breakups
Pic of the Week.
I spent a decent amount of my weekend driving to and from Indiana. I got up Friday morning around 3am and drove the 12 hours to Bloomington, spent Saturday attending baby showers, treated myself to a day of Sunday drinking, and hit the road Monday morning at 4:30 to make it back to Baton Rouge. […]
MoreBecoming Strangers.
I’ve had a crush on this guy, Brian, for more than10 years. He went to my high school, and last year we reconnected. He lives in Indiana, and we had a date night when I was in town last summer. It was fantastic. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wonder about the potential […]
MoreDating on Instagram.
I recently got an iPhone, after being a Blackberry user for years (it’s about time, right?). Since making the switch, I’m really trying to embrace the world of apps, especially dating apps. I’ve already tried Tinder, and within three minutes I managed to play with fire and get burned. I saw my crush’s picture, and […]
MoreMe & my bullshit, part two.
Read part one of “Me & my bullshit.” I find a tiny bit (okay, a medium bit) of comfort in recognizing the fact that the road many writers, amateur and professional, travel is one that’s alone. The craft of writing is introspective — even fiction writers often say their stories come from some place real […]
MoreOn Baggage: Give Me Back my DVDs.
I watch a lot of TV. Not in the sense of me, sitting on my couch eating popcorn while binging on hours of TV, but if I’m home, my TV is usually on. I’ve got one TV in my living room and one in my bedroom. The one in my living room is a near-60-inch, […]
MorePic of the Week.
I’ve discussed a little about the trouble I’ve had with sleeping over the years. From what I remember, the trouble started during a bad breakup I had several years ago. He was cheating on me and I had these terrible nightmares of him having sex with other women. They were vivid and would wake me […]
MoreOn the rebound.
A few years ago, I came to an ugly realization: most of my relationships have been rebounds from the previous one. There’s even been rebounds for rebounds. It’s not a fun thing to admit, but hell, admitting it is the first step, right? A “rebound” is a relationship that comes right after another has ended. […]
MoreBack to it: Online dating.
I recently logged into my OK Cupid account after not touching it for two months, because 1. I was seeing someone that I thought would turn into something, and 2. The email account which I signed up with was definitely one I don’t have access to anymore since “the incident.” Oops! I joined Ok Cupid […]
MoreThe Column: Love & Unemployment.
A few weeks after I’d met a guy named Justin, we’d already been on several dates, and I was really starting to like him. But one day at work, I was called into a meeting and told that my services were “no longer needed.” It was the job I’d had for almost seven years; the […]
MoreThings I’ve learned from watching ‘Laguna Beach’
Oh, Laguna, how I love (yes, still do) thee. In late 2004, MTV capitalized on the popularity of The OC, making a reality show based at Laguna Beach High School — claiming it was the story of the REAL OC. And hell, I don’t know how much of it was real, fake, scripted, or whatever, […]
MoreThe Column: Sleeping W/Someone New.
A few days after a great first date, I joined a guy named Justin for a second date. We met through mutual friends, and bonded over weird relationship stories. For our second date, he invited me to his house for a casual night in. While I’m a fan of a relaxing night at home, I […]
More2014 in review.
Here’s an excerpt: The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 21,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 8 sold-out performances for that many people to see it. Click here to see the complete report.
MorePic of the Week.
In the first volume of The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring), J.R.R. Tolkein wrote a poem: All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light […]
MorePic of the Week.
I mentioned last week that I’m having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit this year, and I think it’s because I didn’t travel home for Thanksgiving. Usually when I do, my friends and I open gifts and watch the tree lighting in Downtown Indianapolis. I put my Christmas tree up, in hopes that would help, […]
MoreBoyfriend Recipe: White Choc Cookies.
I know everyone is probably still full of turkey and pie, but I couldn’t help but post one of my favorite recipes just in time for the Christmas holiday season — White Chocolate and Pecan Cookies. I made them many years ago, the ONLY time I’ve spent Christmas with a boyfriend (read about the details […]
MoreI want your love (story).
It wasn’t long ago that I obsessed over Lauren Conrad’s wedding, and purchased all of the magazines that mentioned it so I could get all the pretty details. One of those magazines was Martha Stewart Weddings — my first time purchasing a wedding magazine — and I found that it was filled with non-traditional stories […]
MoreSurvival Guide: The Fade.
I’ve gotten The Fade many times in dating — and I know I’ve already made it quite clear that I hate it, and it really sucks (read this if you really want the scoop). If you’ve never gotten The Fade — when a guy starts taking longer to reply to your texts and then eventually […]
MoreHow to fight right.
I really hate fighting. And, over the course of my years in the dating game, there have been many-a-time when I’ve simply ignored things that were probably worth a fight, simply because I just wanted to play it cool. But, no matter how cool you are, something is likely to piss you off. And sometimes, […]
MoreCoolest Fan Mail… Ever!
Monday night, I received some fan mail from a reader in Indianapolis. She, Samantha, drew this after reading my first book, How I Fell, and then she transferred it to Photoshop. Umm… how cute is it?! I actually like it better than my original cover, but don’t tell anyone. Without even knowing it, Samantha drew […]
MorePic of the Week.
A 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 — […]
MoreThrowback dating shows.
When 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 […]
MoreWhy are men obsessed with their jobs?
I’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 […]
MorePic of the Week.
Last 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 […]
MoreHey Tweetheart: dating & social media.
Ugh. 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 […]
MorePic of the Week.
Well, it’s the second day of fall, and call me basic, but yes, ’tis the season to embrace every single little thing about the outdoors — even when there’s not really fall-like weather. In honor of my favorite holiday, I started my stockpile of fall-scented candles weeks ago, and even made a chili (recipe coming […]
More‘Lemon Drops’ has… DROPPED!
THAT’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. […]
MoreDating With Myers-Briggs.
We 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 […]
MorePic of the Week.
Saturday, 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 […]
MoreWhen an Ex Gets Married.
Ugh. 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 […]
MoreGuest Blog: Does Cheating Ever Make Sense?
Shannon 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 […]
MoreA Review: ‘Starstruck’.
Another 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. […]
MoreAre All the Good Ones Taken?
About 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 […]
MoreOnce a Cheater, Always a Cheater?
The 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 […]
MorePic of the Week.
This 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 […]
MoreHolly, Party of One.
Editor’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 […]
MoreWomen You Should Know: Amy Winehouse.
When 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 Art of Manipulation (in dating).
Manipulate (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 […]
MoreHow to Cancel a Wedding.
No, 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 […]
MoreChatting With ‘The Bachelorette’
My job as a journalist, an editor provides all sorts of opportunities to meet, or talk to people I would have never expected. Last week, I got to listen in on a conference call with The Bachelorette, Andi Dorfman. While I’ve always gotten suckered in to watching The Bachelor — every season I swear I’m […]
MoreThe Allure of Options.
They 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 […]
MorePic of the Week.
This 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 […]
MorePic of the Week.
This 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, […]
MoreIs This Blog Ruining My Dating Chances?
This 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 […]
MorePic of the Week.
On 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 […]
MoreAirports See it all the Time…
‘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 […]
MoreSeeing Red (Flags).
As 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 […]
MoreThings I’ve Learned from watching ‘Will & Grace’
I 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 […]
MoreThe Column: On Cooking and Dating
Look 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, […]
MoreThings As They Seem (Part I).
I’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 […]
MoreWhen Enough is Enough.
During 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 […]
MoreBoyfriend Recipe: Zesty (baked) Chicken Wings.
I 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 […]
MorePic of the Week.
I 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 […]
MoreSleep to Dream.
My 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 […]
MoreSleepless & Single… but not Secret.
Earlier 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 […]
MoreReturn of the Ex.
This 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 […]
MoreNicholas Sparks: writing perfection.
My 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 […]
MoreThings I’ve Learned From watching ‘The Hills’
MTV’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 […]
MoreA History of Valentines.
When 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, […]
MoreWhy am I single?
When you ask me “Why are you single?” What I want to say is, “Why are you so fucking nosy?” But instead I put on a jacket of societal norms And I just Shrug my shoulders And tell you “I just haven’t found the one yet” But if you want my honest opinion… I don’t […]
MoreSingle girl recipe: 321 calorie stuffed French toast.
If the title didn’t sell you on this recipe, I’m about to. In college, I dated a guy who I fell in love with pretty quick. I remember the first time I saw him—as I was handing in an application at American Eagle—I felt that spark. He was cuuuuuuute. And he looked even better in […]
MorePic of the week.
It’s quite possible that it’s been an entire year since I’ve given myself a moment. A real moment, anyway. At any given minute in a typical day, chances are, I’m working. Whether it’s at my day job, or an underpaid freelance gig. I’m working (even on the weekends). If I’m not working, I’m at the […]
MoreEX-PLOSION!
Is it lame that I’m 28 years old and still watching shows on MTV? If so, let’s just get over that tiny little fact about me, and move on to MTV’s newest season of the Real World: Ex-Plosion, K? It starts off (last night was episode 3) just the same as every Real World season—7 […]
MorePic of the Week.
Remember that time I thought I had an STD? Oh right, no, because I have yet to share that story yet…so here goes. About two weeks ago, I stepped out of the shower and felt a sting Down There (yes, my lady parts deserve capital letters). Having just shaved, I figured maybe I got a […]
MoreBoyfriend Recipe: Meatloaf.
Cooking for a boyfriend has always been something I enjoy doing; after all, men love to eat, and I love to cook. And yes, since I’m single I haven’t been cooking much for men lately, but I’m going to assume not all of my readers are single (and sometimes bitter). So, for the sake of […]
MoreWomen You Should Know: Candace Bushnell.
It took me awhile to think about who I wanted to focus on for my first Woman You Should Know post of 2014. But I settled on one of my favorite writers, Candace Bushnell! You might recognize Candace’s name from her books, Sex & the City, Summer & the City, The Carrie Diaries, One Fifth […]
MoreA picture is worth…
A few nights ago, I got a Facebook alert that I was tagged in a comment by an old friend, Katie. When I looked at the tag, to my surprise, it was a picture of Katie and I, along with our high school dance teammates. The picture is nearly 12 years old. There, in my […]
MoreGuilt-free New Year’s Eve Cocktail Recipes.
And so here we are again, tomorrow is the last day of 2013, and if you’re anything like me, you’re wondering, “Where has the time gone?” Each year seems to fly by faster than the one before it, no matter how hard we try to slow things down, savor the moments, pack our days, sleep […]
MoreCelebs need love, too…
Do you watch Ke$ha’s show on MTV, “My Crazy, Beautiful Life?” I watched most of it last season and I try to catch it when I can this season (it’s on MTV, Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m.C). A few weeks ago, the episode followed Ke$ha as she helped her best friend’s boyfriend search for the perfect […]
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The Bitter Lemon 
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