and here’s the bad news… get flowers for his girlfriend. WAMP WAMP. […]
MoreHola! I wanted to offer a quick apology for my lack of posts last week — it’s been a crazy few weeks with the move and all. I was really struggling to function, let alone get my five blog posts in. But I’m back in action and ready to roll! So, life in Austin means […]
MoreI learned yesterday that one of my favorite writers, an inspiration, Jackie Collins lost her very private battle with breast cancer after nearly seven years. A woman as fabulous as Jackie was never defined by age, and so we’ll not mention how young she was, but we’ll just say, she’s left us too soon. What […]
MoreI’ve been living in Austin for two weeks now, and of course, I don’t know where ANYTHING is. I have to rely completely on Siri to get me anywhere. At first, I was really thankful for Siri. What would I do without her? Use MapQuest? No. So yes, at first, I was so thankful for […]
MoreI already know what you’re thinking: Holly, STOP acting like turning 30 is the end of the world! Don’t worry, that’s not really what this post is about. I definitely don’t think finding love past 30, 40, 50, or any age is something that’s impossible. But, I’ll admit that sometimes I wonder if I’m getting […]
MoreRecent employment happenings have me thinking about dress codes, and specifically, how they affect life at the office. Over the last year, I’ve experienced many different rules when it comes to what to wear to work. At my last career job, the dress code was pretty strict — no jeans, graphic tees, sleeveless, sundresses, etc. […]
MoreOver these last few months, I’ve been thinking a lot about the different jobs I’ve had. I got my first job at 16, working as a hostess for Outback Steakhouse. At the time, I didn’t think I made much money, but looking back, the gig wasn’t so bad (restaurant minimum wage plus tip share). My […]
MoreHey there! If you stopped by the blog yesterday and were disappointed to see the password-protected post, feel free to shoot me an email at holly@thebitterlemon.com (prove you’re not trying to spy on me or sue me) to request it. I wish there was a way to at least let followers read the blog, but […]
MoreHola on this beautiful Monday! We are completely celebrating work and jobs on the blog this week, but of course we’re doing it in a fun way, per usual. Why? Is it because I got called into the office of my retail job and was told gossip is more important than fact? Or is it […]
MoreThe following is an original piece, written by Holly A. Phillips in 2007. The characters and storyline is based off the song “Valerie,” sung by the great Amy Winehouse. Read part one here. * * * Kyle laughed. “Damn. It makes me want to address the crowd back at Killian’s. […]
MoreThe following is a guest piece by my bestie Sheena Hall, who is also madly in love with Harry Styles. She is currently mourning the One Direction split, but wiped away the tears to share the message below. * * * The news of the One Direction “break” came to […]
MoreToday is the first day of college for many students – this is something most people probably don’t pay much attention to, but when you live in a college town, it’s all anyone talks about. It probably doesn’t help that I work with mostly college students. But, hearing my coworkers’ stories often reminds me of […]
MoreThe following piece is an original written by Holly A. Phillips in 2007. It was based on the song “Valerie,” sung by the one, the only Amy Winehouse. * * * He unfolded a black chair and put the acoustic on his knee; he closed his eyes and ran […]
MoreI LOVE watching CSI. And of course, I’m talking about the original CSI, as in CSI Las Vegas with Grissom only. I refuse to watch any other city/version/cast. I started watching the show with my dad, when it premiered in 2000. Although I hate everything scary, and some of the show does involve grisly murder […]
MoreIt’s no surprise that I’m moving, since my lease is up at the end of September. So, over the weekend, I faced reality and starting getting things done — packing, cleaning, organizing, and getting rid of things (lots of things). While the physical act of moving completely sucks, there’s something to be said about having […]
MoreIs it just me, or does it seem like ever since Facebook happened, everything surrounding weddings has to be big, bigger, biggest, and frankly, better than yours? Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to keep up with so many people and their happy life moments — those that I would definitely know nothing about if […]
MoreThis is the final installment of Holly’s original short story, “Oil & Ink.” Read part one here and part two here, as you wish. * * * “I need to talk to someone about financing a building.” The clerk looked Charlie up and down; from his miniature blond mohawk to […]
MoreI’m always trying to figure out different things that make people compatible — horoscope signs, personality tests, age, family situation — but what about birth order? Turns out (after Googling), there’s actually a TON of information out there on this! An article in Women’s Day lays out the characteristics of each birth order “type”: Firstborns: […]
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