Yes, I know it’s not officially fall yet, but it’s Labor Day and technically that means summer is over and we should all light up our pumpkin candles and cozy up in our flannel favorites with a great book, right? I’m all about it! In celebration of the upcoming season, I’ve rounded up a dozen […]
MoreOver the last few months, I’ve caught myself getting annoyed with social media. Hey, no big deal, you might think. But digital marketing is my job. Social Media is a Necessary Evil The thing is, social media has become a necessary evil if you’re a business or a brand looking to succeed, at all. Some […]
MoreOne of the biggest ways I’ve been able to sustain my career as the CEO of My Life is that I’ve kept the faith. I’ve maintained the belief that I have a diverse, extensive skill set that’s needed in the current market. I’ve held out hope that as long as I get out of bed, […]
MoreIt’s April 1st and that means I’ve survived my first quarter as a full-time contractor — no joke. Part of me can’t believe it, and the other part of me feels like there was really no other road to take. As I write this, I’m sitting on my couch, “Shark Tank” is on, and I’ve […]
MoreI can’t take a trip without making a special playlist! I like having something new to listen to while I’m in the airport, on the plan, and sometimes when I’m sightseeing. When I was in New York, I was almost always listening to music in one ear, while keeping the other ear open for… you […]
MoreOne of the first things I did when I ventured on my own was create a giant list of services I could offer and determine how much to charge for them. It’s not as easy as it sounds. The work I do is all stuff I enjoy doing, which helps, but we all have to […]
MoreI was having a conversation with a colleague a few weeks ago, catching up on life. I was telling her about my upcoming trip overseas and that I’d started planning a trip back to New York City this summer. “Wow, you are just LIVING your life!” she said. Yeah… I’ve been sort of on a […]
MoreI have never been one to let go of anything. In fact, I hold onto things longer than I should, to the point that it’s problematic. I hold onto everything. From physical mementos in photo boxes and clothes that don’t fit to memories (the good and the bad) and grudges. I am really, really bad […]
MoreOn Saturday, I packed a backpack and headed about 40 minutes outside of Austin to Elgin, Texas, where New Republic Studios is located. I was going to my first ever Writer’s Retreat, and it was also the inaugural Writer’s Retreat hosted by the Austin Film Festival, where I’ve been volunteering for the last two years. […]
MoreTGIF! This week has been so WEIRD – Texas is in its special legislation session (basically meaning they didn’t get the work done the first time), so a lot of my work has been at the Capitol. I’m always up for a change of scenery during the week, but it definitely throws me off. Not […]
MoreHey, hey! It’s been a bit of a rocky week at the office (ugh, I hate saying that), and I’ve taken a lot of enjoyment in having a good book to turn to during my lunch hour and between dance classes. The latest read in Blanche’s Book Club is “Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, […]
MoreThat’s right, I celebrated a birthday earlier this month. While I don’t like to make a big scene about my birthday, I was really excited to be surrounded by cakes, balloons, and I even got sung to, twice! Lucky, lucky girl right here. I usually spend my birthday with reflection heavy on the brain, but […]
MoreA little more than a month ago, I was teaching my blogging class at UT. It was the first class of the semester, and it was going just as planned. After class, I sent the students a copy of the Power Point presentation I used. Less than an hour later, one of my students replied […]
MoreAlthough I was ready to see the remake of “Beauty and the Beast” during its premier weekend, I somehow stuck things out and saw it last night at the Drafthouse. I’ll just get this out of the way now: it’s not worth rushing to see. That’s right, it’s mediocre, at best. Honestly, where do I even […]
MoreHowdy! Is anyone else still having trouble adjusting back to life post-holidays? I’m not sure what my deal is, but I’m still finding I can’t quite get things together – it’s a slow process, and it just might be February before I’m fully ready to tackle 2017. But, I am having a pretty good time […]
MoreI recently asked a friend to be my pen pal. She lives several states away, and in a sense, a majority of our friendship has been based on writing to each other, although mostly via email, and sometimes through text messages. But, I have been wanting to handwrite letters. A few years ago, a […]
MoreI “read” the latest book club selection, “A Girl’s Guide to Moving On“, by way of audiobook; and I’ll say that I’m pretty picky about audiobooks – I have to enjoy the voice(s) of the reader(s) and it’s got to keep my interest, and this one is a goodie! I’d never heard of author Debbie […]
MoreIt’s a new year, a new you… could a new job be in store? Or, perhaps you’re considering an entire career change. If you’re new to The Bitter Lemon (Welcome!), let me fill you in: I unexpectedly lost my job at the end of 2014, spent most of 2015 hunting down my dream job, before […]
MoreA few weeks ago, I got a Facebook message from my uncle, my dad’s brother, saying he read my post about my nonexistent relationship with my father. He told me it was obvious that I was leading an unfulfilling life and the only way I would ever be satisfied, is if I consulted Jesus. This […]
MoreLet’s throw a party, because I FINALLY finished Donna Tartt’s “The Goldfinch.” I don’t mean it to sound bad — it was a good book, but it was also very long — and I’ll tell you this: I may have a fantasy about being able to curl up in bed with a good book, but […]
MoreLast weekend, I drove the 800 miles to my home state of Indiana. I was invited to a baby shower for one of my best friends; a girl I’ve known since 6th grade. In December, I offered to host a shower for her, but she told me it would be easier for her other friends […]
MoreI’m SURE you heard all the hooplah in the last few weeks: Hilary Duff joined Tinder. I suppose the real craziness over The Duff joining Tinder — I swear I heard this news at least a dozen times — is that she is actually taking it seriously, and is actively going on dates. I have […]
MoreSunday night, I posted on Instagram saying I’ve been living off a diet of John Mayer songs (yum!) lately. And while that’s been true for a majority of the last 14 years, my relationship with music ebbs and flows just like any other. At times, I’m so happy I want to sing and dance to […]
MoreA few years ago, I read a book called “The Bag Lady Papers,” by Alexandra Penney. Penney, a visual artist, lost her entire fortune in Bernie Madoff’s infamous Ponzi scheme in 2008. The book begins when Penney hears the news of Madoff’s confession. She rifles through all of her paper statements, sent monthly by Madoff’s […]
MoreSometime last week, I wandered over to my ex-boyfriend’s Facebook page. It’s something I do when I’m feeling rather low about myself, even though looking at his page usually makes me feel worse. Call me a masochist. Right away, I saw what I figured would be there: his profile picture was a tiny baby. His […]
MoreIn just a few weeks, I’m heading on a road trip! It’s been years since I’ve hit the open road for a trip that lasted longer than 4 hours, but I can easily say that I’m looking forward to it. About a year ago, I took a 19-hour train ride (read about it here), which […]
MoreI recently got an iPhone, after being a Blackberry user for years (it’s about time, right?). Since making the switch, I’m really trying to embrace the world of apps, especially dating apps. I’ve already tried Tinder, and within three minutes I managed to play with fire and get burned. I saw my crush’s picture, and […]
MoreRead part one of “Me & my bullshit.” I find a tiny bit (okay, a medium bit) of comfort in recognizing the fact that the road many writers, amateur and professional, travel is one that’s alone. The craft of writing is introspective — even fiction writers often say their stories come from some place real […]
More“Inspired by soap,” is what the package says, and that’s certainly what it smells like! Warm Cotton by CLEAN reminds of the way it smells outside, in the summer, when someone is doing their laundry. Very fresh, clean, and cozy, in a sense. As described by Sephora, “Cozy up to CLEAN Warm Cotton Eau de […]
More“You’re the girl from the magazine, right?” he asked. It was a guy I recognized from my gym. I shrugged. “I guess…” I said, not really sure what he meant. “Yeah, you write that bullshit column,” he said. That bullshit column. Three little words that pretty much sum up my insecurities — especially lately. Let […]
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