Shop for cheap magazine subscriptions on sale every day.

As it turns out, something fairly simple, actually…

Maxie on the left, Jenn on top, mine on the right.

This week while at the beach, we finally got the “hashtats” we’ve been talking about since we dreamed them up in Vegas. And before you try to tell me that Twitter won’t last forever (insert Captain Obvious joke here), this symbol isn’t about my favorite social networking site. It’s representative of everything wonderful in my life I owe to social media, most importantly, the two BFFs who got it with me (soon to be three, Cara!!) - friends I never, ever would have met without blogging, the tweeter, and all the rest. I think my girl Meghan said it best…

“	#FF to @rachaelgk and @ihatesomuch for proving in ink this week that the friends you make on the Internet sometimes last a lifetime xo
	PirateMeghan June 24, 2011

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It’s cute, it’s teal, it makes me smile every time I see it, and it looks hot in heels.

I? Am in love.

Mama said share.

The best site for magazine subscription services on the web!

As the weather in DC has recently gotten beauti-freaking-ful, we’ve started using our bedroom AC window unit at night. While I am a huge fan of a gentle breeze while sleeping so I can snuggle up under the blanket, I do not so much enjoy the fact that said breeze blows directly. onto. my face.

My side of the bed is directly next to the window and in the immediate path of the churning cold air, which means that I cannot let so much as a finger poke out of the comforter if I hope to wake up sans frostbite in the morning.

But I endure, because otherwise the bedroom would be eleventy billion degrees and we wouldn’t be sleeping at all. Also, I am just super tough and awesome like that.

Until one evening this week, when I came home to find this:

B had fashioned a piece of cardboard to funnel the cold air away from me. See?

Chivalry is not dead, I say. All it needs is a little duct tape.

/schmoop

Happy weekend!!!!!!!

Mama said share.

There are many different types of blogs in this world. Industry blogs, dating blogs, financial blogs, news blogs, pop culture blogs, mommy blogs… you name it, someone’s writing about it.

But what I consider this place to be, and the type of blog I relate to, are “lifestyle” blogs. People who talk about the interesting things that happen to them; momentous life events, hopes and dreams, funny stories, and the like. And if I had to wager a guess, the vast majority of posts from these blogs involve one little thing we can ALL relate to:

VENTING.

Delightfully exaggerated, unadulterated hatred for the minute, yet uncompromisingly annoying day-ins and day-outs of our lives. The endless atrocities that strangers, traffic, and small children commit against us each and every day. Dare I say, a lot of this very blog revolves around such things; in fact, if you click on my post category “hatred“, there are some 25 posts there alone. While I don’t think this is unusual, as writing is often a therapeutic outlet for frustration, I do sometimes worry that all you guys see of me is the haterade. It’s only natural- we as humans are much more likely to share a bad experience than a good one, because dammit, commiseration feels GOOD, yo. But I don’t want that to be the only side of me shown here.

Truly, I am a lover. I love LOTS of stuff. I love dive bars, wine, red meat, brunch, cats, rollercoasters, cheeseburgers, and- believe it or not- even a sizeable handful of people in this world.

(Sidebar: while we’re on this topic, are you one of those people who says you “love to laugh” in your social media bio? Because ZOMG YOU MUST BE THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD WHO LIKES THAT! You are so original. I bet you also don’t like having the flu, and that you prefer Fridays to Mondays! Let’s bond over our mutual affinity for being happy rather than sad together!!)

Whoops… a little venting fell out. Moving on!

So, to mix it up, here’s some of the GOOD in my life – those little things that will make me love you, almost as quickly as standing on the left side of the escalator will make me shank you.

What?

Things That Will Make Me Instantly Adore You:

(thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis much!)

Making a “there’s always money in the banana stand…” reference.

Belting out a song in public, karaoke or impromptu. (Extra points as the song gets more embarrassing.)

Giving your seat on the bus to a lady, a munchkin, someone older, etc.

Being fully aware of, accepting, and openly discussing your flaws (not in a debbie-downer way; just a self aware, “I’m working on this” way).

Admitting when you’re wrong.

Giving me an honest opinion in the dressing room. I am depending on you to set me up for (booty) success, here.

Expressing a love for meat. (Extra points for meat wrapped in other meat.)

YES and also PLEASE.

Not being afraid to cancel our grandiose plans of sight-seeing or museums in favor of getting tipsy and people watching. (Also see: recognizing the inherent value in getting tipsy and people watching).

Showing up at my house with an awesomely bad movie and three bottles of wine… for the two of us.

Openly weeping tearing up at children’s movies. (Up, Wall-E, Toy Story 3, I’m looking at you.)

Getting me a wee present when you go on vacation, just because you wished I was there.

Knowing that women have a right to their bodies, and everyone has a right to get married.

Only judging me a little when I openly mock jeggings for months, and then maybe sort of buy a pair… (only for boots! I swear!)

Tipping the bartender… well.

Not having a ginormous stick up your ass. (This shouldn’t be as hard to find as it is.)

Surrounding yourself with quality people who are funny, welcoming, and also don’t have ginormous sticks up their asses.

Come to think of it, I may just change my Twitter bio to “I totally don’t have a stick up my ass, even if I did hypocritically buy a pair of jeggings.” Thoughts?

Mama said share.

Ahhhhhhhhh it’s been two weeks!!! What the what? How in the???

I missed you guys.

SO. Yes, the shiny new job is everything I hope it would be and more. I am a lucky, lucky girl… DON’T I KNOW IT.

There is so much going on my head is spinning, LIT-RALLY, but it’s all good- nay, great- so you won’t hear a peep of complaint out of me. I’ve been trying to scale back all those extra little projects I constantly seem to take on, but I think at my core I’m happiest when I’m busy and plotting planning and meeting friends and making connections, so as long as I’m “juggling” rather than “burning out at a terrifying pace”, life is what it is- one big, happy, crazy mess of STUFF ‘N THINGS that I adore.

For example, DC friends! It’s been far too long since we clinked a beer together. Let’s fix that at Tonic (Mt. Pleasant) on Wednesday, Jan. 26th, mmmkay? They’ve recently renovated the upstairs bar (next to Radius Pizza) and it is THE GORGEOUS. My dear friend Patrice, the best bartender in the world, will be personally taking care of our group, so RSVP here (no physical ‘ticket’ needed to come- that’s just Eventbrite’s way, just sign up and you’re good to go) and I’ll see you then! (Half-priced burgers, beers, and more… and don’t forget, Tonic is the king of the tator tot!)

Now! For everyone NOT in DC, it’s also been too long since I saw you. Particularly if we’ve never met.

Let’s fix that.

This May 19th-22nd, bloggers from all over the USofA and beyond will converge on America’s Playground, aka Las Vegas (Vegas, baby, Vegas!!!) for the renowned BLOGGERS IN SIN CITY ultimate meetup. Four days of drinking, bonding, sun, drinking, unicorns, hugs, dance parties, and drinking. All the info you need is here, but feel free to ask me any questions in the comments if you’re thinking about coming (please do!) It was an absolute blast last year, and with more organization and some crazy awesome sponsorship, this year promises to be even better. What what!!!

Next up: I finally decided to make one of those rad “Facebook pages” the kids are all talking about for this here blog, so if you want to add a little glitter to my day, head on over to the ‘book and LIKE this crazy thing. I’ll also be deleting my “blog” profile in lieu of that page, so if you wanna KIT, that’s where to do it!

Finally (housekeeping! You want me fluff your pillow?) – after a wonderful year as a contributing editor with DC Blogs, I’ve decided to relinquish my Tuesday slot to someone who has more time on their hands and is able to truly find the best, the brightest, and the most colorful from around the DC blogosphere. If you’re interested in being a weekly contributing editor at DC Blogs, shoot them an email with your info (name, url, etc.) and why you want to be a part of that stellar community (and trust me, it is).

*phew*

So that’s my news! What’s yours?

Mama said share.

If you peek at my left sidebar, you’ll notice a lot of pretty buttons linking to, as I like to call them, “Lovely Stuff ‘n Things”. These are shops that I know and love and am honored to have as sponsors. In light of the holiday season, I thought we might take a closer look…

Santastitch

Among other things, Santastitch specializes in absolutely adorable homemade gloves (I like the fingerless ones for easy smartphone access) and cheeky cross-stitch quotes that I want, well, ALL of. (There’s even some from the infamous Sue Sylvester in there…)

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3crows

Next up, Sara Pulver’s adorable shop of “Whimsical, Fun and Funny Animal Paintings and Prints”! YES, PLEASE. This undeniably adorable-with-a-dark-twist shop has dozens of creations ready to purchase, OR Sara can make your very own custom painting. If your mother is as obsessed with her dog as mine is, it may just be the perfect extra thoughtful gift this Christmas. Check it:

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SwirlyGarden

Meena’s hand-painted glassware took my breath away the first time I saw it. How do you not fall in love with someone whose favorite materials are “Anything that can get messy”?  I mean, just LOOK as this stuff:

SWOON.

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per:cent

As if Kat’s adorable handcrafted jewelry (made from vintage materials, fabric, stone and found objects) wasn’t reason enough to surprise someone with a piece from her shop this holiday, she also donates 20% of her profits to the Sierra Student Coalition, an amazing youth run environmental organization. She’s a fellow blogger as well, so check out her there after you’ve picked out your favorites from her shop, like these…

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PuppyDogsNPolkaDots

Every time I take my iPad out in front of someone new, they squeal. Know why? Because its case looks like this:

I KNOW. This lovely shop features adorable handmade cases for eReaders, iPads, iPods, phones, cameras, and more, as well as a zillion adorable fobs that I basically want all of. They worked with me to create the exact case I wanted, from fabric to patterns to monogramming, and they’d be happy to do the same for you.

They’ve got so much freaking cute stuff in their shop I could never do it justice here- so please click through and check it out for yourself- but here’s a sampling of my favorites:

For the Twitter addict:

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simply – bags

This mom ‘n pop operation of monogrammed tote bags is one of my favorites. Whether you’re looking for a laptop, diaper or beach bag, they have every style you could ever want, from animal print to bold and fun to classic and chic. They even have WINE bags- um, love. Here’s a few of my faves:

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Finally, my friend Jess has a request for you, on behalf of her and her recently-deployed best friend, Alex:

“The site “Let’s Say Thanks” allows people to have cards sent with a personal message to deployed soldiers. It takes less than five minutes, but it means the world to the soldiers recieving them. In 10 short days, Alex will be one of the deployed on a 365 tour in Afghanistan. Thank you, very much, from the both of us.”

Please take just a few minutes from your day to remind a soldier abroad how grateful we are for what they do for us. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to be across the world away from their families and loved ones over the holidays, but we can hopefully put a smile of their faces with a card of thanks. Do it. DO IT.

And happy freaking holidays, y’all.

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Want to see your shop/blog/etc. on my sidebar? Click here for more info.

Mama said share.

I’ve led quite the charmed life, in truth.

Sure, there were a few miserable years in middle school. A (real, not teeny bopper) heart break or three. A grandfather passed- and though devastating, at 86, he’d led a full and honorable life, and was surrounded by an enormous family and friends who loved him dearly.

So. No, I’m not rich. In money, anyway… but as far as everything else? You know, the stuff that matters?

I’m making it rain, y’all.

While I absolutely do my fair share of bitching and moaning (I mean, sometimes, chained to this desk, there’s just nothing else to DO)- I’ve recently reached the opinion that I really need to just shut the hell up. Because between the fam, the man, the friends near and far, the city I love, you guys on the interwebs, the furbabies, and even the whole “living in America, land of the free” thing… I’m pretty much a fat cat, livin’ large and whatnot.

Basically me, if the dollah dollah bills were priceless treasures of LOVE and FRIENDSHIP and all that jazz.

Last week, some of my favorite people on the planet had their worlds rocked. In the Red Letter Day kind of way. I’m so hurt, so angry, so ACHING for them, and frankly, this shroud of helplessness? Isn’t really my color, either.

So for them, I count my blessings. For them, I stay strong, and try to make Liz laugh for the first time all day, and conspire to surprise Lexa with a gift from New York City, and to just be there for them, in that super corny but ohsoimportant sense.

Because life isn’t easy, and I know my time will come. I’m not naïve enough to think there won’t be incredible hardships in my future at some point.

I mean, they already canceled Arrested Development. COMMUNISTS. (Yes I know it’s like six years ago now but NO I am not over it and I’m not sure I ever will be. In GOB we trust.)

Ahem. But in the meantime, I will enjoy my ridiculously snugglicious cocoon of warm, supportive, hilarious people in my life, who for whatever reason seem to think I’m pretty neat.

In the words of Patrick Swayze (RIP)…

Ditto.

Mama said share.

My world is absolutely insane lately. Everything is changing, but it’s all things that are out of my control. I feel entirely overwhelmed, a little bit hungover, and a lot bit lost at all times. I can hardly catch my breath, and when I do, I use it to agree to one more thing I probably shouldn’t, for my mental health’s sake. I’m trying to be in charge of it all, to be a part of everything, and because of that, I feel like I’m accomplishing nothing.

I’m running on ice with socks on. It doesn’t work very well.

The job hunt continues, but without a specific direction. I know I don’t want to be an assistant anymore, and I know now the things that I enjoy doing- AND I even have experience doing them!, but it’s so vague a world I can’t for the life of me figure out the path I should take to get there. Or what the destination is.

Shit, y’all, I really don’t know shit.

I miss my family, and friends who are too far away, but I’m exhausted from traveling. I desperately want to get back into an exercise routine, but I can’t get my ass out of bed in the mornings. I’m determined to stop eating like shit and cook dinner, but we’re out half the nights of the week. I’m sick of side projects and never being able to relax, but I’m broke as a joke. I love that my social circle is expanding, but hate growing apart from friends. My clothes don’t fit, my apartment’s a mess, and my bathtub looks like the swamp thing because it’s so backed up with cat hair. (Sink cat’s not so damn cute now, is it?)

(Ok, yes it is.)

So, yes. Things are a bit crazy.

But in truth, I’m fine. Absolutely, 100%, A-OK. Sure, a bit stressed, but I know it’ll work out in the end.

And here’s why:

Happy Birthday, darling. You’re cute and funny and thoughtful and you cook and you make up songs for me and the kitties AND you keep me (somewhat) sane, so you’re a hero in my book. I love you.






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Mama said share.

Which is why @LexaLemmy is one of my most favoritest people in the world, forever and always amen.

Oh, Marcel! How I want to hug you (gently)!! And maybe buy you some rollerskates. Smooches.

Sidebar: I’m also over here today, but it’s a bit emo. Probably better to stick with Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.

Mama said share.

You all know this game by now. Time for another installment of “The Shiz My Boyfriend Says“…

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On the couch, completely and totally out of the blue:

B: You know what our problem is?

Me: What?

B: Neither of has ever bought the other person a wolf. (reflects) You should probably get on that. My birthday’s in August.

Me: ……………

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While watching “The Gates”, a horribly-acted, completely tween-tastic, but still mildly entertaining wanna-be True Blood:

The Sheriff on the Gates: (talking to his wife) I killed that man… I knew he didn’t have a gun, he raped and killed those women, he was gonna walk… and I thought, what if it were you? Or our daughter? And I killed him. I shot him.

Wife: (after a long, drawn out, super-judgy pause) … We’ll… we’ll figure it out.

B: What the hell? Stop being so melodramatic! Oh, I killed an evil monster in the line of duty who was going to rape and kill innocent women! Wahhhh, poor me!

Me: Seriously. If you said that to me I’d high five you. Hell, that could be my Valentine’s Day present. You killed a rapist! And you did it for me? You get a pass this year for Christmas!!

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The other day, B was waiting in line at City Sports. He noticed a cute old woman standing just off to the side, and wanted to make sure he wasn’t taking Frontsies without asking.

B: Oh, I’m sorry, are you in line?

Bemused Woman: No, sweetheart… I’m just watching you dance.

Turns out, my love had been inadvertently tapping his foot along to George Michael’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go“… and made the mistake both of telling me about it, and of letting me share it with you.

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B’s new thing is to cover a “cat-designated” Yuengling box with about 40 ounces of catnip, and watch them go batshit around the apartment, before collapsing into a drug-induced kitty coma.

Me: Honey, go easy on the crack!! This much can’t be good for them!

B: Why do you have a problem with our cats being crackheads? What, they gotta go to WORK in the morning?!

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And on that note, much thanks to @jojozaff for bringing this into my life:

Mama said share.

Welcome to Part Dos of my BlogHer experience! (Numero Uno is here.)

I nursed my hangover by donning my keyboard cat shirt (play him off, Keyboard Cat!), which is scientifically proven to cure all ailments:

If there ever was a crowd to appreciate this shirt, it’s BlogHer. Trust. (Aren’t we all just crazy cat-lady bloggers on the inside, after all? I thought so.)

After some more Expo Hall swag-gathering, I met up with my darlings from Bloggers in Sin City: Katelin, LaceyBean, and Jessica B.for some good old-fashioned s’mores making.

No, seriously:

(photo via Diane Bondareff Photography)

Down the hall in the Serenity Suite, I finally got to meet the has-no-right-to-be-that-gorgeous-with-three-munchkins Kate from The Big Piece of Cake. (Never mind the fact that she lives, oh, two miles from me, and this is the first time we were able to meet.) Heart you, lady!

Then it was time to Swag Swap with Katelin, Lacey and Jess; AKA get rid of five pounds of stuff I didn’t need (read: couldn’t fit into my suitcase), and pick up a few choice items other people had decided to leave behind.

Imagine my Complete and Utter Joy when we discovered…

A FEATHER BOA AND CAPE, casually discarded like someone’s holey (not holy) granny panties!!! I instantly knew they were meant for me to give them a good home.

After we got all touristy with it, traipsing around Times Square (boa and cape included, of course), it was FINALLY time for…

The NYC 20sb Happy Hour!!!!!!!!!!!

I would love to list everyone who was there, but I would undoubtedly forget someone near and dear to my heart, so this will have to suffice:

(Click through to see those who RSVP'd)

(Shamelessly swiped from Katelin’s flickr stream)

Johnny Utah’s was a fantastic host to us 20sb-ers. I have no words for the amazing sauce of this evening… but I can show you it.

(Shamelessly swiped from Doni’s TweetPhoto stream)

(Shamelessly swiped from Katelin’s flickr stream)

Heart you, @missheidi !!!

Then we made our way back to the Sparklecorn and Cheezburger parties at BlogHer for epic dance parties and… well… other things that must be seen to be believed.

(Shamelessly swiped from Katelin’s flickr stream)

And because it’s just too good not to share:

So, yes… I had a Fucking Lot of Fun.

But more importantly, going to BlogHer and spending time amongst all these beautiful ladies (and the two Matts!) made me want to write again, which is something I haven’t really felt since all that MTV jazz began and I didn’t have time to think, breathe, eat or sleep for a month. It reminded me of all the great people I’ve met, people I’m proud to know and call friends, from all over the country, America’s hat, and beyond, who I desperately want to stay in touch with.

BlogHer, to me, wasn’t about the sponsors, or the lectures, or the swag. It was about meeting people, making new connections and reaffirming the old… the very reason I started this goddamn blog in the first place. I feel like through BISC and 20sb and BlogHer and PB AND TUNA ON OCTOBER 23rd!!!! and gchats and grabbing a drink when we’re in town, we’re really and truly friends. And that, that is a fantastic feeling.

P.S. Bull riding pics/video to come tomorrow…






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Mama said share.