blogger rant

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so I got an email the other day about a group giveaway & if they should still continue it because they read a post about how bloggers are over all these huge group giveaways....

so I just wanted to give my opinion because it seems everybody in blogland has something to say about everything....

seriously lets look at this.....it takes about maybe 15 minutes out of your entire day to enter them...for FREE stuff....i mean why would you be over huge giveaways where you have a chance to win free stuff?
PLUS...you don't have to enter them.
and i think its VERY generous of all the bloggers who put in money to giveaway something huge or giveaway gift cards...we live in a recession....and yet we bloggers are still SO GIVING....
so it baffles me why anyone would say anything negative about too many giveaways.

and then there are the people who claim bloggers only do these giveaways to gain more followers....

um isn't that the point of blogging? 

To get people to your blog one way or another? Yeah sure some of you just write for 'you'...but mainly we all want people to come & check out our blogs...& using a giveaway as a way to get people there shouldn't be frowned upon....people have different ways of attracting new traffic and followers...so get over it. 

bottom line - do what YOU want on YOUR blog.

so that's my blogger rant for the day.....and speaking of bloggers in general today I have a blogger whom i've followed since she started blogging. She is always a really fun read and just an awesome person all around. Her blog is a mixture of fashion & life...& it's never dull. She's got a really outgoing, funny personality and you can feel that in the writing....& a super cool job that I love hearing about. PLUS she has some great blogger advice....so without further ado meet 

Well fancy seeing you all here! I am Amanda, and I am the girl behind the computer, behind the blog over at Denim &Daydreams. A little bit about me you ask? A twenty something with a love for fashion, sports and all things Boston. Navigating my way through post-grad life, living with my boyfriend and being a "professional". I try never to leave the house without a little bronzer and mascara. A couple things I know? Sports, fashion, celebrity gossip and that a girl needs her friends. 

My drug of choice? 
Handbags and a good slice of pizza.

I am an event planner at a hotel by day and a blogger by night. I am obsessed with the Patriots, Bruins, PGA Golf and sometimes the Red Sox if they do not upset me. I am the reigning Fantasy Football champion in my league and I have no problem reminding all the boys daily. I can be messy sometimes, but it can be really hard to find the perfect outfit and sometimes the clothes pile up. 
After a bad day, I either will curl up with a diet coke and some cheez-its or a glass of sauvignon blanc. When I am not in my business-cas get ups for work, you will likely find me in denim (or leggings depending on the day...) because I strongly believe a good pair (or 10) of jeans can change your life.
What will you find if you decide to take the trip over to my corner of the blogosphere? Anything from a collection of items on my currently coveting list, how to's for DIY projects or Pintrest meals that have been a success (this isn't often, as most are a disaster), recaps of my random thoughts and a whole lot of fun. I don't take myself seriously, ever.

Kelly was one of my first followers, and she holds a special place in my heart. You know that moment when you receive your first comment or a new follower? As a new blogger, that feeling really never gets old. That is why I blog. I blog because there is a whole world out there of us behind our computers posting about our thoughts, our style and our daydreams. 

I started Denim & Daydreams as a secret. I didn't tell my friends, family or even my boyfriend right away. I wanted to make sure this little daydream I had of sharing my ideas and daily thoughts, was a good fit. Working the normal nine to five really can put you into a endless and repetitive cycle  rut. I got home from work one night, after a particularly awful day and made the decision that today would be the day I become a blogger. I needed an outlet to express silly things like a bag I needed, yet couldn't afford. Or a place to collect ideas for gifts or outfits. Or that project I HAD to do from Pintrest, and how poorly it ended up. 

After a few weeks of blogging, with no response, I gave up. I didn't blog for a whole summer and completely put it out of my mind. In October, I finally kicked myself in the tush and started up again and I haven't looked back. I think I am in love with you guys out there. It's like an addiction.


If I can give anyone a piece of advice about blogging? Don't stop. Post as often as you can. Make friends and interact with other bloggers. It isn't a contest or a competition. We are all here for the same reason. 
Hopefully I will see some of you soon over at Denim& Daydreams...I promise I try limit the sports talk...Sometimes, I just can't help it.

so today Amanda is giving away a
$20 Gift Card to Sephora & AD Space!

#winning!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Feeling LUCKY? 

Forever 21 Giveaway HERE

Target Giveaway HERE

Pretty Hair Accessories Giveaway HERE

1,000 Follower Giveaway HERE

Group Giveaway HERE

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where are your manners?

i feel like as time goes on manners and etiquette just seem to get worse. I don't know about you but having good manners was something that my sister & I were taught very early on & its something that has stayed with us our entire lives...I can proudly say I have wonderful manners & it drives me crazy that the kids nowadays just seem to lack it. 

It got me thinking, there are just certain things in life no matter what we should always do, like say thank you or open a door for others....so i put together a small list of things I think no matter what are ALWAYS a good idea ----

Be polite

Have a sober driver

Listen

Floss

Wash your hands after the bathroom

Cover your mouth when u cough

Replace the toilet paper roll if you finish it off

Hold the door open for someone

Help others

Eat your veggies

Say I love you

Have 'me' time

Respect your elders

Be honest

Admit when you're wrong

Tip your server

Listen before you judge

what are some things you think people should always do? 

Another thing that I think people should always do is be open to meeting new people, which is why blogging is so great because its a wonderful way for us to meet new people and learn about how others live....& today I have a girl who I have really enjoyed getting to know through blogging. I think what impresses me the most about her is how she teaches HIGH SCHOOL. I love kids don't get me wrong, but teaching high school is a whole other world. I really enjoy reading about her classes and what she does with her students. She's so full of life and I can tell she is so much fun to be around. So without further ado meet ---

I'm Bonnie and writing nonsense is my game. Sometimes I get in trouble for what I write, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles. Some call me Bonnarrhea and some call me Bon Bon Sexy Pants, but you can just call me Bonnie. Or Bon. Whatevs.

 I write over at Life of Bon where life is always a party. The husband's name is Greg and I've been told I would be a fool for letting the internet Gods know my husband's name because now they can steal our identities and invade our home, GASP! 

Therefore, to protect us from cyber devils and because it seems somehow hip I have named him Hubs. During the day I teach high school English to ungrateful seventeen year olds who have somehow completely stolen my heart. Ain't that always the way it is with ingrates?!? 

I'm an avid reader, a hopeless romantic, and a terrible driver. (I once got two speeding tickets in twenty minutes- ouch!) I write mostly about failed attempts to yank underwear off of mannequins, awkward visits to gynecologists, and absurd things that come out of the mouths of the hoodlum students.

This is me with a lot of differnt hairstyles.  Truly riveting, I know!

Bloggers or Vloggers:  Bloggers!  I'm all about quality writing.

Super Rich but Dumb or Super Smart & Poor.  I'll take a combination of the two...  Dumb and Poor... er... I mean rich and smart baby!

Wine or Vodka.  Uh.  Diet Coke?  I'm not a drinker... us crazy Mormons!

Josh Dumel or Ben Affleck.  Ben Affleck

Thong or Booty Shorts.  Thong.  (I am praying my students don't somehow find this and read it.)

Ellen or Oprah.  Ellen, obvi!

Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood  Carrie Underwood.  Before He Cheats should be the personal anthem of every American woman!

Pierced nose or pierced lip.  Nose

Sex or foreplay.  Who says I can't have both?

California or New York:  Cali.  Hello sun.

Sleep in PJS or Naked:  Pjs all the way.  I live in Utah.  I would freeze if I slept in the nude!

Isn't she so fun?! And don't you just love her hair color collage!? A girl after my own heart...so because Bonnie is basically the coolest teacher ever, she is giving away a $25 Gift Card to FOREVER 21!!!! And right now, Forever 21 has such aaaamazing stuff....so lucky you

a Rafflecopter giveaway

oh ya....the winners of my Blog Birthday Giveaway Are..........

Kim of The Ko Story

Meghan of They Call Her Meg

CONGRATS LADIES!!! Ill be emailing you to get your address to send you your $200 Visa Giftcards....& a BIG thank you to everyone who donated to the giveaway & everyone who came by to enter! It was a HUGE success. 

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so thrilling

here we are yet again...monday. i have such a busy week ahead....school, projects, student teaching, ellen taping, maroon 5....so this week is going to be crazy, but im excited!


I had a very low key weekend, like most weekends. i like it that way.

We had beautiful weather this week...it was still a little breezy but the skys were blue. The entire gang wanted to go outside & play....& by the entire gang I mean 4 cats & 2 dogs.


The BF & I were having a lazy sunday watching the Laker game when a Chilis commercial came on, displaying all their yummy food...my mouth was watering so we decided to take the drive to Chili's since we hadn't been in forever....since I live by the beach we have to drive inland to the nearest Chili's which can be frustrating, but was so worth it in the end.


The BF got sliders with onion strings which I stole & I got bacon, ranch steak quesadillas...which was what I saw on the commercial & was just as amazing in person....& ended the night watching SNL with Justin Timberlake & Anchor Man. What did you do this weekend?


so im not a mom...yet that is...but I def have my fair share of crazy babysitting days where I feel like a mom...& by the end of the day I am a complete mess, so it always amazes me when I see certain mommy bloggers who still manage to keep it together and look amazing....& speaking of fashion savvy moms today I have a girl who doesn't even look like she's a mom, she's so youthful.  I put together some of my favorite looks of hers  -

I love her classic style & would wear every outfit she puts together. She always looks flawless. She is a new mommy with the cutest little family, but she still manges to upkeep her fabulous blog...PLUS today she's here to give you some of her BEST blogging advice. So without further ado meet ----

Hey there Messy People! I'm Sarah, the writer behind the blog Frills for Thrills where I document things that happen/don't happen to me along with my daily outfits.

 I have a cute baby and a handsome husband that sometimes make an appearance, but other than that you can expect to see pictures of me in my outfits talking about real stuff. Frills for Thrills is my only form of memory-keeping, so my content generally represents a filtered diary-- I don't share everything but I most certainly keep things real. I love blogging because, most days, it is my only form of social interaction as a stay-at-home-mom. The past few months, I've been able to pour more into my blog and have learned a few things along the way. My top three pieces of advice for a blogger are:

Be Original: When I visit your blog I want to know who you are, not who you are trying to be. Please write about what you love, not what you think other people want to read about. 

Be Nice: View other bloggers as teammates and not as competition. Believe it or not, the internet is big enough for all of us! Don't use your blog to bash people (directly or indirectly) and always be positive when leaving someone a comment. 

Be Genuine: Similar to being original, it is important to be real. I understand that some bloggers like to "keep things positive" rather than share when they're going through a hard time, but I have found that blogging through rough seasons is not only therapeutic for me, but my readers tend to connect more when I admit that life isn't as perfect as the internet makes it seem. 

To learn more about me, come visit my blog. I'd love to meet you!

Isn't she so cute? Great blogger advice too....so today because she's aaamazing Sarah is giving away a $20 to Target!!! Which is perfect because if you haven't been to Target lately they have all their spring stuff out in such beautiful bright colors!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

help Kelly of Sparkles & Shoes Celebrate 1,000 followers HERE

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out of control

first - thank you to everyone who wrote me such sweet comments regarding my 'drunk girls' story...I will be responding to every single one of you...its really means a lot that you all took the time to read my story & leave such inspiring comments.....i'm just feeling a little crazy with life right now...so bare with me

BUT a huge THANK YOU so much to everyone who participated in FFF Thrift Shop Edition! How awesome was our Thrift Edition of Fearless Fashion Fridays?!?! We (Janna, Kelly & Lindsey) loved seeing what you came up with and we loved that we had so many voters!

So drumroll please …..

The Winners

1st Place: Melis from Mila Rose Designs

Melis won a Mini Nail Kit and Three Nail Polishes from Kelly

2nd Place: Sam from The Style House

Sam won a Vintage-Feel Necklace from Lindsey

3rd Place: Whitney from Everything Happens for a Reason

Whitney won a Tara Lane Bracelet from Janna

Our Thank You for Voting Winner: Deborah R.

Deborah won a $20 Starbucks Gift Card – Janna will contact you!

---------------------------------------

Special Update:

Fearless Fashion Fridays will be put on hold until June.

We have been incredibly busy and we are sure you are too! We bloggers tend to take on the world! We just wanted to let you know that we are taking a quick break from the link-up so we can take care of school and work. But don’t worry we will be back!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

im so burnt out from everything i can't even think right now....tgif lovers

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going back to highschool

so i love to love...who doesn't right? Erin at Living in Yellow had the idea of having a 'blogger crush' day where we gush about our favorite bloggers, but then I saw Christina at My Life, Laughs & Love gave the linkup a little twist which reminded me of what you would see in high school yearbooks....so im going to keep it going --- so erin's linkup with a twist

Blogger Superlatives 

Most Creative: Christina at My Life, Laughs & Love - check out this post & you'll see why ---> MINI project

Most Badass: Raven at Don't Quote the Raven....need I say more?

Most Real: Amber at My Three Bittles & Michael at Crazy, Magic..Almost Tragic

Most Likely to be Embracing the Mess: Sarah at Hot Mess Mommie...i think her blog name covers it.

Blogger Twin: Jessica at Jessica Who?....i don't know what I would do without this girl....we just get eachother.

Blogger Crush: Kristen at Whiskey Tango Fox...plus she's a fabulous blog designer

Coolest Mom: Shanna at Because Shanna Says So & Kristine at The Foley Fam...they don't even look like moms, they're so youthful

Coolest Life: Michelle at Mish Lovin' Life....her & her bf sold everything, quit their jobs & started traveling the world....um can you say jealous?

Biggest Obsession: Janna at Perception is Everything....i can't express enough about how much i adore this girl...her outlook on life, her positive attitude, she is just beautiful inside and out...& i have enjoyed this blogging journey so much because of her....i don't think I could've made it through this past year without her...i love you janna & cannot wait until we meet in real life!!!

Makes Me LOL: Tab at My Cliffnotes & Taylor at The Daily Tay...no matter what these girls always leave me laughing out loud

Best Shopping Buddies: Melis at Melia Rose Designs, Kelly at Sparkles & Shoes, & Niki at Glossy Blonde...love their style & I know we would have an aaamazing time shopping together

Best Hair Obsession: Aunie at Aunie Sauce...i have never come across another girl who loves their hair as much as I do...its a special bond...plus she has gorgeous hair & FABULOUS hair tutorials.

Best Animal Blog: Nikki at The Pink Growl....have you met Tilly?

Best Fitness Blog: Jenna at Fitness & the City...have you seen her body?!

Best Blogger All Around: Holly at Hey, Hollywood....she's a great person, blogger & friend.






& one more thing...I was ify about doing this linkup because I didn't want to leave anyone out or feel like i was being exclusive...i never want anyone to feel left out so please know that everyone I have 'met' through blogging you have touched me in some way or another...& everybody I haven't 'met' yet..i can't wait!





I have so much love for anyone who blogs because blogging isn't easy & we all go through a lot of hard work to make our blog what is it....nobody's dedication is ever overlooked and I commend everyone for putting themselves out there for the world to see.

love to love to love ya 

 -----------------------

& if you haven't yet...i wrote my honest & open blog post to date so check it out HERE

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tattletale

via

During my blog birthday celebration i asked what you wanted to see more of - you said more of #TheMessyProject - CHECK & more about ME. 

So as some of you already know I don't take any shit. I have very thick skin & I stand up for what I believe in. I don't follow the crowd & I am proud of it. But I wasn't always that way.


I believe there is always something in your life that happens that is a turning point.....from that point on everything will be different.



So let's start at the beginning -- here is how the Kelly that is now, came to be......

Middle school is where it all begins.

It is the start of new friends, classes for each subject, locker rooms, school dances, makeup, first kisses and alcohol. However, I was not let in on the popularity of alcohol when I started middle school for the first time. 

I had just moved to a new town and was about to start the sixth grade at a public school. Public school was not something I was used to since I was coming from a Catholic school. I was very upset to leave all my friends behind but also very excited to start a new school where free dress was everyday.

Little did I know what lied ahead of my first year. I was definitely not prepared for what was going to happen once I started attending my new school. 

After about a few weeks of school I was starting to get the hang of things. I had made a few friends, but I was still pretty new to everyone else. One day at lunch, a couple girls who I had become friends with and I went to the bathroom to touch up on our makeup and basically gossip. 

While in the bathroom laughing with my friends I started to hear very loud sounds coming from the large bathroom stall. I looked at my two friends Sarah and Danielle and they heard it too. There was loud laughing and banging coming from the stall. It was obvious to us there was more than one girl in the stall and that something bad was going on.

The warning bell rang signaling ten minutes left of lunch. We were just finishing up in the bathroom when the loud stall door flew open and three girls, who were in the grade above us, walked out of the stall. All three girls were dressed in very low cut tops and baggy pants. They had a lot of black eye liner on making it impossible to even see their eyes. They were all laughing and holding on to each other because they did not want to fall over. They seemed suspicious, so after they left the bathroom Sarah, Danielle and I walked into that large stall and in the toilet were flasks of vodka. 

I was shocked that seventh graders were already drinking and none the less during school. It was something I was not use too and was taught was very bad. Being the nice little Catholic school girl that I was, I suggested we go to the principles office and let her know what was happening on school grounds. 

Sarah and Danielle agreed and we headed arm and arm to the principal’s office. When we got to the principals office we each started explaining what we saw in the girls’ bathroom. Unfortunately, since the girls were in a grade above us we did not know their names or any information about them and the only information we could give was what they looked like. Then we gave the principal our names and she told us she would let us know if she needed any more information from us. The principal thanked us for bringing this incident to her attention and we were sent back to our classes’. 

While sitting in my class daydreaming, the class phone rang and I knew it had something to do with the incident at lunch. After my teacher hung up the phone she announced in front of the whole class that I needed to go see the principal. 

I knew exactly what it was concerning. 

As I walked into the principals office I noticed my two other friends were not there. The principal informed me she wanted to speak with us separately. The principal explained to me that she and a few other faculty members put together a list of who they thought these three drunken girls might be. She then asked me to look at each picture and pick out which ones I suspected. Once I saw the pictures given to me it was easy to point out exactly who was drinking in the bathroom. 

After I pointed them all out I was sent back to class. The principal then took action right away and called the girls out of class. Later, I found out that my other two friends were not called in, but I did not think to far in to it.  

As I was walking back to my class I passed one of the girls who I had just pointed out to the principal. She gave me a stern look as I walked by but I did not think much of it because I assumed they would protect my name.

By the next day of school everyone knew, and when I say everyone I literally mean the entire school. 

Here's the best part though; my name was the only one that got out as the girl who told on these girls. Figures right?

Since I was new to the school I did not know these three girls who got suspended were popular and pretty much favored by everyone.

When I arrived at school that next day it was very clear that I was hated and now known as a tattletale. Even worse my two other friends acted like they had no idea what had happened, who I was and they never came clean to anyone that they also “tattled”.

At first I was ok, I figured that it would blow over by lunch and something more interesting would have happened, but I was wrong.


so wrong.



I was the talk of everyone.



To make matters worse a lot of people started ganging up & bullying me.

I was called names during lunch and received threat letters in my backpack that said I would be beaten up for this and to make sure I keep all my doors and windows locked because they were coming after me. I was all alone and I was scared.

I called my mom right away and I left school early because I could not handle all the threats and name calling. When my mom heard what was going on she was outraged. She was livid that the principal did nothing to protect my name or who I was. She called the principal and yelled at her for a good five minute - the principal could not get a word in. Even after the arguing with my principal there was nothing she could do to help me, except the suggestion that I eat lunch in my teacher’s classroom to avoid what was happening to me. Gee thanks. 

That night we received various prank calls from students threatening me and scaring me. I was petrified to go to school. I was just this short, very skinny, quiet, Catholic girl. I did not want any trouble. However, my mom on the other hand was this tough Italian woman who took stuff from no one.


Being the amazing woman that she is when my mom came to pick me up from school the next day she knew who the girls were & once she spotted one of them she got out of her car, went up to the girl and told her to stay away from me. It might not sound like that much but if you know my mom & her Italian background you would know she's a very scary woman.....still to this day do not mess with my mom.



However, my mom didn't scare the girl or stop the bullying.



She told me its time to get tough and not let these pathetic people scare me. Yeah, sure it was easy for her to say she was older and bigger than all of them. None the less, I went to school the next day.

I arrived at school early, sat on the bench in the quad and waited to see if anyone was going to do or say something. I was ready to be tough. However secretly I was not that tough because my dad was still sitting in his car watching me from a distance until I was safe in class.


Nothing happened that morning. 

Finally, after weeks of eating lunch in my teachers classroom and avoiding the bullying, things started to pass and people soon started to forget move on with their lives....


 I started to feel safer and was able to eat lunch outside with everyone after the die down of constant bullying. Yet, because of what happened I didn't have many friends and no one really wanted to be my friend. Thankfully, I managed to make some new friends but I was still known as the tattletale and not liked very much....




Everything stopped for awhile....but like most stories mine was only just beginning...........

I believe everything happens for a reason & in a way I am thankful that this happened. I wouldn't be the person I am today if this incident didn't happen. With every experience that happens in life you learn from them. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. But this experience not only taught me to have thick skin but GAVE me thick skin and not let people push me around. It also showed me how to stand up for what I believe is right, no matter what people say or do to me. It taught me not to follow the crowd & for that I am thankful. 

but it's only just beginning.....

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Don't forget to enter to win Knotty Ties or a Sparkle Headband HERE

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sparkles in your hair

Spring is almost upon us! The first official day of spring is March 20. Can you believe it?! I cannot wait for the sun to be shinning and the flowers and trees to be blooming with life. Daylight savings time is on SUNDAY already....except for AZ. Did you know they don't partake in daylight savings ever!? 


I'm not really a fan of spring forward though...i like when it gets dark early, makes me feel less guilty when I sit down to watch TV & its dark out...yes TV is my life

So with every new season comes new spring clothes & accessories....& one of my favorite accessories to wear throughout the year are headbands & bows....duh right? 


so I was super excited when one of my favorite local hair accessory company - JOLIE got in new SPRING products....

 
what I love about these headbands is not only are they SO comfortable on my head but they're also the perfect amount of 'bling'. Sometimes things can be overdone & you all know I am a big believer in less is more, so these headbands are the PERECT accessory to add to your hair.

You can dress them up or you can dress them down...they're even perfect for a wedding party or blushing bride....OR you can add one around a new floppy beach hat to add some flare to your hat! 

They come is so many pretty colors & styles.  PLUS as you know I have A LOT of hair....i mean a lot. So if these dainty adorable headbands can fit & stay in my beast of a hair, then they can on any bodys head. 


However, if you are not a fan of the bling in the headband above --- Check out this adorable nautical themed one below for a more simple look & not so much bling- 

YET, if headbands just aren't your thing, well just recently Jolie Hair Accessories has added KNOTTY TIES...with a pretty twist --- instead of just the typical hair tie, they have added some pretty accessories with them -

I love the diamond skull on the tie to the left - & of course obsessed with the full on glitter ties! There are so many different colors, styles, accessories that she adds to these beautiful headbands & knotty ties that I wish I could show you them all....not to mention see the pic below - top right corner...yeah those are BELTS! i die. 

 these hair accessories are the perfect addition to any outfit don't you agree?


SO do you want one? What if I told you that the fabulous Elizabeth of Jolie has offered to give you messy readers a chance to win a beautiful headband & knotty ties?!?!


oh yes! today 3 girls will get the chance to win something from Jolie!! I am so jealous - i want everything. 


This is a quick, simple entry giveaway & will be open for 2 weeks & there will be 3 winners!! GOOD LUCK

a Rafflecopter giveaway

its true we do - grab one & display it with pride! ----> 

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*this is not a sponsored post - all opinions expressed in this post are mine.

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