At approximately 10:21 am today, the fall season will officially be upon us. So, you can all stop saying it’s too early for pumpkin-spice everything, and Halloween decor. Because it’s not, fall is HERE! In my house, the arrival of fall signifies a fresh start, and it also means turning off the AC and dragging […]
MoreHappy Friday, everyone! It’s time for the week’s final installment of “Hand-Picked” – it probably won’t be the last time ever for it, because, well I only went through maybe 1/4 of all the little mementos I have stuffed in boxes in my tiny apartments. But nonetheless, I do hope you’ve enjoyed all of my […]
MoreWhew! I’m so sorry I’m just getting around to posting this, and it’s almost Friday, when a new post will be up, but yesterday was a crazy day and I barely even made it home before midnight. So, yes, I know this picture above is hardly legible. But, when I found this note, it’s the […]
MoreThey say that summer is a state of mind, and if you want to, it can be summer all year long. I suppose that’s why beach towns and tropical islands seem to have a different way of life – things seem a little more laid back. I certainly loved summer as a kid; and through […]
MoreI’ve written a lot about social media and the effect it has on us, and it’s been on my mind a lot lately. I’ll preface this by saying that, in general, I am a fan of social media – a lot of the professional work I’ve done in the last decade revolves around the stuff, […]
MoreSo, if you haven’t heard – which, if you got The Bitter Lemon email newsletter, you would have heard already – I am having a 90’s celebration on Saturday (tomorrow!), right on SnapChat! There’s going to be many, many movies, even festive food, possibly terrible fashion and makeup, 90’s music, trivia, and general reminiscing about […]
MoreI’ve been thinking a lot about disappointment lately. I mean, do you ever get to that point where you’re just not even feeling mad, more just let down? Disappointment can come from anywhere. Speaking from experience, I’d say recently I felt disappointment when I couldn’t make it to Indianapolis to see the Dave Matthews concert; […]
MoreLast Tuesday, I was taking my favorite dance class (per usual). I love it for two reasons: 1. The dances we learn are always fun and challenging; and 2. The instructor has this amazing, positive energy that’s contagious. On this particular Tuesday, she was teaching us a dance very different from ones she’s taught us […]
MoreI’ll say this right now, I am not a big fan of just going to the library, getting lost among the stacks, and stumbling upon books I want to read. For years, I have kept a reading list of books I want to read – and it’s only gotten more intense over the last 6 […]
MoreYou’ve probably already heard the news: Lauren Conrad is coming back for the 10th Anniversary of “The Hills” and it airs on MTV TO-NIGHT!! If you’re just now learning this news, then I’m welcoming you to the world of the countdown for this thing to start. I really cannot freaking wait! I’m not ashamed to […]
MoreI do realize the blog has been rather TV-heavy lately, so if you’re not a TV fan, I half-heartedly apologize…because, after all, this IS my blog, and I do love TV! Since I’m not out spending money, I’m either at the pool reading or inside on the couch, so that’s the story for now. I’ll […]
MoreOhhh snap! I’ll admit, I skipped watching “Famously Single” last night because I was watching the DNC – but I’m here this morning, eating my blue-frosted Pop-Tart, sitting with Blanche, and we are READY! The episode starts with Jessica doing a card reading for Aubrey and Pauly. Somehow, the cards say that Aubrey wants to […]
MoreIt will come as no surprise to anyone that I’ve been in the midst of tough times; because, well, that’s the kind of thing that happens as the years pass. We have good times and bad, and getting through the bad times is often when we learn the most about ourselves and the people around […]
MoreIf we were talking, there’s so many things I’d tell you; but I know the chances of that happening are slim-to-none, and for good reason. I’d like to think that our hurtful actions toward each other came from places we don’t venture often; places of anger and insecurity. But nevertheless, we are here, apart, not […]
MoreEpisode six! I am pretty sure THIS is the episode we’ve all been waiting for – I type this post as I’m watching each episode, but the previews for this episode showed the scene in the kitchen with Aubrey and Pauly where she’s asking him if he’s falling love with her. Bloop! The episode kicks […]
MoreOne woman I’ve really come to admire over these last few years is Carole Radziwill. Sure, there’s a possibility you recognize her name from “The Real Housewives of New York” – that’s how I have come to know her, too – but, of course, she’s much more than a reality television personality. Radzi, as she’s […]
MoreMy attitude has come into question lately, when I had an honest reaction to something that happened in a moment of stress. I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t the first time I’ve gotten a talking to about wearing my heart on my sleeve. And in all honesty, it is never my intention to […]
MoreWe are already FIVE episodes into “Famously Single” and I feel like there’s all sorts of emotions flying around – and you know what that means: DRAMA. So, let’s get this started! Right off the bat, the roommates continue to be frustrated with Josh because he’s focusing on only physical aspects of the women he’s […]
MoreTiming is something I hear a lot about in all aspects of my life: when to find the right job, when to talk about certain subjects, when we’re “supposed” to reach certain life milestones (all of which have surpassed for me), when to get married, when to have a baby… there’s a whole lotta scheduling […]
MoreIt began with tears on the drive home. “It” meaning the realization that I was, indeed, losing my shit – the meltdown itself probably started two years ago. But, there I was, uncontrollably crying on my drive home from work Wednesday night; attempting to hide behind a pair of aviators I’d purchased months before at […]
MoreLast night, E! network premiered their latest reality TV installment, “Famously Single”. I’ll admit, I have been counting down the days…and hours… for this to begin. “Famously Single” brings a group of single, B-list celebrities (mostly from other reality shows) into a house, along with a doctor, to find out exactly why they are single […]
MoreI was really questioning whether I should post anything about this case, but the more I’ve seen and read about it, how could I not? This case – The Stanford Rapist (I will not glorify his name or former accolades here) vs. The Victim – and its ruling affects women everywhere, and it has made […]
MoreI mentioned on Monday (in my review of “What Alice Forgot“) that I’ve been thinking a lot about time lately. I was thinking about it before I read the book, although I’m not entirely sure what brought it on – it very well may be the fact that my 31st birthday less than one month […]
MoreThis has been on my mind a lot lately – here’s how it started. I was listening to a podcast (big shocker, I know), and they were talking about how important it is to date someone that has the same needs in a partner as you do. Let me explain. If I remember correctly, the […]
MoreYou may or may not know this, but usually my Wednesday blog posts are a replicate of the column that is published in a weekly magazine, “Dig”, which is distributed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I’ve worked as a contributing writer for Dig since it was born, a little more than five years ago. The column, […]
MoreAh Monday, we meet again. This weekend was a decent one, although too short, per usual. But I feel like a lot of things “finally” happened this weekend. Simple things, but they finally occurred. I kicked off my weekend by finally using a coupon for a free meal at Chipotle. I didn’t really celebrate Cinco […]
MoreI never really know how to handle losses like these on this blog. After all, I didn’t know Prince personally (no one I know did – if you did, let me know), I never saw him in concert, and I cannot rattle of facts about him like I could for John Mayer, or say, Amy […]
More“When a guy’s really into you, he’s coming upstairs.” It was a simple line that Carrie Bradshaw’s then-boyfriend, Jack, delivered to her friend Miranda when she asked for feedback on a date she recently had. That episode of “Sex and the City” originally aired in July 2003, and sparked an entire movement in dating and […]
MoreI feel like I’m constantly going through, what John Mayer would call a “Quarter-life crisis”, when it comes to the state of my life. A few weeks ago, I talked to you guys about settling when it comes to our careers – what’s realistic and what’s… just the sad truth. “Having it all” is not […]
MoreSo, around a month ago I realized two things: 1. I am not really cut out for an “open office” environment. I get really, really distracted, and the sound of other people typing ignites a rage inside my blood that I cannot explain or deal with. And 2., In order to block out all the […]
MoreI know what you’re thinking: “C’mon, Holly, you really don’t have anything better to write about than TOAST?!” And I say, don’t you worry about THAT! If you know me at all, you should see all the crap I’ve got on my list to write about, but I had to interject here and talk about […]
MoreThis is going to come out wrong, but I’ve been really lucky to have friends that don’t pressure me to be in a relationship. Of course, my friends are rooting for me – they hope that one day I’ll find Mr. Right, but until then, they’re cool with the solo me. There have been times […]
MoreIn 2012, I read a book that really struck me. The book was “A Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder” by Karen Spears Zacharias. At the time, the book was the featured reading for a community-wide book club in Baton Rouge. In this large club, the author would come speak. So, I read […]
MoreAs much as I hate to admit it, I’ve become addicted to watching “Vanderpump Rules” on Bravo each week. I’ve watched this show since its first season (season four just finished airing) and it’s a show that follows the very petty drama of the employees at an upscale Hollywood restaurant called SUR. One of the […]
MoreI’ve been eating 90% of my meals from Green Chef for the last few months (catch a recap of how much I love it here). To say the least, it’s really convenient, delicious, healthy, and affordable. I’ve really come to rely on that box of ingredients at my doorstep every Friday evening. But last Friday, […]
MoreA few weeks ago, I got into a pretty nasty argument with the guy I was “talking” to. Needless to say, we aren’t talking anymore; I even blocked his number. Our argument was so ridiculous, I don’t know if I’ve ever been so mad in my life. I was shaking, and spitting off insults about […]
MoreIt’s been a little more than a month since I went through a… well, I wouldn’t call it a breakup since we weren’t officially together…but let’s just say it was a broken heart, because that’s what it feels like. Every time something like this happens, I’m reminded just how much it sucks. Big time. My […]
MoreSaturday night, I ventured to Cedar Park Center, home of the Texas Stars hockey team, Austin’s American Hockey League affiliate to the National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars. Hockey has got to be one of my favorite sports, as I grew up at the ice rink, dated a hockey player in high school, and ventured to […]
MoreSo, let’s talk about it: the Britney Spears Sing-a-long at the Alamo Drafthouse. Yes. I went last Saturday night and it was pretty fantastic. I’d heard about it from a coworker, but pretty much everyone I know in Austin (read: 3 people) was busy with other raging Saturday night plans. I wasn’t sure if this […]
MoreI woke up, pissed as all hell. It was a Saturday morning, I’d slept in, and for some reason I was in a fit of rage. I was mad at the guy I’d been talking to, mainly because we weren’t really talking to each other anymore. Six months prior to this ugly Saturday morning, I […]
MoreI recently became obsessed with podcasts. There’s about six that I listen to regularly, including “The Jillian Michaels’ Show”. You may remember Michaels as one of the trainers on “The Biggest Loser”. Her podcast is a mix of fitness and health tips, along with life lessons and relationship advice. A few episodes ago, they had […]
MoreIs it just me or is Tuesday night TV pretty much as good as it gets? Probably just me, given that I’m a complete TV junkie. While I’m still pretty wrapped up in “The People vs. O.J. Simpson”, and admittedly, “The Voice”, last Tuesday E! premiered “LA Clippers Dance Squad”, as in a completely behind-the-scenes […]
MoreEvery other Friday, I take an alternate route home from the office. It’s a few miles west of where I live, toward a place Texans call Hill Country. And it is beautiful. The road overlooks dozens of homes made of stucco, usually sitting under a colorful sunset. If you’re new here, you should know that […]
MoreThe following was written based on memories (many of which involve vodka). Names have been changed to protect the author. Catch up on parts one, two, three, and four here. Eric’s message was loaded, and it upset me so much, it was difficult to unpack. But let’s do it, right here: I was not jumping to […]
MoreHelloooooo! It’s been a hot minute since I featured two of my favorite pieces of this blog: “Celeb Crush” and a “Boyfriend Recipe”, so I figured why not combine the two for something steamy, plussss…. did I mention I have a giveaway? A FREE FOOD giveaway?! Yes!! But before we get into that fun stuff, […]
MoreRecently, MTV premiered season five of “Catfish”, the show that’s become synonymous with online dating failures. “Catfish” was introduced to the world in 2010 as a documentary, starring Photographer Nev Schulman. The film followed Schulman as he indulged in an online relationship with someone across the country, after “meeting” on Facebook. In the film, his […]
MoreI’ll be honest with you, I thought the podcast was dead. Remember when they first came out? If not, it was 2004, and McDonald’s (yummm) was the first to utter the word via print publication (The Guardian newspaper). Podcasts debuted in conjunction with iPods, because people were using their iPods to listen to and create […]
MoreThat’s right, before this weekend, I hadn’t seen “The Breakfast Club” in its entirety. I knew the general plot, and had seen parts of it, but never actually paid attention to it. So on Saturday morning, I started watching it before I headed out for the day. I was excited to see it, given it’s […]
MoreEarly last week, I randomly decided to join Periscope – the live video social media platform. I didn’t have much of a reason for joining other than I wanted to see what it was all about. I’ve heard of people (mostly celebrities or well-known personalities) using the ‘scope for an interview-like setting. Why? Well, because […]
More“We’re selfish, so all we want is a girl who’s going to listen to everything we say and act like it’s the coolest thing ever.” A guy friend of mine was trying to explain the inner-workings of the male brain to me. I’d just heard on the radio that the #1 reason a man will […]
MoreLast week, MTV premiered season 5 of “Catfish” – the show we all know, and have subsequently turned into a verb. If you live under a rock, I’m not sure why you’d be seeking my blog for news and advice, but a Catfish is someone who lies about their identity and often fakes multiple relationships […]
MoreIf Saturday was the official “Love Hangover”, then Sunday was a performance hangover. Let me back this train up and explain. You may or may not recall that I’m making a big effort to step outside of my comfort zone and do more things alone because, well because I don’t know anyone, and I’m not […]
MoreIntroducing… drumroll… Blanche’s Book Club! I have been thinking for a few months that maaaaybe I should join a book club. After all, it would serve as a way to meet people AND read a few books. But then I realized, finding the right book club actually takes work, and what if they read books […]
MoreAbout two weeks ago, John Mayer announced he was joining SnapChat. The interwebs completely ATE this up, because: 1. SnapChat is for teens, right? And John Mayer is 38. And 2., What happened to all of that jazz about not making a complete fool of yourself online, Mr. Mayer? Well, hell’s bells. I’m 30 and […]
MoreThat’s right, I’m here to apologize… for being inauthentic. Don’t worry, I haven’t lied or covered up any big secrets, I just sort of realized that some of the things I’ve been writing about lately have gotten away from the true mission of this blog. And I’m stopping the madness before it gets any further. […]
MoreOkay, so who am I kidding? Obviously your guess is as good as mine when it comes to what the hell is going to happen in Season 5 of “Girls”, but it premiers THIS Sunday night, so let’s get to guessing! Here’s what I do know: when we left off in season 4, Shoshanna takes […]
More“What happened to the days of dating someone just because you liked them?” One of my best girlfriends and I were chatting one night about guys; not an uncommon occurrence with us. It was an interesting question, and truthfully, one I hadn’t thought of. But once my mind started to dive into the subject, she […]
MoreValentine’s Day is two days away, and I’m single, very single. I don’t even have a crush and I ALWAYS have a crush. I mean, I’ve still got John Mayer, so no worries there. So, what does a single girl LOVE on Valentine’s Day? Let me tell you what: Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot […]
MoreYou probably already know that Valentine’s Day comes from Saint Valentine. But, I need to know how a Saint caused such a giant mess for singletons each year. I took it to Google. An article I found on History.com says the Catholic Church recognizes three saints named Valentine or Valentinus. There is a legend that […]
MoreWelp, Sunday is Valentine’s Day, and hopefully by now, some of you have started to receive goodies from me to celebrate this holiday I’m really coming to loathe. But, we’ll talk about that more tomorrow. Aside from the handmade cards, I also mailed out gifts, and for some, I mailed Valentine’s-themed tins of homemade snack […]
MoreOkay, so I can’t complain too much about the cold weather, living in Austin, Texas. But I know many of you, my dear readers, are freezing your little butts off this winter. The funny thing about Austin is that I really never know what the weather is going to be like. When I moved here, […]
MoreI recently became obsessed with watching “Love at First Swipe” on TLC. The show stars Style Expert Clinton Kelly, along with Online Dating Guru Devyn Simone. The point of the show is to help women (I haven’t seen any male contestants yet) present their best self on their online dating profiles. At the start of […]
MoreI’ve been reading the same book for, like, seven months. And it’s not a thick book, it’s an easy, fun read. I’ve just only looked at it about twice. And why? Let me explain that I used to read ALL. THE. TIME. There were years, not long ago, where I read 25 books a year. […]
MorePeople often say, “When you’re not looking, that’s when it’ll happen.” These people are usually in a relationship. I get it – just when you’re busy getting your life together instead of obsessing over dating, Mr. or Mrs. Right could be eyeing you from afar. It makes sense, but the most difficult thing for me […]
MoreLast week, I was under the weather. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve been sick; I’d like to think it’s because I’ve been really good about taking my vitamins, eating healthy, getting rest, and using my essential oils. But, lots of people in my office have been sick, so despite all of my efforts […]
MoreEver notice that my Monday posts are about alcohol? Perhaps it’s because I’m fresh off a weekend of partying (not really), that I really don’t want to go back to the office (maybe), or that I just have a drinking problem (perhaps), in general. Eh, who really cares? Last week, I was super jealous of […]
MoreOver the holidays, my mom treated me to an afternoon at the spa (Viva Day Spa in downtown, Austin, if you’re curious). We had manis and pedis, but we also enjoyed organic facials. I’ve had many facials in my life, but this one was fantastic! So much so, that I wanted to get some of […]
MoreIt’s Thirsty Thursday (uh, so what if I’m 9 years out of college…), so let’s be adult about one thing and NOT have a hangover tomorrow! That’s what we call t-e-a-m-w-o-r-k. For years, my girlfriend and I have been hosting “Ladies Night,” which basically means we eat delicious food, watch trashy TV, and drink multiple […]
MoreLast year, meaning 2015, I was really sucking when it came to my dating game. So this year, I’ve made it a goal to make a better effort in putting myself out there. Well, we’re barely two weeks into the New Year, and I’ve already been on a date! How’s that for good luck? On […]
MoreEveryone knows I’m obsessed with John Mayer and Justin Bieber – it’s not like I’ve made any sort of effort to keep that a secret. I was riding in the car a few weeks ago when they said on the radio that Mr. Mayer was spotted getting into a car with Katy Perry on New […]
MoreGiven that I did about ZERO reading in 2015, I only asked for one book for Christmas, and it wasn’t even a novel. Instead, I asked for a cookbook, particularly Haylie Duff’s “The Real Girl’s Kitchen,” which serves as a companion to her TV series on the Cooking Channel. Upon getting with the times and […]
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