summer love
Fresh Friday: Happy.
I was feeling kind of cheesy about using Happy by Clinique as my Fresh Friday scent this week, but once I spritzed a little on, I was reminded why this perfume is so popular — it’s refreshing! As described by Clinque, “A hint of citrus. A wealth of flowers. A mix of emotions. Our best-selling […]
MoreRomComs: not just for the ladies.
It’s true, men like to watch romantic comedies, too! Maybe you’ve caught your boyfriend laughing a little too hard during a recent Lifetime movie, or perhaps you’ve caught your husband popping in a copy of your coveted Sex & The City DVD. No matter what the reason, men love them a little chick flick. For […]
MoreFresh Friday: Sel Marin.
Aloha! Since I am spending this Fresh Friday with my toes in the sand (jealous, much?), I wanted to feature a beachy scent this week — and it just had to be Sel Marin by James Heeley. Sel Marin is described as “An afternoon standing on the docks during a clear spring day, the salty […]
MoreFresh Friday: Lola.
I know what you’re all thinking — “Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl, with yellow feathers in her hair and a dress cut down to there…” — No? Well if you weren’t thinking it before, now it’s going to be stuck in your head all day. But you know what? I’m okay with […]
MoreFresh Friday: White Woods.
After 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 […]
MoreFresh Friday: Peace, Love, & Juicy Couture.
I’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 […]
MorePic of the Week.
It 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 […]
MoreFresh Friday: Gold.
The 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 […]
MorePic of the Week.
No, 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 […]
MoreSurvival Guide: Traveling Alone.
I’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 […]
MoreFresh Friday: Infusion d’Iris.
Oh 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 […]
MorePic of the Week.
Saturday 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 […]
MorePic of the Week.
If 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 Column: Searching for Summer Love.
We 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 […]
MoreSummer Lovin’.
Tomorrow 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, […]
MorePic of the Week.
Yes! 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 […]
MoreCeleb Crush: Hangout Fest Edition.
As 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 […]
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 […]
MoreEverything Has Changed.
I’m not a big fan of Taylor Swift. But every now and then, she’ll come out with a song that gets stuck in my head or, in this case, strikes a chord with me. Enter, “Everything Has Changed” featuring Ed Sheeran. The song, as interpreted by me, is about two people who go from friends […]
MoreA Review: ‘16 Lighthouse Road’.
For 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 Review: ‘Safe Haven’.
Where 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 […]
MoreThese days.
During 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), […]
MoreThe Lucky One.
Last 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, […]
MoreDrive down memory lane.
Before I left work yesterday, I was rummaging around in my desk and came across an old stack of CDs. Near the top was one very dear to my heart: The Spirit Room by Michelle Branch. This album came out in 2001, when I was a junior in high school. This was the same year […]
MoreHelpful hints.
Hello everyone! I’m spending a Sunday inside {it’s rather dreary outside}, but I’m attempting to be productive and do some research on this whole book publishing thing. I’m reading some of the articles in my 2011 Guide to Literary Agents, and have found some helpful links for all of us! The Association of Author’s Representatives […]
MoreMisery Loves.
Shortly after my 22nd birthday, school and work were really taking up my time and energy, and I was really stressed out over my summer school classes. But since I was so busy, I didn’t have much social time. Most of my girlfriends had boyfriends or didn’t have time or money to go out, which often […]
MoreWave Goodbye.
After Austin graduated, I went on vacation to St. Thomas with my mom and best friend. Austin was still in Baton Rouge looking for jobs. In mid June, I spent three days and nights with Austin. Thursday night was the first time we saw each other since I got back from St. Thomas. I really […]
MoreBack to Texas.
After I cooled off from being royally reject by Eddie, I went back on my word and started talking to Austin again. Naturally, when my friends found out Austin and I were talking again, they were skeptical—warning me that all Austin wanted from me was sex, but I gave him the benefit since I cared for […]
MoreRight Down the Middle.
When I returned to LSU for the fall semester of my junior year, I was on a high. I was in love with someone who loved me. When I left Indiana, we were certain we could make it work, despite the 14 hours between us. I was confident in our relationship, feeling like it was […]
MoreThe Sunrise.
After the night in Adam’s dorm over winter break, and returning to LSU for the spring semester, I was ready to go home and see my friends for the summer. Sheena and I were headed out for a typical summer night—out to a lake house. This was a friend’s family’s lake house—a notorious hotspot for partying […]
MoreCity of Light.
I was on my way to Los Angeles for the first time ever, and I was alone. I’d flown alone many times before, but never to a place where I didn’t know anyone. I’d never been further west than Chicago. I boarded my plane, headed to LAX, and felt pretty relaxed on the large flight. […]
MoreHouston Airport II.
August 14, 2007 {9:59 a.m}: It seems airport writing has become my thing—or maybe just airports in general. I’m here in Texas on my way to Los Angeles, finally! So much has happened since I wrote last. Seriously last week was such a roller coaster. Gabe and Nik and Evan ALL contacted me so my […]
MoreThat’s Team Work.
I managed to survive my time at work, even when Austin was around. He wasn’t dating anyone else, and neither was I. In June, he told me he wanted to take me to the Marc Broussard concert that I’d bought him tickets for when we were still together. I liked Marc Broussard, but I wasn’t […]
MoreSweet Summer of Love.
After the night in Adam’s dorm over winter break, and returning to LSU for the spring semester, I was ready to go home and see my friends for the summer. That was when Sheena and I nearly got arrested. No more than a few weeks after that, Adam invited me over for dinner at his […]
MoreWhere It All Began.
Looking back, it’s difficult for me to say exactly when my friendship with Adam melted into a relationship, with full-blown feelings. But since it’s my responsibility to figure it out, I would say it all started in Adam’s dorm room. ‘Twas the night before winter break at Indiana University. I drove into town, heading home […]
MoreMr. Officer.
The summer before my junior year in college, I was 20 years old. I was home in Indiana for a few months, and Sheena and I were headed out for a typical summer night—out to a lake house. This was Evan’s family lake house—a notorious hotspot for partying in high school. Once we arrived, it […]
MoreMeet (the) Adam’s Family.
I never saw much of Adam during school breaks. Over the summer, Adam and his family spent time at their lakeside cottage in Michigan. Over Christmas break, he was either closing the cottage or traveling to visit other family members. From the outside, his family looked perfect. Adam’s dad worked for one of the largest […]
MoreThe Lake Story.
The summer before my junior year I was hanging out with the usual group—Jon and Adam, when we went out to the Marina. We met up with Rachel and a few of her girlfriends. It was the last night of the summer and we were determined to do something memorable. Boys being boys, they wanted […]
MoreHow I Met Adam.
I was at my friend Michelle’s house after school. She called her friend Jon to see if he wanted to hang out and he said he’d be over to pick us up. He arrived in his black Sunfire—complete with sunroof. His friend Wil was in the passenger’s seat. We drove off, on our way to […]
MoreIn Depth.
After looking at my timeline, and some notes I had from my relationship with Austin, I was able to go a little deeper with that first timeline I posted. Here goes: April 20, 2006: Austin sends me postcards from his class trip to the west coast. July 24, 2006: Austin regrets our physical relationship. March […]
MoreOff to College.
In mid-August, the summer after I graduated high school, I packed my little blue Daewoo to its gills and began the drive to my new home in Baton Rouge, La. While I had dreamed of this day for months, it was difficult to leave my hometown and all of my friends. However, 14 hours in […]
MoreBoys of Summer.
“Psst…hey,” I whispered. “So, do you think he had sex with his ex-girlfriend?” “Umm, maybe if they dated for a long time,” Sheena said. “You’re right, I will ask him later.” We were sitting in a glorified shed my boyfriend Zach called the Tiki Hut, due to its string of palm tree lights draped from […]
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