Truth be told, my interest in author Jennifer Weiner piqued when I saw her on an episode of “Rich Kids of Beverly Hills”. I’ve read one of her books before (Best Friends Forever) and absolutely loved it, and even bought another one (The Guy Not Taken) but haven’t read it yet. Why hadn’t I added […]
MoreThey say that summer is a state of mind, and if you want to, it can be summer all year long. I suppose that’s why beach towns and tropical islands seem to have a different way of life – things seem a little more laid back. I certainly loved summer as a kid; and through […]
MoreYes, my addiction to “Nurse Jackie” is still in full swing, but I’m trying to ration myself, given all of the books I’ve been reading, and the growing list of TV series that are either on television or at the library – I recently discovered the library has all seasons of “Designing Women“, “Murder She […]
MoreA few months ago, I was invited to be a +1 at a fall wedding. I quickly said yes, as it was a guy I really liked, and I also realized that I’ve never been asked to be a serious +1. Sure, I’ve gone with girlfriends and guy friends, but never as a real date. […]
MoreLast night, there was a fresh episode of “Chesapeake Shores”, plus the VMAs – so I made tacos for the occasion (beef and bean with hatch chili cheese), and prickly pear margaritas. It was a nice little Sunday night. Episode 3 of “Chesapeake Shores” picked up right where last week left us – with Abby […]
MoreAs nerdy as it sounds, my weekly trips to the library continue to impress me. Last weekend, I was searching through the DVDs looking for season 3 of “Girls” – the only season that U-Verse On Demand refuses to show, but I successfully found it (and watched it), and then I just started wandering to […]
MoreI’ve written a lot about social media and the effect it has on us, and it’s been on my mind a lot lately. I’ll preface this by saying that, in general, I am a fan of social media – a lot of the professional work I’ve done in the last decade revolves around the stuff, […]
MoreHappy Humpday! Blanche’s Book Club chose the latest read at random, among the shelves in the library. I really did sort of stumble up on it, thought the title was cool, and then saw a quote of praise on the back from Michael Perry, author of “Population 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren At A […]
MoreBoy, did #LochteGate PISS. ME. OFF! Here I am thinking “Omigosh, Ryan Lochte is soooo hot”, and I’m cheering for him in his only two races, and I’m putting him on my SnapChat, and I was so sad when I heard the news that he’d been robbed at gunpoint. I frantically checked Twitter to see […]
MoreNothing like a good little show to sit down to on a Sunday night, right? After last week’s drama-filled premier, this week has something to live up to. At the start of the episode, the kids of the family are sitting around a campfire (soooo dreamy), as they are recovering after their mom/grandma fell (last […]
MoreHappy Friday! It should come as no shock that I’m still deep in podcast land; listening to as many episodes as possible to make it through my days in a cubicle. Thanks to other podcast listeners, and just general digging, I’ve managed to find some new (new to me) shows to keep me occupied when […]
MoreThe first time Baton Rouge felt like home was around 3 a.m. in January 2004, after making the 15-hour drive from Indianapolis to the Dalrymple exit near my dorm. The Louisiana State University football team had just won the National Championship, and there was a giant sign welcoming students back to campus after a long […]
MoreI am still on a very tight budget, although I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but as a foodie, lowering my budget on groceries has been tough. I love digging through my books and clippings of recipes, making a grocery list, and spending time cooking it… and of course, eating […]
MoreI don’t think I’ve been as vocal on the blog about just how much I love the Hallmark Channel, but it’s true! I love watching their marathons of “The Golden Girls”, adore their easy-going original movies (I have actually started working on a script to pitch their way), and mark my calendar when they strike […]
MoreSo, if you haven’t heard – which, if you got The Bitter Lemon email newsletter, you would have heard already – I am having a 90’s celebration on Saturday (tomorrow!), right on SnapChat! There’s going to be many, many movies, even festive food, possibly terrible fashion and makeup, 90’s music, trivia, and general reminiscing about […]
MoreThe latest read for Blanche’s Book Club is for all the true-crime lovers out there! I saw this book on a reading blog I have liked for years, and I added it to my list. I love true crime books, but I have to be in the mood to read them, and frankly, this has […]
MoreI’ve been thinking a lot about disappointment lately. I mean, do you ever get to that point where you’re just not even feeling mad, more just let down? Disappointment can come from anywhere. Speaking from experience, I’d say recently I felt disappointment when I couldn’t make it to Indianapolis to see the Dave Matthews concert; […]
MoreLast Tuesday, I was taking my favorite dance class (per usual). I love it for two reasons: 1. The dances we learn are always fun and challenging; and 2. The instructor has this amazing, positive energy that’s contagious. On this particular Tuesday, she was teaching us a dance very different from ones she’s taught us […]
MoreI’m writing this as I watch gymnastics, and even though it hasn’t been on very long, there’s already drama with the harsh scoring. Let me back this up. Okay, so Friday night was the opening ceremony, and I have watched them before, but for some reason I always forget how long they are. As in, […]
MoreIt’s official: the 2016 Olympic games are here and the opening ceremony airs tonight! I’m really excited to see how things turn out in Rio, and am looking forward to checking out some sports I’ve never paid much attention to before. But of course, I’ll be looking out for the attractive athletes while I’m at […]
MoreI’ll say this right now, I am not a big fan of just going to the library, getting lost among the stacks, and stumbling upon books I want to read. For years, I have kept a reading list of books I want to read – and it’s only gotten more intense over the last 6 […]
MoreWhew! Last night was INSANE in terms of TV to watch: there was the 10th Anniversary of “The Hills”, celebrated by an MTV Special, “That was Then, This is Now”, followed by the season finale of “Famously Single”, and don’t even get me started on Part 1 of the reunion for “Shahs of Sunset”! But, […]
MoreYou’ve probably already heard the news: Lauren Conrad is coming back for the 10th Anniversary of “The Hills” and it airs on MTV TO-NIGHT!! If you’re just now learning this news, then I’m welcoming you to the world of the countdown for this thing to start. I really cannot freaking wait! I’m not ashamed to […]
MoreI’ve adopted a new rule: from now on, I’m only seeing movies that star Zac Efron. If that means my movie life will be dwindled to frat boy flicks and rom-coms, then so be it! So, I had “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” on my to-see list for a while; truthfully, it was my […]
MoreI do realize the blog has been rather TV-heavy lately, so if you’re not a TV fan, I half-heartedly apologize…because, after all, this IS my blog, and I do love TV! Since I’m not out spending money, I’m either at the pool reading or inside on the couch, so that’s the story for now. I’ll […]
MoreAbout a month ago, I was listening to my usual on the way to work, “Wake Up With Taylor” on XM Stars. The guest was Fran Drescher, most known for her starring role on “The Nanny”, but since then, she’s been doing a lot of work to help others in early detection of cancer, and […]
MoreOhhh snap! I’ll admit, I skipped watching “Famously Single” last night because I was watching the DNC – but I’m here this morning, eating my blue-frosted Pop-Tart, sitting with Blanche, and we are READY! The episode starts with Jessica doing a card reading for Aubrey and Pauly. Somehow, the cards say that Aubrey wants to […]
MoreOver the weekend, my friend Jenny treated me to see the new “Ghostbusters” movie. I haven’t seen a movie in awhile, so I was excited, and glad she picked this one, because it’s not one I would have initially picked for myself, but it ended up being pretty funny! The movie begins with a historically […]
MoreIt will come as no surprise to anyone that I’ve been in the midst of tough times; because, well, that’s the kind of thing that happens as the years pass. We have good times and bad, and getting through the bad times is often when we learn the most about ourselves and the people around […]
MoreIt’s official: we have made it to Friday… And, I’m addicted to “Nurse Jackie”. And how could I not be? At the end of every episode is a cliffhanger! I watched season one in a single day, and season two was no different. At the end of season one, it’s obvious that Jackie can’t keep […]
MoreIf we were talking, there’s so many things I’d tell you; but I know the chances of that happening are slim-to-none, and for good reason. I’d like to think that our hurtful actions toward each other came from places we don’t venture often; places of anger and insecurity. But nevertheless, we are here, apart, not […]
MoreEpisode six! I am pretty sure THIS is the episode we’ve all been waiting for – I type this post as I’m watching each episode, but the previews for this episode showed the scene in the kitchen with Aubrey and Pauly where she’s asking him if he’s falling love with her. Bloop! The episode kicks […]
MoreOne woman I’ve really come to admire over these last few years is Carole Radziwill. Sure, there’s a possibility you recognize her name from “The Real Housewives of New York” – that’s how I have come to know her, too – but, of course, she’s much more than a reality television personality. Radzi, as she’s […]
MoreMy attitude has come into question lately, when I had an honest reaction to something that happened in a moment of stress. I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t the first time I’ve gotten a talking to about wearing my heart on my sleeve. And in all honesty, it is never my intention to […]
MoreOkay, I finally finished watching season one of “The Newsroom” – and per usual, I’m about four years behind on the game. But hey, better late than never, right? The first time I’d ever heard about the show, I was on a first date with a guy from Match.com. We were at a coffee shop, […]
MoreI really wanted the headline for this to be the number of days/hours until the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics… but once I started searching for any such information, I was getting even more confused. Why? Well, for starters, I’m running on strictly caffiene and some websites said the games begin August 3, […]
MoreWe are already FIVE episodes into “Famously Single” and I feel like there’s all sorts of emotions flying around – and you know what that means: DRAMA. So, let’s get this started! Right off the bat, the roommates continue to be frustrated with Josh because he’s focusing on only physical aspects of the women he’s […]
MoreTiming is something I hear a lot about in all aspects of my life: when to find the right job, when to talk about certain subjects, when we’re “supposed” to reach certain life milestones (all of which have surpassed for me), when to get married, when to have a baby… there’s a whole lotta scheduling […]
MoreTo say last week was rough would be a gross understatement. As I sit down to write this, I’m not quite sure I can put all of my feelings into neat little rows of words that will convey my beliefs on these issues clearly, but I’m going to give it one hell of a try. […]
MoreI’m writing this while watching all of the #BlackLivesMatter rallies and marches across the country – between CNN and Periscope, I feel like I’m right there, fighting for justice, and I really appreciate all of those who are speaking out against these senseless acts of murder. Don’t worry, I am working on a separate blog […]
MoreAlmost two months ago, I let go of a friend that had been in my life for about four years. At the risk of getting into too many details, I’ll just say that something happened that didn’t feel right. It actually felt really wrong; it was a small instance, but it was one that made […]
MoreWahoo, episode 4 of “Famously Single”! I was honestly so freaking excited when I finally got it thru my thick skull yesterday that it was indeed Tuesday, which meant a fresh episode of “Famously Single”. After last week’s steam-session with the cast members, I was ready to see how things were going to progress. The […]
MoreOver the long-weekend, one of the things I’d promised to myself was some quality time in front of the TV. I know that probably sounds like a giant waste of time, but I’m a TV-junkie, and I have a stack of DVDs that I bought months ago during a massive sale at FYE, and have […]
MoreIt’s my birthday-eve, and I admittedly get reflective around this time each year (as if I’m not reflective every day of my life). Before writing this, I took a look back at the last few years of birthday posts – and most of them are similar in fashion; I’m really just trying to forget the […]
MoreHappy Thursday, y’all! With all of the podcasts I had loaded up on my phone (see them here, and here), it took me quite awhile to listen to them all – I go all the way back and start from episode 1. But, eventually I ran out of things to listen to and have discovered […]
MoreWhoop! Blanche’s Book Club runs a tight ship! …Just kidding, the book club run by my cat is full of watermelon wine spritzers and requires pajama pants. After reading such a fun memoir by Andy Cohen, I was ready to continue down a path of simple, summer reading. So, I was really excited to pull […]
MoreBetween episodes of “Below Deck” and “Famously Single”, Tuesday nights are starting to become pretty awesome! So, episode three of “Famously Single” aired last night, and shit is starting to get good. Dr. Darcy kicks off the show by inviting the cast into the living room together to talk about sex. Particularly, she asks the […]
MoreI am slowly recovering from my meltdown last week, which I discussed yesterday on the blog. Hopefully that post made history as the most insane piece you’ll ever see here, but I’m not making any promises. And thank you to those who reached out to me yesterday via this blog, Facebook, and text, to make […]
MoreIt began with tears on the drive home. “It” meaning the realization that I was, indeed, losing my shit – the meltdown itself probably started two years ago. But, there I was, uncontrollably crying on my drive home from work Wednesday night; attempting to hide behind a pair of aviators I’d purchased months before at […]
MoreI was really excited when Blanche’s Book Club decided to read “The Andy Cohen Diaries” by Andy Cohen, because I’m going to SEE Mr. Cohen LIVE, along with Anderson Cooper tomorrow night, right here in Austin! And… I’m SO excited! You can definitely expect a recap of the event right here next week. So, the […]
MoreDisclaimer: Beyonce annoys the piss out of me. I think she’s overrated, has taken advantage of a lot of people to get where she is, and I’ve thought that from day one, her marriage to Jay-Z was a total sham. But, ALL HAIL, right? Riddle me this: why are we okay with the queen letting […]
MoreAnd we’re back with episode two of “Famously Single”! The cast finds out that some of the people they met at the club in last week’s episode were, in fact, their dating coaches – Laurel and Robert. Awkward. Willis got called out for being too sexual, too fast – and yeah, he told the dating […]
MoreDespite my recent attempts to make Mondays better, I still find that I’ve become that person. You know, the one that is constantly counting down the hours until the end of the day, and absolutely counting down the days and hours until Friday. I hate being that person. So, how did this happen? I’ve been […]
MoreOver the weekend, I was in search of simple – and cheap, if not free – joys. I’m sure I’ll talk more about this at some point, but I’m currently in a personal budgeting crisis. At the same time I lost two of my good freelance gigs, I owe a massive tax bill, like now. […]
MoreLast week, I got an email from my editor at Dig: Hi Holly, I just had a team meeting with the office in Columbus, and we’re making a few changes to the structure of the magazine. With the new format, we’re looking to get away from more national trends and really focus on content that […]
MoreLate Thursday night, I finished reading “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins – the latest read in Blanche’s Book Club. I have mixed feelings about this book – mostly positive – but still mixed. Before I go any further, I’ll at least give you a little info on the story: From an Amazon.com […]
MoreLast night, E! network premiered their latest reality TV installment, “Famously Single”. I’ll admit, I have been counting down the days…and hours… for this to begin. “Famously Single” brings a group of single, B-list celebrities (mostly from other reality shows) into a house, along with a doctor, to find out exactly why they are single […]
MoreTwo Sundays ago, I went to “Dance to Breathe”, which was described as Austin’s Choreographer’s Ball benefitting The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The show, which featured a performance from each of Austin’s dance studios – note: Austin has a lot of dance studios – was about two hours long, and made me realize that I’ve been […]
MoreYou may have recalled my mention of the Mr. Patrick Cantwell after I attended my first Round Rock Express game over Memorial Day Weekend. Cantwell is a fine, fine looking catcher and isn’t so bad at batting, either. He’s 26, from New York, and I wouldn’t mind cooking him dinner… more than once. Sure, I […]
MoreI was really questioning whether I should post anything about this case, but the more I’ve seen and read about it, how could I not? This case – The Stanford Rapist (I will not glorify his name or former accolades here) vs. The Victim – and its ruling affects women everywhere, and it has made […]
MoreI don’t want to call it “high-maintenance”, because A. I hate that term, and B. It’s not about material things or money, it’s just about the fact that my beauty regimen is endless. In my early twenties, I can easily say that I pretty much looked the same with or without makeup. Now, I have […]
MoreI mentioned on Monday (in my review of “What Alice Forgot“) that I’ve been thinking a lot about time lately. I was thinking about it before I read the book, although I’m not entirely sure what brought it on – it very well may be the fact that my 31st birthday less than one month […]
MoreThat’s right, I have declared WAR against my apartment complex! On Friday, I posted about the terrible noise above my apartment. Well my friends, things have gotten worse. Shortly after filing the second complaint against my neighbors, I came home from work to find a notice on my door. It was a “Friendly Reminder” to […]
MoreThat’s right, Blanche’s Book Club is rolling right on with the summer reads! Over the weekend, I finished reading “What Alice Forgot” by Liane Moriarty. And where do I begin with this one? It was SO good! From Amazon.com (and also the back of the book), “Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and […]
MoreI am so excited to share a new book with you guys today! I actually had the opportunity to read this a few months ago, as I worked with the author, Marne, to edit and polish the final product. Many of you know I do lots of editing on the side, and while I love […]
MoreOn my way to work last week, the radio show I regularly listen to was talking about the reasons we look up our exes on Facebook. According to the study they were discussing, the #1 reason was to see if that person was dating someone hotter than us. Fair point. I’ll admit it, I do […]
MoreWhew! It’s sucky because it’s kind of like a Monday, but it’s a little less painful knowing it’s Tuesday, and in just four short days, I’ll be running out of the office a la Kevin McCallister on Christmas Eve yet again. I hope you all had a fabulous weekend – I know I did! I […]
MoreAt precisely 5:30pm today, the long weekend begins and I cannot tell you just how excited I am! This is my first REAL Memorial Day Weekend, as previous jobs I’ve had for the last 8 years did not grant us Monday off. So… I have been thinking about this weekend for a very long time. […]
MoreSo… we are oonllllyyyyy a daaaaayyyy awaaayyyyy from the official kickoff of summer: Memorial Day weekend! I’m sure summer means lots of different things for you, but one thing it means for me is refreshing cocktails, and that includes a delicious bottle of cold Rosé. The sad thing is, I think Rosé gets a bad rap, and […]
MoreI know I’ve mentioned before that I started carrying around a little notebook everywhere I go. It’s about the size of a back pocket, but of course, it lives in a waterproof cosmetic case I take with me. Sounds high-maintenance, sure, but I learned my lesson the hard way when I spilled coffee inside my […]
MoreIt has been famously said that “Youth is wasted on the young” (it is still argued who said it and exactly how, between Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw). While I’ve heard this quote for years, I’ve never quite understood what it meant until now. As I write this, I’m sitting at my desk with […]
MoreI’ve lived in Austin, TX for 9 months now (time flies!), and I can honestly say, I’m not sure how long I’ll be here. Don’t get me wrong, in general, Austin is pretty freaking cool, but I just don’t know if I’m ready to say, yes, this is the place I’ll be for the rest […]
MoreTODAY is the first day of the BEST weekend ever: Hangout Fest. So, here I am in Orange Beach, ready to get this party started! This is my third year at Hangout, and every year, there’s so many things I look forward to: sipping vodka tonics in the white sand, consuming endless amounts of fried […]
MoreThis has been on my mind a lot lately – here’s how it started. I was listening to a podcast (big shocker, I know), and they were talking about how important it is to date someone that has the same needs in a partner as you do. Let me explain. If I remember correctly, the […]
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