Prayer Circle for Gossip?

It's quite funny that one of my new favorite comedians Anjelah Johnson talks about gossiping using a prayer circle.  Just the other day I was talking to my Mom about a certain subdivision and how cliquey they were when I was in elementary school.  She mentioned that this subdivision's prayer circle was used also as a means to gossip.  I thought that was ridiculous until I saw this.  I guess if a comedian makes a whole bit about it, then it must be pretty prevalent.  

Prayer Circle Gossip Article

I found an article about it on another blog (above).  It's not humorous like mine (ego stroke).  I thought prayer circles and spiritual/religious acts were supposed to bring out the good in people.  I will say it does make for a funny bit.  <3 it!

Happy Holidays 2011! (And an awesome video)

My cousin acted, designed and directed this video!

Happy Holidays to all my readers!

I couldn't help myself.  I had to include a penguin on here.

<3 Em

Roommate Horror Stories: What I've Been Through and What I've Learned

Post Coming Soon!

Collection of the Most Passive Aggressive Roommate Notes

What Are You You Afraid Of? Fear of Commitment

No Strings Attached--Movie Clip

Are you sabotaging your own best efforts to find the right person?  You may be if you have some of the common signs of commitment avoidance below:

-You date unavailable men or women

-You end relationships before they get too serious     

-You have a long list of requirements for the "perfect" mate that no one could live up to www.twofus.org

Click here for an Article about this Fear.

Friends With Benefits--Movie Clip

(Because I couldn't commit to just one movie clip--bahaha)

Women: What to do about it!

Men: What to do about it!

   

   Some tips on how to move past the fear:

-Recognize the root of your fear

-Learn to trust

-Take it slowly

-Be open

-Don't exaggerate flaws

-Learn to forgive

-Value yourself

Happy Chocolate Week! Here's Some Info on Aphrodisiacs

Yummy/Funny Axe Commercial

Why Some Aphrodisiacs Work and Others Don't!

Click above for an article on aphrodisiacs

Fact or Fiction: Aphrodisiacs

I just found out it is chocolate week!  If you decide to go along with the week and indulge, please be sure to share (with me)!  ;) 

Oldie but a Goodie: Nail Salon Interpretation by Anjelah Johnson

Thanks to my girlfriends for sharing this with me a while ago.  Sometimes you can't help but laugh at different cultural interpretations.  It's all meant in good humor.

A sign for a nail salon

I wonder how many men will attend the Grand Opening.  Hey, that's a valid question!

Penguin-ing (Pronounced: panguh-winning)

For those of you who know me (well), you know that I LOVE penguins.  I've been trying to figure out how to add penguins to my blog without losing readers--sooo I added a widget on the side with a "pet" penguin named Pete.  I happened to come across this cute little widget while errr, umm, NOT searching for one on the internet.  This little guy follows your cursor and when you click on him he flaps around.  If you click on him enough, he falls off the ice block.  Also, if you click on "more" it feeds him fish.  


Please feel free to make fun of me--or don't.  In my opinion, I think everyone has their quirks and weird obsessions.  I just happen to showcase mine.  And that my friends is for your entertainment and/or my need to overshare.
Have fun with Penguin Pete.  I can't wait to go pet penguins at Newport Aquarium sometime in the near future.  Crossing another one off of my 30 before 30 list! :)


**Update 10/11/11: I got to pet a penguin at my cousin's wedding reception (held at Newport Aquarium).  It wasn't as fluffy as the one above, but it was still adorable!

Green Bean the Penguin and I...Oh and some em-effer guy making sure no one tried to steal the penguin.  Now who in their right mind would try to do that? ;)

Cardigans and Moccasins (Who do you think you are?)

I Pray for you...

I think it's moderately hilarious when you go out and certain people pretend like they are better than you.  Being that I'm not an insecure person, I just laugh that they care that much about what I think about them.  Even if they ARE better than me at something or another, does life really have to be a contest?  What makes one person happy might not make another person happy, so how is it that these people define themselves as "better"?

This past weekend, my girlfriends and I were out having a blast without a care in the world.  We were just enjoying each other's company when two girls (one in whom I'm familiar with) were apparently making fun of us.  We didn't even notice until one of our mutual guy friends came over to apologize to us.  We just said to him, "we didn't even notice, but thanks for apologizing.  You weren't even the one doing it."  He's a good guy and I guess felt bad that these girls were being catty.  Quite honestly, we were having so much fun that we didn't even care.  We all know that we are successful, intelligent, cute girls.  There aren't just two sides: Arrogant or Insecure.  You can be confident without being arrogant.  

Anyway, we later joked about the insecure catty girls.  One of my girlfriends said to us later, "How can they even make fun of us? The guy they were with was wearing a cardigan with moccasins."  Yes, it was also a rather snide comment, but it was made just amongst us friends in a silly way.  It was an unexpected comment so we were on the floor laughing.  I hope those catty girls will mature someday into confident young women. 

In the mean time...I'll keep going on happily in my life.  Thanks for the blog material.

Get that lime away from me!

I just thought this video was cute and it also happened to tie in my "lime" theme.  I don't actually hate limes, but I don't like people to put old and gross fruit on my drink at bars.  The name just came to me when I was brainstorming a title for my blog.  It's funny how many people ask me about it.  Hellllllloooo if you read the "About me" in the right sidebar you'll see the whole story. ------>

The perfect lime-less drink

Confidence vs. Arrogance: What's the difference?

Click Here for Confidence Vs Arrogance Article 

An arrogant (cocky) person may seem to ignore any areas of weakness and only play up areas of strength, but they often do so because of an inability to come to terms with weakness.  Arrogance is often underplayed by insecurity. An arrogant person tends to be arrogant to compensate for areas of weakness that distress the individual.


A confident person accepts their weaknesses or faults, even though they may not like them. This acceptance enables the confident person to handle faults with grace and without further compacting the areas of weakness with arrogance. A confident person finds the root of their confidence in self acceptance - a key confidence vs arrogance difference. 

These are key points when understanding confidence vs arrogance.

Click me for the "Cocky Guy's Downfall"

Just like my DB Anthem, we've all dated or been friends with people who aren't exactly well-rounded and life-fulfilling companions.  It's fine to have them around as superficial acquaintances at least for a phase, but you will only be disappointed in the long run if you try to count on them to have your back at all times.  Most importantly, you want people around who will be there not just when everything is great, but also when you're at your lowest.  I've found that the arrogant people tend to be arrogant because they want people to think they live this great life even though the truth might be far from it.  These people tend to not have many true friends and are most likely not very happy.  So when someone tries to rub their "glamorous" life in your face, consider that they are likely embellishing and just trying to seek your approval. :)  

--Words of wisdom from a not always wise girl, but I'm always learning.

Thank You to My International Readers!

You are amazing for reading my blog!  I didn't realize that people from across the world would appreciate my writing!  I hope you keep reading and please feel free to post comments or suggestions.  Thank you! 

What Happens in Vegas...Day Two (Part 2)

So like I was saying before, my friend and I came back from the bathroom to find that our other 2 friends found a new group of guys to hang out with.  The first guy (who was talking to my friend) introduced himself and I immediately knew I wanted to talk to him.  They invited us to their cabana where we had more drinks.  I talked to the guy I "had my eye on" and we instantly hit it off (at least in my mind--hahaha he may have a different opinion).  Everyone was goofing around (my favorite group of guys on the trip) and having fun.  One of my friends was PDA-ing on the cabana couch a little too much.  I on the other hand, was much more focused on being a goofball with my new favorite guy.  

Before we knew it, the club was closing!  (It was 4 am!)   We didn't want to all say goodbye so we went to gamble and get more drinks at the Hard Rock Hotel bar.  My favorite guy spoke Swedish (He has relatives in Sweden) to me while I enjoyed my go to drink of captain and diet at 5 am.  We kissed, but not in a drunken PDA gross way.  No one even noticed except maybe one of his friends.  Gosh I wish he lived in Cincinnati...or that I lived in LA (where he lives).  It was so freaking cute (I know, I know. Gag gag, barf barf).  Of course, I would go to Vegas and meet a guy I actually liked!  We all eventually said our goodbyes and haven't seen each other since (they left Vegas the next day).  "I'll never let go..." --Titanic joke (see photo below)

Since then he and I have been in contact via text and facebook.  I'm hoping to visit one of my girlfriends in LA within the next few months.  At that point maybe I'll see him as well.  ;) 

I haven't been writing as much because I feel like I should be finishing my Vegas stories and to be honest, I'm slowly forgetting them.  I might just stop after day 2 and leave the rest to your imagination. 

What Happens in Vegas...Day Two (Part 1)

Friday:

After getting back from breakfast, we got ready in our bathing suits and make-up(we were in Vegas mind you).  We stopped down in the market at our hotel to grab food, energy drinks, and water.  Us girls cabbed it to the Bellagio pool to meet our new guy friends--minus one, she was tired.  The guys didn't answer their phone right away so I just flirted with the door guy to let us in.

[Here's a background to help you understand the next part: I have been off and on antibiotics for chronic sinusitis.  Right before the trip, I layed out at the pool.  I got a ridiculous heat rash which lasted for days.  I realized the antibiotics I was on caused heat/sun sensitivity.  Therefore, I was terrified to get it again in Vegas.]

We said hi to the guys and went in the pool to chat.  

I got nervous that I was going to get heat rash so I slathered on sunscreen.  

Meanwhile, my friends layered on tanning oil...I was jealous.

I then got even more nervous so I went to lay on the lounge chair and talk to another guy.

I talked to him and proceeded to cover my entire body with towels.

I looked ridiculous, but I was still paranoid.  I hate being itchy.

I think I embarrassed the girls and I got grumpy about my fear so we left to get lunch.  

We got back to our hotel and grabbed the one girl who was napping.

We all went down to our pool where I layed in the shade with a floppy hat on and lots of sunscreen.

Eventually, I got very bored and joined everyone in the pool.

We got lots of drinks and food which were fabulous. Yawwnn (sorry--boring).

We then napped for 2 hours, got ready, and headed to Margaritaville for dinner.

We watched some random girl throw herself at a guy much hotter than her there and he eventually gave in.  It was way more PDA than the restaurant needed, but hey, it's Vegas.

After dinner we walked to the casino where one of the "hosts" escorted us into the Banks for free drinks.

A group of guys invited us to their table and OH LOOK!  More free drinks!

One of the guys took a liking to one of my friends or maybe it was vice versa (she's rather aggressive with guys at times). 

Another guy started talking to me and said he was from Canada (insert "Eh" and other Canadian insults/phrases).  

He also mentioned he was on one of the seasons of the Bachelorette. 

I didn't believe him of course, but I found a rose next to the bottles and proceeded to mock the Bachelorette.  "Shane, will you accept this rose?"  --He thought I was special.

Us girls got bored and left to meet another "host" to get us into Encore nightclub for free.

We walked right past the line and through the velvet ropes into the club.

Immediately, we met another group of guys (not interested in any of them) who gave us free drinks (Are you seeing a pattern here?).  

Those dudes had to leave at some point and were kind of boring anyway.

One of the girls and I went to the bathroom and when we came back, our friends found another group of boys for us (and drinks).

Here's where LA boy comes in (who I'm still in contact with today), but Friday was a long day and night so...To Be Continued...

What Happens in Vegas...Day One

This is extremely delayed, but I needed a little time to recover and catch up on things after Vegas.  Being that it was my first time in Vegas, I didn't know exactly what I was getting myself into.  I was expecting glamazons and high fashion divas mixed with Girls Gone Wild.  I wasn't too far off from my initial idea, but it wasn't quite as flashy (in either meaning of the word) as I thought it would be.  Don't get me wrong, I got dressed up, didn't sleep (except 2 hour naps here and there), went clubbing, gambled a bit, etc.  There was just more normalcy than I thought there would be.  

I will attempt to lay out what our days looked like (one blog post for each day).

Thursday:

Flew in around 2:00 am Cincy time (11:00 pm Vegas time).

Cabbed it to Hotel and got ready to go out--leaving the hotel around 1:00 am.

Realized even for Vegas, it was a little late to get started on a night.

After pouting, we decided to gamble and drink at a bar in the casino.

I had crazy attention issues and kept playing the slots as my friends talked to weirdos at the bar (of course we got free drinks).

Left the weirdos and met more guys on our way from the Venetian to a hole in the wall casino.

We left those guys when we went into the hole in the wall casino.  

I watched some guys play craps as one of my friends offended some prostitutes.

One of the guys made me his good luck charm and had me roll for him. (He and I are still in contact today--He lives in St. Louis and I frequently get marriage proposals from him.)

I tried to smooth things over with the prostitutes my friend offended.  They told me I looked like Britney Spears' little sister and try to sell me their services.  I politely walked back to my St. Louis boyfriend at the craps table.
I was telling the dealer and other players jokes I had memorized.  They said no one else usually does that and were amused.

The prostitutes then told a different friend of mine how to make $5,000 a night.  I glanced back from the craps table and saw her terrified face.

My St. Louis boyfriend wanted me to meet him at a pool party (it is now 5 am).  I told him we were heading to breakfast and we left.

Right outside, waiting for a cab, we ran into another group of guys.

They invited us to breakfast and we all laughed like we'd known each other for years.  

They paid for us girls' food and then invited us to a pool party. 

We cabbed it back to our hotel around 6:30 am and were planning on changing and meeting them at their hotel's pool (at the Bellagio maybe?) after getting ready.

To be continued in my next post...

It's My 24th Birthday!

** UPDATED: My 24th Birthday Next Week Inspired Me to Make a 30 Things To Do Before 30 List

Here's My List (In no particular order):
**Updated 10-9-2011

1. Take a Trip to Las Vegas   --There are posts about it.
2. Sing at a Wedding --It went really well!
3. Start a Blog --Obviously, I'm posting this on it.
4. Record a Song (Me singing)
5. Learn how to play the guitar (At Least One Song)
6. Get Married
7. Own a Tiny dog
8. Buy a House
9. Publish a Poem  --poems on Writer's Network
10. Make a Rap Video
11. Learn How to Cook (Well)
12. Act on Stage Again (or Film)  --Supporting role in Feature Film "Devil's Point"
13. Ride a Motorcycle (With a Helmet)
14. Bungee Jump
15. Party at Mardi Gras in New Orleans
16. Pay Off All Student Loans
17. Dye My Hair Brown at Least Once
18. Learn How to Drive a Stick shift
19. See a Broadway Show ON Broadway in NYC
20. Move out of Cincinnati (Even if it's only for a few months)
21. Invest in the Stock Market --I completed this with my 403b but I'd like to do more.
22. Go on a Hot Air Balloon Ride
23. Brush up on my Spanish-speaking Skills
24. Swim with Dolphins
25. Pet at least one Penguin --There was one to pet at Jen and Scott's reception!
26. Vacation in Paris
27. Make a Family Scrapbook
28. Have My Career Figured Out and Stable
29. Decide if I Ever Want a Tattoo (Do what the decision is)
30. Run a Half/Full Marathon

Example of Someone Else's List

Example of an Additional List

Another Interpretation

I crossed off the first three because one of them is create a blog (which I've obviously done) and the other two I will have completed this weekend and next week!
Would you make a list as well?  How many things on my list have you already done?


--Thank you to Courtney "CGizzle" for inspiring this post!

Meet People Outside of the Bar Scene!...And Maybe Get Some Holy Points

Click Here for How To Meet People Outside of the Bar Scene

My friends (and probably me as well) have complained about the guys we meet and/or date here in Cincinnati.  Most of the guys we have dated since the college days we have met out in the bar scene.  These meetings are typically infused with alcohol, loud music, and obnoxious friends.  (Not exactly the best circumstances to get to know someone.)  Instead, everything is pretty much based on physical attraction, which you should know is not the best foundation for a relationship.  

I've posted some links for those of you who are also interested in meeting people outside of the bar scene.  My parents always tell me to go to church more often.  (Ugh!)  Although, now that I think about it, my friend Natalie and I went to St. Mary's once and there were a few lookers there.  Unfortunately, we had to dip out early so there were no conversation opportunities.  My parents might be on to something.  Who wants to go to church with me this Sunday? Mwahaha.

Click Here for Places to Meet People in Cincy!

Top Spots to Meet People in Cincinnati:

(and where to go once you’ve found one!)

Best Place To Meet Young Professionals
Derf Happy Hours or Bacchanalian Society events

Best Place to Meet a Sports Aficionado
Cincinnati Sports Leagues

Best Place to Meet an Arts Lover
Cincinnati Art Museum events

Best Places to Meet a Music Lover
Blue Wisp Jazz Club or Mainstay

Best Romantic View
Devou Park in Covington

Best Restaurants for a First Date
Trio Bistro or Nada

Best Place for Drinks After Work
Palomino’s

How Do You Define Sexy?

I have an idea in my head of what I think is sexy, but I decided to google it and see what came up "What is sexy?" 

Here's how one website defined sexy:

Image: A person who is sexy would have a high self-image, and others would view them as having so. Face it, someone who doesn't groom, brush their teeth, use underarm deodorant, etc... would not be very sexy to most people.

Confidence: Simply stated, someone who is sexy needs to be confident. They have to believe in what they are doing. Someone with no confidence in himself or herself allows themselves to be easily abused by others, which is not sexy.

Attitude: Someone sexy, in a sense, also has a good outlook on life. They can also take some helpful criticism and get something out of it. No one wants to be around a negative person. sexytester

Click Here for Victoria's Secret Sexiest List this Year!

What I think is Sexy:  

Just how we don't all like the same "type" we probably define sexy in different ways. I think that site above was vague enough to cover most grounds. I think sexy is confidence without cockiness, looking put together without looking like you're trying too hard, and have an infectious personality and smile.

--As for the clip below...I just think that movie is hilarious. The clip is pretty relevant as well.

How Do YOU Define Sexy?

The Exciting (and sometimes dreaded) First Dates!

Watching The Bachelorette tonight and seeing the guys' crazy antics got me thinking about first dates.  I've had some really great dates in my life, a lot of so-so ones, and a few really bad and/or awkward ones.  (The clip is a priceless one of Kasey from Ali's season.)

Here's Some Examples of Great Dates I've Been On:

--Cincinnati Museum Center and Dinner, I love museums and that it wasn't a bland idea, although I ended up not really being attracted to this guy, it was a really fun date!

--Play at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Not only was it creative, but I also love theater.  

--Wine and Cooking Me Dinner, This is great for a guy who knows how to cook (Although I believe it was a second date--I wouldn't recommend it for a first).

--Coffee and Dessert at a Small Coffee Shop, Although it was a more low-key first date, there was less pressure and it was different.

Click Here for Some Great First Date Ideas!

Most of the bad dates I've been on haven't necessarily been because of the place we went (although they were usually dinner and maybe a movie dates).  The dates were terrible because of the person's behavior.  

Here's Some Examples of Bad First Date Situations:

--The guy (who I'd only met once before the date) tried to invite himself as the plus one to a wedding I'm in and to an event he knew I was attending.  I then tried to make a joke about it as a way out saying "Haha we'll see."  He then proceeded to push the topic.  (Gag!)

--I went with a guy to dinner and afterwards he used a coupon when he went to pay and then told me I owed him dinner next time.  A few minutes later he mentioned he's commitment-phobic. (Run!)

--The guy was literally so shy that I sat in silence for a bit of time before struggling to start up another conversation.  He also started sweating profusely. (Uhhh.)

--I went to dinner with a guy (right after I got out of a relationship) who was pretty much just a friend to me (he insisted I go).  He showed up with 3 boxes of Godiva chocolates...and then kept trying to force feed me glasses of wine at dinner.

Click Here for Some First Date Conversation No-Nos!

The best dates I've been on have been with people who try to bring out their best characteristics without being phony.  There's also some things that should just not ever be brought up on a first date (exes, wanting to get married in a year, being commitment-phobic, hating anything--hate is a strong word for a first date, politics).  You will most likely not be asked or agreed to a second date (at least by me).  I don't know why some people are in such a hurry.  Take your time to get to know someone and let them take their time to get to know you (the real you).  It'll all come out eventually. :-P

These are a Few of My Favorite Things! (Beauty Products)

I don't like to spend a fortune on beauty products because if the drugstore ones work well for me, then why waste the money?  Here are a few of my favorite products (You'll find every single one of these in my room):

How To Choose the Right Foundation for Your Skin...Click Here!

Spring Fling is tomorrow and I've been crazy busy this week, but I'll post something of more substance in the next few days! :)