The 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
MoreCall them RomComs, Chick Flicks, whatever, but the truth is, I’ve never been able to really label how I feel about this film genre. Sometimes, these movies cheer me up when I’m down, and other times, they make me cynical (more than I already am) and I feel like I’m never going to find a […]
MoreMonday night, I finished reading John Green’s, “The Fault In Our Stars.” This is a book that’s been on my reading list for months, and I had a gift card burning a hole in my pocket, so I jumped at the chance to buy it—splurging on the Collector’s Edition. I stumbled across Green’s collection of […]
MoreI have a guilty pleasure of admiring the glamorous lives of others from afar, via Instagram. No, I don’t even HAVE an Instagram account, but I’ve managed to find plenty of profiles, and be jealous of their beautiful lives. God, I’m creepy. Anyway, one of the bloggers I follow (and stalk on Instagram) posts all […]
MoreAs a relationship columnist and blogger, sometimes it’s a little embarrassing to admit all of my stories when it comes to dating the wrong guys. While I have dozens (okay, maybe hundreds) of stories, what it really boils down to is ignoring red flags, especially before things get serious. It’s something that I’ve really been […]
MoreThere are lots of dates I wish my mind would erase. And by dates, I mean months paired with numbered days of the week. Next week, one of those days is on my calendar. When I was a sophomore in college, I was living in my sorority house, and it was the morning of our […]
MoreWhen I got my first apartment (by myself) after college, my mom gave me an extra crock-pot she had, as all I had was a bed, a dresser, and a slew of clothes. It took me years to get enough furniture to make for a decent home, and lots gifts to fill my kitchen with […]
MoreI know watching TV, especially in excessive amounts, is generally looked down upon. But I’ve found that the more I watch, the more things I learn, so I’ll continue on my mission to prove that TV is actually good for the brain. And when it comes to relationships, and life in general, I’ve learned a […]
MoreAbout a month ago, I started making my own protein bars. Yeah, I know, who does that? The truth is, I have always enjoyed eating various protein bars—they usually smash my 2 pm chocolate craving, and they fill me up enough to hit the 5 pm boxing class. However, when I switched to the Paleo […]
MoreSunday night, I put the final touches on my first major DIY project—a dresser I keep in my bedroom. I got the dresser before my senior year in college—it was purchased from Target and I put it together, and it survived three moves with me, somehow. It’s original color was white, and I always liked […]
MoreLate last year, I entered a blogging contest for Cosmopolitan.com. The prompt was about the most important relationship you had in college, and what you learned from it. I hated to give a guy that title, yet I probably would have won the contest if I had, because, you know…Cosmo. Either way, now it’s here […]
MoreLook for my column, The Bitter Lemon, in Baton Rouge’s alt-weekly, Dig magazine. A fresh issue hits the stands every Wednesday. This week’s column covers two of my favorite things: cooking and dating. The man I thought I was going to marry was a “meat and potatoes” kind of guy. If love were rice dressing, […]
MoreI started reading romance novels many, many summers ago, during a trip to Florida with my friend Sheena. Stashed in the closet of our vacation rental, were stacks upon stacks of chick-lit. We sifted through our reading options, each settling on a few, and packed them into our beach bags before soaking ourselves in the […]
MorePictures like this could probably be my “Pic of the Week” nearly every seven days. I absolutely love (LOVE) bargain shopping, but I particularly love hunting for beauty products at stores like Dollar Tree and Big Lots. Part of this is out of necessity. I just cannot afford, or justify, spending $20-$50 on a single […]
MoreThe following post contains affiliate links, which sends me a small percentage of any sales at no cost to you. Lately, I’ve been feeling like I’ve got HUGE bags under my eyes. Hell, there are HUGE bags above them, too. I have dabbled in a few different eye creams (Mary Kay Time Wise Firming Eye […]
More[Continued from Part I…] About a week later, Jay and I had plans to attend a birthday outing on a party bus with a group of my friends. As I was getting ready, he sent me a text message saying I had actually already met this girl he’d “gone out with” as she was in […]
MoreI am so, so happy to finally (I’ve kept quiet for a week) announce my collaboration with Dig Magazine, Baton Rouge’s alt-weekly. While I have written articles for Dig before, my new project is dear to my heart, as I’ll be writing a fresh column each week, based on my adventures in dating—very similar to […]
MoreLast week, I was so lucky to have my best friends—Angela and Sheena—in town from Indiana. The two of them were deep in winter depression (I’m really believing that’s a thing) and drove the 12 hours South to get to Baton Rouge. While the two of them have visited me several times before, they’d never […]
MoreI’ve had an off-and-on crush on my friend Jay quite possibly since the day we met, which was almost six years ago. He is uniquely handsome, funny, and smart. All of those things, plus a random spark—like bonding over a bandit mask and Wes Anderson movies—drew me to him. Sometimes, our personalities clashed, though (some […]
MoreDuring my final semester in college, I quit my retail job and went to work as a bartender—something that was on my bucket list. As a foodie, I wanted to learn how to craft and serve some of the best cocktails in town. While the hours were rough and the work was difficult, it was […]
MoreWhen I was in 7th grade, I loved the store Limited Too (now known as Justice, I think). It was—and as far as I know, still is—the place where glitter, sequins, and overall cool shit for teenage girls, came to die. It was a real treat to get new clothes from there, but really, I loved […]
MoreI never really considered myself as someone who was “into fitness.” That is, until I dated my last boyfriend, who didn’t give a flying fuck about being healthy or fit. When it came to me needing time away from him to hit the gym, he would get angry. If I told him I was cooking […]
MoreTo be honest, I didn’t give a flying flip about Phillip Phillips before I saw him live as John Mayer’s opening act for the Born and Raised tour (which I saw three times). Before I saw him the first time in July, my mom was the one swooning,”Aw, I wish I was going to the […]
MoreI can’t believe that I’ve made it until March without having a picture of my cat, Blanche, featured in this weekly spot. One week from today, my sassy kitty will turn one (yes, I have a gift for her), although I’ve only had her for about eight months. In this short time, she’s become my […]
MoreWe are just 17 days away from the first day of spring. Spring means wedding season, and since this is my blog, I can go ahead and say that wedding season, for the most part, sucks. If you are single, perhaps wedding season will find you attending nuptial celebrations solo (because the married couple was […]
MoreMy relationship with sleep has probably had just as many issues as my dating life. But while I’ve been sleeping my entire existence, I can’t tell you if sleep has always been an issue for me. I do remember being an early riser during my high school years—waking early to allow myself enough time to […]
MoreEarlier this week, one of my former blog students asked me to write a guest blog for her over at: Southern Sass. Below is my post, but give Southern Sass a visit while you’re at it! Want me to write for you? Send me an email: WittyWriter7@gmail.com Every six weeks, the Cinemark theatre downstairs from […]
MoreLast week, my podcast co-host, Ethan, was so kind as to send me a gift: a Snowball Microphone! Currently, Ethan and I are hosting our podcast, Learning From Strangers, for free, but we are investing our time (mostly Ethan’s) and money (again, mostly Ethan’s) into this, hoping it boosts our numbers when it comes to […]
MoreThis year has been “The Year of Holly’s Past,” and if you have read any of this blog, you know that my past, when it comes to dating, is not anything to be proud of. Before the start of 2014, my ex contacted me via email. This ex isn’t my most-recent ex, but one that […]
MoreMy 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 […]
MoreSunday afternoon, my friend a I took a sewing class at Jo-Ann Fabrics. I’ve never had a huge interest in sewing, but my friend has wanted to learn for the longest time. Each Thursday night, we get together to watch Project Runway, or now, Under The Gunn, and she always says, “I wish I knew […]
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The Bitter Lemon 
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