Stephany Writes

Categories: Recurring Series

Seven Quick Takes Friday (Vol. 10)

One. The last time I did a 7QT was on April 9th. It feels good to get back to a normal blogging schedule. Life is finally settling down and it shouldn’t get crazy again until September at the earliest. Thank Jesus for that!

Two. I went on a crazy spending spree on Sunday. I almost never have money to do that but I still had some money left over after paying bills and putting some money in savings. So, I dropped $60 at American Eagle and then $40 at Target. I really can’t remember the last time I’ve done that for myself. I always feel guilty for spending too much money on myself, especially when I have credit card payments that I need to catch up on. But, sometimes, you just have to treat yourself.

Three. This week has been emotionally draining, to say the least. But I’m happy that I figured out what was bugging me for so long, and that I now have a plan of action. I think it’s going to help my mood and energy levels a lot. Plus, going to bed at 9:30 is divine!

Four. Because I’m a glutton for punishment, I bought Jillian Michael’s “No More Trouble Zones” over the weekend. I did the workout on Tuesday and holy Moses, I’m still having trouble just walking without excruciating pain in my thighs and butt. I used 3-lb weights, but I think I can bump it up to 5 lbs because I have no pain in my upper arms or chest area. I want to do this workout twice a week, so I don’t burn out as easily as I usually do with workout DVDs. Still, I have an intense love for Jillian and her workouts. She’s been the only workout instructor I can find, besides Billy Blanks, that really pushes me to my limits.

Five. Has anyone been watching Last Comic Standing? I mean, seriously, if you’re not, you should be. It came back after a long hiatus and I am so happy it’s back. While I’m not impressed with Craig Robinson as host, the talent is outstanding. I couldn’t find any recent clips on YouTube (other than clips of comedians performing in comedy clubs, with crappy audio) but trust me, you’re missing out. TiVo, DVR, whatever it! Just make sure you watch it this Monday.

Six. Once again, I just have to thank all of you girls who have texted me, sent me some amazing e-mails, tweeted me, and sent me comments. It was more than I ever imagined because I thought it was a post where I would get 2-3 comments. I didn’t expect to feel so wrapped up in love and encouragement from everyone and just wanted to give a big thank you and a great big bear hug to you all. You know who you are.

Seven. I feel like I need to start giving myself a Twitter break once a week. I’m easily falling back into old patterns, although I have stopped the habit of checking Twitter when I wake up and reading through every, single tweet that was sent while I was sleeping. It’s crazy how dependent we become on social media and technology!

Categories: Recurring Series

Ten on Tuesday (Vol. 16)

The last time I did a ToT was April 13th. I’ve missed these!

1. If you could trade lives with another blogger for a day, who would it be and why?

There are so many bloggers whose lives seem a lot more interesting than mine. They’ve seen more success than me and have found a way to make money from blogging. (The ultimate goal, right?) If I had to choose anyone, I would probably pick Caitlin from Healthy Tipping Point because not only is she healthy and active and married to a gorgeous husband, but she’s also found a way to give back to the online community, as well as become a published author!

2. Do you prefer receiving handmade or store-bought gifts? Be honest!

I’ll be totally honest and say store-bought gifts. I don’t think I’ve received many handmade gifts and when I have been given them, they haven’t impressed me. I think you can also put a lot of thought and effort into store-bought gifts (sometimes more so than handmade ones). I mean, I’m totally not a fan of receiving bath & body sets because I think that takes zero creativity. Still, I will freely admit: store-bought> handmade.

3. Would you rather camp or stay in a hotel?

I’ve only been camping once and I’ve stayed in about a billion hotels. The one time I did go camping, I had an absolute blast. I was eight or nine and I just remember how relaxing and fun it was. Plus, nothing beats roasting marshmallows over the fire and making a s’more. (Or two. Or three.) Then again, I love sleeping in hotels. It’s a bit more comfortable. In any event, it’s always nice to get away.

4. What’s your favorite comfort food?

Chocolate. Anything with chocolate. It can turn my mood around like that!

5. You’re having a really bad day at work. How do you unwind when you come home?

I’m pretty good at being able to put work problems behind me when I come home. I don’t like thinking about work when I’m not there. If I do have a bad day, all I really need is a vent session with one of my co-workers or my mom and food. Lately, I’ve been doing better at not letting circumstances give way to gorging on food. But it’s still a big comforting factor for me. I’m just doing it in moderation now, which is good.

6. What’s your favorite chore? (Or, the chore you hate the least)

Probably laundry. I really don’t mind doing the laundry, for the most part. Plus, I find that I put my clothes away more quickly when I do the laundry than when my mom does it. When my mom does it and puts my folded clothes in my room, it usually takes me a week to actually sort through them and put them away. I’m really bad about that.

7. What got you interested in blogging?

I’ve really always had some type of blog. I started off at Diaryland, then went to Xanga, then back to Diaryland. I tried LiveJournal for a while but didn’t like it. When I started college, I started a Blogger blog to document my teaching experiences. Then I went over to WordPress to do a more personal blog. After having some success with that, I went back to Blogger and I’ve been here ever since. I’ve always liked documenting my life, even the silly things I wrote when I was fifteen. It wasn’t until probably a year ago that I realized how big this blogging community is and really started getting involved in that aspect.

8. Are you currently reading a book? What is it?

I’m reading two books currently. I’m reading Perfecting Kate by Tamara Leigh, which is about a girl who begins to change what she looks like to please people. I’m just getting into it but it’s really interesting! I’m also reading When God Writes Your Love Story by my two favorites, Eric and Leslie Ludy. This book is amazing. I can’t wait to do a review of it when I’m done. It’s not changing my view on love, but it’s making me see that my way of going about finding love is not weird.

9. Do you have a favorite artist?

As in art? No. I’m not that into art. Honestly, I see art at Target and think it’s spectacular. Obviously, I have a very un-critical eye for art.

10. Have you ever met someone famous?

I’ve met some local celebrities, like our news anchors. Oh, and on Saturday, I met one of our local jazz singers at a festival I attended.

Categories: Recurring Series

Five For Friday: Confession Session

I’m stealing an idea from Kayla Aimee’s blog (which you should totally check out, because she’s awesome). I’ve been a little ‘eh’ about Seven Quick Takes Friday so I thought I’d switch up my Friday posting a little.

1) I didn’t mention this anywhere, not even on Twitter, but I totally failed on my soda fast. I lasted until 8pm on Friday night, which takes me to about 46 hours without soda. Around 7ish, I got a headache and felt a little weak and dizzy. And, gosh darnit, I was at Carrabba’s and having dinner – I wanted a Coke! So I had one, and I enjoyed it. Immensely. Since then, I’ve had about a Coke a day. I do want to drink less of it but I’m not sure if I totally want to cut it out of my life. I love it! Why should I totally give up something I love? I want to get to the point where I only drink it on Sundays (my “cheat” day) and when I’m eating out. Right now, I’m implementing “No Coke Days,” which is pretty self-explanatory.

2) I bought a webcam a few weeks ago to join the 21st century and start Skype-ing. The webcam is totally set up and ready to go. But I haven’t Skyped yet. And I need to. Who wants to break my Skype virginity?

3) I gained 2 pounds in the past two weeks.

4) I have squeezed my dog’s ears way too much in the past week. Please tell me I’m not the only one who does this.

5) I’ve never liked Siobhan on American Idol. While she does have a powerful voice, when she’s just singing regularly, it grates on my ears. And I’ve never felt any good connection with her. On the other hand, Lee Dewyze might just be my future husband.

Categories: Recurring Series

Ten on Tuesday, Vol. 15

1. What book, movie or song has made you want to travel to a particular place? (e.g. I went to Prince Edward Island because I was such a Anne of Green Gables fan)

I find it so easy to transport myself to the places in books and movies. So there are so many places I’ve wanted to visit because of how they’re portrayed in these mediums. My top three are: New York City, London, and Italy.

2. Aside from your significant other, who would you want to take with you on a dream trip?

My mom, of course. I’ve never been on a vacation without her and I just have so much fun with her! We’re so alike and we like to do a lot of the same things. We do have our different interests but there’s just something special about traveling with your mom. You can’t get homesick, for one thing. And for another, you build amazing memories that will last for a lifetime. And also, my mom is just plain awesome and I love being around her.

3. Where would said dream trip be to?

It would definitely be New York City. I’m hoping and praying we’ll be able to take this trip in December for my graduation gift but I know how expensive it is so it’s going to take some big prayers. I’ve never been to such a big city and it would be neat to see how I like it. I’m such a fan of the small town that I think I would get irritated easily.

4. If you were hosting guests or providing tips, what three things would you show visitors to your hometown? (Be it where you live now or where you grew up.)

First of all, your first meal would be a Publix sub. Yes, it sounds a little odd but if you’ve never had a Publix sub, you’re seriously missing out. They are so good.

Secondly, we would take a trip down to Clearwater Beach because hello, you cannot go to my town without spending at least one afternoon at the beach. I may not be a big fan of the beach, but I do like taking a trip or two to the beach every now and then.

And lastly, we’ll do some shopping at International Mall because it’s an amazing mall with every shop you could ever imagine. I don’t go there enough, mainly because it’s an expensive mall and the only places I can shop I can find in other malls closer to me. But it’s still fun to look!

5. If you had a long weekend ahead of you, where you head – beach, city or country/mountains?

It would have to be the beach. We don’t have mountains in Florida and going to the city just doesn’t appeal to me. I have to be in the mood for the beach and right now? I’m so in the mood! Once my finals are over, I’ll have about a week before summer classes start so I’m taking advantage of that time to soak in the sun! We have miles and miles and miles of beaches where I live and it’s only about a 20 minute ride to get to them.

6. Do you have a passport? If so, did you get it for a particular trip or just to have, in case?

No, I don’t have a passport. I’ve never ventured farther west than Tennessee, farther east than West Virginia, farther north than Ohio, or farther south than Florida. I want travel more, but it’s expensive!

7. Are there any travel souvenirs you collect? If not, is there something else you collect?

Since I don’t travel, no. I’m trying to start collecting money, but it’s not going so well.

8. If you could name a paint colour, what colour would it be and what would you call it?

I think I would choose a very bright shade of green and call it Stephany Green. And that, my friends, is how creative I am. My kids will probably be named John and Mary.

9. If you were heading away for a weekend city break solo, where would you go? (Forget about practicality here and flight times, assume you can get to any city in the world for the weekend.)

Ooh, I have to go alone? I would probably travel to Boston and visit a very special friend of mine. And she would probably corrupt me. But it would still be worth it.

10. Is there a song or a smell or something that you strongly associate with a particular holiday/place/time, such that it always takes you back?

There are so many songs that take me back to memories:

  • Anna Nalick’s CD “Wreck of the Day”: The summer after I graduated from high school and was working at a movie theater. I listened to her CD constantly that summer.
  • Wow Hits 2000: Sixth grade when I had terrible insomnia. I really hate listening to any songs on that CD because I get such an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach, remembering that time. I hated sixth grade.
  • “London Bridge” by Fergie: My first year at college, where I lived in the dorms. I downloaded this song as my ringtone to wake me up and just remember that pretty awful time of my life.
  • Francesca Battistelli’s CD “My Paper Heart”: Summer 2008, where I worked as an office assistant at a print shop and traveled up to Tampa two days a week for class. I listened to this CD constantly every day. For once, that was a good time and just brings back lovely memories.
  • Ashlee Simpson’s “Autobiography” CD: My junior year of high school when I had just began at the collegiate program. This is probably the best memory I can think of. I loved those last two years of high school and loved my high school. It was such a great experience for me!

Visit Roots & Rings to link up if you completed this on your blog, or if you want to read more answers!

Categories: Recurring Series

Seven Quick Takes Friday, Vol. 9

One. This is my first Quick Take in over a month. And I know I said I would stop with the meme’s, yet this is my second one this week. But whatever. My blog, my rules. I felt like having a somewhat normal blogging schedule this week.

Two. Can I just brag about myself a little? This week of school has been amazing! I had my cover page and cover story due for my magazine, which amounts to 5 pages. My professor has not been kind with his criticism of my work this semester. I’m sitting at a 71% and hanging by a thread. My past projects have not been good. Needless to say, I was very nervous for his feedback. I call him the “Simon Cowell of design.”

So, I had my cover page and cover story critiqued. And then response was overwhelming. My classmates loved my design! My professor said, and I quote, that it was “very happy with it.” That’s the best praise I could ever receive from him. Needless to say, I was walking on the clouds!

The next day, I went to my law class and nervously anticipated my law exam grade. I’ve been really nervous about this class. It’s one of those once-a-year classes that only is available in the Spring. And it’s a required class. If I fail this class, I’ll have to wait until May 2011 to graduate, instead of December 2010. On my last two exams, I’ve received a 68% and a 76%. And I studied my butt off for those two grades. I felt like I did better on this exam but was so nervous to get my score.

And I received a 91%. That, my friends, is an exceptional score. My professor put an exclamation mark beside my score and gave me a little smile when I saw my score. And now I officially love my law class.

Three. I have a 5K race to run tomorrow. I’m not excited about it, mainly because I know I won’t be able to run the whole thing. I started over using Couch-to-5K and just finished the first week! I’m hoping to be able to run a mile, walk a mile, and run my last mile. But I’ve also been dealing with shin splints. I’m pretty sure it has to do with my shoes, since they’re pretty worn out. I’ve only had them for 6 months but I have to wear them every day for work so they get a lot of use. I need to buy new shoes, but I keep putting if off because hello, shoes are not cheap!

Four. I only have 3 weeks left of my semester and then finals week which will feel like a breeze compared to the craziness my schedule has been. I almost had another nervous breakdown on Monday so I had to make a list of everything I needed to get accomplished and when I was going to do it. There’s a lot to get done and only 3 weeks to do it in. It’s going to take a lot of focus and drive but I’m determined to get it done – and do my absolute best job at it.

Five. I’ve found it so tough to get back in the groove of things after Easter. I’m not eating as well as I should, nor exercising as much as I should, nor drinking as much water as I should. I haven’t tracked, which is just awful. I’m just trying to eat as well as I know how since I have weigh-in on Sunday. I think I need to sit in a meeting and get motivated again. Those meetings work!

Six. I have a hair appointment for color today and a hair appointment to get my hair cut next Friday. While I really want to do something wild and crazy like dyeing it blonde and getting a pixie-cut, I’ve been wanting to donate my hair to Locks of Love for a long time. My hair is just about long enough but I want to grow it out some more to make sure I have hair to work with! But mark your calendars! I’m doing something crazy with my hair in June. And honestly? I can’t wait!

Seven. I probably shouldn’t mention this because I really want to win this giveaway, but I also get an extra entry for blogging about it so I will. Ashley, one of my very good blogging friends, is having an awesome giveaway! She’s going to give a blog makeover, using WooThemes, to one lucky person! And then she’s also giving free advertising on her blog to 5 other people. Pretty neat, huh? So go there and enter!