Sunday Social, Volume Three.

As you can see, I am really getting into these Sunday Social Posts! As I mentioned last week, if you want to join in on the fun, here is the link-up information.

01. What is something you have wanted to do but are afraid of? I would LOVE to go skydiving, but I have an odd fear of heights. I can go on a plane, but I can't be anywhere out in the open, where I can look down + can possibly fall. I have had the same bizarre nightmare since childhood, where I would be in a mall, on the stairs of the top floor, leaning over a glass partition, then I would fall. Strange, isn't it?

02. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Either writing, teaching, or doing a bit of both. I would love to have a job within the sphere of print media or social media, but I really love being in a special education classroom. 

03. What are you looking forward to before the end of 2012? I'm looking forward to ringing in the big 3-0! I'm also stoked about a ginormous contest that will be running on the blog at the end of the year. 

04. What are your hopes for your blog? I hope that people read it + are inspired to do something - anything, really. Maybe its to start a blog of their own, try a new recipe, or recreate a craft I have done on here. I also hope that this will become a place where people share things. The most recent feature on the blog, Teach Me Something Thursday, has been fantastic. So many bloggers have connected with me to participate. The response from readers has been wonderful, so I hope to keep this feature up for quite some time [if you're reading this, blogger or not, I'd love for you to participate]!

05. Do you always see yourself living in your current town/city? I truly love Long Island, but the cost of living pretty hefty, at least for my wallet at the current moment in time. In all honesty, I can't picture myself living anywhere else. I might venture to another part of the island, but I doubt that I will ever leave this place. 

06. What is your morning routine? Depends on what I am doing + how late I sleep in! My clothes are [almost] always laid out the evening before, so mornings usually consist of a quick shower, brushing my teeth while checking my email, + snagging coffee at work. I am a night owl, so I stay up pretty late doing work. Once I start student teaching, I will have to get up a bit earlier, to make myself "look alive." I rarely wear makeup to work [I don't like having it on my skin daily - personal preference], but a more polished look is expected in the classroom.

Etsy Giveaway!

I have always held contests for other companies, but since I'm running my own now, I decided to host a giveaway with some of the items that will be available in my Etsy store this autumn! There will be a variety of items included - hair accessories, housewares + jewelry. It might be something in the store, or something brand new that hasn't made it there yet. Either way, its going to be fantastic! There is a lot in the works, regarding my creations. Later in the year, certain items will not only be in my store, but other stores as well. That is all I can say for now, but as the launch date gets closer, I will give more hints as to where my wares will be. For now, you can shop over at my store + use the code sgli10 to save 10%!

some of the newest items added to the store.

The contest will run until October 7, and I will be using Rafflecopter to choose a winner. This contest is open to US entrants only. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sponsor Spotlight.

Friday has finally arrived! I can't wait to test out my new camera, celebrate my friend Irene snagging a full-time teaching job + to get some schoolwork done. Yes, I am looking forward to academia. Crazy, right? I wanted to introduce you all to a few new sponsors on the blog before I am MIA for the weekend.

Kaitlyn, Wifessionals

Hey everyone! First off, I want to give a huge thank you to Michele for having me here today (: I recently started Wifessionals after I found myself in a completely new life from what I've been used to. I just married the man of my dreams, who happens to be in the Army. A week after we got married, we packed up everything in Nashville and moved all the way out to The Middle of Nowhere, Arizona. It's been a big change and I REALLY miss the South, but it doesn't look like I'll be headed back any time soon! We just found out we're now moving to Colorado!

I post everything from:

Delicious recipes - The crazy world that is the Army - Mishaps with our new boxer puppy - Fashion tips and tricks - The highs and lows of daily life - Random ridiculousness - Tips to save money - SO much more!

Basically, these are my confessions of being a wife....or rather, Wifessionals. So come stop by and say hello! I love meeting new people. I'd especially love to hear from you if you know anything helpful about my new home in Colorado!!

You can also find Kaitlyn over at Pinterest.

J, An Unstyled Life

Hey, y'all! I'm J and I blog over at An Unstyled Life. I'm a part-time bail bondsman, a full-time event planner, a full-time social media manager and a full-time wife and momma. *deep breath* I mostly blog about our life, but I've been known to blog about trashy reality shows (I'm addicted!), maybe a little fashion, and pretty much anything that strikes my fancy. I love finding new blogs, so come say hi so I can visit yours!

You can also find J over on Facebook, Pinterest + Twitter. 

Make sure to swing by and say hi to these sweet gals. If you are interested in sponsorship, head over to the sponsor page.  

Sponsor Spotlight.

Welcome to the weekend, ladies + gentlemen! Hopefully your week flew by + this post is finding you well. I wanted to showcase more of my fantastic sponsors. The following two ladies will also be upcoming contributors to Teach Me Something Thursday, and will be an integral part in something huge that will hit the blog in November. 

Brittany, The Sapphire Bee

The Sapphire Bee celebrates a love for fashionable living with modern pieces that have a twist of Victorian flare. First conceptualized in 2010 with the official online boutique launching in late 2011 as my entrepreneurial spirit and love for the handmade movement grew. Armed with an appreciation for designer brands, creative styling and affordable DIY fashion I have created an inspired collection of eclectic accessories. What started as a hobby quickly grew and as dreams cultivate and change, the ideals that The Sapphire Bee were founded on stay the same -- a girl lovingly hand-making beautiful accessories for everyone to enjoy. When not working on dazzling jewelry, you can find me on my blog where I share recipes, DIY projects, my photography and little pieces of my life!

You can also find Brittany + The Sapphire Bee over at her blog, Twitter + Facebook (when you “like” the page, you get an exclusive discount).

Sarina, Nerd Craft Librarian

Hello world! My name is Sarina. I am also known as, the Nerd Craft Librarian. These three little words not only describe me but also the sorts of things you can find on my blog! Topics range from geeky discussions, crafting tutorials and my life as a children's librarian. After consuming much of these subcultures I decided to through my hat into the ring and contribute my own brand of whimsy and thus the Nerd Craft Librarian was born! Aside from blogging I enjoy being with my sidekick (husband) Tim and our four-legged furry baby (dog) Gypsy. Stop on by and check out my wacky adventures! 

You can also find Sarina on Twitter, Facebook + Pinterest.

Make sure to swing by and say hi to these lovely ladies! If you are interested in sponsorship, please check out my sponsor page.

Sponsor Spotlight.

Happy Thursday! Hope the week is going well and that you're all gearing up for the holiday weekend. I'm happy to introduce some of the lovely ladies who are sponsors of short girl, long island.

Marissa, The Modern Austen

Hi! My name is Marissa and I blog over at The Modern Austen. I'm a twenty-something English teacher moving out on my own for the first time. I blog about my new adventures, DIY projects, fashion, beauty, and education. The Modern Austen is all about classic style with a contemporary twist. I also have a cool feature called Teacher Tuesdays where teachers of all grades and disciplines are welcome to share their teacher outfits, crafts, lesson plans, and/or strategies. Thank you to Michele for featuring me today! I hope you'll stop by The Modern Austen soon :)

You can also find Marissa on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Goodreads, + Polyvore.

Allie, Little Mouse's House

hello! my name is allie. i am wife to mark since april 10, 2010, and mommy to a little mouse a.k.a. squeaky a.k.a. norah bean since january 16, 2011. i am 25 years old and i have no idea what i'm doing with my life (ha!). currently i am a stay at home mama, but before that i worked in a preschool for 3 years. it was there that my true love for children flourished and when i became a mother it only multiplied further.  besides being super-mommy and super-wife (hehe), you might also find me digging through piles of 'junk' at a thrift store, running the bike path near my house, drinking too much coffee, watching weird movies with my husband, wearing two or more patterns in one outfit, or sitting on pinterest/stalking more and more blogs until way past my bedtime. 

my goal, and the inspiration for my own blog, is to give my daughter the best life possible. i believe that the best life is the simplest life, filled with love, laughter, dreams, and play. childhood is the best time of your life (ask ANYONE) and i want to give my girl the most magical one i can. at little mouse's house you will see how we play, the things we make, our thrifty lifestyle, and how we live out our faith.

Allie can also be found over at Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, + Facebook.

Make sure you swing by and say hello to these lovely ladies! If you are interested in sponsorship or swapping ads, please check out my sponsor page. 

New Sponsors + Etsy Store Sale!

The last few days have been pretty hectic. Our vacation came to a close, so we had to catch up on the little things. I connected with fellow bloggers, added more fun things to my Etsy store + added new sponsors, which are on the right-hand side of the blog. Please go check out my sponsors when you have a moment - a few are actually running some amazing sales at the moment, specifically Modcloth. If I had extra cash lying around, I would buy half a dozen dresses from their Last Hurrah sale.

Speaking of sales, I am having a sale at my own store. Use the code SGLI10 to receive 10% all items in my Etsy store - this is also good on custom orders, so if there is something you'd like me to create, shoot me an email at michele [at] shortgirllongisland [dot] com. More items will be added daily, so if there's something that you see in the picture above + want to snag it before it goes live, let me know!

One Lovely Blog!

A few days ago, I found out that my childhood friend, The One With The Red Stethoscope, had nominated me for a "One Lovely Blog" award. Its a great way to find new blogs, and to tell your friends in the blogosphere that you think they're swell.

Courtesy of Red Stethoscope

The rule is that once you have been nominated, you are to nominate three other people for the award. Pretty sweet, right? Now for the three bloggers I have chosen, they are not only some of my favorite bloggers, but they are also my favorite Instagrammers and my pen pals as well! I am an awfully lucky lady. Now, I present my three nominees:

The Blogture - Nicole is always posting something wonderful about fashion. I can't always make it over to the blog, but I get all of her blog posts in my emails, so I am always up to date on what she is up to. Like myself, Nicole loves to interview people, and her latest blog is an interview with fashion blogger, Rachel Schwartzmann.

brilliant nature - Corinne is a fellow Long Islander who just made the move to Nashville with her boyfriend, Andrew. Back in the day, we both used to sling lattes at Starbucks, wishing we were somewhere else instead. Corinne takes beautiful pictures, has a killer wardrobe and tells the best stories. She recently blogged about last week on instagram - if you take a close look, you can see the sleepy little postcard I sent her in the bottom right picture!

forwardfromtheheart - Sally is the ringleader behind our pen pal club! She is the proud mama of two adorable little dudes, posts the best recipes/food pictures involving avocado (mmmmm!), and is a Pilates instructor. Pilates is something I really want to try - I've only done mat Pilates, but I will be calling a local studio next week to inquire about classes. Recently, Sally raised the question about Pilates as an Olympic sport, which is really awesome.


Go discover some new reads, folks! Are there any blogs you think are great and you would like to share with us? Feel free to comment below and share some of your favorite reads.

Featured on Why I Blog Wednesday

Yesterday, I was featured on my pal Lori's blog,  A Little Slice of Special. She's an awesome blogger + a short gal, just like myself. Check out Why I Blog Wednesday, and make sure to check out the rest of Lori's site!

Baby Brother is Blogging!

The other day, as I was just getting out of the shower, my phone rang. It was my younger brother, Vincent-Michael. I call him Finster, or Fin, for short - that is our father's nickname for him. Why Finster? One night, when he was a toddler, my parents were watching the Looney Tunes short, Baby Buggy Bunny. It featured a tiny gangster, Baby Face Finster. BFF was climbing something, which apparently, was a favorite activity of my brother's, so the nickname stuck. Now that you know a random tidbit of information about him, this is how our conversation went.

M: Hello?

V: Oh hi*, my child.

M: Oh hi.

V: Guess what I did?

M: Oh lord, what did you do? In my mind, I'm thinking either he bought a motorcycle or tattooed his throat. 

V: I started a blog.

M: Oh. Relief, with a bit of surprise. Really, where?

V: On Wordpress.

M: Oh. Make a new one on Blogger.

V: Why?

M: Because I said so. Its what I use, and it connects to your gmail. Plus, I know how to work this one, and I'm sure you're gonna call me and ask how to work it.

V: Oh, okay.

M: What is it about?

V: I don't know, stuff.

M: Well, you should have an idea of what its going to be about. Don't think I'm being a bitch, I just want you to set the right tone for it. Give readers an idea what they're looking at.

V: Okay. I gotta go make a new blog. 

M: Sounds good, let me know when its up.

V: Okay. Love you, oh bye.

M: Love you too, oh bye.

*Oh hi, oh bye and my child are phrases we started saying about fifteen years ago, due to our good friend, Sean. I call it Seanspeak. There are a handful of phrases/words that we only use with or parental units, Sean, and a select group of people who utilized Seanspeak when we were in high school, but I will spare you for the moment.

Since that phone call, I've gotten a few more from him - asking how to fix the layout, making sure its working, and to see if I like it. So far he's doing well, and I've given him a few pointers, because thats what big sisters do. His blog is called stolencandy_tastebetter, and its a culture/lifestyle blog. Its still a work in progress, but check it out. 

Halloween, 1986. Weren't we the cutest?

For My Fellow Fashion Bloggers - Oasap Fashion.

I found a killer store the other day -  Oasap! They carry women’s fashion apparel, for a reasonable price. The best perk of all? The Fashion Hunter Program.  You can get freebies in exchange for a post on your blog. I was approved this week, after a blogger friend had reffered me. Plus, if you join through this invite and are approved to be Oasap Fashion Hunter, I’ll get an $8 credit. When you get your friends to sign up for the program, you'll get $8 per person. You get at least $15 when you sign up as a credit, so if you add five friends to that, you have $55 to spend. Plus, you get 20% off your first purchase. What are you waiting for? Join Oasap!

Kouture: Taking Fashion to a Whole New Level.

As I've mentioned in the past, I am a huge fan of Instagram. If you are unfamiliar with Instagram, it is an app that you can use to edit and share photos. You can use hashtags for pictures, so they can be searched by users in the Instagram community. I have befriended lots of people, over shared interests. One of those people is Kiley Miltsch. Last year, I came across her Instagram account, and she had this awesome dress I inquired about. She answered me promptly, and was super nice. You can choose who to follow on Instagram, so I decided to add her. I'm glad I did, because she has great fashion sense and family is very important to her, which I think is really cool. I found out a few months back that she will be opening her very own store, Kouture, in her hometown of Rochester, New York. Kouture will also have an online store, which will carry all of the goodies at the flagship store. Some of the brands Kiley will be carrying are House of Harlow, Jeffrey Campbell, Paige Premium Denim, and UNIF - just to name a few. I asked Kiley to connect with our readers, to let them know a little bit about the girl behind Kouture. 

Hi, Kiley! Tell the readers a little bit about yourself.

I’m a 20-year-old entrepreneur and fashionista from Rochester, NY. I’m also a fashion blogger and the founder of Kouture, a women’s boutique. Kouture is my brain child and I’ve been working on for almost 2 years now. The first store is opening Spring 2012 in Rochester, New York, and the online store will also launch then. I consider myself an artist, and fashion is my outlet. I’m a very laid-back person, but when it comes to my outfit choices, I’m always over the top.

When did you realize you wanted to work within the world of fashion?

I started working at a store called L’Avant Garbe when I turned 15. I used to go in there all the time when I was in middle school and asked the owner, Lori, for a job when I was only in 6^th grade. It was something I always knew I wanted to do. I remember she called me on a Friday night when I was a sophomore in high school and I started working the next morning. Lori took me on my first buying trip to Coterie when I was 18, and that’s when it really set in that this was going to be my career. I was so lucky to be given that opportunity.

Kylie's Coterie buying trip, stocking the shelves of Kouture!

How old were you when you decided that you wanted to open your own boutique?

To be honest, I never thought about having my own store because LVG was my main focus, but I think Lori always knew I was destined to follow in her footsteps. Lori moved to France and closed the doors of LVG in 2009 and that was when the whole idea of “Kouture” was born.

This dream took how many years to become a reality?

Well, LVG closed in September of ’09, and we have been developing Kouture since then, so it’s been about a year and a half of planning.

Family is an important part of your life – your Instagram is always featuring many members of your family, which I love. How does your family inspire you?

I love that we have never met in person, yet you know how important family is to me. My dad’s work ethic is unreal. He was raised in a strict German household, growing up where hard work was expected. He has taught me that nothing will happen without hard work, it’s definitely inspiring. My nieces are my biggest motivation. Being able to provide them with a future is ultimately what I’m working for. I always have believed that everything happens for a reason and I was blessed with four nieces, if that’s not the next generation of Kouture… I don’t know what is!!

Kiley's niece, Molly, is already a budding fashionista!

Lets get down to some fashion questions! What are some signature pieces in your wardrobe?

All of my shoes! I’m addicted to Jeffrey Campbell. Shoes are such a staple piece of any outfit. You can be wearing just jeans and a white t-shirt but if you have killer heels on, it’s automatically stylish. My 2-year-old niece has already claimed all of my shoes for when she gets bigger, she’s too funny.

Who are your favorite designers?

Right now… Jeffrey Campbell, UNIF, Style Stalker, Ivan Grundahl, MINKPINK, and Wildfox. I’m also a huge fan of ACNE and Opening Ceremony.

What trends do you think are going to be big for 2012? What about for 2013?

This whole 90’s grunge look is big right now. Spikes, studs, American flags, ripped pieces, leather… its everywhere and its not stopping. I recently started ordering for fall 2012 and its still going strong. I’ll have to wait until the next Coterie to see what will trend for 2013. It’s hard to tell, the fashion scene is always changing.

WEALTH photo shoot, styled by Kiley. 

What are some versatile pieces you think every girl should have in her closet?

Every girl needs a pair of American Apparel black disco pants, a pair of Lita’s, a badass leather jacket, and a nice bag. Basics are important. A dress that can transition from night to day is always a great piece to own. I recently just purchased a long sleeved black dress by For Love and Lemons and I’ve been living it.

Any wardrobe tips for the gentlemen?

I can’t tell you how many people ask me about this, and my answer is always the same: I know nothing about men’s clothes! The only tip I have is to not match your hat, shirt, and shoes. That might be the worst look EVER.

If you could style one person of your choice, who would it be? What would you choose for them?

Kreayshawn! I love her style, it’s so different than anything I’ve ever seen, and she gives me a lot of inspiration. The best part about her style is that it’s effortless. She’s described herself as a “90’s teeny bopper in London from the hood” (haha). She’s cool. I’d love to dress her in UNIF. She’s anti-stylist, which I respect, so I don’t know if styling Kreayshawn would ever happen, but maybe I can be her personal shopper. I’d love to send her some goodies from Kouture and let her style it.

Besides selling wearable works of art, do you think that you will ever start your own line?

Absolutely! Not any time soon though, maybe once Kouture is established and I have some extra time.

You are a go-getter, so I bet you already have something else up your sleeve – what is the next step for you?

That’s a compliment, thank you. The next step is to get the doors open in Rochester and build my online store into something big. And after that, expand Kouture into other major cities. Rochester is just the beginning, it’s a starting point and a platform to build off of. I hope people can really understand that Kouture is going to be so much more than just a store. It’s a lifestyle.

Where do you see yourself and Kouture, five years from now?

I have big dreams. I see myself living in Rochester still because I could never live away from my nieces but doing a lot of traveling. I’d like to see myself growing the “Kiley Kouture” brand and doing personal shopping/styling for some big names. Hopefully there will be a few Kouture stores starting to pop up and I can expand to the West coast. I have my eyes on LA. Maybe I’ll have a big warehouse space for shopkouture.com. Anything is possible with drive and motivation.

A bit off-topic, but I know that music is a great motivator for most of the people I speak with, and I’m sure Kouture will always be boasting a killer soundtrack. Choose ten songs to make a mini Kouture playlist for our readers.

I’m a huge fan of anything rap which, in my opinion, is the staple of motivation music.  It’s all about working hard and getting money. The music I play in Kouture probably won’t be what I’m listening to in my car (haha) but these are the top 10 songs that come to my head:

Did it on em’ – Nicki Minaj

Stay Schemin – Rick Ross

Peso – ASAP Rocky

Juicy – Biggie Smalls

Make Me Proud – Drake/Nicki Minaj

I’m about cream – Meek Mill

I’m the best – Nicki Minaj

Steady Mobbin’ – Lil Wayne

Who gon’ stop me – Jay Z/Kanye West

HYFR- Drake/Lil Wayne    



I can't wait for Kouture to open - Kiley has been working diligently, and I love to see my friends succeed! 


Venture over to the Kouture website, and make sure you check out Kiley's blog. If you're on Instagram, you can Kiley under the name KileyKouture. If you dig the songs Kiley chose, I made a playlist on Spotify, which you can snag here.

Productivity at Three in the Morning.

I am not a morning person, whatsoever. I have tried, really tried, to become a morning person. It lasts a few weeks, at best. I eventually find my way back to the routine of staying up until 3a. 


I have come to terms with the fact that I am an extreme night owl. Even when I had to be at work at 5a, I would get a couple hours of sleep in beforehand, then come home to take a nap. When I was student teaching, I would be up late editing lessons or writing tests, and I would sneak a few hours in, before I had to face a plethora of American History students. Naptime is this girl's best friend.


Saturday into Sunday, I was pretty exhausted. Because of my sporadic sleep schedule, I was in need of catching up on some z's that I missed out on earlier in the week. I fell asleep around 4a and slept until 7p. Granted, I woke up a couple times to feed the cats, but I slept for fifteen hours. When I woke up and saw the clock, I knew I was screwed. There was no way I would be able to fall asleep anytime soon. I might as well be productive, right?


So, what did I get done? Well, I wrote a blog entry (this is the second one of the "evening"), listed a bunch of things on eBay (click here to peruse my goods), balanced my checkbook, paid bills, and played with the kittens. Not bad, considering listing things on eBay was the most time consuming - a lot of the items were things my mom wanted up, so I had to research how much the items were going for, what appropriate shipping costs were, etc. 


Of course, Erich had to bring snacks around. I've been really good with this, but I didn't eat all day, and I was pretty hungry. What girl is going to turn down a boy with an iced soy latte and Mallomars? Not this one! I've been really diligent about working out and making healthy food choices, so I'm not even going to stress over the fact that I ate four of these suckers. 

Nomming away with not one, but two Mallomars in my hand. Classy!

I'm not going to be able to fall asleep anytime soon, so I will probably squeeze in a quick workout. When I say quick, I'm talking a ten minute workout - twenty, if you include stretching. I'm looking forward to running later in the day, so I don't want to overwork myself. I did that this week, and it set me back a couple days in the land of running. I had trouble walking (minds out of the gutter), so when I attempted running on Saturday, it was disastrous! 


Oh, I just noticed on Facebook that Dr. Martens has a new shoe, the Deirdre. Why must they tempt me with beautiful, overpriced shoes? Look at them, they are gorgeous!

Dr. Martens can do no wrong - these are no exception.

These remind me of frilly, ultra-girly Easter outfits. I know I won't be able to get these anytime soon, but they would be fantastic in white or pink (hint, hint, Erich). Speaking of pink, I terribly miss my pink hair. My cousin is going to help me go blonder in the weeks to come. Maybe I'll go super blonde, then after a week or two, go back to Cotton Candy Pink? 

Decisions, decisions.

Everything Eleven.

Danielle over at Sometimes Sweet (which happens to be one of my favorite blogs) participated in 11 things, and tagged her readers, encouraging them to do the same. I figured, sure, why not? I'm pretty new to the world of blogging. I've conversed with a lot of wonderful people so far, and this is what we would call a "community building exercise" in the land of teaching. Here goes nothing!


There are five rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you've tagged them.

11 random things:

01. I have a bizarre number OCD, which began after I got in my first car accident, back in 2006. Anything that displays digital numbers, that is within my control (radio volume, washing machine, alarm clock, microwave) has to go up in fours, starting with zero. The only exception to the pattern is the number four. For example: 0, 3, 4, 7, 11, 15, 19, etc. Alarms are more complicated. They have to be set with the hour and minute at those specific numbers, PLUS all of the numbers have to add up to one of the numbers also. My boyfriend hates this, because if I need to be up by 8:30a, my alarm will actually be set for 8:07a, because that adds up to 15. Once I fall asleep, he usually changes it. I don't care that he does it when I'm sleeping, but if he does it when I am awake and I can see it, I get really anxious and have to change it.

02. My first, middle and last name each contain seven letters, made up of four consonants and three vowels. I realized this about three years after my OCD with numbers began.

03. I was almost named Dale, after Roy Rogers' wife, Dale Evans. This was my father's idea. My mother's name of choice was Celeste, but it reminded my dad of Mama Celeste, the lady on the pizza box. When he suggested Michele, she agreed, but it couldn't be spelled with two L's. Same thing with my middle name, Jenifer. I think my name is pretty rad - thanks, parental units!

04. If I could only participate in one form of shopping for the rest of my life, I would be perfectly content grocery shopping. Grocery shopping is an art. I prefer going alone, because I take my time reading labels, checking out new products, and Googling recipes/facts about foods I have never seen before on my iPhone. The only person I have been able to grocery shop with is my friend, Liz. She's a label reader, too. We have been going after running lately, and I really enjoy it.  

05. Back in 2009, I was in my Economics class, and shown this video on Democracy Now!, regarding the student loan crisis. After speaking with my professor, I decided to call Reverend Jesse Jackson's office to inquire about his Reduce the Rate student loan campaign. Long story short, I met with RJJ and his team in New York, was on his daughter, Santita's radio show, flew out to Chicago to do a few television tapings, and got petitions with thousands of signatures from my college campus. This was probably one of the coolest experiences I've had. I met a lot of students my age from around the country, I saw Chicago for the first time, went to my first basketball game, and got to see what RJJ does. He is a super busy dude, but always takes time out to talk to people. We would be out to dinner and people would just come up to him. He wouldn't mind being interrupted, and would ask these people about themselves. When I called home to speak with my mom, he asked to talk to her, and to say what a great person I was, and that she had raised me well. He's an awesome person - if you ever see him out in public, go say hi. Tell him I sent you, haha.


06. When my boyfriend, Erich, first asked me to hang out, back in October 2009, I kept blowing him off. I liked him, but I was afraid of getting close to him, fearing he would eventually break my heart (the boy I had loved before had ripped my heart to shreds not once, but twice in a two year period, after ten years of whatever it was - we still can't classify what the hell we were to each other). After realizing how happy Erich made me, and the effort he was putting in to try and win my trust, I decided that I needed to go for it. That was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I'm glad he didn't give up on me. 


07. In high school, I played french horn in symphonic band, trumpet in jazz band + mellophone (marching french horn) in marching band. I was pretty decent, and received a full scholarship to the college in my town. I blew my scholarship, because I stopped going to class. My parents had just split up, my mom had remarried within a few months + my ex-boyfriend had just died of cancer. When you live in a small town, people talk + ask too many questions, which is not what a seventeen year old wants to deal with. I was severely depressed + slept so much that my mother took my bedroom door off the hinges, so that I would be forced to have human contact.


08. I would love to become a yoga instructor, but in order to do so, one must attend yoga classes regularly for 2+ years before you are even considered to enter the program. This takes money I definitely don't have, so unless I win the lottery, it probably won't happen.


09. When I thoroughly enjoy a book, I will stay up until the wee hours, reading as much as possible. Whenever a new Harry Potter book was released, I would request that day off, and the next day off, too. I would go to Barnes + Noble in the morning to fetch the book, grab coffee, then come home to read. I would only get up to make more coffee, grab a snack, or use the restroom. Sometimes I would stay up for nineteen hours, to get most of the book finished, then pass out for a few hours, to wake up and finish the book. I got into The Hunger Games series a bit late, but I would stay up until Erich would take the Kindle out of my hands, telling me I needed to get some sleep. I love getting lost in books, its my favorite way to spend time.


10. Public transportation in New York totally creeps me out (I rarely go anymore, because I feel like everything is so dirty), but public transportation in San Francisco is totally bearable - dare I say enjoyable.


11. I have worn glasses since the age of three. I am far-sighted in one eye, near-sighted in the other (don't ask me which, because I have no clue - my vision sucks hardcore when I don't have my glasses on). I have tried contacts a few times, but putting a foreign object into my eye was revolting. Plus, I think I look pretty darn cute in glasses, and they keep things from flying into my eyes.

Questions from Danielle:

01. If money, schooling or time was no obstacle, what career would you choose?
I would love to be a pop culture historian, a writer for a well-respected publication, and a yoga instructor.

02. What's the one thing you look forward to every day?
I look forward to spending time with people I love, playing with my kittens, taking pictures, and having genuine conversations with people.

03. What is your number one, all-time, favorite blog?
My loyalty lies with Mario Lavandeira, better known as Perez Hilton. I don't watch reality shows, so this is my pop culture guilty pleasure.

04. Biggest online pet peeve?
Grammatical errors. I don't care if you write in uppercase or lowercase letters (I prefer all lowercase, but for blogging, I try to keep it as professional looking as possible), but when people mix up "there, their and they're," it drives me crazy.  

05. What is your all-time favorite book?
Ooooh, this is difficult to answer. Going with a childhood favorite - Ramona Quimby, Age 8.

06. What would your "last meal" be?
Mac + cheese from Grey Horse Tavern, Filet Mignon from Teller's, and Carvel chocolate soft serve in a cake/wafer cone.

07. Do you believe in love at first site sight?
Ahh, grammatical error in the question, I had to fix it. I don't believe in love at first sight, but I definitely believe in lust at first sight. Love is a very strong emotion, and I believe it is impossible to feel that for a complete stranger. Yes, there may be a connection, but I don't believe its love. 

08. What would your ideal Sunday morning consist of?
Sleeping in (with no alarm set), enjoying a late breakfast at the Cookroom, and spending the rest of the morning at Barnes + Noble. 

09. Why do you blog?
I choose to blog because I love to write. After losing my job, I didn't know what to do with myself. My mother, who has always told me that writing is my calling, told me that I needed to get back into writing. I figured a blog would be a great way to do so. I could write on various topics, read what other people had to say, and engage in conversations with people who I only know in this little blogosphere. I must say, even though I am not earning an income writing, this is the best job ever! 

10. If you had to choose one color to wear forever, what would you pick?
Black.


Questions for the bloggers I am tagging:
01. What was the first album you owned? Don't forget to include the format (vinyl, cassette, CD, etc.)!
02. As a child, what was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon?
03. Do you collect anything?
04. Which person has been most influential in your life?
05. What is your greatest fear?
06. If you could vacation anywhere in the universe, where would you go?
07. What is the first part of your body that you wash in the shower?
08. If you could spend the day with any one person, alive or dead, who would it be?
09. Are you a Mac or PC person?
10. Do you have any tattoos?
11. What was your childhood nickname?


I am tagging Aileen, Amber, Ashley, Callie, Corinne, Don, Linsday, Lori Lynn, Roxy, Sarah-Anne, and Sarina. If I did not tag you, I still think you should participate! Leave me a comment once you have filled it our on your blog, so we can all learn a bit about everyone else!