After much thought, I decided to forgo a Fresh Friday post, since it’s Halloween — even though I pretty much despise this day… or do I? If you know me personally, you know I’m a scaredy-cat all year ’round. I’m terrified of someone breaking into my apartment, scared of being attacked in a parking garage […]
MoreRecently, Casper, a mattress company that specializes in making outrageously comfortable latex memory foam mattresses, brought forth a good point to me — a good night’s sleep often results in a mess of hair come morning. But so what? Why are we constantly running from the bed head, instead of embracing it? So, Casper, challenge […]
MoreI couldn’t find a picture of the perfume decent-enough for the big slot, so you’ll have to just admire the fashions (I think these are from 2010, but I’m obsessed with the blue number) of Ms. Stella McCartney, even though I’m talking about one of her fabulous perfumes. Today’s Fresh Friday scent profile features Stella […]
MoreY’all get the 2-for-1 deal today, as far as the WYSK profile, because it’s two of my favorite Divas of WWE — The Bella Twins! Meet Brie Danielson and Nicole Garcia-Colace. Born just 16 minutes apart, the twins were athletic from an early age. After modeling, and doing promotional work, they were signed to join […]
MoreI have always been interested in astrology, although I don’t live by it, I love reading my weekly horoscope — scoffing when it’s completely incorrect, and gasping in awe when it’s right on-point. When it comes to dating, I’ve discussed matching via personality test, but what about zodiac compatibility? Born on July 2, I am […]
MoreA few weeks ago, I noticed a new morning radio show had taken over one of the stations I listened to (104.1 New Orleans). The show was a syndicate, Johnjay and Rich. It’s two guys and a girl, and the show revolves around calling people, although each day, it’s a different bit. Monday: Machaca — […]
MoreWhen I was in middle school, I remember watching lots of dating shows on TV. These shows weren’t quite like the ones on now, these were more like game shows… you know, “Bachelor number one, what is your dream date?!?” Bzzz! One of my favorites was a show called Bzzz! While I loved it, apparently not […]
MoreI’ve dated several men who are obsessive over work. I’m talking always working late, working on the weekends, using work as an excuse as to why we can’t meet for lunch or why it takes him 8 hours to respond to a text message. And while the men of my past are probably horrible examples […]
MoreIt’s true, men like to watch romantic comedies, too! Maybe you’ve caught your boyfriend laughing a little too hard during a recent Lifetime movie, or perhaps you’ve caught your husband popping in a copy of your coveted Sex & The City DVD. No matter what the reason, men love them a little chick flick. For […]
MoreLast week was incredibly rough. Nothing traumatic happened per se, it was more about the impact of several events all rolled up and combined with my case of the blues. Even though my blog has “Bitter” in its title, I do try and keep things on the uptick ’round here. But the truth is, things […]
MoreUgh. As much I love to Tweet in my daily life, when it comes to dating, social media can be a pain in the ass. I’m not really talking about meeting people via social media, although I’ve heard of this happening (ending in successes and failures alike). I’m really talking about how our use of […]
MoreIf it weren’t for Justin Bieber (also one of my celeb crushes), I’d probably have no fucking clue who Scooter Braun is. But when I saw Bieber’s first movie, “Never Say Never,” I couldn’t help but look at Scooter and give a little — Damn, who is that? Scooter is the talent manager for Bieber, […]
MoreI’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t spend the greater part of my Sunday in bed, pouring over all of the magazines that featured inside info about fashion designer and reality star, Lauren Conrad, and her wedding with the sexy-musician-lawyer, William Tell. Why am I so obsessed? Honestly, I’ve always been a […]
MoreTHAT’S RIGHT — my 3rd book, Lemon Drops, is finally here! This is the first time I’ve really felt relieved that a book of mine is published. The writing in Lemon Drops is some of my most personal. There’s stories in there I haven’t told anyone, and there’s poems that are very dear to me. […]
MoreI know I’m a little late to the party on celebrating the life of the one and only Joan Rivers. Originally, I was going to use this edition of WYSK to talk about my two favorite Total Dives: Nikki & Brie Bella. But I changed my mind, and decided to talk about a different kind […]
MoreWe use all sorts of tools — from horoscopes and compatibility tests (Which Harry Potter character are you?) to discover what our perfect match is going to look like. Does it work? Perhaps, but I’m still trying to figure it out. At work, my coworkers and I completed a Strengths Finder test to determine our […]
MoreI know we still have (technically) another few weeks of summer left, but tomorrow I’m leaving for the beach with my two best friends, to bid another summer adieu. Although I didn’t find love this summer, it was a good one — and fall is really my favorite time of year. Perhaps this fall will […]
MoreSaturday, the mailman dropped a delivery that made my WEEK — a box of my books arrived! I work really hard on all of my books, but I still get really nervous and excited all at once when the box arrives. For Lemon Drops, I really hoped the cover looked as great in-person as it […]
MoreUgh. Getting the news about an ex getting married (especially when you’re still single) can be a bitch. I can’t speak for everyone, but even when I didn’t have feelings for the person anymore, it’s still rough news to get. All of my exes are married, except my most recent (although he might be, who […]
MoreShannon Maker is a blogger and freelance writer in Des Moines, Iowa, with a passion for photography and cooking. She has a degree in Journalism and Spanish. She fell in love with different kinds of authentic European cuisine while backpacking and studying abroad in Spain, France, and Italy during her senior year of college and […]
MoreThe fade is more than just a haircut. In dating terms, the fade is when one person in the “relationship” (it could happen during the earlier stages of a relationship) disappears. Basically, they fall off the face of the earth. I know I’m not the only person this has happened to — I’ve got audio […]
MoreI’m skipping Fresh Friday this week to make an announcement: MY THIRD BOOK IS COMING YOUR WAY. That’s right, my third book is on its way — mark your calendars for September 22, 2014, which is EXACTLY one month from today! At that time, you’ll be able to purchase digital copies through Amazon Kindle (which […]
MoreSusie Meredith is an HR professional for one of the world’s leading online retailers. She currently resides in Nashville, TN with her Golden Retriever, Sadie and her two cats, Vinny and Joey. Susie saved Vinny and Joey from a hard life in the cat-mob on the streets of Tennessee. She received her Bachelor’s in HR Development from […]
MoreThe first time I watched Sex & The City, I was a junior in high school, visiting Miami of Ohio, staying with my ex-boyfriend’s sister (oddly enough, we share the same birthday). At the time, I didn’t think much about it, and I know I drifted off to sleep without realizing that I’d just witnessed […]
MoreAnother summer read: down! But I will have to admit, I read this book, Starstruck by Lauren Conrad, out of its proper order. You see, this Fame Game series is the second series (I’ve already read the first set), but Starstruck is the second book in the set of three. However, no offense to Ms. […]
MoreAbout a year and a half ago, I was on-assignment for the magazine I write for. I watched a performance, and then hit up the after-party to interview some of the performers. While I was there, I met this guy… Mark. He was incredibly attractive, funny, and was wearing one of those blazers with the […]
MoreAfter writing part one (and watching a ton of QUALITY chick flicks), I knew a part two was in order — so let’s do this! Sex & The City (2008) Plot: Our favorite New York writer Carrie Bradshaw gets engaged to Mr. Big, and when the wedding plans change, her beloved friends Charlotte, Samantha, and […]
MoreAh, making the first move. This is something I think about often. Should I, or women in general, make the first move? I know, the men out there are shouting from the rooftops, “YES! Make the first move, already!” But, I’ve had some failures in the past with doing just that — so, what gives? […]
MoreGreetings! I am publishing this post while aboard the Amtrak #58, traveling from New Orleans, LA, all the way to Chicago, IL. With more than 900 miles between destinations — I shouldn’t have to tell you that it’s been an interesting ride on the “Spacious Superliner.” Really, this is my first time traveling via train. […]
MoreThe second book I finished this summer, “The Longest Ride” by Nicholas Sparks, sure was a goodie! Unlike most Sparks books however, I didn’t immediately fall in love with this one — it took some time. “The Longest Ride” brings two love stories together in a unique way. One story is that of Ira and […]
MoreThe first guy I fell in love with cheated on me. We were best friends before we started dating, but our relationship was long distance, and there were 15 hours between us. We had a rocky breakup, and he coincidentally had a new girlfriend right afterward. They are married now, so good for them. A […]
MoreWe met on a porch swing after a baseball game. He was tall and tan, and his name was Zach. When I got up from the swing, and walked out of earshot, he told my friends he liked what he saw in my white jeans. He looked pretty good in his baseball pants, too. We […]
MoreThis week’s picture is a little different — it’s a throwback… to probably 2001-ish? The photo is of me and one of my best friends, Angela, on the roof of One Lytle Place (or as Angela calls it, One Little Palace) in Cincinnati, Ohio. I picked this for this week’s photo, because today is Angela’s […]
MoreOne of my favorite movies, “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” has a scene that I will never forget — probably because I’m guilty of doing this on the reg. It’s the scene where Amy is mopping the kitchen… but really doing more singing, using the mop as her microphone. Whether it’s in my car on […]
MoreA few days ago, I was driving to work, and while looking in my rearview mirror, it appeared my foundation had already smudged near the start of my left eyebrow. At a stoplight, I proceeded to blend the smudge with my fingers. I had no luck, and upon closer inspection, I realized that it was […]
MoreMany years ago, when I was a different person, I was seriously in love with a man I loved to cook and bake for. I felt like if I did things that a perfect girlfriend would do, then he’d see that I could be a perfect wife, too. But my plan failed miserably. However, I’m […]
MoreSusie Meredith is an HR professional for one of the world’s leading online retailers. She currently resides in Nashville, TN with her Golden Retriever, Sadie and her two cats, Vinny and Joey. Susie saved Vinny and Joey from a hard life in the cat-mob on the streets of Tennessee. She received her Bachelor’s in HR Development from […]
MoreEditor’s Note: The contest winner from Tuesday’s Tattly give away is below… Tomorrow around 5 am marks one entire year that I’ve been single. A party of one. I know that when my ex, D, and I broke up, I was miserable. Even though our relationship was not anything good, I had no idea how […]
MoreSusie Meredith is an HR professional for one of the world’s leading online retailers. She currently resides in Nashville, TN with her Golden Retriever, Sadie and her two cats, Vinny and Joey. Susie saved Vinny and Joey from a hard life in the cat-mob on the streets of Tennessee. She received her Bachelor’s in HR Development from […]
MoreWhen I heard the song, “Rehab” for the first time, I thought Amy Winehouse was a smart-mouthed, bad ass bitch, just making fun of pop culture and it’s celebulites, of the Lindsay Lohan-sort. So, I bought “Back to Black,” unaware that it would be an album that changed my world — not unlike Lauryn Hill’s […]
MoreThe winner from Tuesday’s giveaway is posted below, if you’re interested… Last weekend, I finished reading, “Girls in White Dresses” by Jennifer Close, a book that’s been on my reading list for awhile (I think it’s been years). Here is what Amazon says about the book: Isabella, Mary, and Lauren feel like everyone […]
MoreLast weekend, I was flipping channels, searching for something I could get lost in for awhile (one of my favorite hobbies), when I came across the movie, “Definitely, Maybe,” starring the one and only Hottie With A Body, Ryan Reynolds. Good Lord, that man is fwwiiiinnne. Aside from boy band crushes, Mr. Reynolds might just […]
MoreBoy do I love curling up on my couch for a self-made marathon of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” built using my collections of seasons on DVD. “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” ran for seven seasons, beginning in 1970 — a time when America was going through political change, and women were beginning to experience […]
MoreThis shot glass has been sitting on my counter for weeks — because what are you supposed to do with a gift someone that you thought was boyfriend-potential got you, and then stops talking to you? The options are as follows: Throw it against the wall, hoping it shatters into a billion pieces Drop it […]
MoreA few months ago, I thought I was getting knocked into the friend zone, when really the guy was just dating someone (and essentially cheating on her) — read about it here: Part one & Part two. But, the friend zone is a real thing, and one thing’s for sure about the friend zone: it […]
MoreAbout a year ago, I fell into a relaxing (okay, more like lazy) routine of laying in bed all Sunday and watching Hallmark movies (on the Hallmark Channel). They are simple and fun, and I enjoy them in the same way I enjoy curling up with a Nicholas Sparks book. But the ultimate perk of […]
MoreLast week was pretty rough — between trying to get my life back together after four days at the beach and a good dose of dating drama (that’s a post for another day) — so I was pleasantly shocked when my FAVORITE guy, John Mayer, dropped this little tune onto my desktop. Ironically, it’s his […]
MoreManipulate (verb) — to manage or utilize skillfully; to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one’s own advantage; to change by artful or unfair means so as to serve one’s purpose. I was manipulated in relationships before I even knew what it was; that it was even something that […]
MoreNo, seriously. Cancel the damn thing. There’s many-a-wedding I’ve heard about that should’ve been cancelled, and there’s a few coming up this spring that really just should NOT be happening. The thing is, most people think canceling a wedding would be too much of a hassle — even more than a divorce. Or, sometimes, let’s […]
MoreThey say, “When it rains, it pours,” and I’ve noticed this saying to be true when it comes to dating. You get one date—you get five dates. You have one breakup—you get a string of let downs. And while the latter example certainly sucks, there’s something good to be said when it comes to having […]
MoreThis weekend, I joined my friends right down the road from my apartment, for the Louisiana International Film Festival. It was the second annual, and honestly, I didn’t give it a second thought until I was at my weekly poetry open mic night, when someone there was giving away free tickets. Why not check it […]
MoreThree years ago, I stepped into LA Boxing (now UFC Gym) for the first time to take a free boxing class—I was going to take the class and write a story on it for Dig magazine (read it here). But in the one-hour class, I realized just how out-of-shape I was. I couldn’t even make […]
MoreThis week was incredible busy, in the best way. However, I did so many fun things, it was difficult for me to pick just one picture that represented my week. Lately, my job has been incredibly stressful, and I feel like I’m not even fun to be around. But just when I started thinking that, […]
MoreThis question popped into my head when I started writing about relationships for my college newspaper. In the three years I served as “The” relationship columnist, I went on many dates. And sometimes, the men on those dates asked me: “Is this going to be in Monday’s paper?” Chances are, no, it wasn’t. But if […]
MoreI’m glad I live in a world where I am allowed to have my own blog, and on that blog, I can confess my love for men that are barely of-age to be called that. Because my latest celeb crush is Ryan Sheckler. I use the term “latest” loosely, as I’ve had a crush on […]
MoreAs I’ve mentioned all year, 2014 has proven itself to be the year of my past. Over the weekend, a friend from high school messaged me, and wanted to tell me about his latest “epic” breakup. But when I tried to call him, I got no reply—a pattern I’ve noticed with this old “friend.” And […]
MoreOn Good Friday, I took advantage of the fact that I had the day off from work, and my CASA boys were off of school, picked them up after lunch, and hosted an Easter egg hunt for them. I spent the week leading up to the egg hunt looking for and purchasing baskets (they were […]
More‘Twas the night before my 26th birthday, making it July 1, 2011, in case you’re wondering. I was at the Houston airport on a layover during my trip to Chicago. Things were not so great. I was in a weird place with my then-boyfriend. I don’t even think he was my official boyfriend at the […]
MoreCall them RomComs, Chick Flicks, whatever, but the truth is, I’ve never been able to really label how I feel about this film genre. Sometimes, these movies cheer me up when I’m down, and other times, they make me cynical (more than I already am) and I feel like I’m never going to find a […]
MoreAs a relationship columnist and blogger, sometimes it’s a little embarrassing to admit all of my stories when it comes to dating the wrong guys. While I have dozens (okay, maybe hundreds) of stories, what it really boils down to is ignoring red flags, especially before things get serious. It’s something that I’ve really been […]
MoreI know watching TV, especially in excessive amounts, is generally looked down upon. But I’ve found that the more I watch, the more things I learn, so I’ll continue on my mission to prove that TV is actually good for the brain. And when it comes to relationships, and life in general, I’ve learned a […]
MoreLook for my column, The Bitter Lemon, in Baton Rouge’s alt-weekly, Dig magazine. A fresh issue hits the stands every Wednesday. This week’s column covers two of my favorite things: cooking and dating. The man I thought I was going to marry was a “meat and potatoes” kind of guy. If love were rice dressing, […]
MoreI started reading romance novels many, many summers ago, during a trip to Florida with my friend Sheena. Stashed in the closet of our vacation rental, were stacks upon stacks of chick-lit. We sifted through our reading options, each settling on a few, and packed them into our beach bags before soaking ourselves in the […]
More[Continued from Part I…] About a week later, Jay and I had plans to attend a birthday outing on a party bus with a group of my friends. As I was getting ready, he sent me a text message saying I had actually already met this girl he’d “gone out with” as she was in […]
MoreI’ve had an off-and-on crush on my friend Jay quite possibly since the day we met, which was almost six years ago. He is uniquely handsome, funny, and smart. All of those things, plus a random spark—like bonding over a bandit mask and Wes Anderson movies—drew me to him. Sometimes, our personalities clashed, though (some […]
MoreDuring my final semester in college, I quit my retail job and went to work as a bartender—something that was on my bucket list. As a foodie, I wanted to learn how to craft and serve some of the best cocktails in town. While the hours were rough and the work was difficult, it was […]
MoreI never really considered myself as someone who was “into fitness.” That is, until I dated my last boyfriend, who didn’t give a flying fuck about being healthy or fit. When it came to me needing time away from him to hit the gym, he would get angry. If I told him I was cooking […]
MoreI can’t believe that I’ve made it until March without having a picture of my cat, Blanche, featured in this weekly spot. One week from today, my sassy kitty will turn one (yes, I have a gift for her), although I’ve only had her for about eight months. In this short time, she’s become my […]
MoreMy relationship with sleep has probably had just as many issues as my dating life. But while I’ve been sleeping my entire existence, I can’t tell you if sleep has always been an issue for me. I do remember being an early riser during my high school years—waking early to allow myself enough time to […]
MoreEarlier this week, one of my former blog students asked me to write a guest blog for her over at: Southern Sass. Below is my post, but give Southern Sass a visit while you’re at it! Want me to write for you? Send me an email: WittyWriter7@gmail.com Every six weeks, the Cinemark theatre downstairs from […]
MoreLast week, my podcast co-host, Ethan, was so kind as to send me a gift: a Snowball Microphone! Currently, Ethan and I are hosting our podcast, Learning From Strangers, for free, but we are investing our time (mostly Ethan’s) and money (again, mostly Ethan’s) into this, hoping it boosts our numbers when it comes to […]
MoreThis year has been “The Year of Holly’s Past,” and if you have read any of this blog, you know that my past, when it comes to dating, is not anything to be proud of. Before the start of 2014, my ex contacted me via email. This ex isn’t my most-recent ex, but one that […]
MoreMy love affair with Nicholas Sparks’ novels started many summers ago when I borrowed, “The Last Song” from my friend to read by the pool. Needless to say, I loved it. Yeah, I know, his works are not genius. And, they are all very similar. But I love them, and I can recall one of […]
MoreMTV’s series, The Hills, has always been a not-so-guilty pleasure for me. I loved watching Laguna Beach, too. And while, I know you all probably think I’m dumb for obsessing over all six seasons of The Hills, not only while it was on TV, but ever since, thanks to my DVD collection—I’ve learned quite a […]
MoreWhen I think of a Valentine, I think of a nice dinner, wine, maybe even a box of chocolates. And, when I put it that way, I can quickly tell you that I’ve never had a Valentine. But when I stop being so goddamn bitter, I know that’s not the entire truth. As a child, […]
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The Bitter Lemon 
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