Last Thursday night, my friend Marcy and I tried a little something different for our usual girls’ night — a try at the popular “Poppin’ Cookin’.” In particular, I purchased the hamburger set (that looks eerily similar to that of McDonalds). What is Poppin Cookin? It’s a Japanese phenomenon, in which people like myself get […]
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. […]
MoreIt took all week for me to recover from my trip to the midwest, and of course, I had to work — it wasn’t easy getting back into the swing of things. So, when I got home Friday night (after an 8-mile bike ride and an hour of boxing), I wasn’t ashamed to tuck myself […]
MoreI’ve traveled a lot my myself — in fact, I’ve traveled more on my own than I have with other people (same goes for seeing movies). Sometimes, I’m traveling alone to meet others at my final destination, and there are times I’ve taken an entire trip by myself. Either way, traveling solo (I just finished […]
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? […]
MoreI have always loved seeing these types of posts in magazines and on beauty blogs, so I thought I’d give it a whirl. I’m not someone who keeps the same thing in my makeup bag every week, as I like to change things up with the seasons, or with my mood. And let’s face it, […]
MoreSaturday night, my friend Liz was celebrating 10 years living in Louisiana! She invited me to join in her celebration — and it felt special, because not only have I been in Louisiana for ten years, too, but I’ve known Liz for most of those years! I asked my friend and gym-influencer, Derek, to join […]
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 […]
MoreI hate admitting this, but I almost (almost) forgot how hot Channing Tatum is. Until I watched The Vow and Dear John back-to-back, and promptly went to the theatre to see 22 Jump Street. Mr. Tatum is a southern boy, native to Alabama (we’ll forgive you), known for his work in Step Up and Step […]
MoreIf you could only see the happy dance I’m doing right now! I am WAY too excited over my brand new library card! This all started many years ago, when I registered to vote in East Baton Rouge Parish. My voting spot is just down the road from my apartment, at a library. The only […]
MoreI have always loved watching The Food Network, and I really love catching episodes of The Pioneer Woman lately. Her name is Ree Drummond, but she is really known as Pioneer Woman, which started from her wildly popular blog. Ree is a mother, and she lives on a working ranch “In the middle of nowhere.” […]
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 […]
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 […]
MoreTomorrow marks the official start of summer, even though Baton Rouge has already been sitting in the 90-degree heat for awhile. When I lived in Indiana, I loved summer. Of course, I was in school, so that meant summers off from class, working shifts at the custard shop, cool night drives on winding country roads, […]
MoreI’m about halfway through the summer semester of my blogging class, Blogging for Beginners (through LSU Leisure Courses), and I received a shipment of my “textbooks.” This book, “Blogging For Beginners: 51 Blogging Tips,” is a compilation of the tips I offer on my class blog, Blogging for Beginners. I know, I get really creative […]
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 […]
MoreYes! I saw The Fault in Our Stars this weekend! After reading the book, and then seeing the previews, I was seriously counting down the days until the movie hit theatres. Although it’s out of character for me, I didn’t go to the midnight premiere, but I did see it on Sunday, and the theatre […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
MoreI’m not huge on flavored crap, especially when it comes to alcohol. However, I could probably go for a lemon drop martini (or a shot, your choice) just about any day. As a former bartender, I feel confident in the way I make a perfect lemon drop—however, I won’t be offended if you change things […]
MoreUnless you went to my high school, chances are, you don’t know who Kim Green is. She was my high school journalism advisor/fearless Triangle newspaper leader. If it weren’t for her, I honestly have no idea how my life would have shaped up. I definitely wouldn’t have my current job. I may not have gone […]
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 […]
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 […]
MoreMonday night, I finished reading John Green’s, “The Fault In Our Stars.” This is a book that’s been on my reading list for months, and I had a gift card burning a hole in my pocket, so I jumped at the chance to buy it—splurging on the Collector’s Edition. I stumbled across Green’s collection of […]
MoreI have a guilty pleasure of admiring the glamorous lives of others from afar, via Instagram. No, I don’t even HAVE an Instagram account, but I’ve managed to find plenty of profiles, and be jealous of their beautiful lives. God, I’m creepy. Anyway, one of the bloggers I follow (and stalk on Instagram) posts all […]
MoreThere are lots of dates I wish my mind would erase. And by dates, I mean months paired with numbered days of the week. Next week, one of those days is on my calendar. When I was a sophomore in college, I was living in my sorority house, and it was the morning of our […]
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 […]
MorePictures like this could probably be my “Pic of the Week” nearly every seven days. I absolutely love (LOVE) bargain shopping, but I particularly love hunting for beauty products at stores like Dollar Tree and Big Lots. Part of this is out of necessity. I just cannot afford, or justify, spending $20-$50 on a single […]
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 am so, so happy to finally (I’ve kept quiet for a week) announce my collaboration with Dig Magazine, Baton Rouge’s alt-weekly. While I have written articles for Dig before, my new project is dear to my heart, as I’ll be writing a fresh column each week, based on my adventures in dating—very similar to […]
MoreLast week, I was so lucky to have my best friends—Angela and Sheena—in town from Indiana. The two of them were deep in winter depression (I’m really believing that’s a thing) and drove the 12 hours South to get to Baton Rouge. While the two of them have visited me several times before, they’d never […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
MoreSunday afternoon, my friend a I took a sewing class at Jo-Ann Fabrics. I’ve never had a huge interest in sewing, but my friend has wanted to learn for the longest time. Each Thursday night, we get together to watch Project Runway, or now, Under The Gunn, and she always says, “I wish I knew […]
MoreWhen 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 […]
MoreLast week, I finally got back into a regular routine of participating in an open mic night. But, my journey to the mic has been an interesting one. When I was in college, I was on a mission to get a degree in journalism. But after applying to my university’s journalism school twice, and getting […]
MoreWhen I was younger, weather talk was boring—a sign that you had nothing else to talk about. But, when Al Roker told me the oh-so-frightening Polar Vortex was actually going to break off and come flying toward Baton Rouge at lightening speed, it became the topic of conversation at my office coffee pot. That damn […]
MoreIs 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 […]
MoreAfter I finished reading Leandra Medine’s book, “Man Repeller: Seeking Love. Finding Overalls.” last week, I had no doubt in my mind she would be my next Woman You Should Know. I was first introduced to Leandra’s blog, “Man Repeller,” by one of my blogging students (did y’all know I’m a blogging teacher?), who told […]
MoreA 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 […]
MoreHappy New Year! Are you back at work today? I am…and it’s a little rough. But before I go back into my regular-posting mode, I wanted to share with you a few things that have been on my mind regarding this blog. I think it’s time to shake it up a little. As I’ve mentioned […]
MoreAnd 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 […]
MoreI’ve been single for every Christmas/holiday season, except one. During that year, I was so in love with my boyfriend and I just could not wait to spend Christmas Day with his family–I made dozens of fancy cookies for the occasion and I spent hours hunting for the perfect gift for him. While I do […]
MoreIt’s here, it’s FINALLY here! My second book, How to Make Lemonade, is published and ready for YOU to read… What’s it about? It is a memoir of my dating life in college—I had 3 serious boyfriends, which, as you can probably guess, didn’t work out, considering I’m single right now. However, the stories of […]
MoreThe following was written in 2010; nothing has been changed. Like what you’ve read? Enjoy my #tb (throwback) blog series as I count down the days until my second book, How to Make Lemonade, is released on December 2nd! DAY 30: MOVE ON…AND BE FABULOUS Friday, May 21, 2010 It’s finally here! My task today […]
MoreThe following was written in 2010; nothing has been changed. Like what you’ve read? Enjoy my #tb (throwback) blog series as I count down the days until my second book, How to Make Lemonade, is released on December 2nd! DAY 27: FEEL SOMETHING Tuesday, May 18, 2010 I’ve been looking forward to today’s assignment since […]
MoreThe following was written in 2010; nothing has been changed. Like what you’ve read? Enjoy my #tb (throwback) blog series as I count down the days until my second book, How to Make Lemonade, is released on December 2nd! DAY 25: GET IT ON…KIND OF Sunday, May 16, 2010 This post is about to get […]
MoreThe following was written in 2010; nothing has been changed. Like what you’ve read? Enjoy my #tb (throwback) blog series as I count down the days until my second book, How to Make Lemonade, is released on December 2nd! DAY 23: LOOK AHEAD Friday, May 14, 2010 I just had a breakdown. My day was […]
MoreThe following was written in 2010; nothing has been changed. Like what you’ve read? Enjoy my #tb (throwback) blog series as I count down the days until my second book, How to Make Lemonade, is released on December 2nd! DAY 22: GET FAMOUS Thursday, May 13, 2010 I had a baggage issue today. I was […]
MoreThe following was written in 2010; nothing has been changed. Like what you’ve read? Enjoy my #tb (throwback) blog series as I count down the days until my second book, How to Make Lemonade, is released on December 2nd! DAY 20: FILM FEST Tuesday, May 11, 2010 Last night, I had a dream my ex’s […]
MoreThe following was written in 2010; nothing has been changed. Like what you’ve read? Enjoy my #tb (throwback) blog series as I count down the days until my second book, How to Make Lemonade, is released on December 2nd! DAY 18: KICK IT UP A NOTCH Sunday, May 9, 2010 The Frisky really knows the […]
MoreThe following was written in 2010; nothing has been changed. Like what you’ve read? Enjoy my #tb (throwback) blog series as I count down the days until my second book, How to Make Lemonade, is released on December 2nd! DAY 15: GIRLS JUST WANNA… Thursday, May 6, 2010 I want nothing more than to crawl […]
MoreThe following was written in 2010; nothing has been changed. Like what you’ve read? Enjoy my #tb (throwback) blog series as I count down the days until my second book, How to Make Lemonade, is released on December 2nd! DAY 14: WISH YOU WERE 6 AGAIN Wednesday, May 5, 2010 Today, The Frisky asked me […]
MoreThe following was written in 2010; nothing has been changed. Like what you’ve read? Enjoy my #tb (throwback) blog series as I count down the days until my second book, How to Make Lemonade, is released on December 2nd! DAY 8: DRESS THE PART Thursday, April 29, 2010 I just got home from completing today’s […]
MoreThe following was written in 2010; nothing has been changed. Like what you’ve read? Enjoy my #tb (throwback) blog series as I count down the days until my second book, How to Make Lemonade, is released on December 2nd! DAY 3: WORDS OF WISDOM Saturday, April 24, 2010 Today is the day I am to […]
MoreAnnouncing: my second book! My second book, How To Make Lemonade, is my story from the beginning—as far as dating goes, anyway. I tricked him into being my boyfriend. One morning before class began, I took a ring I’d gotten in one of those clear plastic bubbles and placed it in my mailbox. The mailboxes […]
MoreYesterday marked three years that I’ve been registered with WordPress.com. Three years ago, I registered this blog space so I’d have a place to keep all of the stories running through my head. I thought I would eventually weave them into a memoir. As you probably know by now, that’s not quite what happened. But […]
MoreOver the summer, Maureen O’Connor wrote an article for New York Magazine, “All My Exes Live in Texts: Why the Social Media Generation Never Really Breaks Up.” Hmmm. Even the title had my gears turning. For starters, O’Connor states in the article that out of her 700 friends on Facebook, 36 she considers to be […]
MoreWhen I started writing the series, How I fell, I had no idea just how long, and book-like it would become. Many of you asked me for a book. Well, ask and you shall receive, because How I Fell is now an ebook. Of course, I know you’ve already read the series. But the book […]
MoreBefore I go back to normal blog business, I wanted a chance to really thank you all for reading my entire 19-part series, How I Fell. During the month of August, when I was posting the series, 5,987 of you visited this blog. That blew July’s numbers out of the water—218. But that’s not why […]
MoreFor my birthday last month, one of my best friends bought me a book to read (Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner) and she told me she bought herself a copy, so we could both read it and discuss it. I loved this idea! The book was so good we got through it quick and […]
MoreA few weeks ago, The Frisky posted a story about 2 friends (a guy and a girl) who found themselves single at the same time and decided to date each other for 40 days…and blog about it. This was/is right up my ally. I kept seeing the link to the blog all over my Facebook […]
MoreWhere are the Nicholas Sparks fans? I jumped on the Sparks bandwagon a few years ago when The Last Song hit movie theatres. I loved the movie and did the backward thing by reading the book afterward. Ever since, I got my best girlfriend hooked on his books and I love reading them and then […]
MoreThis is an editorial I wrote for Dig magazine in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. * * * I’m thinking about getting a landline. It’s not about time travel or saving money. It’s for the sake of dating. I’ve had a cell phone since I was 16, when I had my first boyfriend […]
MoreI can still remember my first Valentine. I was in first grade, and a boy in my class, named Dustin, gave me a small, white teddy bear with a red bow tied around his neck. At 6 years old, this was a lavish gift among the ritual of passing out store-bought cards with flat suckers. […]
MoreI’ve mentioned here before that I’m working on a book with a fellow writer, Gina. Slowly, but surely, we are working through our draft. While I won’t bog you down with all of the details, I thought my part of the “introduction” would be worth sharing, just to give you a taste of my story. […]
MoreI just finished reading “A Place of Yes” by Bethenny Frankel. I was taking my time with this one, because it has so many great takeaway lessons and I often took lots of notes while reading it. If you are a Bethenny fan already, I don’t need to explain to you how amazing she is […]
MoreI just finished reading Julie Powell’s second memoir, Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession. You might recognize Powell’s name from her first book, Julie and Julia, which I read and loved. Because of that, I was looking forward to reading the sequel, and I wasn’t disappointed. While Powell’s first book was much about […]
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The Bitter Lemon 
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