The truth about guys

I'm not sure how qualified I am to even write this post. I've had crappy boyfriends that shouldn't have been worthy enough to have that label to begin with, nice guys that I thought were "too nice", guys I realized were better off as friends, boys that I tried to fix, terrible first dates, and good ones that just weren't meant to be. Somehow though, I have found a really amazing person who is my best friend. And boyfriend.

I see a lot of girls blog about bad relationships of any kind. I see a lot of TMI posts on facebook about girls who almost love the misery of a failed date or a poor off and on relationship. I see tweets about girls crying because they might not find anyone again. I see comments on google about doing anything to get a boyfriend. I see girls jumping to get married because they don't want to be an old maid. People settle. All the time. When they shouldn't.

Not that I can say I've never felt like any of these situations before, because I have. But at the end of the day there are a few truths that I know about guys. You may already know these and if you do, I hope this reminds you! I'm positive any guy worth having would agree with me. (I've also done some "research" on google to compare what I think vs. what's "true" on the internet. I was right.)

These truths are:

1. Be yourself.
My boyfriend knows I like twilight. And I'm 25. Does he like this? Nope. Does he like that I'm interested in something? Definitely. Yeah, I'll give his stuff I don't think I'd like a shot. But if I STILL don't like it...I nicely inform him it's his thing, not mine. And same goes for him. He's seen the first two twilight movies (there may or may not have been some bribing involved but he still did it.) I take a long time to get ready. I don't hide it. Sometimes I'm grumpy when I'm rushed. Sometimes I'm grumpy when the alarm goes off. If you don't love yourself, who will?


2. Eat.
I don't know why girls pretend they don't eat on dates. And if you don't eat enough, you really should. Guys judge you if you barely eat your meal on a first date. Don't order seconds here, but you know what I mean you finishing 1/5 of your salad eaters.


3. You don't have to be a b*tch.
You know that book that's so popular "Why Men Love Bitches"? Well it's not true. Men like women who are nice. And if they treat you poorly when you're nice...they probably weren't a MAN to begin with.


4. Don't text every hour. Don't call every hour.
So if you're already in a relationship and you do this. Good for you. But if he doesn't text back right away that doesn't mean he's cheating on you. Or not thinking of you. Actually I take this back. He's probably not thinking about you. And that's okay. Guys aren't always thinking about the relationship. But that doesn't mean it's not important. If you're just starting to date someone, do NOT text them all day every day. It's unhealthy for one. Two, being needy isn't attractive.


5. Hints don't work.
I'm guilty of this one. Sometimes I aspire to be who I want to be by aspiring NOT to be certain characteristics. In the past I was scared of being overly direct for fear of acting like a brat and I would beat around the bush about what I wanted. Guys are not like girls. They do NOT pick up on things. If you want to do something, you have to say "I want to _______" ...if you want them to do something more you have to say "I'd like it if _______" and that's it. No you don't need to explain (unless of course what you're asking for isn't simple OR there is a problem in the relationship.) Another example here, if it's important your guy accompanies you to an event and he seems hesitant all you should have to say is "I'd really like it if you _____. It's important to me." Almost too simple, right?

What guy truths do you know?

Feeling Festive.

This year I'm going to decorate my apartment for fall. I've decided. It's official. I'd love the extra cheer to come home to! 

Check out these beautiful wreaths from the adorable Etsy shop The Wright Wreath.








How do you decorate for fall?

Blogs I Shouldn't Read...

...but do. And can't stop!

1. THOSE OBSESSED WITH MAKEUP.

I'm VIB at Sephora. Which means you have to spend $500 in a year. I could have bought an iPad for that!!! It also means you can track your purchase history online. It's rather disgusting when I examine it. As long as I stay away from that store and away from Liz (my sales person there...yes, she's "MINE"...if you're ever in San Diego and go to Fashion Valley ask for her!) I'm pretty good at not blowing money on useful products. When I read will work for makeup I practically run to the store!

Tiffany has SO many makeup product reviews that get my bite for makeup itchin. I have a list of things I want to get samples of and things I just want to flat out buy based off of her blog. You should read this blog if you're confused on what to buy at the makeup counter. And boy is that girl thorough.

2. THOSE WHO ARE HILARIOUS.

Wait, what? Well....they encourage me to do funny things. And my sense of humor isn't exactly *always* the same as everyone else's. Exhibit A: I recently told a very serious TSA agent "that's what she said." I also may have also mentioned the word "marijuana" shortly after. You should have seen his face. Two words: NOT PLEASED. And, before you go thinking I'm some crazy pot head off the rocker...I was RETELLING a story of someone else OKAY! I'm not a smoker (if that's your thing none of my business either so I'm not attacking you...promise)
My latest funny blog is Erica's at Young and Fabulous. Every day I burst out laughing at work which is totally a dead giveaway for I'm on my phone. Dear self, that's not exactly being professional OR secretive. Anyways, I'm letting her take the fall for anything wacky I do. She's an enabler ;) Check her out for some funnies!

3. THOSE WHO LIVE/TRAVEL IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

Well frankly, I shouldn't afford to do this. But mostly because I don't have a ton of self control when it comes to traveling and I WILL find a way. Even when I shouldn't. No this doesn't mean hit the corners in a short skirt for some spending cash. This means I save every penny and then spend every penny going on vacation. I justify it by saying vacations keep me working hard and keep my sanity in tact. Which is very true. Usually I take little weekend vacations every couple of months which isn't so bad and frequent enough to make me feel like I'm doin it big even if I'm not. My only concern with traveling outside of the country is I might fall in love with visiting culture elsewhere (okay, I KNOW I will) and I'll never afford to save for adult signs of success like a down payment on a house, paying off student loans, etc... Plus, what job will want me and pay me well when I'm off traveling the world every few months?!

My fears subside when I read from portland to peonies. Her blog makes me want to go outside of the states and see THE WORLD. I am in such awe over the pictures posted, even the small details of her travels. Reading her blog is a mini vacation in itself. It's my happy place sometimes. I read her posts, and pretend I'm there.

What blogs shouldn't you read but do?

Forever 21 Picks!

Happy Friday!!! Cheap weekend thrills are key to a balanced budget and some color in your life. Check out my Forever 21 picks for the week.
Sophisticated black pants for work or for a funky night out.
Jean dress you may be able to pull for work. Add a scarf, fun tights, and boots for a day to night look.
I love this long sweater paired with the skirt. This is totally a look I would rock. Or with skinny jeans and flats?
So this one is kinda fancy for my every day taste. (AKA I'M BORING) However, I love it with the grey jeans and I think it's a little fun for when the weather gets colder.
I love this. This is so something they'd sell in TBD at Nordstrom. It works with a dress or jeans.
I'm loving flowly tops right now. This goes on easy over a tank. What a great thing to hang in your car for happy hour!
I'd love to do a dress up dress down post with this shirt. I LOVE this shirt. It's probably my favorite on this list. But it's so plain, right? Not necessarily. The material screams luxe. I'd wear this with jeans and dress it up with boots, a long necklace and some bangles. Throw your hair in a classy bun and you're suddenly polished.

What's your favorite?

I'm back!

I'm back from the big island of Hawaii!

First go check out my guest post at A Blonde's Logic here!!

Here's a vacation recap for all of you asking:

The first day we went kayaking/snorkeling in the ocean. It was my first time snorkeling and as I'm not a big water sports person I was pretty nervous. I'm not a strong swimmer either so being out in the ocean even in beautiful Hawaii made me a little timid. After I got used to not being able to breathe through my nose, I started to really enjoy all of the colorful fish! My favorite animals I saw that day were an eel and a parrot fish.

The second day my boyfriend and I went zip lining which was also a first! This was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. It's such a beautiful rush! We went down eight zip lines and also crossed a suspension bridge in the jungle. A few of the lines were pretty long and towards the end of the line went uphill. Our guides told us to cradle our bodies into a ball if we felt ourselves slowing down too much otherwise we could get stuck out on the line. I guess I didn't take it too seriously because I got stuck about 15 feet before the landing. One our guides quickly pulled himself over to to where I was, hooked me up to him and pulled us back to the landing. I wasn't worried at that point because we had already been on quite a few zip lines. Needless to say, the next big line I was a cannon ball the whole time. I would absolutely recommend this to ANYONE! We also went to a luau and ate amazing Hawaiian barbeque and watered down Mai Tai's this night ;) The Kona sunsets were absolutely stunning and I loved watching the tribal dance shows.

My second favorite part of the trip was going to the Mauna Kea observatory which is almost 13,000 feet up! You literally drive up over the clouds. Looking down on the sunset is such a beautiful sight. It was 30 degrees at night on the mountain. Luckily I had brought a sweat shirt. After the sunset we sat in the car for twenty minutes to help our eyes adjust to night vision.  When we got out of the car we could see hundreds of stars! I honestly felt like I was somewhere in outer space.

We also visited Volcano National Park and took a four mile hike to the crater where the lava had once poured into. The whole hike was volcanic rock or lush jungle habitat.  We were able to see a ton of steam vents although no lava was flowing where we would be able to see it. It was so crazy to see!












































Where was the last place you went on vacation?

Guest Post: Diary of a Reporter

Hi Guys! Happy Wednesday :) Today meet Ashley! She's full of random surprises and tells life how it is. We can ALL appreciate that! I love peeking at her blog each week.

Keep reading and go say hi!

Hello everyone. I'm Ashley, the writer of Diary of A Reporter .I was pretty excited when Hollie invited me to do my very first guest post while she's away.


Soooo.....I decided to do a little round-up of my favorite posts from around the web this week.

Source: None via Bijzonder on Pinterest

I hope you enjoy!

{One} Pretty cool business card.

{Two} Um, scary. Check out this shark photo.

{Three} You may need a partner to execute this braid.

{Four} Into menswear for ladies like I am? Learn to tie a half-windsor knot here.

{Five} Healthy hair boot camp. (For every hair type!)

{Six} Quarter-life crisis, anyone?

{Seven} The little dream kitchen I never knew I wanted. (Until now):

Source: flickr.com via Karin on Pinterest



Thanks to Hollie for letting me take up a little space on your blog for a day. Hope you all enjoyed!

Guest Post: Schue Love

Natasha is super sweet! And as I'm dying to go to Lake Tahoe (mostly because of my blog stalking at her page) I am super excited to have her here today writing about where she lives! Go check out her blog, you'll be an instant follower.

Trust me.

Hi There!  I'm Natasha from Schue Love and I am so excited to be here today while Hollie is on vacation {lucky girl!}.  Hollie asked me to talk about Tahoe, which is where I currently live with my husband, cat and dog!  :)

Being from Southern California, I had never been to Tahoe before I met my husband.  It has become such a special place for us...not only because we live here, but also because we got married here too!  And even though it took a little patience to adjust to the snow, I absolutely love it now...the mountains, the lake, the casinos {what what?!}...it's all what makes Tahoe a year-round playground.  Take a look!

 Horsetail Falls...such a pretty hike!

It's a HUGE fall!  I heart hiking in the summer!

Cascade Lake...you can catch a glimpse of Lake Tahoe in the background.

 The Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament is always fun...you never know who you'll see...Heather Locklear perhaps?

 My favorite thing about summer in Tahoe is the lake!  I could spend every day and night out there!

We got married on Lake Tahoe in August 2009.  So special!

 Even though the snow gets to be tough, the FIRST snow is always the best!  Wilson and I love playing in it!

Snowshoeing is also fun in the winter!

Of course, nothing beats a winter sunset!  

Have any of you ever been to Tahoe?  Which do you prefer...winter or summer?

I hope you all enjoyed my mini tour of Tahoe...thanks again to Hollie for having me!  :)

xo natasha

Guest Post: Home Team Dreams

Happy Monday guys! I'm really pumped (just had to go a little Jersey Shore on you) that Brandi from Home Team Dreams is guest posting while I'm on vacation! 

She's hilarious. One of the few bloggers that I actually laugh out loud when I read her stuff. Her post speaks directly to my heart so I hope you enjoy it. And visit her blog. And post the "black and yellow" you tube video on her page. (Sorry if they actually do this, Brandi....)

Anyhow, read on!

I’m so excited that Hollie has asked that I come entertain her faithful followers for the day! I racked my brain for days trying to figure out a topic for this post. Hollie left the ball in my court so a million ideas came to mind.

Hollie always makes me laugh, so I thought about going the comedy route by telling a funny story. You know the kind of story that makes you tear up, turn red and hysterically laugh out loud. Not just “lol” but really laugh out loud. That would be great, right? Well, yeah, couldn’t think of one so that’s out. Next, I considered writing about vacationing. Hollie is away enjoying a wonderful vacation in Hawaii. Perhaps, offering up some great tips on the top must-see sites in Hawaii would be good. The problem with that idea? Um, I’ve never visited Hawaii nor have I had a decent vacation of any kind in years. Out the window. After several light-bulb moments blew out- hooded eye makeup tutorial, how to rock two-toned accessories, best DIY hot glue gun home projects, brain surgery… I finally settled on a topic.

The bucket list.

Many bloggers, including Hollie, have shared their bucket lists. Well, not only have I not shared my bucket list, I’ve never created a decent one. In 2008, I made a list of “lifetime goals” but I wouldn’t have considered it a bucket list. When I think of a bucket list I think of fun and adventure. Adventurous definitely doesn’t describe my list. It went a little something like this:

  • Get married (happened 2010)
  • Become a mother
  • Become a ballroom dance choreographer and competitor
  • Vacation in Italy (terrified to fly now; bad experience 2009)
  • Ride a rollercoaster (happened 2010. Hated it)
  • Open a cosmetics boutique
  • Finish writing at least 2 books (have started; completing is the goal)



You see. Nothing very exciting. No jumping off of cliffs or swimming across the pacific.  I’m sort of a non-adventurous chicken like that. The fact that I was 28- years-old before I got on a rollercoaster says it all.

Now that I’m almost 30, I think it’s time for a real bucket list. I need to add a little spice to it, right?! So here’s my new bucket list:

  • All of the above that I haven’t done +
  • Ride in a hot air balloon (I’m sure I will freak out)
  • Hang glide (this has always seemed cool but again will freak out)
  • Try horseback riding again (original story on Home Team Dreams)
  • Hold a Koala bear (and pray that it doesn’t scratch my face up)
  • Be in a flash mob
  • Act in a play
  • See a play on Broadway
  • Go to a Beyonce’ concert
  • Go on a Tiffany & Co. shopping spree (should this be here or on my If I Ever Win the Lottery List?)




You ladies are my witnesses; I now have a real bucket list! I’m sure I will add more in the future but this gives me a place to start. Now all that I need is for one of you to help me stick to getting it all done! Any volunteers?

Guest Post: Hazel and Mare

Happy Friday! I'm sure you know my next guest poster (aka blogger) as she has one of the most ORIGINAL blogs I've seen. I wish I was half as creative as her. It's such a treat to have her here!


Now the good stuff!


Hi everybody! My name is Katie and I write a wee little blog called Hazel & Mare. First of all, I just wanted to say thank you to Hollie for letting me guest post on her awesome blog. Isn’t she cute as pie?

On my blog, I write little daily haikus about random things. I also feature a cute craft or homemade product from Etsy that is related to the haiku. I enjoy haikus because they’re short and sweet, and it’s fun to shmoosh a whole idea into only 17 syllables. One day, I hope to write crazy, silly poems like Shel Silverstein that make people smile!

Here are some of my favorite haikus. I hope you enjoy them!

“On How I Feel Like I’d Be a Pretty Good Mom to a Panda Cub”

I’ll brush your soft fur
Feed you bamboo sandwiches
We can watch "Mulan"
So if anyone knows of any panda adoption programs, or study abroad programs where I could be a host family to a panda, please let me know. Adorable illustration by Rachele of Nearsighted Owl. Credit: http://www.etsy.com/shop/nearsightedowl

“On Some Thoughts That Might Occur to a First-Time Hot Air Balloon Passenger”

I can see my house
That flock of birds waved at me
Oops, dropped my camera



I also saw a cloud shaped liked a beluga whale. This adorable illustration of flying penguins is by sadlyharmless.  Credit: http://www.etsy.com/shop/sadlyharmless

“On the Most Interesting Thing That Has Ever Happened to Me While Camping”

I dashed out my tent!
Thought I heard Bigfoot creeping!
But it was raccoons.



You may have evaded me this time, Bigfoot, but one day, I'll find you. Then I'll brush your hair, and take pictures with you, and post them on my blog. This lovely and serene and summery photo is by Jessica Torres. Credit: http://www.etsy.com/shop/jessicatorres

Thanks for checking out my poems, and have a happy day!


Guest Post: A Blonde's Logic

Becca is truly one of the sweetest bloggers out there. I always smile when I see a comment from her! Some of her posts I can't stop thinking about. Okay that's creepy but she posted about shutters last week and I am dying for a shutters head board or a shutters planter! Check it out here!

And enough of my rambling! I love love her post today.

Read on....

Hi all of Hollie's followers! I'm Becca from A Blonde's Logic and am taking over Hollie's blog for the day. I absolutely love reading her blog so I was thrilled when she asked me to guest post!

Today I wanted to share with you one of my fashion faves who I don't think gets as much credit as she deserves. It's none other than Giuliana Rancic! In the words of G herself, you could say I'm "Uh-bsessed!"

I love just about everything that she wears! And I have to say that I'm a tad bit jealous that she gets to wear all sorts of fabulous clothes and interview celebs for a living.




















Sources : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Every Friday on Fashion Police with Joan Rivers(one of my favorite shows-currently trying to get tickets) she talks about which celebs are best and worst dressed for the week but will someone on the show pllllllease nominate Guiliana for best dressed! Even sitting in her chair during the show she wears amazing outfits!

But what I like most about her, besides her clothes, is that she is so funny! She cracks me up on Fashion Police and she seems so down to earth and real(even when she's wearing Louboutins). And don't get me started on her show Giuliana and Bill! Love it!

Also, I heard she's coming out with her own affordable clothing line and each piece should be around $50! Yayyy! Complete with handbags too! Gwyneth Paltrow is one of her inspirations for the line and she is undeniably inspirational, might have to write whole other post about GP.....

I know Giuliana sometimes gets bad press about her weight but I still love her!

Anyone else Uh-bsessed with Giuliana and her style?

Thanks for having me today Hollie!!! 
xoxo,

Guest Post: Chanel and Chocolate Cake

Liz is seriously HILARIOUS. Her post is absolutely great for my first day at vacation! I'm super excited for my guest posting series and Liz is the perfect person to lead the way.

Oh and check out my guest post today at My Unrehearsed Life!

Enjoy!

Hey girl hey! I am Liz and I blog over at a little place called Chanel and Chocolate Cake. When Hollie said she was going on Vacation, I was so excited to do a blog post for her! Since she is going somewhere beachy (jealous) I thought I would show you what is in my beach bag for those days where I get to the beach!

Tote Bag
Usually all my beach stuff is in a big expensive totes, but recently I have been going green and using reusable totes.

In the Bag:


1.     I always bring a fedora or a big floppy hat. My face is the first to burn and most of the time it isn’t pretty.

2.     My towel was cheap and it’s cute. Also a must have…unless you like to be soaking wet and air dry.

3.     TWO kinds of sunscreen. I have learned the hard way that SPF 4 means “Hey Liz, you’re going to burn”…so I usually use SPF 4 for the smell and then put on the high SPF stuff.

4.     Band-Aids, deodorant and detangler is not something that you usually think to bring to the beach but cuts, smelly armpits and snarls happen. You will thank me.

5.     Sunglasses are obvi a fav at the beach. I don’t recommend wearing them all day though because you will look like a raccoon.

6.     Books and Magazines are always smart to bring just in case you get bored. I also recommend bringing your ipod, but only if you have someone sitting by your spot. That’s too expensive to get stolen! Oh and always bring your phone, you never know if someone will get stung by a jellyfish.

7.     Water is always so good to have at the beach. Being dehydrated and sick really sucks and it sucks worse if you get heat stroke. I got that when I was 4 and I still cannot stand being in the sun for long periods of time…

Beaching it is fun but so is being prepared. You may look like a cray cray carrying all this stuff for an afternoon, but someone will thank you when they step on glass, forget sunscreen or get parched.

Big Announcements

Okay not really depending on how you look at it...

HOWEVER, I AM going to Hawaii tomorrow with my boyfriend and his family! I've never been and am seriously so excited! We're going to Kona and have plans to snorkel, go to volcano national park, and a luau. I plan on coming back to the west coast very very tan. I swear I'll post some pictures.



This is gonna be me all week. Woo woo!

I'm taking the week off from blogging/tweeting to get some total relaxation before I start back up in school while working full time. I promise to respond to every single comment when I get back next week!

What's exciting though is that I have SIX lovely bloggers guest posting for me over the next week. Please come by and check them out! It will be worth your while, promise.

And now the giveaway winner of the Rose Rags giveaway is....

....drum roll....

...dramatic pause....

....cut to commerical...

True Random Number Generator 12 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Becca at A Blonde's Logic!

 
Please email me at hollietakesnotes@gmail.com so you can get your new shirt girl!