Announcing: 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 […]
MoreTough Love is baaaaack! It’s no secret that I’ve had a MASSIVE crush on professional matchmaker (and VH1’s Tough Love host) Steve Ward ever since I set my eyes upon him through my television. Don’t even get me started on his adorable Philly accent! Feast your eyes… Anyway, in the previous 4 seasons of Tough […]
MoreSaturday at sunset, my coworker and friend, Ashley, got married! October 19, 2013 marked the 10-year anniversary of her boyfriend turned fiance, and now husband, Barry. And their wedding was beautiful. And yes, I know, that’s what everyone says about every wedding. But this one was different, I swear. Ashley & Barry are dedicated travelers. […]
MoreIf you kept up with my shenanigans on Match.com, you might recall a guy named (or, usernamed) Pookie. He was one of the first people to message and “wink” at me on Match, but despite our 100% compatibility rating, I wasn’t feeling it. Later, I noticed him working out at my gym…like every time I […]
MoreIs it possible to fall in love with something other than a person? I certainly hope so, because I’ve fallen in love with Los Angeles. This love affair has been going on since about 6th grade—before I’d ever even been to the city. But I dreamed about the streets, lined with palm trees and lights, […]
MoreThe first time I went to an “Adult store,” a sex shop, whatever you want to call it, I was barely 18, a virgin in the literal sense, and a virgin to most things. My friend and I were going in for fun. Upon walking into this store, my eyes landed on a glass case […]
MoreAh…breakups. I’ve been through (probably) way too many, that sometimes it seems like a calculated move to get over it: get rid of his stuff + delete his digital history + see new hot guy = movin’ on! But I know it’s not quite that easy. One thing that helps me get through the gloomy […]
MoreLast weekend I saw (hottie) Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s movie, Don Jon. Watch the preview: The flick is about a guy named Jon, who loves his family, friends, church, working out…and watching porn. In fact, he likes watching porn so much, he says he likes it more than actual sex…with a human. Seems a little, wacky, right? […]
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 […]
MoreTruthfully, after I met the Tall Guy and didn’t hear from anyone else, I was pretty much ready for my 30 days of Match to be over. I reached out to 4-5 more guys that I found interesting and never heard back from them. As much as I tried to tell myself that it wasn’t […]
MoreOne thing I’ve learned in my years as a single person is that love doesn’t just come from dating someone. Love comes in all forms. One thing I love is fall, and all kinds of goodies that come along with it. Here are a few of my fall loves: 1. Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte This […]
MoreWith each day that I was on Match, I felt like I had viewed so many (hundreds) of profiles, that I was confusing people that I met with people on Match. When I’d see a waiter at a restaurant, I wondered if I’d seen him on Match, or was I just insane? Or did I […]
MoreAlthough we decided to meet at a coffee shop at 4:30, I showed up an hour early. This is just the kind of person I am. I am incredibly paranoid about being late. I hate it. And 2., I wanted to avoid that whole, “Lost puppy look” as I was searching the coffee shop for […]
MoreOnce I “Favorited” the 12 guys, it didn’t take long before a few of them sent me messages. The first guy, one I called “The Ginger,” was attractive, and worked as a freelance photographer. Creatives attracted to creatives—no surprise there. We emailed back and forth 3 or 4 times, and I was ready to meet. […]
MoreThe very first message I received on Match was from a 56-year-old man. Mind you, I put my age range from 28-36. However, if someone puts their age range as 25-60, then my profile would come up in their search results. His message said, “Beautiful smile, wish I were younger.” Uh yeah, me too. Unfortunately, […]
MoreMatch.com lets you create your entire profile before you subscribe (ahem, pay). So, I uploaded 8 pictures (you can upload up to 25) and filled out my profile: DETAILS: Relationship: Never Married Have kids: None Wants kids: Not sure Ethnicity: White / Caucasian Body type: About average Height: 5’3″ (160cms) Faith: Spiritual but not religious […]
MoreAfter that terrible “relationship” with D, I really wanted to try something new as far as dating goes. And yes, I know online dating isn’t necessarily new, but it was new for me. I’d never done any type of online dating, whether formal (through a dating service) or informal (through a social media network/game/email, etc). […]
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 […]
More“Oh?” I asked, not surprised that my suspicions were confirmed. She nodded. “She was checking up on him, figured out you were his ex, and then found your blog,” she said. “Interesting,” I said. “Well, what’s interesting is the timing,” she continued. “They started hanging out around Easter, which…from reading your blog, that’s when you […]
MoreAgainst my better judgment, I opened the door. Later, I told my friends and family that I didn’t let D in. It’s even embarrassing to admit it here. However, if I’m going to be honest, then I have to mention it all—even the moments I wish I could erase. “Here’s your FAKE KEY,” D snarled. […]
MoreJune 27, 2013 Note: the following was written word-for-word, character-for-character, from Facebook messenger. Typos, misspellings, and other nonsense are due to the present drunk-ass. ME (3:56 a.m.): What? I’ve been asleep. D (3:56): u suck] ME (3:57): Okay thanks. D (3:57): really? ok bye ok t;hanks bye. im sure ur man can deal with it […]
MoreThe next day, I took a long lunch to clean my house because I had scheduled a “home visit” with a local animal shelter that had a kitty I wanted to adopt. D and I went to our favorite spot—California Pizza Kitchen—had lunch, and headed home to clean. I passed the inspection and the kitty, […]
More“What? I never said that,” I told him. I knew I didn’t say it. “Yes, yes you did,” he said. “But it’s cool, I’m fine with being mediocre.” Here we go! Welcome to the show I like to call, D is wasted and passive-aggressive and insecure, who’s up for round 1? “Alright, I never said […]
MoreI busted through his front door, stormed into his bedroom, where he was snoring. “Wake up!” I yelled. He opened his eyes, sitting up. “We have to leave, like now,” I said. “Why didn’t my alarm go off?” he asked. “I don’t know,” I said. “Grab my wallet, go to Albertsons, and get a dozen […]
MoreThe next day, I explained my side of the situation. “Yeah, we WERE supposed to have craft night,” he said. “But I got too drunk.” He didn’t even bother picking up his daughter that day, and obviously didn’t bother telling me there was a change of plans. Instead, he decided to get hammered, and make […]
MoreIt was a Thursday afternoon when D told me it wouldn’t be much longer for his grandfather. I asked him what he wanted me to do. He wanted me to meet him for lunch, and drinks. So I did. Needless to say, D was pretty upset. His family was close, his parents and grandparents all […]
MoreThe Monday following Matt’s wedding, D sent me a text saying he wanted me to meet his daughter. That night. Considering I just met his parents a week before that, 2 things were happening in my mind. 1. Yeah, things were certainly faster than I was used to. And 2., my nerves were shot. I […]
MoreDuring the month of April, I was trying my damnedest to keep up with National Poetry Writing Month and write a poem each day for all 30 days of the month. So, when my therapist told me I had PTSD, I took it as great fodder for a poem. I wrote the following: I was […]
MoreDuring the quick drive from the church to their home, D called his parents asking if they needed anything. “We are going to stop at Walmart because Holly needs a case of beer…” he told them (Baptists are anti-alcohol). I gave him the evil stare. He laughed, hanging up the phone, telling me to lighten […]
MoreA few weeks later, D arrived at my apartment one night and made an interesting comment. “You know, staying at your place every night is really KILLING my hygiene.” Oh? The standard routine had been that he came over after work (which was usually late at night) and slept until it was time to get […]
MoreThings were moving right along with me and D. So smoothly, in fact, that it felt weird. I’d never dated someone who missed me after just a few hours of being apart. I’d never spent so much time with someone where I recognized their smell, or their breathing when they slept. I’d never fallen into […]
MoreMy new boyfriend had yet to meet my friends, and since my parents live states away, meeting my friends was as important as it got. So me and D planned to have my friends come into the restaurant one night when he was working—this way, he could meet them, but it wouldn’t be some formal […]
MoreThe following day, a Sunday, we texted most of the day, so I invited him to come over once he got off work. It was raining by that time, and he wasn’t sure where to park to get to my apartment, so I met him outside, resulting in a movie-esque run in the rain (I […]
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 […]
MoreAfter a few days of flirting via phone calls and texts, he was working late one Friday night when he told me he really wished I would have come to visit him at work. I told him I was big on formal invites—I never wanted to show up any place that I wasn’t absolutely sure […]
MoreI saved D in my phone as “D” for two reasons: 1. I have a wild imagination, and 2. I had just finished reading Julie Powell’s second memoir, “Cleaving,” about her sexy affair with a man she called “D.” A girl can dream. The day following our first date was a Tuesday, which meant I […]
MoreI wasn’t even half-finished with my glass of wine when D appeared, plopping down in the bar stool beside me. “I didn’t think you’d come,” he said. He looked more handsome than I recalled the night before. He was dressed in a collared, button down shirt, jeans, and Chucks…I love Chucks. “I thought about not […]
MoreBoy, this is the start of a series of posts I have been dreading to revisit—the story of a relationship that ended just a month ago. While it was just 4 months in time, it was a love that shook me. I hope you’ll stick around for the entire story. Here goes… * * * […]
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 […]
MoreLast week, I was flipping through the radio stations on my morning drive to work. I stopped on the local country station (101.5 WYNK) as the two male DJs were talking. One of them, Patrick (if I remember correctly) said he was guilty of doing something sappy. It was a Thursday morning and he’d gotten […]
MoreHello out there! I realize I’ve been MIA for months; and when that happens, I really hate doing these “apology posts” regarding my absence. Truth be told, I don’t think there is one specific reason why I was silent on the blog these last few months—I suppose life just got in the way. Most of […]
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 […]
MoreI sometimes get a thrill out of 3am ice cream standing alone in my kitchen just because I can What thrills those around me often chills me terrifies me into sleepless nights sending me into a chain of unpleasant days I sometimes find myself living in the past romanticizing what has hurt me I don’t […]
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. […]
MoreBirthday #25 2am visit to your house High heels Trench coat Confetti cake November cold Kitchen table sex Front yard cigarettes A late night connection Or confused confections I fell for you Fast Mistook Lust for love Empty Shot glasses Cashed Mansion in College park Stability In Secrets A paved Path I Wish I Could […]
MoreOne of the best parts of my job as a journalist is meeting so many different, and interesting, people. With each interview I conduct, I’m reminded of the motto I live by: Everyone has a story to tell. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down with a local gentleman who was […]
MoreDraft saved Monday, September 26, 2011 Matthew: that kinda sounds like a perfect weekend. what movie Sent at 2:27 PM on Monday me: lion king friday…and saturday…the one with sarah jessica parker “I dont know how she does it” Sent at 2:30 PM on Monday me: i had actually sent you a text just before you messaged […]
MoreI saw this story on the news the other morning, “A love story in 22 photos”—a story that had gone viral. I had to see it for myself. The story, told in only 22 pictures and no words, is a love story of a naval officer and his girlfriend-turned-fiance-turned-wife. The pictures say it all; go […]
MoreAs a sophomore in college, I was at school just an hour away from New Orleans, the home of Hurricane Katrina. At that time, I was living in a sorority house. The house, they told us, was safe and would remain open, but I was lucky enough to have one of my Greek sisters offer […]
MoreI’ve never claimed to be psychic, and sometimes I’m not certain I believe in the ability to predict the future. However, during the summer before my junior year of high school, a girlfriend of mine, Julie, wanted to have her palm read. As I’m usually up for anything, I went along with her. The psychic […]
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. […]
MoreIn honor of Justin Bieber’s new album, “Believe” release today, I found it only necessary to share with you things The Biebs has taught me, in love and in life —of course. Good hair matters. It’s no surprise that The Biebs’ locks have been their own form of celebrity. Next time you’re skipping out on […]
MoreOver the weekend, I rented a movie I’ve been wanting to see for months: My Week With Marilyn. It was only released in theatres in certain cities, and Baton Rouge was not one of the lucky ones. My Week With Marilyn, starring Michelle Williams as Marilyn and Eddie Redmayne as Collin, is the true story […]
MoreI saw this commercial for Kraft “Anything” Dressing last night. Can you count how many dating cliches are in it? “Kraft has rebranded its salad dressing as ‘Anything Dressing’—a smart change that allows it to justify pouring its fattening Ranch over anything from asparagus to pizza. To promote the new branding, ad agency Being created […]
MoreAbout a year ago, a former coworker of mine said he was coming in town for a weekend and thought we should see a movie together. I agreed, and was looking forward to catching up with an old friend. When the weekend neared, he asked me if I wanted to grab dinner before the flick. […]
MoreDuring a drive this weekend, I popped in a random CD and came across one of my favorite country songs, “These Days” by Rascal Flatts. The song, which is the story about a man running into a girl he’s loved for years although she’s married, is a little cheesy (and so is the music video), […]
MoreLast September, I read “The Lucky One,” by Nicholas Sparks. It’s a romantic love story about a soldier in Iraq, who is on a mission to find his lucky charm: a girl in a photo. After crossing the country to find her, she’s got serious emotional baggage tying her down. Like many other Sparks fans, […]
MoreLast night, I joined a girlfriend for dinner before an event we had tickets for. The event, an MMA fight, was in an area of town that doesn’t have much going on. The best we could find was an Outback Steakhouse. Outback Steakhouse was the first job I ever had. I was 16, had just […]
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 […]
MoreUntil recently, it had been more than a year since I’d been on a proper date. I know, right? Truthfully, I don’t often meet men that are worth my time, and even more so, I don’t have much time to spare for others. Between maintaining FIVE (!) blogs, a full-time job, three freelance gigs, a […]
MoreThe best qualities in you have always been there, but when you get stuck in the past and make your pain your identity, then that’s what you become. —Bethenny Frankel, “A Place of Yes”
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 […]
MoreAfter weeks of prepping, I had an interview yesterday to determine whether I could teach a class I created all on my own: Blogging for Beginners. I got the class! I will say, right from the start, I never ever thought I would teach. However, over the 10 years of my writing career, I have […]
MoreAs a reader of this blog, I have to assume you have some experience, or at least interest, in romantic relationships. I have joined thoughts with fellow writer and blogger Gina Gennari of “Just Married” to write a book about dating and relationships. Although we have several stories between us, we need your input. Please […]
MoreTo my one true love, Holly. Lonely was the song I sang, ’till the day you came. Showing me another way, and all that your love can bring. Happy Valentine’s Day! See you tonight Baby! Love always & forever, John Mayer
MoreI was excited this morning when I heard a sweet story on the news: the story of Mrs. Bieber. Mrs. Bieber, or Avalanna, is a 6-year-old who is diagnosed with a rare type of cancer. She is a huge Justin Bieber fan, so much so, she had a fake wedding to him. When the Biebs […]
MoreI talk a lot about losing relationships—the romantic ones—and how difficult they are to move past. This weekend, I lost three friendships faster than I could ever imagine. Losing friendships, I am learning, is part of life. You meet people, they spend time in your life, and perhaps they stay, or maybe they go. These […]
MoreRemember when I told you I had been thinking of Valentine’s Days gone by? Well, as I’ve mentioned, they aren’t all ribbons and pearls, or chocolate and roses, perhaps. But, they aren’t all about me sitting and moping, either. If I think back further, years ago, there was a Valentine’s Day when I actually stood […]
MoreAnna Sofia Martin’s latest article on The Frisky really caught my attention: “8 Tips For Landing a Job or a Man This Valentine’s Day.” While I’m not looking for either of those things, I’ve never thought about just how similar these two things are: job hunting vs. on the prowl. Martin finds herself in a […]
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