SBC: hobbies, crushes, happy things.

26 September, 2014 by Gracie 3 Comments

HI FRIENDS! Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

Before I go on (with another massive September Blogging Challenge catch up), I just want to let you know that GML will be down for 24-48 hours starting around 10am tomorrow (Monday). I’m getting a blog redesign, WOOOOO!

But for now, onto the last few days of this challenge…

26.top 5 favorite hobbies/pastimes.

writing.
Journaling, blogging, freelance articles – I love it all! Writing is therapeutic for me.

watching movies.
Going to the movies and/or watching them from home is one of my favorite things to do – especially with other people. I love how movies are an escape from reality, and I’m that person that gets overly emotionally invested in them, ha.

pampering.
I mean, it doesn’t get much better than being pampered. Massages, mani/pedis, getting my hair done – I LOVE IT ALL.

going out.
This is a pretty generic one, but it’s true! Being out and about and socializing, trying new restaurants, etc. is just so much fun.

baking.
This is another therapeutic one. I love making treats for other people. I think it might be one of my love languages 😛

27. my celebrity crush(es).

Yeeeah so I have a few 😉

Garrett Hedlund

Don Draper (not Jon Hamm – Don Draper!)

Charlie Hunnam

John Krasinsky

But my top is probably Bradley Cooper. Such a QT.

28. ten things that make me happy.

Hmmm, there are so many more things that make me happy! But right now…

* my cozy apartment in my dream neighborhood
* the cinnamon scented candle next to me
* my new (coming soon) blog layout
* Speakable’s upcoming October campaign + new words
* that I got to see No Doubt perform yesterday
* my Halloween costume idea
* my amazing, UH-MAZING friends
* Lyft
* fun things happening this week
* LIFE! There’s just so much to be thankful for and excited about. And that makes me happy.

**********

Your turn! Favorite hobbies? Celeb crush(es)?

SBC: playing catch up.

15 September, 2014 by Gracie 6 Comments

Ah, I can’t believe we’re already halfway through the September Blogging Challenge! I’m loving how many of you jumped on it along with me. I’ve already gotten a few requests for a October Blogging Challenge – would any of you be into that…?

Anyway, I missed a few days, so here’s a bit of a catch up.

(FYI I noticed I screwed up tomorrow’s #16 by referring to it as Monday when it’s a Tuesday. DUH, me. Just disregard that ;))

#12: my favorite quotes

Oh gosh, where to even begin?! My name is Gracie, and I’m a quote-aholic. There’s my Word document list of favorite quotes/Bible verses, my “words” Pinterest board, and there may or may not be secret “love quotes” Pinterest board too, hahaha.

But here are some of my top favorites right now…

“Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.” Robert Bresson

“A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. To live is to be slowly born.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” CS Lewis

“The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamoring to become visible.” Vladimir Nabokov

“Once in a while it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to.” Alan Keightley

“It is not the strength of your faith that saves you, but the strength of Him upon whom you rely.” Charles Spurgeon

“She could never go back and make some of the details pretty, all she could do was move forward and make the whole beautiful.” Terri St. Cloud

“I’m not sure what I’ll do, but – well, I want to go places and see people. I want my mind to grow. I want to live where things happen on a big scale.” F. Scott Fitzgerald

“There is nothing wrong with loving the crap out of everything. Negative people find their walls. So never apologize for your enthusiasm. Never. Ever. Never.” Ryan Adams

#13: top guilty pleasures

I don’t know how much these can be considered “guilty” pleasures because I OWN these things 😉 But let’s go with…

The Bachelor/Bachelorette
cabs/car service
laundry pick up/delivery
grocery delivery
basically every romantic comedy of all time
Diet Coke and Splenda (probably the guiltiest because HELLO chemicals)

#14: favorite things about blogging

* first of all - it’s my creative outlet. I love writing and having a platform to share my voice/story.

* interacting with my readers. I seriously care about you all more than you realize!

* the “perks” – free stuff, events, making money from doing something I love. That might not be a very PC answer but whatever – I’m pretty sure most bloggers agree.

#15: favorite TV shows

This is always changing, but some of my recent favorites have been…

Mad Men
30 Rock
Breaking Bad
Modern Family
New Girl
How I Met Your Mother

**********

Your turn! Top guilty pleasure? TV show(s)? Quote(s)?

september blogging challenge.

1 September, 2014 by Gracie 70 Comments

I’m sure you’ve seen those photo challenges on Instagram, right?

Well I thought it would be fun to start a similar challenge, but this time with blogging!

Here’s a little September Blogging Challenge I put together with post topic ideas for the next 30 days, and I’d love it if you joined the challenge with me! You can do one each day, or compile a few into one post – whatever works for you.

Edited to add: I noticed I screwed up #16 by referring to it as Monday when it’s a Tuesday. DUH, me. Just disregard that 😉

**********

Let me know in the comments if you’ll be joining the challenge - would love to follow you!

cake batter blondies, things christian girls say, and awkward selfies.

28 August, 2014 by Gracie 19 Comments

Something I’ve always found humorous is what people search to find GML. You guys…I get some WEIRD ones. And raunchy ones. And ones where I can totally tell who searched it 😉

Anyway, I recently saw Brittany’s post addressing some of her most searched terms, and I thought it was such a fun post idea!

So here are some of the most searched terms that lead to GML + my commentary.

**********

life in nyc blog – nailed it.

how to get a job in new york – It’s not easy, but not impossible either. People get jobs here every day! Here are some of my tips.

cake batter blondies – my most popular post ever! For good reason. Also – my most ripped off recipe :/ But we won’t go there.

make brownies with cake mix – what initially led to the Cake Batter Blondies idea. Just follow same steps but with chocolate cake mix.

red velvet brownies from cake mix – are you noticing a trend here? Sorry for all the link ups, but here’s that recipe!

how to wear clothes that do not flatter me – but why…? I can’t bring myself to give suggestions for this.

things christian girls say – hahaha - “I’ll pray about it,” “I just had revelation,” “#blessed,” “my body is temple,” “I need to journal about this” … (this guy nails it)

living in new york pros and cons – they’re always changing depending on the season of life you’re in, but here are some of mine. Right now I’d say the biggest pro is the endless possibilities, and just how magical it is (yes – it still feels that way 3.5 years later!). The biggest con is that I miss having a car.

why is there so much pressure for girls to settle down – is there? I think it depends on where you live and your upbringing/social circles, but either way I wouldn’t give in to it. Do what makes you happy, and do what’s best for your future life/family – not what you think you’re “supposed” to do.

i’ve never asked my self about why life is like this – like what? I’d say keep asking those questions and see where it leads you.

how to make girl friends in ny – been there, I can relate! My #1 tip would be to just keep putting yourself out there and embrace any opportunity to meet new people. Here’s a post I did with tips on making friends in New York, and one on making girl friends in general.

wise words to say to a girlfriend – that she’s beautiful, duh! And tell her the truth about whether you really like her outfit or not. She may not like it at first, but she’ll appreciate it later.

i never wear heels so difficult – the struggle is real. Practice makes perfect! Investing a higher quality shoe helps too. Or just embrace that sassy little height of yours.

tapas restaurants in west village – there are SO many, but I love me some Alta.

best girl blogger – oh shucks, stop it.

awkward selfie – (s) are the best selfies.

i just cant help myself not to love them cupcakes – I feel you.

buffalo stuffed avocados – it’s not actual buffalo buuut here ya go.

so hard not to text him – so maybe you should just text him? Unless he did something horrible…then don’t. Or if he’s dating someone else. Or if he’s in prison. Ugh there needs to be a texting manual.

how to chat with a new girl you met last night – just be yourself! Girls dig that. Maybe even make a phone call out of it.

girl who lives a full life – what I aspire to every day.

why is finding work in new york so hard for Australians – is it? I know/meet a ton of Aussies here! We like you

something amazing is about to happen – I couldn’t agree more.

**********

Just out of curiosity, how did you stumble upon GML?

what i learned from my blogging (and some social media) break.

8 August, 2014 by Gracie 26 Comments

Taking an entire month off from blogging after doing it nearly every day for four years was not easy. But, the reasons it was so difficult were the exact reasons why I knew I needed the break.

I’ve made it no secret that I can sometimes have a love/hate relationship with blogging (I’ve addressed it before here and here), and I think a lot of that can be applied to social media as well (hellooo comparison trap). So I guess you could say this post and my break as a whole is just another step for me to see blogging and social media for what it actually is - helpful? harmful? both?

Anyway, on to it. Here are some of the things I learned from taking a month off from blogging.

Blogging is my creative outlet.
That’s what keeps me going with GML. I may not be an artist or a musician, but this little platform on the interwebs where I can babble on and on – I’m so thankful for it.

I love and crave the interaction with others.
That’s my other favorite thing about GML – I’m able to reach and interact with people I would never be able to otherwise. HI GUYS, LOVE YOU.

I’m pretty sure I’m addicted to my phone.
Yep, I’m admitting it. This is more related to social media/technology than blogging, but it’s something I really noticed over the past month. I can successfully turn off my phone for days here and there, but it’s something I still want to master completely.

Blogging/social media brings out the (narcissistic?) people pleaser in me.
Eeeeeek, the not-so-pretty side of blogging. This seems to be a bit of a epidemic among bloggers (and potentially anyone that uses social media, really) but I can only speak for myself. It’s difficult to NOT engage in some sort of people pleasing when you know that there are eyes on you, so I make it a point to consciously a) choose my words wisely and b) CHECK MYSELF often. Here’s an interesting article on this topic, if you’re interested.

Experiences can be just as fulfilling – if not more – when not documented.
I’m pretty sure we all know that.

“Blog life” is not real life.
Hate to break it to ya…what you see here in GML is only part of the story. Of course I enjoy being open and transparent here and there, but my relationships and personal wellbeing comes before that. I can make my life look as “perfect” as I want here on GML, but it’s all worthless if I’m not truly happy with my REAL life.

I want to be a more responsible blogger.
Pardon the short rant, but I’m starting to get fed up with some of the crap bloggers put out there on the Internet and then use an excuse like “well it’s MY blog” or simply not explaining themselves when their readers bring up constructive criticism. Don’t get me wrong – I know that getting criticized can suck. But when I receive it, I like to think I responsibility consider it and respond accordingly (sometimes admitting that I am indeed in the wrong). That’s part of the job description, people!

…but I also want blogging to be more of a hobby than a “career.”
With that being said, I’m not trying to be the next Man Repeller or Pioneer Woman. I’m just not. Of course I’d love GML to grow and everything, but I’m not about to quit my day job(s) and start blogging full time. I guess the reason I’m sharing this point is because I want you to know that maintaining a sense of realness here on GML is important to me…mostly because I think that’s becoming more and more of a rarity in the blog world.

**********

If you’re a blogger, can you relate to this?
As a blog reader, what do you enjoy most about reading blogs?

summer vacation.

7 July, 2014 by Gracie 14 Comments

Hi lovelies.

I’ve decided to do something I’ve wanted to do for a while now. I’m going to take an entire month off from blogging - writing, reading, and hopefully even thinking about the blog world. No offense 😉

I just need a good long dose of “real life,” and a month off for the first time in 4+ years seemed appropriate. Hopefully I’ll come back feeling refreshed and ready to blog my little heart out once again.

Until then, feel free to keep up with me on Instagram if you’d like. I’ll see you in a month! xoxo