Meme-ness

Posted by Raychel Celeste

I've been tagged! by the lovely @scunning at I'm Stepping Forward. I'm not a huge fan of these survey things, but it won't hurt me to answer some questions and pass it along :)

1. Name someone with the same birthday as you.
Erica Spradley, we went to the same schools from K-12.

2. Where was your first kiss?
At school in the 4th grade. Does that even count as a kiss? My first kiss kiss was on a group date freshman year of high school.

3. Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else’s property?
Ha, I don't think so. My dad being a cop and all, I'm not foolish enough to do something like that.

4. Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex?
In high school, for sure. Some guys just deserve it.

5. Have you ever sung in front of a large number of people?
Yes, for school and I did it at church a couple of times.

6. What’s the first thing you notice about your preferred sex?
It's a toss up between their height and their smile (or lack of).

7. What really turns you off?
Constant immaturity. There is a time and a place for everything, and that is not 24/7, everywhere you go.

8. What do you order at Starbucks?
Usually a Mocha Frappucino or a Caramel Macchiato.

9. What is your biggest mistake?
Oh, you have come to the right place! Ha, I have made so many.. but I guess the one I have regretted the longest would be leaving my college after only 2 years. I miss the people and the atmosphere. And I think I'll be in school forever now, trying to make up for lost time.

10. Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose?
Emotionally maybe, but definitely not physically.

11. Say something totally random about yourself.
I am NOT my own worst critic. That lil saying isn't true for me. I figure there are always going to be people criticizing me and what I do, so why should I criticize myself?

12. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity?
When I was way younger I had a couple friends tell me I looked like DJ from Full House. And two boys from camp told me I looked like Drew Barrymore, and that's because my friends and I were supposed to be Charlie's Angels. But I definitely don't look like anyone famous.

13. Do you still watch kiddie movies or TV shows?
Not kid tv, unless I'm with my nephew. But like Disney movies, for sure!

14. Did you have braces?
Nope, never had them.

15. Are you comfortable with your height?
Ha, I'm glad Sarah is taller than me! In middle school, I was taller than all the boys.. so that was no fun. But they all caught up in high school. 5'8" is a pretty average height.

16. What is the most romantic thing someone of the preferred sex has done for you?
This may not seem romantic to most, it's just kind of sweet.. but it's what comes to mind. I was going to a formal for my sorority, and wasn't planning to take a date because I wasn't with anyone at the school. I was talking to a guy at another college, but he found out about it.. came to my school (without me knowing) to pay for himself as my date. And he showed up to take me to my formal. I was so shocked and thought it was soo cute!

17. When do you know its love?
When you're able to see past any flaws and accept him as he is. When he makes you feel like you are more important than he is to himself. And while you know you could live without him, you know you'd never want to.

18. Do you speak any other languages?
Nope. One year of Spanish, two years of French, and four years of Latin. And still, no.

19. Have you ever been to a tanning salon?
Yes, did it for like 5 weeks with my roommate. Wasn't too impressed.

20. What magazines do you read?
People and Redbook are just about the only ones I will actually read.

21. Have you ever ridden in a limo?
Nope, can't say that I have.

22. Has anyone you were really close to passed away?
Not extremely close, like a parent or a best friend. I've been blessed. But I've definitely been to more funerals than I would ever care to.

23. Do you watch MTV?
I used to. But I rarely ever do now, unless a good movie is on.

24. What’s something that really annoys you?
Certain sounds, drive me up the wall. Repetitive ticking, thumping, tapping noises.. annoy the crap out of me!

25. What’s something you really like?
I really really like tropical things. Tropical places, tropical decorations, colors, scents, etc.

26. Do you like Michael Jackson?
Yep, I just adore child molesters. Did he perform influential, popular music? Yes. But do I like that man? Definitely not.

27. Can you dance?
Ha, depends on what you consider dancing. I do dance, but I'm not sure you'd like to see it.

28. What’s the latest you have ever stayed up?
I can't even tell you. I'm guessing around 8 am.

29. Have you ever been rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room?
Yes, after my car accident with my mom.

30. Tag 5 people!

@PaciGraveyard, @snarkykisses, @MinnesotaJoZ (<--they've already been tagged, but I'm still picking them) @irishsamom, and @ShannonSunshine

(FYI: In case you’ve never done a MEME, just remember to link the person that tagged you, answer the same questions, and then tag five people to do the same. Have fun!)


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Ooh, scandalous...

Posted by Raychel Celeste

There have been some rather disturbing scandals in the blogosphere this year, one in which I was closely affected.. but I won't even go there right now. For reasons I also won't get into (piggy flu!) I have neglected my blog lately, but I have still been keeping a close eye on the blogs I follow. Another situation has come up recently, ultimately leaving people to question the character and legitimacy of bloggers. Today, I thought it would be interesting to simply search "bloggers" and see what came up. I found the usual news stories about angry bloggers, sites with tips on how to make money blogging, etc. But the most interesting thing I found was the following definition:

blog·ger
noun - (as defined by Urban Dictionary)
1. bored housewife trying to make meaning of her tedious life
2. narcissistic writer with enough ego to try to make money off their life online
3. a dramatic, bored person who feels the need to exaggerate stories for attention

Of course, I don't completely agree with these opinions, but it honestly surprises me that bloggers even wonder why people feel this way. I've felt bad in the past about the fact that I'm hesitant to tell some people that I have a blog, but now I feel justified. There are some bad apples out there who have made it difficult for the rest of us to gain any respect outside the blogging community. But regardless of what people believe about us and why, this is the only definition I think we should care about and put to practice:

in·teg·ri·ty
noun - (as defined by Merriam-Webster)
1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values
2 : an unimpaired condition
3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided; completeness


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The one with too many exclamation points!

Posted by Raychel Celeste

I'm dealing with some major writer's block. I can't even conjure up news articles, which I write all the time. Blah! All I can manage to talk about is what's going on lately. So earlier this week, lil miss Jen asked me if I wanted to be a "Classpert" on the Classy Closet. And of course I was all HECK YEAH! The Classy Closet is a social network for women to talk and learn about things like fashion, style, and wellness. There are some really great girls in that community, and I'm happy to be one of them! If you visit the site, be sure to check out my post introducing myself as a new Classpert! Excuse my randomness.. I know this has nothing to do with anything, but look what I had for dessert tonight. Yeah, strawberry shortcake. No big deal, but it was de-lish-us!

Also food related, this weekend I went to the Greek Festival! I didn't get to see or hear any of the performances, but I did get to try some of the food. I am so not a foodie, but I'm usually willing to try anything as long it doesn't break one of my major food rules. It didn't take long to realize that I would die of starvation if I was Greek! I ended up trying Souvlaki, which was interesting, but I'm definitely not a fan of it. I also had Greek fries and Baklava, which were yum (but I already knew that)! Speaking of Greek, my sorority had their bid day this Friday. They had a good quantity (great quality) of girls who decided to make Tri Sigma their home. I didn't get to attend Bid Day this year, but I plan on meeting all the new sisters at Homecoming in October!

Change of subject.. do you know MckMama @ My Charming Kids? If not, you should definitely read her blog or follow her on twitter. She has a son, Stellan, who has been dealing with serious health issues since before birth, and who was never expected to live. It's a miracle that he is alive today. MckMama is an amazing woman with a tremendous amount of faith, and her family deserves for their story to continue to be told. It's touching to know that so many people have been rallying around this family, supporting them from the very beginning. You should check out what one of her awesome supporters is doing in Stellan's name now. You can start showing support for this cause by putting one of these snazzy little buttons on your sidebar!


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Kermit the Frog & the King of Pop

Posted by Raychel Celeste

I typically don't watch award shows. I don't watch the Oscars or anything. But I'm glad I watched MTV's Video Music Awards. It was eventful, to say the very least. If you missed it, I strongly suggest you check out the VMA page or just look at your twitter feed from about 9pm to midnight! Radio City came alive with some talent and a whole lot of awkwardness, from people like Lady Gaga, who arrived with Kermit the Frog as her date. The audience was shocked by Gaga's faux "hanging" and her numerous, crazy wardrobe changes. In true showbiz fashion, the award show continued with a Cirque de Soliel type performance from Pink, and an outrageous act from Kanye West. Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for Best Female Video was interrupted when Kanye rushed the stage, took Taylor's microphone and ranted that Beyonce was the rightful winner of the award. For the rest of the award show, the audience booed Kanye. There was a moment of real class, when Taylor Swift was invited onstage to finish her acceptance speech by Beyonce, who had just won Video of the Year. Other highlights of the VMAs included the unveiling of the 'New Moon' trailer, and a chilling tribute performance to the late King of Pop. Check out all the winners, pictures and highlights at the 2009 MTV Video Music Award website.


Update: Not long after being kicked out of the VMAs, Kanye posted a condescending apology to Taylor Swift. You can take a look at it here. I have a feeling this isn't the last we'll be hearing about the incident. I just hope people will focus less on what a d-bag Kanye is, and focus more on the classy manner in which both Beyonce and Taylor Swift handled the situation.


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I was a little bored with the original pictures I took, so I tweeked them with my oh-so-favorite site, Picnik.
You Capture challenges held weekly @ I Should Be Folding Laundry


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