Showing posts with label blogging? who does that?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging? who does that?. Show all posts

i'm too old for this...

Friday, December 18, 2009

to be honest with ya'll, i'm not even sure where to start.

i guess i'll take the easy (easiest?) route and try starting at the beginning... when i last left you i was headed to my last day of work in SoCal before my big move back to WI.

let me summarize the experience by saying this... it was me and my 2 cats in the car for a little less than 3 days... wow. actually, it was kind of fun. and my cats like hotels. who knew?

i arrived in WI in the middle of july or so... and when did the moving company get all of my things to WI? THE. END. OF. AUGUST. no joke.

i packed my car with enough stuff for me and my cats to survive 2 weeks. i'm talking the basics here folks, some clothes, my travel toiletries, all my cat stuff, my sleeping bag and pillow, my laptop, my camera, and some valuables i didn't want to pack. so let's just say that sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag for 5 weeks is NOT my idea of a good time. hell, i realized i am far too old for that... i was so sore! and yes, it crossed my mind to buy/borrow an air mattress but i have 2 cats with all their claws. enough said.

the kicker is that the end of august and september is one of the busiest times at work for me... especially starting a new job. so how fast do you think i got my stuff unpacked? oh yeah, there are still a few boxes that i haven't even emptied yet. i'm hoping to tackle that over the holiday break. *fingers crossed*

so that is just a little bit of why i haven't been blogging in awhile... understandable, i think so. the rest of the saga, to be continued...

Read more...

you may need to sit down for this one...

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

yes. it's true.

i'm back.

:o)

Read more...

a short hiatus...

Monday, July 13, 2009

today is my last day at work before i start my trek cross country to my new job. therefore i probably will not get a chance to update ya'll until i'm settled back in good ol' WI. don't worry, i'll try to update via twitter @CALIXTAJIVE and i'll catch up on all of your lovely blogs in the hotel rooms along the way...

it's a sad and happy last day... i'm sort of at a loss for words.

Read more...

adorably awe-summm...

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

thanks to my sweetheart nickie over at Learn to Fly. =) for these super fun awards! who doesn't appreciate a sweet compliment every once in awhile? THANKS HUN!


the rules are to:

  • include the award logo in your blog or post.
  • nominate as many blogs which you like.
  • be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
  • let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
  • oh and share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


now that's AWE-Summm!!!

rules:

list 7 things that make you awe-summm and then pass to 7 bloggers that you love.
make sure to tag your recipients and let them know that they have won!

  1. i can bake some seriously mean vanilla bean cupcakes. or dark chocolate cinnamon. (those are my two recent faves... i make lots of others!!!)
  2. i am slightly obsessed with stephen king. (ask if you really want to know how obsessed... lol.)
  3. i really really want a '70 Chevelle 454 SS.
  4. i'm moving back to the midwest! woot!
  5. i am mildly addicted to how i met your mother... i just freaking love barney stinson! SUIT UP!
  6. i heart the summer... working normal hours makes life seem so exciting! there are just so many possibilities...
  7. i recently realized that i break all kinds of blog rules and commit numerous blog faux-pas. oops.
now i don't know if any of that makes me AWE-Summm... but it sure does qualify as random... and that is so totally my style!

now tag your blogging buddies... and i tag: anyone who is reading this... enjoy! and thanks for reading!


Read more...

here (in your arms)...

i stole this fun little gem from Rose over at Delightfully Inappropriate.


here are the rules...

1. put your iTunes on shuffle.
2. for each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. feel free to add some commentary if you’d like.

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY? she's country - jason aldean (heehee, is that an excuse for something? i'm using it!)
WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? follow through - gavin degraw (interesting.)
WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? whatcha need - boyz II men (you bet i like it if they got what i need... lol.)
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE? morning glory - oasis (not sure...)
WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? ain't that a bitch - aerosmith (truer words my friend, truer words.)
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? where the blacktop ends - keith urban (that is a good question...)
WHAT IS 2+2? more gangsta music - cam'ron f/ juelz santana (that's my kind of math!)
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIENDS? we luv deez hoes - outkast (hell yes!)
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE? i'm not strong enough to say no - blackhawk (damn, that's a good one.)
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? who am i? (what's my name?) - snoop dogg (this is perfect, haha!)
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? my wife - the who (umm, what?)
WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE? on the run - pink floyd (oh damn.)
WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? role model - eminem (nice.)
WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? i love you - sarah mclachlan (how sappy.)
WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? psycho - system of a down (uhh, this makes me nervous.)
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? let's get high - dr. dre (well? let's!)
HOW WILL YOU DIE? unwell - mathcbox twenty (good to know.)
WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET? my favorite mistake - sheryl crow (but i'll never tell...)
WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH? do right woman, do right man - aretha franklin (that's just silly.)
WHAT MAKES YOU CRY? how's it going to be - third eye blind (well i guess so...)
WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED? you ain't missin' nothing - t.i. (now that's a fact!)
WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST? easy - fuel (wow, scary.)
DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU? dance, dance, dance - steve miller band (you mean who doesn't???)
IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE? i alone - live (that's a thinker...)
WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW? she will be loved - maroon 5 (well, ouch.)
HOW AM I FEELING TODAY? people are strange - the doors (that is a fact.)
WILL I GET FAR IN LIFE? jesus jesus bobeezus - jason mraz (ahahahaha!!!)
HOW DO MY FRIENDS SEE ME? can you handle it? - usher (nope... prolly can't. i'm a handful!!!)
WHAT IS MY BEST FRIEND’S THEME SONG? i wanna be sedated - the offspring (not because of me, i hope.)
WHAT IS THE STORY OF MY LIFE? nails for breakfast, tacks for snacks - panic! at the disco (not very promising... but quite accurate.)
WHAT WAS HIGH SCHOOL LIKE? mouth - bush (umm, sure?)
HOW CAN I GET AHEAD IN LIFE? won't stop - one republic (damn right!)
WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT ME? open arms - journey (good one.)
HOW IS TODAY GOING TO BE? comin' for ya - dmx (uhhoh.)
WHAT IS IN STORE FOR THIS WEEKEND? social disease - bon jovi (AHAHAHA, EPIC!)
WHAT SONG DESCRIBES MY PARENTS? ready to run - dixie chicks (that is for sure... they should've!)
TO DESCRIBE MY GRANDPARENTS? clocks - coldplay (ugh, kinda sad...)
HOW IS MY LIFE GOING? everything i am - kanye west (i like it.)
WHAT SONG WILL THEY PLAY AT MY FUNERAL? beautiful lie - 30 seconds to mars (is that me???)
HOW DOES THE WORLD SEE ME? working class hero - green day (ahh, quality... i love this.)
WILL I HAVE A HAPPY LIFE? don't let the sun go down on me - elton john (oh how dramatic. perfect!)
WHAT DO MY FRIEND’S REALLY THINK OF ME? i put a spell on you - creedence clearwater revival (what they don't know...)
DO PEOPLE SECRETLY LUST AFTER ME? like a prayer - madonna (you betcha!!!)
HOW CAN I MAKE MYSELF HAPPY? on top - the killers (heehee.)
WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH MY LIFE? rock with you - michael jackson (sounds like a plan...)
WILL I EVER HAVE CHILDREN? ain't going down 'til the sun comes up - garth brooks (ummm, i'll take that as a NO.)
WHAT IS SOME GOOD ADVICE FOR ME? touch, feel, & lose - ryan adams (i can do that.)
HOW WILL I BE REMEMBERED? back 2 good - matchbox twenty (i like it.)
WHAT IS MY SIGNATURE DANCING SONG? stand up - ludacris (hell yes it's a luda song!!!)
WHAT DO I THINK MY CURRENT THEME SONG IS? got it right this time - keith urban (hmmm, i hope that's true.)
WHAT DOES EVERYONE ELSE THINK MY CURRENT THEME SONG IS? (oh no) what you got - justin timberlake (umm, sexy...)
WHAT TYPE OF MEN/WOMEN DO YOU LIKE? jackson - johnny cash f/ june carter (this is good...)
WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS? here (in your arms) - hellogoodbye

now how fun and random was that??? love it!

Read more...

guess who's b-back, back...

Friday, June 5, 2009

yes, it's true... i'm back!

so sorry for my absence... may was a whirlwind of activity, work, travel, work, interviews, work, and oh yes, work.


here are a few random tidbits to help sum up my brief intermission (but actually they don't really sum it up much at all... :o)

  • the semester is over! woot! i will now be working somewhat normal hours... i'm talking maybe even closer to 40 hours a week people!!!
  • i'm going to miss some of my graduates... others, not so much, heehee.
  • senior dinner was amazing but i'm glad it's over. being in charge of an 1,100 person dinner is stressful!
  • the outerbanks, NC are amazing!
  • ACE and eddie's wedding was glorious and the mini RED DOT reunion was nice, too. :o)
  • my few days at the beach were blissful (for the most part...) and i met some wonderful people, worked on my freckles (in leiu of a tan... i AM a redhead), met some yummy fishermen, drank a couple or 12 spirited beverages, and read 4 novels... 4, now that's my kind of vacay!
  • above is the view from our three-story beach house equppied with 7 bathrooms, a pool, a hot tub, innumerable beds, and a short walk to the ocean!!!
  • had another interview (that involved flying half way across the country and then getting stuck in the airport for about 24 hours)
  • i adore the driver... seriously. and actually, i'll be spending the weekend with him, too. the beach, a night out, and an entire weekend of his gorgeousness... fun! (so maybe this whole online dating thing isn't so terrible???)
  • i spoke to my sister for the first time since thanksgiving yesterday... strange.
  • i missed you all... and my google reader is right around 500 unread items... so sorry if i haven't commented, i will be getting through them now that i will have a bit of down time.
  • expect big news coming from my corner of the interweb this monday!
  • oh and why did i drink so much last night? heehee...
oh and did i mention i missed you?!?!!!

xoxo,
calixta.jive.

Read more...

fave film characters...

Monday, May 4, 2009

i've been tagged by my BBF Nickie over at Learn to Fly =) to do a meme about my top 10 favorite film characters and tell you why they made my list. now people, this is going to be TOUGH (only 10?!) but i'll give it a whirl...

Samantha Baker (Molly Ringwald) - Sixteen Candles
she's got to be one of my all-time favorites! not only to i love love this movie, but when i was younger i wanted to BE molly ringwald. and who doesn't have a crush on Jake Ryan?!?!

Ben Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) - The Graduate
this is a classic, seriously. dustin hoffman is absolutely amazing in this film, especially since it was his first film!

Bridget Jones (Rene Zellweger) - Bridget Jones's Diary & Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
i have one good reason for this pick: bridget jones is ME. heehee... oh how i can relate.

Mikey Walsh (Sean Astin) - The GOONIES
who doesn't love the goonies??? this is one of my all-time favorites! i have it on VHS and DVD and even taped off of TV! and seriously, sean astin is so freakin' adorable in this movie. "it's our time, it's our time... down here!"

Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) - The Departed
mmm, leo is so damn hot in this movie. i've seen it at least 12 times and it never gets old. great story (yay martin scorcese!), wonderful cast (how cool is mark walhberg and jack nicholas?) and leo is not just hot, he's amazing in this flick!

Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood) - Green Street Hooligans
if you haven't seen it, you should. who would have thought that frodo baggins could be a BAD ASS??? well, it's not only funny, but it has depth and even a few tears... not to mention hard core fighting scenes! elijah is a great actor and i think this role is underrated.

Connor McManus (Sean Patrick Flannery) & Murphy McManus (Norman Reedus) - The Boondock Saints
yes, i kinda cheated putting them both in there (but hey, at least i cut it down to 10ish, i originally had 16!) this move is epic (yes, i'm nervous for the sequel... let's not fuck up a good thing, fingers crossed) and the McManus brothers are not only gorgeous (i have to admit connor is my fave! yum.) but they are just perfect in this film.

Creasy (Denzel Washinton) - Man on Fire
people, it's denzel. and the story is heart-wrenching . he's flawed, troubled, and yet somehow perfect. i cry every time i see it...

Josh Baskin (Tom Hanks) - Big
don't you just love tom hanks?!?! i do! this is another of my all-time faves. and when i was younger i wanted to be just like josh baskin when i grew up, haha!

Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) - Pretty Woman
i'm not going to lie, i sort of want to be julia roberts. i even have the unruly vivian hair... lol. what's funny is that when i first saw the movie i had no idea what she did for a living, i didn't really get it at all. but now, i know its sort of an unreal, raunchy, stereotypical, fairytale type story... but i just love the idea of the fairytale and the happy ending. don't you? and julia is just so wonderful!


and that's my list! at least the 10 i decided on for today. hope you enjoy.

anyone else want to take a whirl? feel free!!!

Read more...

*grins* thank you...

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

thanks to nickie over at learn to fly for the BBF award...

thanks for thinking my blog is "pretty f*cken sweet"!!! *hugs*

you made my day.

Read more...

you see this isn't where my head is, if you knew me, i'm not like this...

Sunday, April 5, 2009

alright folks... after an unplanned hiatus from my blog i have returned.

literally. i just got back from a conference in san fran. i had the pleasure of taking 12 of my students to the city by the bay for 4 days of learning, laughter, and leadership.

let's just say it was amazing... and exhausting.

i'm looking forward to having a somewhat calm week after the last few weeks of craziness. i'm actually staying in the state/city this weekend... strange.

oh and i have so many things to tell you all. be prepared. this week is going to be filled with lots of blog fun...

i hope ya'll have a great week!


oh and GO STATE!!!

Read more...

oh books, how i love thee...

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

here is my book list!

(and you can see that i added a few of my own must-reads off the top of my head at the bottom!!! yes, i am a nerd. it's ok, i've come to terms...)

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you started but did not finish.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own blog so we can try and track down those people who’ve read 6 or less and force books upon them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
2. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
3. The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
4. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
5. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
6. The Secret Gard - Frances Hodgson Burnett
7. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
8. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
9. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
10. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
11. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte_
12. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell_
13. His Dark Materials (trilogy) - Philip Pullman
14. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
15. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
16. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien_
17. Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
18. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
19. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
20. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
21. Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
22. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis
23. Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne
24. Animal Farm - George Orwell
25. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
26. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
27. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
28. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
29. Charlotte’s Web - E.B. White
30. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
31. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
32. Complete Works of Shakespeare
33. Ulysses - James Joyce
34. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
35. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
36. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
37. The Bible
38. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
39. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
40. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
41. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
42. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
45. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
46. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
47. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
48. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
49. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
50. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
51. Little Women - Louisa M. Alcott
52. Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
53. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
54. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
55. Middlemarch - George Eliot
56. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
57. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
58. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
59. David Copperfield -Charles Dickens
60. Emma - Jane Austen
61. Persuasion - Jane Austen
62. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
63. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
64. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
65. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
66. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
67.
Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery
68. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
69. Atonement - Ian McEwan
70. Dune - Frank Herbert
71. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
72. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
73. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

74. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
75. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
76. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
77. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
78. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
79. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
80. Bridget Jones' Diary - Helen Fielding
81. Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
82. Moby Dick - Herman Mellvile
83. Dracula - Bram Stoker
84. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
85. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
86. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
87. Germinal - Emile Zola
88. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
89. Possession - A.S. Byatt
90. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
91. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
92. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
93. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
94. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
95. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
96. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
97. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
98. Watership Down – Richard Adams
99. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
100. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A. It - Stephen King
B. Choke - Chuck Palahniuk
C. Flowers in the Attic - V.C. Andrews
D. Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut
E. A Feminine Mystique - Betty Friedan
F. The Shining - Stephen King
G. The Stand - Stephen King
H. The Long Walk - Stephen King
I. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
J. The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
K. Walden - Henry David Thoreau
L. Odd Thomas - Dean Koontz
M. The Dark Tower Series - Stephen King

anyone see a theme here? yes... i do adore stephen king...lol.
and don't even get me started on children's books!

looks like i have some reading to do... ;o)

Read more...

brought to you by the letter B...

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

i've seen a number of my fave bloggers doing this rad post where you're given a letter and you have to pick your top ten favorite things that start with said letter. well, Rose over at Delightfully Inappropriate was sweet enough to assign me with the letter:
1. books
- i absolutely love to read. i go through books like water and i can usually read most books more than once (as long as i don't hate it). i'll read almost everything at least once though, classics, chick-lit, everything. i enjoy books like the outsiders and the bell jar, slaughterhouse five and harry potter. and yes i have read all of the twilight books, lol. i adore children's books like the bridge to teribithia and all of the narnia books. i really like horror and suspense like dean koontz and chuck palahniuk. but my all time favorite is stephen king. i firmly believe that he is somewhat of a god. i've read all of his books/
stories at least twice, some up around 10-12 times. i've even been to his house... but i swear it wasn't in a super-stalker kinda way. i swear! lol.

2. beer - especially beer from the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, which is the 7th oldest brewery in the nation and resides in Chippewa Falls, WI, and is in my opinion... the best brewery in the world! my faves are leinie's sunset wheat (mmm, my fave beer! i'm so glad that added this seasonal beer to their year-round brews) and leinie's fireside nut brown (which goes really well with chocolate cake... no joke, lol! but watch out, it's seasonal!)

3. bees (honey bees to be exact) - because they are absolutely fascinating and the way they live their life intrigues me. enough so that i have a honey bee that i drew tattooed on the inside of my left wrist. (oh and if you have never read "the secret life of bees", you should.)
4. baking - because baking is one of my hobbies! not too mention i enjoy eating the finished products!!! and one day i aspire to be as great as my idol over at Bakerella... and just fyi... that is not a pic of a box of candy... that is CAKE!

5. beaches - because i could lay on the beach and people watch and/or read for hours and hours and hours all the while collecting more and more freckles... i love the sound of the waves, the feel of the sand and who doesn't love a good beach sunset???
this is a pic from our little cabins on the beach in jamaica during the spring break service trip i led in 2007...

6. blizzards - just because i really am a midwest girl at heart. i don't mind the snow (which is strange because i hate being cold... but i like being warmed up!). although for some reason every time i travel back to the midwest (or anywhere that gets snow for that matter) i seem to bring torrential blizzard like conditions... i'm talking 28" of snow in one night people! and the latest... snow/sleet thunderstorms in february! i think one of my all-time favorite daydreams involves a cabin in the mountains, a really big fireplace, a hot tub on the deck and tons and tons of snow outside... with those big huge ol' fluffy flakes falling lazily from the sky...

7. buttons -
i found my love for buttons when i was growing up... it might be because i am a child of the 80's, who knows. what i do know is that i still have a love for the buttons! who didn't have a jean jacket or a backpack or purse covered with buttons?!?! i know i still do! and thanks to facebook flair i get to enjoy the digital version as well...

8. blogs
- i still consider myself a newbie when it comes to blogging and i'm not quite sure that i've found my niche yet, i'm not the funniest blogger, the best writer, or even able to stay on topic for an entire post... but what i do know is that blogging has really helped me find a place to "think out loud", be myself without risking anyone in my "real" life judging me, and make some very wonderful, interesting, hilarious new friends. so to that i say... thank you!

9. bubbles - and/or most any bath & body product. i'm somewhat addicted. actually, no, strike that. i AM addicted. you should see the shelves in my shower, my bathroom cabinets and counter, the shelf in my bedroom... ok, ok, you get the picture. but really, there are many worse things i could be addicted to than personal hygiene products that make me smell like a freshly baked cookie or a bouquet of sweet peas, right? i simply adore shower gel, body wash, body lotion, body spray, body butter, bubble bath, creams, sprays, butters, lotions, potions... you name it. my current faves are warm vanilla sugar and midnight pomegranate from B&BW. the odd thing... i'm don't like citrus smells. that's for washing dishes. lol. but i do love bubbles. there is just something absolutely wonderful about being covered in millions of bubbles...

10. nick barnett - nick barnett is one of the NFL's best middle linebackers and in my opinion, not only the greatest, but also the sexiest! he plays arguably the most challenging position on defense and excels remarkably. he has been a starting player since he was drafted from oregon by the packers in 2003. he has led the team in tackles, been defensive team captain, played with a club on his arm for half a season, and been actively involved in the community as well as his hobbies in music/producing. and of course... he is a green bay packer!!! the best team EVER!!!

and that is my list of B's! hope you enjoyed!

feel free to leave me a comment if you want a letter of your very own!!!

Read more...

awards! so thoughtful...

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

thanks so much to Nickie for these adorable awards... i needed the smile today!!!


"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers."


"This award acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his/her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary and personal values every day."

Deliver this award to those bloggers who so deserve, and then they may pass it along, and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

and with that... i am passing along these wonderful little awards to:

Nicole over at Breakfast at Wal-Mart
Shannon over at Love, Shannon
Courtney over at Sex and the Travelling Satchel

enjoy!

Read more...

peanut butter cups and too much work...

Monday, March 2, 2009

i have returned!!!

unfortunately my work has been piling up waiting impatiently for just this moment. sad panda. therefore, i have limited amounts of time today to regal you with stories of my much-needed, midwest holiday mini-break.

don't worry! i will make sure you are all fully updated as soon as i get a minute. in the meantime... i leave you with this wordle that i made from my blog:


i like it. :o)

Read more...

the ABC game...

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Nickie tagged me to play this little blog game and it seemed to be perfect for my vacation blogging mood (not to mention i heart her and hope she keeps her chin up!)... here goes:

the rules are :
1. for each letter of the alphabet, write a word connected to you.

2. tag 6 people.


A – Awkward... i am really really good at being awkward.

B – Buddy! the best cat in the world (don't tell Willie!) and my partner in crime... he's been with me through a lot!

C – California... even though i'm a midwest girl at heart.

D – Deliciousness... because i've recently used this word to descride what things taste like, ex: "what does it taste like?" "deliciousness." "very helpful, thank you."

E – Exciting... just because i need a little excitement in my life.

F – Firsts... because firsts can be good, bad, and/or ugly!

G – Graphic design, because it's one of my fave hobbies!

H – Hilarious... because laughing is so much fun!

I – iTunes... because i love music and making rad playlists!

J – Jaded... because it is what i am, and i am trying desperately not to be.

K – Knee-high socks... because i adore them!

L – Lipgloss, and chapstick, and
lipbalm... love it!
M – Movies... i love movies!

N – Naps... because i would enjoy one right about now.

O – Ohmygosh!... because i say that way too much.

P – Pizza... because it is tasty and delicious.

Q – Quiet... which is something i am NOT (well not at sporting events, or when i've been drinking, or when i've been drinking at sporting events...)

R – Rad. because i still say things like
RAD!
S – the Soundtrack to my life is Super rad!

T – Tipsy... because it's fun gettin' a lil' tipsy.

U – Ultra... because we should start adding ultra to the begining of more words... ex:
ultracool, ultrarad, ultrahip, ultranasty, ultratasty, ultrafancy, ultradrunk... etc!
V – Vacation... who doesn't love a good vacay?!?!

W – Woot!... because i say that too much, but it's fun!

X – Xerox machine... because the copier is outside my office which has inherently made me an expert at troubleshooting. lol.

Y – You betcha.

Z – Zoo... because most of the time my job makes me feel like i work at a zoo.



this was actually harder than it should have been for me to accomplish... i'm lame.

the 6 people i tag are: whoever wants to play!!!

Read more...

we interrupt your regularly scheduled blog...

Monday, February 23, 2009

for these important announcements:

ok. so they are not important to you all. but they are to me.

#1. i am officially on vacation. (alright, not vacation so much as a much needed break to attempt to catch up on sleep and regain some sense of sanity... my insane february schedule and conference tour really caught up to me...)

#2. i am in the midwest. woot! and you all know how much i heart the midwest!!!

#3. i've been doing some thinking (and i imagine there will be a lot more of that over the course of the next few days...), i have a lot of thinking to do, and i need to not think so much. make sense?

#4. i will be sleeping, eating, drinking, napping, watching movies, snoozing, catching up with friends, and catching some zzzz's...

#5. i won't be regularly updating my blog... but i will have plenty of updates when i return... i know you are all just boiling over in anticipation... heehee.

can't wait to update ya'll and catch up on all of your news when i return...

xoxo,
gossip girl.
oh, wait... i mean, calixta.jive.

Read more...

comment help anyone...?

Monday, February 9, 2009

can no one comment on this darn blog?

i'm not trying to be a comment-whore and beg ya'll to write something to boost my ego... but apparently even those of you who want to post a comment haven't been able to. i tried fixing it last week, but to no avail. what am i doing wrong?

argh. i'm frustrated.

so, really... can you comment on this blog? or what?

Read more...

alright, alright... here are my "25 random things"...

Thursday, February 5, 2009

alright… i finally gave in…


Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.


1. my favorite color in the world is orange… but i love to wear black (debra messing said redheads look hot in black, and she is right!!!), shades of blue calm me down, and i used to wish my gray eyes were green but now i wouldn’t change them a bit.

2. i have 2 cats, buddy and willie. i’ve had buddy since undergrad and he has moved to 3 different states, driven across the country, and lived in 6 (?) different apartments with me! i would be lost without him, he is such a momma’s boy, too! he greets me at the door, gives kisses on command and always cuddles with me. willie on the other hand is quite the handful… i just got him in september and he is definitely still in kitten mode. actually, i think he may be a dog. no joke. he chews everything (and usually eats it!), begs for food, and talks a lot! but all in all, you really can’t beat laying in bed and having each one of my little sweets curled up in the crook of my elbow or in between my knees…

3. i hate talking on the phone… a lot. i love texting, IM’ing, e-mail, facebook, myspace, whatever… but no phone calls. Oh and i hate leaving messages or checking my voicemail… weird, right?

4. i’m not a girly girl (by any means) but i love makeup! it’s like getting to paint-by-numbers your face, in different colors in different ways – everyday! i guess that is the artist in me…

5. speaking of art… i have a bachelor of fine arts degree in graphic communication and a masters of science – education in college student development and administration. and i LOVE learning.. it’s fun for me! right now i am using my master’s degree in my current profession and my graphics degree on the side (and for fun)… but sometimes i wonder if that will ever reverse itself???

6. i am a member of a sorority and am so grateful for each and every wonderfully amazing, talented, brilliant sister i have in my life because of it. Not too mention all the magnificent opportunities!

7. i am completely enthralled with all things retro. i’m talking 1950’s here people. i think i was born in the wrong time! someday i want a completely retro kitchen… and the outfits to go with it!!!

8. i am slightly obsessed with music. and my iTunes. and my iTunes playlists. seriously. and i listen to everything from country to hip-hop. not too mention i have to have music playing AT ALL TIMES. what can i say? the soundtrack to my life is AHHH-mazing!

9. i don’t watch tv anymore (1. because i am never home 2. because i can’t justify paying for cable when i am never home 3. there’s not much on that i want to watch anyway 4. i’d rather watch a movie, yay netflix!) but when i did my favorite shows were, and always will be, gilmore girls and my so-called life!!! i can totally relate to angela chase, I still have a huge crush on jordan catalano… and who doesn’t want to grow up to be lorelai gilmore and have her wardrobe?!?!

10. i am a redhead. a real one. and i love it!

11. my favorite food is cheese. but some people don’t consider that a valid answer because it is not a meal (bah, i say it is!) so my alternative answers would be pizza and gnocchi! and chocolate!!! yum!

12. my favorite season is fall. i love the chilly weather, the leaves, the smell. i love the clothes, scarves, sweaters, and sweatshirts. football season! october is my favorite month, my birthday, and halloween. (other favorites include, but are not limited to: chapstick, shoulder rubs, laughing so hard i sound like an owl, dancing, checking things off my to-do list(s), swimming, staying in a hotel, candles, traveling, mountain dew, m&m’s, busting out a rap, making people happy, and smelling good…)

13. i’m not what i appear to be on first impression. there is a lot more to me and it usually surprises most people when they get to know me further.

14. i absolutely LOVE the green bay packers! i’ve been a huge fan for pretty much my entire life and i am not a fair-weather fan… i’m standing behind my team win or lose! GO PACK GO!

15. i am ridiculously scared of spiders! to an insane level. it makes me physically upset just thinking about them…

16. i have about a million favorite movies but some of my all-times are: sixteen candles (i have the hugest crush on jake ryan and who doesn’t secretly want to be molly ringwald?!?) and the goonies (because who didn’t always want to go hunting for treasures with all of your best friends?).

17. i am my own worst critic. i am very judgmental of myself. i never think that what i do is good enough. and it makes for some seriously low self-esteem and little to no self-worth on my part… not to mention i put everyone and everything in front of myself. but if you ever need anything… just ask. i’ll do whatever i can to make sure you get what you need!

18. i absolutely love to read. i think i get this from my mom. i read every night before i go to bed. stephen king is by far my favorite author. actually… i think he is a god. i have read almost every single one of his books at least 3 times (if not more) and i own almost every one of them also (some i own 2 and 3 copies of…). but i’ll read just about anything i can get my hands on. someday i want a library in my house… books and comfortable chairs and lots of lamps (no overhead lighting… eew!).

19. i have the most amazing friends… all over the country. and i’d be lost with out them. (thank you!)

20. i LOVE the midwest! i miss it so much… the weather, the people, everything! and along with that… i LOVE my family… from my parents to my sisters and brother, to all of my millions of cousins. my family is crazy and amazing and i wish i lived closer to them… they are all so wonderful and unique! it makes my heart swell with happiness just being around them all! i miss them SO much.

21. i am an extremely passionate person. when i care about something/someone, or when something/someone is important to me, i give it my all. (even little things – like the fact that i will always love the packers, i prefer chevy to ford, and i love macs and think PC’s are crap, hee hee!).

22. i am overly sensitive and defensive. i put on a tough act, but really i’m a big ol’ softy and way too emotional for my own good. this makes for some tough relationships… also, i’m an empathy. which i love. but it’s also really hard on me as well. it makes me a quality friend and very good at my profession (i think?). but it weighs heavily on my heart, shoulders, and mind…

23. i enjoy cooking and baking (just not cleaning up afterward!). and one of my favorite hobbies is decorating cakes, cupcakes, and cookies! how much fun is creating art made of deliciousness?!?

24. i love to sleep! unfortunately, i have had trouble sleeping on and off for the past few years and it has taken a toll on me. i’m talking only 3 and 4 hours of sleep a night here people! i just can’t seem to stay asleep… or shut my mind off (i think too much!). i need to not be so stressed out!!!

25. i love clutter. most people would say that i am messy, but i just love to be surround with “stuff!” it makes things cozy. pictures, books, candles, retro collectibles, lamps, ceramics, lots of things that most people would consider junk but hold a memory that i think is priceless… it makes my apartment interesting and my small office very inviting (i think!).


and that is that. just a little glimpse into the randomness that is me! now tell me about you!

i am supposed to tag 25 people… but i’ll leave it at this: if you are reading this, consider yourself tagged!

Read more...

blogging makes my heart happy...

Thursday, January 15, 2009

yay! today i got my first blog award, thanks to nickie over at learn to fly... thank you so so much!!!



here are the rules:
1. put the logo on your blog.
2. add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. award up to 10 other blogs.
4. add links to those blogs on yours.
5. leave a message for your awardees on their blog.

now as you know, i am a newbie and a softie, and i think you all deserve this award, so... just know that i think you are wonderful and i hope you know how much i enjoy reading your blogs!!!

Read more...

be my (blog) valentine...

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

this sounds like a blast... i'm definitely in.

have you heard about this valentines day's newest blog tradition started by one of my favorite bloggers, ashley over at
This? Is Not the Life I Ordered!...

check it out here: be my (blog) valentine!!!

Read more...

i'm a blogging newbie...

Sunday, January 11, 2009

alright, so i'm new to this whole blogging thing...

someone explain to me the pros/cons between blogger and wordpress.
and at the risk of sounding completely stupid and proof that i have been living under a rock, what is the deal with twitter?

man... i'm a loser.

here's to hoping i get better at this. at least i'm having fun...

Read more...