If you’re learning anything about me, it’s that I LOVE a blog series. So why not start another one? This series is all about lip color, because I don’t wear enough of it, and I’m really trying to branch out. So in the spirit of people’s obsession with Fifty Shades of Grey and the movie coming […]
MoreToday marks the start of my fifth consecutive week on the Tone It Up Plan, and I’m proud to report that I’ve lost a little more than five pounds since I started! Sticking to a diet and a workout regimen (which involves at least six workouts a week), isn’t easy. But little by little, my […]
MoreAfter one week off (to announce my next book — out September 22), Fresh Friday is back! … And I think you’re going to like this one. This week’s scent is White Woods by CLEAN. As described by Sephora, “CLEAN White Woods is a warm, luxurious scent that embodies the pure essence of natural light […]
MoreIt’s been awhile since I’ve been on a serious job interview — like big, salary job. But I have interviews all the time for freelance projects, and not to toot my own horn, but rarely do I get turned down for a job. Interviewing, much like dating, is a skill that we constantly have to […]
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 […]
MoreFinally! I just know you all have been waiting for the day when you can show the world just how much you love reading The Bitter Lemon, right? That day is finally here! After a few months of designing, and giving myself a crash course in Photoshop, I’ve created Bitter Lemon merchandise with help from […]
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 […]
MoreI had so much fun sharing all of the contents of my makeup bag with you last month, I decided to dump out my gym bag and give you the scoop on some of my favorite products I use to get my sweat on! Thirty-One Duffel (similar): My mom originally bought this bag for herself, but […]
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 […]
MoreLast 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 […]
MoreI’m so glad that it’s Friday, for obvious reasons — the weekend is about to get started, AND, it’s another scent profile, this time for Peace, Love, & Juicy Couture by Juicy Couture. You may have already known that Juicy Couture knew how to make a damn fine velour tracksuit, but did you know they can […]
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 […]
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 […]
MoreThe scent this week is Gold by fashion designer, Michael Kors. He has a ton of different perfumes (I’m guessing to go along with his many clothing styles), so I’m sure you’ll be seeing his name on these posts quite often. I’ve got a sample of Gold, and have been spritzing it on every morning […]
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 […]
MoreMatthew Sanchelli is a self-proclaimed “nice guy,” and apparently, something worked, because he’s engaged to be married, and is all up in the wedding planning, right along with his bride-to-be! Matt, and his fiancee Becca, met online (gives me hope!), and eventually met in-person at a dog park — aww! Check out their joint blog, […]
MoreNo, I’m not quite cool enough to be featured on an episode of MTV’s Cribs, but yes, that is the inside of my fridge. After an incredible week back home, it’s time for me to detox and get back on a tight diet — I can’t lie, I’ve put on some pounds this summer, and […]
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 […]
MoreOh yeah, I’m starting a NEW series on the bloggy, called “Fresh Friday” (#FF), where I will feature a perfume. Over the years, I’ve collected several scents, some of them are full bottles, and some of them are just samples, but as of this moment, there are 40 different perfumes in my bathroom closet (no […]
MoreI’ve spent the last few months trying to make different protein bars from scratch, so I could avoid buying the expensive ones from the store. I used bags of coconut flour, coconut oil, unsweetened coconut, protein powder, flaxseed, paleo-friendly chocolate chips… and while, some of the recipes I tried were okay, they weren’t really what […]
MoreAfter a pretty epic weekend, it was difficult for me to choose one picture to represent it all — but I can never turn down a sunset (hope you’re not getting tired of it). I got to Chicago Friday morning, and meeting up with one of my best friends. After checking into our hotel downtown, […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.” […]
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 […]
MoreI remember having “Money noise” in college. For my first few years at school, I was working at the school paper, making a few dollars, but it was barely enough money to put gas in my car — shopping and pricy bar tabs were out of the question. During my senior year in college, I […]
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 […]
MoreLast week, I got my monthly subscription from Tattly in the mail, and I realized that although I am always posting pictures of my Tattlys on Twitter, I have never really mentioned them on my blog. …Which is completely foolish, because getting a pack of Tattlys in the mail makes my day (and sometimes my […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
MoreWhile I do have an extensive collection of makeup, including lip wear, I have a really bad habit of leaving my lips out of the makeup party — I’m never really sure what color to wear, and then there’s that whole mess of it on my coffee mug in the mornings, and my wine glass […]
MoreWow, do I love a good brunch. I’m lucky enough to live in a city that’s got dozens of great brunch spots, but I’ve always had a little dream of hosting one myself. The thing is, it seems like such a huge ordeal — what to serve for food? What about drinks? How fancy should […]
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 […]
MoreMy 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 […]
MoreOkay, I know it appears that this is simply a picture of an oversized Bud Light can. While I do love a crisp, refreshing Bud Light, what I was trying to capture was the crowd — and the overall scene — beyond the Bud Light. I spent an extended weekend in Gulf Shores, Alabama, for […]
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 […]
MoreAs you read this, chances are solid that me, along with three of my girlfriends, have packed the Tahoe to its gills as only girls can—with too many bikinis, sunscreen, and unnecessary makeup, as we travel a few hours to Gulf shores for the best music celebration on the beach: Hangout Fest. Aside from the […]
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 […]
MoreAnd no, I’m not being ultra-witty and taking about a crush that goes up and down. I’m honestly talking about a guy that I see on occasion, but only in my apartment building’s elevator. Yeah, I probably need to get out more. I’ve lived in my building for almost three years, and considering there aren’t […]
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 […]
MoreToday, I say goodbye to my visions/Of marrying/George Clooney Okay, so maybe/I wasn’t picking out a white gown/But rather/White sheets/And/Tiny/Under-wires But still/Drooling over/Your buttoned up/Look/Even though/I’ll take/Buttoned down,/Unbuttoned/… Fuck the buttons Ah, Clooney/Compared to a classic/Chanel suit/That’ll never go out of style I remember you in ER/Dr. Ross/And that’s a given/Because everyone wants/A doctor… Ross […]
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 […]
MoreI’ve mentioned on here before that I might be a little bit of a workaholic. Carving time out for myself has proven to be quite a challenge this year, and even when I can make it happen, it is tough for me to really enjoy it and not feel guilty about it. But Sunday, all […]
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 […]
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