Why Girls Are Weird

LOVEly Blanks

2012-02-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

I'm actually writing this on Thursday night because today I have to be up at 4AM so I can open. I tell you all what though, I much prefer opening to closing! I get to have a nice, clean quiet restaurant for a little while, free coffee and it means that I'll be done with work no later than 1PM. Nice, right?

So for this lovely Friday, here is the Fill in the Blank Friday from last week! If you want to play along, check out the little things we do.

1. The love of my life is maybe Boyfriend? We'll see!

2. Falling in love is a gradual process. I do believe in love at first sight but I think that you fall in love slowly, as you learn more and more about someone.

3. Marriage is not a fairytale. It's hard work. But when it works, it is one of the most worthwhile things in live.

4. The longest relationship I've ever had was about 6 years.

5. The key to a good relationship is trust and forgiveness.

6. I feel loved when someone goes out of their way for me, even if it's something simple like doing my dishes (thanks Boyfriend),

7. My favorite quote about love is "If you want to know where your heart is look to where your mind goes when it wanders."

Happy Friday everyone!

P.S. The winner of the Scentsy giveaway is Krystal of Krystal's Kitsch! Krystal, please email me to claim your prize!

P.S.S. Don't forget to enter my 1,000th post giveaway!

Uncommon Goods Giveaway

2012-02-23T06:13:00.000-06:00

To celebrate hitting 1,000 posts

I thought a special giveaway was in order!

Uncommon Goods is one of my favorite online stores.

They sell special and unique items

from amazing artists and handmade sellers.

Some of my personal favorites:

A Smile Sent

Lotus Bud Oil Candles

Forget Me Not Rings

Today you can enter to win

A $50 Gift Certificate to

Uncommon Goods!

Here's How To Win

(Please leave a separate comment for each entry)

Mandatory Entry:

You must be a follower of Why Girls Are Weird.

(comment telling me how you'd spend your gift certificate)

Extra Entries:

Follow Why Girls Are Weird on Facebook and/or Twitter (1-2 entries)

Tweet and/or Blog about this giveaway (1-2 entries)

A winner will be announced

Friday March 2nd.

P.S. I'm hosting a Scentsy giveaway! Check it out here, you know you want to!

One Thousand

2012-02-22T00:36:00.000-06:00

Today is MOMENTOUS for me.

Because today is my 1000th post.

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I've been blogging here since November 2007 and although I had blogs before this one I have never stuck with a blog for as long as this one. Why Girls Are Weird is my home and I can't even begin to explain how grateful I am to have this blog and to have you all as readers.

I wracked my brain to figure out what I wanted for this 1000th post. And I decided that I'm going to share with you all some things I've learned from blogging.

10 Things I've Learned From Blogging

You Need To Be Yourself - It's so easy to read other blogs and think "I want to be just like this blogger". I do that ALL THE TIME when reading my favorite blogs. In the end, your niche should be being YOU. Just being genuine is what's going to bring readers in and at the end of the day it's going to make you a happy blogger.
Keep It Real - Life is not always puppies and rainbows. While your blog shouldn't always be "woe is me" it also shouldn't be "my life is sparkly and perfect"! My favorite blogs are ones in which the bloggers open themselves up. And I do the same because I hope that maybe a blogger going through the same stuff as me is going to find strength in the fact that they are not alone.
Read Before You Comment - If you're going to comment on someone's blog, make sure you read what they write first. There is nothing worse than writing some heart-wrenching post and then getting a comment like "Wow that is so awesome! Follow me back!"
Comment Back - If you leave a comment on my blog I will return the favor. If you take time out of your day to comment on one of my posts of course I want to do the same for you. It's a respect thing and I want my commentors to know that I appreciate them reading and following along.
Tweet Tweet - Twitter is such an important tool for blogging because it allows you to network and interact with your readers. PLUS it's great for when you're watching TV and want to freak out to others that are watching the same thing.
Take A Break - I have yet to go on a blogging hiatus but I know that sometimes you just need a break. Whether life is too busy or you have blogger's blog it's best just to admit you need time off than to try to keep pushing on with lame posts. I know if or when I get to that point I'll just take a break and take some time to rejuvenate.
Schedule - Try to blog on the same days at the same time, whether it's every other day in the evening or, like me, every single day in the morning. Your bloggers will get used to your schedule and are more likely to frequent your blog.
Participate But Don't Take On Too Much - Whether it's guest posts, sponsors or link ups, participating can be a great way to make new friends and network. Just remember to only take on as much as you can handle. Blogging should be fun, not work!
Be Careful What You Post - Although it's good to be honest and open on your blog, keep in mind that people from your every day life could find your blog. Be careful what you post, if it isn't something you'd want your dad, grandma or co-worker to see then it's better of not being posted on the internet.
Get Together - I promise you, blog get-togethers are SO MUCH FUN. If you have the opportunity to join in (or host one yourself!) then do it! I promise you won't regret it.

I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading my humble blog and for being so supportive. Stay tuned tomorrow for a very special giveaway!

P.S. I'm hosting a Scentsy giveaway! Check it out here, you know you want to!

Marriage

2012-02-21T06:38:00.000-06:00

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A couple of weeks ago at work, one of my coworkers asked me a question that's been in my mind a lot.

Do you think you'll ever want to get married again?

I didn't even hesitate when I said yes, of course I want to get married again!

I keep trying to figure out how exactly to explain how I feel. Some have said to me, "Well, you must have just made a mistake, you married the wrong guy." But that isn't true. At the time, Dustin was what I wanted. Things weren't perfect. At the time, though, we were both going in the same direction. We both wanted the same things. I loved him and he loved me. I thought that was enough.

I'm not going to air dirty laundry. I won't say what happened to change things. I will say Dustin hurt me. And I'll say that I realized that at some point we stopped heading in the same direction. I tried to pretend everything was okay. At some point, though, you just need to cut your losses. Did I want to be stuck with just okay for the rest of my life? No.

Does that mean, though, that my first marriage has ruined marriage as a whole for me? Of course not! Sometimes things just don't work out the way that you think they're going to but that doesn't mean that you should just give up altogether.

I think this quote kind of sums up how I feel:

"There are people we treat wrong, and later, we're prepared to treat other people right.

Perhaps this sounds mercenary, but I feel grateful for these trial relationships,

and I would like to think it all evens out -

surely, unknowingly, I have served as practice for other people."

~Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

I learned lessons from Dustin. And I hope he learned from me as well. Although some of those lessons really hurt, they didn't crush my dreams.

I've picked myself up. And maybe one day practice will make perfect.

P.S. I'm hosting a Scentsy giveaway! Check it out here, you know you want to!

Post V-Day Weekend

2012-02-20T06:09:00.000-06:00

I tell you what, I could get used to having weekends off! Especially when this weekend I had Friday through today off. Four day weekend? Yes please!

Boyfriend showed up Thursday night. I'd already fallen asleep so I barely even registered him arriving. It was nice to wake up on Friday morning and have him there though!

We started the morning with presents. We weren't able to spend Valentine's Day together so Friday was our V-Day. He'd already sent me a darling little heart necklace but he also bought me cupcakes from our favorite Milwaukee cupcake shop and coffee from one of my favorite Milwaukee coffee shops. He obviously knows the way to my heart is through sweets and coffee.


Pink champagne cupcakes and cookies 'n cream cheesecake cupcakes

We drove out to Cheesecake Factory for dinner where I ordered the orange chicken with white rice and veggies and Boyfriend had filet mignon. While my orange chicken was delicious I have to say that his filet mignon was absolutely to die for. SO GOOD. We also split a piece of tiramisu cheesecake because, hello, it is the Cheesecake Factory!

On Saturday we went to see The Vow, which was good. The end bummed me out a little bit but I did like it overall. Afterward we picked up a frozen pizza and headed home for dinner and to watch Breaking Dawn. That's right ladies, my guy has no problem watching girlie movies with me!

Us before dinner

Monte and me

Monte's big nose... this picture cracks me up

The best part of the weekend is that Boyfriend pretty much found out that his work transfer is good to go and he should be moving out here by the end of March at the latest! He's already found an apartment about 20 minutes from me and was just waiting to find out about transferring. So now we're just counting down the days until he gets out here!

It was definitely a good weekend and I'm exited to have more weekends like this one very soon now that he'll be closer to me!

P.S. I'm hosting a Scentsy giveaway! Check it out here, you know you want to!

HP 30 Day Challenge ~ Day 10

2012-02-19T06:15:00.000-06:00

10. Pick one: Horcruxes or Hallows.

For those that don't know, a horcrux is basically taking your soul and breaking it into pieces. As long as one piece of your soul is out there, you are still technically alive. Kind of evil, right? The Hallows, or the Deathly Hallows are 3 things - the Elder Wand (a powerful wand that is considered indefeatable), the Resurrection Stone (a stone that can summon the spirits of the dead) and the Cloak of Invisibility (which, as the name suggests, will make the user totally invisible).

Horcruxes kind of make me sick, mostly because I identify them with Lord Voldemort and, come on, he's all sorts of evil. So given the choice, I'd pick the Hallows. The Harry Potter, I'd probably get rid of the Elder Wand and I'd do away with the Resurrection Stone as well. The Cloak of Invisibility... I might keep that.

I'm choosing the Hallows because there is a way around using them. Once you've made a horcrux, it's all downhill.

P.S. I'm hosting a Scentsy giveaway! Check it out here, you know you want to!

Happy Saturday V9.1

2012-02-18T06:56:00.000-06:00

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10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

1. Cherry Coke floats

2. A sweet little heart necklace from the boy

3. Lip stain

4. Love Shack on Glee

5. Cheesecake Factory

6. No more gray hairs (thanks hair dye)

7. Adam Levine (yum)

8. The boy is here

9. Leaving Post-Its for Operation Beatiful

10. Pink champagne cupcakes

Scentsy Giveaway

2012-02-17T06:02:00.000-06:00

I don't know about all of you but I like my home to smell good. I'm prone to buying scented candles, room sprays and heck, I've even been known to bake cookies or cinnamon rolls just to get a good scent going.

So you can imagine how excited I am to welcome one of my newest sponsors:

scentsy shop // blog // twitter

If you're looking for a fabulous product that's great as a gift (for someone else or hey, even for yourself) then look no further. Scentsy products are awesome, complete with all different kinds of cute warms and so many different scents that you'll never get bored.

Right now I'm a little in love with this pretty Scentsy warmer. Totally sweet, don't you agree?

Heirloom

Giveaway:

Kasey is offering you a chance to win your choice of warmer and 2 Scentsy bars!

Here's How To Win

(Please leave a separate comment for each entry)

Mandatory Entry:

You must be a follower of Why Girls Are Weird.

(comment telling me which warm you would choose from Kasey's Scentsy shop)

Extra Entries:

Follow Why Girls Are Weird on Facebook and/or Twitter (1-2 entries)

Follow the Kasey's blog and/or Twitter (1-2 entries)

Tweet and/or Blog about this giveaway (1-2 entries)
Make a purchase from Kasey's scentsy shop (10 entries)

A winner will be announced

Friday February 24th.

Can't wait to find out who wins?

Scentsy products are 10% off!

Get shopping!

P.S. Are you Sandy of Sandy a la Mode? Then you are the lucky winner of the This Enchanted Pixie giveaway! Please email me!

Graduate

2012-02-16T06:26:00.000-06:00

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When it comes to school, I have mixed feelings. It high school, I probably could have done really well except that I cared more about boys and friends.

My first year of college started out like a lot of people's first year - I went to a 4 year college a few years away from home, I made new friends, a rushed a sorority and fell in love for the first time. But I hated school. I found any reason to not go to class, I stopped attending sorority functions, I pulled away from friends and my boyfriend broke up with me. I failed out of school.

After that, I moved home. I did well at a community college during my 2nd year of college but only because my parents made sure I went to classes. During my 3rd year, I tried regular 4 year school again and yet again couldn't get myself to go to classes.

Finally, I realized I had a problem. I was screwing up school, wasting my parents' money and I wasn't happy. So I stopped going to school. I started working and told myself I wasn't going to go to college again until I was ready.

Nearly two years ago I took the leap and went back to school. This time I took out loans (much to my dad's dismay). This time I researched colleges until I decided what was right for me and decided on Globe University's online division. I realized that A) I wasn't going to take school seriously if it wasn't on my (eventual) dime and B) my social anxiety held me back from traditional classes. And so although my online classes are more expensive, they have led me to several 4.0 quarters and a cumulative that is above a 3.5. I don't say this to brag, I'm just so darn proud of myself.

When I decided to take a break from school I had people tell me that they doubted I would ever go back. And now I am one quarter away from graduating. It is an AMAZING feelings and one of my greatest accomplishments to date.

And to those that doubted me, I have just three little words for you:

Told ya so.

The 50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind - Part Seven

2012-02-15T06:32:00.000-06:00

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31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive? This is going to sound incredibly weird but finally deciding on divorce made me feel more alive than I have in a long time. I loved Dustin and I still want good things for him but our relationship was dragging us both down. I started to feel trapped. It wasn't an easy decision but when it was made I knew it was the right one. And for the firs time in a long time I felt alive again.

32. If not now, then when? There's no time like the present. I am someone that sometimes puts things off (homework, errands, etc.) but I keep telling myself I need to stop that.

33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose? Absolutely nothing. That is something I need to remember when it comes to my writing. I want to be a published author one day but I am so scared of the rejection. But really, I have nothing to lose and I need to keep that in mind.

34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever? Sometimes those are the best conversations. I certainly have and it's an amazing feeling to have people in your life that you know so well that you don't even need to say anything to have a conversation. That is one of life's beautiful things.

35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars? People are very passionate about religion and when passion is involved it can bring about very strong emotions. Not everyone agrees on everything, especially religion, and I think that's why there are wars. I think that is so unfortunate. I don't attend church, mostly because there isn't any one religion I identify with and I don't believe that I have to go to a building or believe in any one religion to have a relationship with God. However, I do think that God wouldn't want wars fought in His name. I wish that people could take their passion and put it towards something amazing and worthwhile. I guess until we can all learn to filter our passion into something positive then religion is going to cause wars.

Past Questions

Favorite TV Couples

2012-02-14T06:13:00.000-06:00

So unfortunately, Boyfriend isn't able to come out here till Thursday because of his job. So I'll be working tonight as well, but have been assured that one of my coworkers (we call him Creepy Kyle... no worries, he's actually a super nice guy) will be my Valentine. Should be an interesting night.

In the spirit of V-Day, I thought today I'd tell you all some of my favorite all time TV couples. I'm a big TV watcher and there are some pretty great couples that I just adore. Some are from the past, some the present. Let me know if you agree or tell me a few of your favorites!

When I was a kid, I sometimes had trouble sleeping (imagine that). So I would sneak downstairs and camp out in my family's living room with Nick @ Nite on the TV. Back then, Nick @ Nite played all the oldies - Dick Van Dyke, Dragnet, and my favorite - I Love Lucy. I loved that show, mostly because of the relationship that Lucy and Ricky Ricardo had. Lucy was always causing trouble and Ricky always loved her - not despite it, but I think probably because of it. They were the perfect yin and yang and that's what made them a wonderful couple. They were the perfect thing for my young self to watch in the middle of the night.

A few summers ago I got myself addicted to the show Bones. I loved the mixture of science and crime and I loved the clashing between Bones and Booth. Bones is so clinical and Booth is so real and together, to me, they make an amazing couple. Add that to the fact that it took them till the very end of season 6 to actually get together and you know it's a mixture of good TV. I think that what makes them work is that they just get each other even though they're so different. And I love the fact that even before they got together they always looked out for each other. They're definitely a couple you cheer for.

Gilmore Girls will always be one of my favorite shows. Not only did I adore the mother/daughter relationship between Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, I also loved the relationship between Lorelai and Luke Danes. They were another couple that took a few seasons to actually get together but you knew from the start of the show that they were destined to be together. When they broke up (not once but TWICE) it was horrible and when they finally got back together in the series finale I may have cried. A lot. If they ever make a Gilmore Girls movie Lorelai and Luke better be happily married, still living in Stars Hollow and still running the diner and the inn. Because if any TV couple belongs together forever, it is certainly Luke and Lorelai.

Did you assume Ross and Rachel would make this list? Nope. On the TV show Friends there was another couple that I loved so much more. When Monica and Chandler got together in England I thought it was a match made in heaven. Unlike their friends Ross and Rachel, Monica and Chandler had this relationship that just had STAYING POWER. They were goofy, quirky, often hysterical and they loved each other. The proposal episode still brings tears to my eyes and I think that if people want to aspire to be like a TV couple then they should aspire to be like Monica and Chandler. Because their relationship was so much more real than the Ross and Rachel relationship. And that's why they will always be my favorite Friends couple.

She was the wacky girl with the big hair. He was the curly haired baseball lover. Together, they made my all time favorite TV couple. Cory and Topanga from Boy Meets World knew each other from the time they were kids in the sandbox. And Boy Meets World helped us to watch them grow up. Cory went from wanting nothing to do with Topanga to having her be his first kiss, to falling in love with her and then marry her. They knew everything about each other and that kind of love, that kind of knowledge of each other's pasts, is something that is very rare. No matter how many times I watch an episode from this show I find myself falling for Cory and Topanga all over again. How can you not love their absolutely sweet love story?

So tell me readers, do you agree with me?

Insomnia

2012-02-13T06:39:00.000-06:00

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This is what insomnia looks like:

8:30 PM - Starting to fall asleep. Don't judge, I had a long day.

12:15 AM - Wake up, go to the bathroom, get back into bed.

12:45 AM - Frustrated after tossing and turning, get out of bed, get water, try to go back to bed.

1:15 AM - Decide to change locations. Get comfy on the couch, turn on the TV and watch Private Practice.

2:00 AM - Go back to bed. Drink more water. Toss and turn more.

2:50 AM - Go back to the couch.

3:15 AM - Go back to bed.

4:05 AM - Give up. Decide to just get read for work.

5:00 AM - Watch another episode of Private Practice.

6:15 AM - Go to work 45 minutes early to eat before my shift starts. Curse insomnia. Wonder how I'm ever going to get through the day.

That was my Saturday night leading into Sunday morning. Needless to say the lack of sleep made work very difficult, especially considering we had a full house from about 11:30 to 1:30.

Insomnia is no fun.

HP 30 Day Challenge ~ Day Nine

2012-02-12T06:57:00.000-06:00

9. Your least favorite male character and why?

Peter Pettigrew. Ugh. I just hate him. He is a liar and a coward and the reason so many people died. I mean sure, I could have chosen Voldemort. But at least Voldemort wasn't an absolutely worthless piece of crap. He sold out Lily and James Potter in the worst way and then he let Sirius take the blame for that while he ran away like a coward and hid. He was friends with them and that is not how you treat your friends. So although it would be so easy to choose someone absolutely evil like Voldemort I truly think that Peter Pettigrew is my least favorite character by far.

Happy Saturday V9.0

2012-02-11T06:06:00.000-06:00

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10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

1. Candy

2. Monte

3. Opening a savings account

4. 90's music

5. Planning a cruise

6. My tattoos

7. Ordering a new MN Twins t-shirt

8. Washi tape

9. Hot tea

10. Pajamas

This Enchanted Pixie Giveaway

2012-02-10T06:45:00.000-06:00

When I won a giveaway from Polly of This Enchanted Pixie I was so excited because not only does her shop has some amazing stuff but Polly is a total rockstar! Polly sells super cute bohemian jewelry and I can attest to the fact that her stuff is a total treat to be able to wear. Of course, I wanted to know more about Polly and her shop so I asked her a few questions.

Where did you come up with the name for your shop? The name ‘This Enchanted Pixie’ just popped into my head one day. My husband used to affectionately call me his ‘pixie, and then at the start of 2011 when I was in the process of setting up shop, I was playing around with name ideas and this one just popped in there! It felt right so I went with it.

What or who are your inspirations? My main inspiration is mother nature. I grew up in the countryside and spent my childhood playing in the fields, building dens and climbing trees. I love the beauty of the world around us, and take inspiration from the colours that nature shows. I collect feathers and leaves, and snapshots of beautiful sunsets. If I’m feeling stuck creatively, a walk in the countryside always gets the juices flowing again.

My other inspiration comes from the treasures I find whilst thrifting. I love to collect old materials, old jewellery – anything that speaks to my heart. while they may not directly be included in my jewellery, they offer endless inspirations to me.

What are 3 of your favorite items from your shop? Paris in the Springtime Necklace -- I’m something of an old romantic, and something about Paris just fills my heart with joy. I imagined walking along the banks of the Seine, hand in hand with my husband, the tress full of blossom and birdsong filling the air. Wearing this necklace allows me to make believe that I’m really in Paris.

Swallow Earrings -- I love birds – my house is in danger in being taken over by birdie items!! These little earrings sit just on the cute side of kitsch – they liven up an outfit perfectly and always get me a ton of compliments.

Lastly, the Little Knitted Bow Necklace -- These were born out of winters evening sat knitting while watching a movie. I ended up making a dozen little bows, and while wondering what to do with them, I thought I’d try fixing one to chain and seeing how it looked as a necklace. I wore it to meet friends the next day and they loved it! I sold the first batch there and then – and ended up spending another night making more! They’re cute and make a great statement piece.

Where do you see yourself and your shop at this time next year? I like to think that I’ll still be happily making jewellery and coming up with new designs. I’m so excited to be setting out on this path of being self-employed. As my girls grow I hope to grow and expand this little business. I never expected to get this far, and I’m so thankful for all the support I've had so for I hope in a years time even more people are wearing my designs.

What is one piece of advice you would give to aspiring handmade shop owners? PLAN!! Before you set up shop, I’d suggest you make a plan of what you want to achieve. Little goals for the first year. Make sure you have a budget in place, you have an idea of products you’ll offer, how you’ll package your items, if you'll offer discounts, where you’ll advertise, etc. Having it all mapped out really does help. Do some research into shops offering similar products to get an idea on pricing. A couple of good books if you are just starting out are Craft, Inc. Revised Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Turning Your Creative Hobby into a Successful Business and Craft Inc. Business Planner. But the most important thing to remember is to dream big and go for it!

Today you can enter to win a

$25 shop credit to This Enchanted Pixie!

Here's How To Win

(Please leave a separate comment for each entry)

Mandatory Entry:

You must be a follower of Why Girls Are Weird.

(comment telling me what your favorite item from This Enchanted Pixie. is)

Extra Entries:

Follow Why Girls Are Weird on Facebook and/or Twitter (1-2 entries)

Follow the This Enchanted Pixie blog and/or Twitter (1-2 entries)

Tweet and/or Blog about this giveaway (1-2 entries)
Feel free to use this tweet "@WeirdGirlBlog is hosting a @pixie_polly giveaway! Check it out & enter to win a $25 credit! http://tinyurl.com/7s22sgp"

A winner will be announced

Friday February 17th.

Cruisin'

2012-02-09T06:26:00.000-06:00

I want to go on a cruise.

Boyfriend and I are going to try to plan to go on one in January next year.

Why?

Because of this:

Yes please!

The 50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind - Part Six

2012-02-08T06:34:00.000-06:00

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26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones? Maybe this will sound crazy. But if I had to choose right this moment, I'd rather lose all my old memories. The idea of being able to start new is kind of exciting and I have so much more life to live. Wouldn't it be sad to never be able to make a new memory? To me that means you might as well just die. It's kind of a choice between forever living in the past or choosing the future.

27. Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first? Sure, I think so. Some things we know to be true without having to challenge them. Like candy is awesome. Truth. I didn't need to challenge that. I know candy is awesome, always have. Other things aren't as simple and you have to challenge them first. I still do research to this day on politics, especially when it's time to vote. I'm not going to vote for someone simply because they are affiliated with a certain party. I challenge what I know to be true because maybe I'll find someone that isn't affiliated with the party I typically vote for yet I agree with them. Kind of just depends on the situation.

28. Has your greatest fear ever come true? My greatest fear is to lose someone I love in a tragic event. Obviously it's always sad to lose a loved one but to lose someone too soon is what I truly fear. I guess in a way this has happened, a friend of mine Jake died about a year and a half ago at the age of 22. It still brings tears to my eyes to this day. It's not a good feeling for sure.

29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now? Five years ago I was 23. And I'm sure I had times when I was extremely upset. Now? It doesn't really matter. I'm sure at the time it was a big deal. But in the grand scheme of things some things just don't matter as much as they once did. So nope, those times 5 years ago when I was extremely upset aren't really so important now.

30. What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special? I can't remember how old I was but I remember my brother and me flying to Florida to spend a week or so with my grandparents. We'd just moved to Minnesota (I'm originally from Illinois, where my grandparents were from) and it was hard living far away from our grandparents. Getting to spend a week with them was an exciting treat. I don't even remember a lot of what went on that week but I do remember loving the time I got to spend with my grandparents. It's something I'll always cherish.

Past Questions

Part One
Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

I've Got The Answers

2012-02-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

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On Thursday I opened up my blog to all of you so that you could ask me questions. Here are the answers to all the questions asked!

Morgan: What do you put in your hair? So random but it always looks so good when you post pictures of yourself! To be honest... I don't really put a whole lot in my hair. I wash it with Suave Professionals. If I'm wearing it curly I spray it with Garnier Wonder Waves and let it mostly air dry, drying it with a diffuser at the last second. If I wear it straight I'll blow it out and then run a straightening iron over it. Either way I finish off with Garnier Sleek and Shine hairspray and I'm done!

Erika: Since you're a bookworm like me...what book release are you most looking forward to in 2012 and why? I actually don't pay attention to book releases. If a blog friends remind me I'll most likely request the book from the library but almost always I don't realize a new book has come out until awhile after its release. Weird right?

The Non-Student: How do you keep up with so many blogs (and comment on them)? Are you Superwoman or something? Haha, if only! I usually set aside time each morning (or afternoon, depending on my work schedule) to blog. First I'll go through any new posts in my reader. Then I'll open up my comments from the previous day and respond to those posts. So if you comment on my blog, I will comment back. Usually it takes about an hour but it's worth it, I figure if someone if going to take time out of their life to read my blog then I owe them that courtesy back.

Dancing Branflake: What is your degree in and what job do you hope to have at graduation? My degree is in sales and marketing and to be honest... I still don't know what I want to do. I ideally, I'd love to do something with internet marketing and social media (anyone have a job for me??). However, right now I'd just like a job with good benefits (dental insurance please!!) and maybe weekends off! A girl can dream, right?

Happy Jen @ Anxious for Happiness: Where's your favorite place to buy your outfits? Lately I've been buying a ton of stuff at Old Navy. Bizarre right? But their clothes have gotten so cute and I love the way they fit me. Plus, they're affordable and my ON credit card gets me points and discounts. Can't go wrong!

gringationcancun: How do you feel about The Hunger Games movie this year? Excited? Bored? I'm super excited for this movie to come out, I'm actually considering going to the midnight showing (despite my horrid experience with screaming teeny-boppers at Twilight). The trailers look SO good, how can I not be excited?

Amber: All time favorite book? Once again, Why Girls Are Weird by Pamela Ribon. I have raved about this book and I love it so much I even named my blog after it. It's a book about a blogger who finds herself and it's one of those feel good books that makes me laugh out loud no matter how many times I read it.

Jax: What is your writing inspiration? Do you ever "link up" with other bloggers? As far as blogging inspiration, I just try to be myself. Sometimes I'm in a bad mood so my post is angry or sad. Sometimes I'm elated so you get a happy, bubbly post. I don't lie on my blog and if something bad happens to post about it, figuring that maybe my mistakes can teach someone else. And I'm all about linking up with other bloggers. I don't do it often but I'm pretty open to nearly everything blog related.

Charlotte: If you could live in any part of the world, where would it be? And I always love asking about dream vacation destinations. Maybe because I'm longing for a break from the city. So those are my two questions for you. I keep saying I want to live somewhere warm because I am so over these Wisconsin winters. Back when I was with Dustin we talked about Florida or North Carolina. I think since my parents live in FL and they drive me nuts, I'd probably choose NC. As for a dream vacation, I've always wanted to go to Italy. The food alone... yum!

Bonnie: Threesome. You and me. Plus one other person. Who is the other person? Leave it to Bonnie to ask an inappropriate question! My answer? Adam Levine (lead singer for Maroon 5, for all of you crazy people that don't know who he is). He is delicious. Hope you don't mine Bonnie!

Kathy and Mrs. Pancakes: What inspired you to start blogging? When did you start blogging? I started blogging way back in 2002 and at the time it was just an easier way to keep a diary. I've kept diaries for a really long time and I'm so much quicker typing so I figured a "blog" (which it wasn't called back then) was a great way to do it.

When I started this blog it was originally for me to write about my wedding to Dustin, who is now my ex. You can actually go way back and read all those posts. Obviously things have changed A LOT since then but that's how I got my start!

Thanks to all of you that asked questions! As always, if you have a question for me, don't hesitate to ask! Happy Monday all!

Tattoos and the Elegant Woman

2012-02-06T06:45:00.000-06:00

I will preface this post by saying that it's a little heated and that's because it's written with my full heart. These are my opinions and feelings.

Over the weekend I read an article that I needed to share with all of you. I'm sure of few of you have already read it as its been going around Twitter and Facebook.

The article is written by a 19 year old girl (I can't bring myself to type woman because I don't believe she is one) who is against tattoos. You can find the full article here but I pulled a few gems from it that I'd like to highlight:

"An elegant woman does not vandalize the temple she has been blessed with as her body. She appreciates it. She flaunts it. She's not happy with it? She goes to the gym. She dresses it up in lavish, fun, trendy clothes, enjoying trips to the mall with her girlfriends. She accentuates her legs with high heels. She gets her nails done. She enjoys the finer things in life, all with the body she was blessed with.

But marking it up with ink? That's just not necessary."

"Can you get meaning out of a tattoo? Arguably. If you want to insert ink into your skin as a symbol for something greater than yourself, then maybe you are proving a point to yourself or the rest of the world.

But at the end of the day, are you really a happier person? Has this tattoo, for instance, caused you to learn something new about yourself? Has it challenged you? Has it led you to self-growth? Nothing comes out of getting a tattoo. You get a tattoo, and that's it. You do something productive, though, and you see results. That's a genuine, satisfying change in life. Not ink.

Invest your time, money, and effort into a gym membership, or yoga classes, or new clothes, or experimenting with different hairstyles if you're craving something new with your body, not a tattoo."

This article makes me more than a little angry for more than a few reasons.

Vivienne right after she was finished

First of all, I have tattoos. Why do I get them? Because I like them. Thus far I have 3 and haven't decided when or if I'll stop getting them. Do they make me less of a woman or, hell, less of an elegant woman? I don't believe so. And would I be more of an "elegant woman" if I got myself a gym membership, bought myself some fancy clothes and got myself a mani and pedi? I certainly don't think so. Last I checked, a woman is elegant because of WHO SHE IS and not HOW SHE LOOKS. And this 19 year old child, a FEMALE, is basically pushing us all back into the 50's by saying we need to doll ourselves up in order to be real women.

Do my tattoos make me happy? Heck yes they do. The butterfly on my back reminds me of the beauty in life and to embrace change. The words "be who you are" on my ankle remind me of my favorite Dr. Seuss quote, one of that I try to live by each day. Vivienne, my newest tattoo, is a daily reminder of my love for writing as well as my love of the artist that drew her, Kurt Halsey (so talented). I see these tattoos each and every day and my love for them is always the same.

The girl went on to then state that women without tattoos won't find themselves in a "rut" when trying to explain to their grandchildren about their tattoos and that women with tattoos will be less able to teach future generations good morals and values.

I think the questioning of morals and values is what makes me the most angry. Fine, you want to say I'm less of an "elegant woman" because of my tats? Whatever. I know what kind of a woman I am and I'll bet you anything that I'm much more a woman that this close minded 19 year old. But how dare she question my morals and values. Just because someone has a tattoo does not mean their morals and values are any less than someone without a tattoo. But sure, you want to judge someone based on the way they look? Go ahead, because judging a book by its cover is how wars are started.

I thought that this was 2012 and I thought we were trying to be progressive, I thought we were supposed to be more open minded. This article makes me really angry but more than that it just makes me sad. I read this girl's words and it made me sad for her because if I was walking down the street she'd see my tattoos and dismiss me. And she'd miss out on meeting someone that's pretty great (if I do say so myself).

Those of us with tattoos are no less moral an no less beautiful than those without. And to judge someone based on their appearance vs. who they are inside is a really disgusting trait.

I hope one day this girl grows up. And I hope anyone else that would dare to judge someone based on their appearance will grow up too.

(There is also a follow-up "apology" from the girl which to me doesn't read as much of an apology at all. You can find it here.)

HP 30 Day Challenge ~ Day Eight

2012-02-05T06:09:00.000-06:00

8. What do you think your favorite subject at Hogwarts would be?

Considering I nearly failed chemistry, I probably wouldn't like Potions. And I think Defense Against the Dark Arts would be really interesting but a bit scary (remember, I think I'll be in Hufflepuff so Defense Against the Dark Arts is going to be a bit much for me). Care of Magical Creatures... I just fear that Hagrid would somehow get me killed.

I've always thought astrology and reading tea leaves and all that is really interesting. And come on, the Divination classroom looks pretty swanky. So I think that even though it's all a bit silly I'd like Divination best. Sorry Hermione!

Happy Saturday V8.9

2012-02-04T06:26:00.000-06:00

{via}

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

1. Good music

2. Candy

3. Naps

4. A great book

5. Target

6. My amazing sponsors

7. Coffee

8. My Gadanke notebook

9. Vivienne is fully healed

10. Bingo

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

2012-02-03T06:10:00.000-06:00

It's 1996 and Josh and Emma have been neighbors all their lives. They've also been best friends almost as long, up until November when something that Josh did changed everything. Things have been awkward ever since, but when Josh's family receives an AOL CD-ROM in the mail, his mom makes him bring it over to Emma's so that she can try it out on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto Facebook... except Facebook hasn't been invented yet. Josh and Emma are looking at profiles of themselves 15 years in the future - their spouses, careers, homes and status updates - it's all there. Except their futures aren't what they expected them to be. And every time they refresh their pages their futures change again. As they grapple with the knowledge that they have their forced to confront what their doing right - and wrong - in the present.

The minute I heard of this book I knew that I had to read it. It's such an interesting concept. I mean, think back to yourself when it was 1996 and the internet was just starting to get big. Could you imagine what would happen if you logged into AOL and found your Facebook self and got to see your future? I know that I am nothing like what I thought I was going to be when it was 1996.

This book poses some really great questions. If you knew what your future held, would you do things differently in your present to make things better? Or would you keep doing what your doing? Would you worry how the ripples you cause are going to change other people's lives?

Although this is technically YA Fiction, I'd highly recommend it to anyone. It was an interesting and fun read that I could help devouring.

P.S. The winner of the Happy Button CO. giveaway is Kallay of Kallaydoscope! Kallay shoot me an email!

Got A Question?

2012-02-02T06:48:00.000-06:00

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I have had A LOT of new readers recently (hi all!) and it has been awhile since I did a little question and answer on around here.

I used to do these via Formspring but with the mean anonymous commenters hovering around the blog world lately (if you're one of them, feel free to click the little X on the upper right hand corner of your screen now) I'd prefer not to have any meanness floating around.

So if you have a question (or two or three) for me, simply comment on this post! I'll reply with answers next week!

The 50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind - Part 5

2012-02-01T06:42:00.000-06:00

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21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton? They say that ignorance is bliss. I'm not sure I believe that. The reason I don't think I believe that is because in the past I have turned a blind eye and let myself be ignorant and in the end it burned me. I think that knowledge is power. True, maybe you worry more. But I like going into things now with both eyes wide open. I think I'd choose the worried genius.

22. Why are you, you? I think I'm me because of my experiences and the people I've met in my life. I think part of what makes me me is the family I come from, part of it is the friends I've had and have now and part is just what I've been through in my life. All of these things are what make me, me.

23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend? I think I have. I've had some hard times with friendships but when I look back over why they ended I feel that I did what was right for the friendship and that it wasn't taken the right way. I think that I'm an honest, trustworthy, loyal friend and that's what I want in a friend as well. So yes, I think I've been the kind of friend I would want as a friend.

24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you? Definitely losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you. With technology these days it's so easy to stay in touch and so I think even if friends move away you can still keep in touch pretty easily. But I think it's so sad when you lose touch with a good friend, especially when you live near enough to see each other often.

25. What are you most grateful for? So many things. It's really easy to complain about the bad parts of my life. I mean, divorce isn't easy or happy, having unsupportive family is lame, not being exactly where I want to be in my life isn't great. But I have a roof over my head, I have a job that helps me pay my bills, I'm getting an education and I have some really great friends. There are so many people in this world that have so little so I guess I'm grateful that I have as much as I do. It's a blessing even though sometimes it doesn't seem that way. I'm grateful for my life.

Past Questions

Part One
Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Crossed by Ally Condie

2012-01-31T06:19:00.000-06:00

After Ky is sent away Cassia knows that she must do whatever it takes to find him, even if it means getting to the Outer Provinces. She knows that Ky was taken there to die but when she finally arrives she finds that she finds that he has escaped into the dangerous canyons beyond the Outer Provinces. And so she risks everything to go after him, thinking that it is Ky that she's supposed to be with. However, when surprises from Xander, Cassia's match, start to pop up, Cassia remembers that she did have another choice. As she travels further and further into the canyons she does whatever it takes to find Ky while still thinking about the boy that she left behind.

This is the sequel novel to Matched and it certainly did not disappoint. I have a thing for Cassia and Ky and throughout the entire novel I kept wondering where they would end up, if they'd be together and what would happen if The Society caught then. The introduction of new characters added to the mystery and the end... well, lets just say that Ally Condie really needs to hurry up with the next novel because I have got to know what happens next!

This series started off with a really interesting premise and the second novel does a really great job of continuing with Cassia's adventure. Definitely a fun and really interesting read!