I'm Baaa-aaack

Whoa, who is this blogger? She must be new. Nope, not new, but I haven't been around here in quite a while. In fact, I don't think any of the people I used to follow are even a part of blogging world anymore. Well, except Kelli, who also reappeared recently! Honestly, I'd love to get a fresh start on this thing, but I figured if I didn't just blog it would never happen. There's been so much going on in my life lately that I wish I'd been documenting so I decided to just stop procrastinating- I can always redesign later. 

So what's new? I got the kitten I've always dreamed about, I killed it with my living room decor, I quit my dead-end job on a whim, and perhaps most excitingly, the love of my life asked me to marry him! But hey, I guess we can talk about all those things later. Really I should just introduce myself. Here we go again...

I'm Amanda, a twenty-something engaged lady and LDR alumna living in North Carolina. My life is a work in progress, but I'm happier than I've been in a long time- sometimes you just have to follow your heart. When I'm not working or cleaning up things that were broken by my rambunctious little kitten, I like to kayak, craft, do Zumba, and read as many books as I can get my hands on. I'm an ex-sorority girl but a forever Phi Mu. I'm passionate, strong-willed, and too sarcastic for my own good. 

I am so excited to get this blog up and running again. I'm not sure what direction I'm gonna take right now; I know I want to blog a lot about my wedding and I'm sure I'll blog a lot about my life, too. I'm excited to get to know you guys and for you to get to know me all over again!  

Talk to you soon!

I'm the Girl Who...

I'm the girl who runs this blog, but there's probably a few other things you'd like to know about me. It's been awhile since I just talked about me, plus I turned 24 this week so, hey, I could be an all new person by now!

-will always choose comfort over fashion. Always.

-loves Taylor Swift more than is socially acceptable, and won't apologize for it. Her new video has 13 million views, and I'd say at least a million of them are from me.

-cannot stick with anything. Seriously, I'm the worst.

-tries her hardest not to talk about her boyfriend, but loves being asked about him

-owns way too many scarves

-has expensive taste but a very tight wallet

-has a dinosaur comforter on her bed, which she stole from her brother when he decided it was too "baby-ish"

-loves to paint her nails, but has no patience when it comes to letting them dry

via

-doesn't see herself  the way that anyone else does

-sings constantly, even in public. (Have I ever mentioned I'm embarrassing?)

Who are you?

Better Late than Never

Last week when Erin announced round 3 of the Blogmopolitan link-up, I was so in. I mean, I love that ish. But trying to balance my blog and my boyfriend proved to be impossible. I really wanted to post last week, but my sweet boyfriend was visiting and when given the choice between cuddling with him and posting on my blog, he wins all day err-y day. Or at least every day until he doesn't live 600 miles away. Fair enough, right? But since he's gone now (as of Sunday night- cue all of the tears on the planet), I decided to get my butt in gear and fill out the Blogmopolitan quiz. Better late than never, right?!

What I used as my Real Housewives tagline is how my friend Chelsae described me to her mom- bahaha! I love it so much.

I Used to be Shy

I'm shy, but I used to be really shy. Like, get-a-stomach-ache-when-I-meet-new-people shy. I wouldn't play games, talk to strangers, put forth my best effort in dance class, or even answer questions in class. It was bad. And then one day I just got tired of being shy. I was tired of letting it hold me back and keep me from having fun and trying new things, so I decided to stop.

I started out by doing things that made me nervous every chance I got. I auditioned for every play, volunteered for every musical, and joined every dance class I could find. I never did these things alone, only if I had a friend for emotional support. It helped some; I became more confident in my talents and had more fun, but I still clammed up and made myself sick if a stranger was around.

The biggest thing that helped me to stop being shy was Sam. My boyfriend is the most outgoing and gregarious person I have ever met. He thrives on social gatherings- he's basically my polar opposite. Before I met him my bestfriend knew how shy I was, so she helped me out. She would answer questions for me in public and she had a way of making people think I was social when she was the one doing all the talking. I loved her for it, and I still do, but Sam does the opposite and it was such a blessing. He would take me to parties and then leave me alone with a group of people I didn't know, or he would force me to join in for a game of frisbee even if I said I didn't want to. He never answered questions, made decisions, or asked for help in stores on my behalf, so I was forced to do these things myself.

As time's gone on, I've continued to do things that make me uncomfortable. I go to fairs by myself, I sign up for classes that sound fun even when no one will do it with me, and I talk to strangers. I decided not to be shy, and I am so much happier without that burden weighing me down. I still get nervous trying new things and meeting new people, but I've taught myself to push through it and it's led me to amazing opportunities and wonderful friendships that the old me never would have had, not in a million years.

Where I Blog

That picture is a view of exactly what I see when I blog: my cozy orange comforter. I always blog in my bed- the same way I used to do homework in college or type documentation when I'm working from home. They say you shouldn't do work from your bed; you should have a designated place for that like a desk or a table. You're not supposed to do anything in your bed but sleep otherwise you won't be able to relax at bedtime, but that just isn't what works for me. My bed is my favorite place in the house, and if you stick me at a desk I am perpetually uncomfortable.

I like to snuggle into my covers, turn on iTunes, maybe even grab a snack, and then I'm ready to blog. It drives my boyfriend absolutely nuts- especially the snacking part! He says it messes up the covers and he likes to get into a made bed at night, but he's a desk person. He doesn't get it.

Where do you blog- your bed, a desk, or some place totally different?

These Are My Confessions

Oh hey, happy Wednesday! Today I'm linking up with Kathy, and I have a few confessions for you...

I let everyone at work yesterday believe I made the cookies that I actually bought at Walmart. Hey, no one asked so I wasn't going to correct them!

Ever since I started reading books on my iPhone I obsess over them and can't put them down. Like, sometimes I try to break it out at stop lights. That's pretty bad.

I normally prefer the taste of tap water over filtered water, as long as it's cold. I don't think anyone in my whole town drinks tap water, and it makes me cringe to see how many plastic bottles people waste around here.

I'm not sure if I get a bigger headache from wearing my glasses or from not wearing them. I should probably get my prescription checked, but my eye insurance only covers one visit every two years.

Whenever my work is paying for my lunch I always try to spend as close to my 11 allotted dollars as possible.

I already have names picked out for my future cats, and sometimes I doodle them during work meetings. Nope, I'm not crazy at all!

No one in my life knows about my blog except my boyfriend, and to the best of my knowledge he has never seen it. I plan on keeping it that way.

I have a secret that's so hard to keep I'm practically bursting, but I firmly believe in jinxing yourself so I'm afraid that if I tell too many people it won't actually happen. I've already told 5 people.

I am horrible about texting people and keeping in touch. It doesn't mean I don't care about you or miss you, it just means I have the attention span of a lab puppy and I forget what I'm doing exactly ten milliseconds after thinking to do it.

I could sleep for 12 hours every day and be perfectly content. I might even still need a nap.

Is there anything I didn't ask but you're dying to know? Click here to ask me! 

Just Ask Me!

Hi guys. Today I am going to introduce something new. Not new to the world, just to this blog. I'm going to let YOU write my post for me! Not this post, though. It's already written.

I'm being confusing aren't I? What I'm trying to say is, I made this fancy little google doc for you to submit your questions for me, and I will answer them in a future blog post. This blog post will probably occur in about two weeks, but I'm not good with specifics. I think this will be a lot of fun, and it will give me a better idea of what you guys want to read about. Can't wait to see what you have to say!

You can ask me anything you want. Have you ever wondered what my favorite snack is? How often I shave my legs? How I got to be so pretty and smart? Well now is your chance to find out! Just type your question(s) into the box below and hit submit.

DISCLAIMER: I may not answer every question asked, and I will definitely not answer anything mean or inappropriate. This is an anonymous form, so some of you catty b-words will probably send rude questions my way. If this occurs, I will laugh to myself at your silliness and move on with my life, so let's just save us both the trouble. Keep any negativity to yourself, please.

I Didn't Want to Tell You, But...

I recently found a link-up I've never done before, and I love a good link-up! Along with the link-up, I also discovered a fabulous blog which I am now mildly obsessed with, and will probably binge read in the very near future. So today, I am linking Kathy for Hump Day Confessions!

-I failed at day #1 of my third April goal

-I miss my boyfriend way more than I thought I would

-I'm absolutely dreading bikini season this year

-I complain about my job way too much, even though I know that I should just be grateful to have one

-I cannot stop buying things I don't need... but at least my chubby cat S&P shakers are cute!

-I have too many clothes, and somehow I still never have anything I want to wear

-I am still not over the most recent iOS update; I get annoyed every time someone calls me and their picture doesn't pop up

-I still haven't filed my taxes

-I think about getting married way more than I should

What is your hump day confession?

Two Truths and a Lie Unveiled!

Yesterday I posted Two Truths and a Lie about myself. If you didn't read that post, you should probably go catch up and make your guess! I'll wait for you...

So now that we're all caught up and the suspense is sufficiently killing you, it's time to unveil the answers!

I own close to 20 body sprays: Truth! Yeah, it's like a sickness. In my defense, they're mostly all the travel-sized ones! I just can't pick one smell- I like to change things up. I also always match my spray to my outfit. Wearing pink? That goes with Paris Amour! Because, you know, it would be tacky to wear a pink shirt with something in a blue bottle...

I went to make-up school: Lie! The part about me being really into make-up was true, and I even looked into a summer class in NYC, but I never actually did it.

I love to whitewater kayak: Truth! I took a few classes in college and absolutely fell in love. I haven't gone in forever, but I'm hoping to go to the White Water Center in Charlotte this summer with Sam. He kayaks too, and we are dying to buy our own boats someday!

This is me ^^ :)

So did I fool you or did you guess right?

Cat People are the Best People: A Rebuttel

Last week Whitney blogged about how Dog People are the Best People. Now, I think everyone can pretty safely guess that I'm a cat person. If you couldn't tell from my blog title, that picture to the right, or my instagram, then posts like this would surely give it away. Don't get me wrong, I loved Whit's post, but everyone knows that cat people are truly the best people. Here's why:

1. We are WAY better at cuddling than dog people. Seriously, cats are willing to nap for 16-20 hours, and so are we. Oh, the mail man's here? We don't need to get up and bark about it. We'll just keep right on cuddling.

2. We're great at holding conversations (with anyone). Oh, hi kitty. Meow. Did you say you're hungry? Meow. Okay! Seafood Delight or Beef in Gravy? Meow. Beef in Gravy coming right up!

3. We don't have as many responsibilities. Cats poop in a box and won't inhale every piece of food in their dish in 3 seconds flat, so there's no need for a pet sitter if you want to go on a spontaneous weekend trip to the beach. The cat will take care of itself.

4. We understand the importance of meal time, and we can appreciate delicacies. Your dog enjoys food most after Elsa's already passed it through to the litter box. Disgusting. 

5. We can appreciate play time just as much as we appreciate nap time. Sleep hard, play hard. That's what they say, right?

6. We're always appreciative of gifts, because we understand that it's the thought that counts.

Thanks for the cricket, Elsa

7. We don't mind staying in. Even though the cat will absolutely judge us for watching the same movie over and over (and everything else we do), their judging face is pretty damn cute!

8. We never drink alone, or eat alone, or pee alone. Someone is always watching.

9. Good hygiene is important to us for everyone, and our cats are always reminding us of that. The 4-8 hours cats aren't napping they're bathing!

10. Our hearts are actually a couple sizes bigger. Whitney was right on this one, pet owners just have bigger hearts. It's science.

She loves me back, I swear!

So where do you stand: cat person or dog person? They clearly both have their pro's!

The Blogmopolitan Quiz

I'm linking up with Erin today for the Blogmopolitan Quiz! That is- a Cosmopolitan Magazine style quiz for bloggers. How cute is she? After your done looking at mine head over to her blog and grab your own copy :)

Ten Fascinating Things

It's been awhile since I told you about myself, so today seemed like a perfect day to make a little list about me.

1) I have a glitter obsession. I really just want everything I own to be covered in glitter. That's acceptable, right?

2) I tend to eat too much, even when I know I'm full. If there's food in front of me I'll probably eat it. Don't even ask me how I'm not enormously fat.

3) I love football, but you will never catch me wearing a jersey. I would much rather sport my Pittsburgh logo in the form of a sequin covered Victoria's Secret tee. #sorrynotsorry

4) I can't fall asleep without the tv on (Well, usually Netflix on my kindle). It is such a bad habit, but I tried for a whole week to stop before I started my new job, and I ended up laying awake until 1 or 2 in the morning! With Netflix I'm out in under 15 minutes.

5) Speaking of 1 or 2 in the morning, I'm sure that doesn't sound late to some of you night owls, but this old lady goes to bed at promptly 9 o' clock. If I'm feeling a little crazy I might stay up until 10.

6) I am an alumna of Phi Mu Fraternity, and I love meeting other sisters! I don't talk about it on here a whole lot, but I did write one post, and I'm so happy I've met a few Phi Mu's through my blog, like Alex and Erin :)

7) There's nothing I love more than being snuggled up in my warm bed. On the weekends I usually wake up 1-2 hours before actually getting up.

8) Otters are my favorite animal. Seriously, is there anything cuter?

9) I am painfully shy, and that's probably why I suck at making friends. I never know what to say to people I don't know very well, and usually just do a lot of awkward laughing.

10) This fall I've been obsessing over the color burgundy. I've never even liked it before, but now I can't get enough!

Currently...

I was over on Lindsey's blog, with absolutely no intention of posting on my own today, and I thought her post was cute and easy and that I should just post the same thing! So you can thank her that you're actually hearing from me today :)

I am currently...

Drinking... water. My fave :)

Watching... United States of Tara. I know I've mentioned already that I've been watching this on Netflix, and I still am. I just started the final season and I am so sad already. I'm really mad at myself, though, because I looked up spoilers last night and now I know how the whole thing ends. I need some self control for real!

Eating... Nothing at the moment, but I'm still thinking about the delicious breakfast I had earlier. As I was eating it I thought to myself "you know, I'm getting pretty good at cooking! Maybe there's still hope for me..." And then I crunched on an egg shell. Womp womp. I hope my future husband can cook.

Wanting... A bajillion dollars, a new pair of jeans, a chai tea latte. Oh, and a big girl job offer that wouldn't require me to move.

Hoping... that I feel a little braver today than I did yesterday.

Excited for... my cat Nellie to be home! She lives with my mom and she's been missing for a month, but she finally came home two nights ago! I really wasn't expecting her to come back.

Frustrated with... these annoying dogs, and the fact that my roommate does not take care of them. I do not want to be woken up to the sound of them crying because they have to go potty, and then feel obligated to take them out because I know you won't get up until 1 pm. Take care of your damn dogs before I flip my shit.

Um, I did not mean to get so ranty. Whoops.

Annoyed with... The dogs. Hah. 

Why can't they be cute like these dogs?

Thinking... Way too many thoughts in my pretty little head. Can we go back to a week ago when all I needed to think about was how to attach glitter to a bulletin board and whether I could afford a new pair of jeans?

You're the One With the Accent!

Last week I read about this link-up with Munchkins and the Military and Not In Jersey. I immediately fell in love! The biggest thing that surprises me when I meet people for the first time is their voice, so I'm always interested in knowing what people sound like! On top of that, living in NC/SC but being from PA has made me really interested in accents. I mean, I obviously don't have one, but these southerners sure do talk weird ;)

For this link-up, what I did was I took this quiz and then I recorded myself reading the questions aloud so that you can hear what I sound like. Feel free to click the link and follow along so that you know what words I'm saying.

(For some reason it uploaded in two parts. We're just gonna roll with it)

I am the queen of awkward

And these were my results! They say Pennsylvania, so this is absolutely correct for me. I lived in Erie, PA for almost my entire life.

Oh, and I told you I don't have an accent. I can't wait to rub this in Sam's face show this to my boyfriend :)