The Bitter Lemon
Creating the perfect morning routine.
One of my goals for 2019 is to create a morning routine that works for me. Now that I’m working for myself, I get to dictate how my mornings go, and I want to find a routine that is enjoyable but also gets me ready for a productive day. I’ve been working for myself for […]
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How to lean in to creativity.
I’m three weeks into working for myself (i.e. CEO of my life), and I have already learned so much about how to succeed on this chosen path. When I announced (on this blog) that I was going to start working for myself, I also mentioned that 9-5 jobs have always been difficult for me. For […]
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The case for keeping Christmas (a little longer).
No, this isn’t a Trump-driven cry for saying “Merry Christmas”. This is about the fact that my Christmas tree is still up, fully decorated, and lit 24/7. I know today is January 6, and ever since December 26, I’ve been seeing people post on social media about the appropriate time to take down and put […]
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What are you doing New Year’s Eve?
Okay, I think we’re officially done with Christmas (although I still have ONE more Christmas movie I want to watch) and I’m sure some of you are thinking about New Year’s Eve. I have a weird relationship with New Year’s Eve. When I was a kid, it was really fun. I will never forget that […]
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Christmas treats!
Yesterday, I shipped off a box of goodies to some friends in Kansas. It’s a tradition we’ve been following now for three years – shipping each other a box of festive treats. The funny part about this story is that I actually met them through blogging! We met through blog comments and blog posts, and […]
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Things are looking new around here!
Howdy! You might notice that “The Bitter Lemon” got a bit of a facelift. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for awhile now, but it took me a bit to find something that felt right. So, welcome! It’s still going to be the same content you’re used to, just a bit of a different […]
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Blanche’s Book Club: ‘Rush’.
Hey everyone – you made it through week #1 of the time change! I keep hearing people talk about it, and I feel like this is the first year it really seems off – I am a little more tired at earlier hours… and it’s still a little more difficult to get out of […]
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Year three at the Austin Film Festival!
I almost didn’t volunteer this year for the Austin Film Fest – I feel like things have been so hectic and I wasn’t even sure how much I could volunteer. But then I reminded myself how much fun I’ve had as a volunteer the last two years. Plus… the Film Fest has been the one […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Puddin”.
We made it to Friday, y’all – on top of a ROUGH week at work, some general life stuff, and considering today is Day 5 of having to boil Austin water – let’s praise the higher powers! I have three non-renewable books due back to the library Sunday, so I really tried to channel any […]
MoreListening: ‘Suncity’ by Khalid.
Mid-performance at Austin City Limits, Khalid announced he was dropping an EP called “Suncity” Friday, October 19. I bought it and downloaded it as soon as I woke up on Friday 🙂 It’s been such a long time since I found an artist where I buy and download every single thing they put out, as […]
MoreAustin City Limits: The highlights.
I went to Austin City Limits (ACL) – weekend two – over the weekend, and I still cannot stop thinking about how much fun I had! Last year, my best friend Sheena came to Austin and we ventured to one day of the festival, both seeing it for the first time. We were there from […]
MoreMy ‘ Catitude’ strikes again…
A few months ago, I wrote about a situation at my job where a coworker called me out for having a bad attitude (you can read all about it here). In a nutshell, I have often been called out for having a bad attitude, and as of January 2018, I decided it was really annoying […]
MoreWatching: ’13 Reasons Why’.
Please note, the following content may contain emotional triggers. Early last year, I read Jay Asher’s popular YA novel, “13 Reasons Why” – you can read my full review here – around the same time it debuted as a TV series on Netflix. I heard about how controversial it was, how difficult it was to […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: 2018 Halloween Reading Guide!
It’s October 1st, and what better way to celebrate the spookiest month of them all than with a list of books meant to scare the daylights out of you?! If you’ve been around these parts for awhile, you know that I don’t do too well with anything scary. What can I say? I’m a […]
More‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ Tour!
In May, I took a Bucket List trip to Denver, Colorado to see Khalid in concert at the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre. While I was waiting for the show to start, I saw the image above flash on a screen promoting a concert in September. “The Miseducation of Lauren Hill 20th Anniversary Tour”, the screen […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Ghosted’.
It’s officially FALL, Y’ALL! Cue the pumpkin patch pictures (say that 5 times fast), pumpkin spice lattes, flannel and plaid everything… I’ll admit I have always loved fall, but mostly because of the crisp air and, in a way, it’s the start of the holiday season. Speaking of holidays, today I’m spending the day working […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Bucket List’.
Hey there! It’s about 11 on Tuesday night, and while I normally would be tucked in bed by now, I’ll admit I’ve got some nerves keeping me awake. In the morning, I’m heading to a dermatologist to have my skin examined for signs of cancer. Right before I went on vacation, I was putting on […]
MoreWhat a stuffed llama taught me about self-care.
Labor Day weekend, I went to the outlet mall to catch some highly-anticipated sales. After almost shopping ’til I dropped, I stopped by a store I’ve recently come to love: Five Below. It’s a place you have to be in the mood to look, but everything is $5 or below. I’ve bought some pretty cool […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘All We Ever Wanted’.
I got back to Austin yesterday afternoon, took a quick nap, and headed to teach my first blog class of the semester! It was a busy day, but I always enjoy meeting new students. I have today and tomorrow off work, so I slept in this morning and am just getting things moving. It’s supposed […]
MorePensacola: My favorite places.
I got to Pensacola, Florida on Saturday afternoon for some serious fun and relaxation in one of my favorite vacation spots! While packing for this trip, I realized that I’ve managed to vacation in Pensacola dozens of times over the years – it’s small, there’s enough to do if you’re looking for it, but it’s […]
MoreFor my dad.
As many of you know, my dad passed away on February 3. This has been the most trying time of my life – and although I haven’t felt comfortable enough to share much about my dad, I’m really thankful I have this outlet, and people who read it and can related to the story of […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Dopesick’.
Hey there! I’m heading to the beach tomorrow, and I have noticed a very strong pattern in myself over the last few years. Whenever I’m getting ready for a trip, the days (and usually the entire week) before I leave is completely INSANE. That’s the thing when you work freelance, have a digital job, and […]
MoreBathing suits + body image.
I remember the first boy/girl pool party I went to. I was in 8th grade, it was the summer of 1998, and I wore a navy blue two-piece from Limited Too. It was a halter top that had turquoise piping and the bottoms were little shorts. I don’t remember being particularly nervous or worried about […]
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Beach vacation beauty
Yesterday, everyone said goodbye to summer, but… summer is a state of mind, right? I’m heading to the beach on Saturday, so I’m spending a good chunk of my spare time this week prepping and packing for a sandy getaway. I’ve mentioned it before, but I don’t go to the beach without my makeup bag. […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘An American Marriage’.
Happy Labor Day! It’s gloomy here in Austin, so I don’t feel a BIT guilty for planning a day indoors – I’ve got blogs to write and some freelance to do… and I need to make some jewelry for my Etsy store – so, cya summer. Just kidding, that won’t happen until… October? I skipped […]
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The Bitter Lemon 
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