Reader Survey Results

A big thank you to everyone who filled out my reader survey. It was really great getting your responses in and getting a bit more information about you and what you like!

That being said, here are the results of my reader survey! However, you are more than welcome to keep submitting survey responses.

What is your favorite type of content on Alanna & Company? (select all that apply)

Humor - 14%

Lifestyle - 24%

Books, Reading, or Music - 13%

DC and Travel - 11%

Restaurant and Food - 8%

Beauty, Fashion, and Makeup - 8%

Blogging Tips (Including PicMonkey Tutorials) - 22% 

What would you prefer to see less of on Alanna & Company? (select all that apply)

Humor - 0%

Lifestyle - 6%

Books, Reading, or Music - 9%

DC and Travel - 3%

Restaurant and Food - 12%

Beauty, Fashion, and Makeup - 18%

Blogging Tips (Including PicMonkey Tutorials) - 21%

Sponsored/Reviews - 31%

How long have you been reading Alanna & Company?

New Reader - 17%

1 - 2 Months - 47%

2 - 4 Months - 23%

4 - 6 Months - 13%

I find new posts from Alanna & Company on:

Twitter - 7%

Facebook - 41%

Blogger.com - 4%

Bloglovin' or Feedly - 41%

I have your blog bookmarked or directly at www.alannaandcompany.com - 7%

How do you like the frequency of posts?

Just right - 85%

Could have more - 15%

Would like less - 0%

How often do you visit Alanna & Company?

Every day there is a new post - 25%

Two to Three times a week - 54%

Once a week - 21%

What is your age?

16 -24 years old - 22%

25 - 29 years old - 56%

30 - 40 years old - 22%

Now, what?

Well, first of all, I used this on google forms, and the data was a bit hard to format. So next time, I'll definitely use surveymonkey or something like that. I'll keep writing lifestyle posts, but I definitely need to step up the blogging tips and PicMonkey tutorials because you all like those a lot! 

I wasn't surprised that Sponsored posts and review posts were ranked as what you would like to see a lot less of, but then the Blogging Tutorials ranked at 21% of you would prefer to see less, which directly opposes the question above...Weird! Right after that was Beauty, Fashion, and Makeup which I wasn't really surprised with. I'm not the strongest writer in that category, so I'll continue to keep those posts to a minimum.

Most of you find me on Bloglovin' or Feedly and Facebook. I'm going to assume that you mostly chose Facebook because of the Facebook blogging groups that I'm in, not because of my Facebook page, right? If so, I'll continue to share on those! I also need to keep in mind the age demographic. I know I write from my point of view as a twenty-something, but the fact that 44% of you are either 30-40 or 16-24 makes me really happy that I don't just interest people in my age demographic!

Again, thank you, thank you, thank you for filling out my reader survey. What do you think about the results? Any further suggestions? You can always email me at alanna@alannaandcompany.com. As a last thank you to all of you, I am offering a buy one month, get one month free on sponsorship offers. For any of you who purchase an ad within the next week, I'll automatically extend you for a second month on that same spot!

Say hello to this month's sponsor:

Don't Forget About August's Instagram Challenge #EverythingAugust

Hey everyone! I just wanted to post a quick reminder that our August Instagram challenge starts this Saturday! I hope you all are just as excited as I am. For a reminder, here's the prompt list again.

So please join Erica from Looking to the Stars, Jasmine from Classy, Sassy. and a Bit Smart-Assy, Ashley from Girl Talk, Helen from Hel on Heels, Christine from So Called Homemaker, Dayne from The Daily Dayne, and myself. 

 I will be featuring my favorite instagram photos weekly and the rest of the co-hosts will be checking out any posts with the hashtag #EverythingAugust too.

All we ask is that you follow all of the hosts on Instagram (@Alannaandco, @thedailydayne, @christineeveryday, @ashleyechase, @csandsblog, @helenguyyay, and @1hotredhd), keep your instagram accounts public so we can see your photos, and to comment and like using the challenge hashtag. 

The challenge starts on August 1st and the first prompt will be "Summer Nights". 

Looking forward to seeing all of your grams in August!

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Do You Know How to Use Commas Properly?

I thought I did and I seriously needed a refresher. It's something I still struggle with. With the invention of spell-check and grammar-check, we've become lazy and forgotten our basic grammar rules. Trust me, I had to look most of these up to verify that I was getting them right.

Oxford Commas

This is also known as a serial comma. This is used to separate items in a series. For example, "I love ice cream, gelato, and fro-yo." The oxford comma is the last comma after gelato. This indicates that you like three separate things. If you forget the oxford comma, then your sentence will mean that you like ice cream individually and then gelato and fro-yo together. Make sense? Here's a handy graphic for the oxford comma. 

(credit)

Use a comma after introductory adverbs or if the sentence starts with a freestanding "yes" or "no".

Example: Thankfully, I got fro-yo.

Example: Yes, I would love some fro-yo.

Use a comma when attributing quotes.

Example: Amanda told me, "I will die if I don't get fro-yo this instant." 

Example: "I will die if I don't get fro-yo this instant," said Amanda.

Use a comma when directly addressing someone or something in a sentence

I'm totally guilty of being awful at this. Sorry!

Example: Thank you, Amanda.

Example: Amanda, thank you for bringing me fro-yo.

Use a comma between two adjectives that modify the same noun.

A good tip for this is asking yourself if you can insert an "and" in between the adjectives for the sentence to still make sense. 

Example: My large, fruity fro-yo was the most delicious thing I've tasted all day.

See, the fro-yo was large and fruity, so use a comma between the two adjectives.

Use a comma to offset negation in a sentence.

Example: I want fro-yo, not ice cream, to eat. 

Example: I want fro-yo to eat, not ice cream.

(credit)

The meme says it best! Use commas. Don't be a psycho. Just kidding! But hopefully this helps a few of you. Making this post definitely helped me refresh my grammar and punctuation skills. So I hope I got all of these right.

What grammar pet peeves do you have? Do you have any comma rules that you'd like to add to the list?

Say hello to this month's sponsor:

Meet The Petite Mrs & a Giveaway

I absolutely love my blogging community and one of my favorite times, is when I get to introduce ya'll to one of my blogging friends. Today, we have Nora from The Petite Mrs Blog.

1.    Describe your blog and why did you start blogging?

I blog over at The Petite Mrs blog and it's a lifestyle blog about everything under the sun. I stick to some main niches but I also really just love sharing my personal stories and experineces with my readers. I often feature my two dachshunds Maggie and Boucer and I'm wildly crazy about social media (@thepetitemrs, everywhere). I started blogging to document our lives as a married couple (our adventures, trials and triumphs) and that's kind of what it started out to be and got much more personal and just everyday randomness- but I think you'll all enjoy it!

2.    What do you do when you’re not blogging?

I really love to be with my husband and our dogs Maggie and Bouncer, I'm a homemaker so I cook, clean and do the majority of things to keep our lives running smoothly. Although I'm not going to lie, I love some good television shows ( like a lot, I have a list a mile long), sometimes I like to read if it's engaging enough and I love to hang out with my friends, eat and shop. And I enjoy coffee dates, so anyone who lives near Portland/Gresham, Oregon- let's get coffee! 

3.    You say that dancing is one of your favorite things to do. How long have you been dancing? What is your favorite style of dance?

 Yes, dance growing up was a passion of mine, wholeheartedly. I danced from about 4 years old until I was about 19 years old. Until about college and it sorta phased out, I lost my fitness level and just didn't have the time, space or pizzazz for it anymore so I haven't taken classes in quite a while. But I really loved Ballet, Jazz, Modern (challenging but what a grounding feeling), and I dabbled in some different workshops-African dance, Bellydance and Lift classes. 

4.    Your two doxies are the cutest! What is each one of their funniest quirks?

Today, I gave them the silliest nicknames. Bouncer-our boy- is now known as "Mr. Grumpy-Gills StretchyButt" and Maggie the girl is known as " Miss Stinky Mouth-Cuddles-a-lot" (kinda gross but that's her). They are a joy to our lives everyday even when we are having troubles in training or socialization. They are spoiled and they know it!

5.    If you were to meet any famous person in real life, who would it be and why?

Maya Angelou (deceased, I know), but I have to thank her for getting me into writing in the first place. In eighth grade we read her poems, passages of her books and I heard her speak on talk shows many times. I was moved by her presence and I felt like she understood how I felt and got me into literary writing and writing poetry (which was my senior project and helped me graduate). She was a terrific lady and I'm sad she's been gone for a few years now, this world is missing her greatly. 

Or Taylor Swift/Carrie Underwood. I love them both equally. 

6. What are your top three favorite posts of yours?

anxiety was wrecking my life 

A sister Pt 1 / A sister Pt 2 

twenty seven wishes

You can follow along with her here:
Bloglovin
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest

And now, for the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I've teamed up with a great group of girls to giveaway a summertime essentials bag. What's in it, you ask?

Everything you need!

Tri-colored Triple Chevron Tote by Autumn and Indigo on Etsy
Floppy Sunhat
Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Sea Salt Spray
EOS Cucumber hand lotion
Burt's Bees Coconut & Pear lip balm
2 Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear nail polishes - shades: Babe Blue & Bare It All
Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof Mascara
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen - SPF 55
Ban.Do "Let's Have Fun O.K.?" drink sleeve
Printed Hair Tie Set of 6
Round Aviator Sunglasses
Starfish Charm Necklace
Sun & Moon Stud Earring Set
$5 giftcard to Starbucks
1-month subscription to MyCoffeeism's coffee box
Small notebook & pen

Happy Tuesday ya'll!

Say hello to this month's sponsor:

Weekending

Happy Monday everyone! I hope your weekend was as good as mine.

Friday, I went out to DC Improv to see Flip Orley who is a comic hypnotist. I was a bit apprehensive and skeptical about it, but it was absolutely hilarious. He wasn't crass and didn't make any volunteers do anything embarassing. However, he had all of his volunteers forget their name unless they spelt it out letter by letter, and he had one of his volunteers believing that he was the Pumba mascot at disney. 

Saturday, I had an early morning photoshoot! I'll share the photos shortly, I hope they turned out well. Starla and I met our cute next door neighbor puppy. Then I had a Twilighter 5k. I've been running a bit more lately, but I still wasn't prepared for this 5k. My heart rate was ridiculously high. My body felt good, but my lungs were just not having it. I started the timer late as you can see below, but I finished in 37 minutes. 

I've also realized that Starla thinks that my bed is her own. I've been trying to implement a no-bed policy unless I invite her up...but she's too spoiled for that. 

Sunday, I went to brunch at Beuchert's Saloon in Eastern Market. So tasty! We started off with biscuits and unlimited mimosas. The nice twist to the mimosas were that they had mead in them! We ordered the Challah French toast and Eggs benedict. Then of course, dessert was calling our name so we got key lime pie with marshmallow whipped cream. I'm drooling just thinking about this again. 

Finally, I met up with my bestie Ariel for some drinks. We got some wine out and then she decided to cook up a storm. We had home made mac & cheese, sauteed spinach, and grilled sandwiches. The thing I loved the most was the wine bottle, so I snagged it to use it for something....

Isn't it pretty? I would love to use this bottle as a candle if I could cut off the top. Any ideas of what I can use it for?

Hope you all have a great Monday!

Linking up with Biana.

Say hello to this month's sponsor:

A Dog's Day Out in D.C.

Summer is a great time to get out and do things outdoors. And with so many things to do in and around the District, why should you leave your four-legged family member at home? I've been trying to find as many things as possible that I can bring Starla to in the city, and there's been a lot we've found to do. 

Other than just walking around the National Mall here are some of my favorite things to do with Starla.

Go to the Shirlington Dog Park. If you haven't been here you're missing out. The park is huge and even has a river that your dog can cool off in. It's Starla's favorite place to go. It's kind of tricky to find, but there's parking off of Four Mile Run Drive. 

Grab a drink at Hotel Monaco in Alexandria. They host a doggy “Yappy Hour” in the hotel’s courtyard every Tuesday and Thursday evenings from April through October. You can enjoy a refreshing drink while your dog can enjoy some social time, doggy treats, and fresh water. 

I also just discovered, Cantina Marina on the Southwest waterfront. The whole downstairs is an open air bar that you can bring your pup in. When I was there, we met three other doggy friends. Careful, their margaritas are strong!

Wineries are also great options. I haven't yet been to a winery that doesn't allow dogs. My favorite one to go to with Starla is 868 Winery in Purcellville, about an hour out of the city.

Take a evening cruise with your canine. Sailing out from Alexandria, the cruise is an hour long and free for your dog. $15 for you. Enjoy seeing all the sights of the city with your pup. 

Of course, there's always Pups in the Park at Nationals Park. What a better thing to do than enjoy America's favorite past time with man's best friend? You're out in section 143 in the outfield and is $26 for you and $10 for your pup. Their $10 ticket goes to the Washington Humane Society.

Barktober Fest is coming up in October for it's second annual beer festival. It's $35 for general admission (free for your pup) and it includes unlimited beer tastings and a tasting glass. There's also food trucks, a doggy costume contest, an agility park for your dog and much more.

And for all your drinking fun with your dog, you definitely do not want to be driving. Red Top Cab of Arlington and Diamond Cab in DC happily take dogs in their cabs usually for an additional $1 surcharge. I'm sure there are more cabs that will take dogs, but these are the two that I've found so far. 

Lastly, dogs are great running partners. You can take your pup along Mt. Vernon trail or even the W&OD trail, but keep make sure it's not too hot for your dog and that you keep them hydrated!

What are your favorite places to take your pup? What should Starla and I do next next?

Linking up with these awesome group of bloggers.

Say hello to this month's sponsor:

My Life in Numbers.

I saw this "life in numbers" a little bit ago but hadn't gotten around to writing it. I'm afraid it might be a bit random, but I hope it's a bit fun to read too.

8,974 days since I was born.

5 is the number of times that I've moved since July 2013. Please, can I stay in this current apartment for more than a year this time?

I have published 117 blog posts as of today, 20 of which have been filed under Blogging, 12 to Dog Life, and 50 to Life just like this one.

3 is the number of cars that I've owned in my life.

I drive 22.2 miles to work every day, round trip. In approximately six months, I will be walking 0.5 miles to work and I cannot wait.

The number of tattoos I have is three, although I really only count two. My first one was a "I'M EIGHTEEN AND I'M GOING TO LOVE THIS FLOWER ON MY FOOT FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!" tattoo. So I don't count it. Half the time, I forget it's there.

I spent $37 on laundry the past month, and so far this month I've spent $0. However, I don't want to calculate the amount of money I've spent on clothes so that I just don't have to wash my laundry. This is the first year I've had to pay for laundry. #CitylifeStruggles.

28 days until I take my first summer vacation this year. 78 days since my last day off for vacation.

3 years, 1 month and 17 days since I graduated from college. It's been two years, 1 month and 21 days since I've been in my current job.

After November, I will have traveled/flown on seven trips. I already have four trips planned for next year (all work trips though.)

There are 74 days until my favorite band performs in concert in DC, finally! Tickets sold out in less than one minutes and were originally $20 and are now about $70. Makes me slightly sad inside, but I'm going regardless.

What are some of your numbers? 

Linking up with Humpday Confessions and #HashtagHumpday.

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Growing Pains: Break ups

I've been postponing writing about this for a little while although I've wanted to share it with you. This is a personal story that involves people who might read this blog, so I hope I don't offend anyone, but this is my story and I hope maybe this can help others if they are ever in a similar situation.

I've dropped little hints here and there but never just came out and said it. As of late April, I broke up with my boyfriend of two years. We had lived together for a year at the time, and I had thought and hoped that he was "the one" for me. It took me a long time to realize that this wasn't the case. I'm not saying he's a bad person, or that we fought all the time, or that I just want to be single and live up my twenties. We truly cared for each other deeply, and I still care for him now but in a different way. 

Towards the end of our relationship I was having a lot of internal doubts. I found myself going out with friends more often than staying in and spending time with him on weeknights. I found myself crushing bottles of wine and immersing myself in my own individual hobbies by myself. I knew I was avoiding him and felt like there was something wrong even though I couldn't put my finger on one specific thing. I counted all the good times we had versus the bad times, and the good times always outweighed the bad times. However, at the end of the day, I often felt upset and lost for no specific reason. I feared that we had moved in together too quickly and that I was just getting cold feet. What if he is the right guy for me and I just throw that all away? 

After about four or so months of confusion, being upset, and the resulting fights that occurred because of this turmoil, I knew what I had to do. Breaking up is never easy, and especially so when you live with your significant other. I am here to say, you can do it! It's tough, it's scary, but it's achievable. I felt shady but I spent two weeks to finding a new apartment before I could bring up the nerve to tell him what I was doing. I knew that I had to rip the band-aid off and do everything all at once. I hear of stories of couples living together after one of them ends the relationship and I couldn't bear to do that to him or myself. 

I ended up talking to him about breaking up three times. The first time, I could barely talk through my crying, the second time he used logic to convince me that we weren't the worst couple out there and that every couple needs work. Everything he said was true, but that night as I laid in bed, I still felt uneasy. The third time, I enlisted all the support I had from family and friends and was able to tell him what needed to be done. I moved out that day.  

Even though, I wish that neither of us had been hurt in the process, I will never regret dating him or breaking up with him. I know, in my heart and head that we weren't meant for each other and there is better for the both of us out there. I've learned a lot and that is what getting older and growing up is all about. I really wanted to share some of the lessons I've learnt from the experience with you all. Some of you may already know these, some of you may have some lessons to add, some of you may disagree, but this is what I've personally learnt.

Never ignore your intuition. If something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. Stop ignoring your internal red or orange flags.

Do not feel like a bitch for hurting someone. First and foremost, you are your utmost priority. Keep yourself happy and do what is right for yourself. 

Do not worry about what others will think. They will understand eventually. And if they never understand or accept it, then they need to be dumped as a friend too. 

Do not feel ashamed and don't feel like you have failed.

Do not feel like you're alone. You have a support system, and they are there for you no matter what.

Sometimes (most of the times, in my experience) it is much better for all parties involved to cut your losses and move on. There is someone out there for you. 

I know this is heavy to read on a Monday and I'm sorry if it's too personal (you should have stopped reading earlier!) but it honestly is healing to write this out. I appreciate all of your support.

What have your growing pains been?

Say hello to this month's sponsor:

Saturday Sessions: Kristyn from Chits and Giggles & Giveaway

Welcome to another Saturday Session. Today, we have Kristyn from Chits & Giggles. I love Kristyn's blog. She shares everything from book reviews, photoshop how-tos, blogging tips and everything in between. I love her book reviews and her Between the Lines link-up. 

1.    Describe your blog and why did you start blogging?

My blog is called Chits & Giggles and I blog about our wedding, blogging tips, and everything in between.  I started my blog because I got bored on the weekends when my husband was working nights.  I didn't have anything to do, so why not start a blog?  And now, 3 years later, it has become a wonderful space for community and tips and tricks.

2.    What do you do when you’re not blogging?

I love to travel, so when I am not blogging, I am either working or planning our next trip.  We have such a long list of places we want to go, so we need to start planning them all now - right?  

3.    You say that food is your favorite thing -- even before your hubby! If you were on death row, what would be your last meal?

Ooh.  My favorite meal would either be a lobster dish or a steak dish.  I ate so much lobster when we were in Maine, but it was so delicious that I would love to have it as my last meal.  I have always been a steak girl, so that is also on my list.  I can't decide between the 2, so I guess I will have 2 last meals.  They allow that, right?

4.    When you started blogging, you wanted to turn your blog into a book. Are you still thinking of doing that?

Back then, I was just blogging to blog.  I didn't realize what the community was like and I just wanted to document my life.  I am still sort of doing that, but I don't know if I would still turn it into a book.  It's become so much more than I could have ever imagined it was 3 years ago, so it would be one really long book!

I wouldn't mind doing it, but I would like to pick and choose the posts that get turned into a book.

5.    If you were to meet any famous person in real life, who would it be and why?

Colin Firth.  I have loved him for a very long time and I would love to meet him in real life.  He's an amazing actor and just seems like a great human being.  I would love to meet him.

5.    What are your favorite posts that you've written!

Our wedding ceremony

That post where I wear a bikini

Why I’m not a fashion blogger

Our wedding video — it’s beautiful!

---

It's time for the best giveaway ever again...that's right, our famous/infamous ad space giveaway! I teamed up with 17 other bloggers to giveaway a total of twenty-three (that's right, TWENTY-THREE) ad spaces!  That means that 23 lucky readers will walk away with FREE ad space, no strings attached!  The spaces being given away range from 200x200 spots to in-post ads, and are from bloggers you've all heard of and love!

Classy, Sassy, & a Bit Smartassy // Wife Mommy Me // Southern Hope // Sage // The Jessa Olson Blog // All the Joys Whimsical September // Sea Salt Secrets // Love the Here and Now // Alanna & Company // Yellow Door Diaries Everyday Thoughts // T.O. & fro // That Southern Mama // Keeping Up with Ashley and Cody // Bourbon, Lipstick, & Stilletos // Southern Beauty Guide // The So-Called Homemaker

The rules are pretty simple:
1. Open to everyone, including our out-of-country friends!
2. All entries will be verified. Although we are saving you some time by not asking for your username for Instagram, Bloglovin', etc., your entry will be verified before you can be declared a winner. If one of your entries cannot be verified, you will be disqualified completely!
3. One ad space per winner...that means there will be a total of 23 unique winners from this giveaway!

Enter below and best of luck to you all! 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Say hello to this month's sponsor:

August Instagram Challenge #EverythingAugust

If you haven't realized, or don't follow me on Instagram (which you should!) I have been participating in a bunch of Instagram challenges. I had the #30PhotosInBetween in April from Helene, Taylor's #20HappyDaysinMay, #JadoreJune, and #Showyourbloglove. Not only has it kept my Instagram game strong, but it's been fun to find a photo to fit in the prompt, and take a photo each day!

I wanted to continue the fun for August. I got together with some of my favorite bloggers and together we've created an August Instagram Challenge, #EverythingAugust!

So please join Erica from Looking to the Stars, Jasmine from Classy, Sassy. and a Bit Smart-Assy, Ashley from Girl Talk, Helen from Hel on Heels, Christine from So Called Homemaker, Dayne from The Daily Dayne, and myself. 

 I will be featuring my favorite instagram photos weekly and the rest of the co-hosts will be checking out any posts with the hashtag #EverythingAugust too.

All we ask is that you follow all of the hosts on Instagram (@Alannaandco, @thedailydayne, @socalledhomemaker, @ashleyechase, @csandsblog, @helenguyyay, and @1hotredhd), keep your instagram accounts public so we can see your photos, and to comment and like using the challenge hashtag. 

The challenge starts on August 1st and the first prompt will be "Summer Nights". 

Looking forward to seeing all of your grams in August!

Say hello to this month's sponsor:

What I've Read - July

What I've Read

Ladies' Night by Mary Kay Andrews. This is a perfect beach read. It is actually about a lifestyle blogger and how her world comes crashing down when she finds out her husband is cheating. At times, I got a bit angry at her because of how accepting she was to hit rock bottom, but by the end you were cheering for the main character. Could have used a bit of trimming down, but if you want to spend time at the pool or beach, this is a great one.
Still Alice by Lisa Genova. It was a really quick read and I almost demolished this book one night because I couldn't put it down. So poignant and eye-opening to a different side of a disease that most people might not know or realize. I was also kind of upset with the husband in this book because he just couldn't acknowledge the problem and face it head on. He always kept trying to avoid the issue, avoid her, and ignore what she needed. A month of frustrating husbands in books. Overall, great read.

What I'm Currently Reading

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

My Reading Challenge Updates

Total Books this month: 2

Total Books read this year: 15/75 (23 behind schedule! Yikes!)

Total Books Read for the Modern Mrs. Darcy Challenge: 6 / 12

What have you been reading? Any good beach reads?

Say hello to this month's sponsor:

Eight Clues That You Have Resting Bitch Face

Have you ever heard the term "RBF" or "Resting Bitch Face", because I totally have. I self-diagnosed myself with RBF in 2006. Urban Dictionary (my go-to for any colloqualisms) defines RBF as "a person, usually a girl, who naturally looks mean when her face is expressionless, without meaning to." Often, this phenomenon goes unnoticed, but here are some key clues that you have Resting Bitch Face.

Clue Number One: People often come up to you and ask if you are upset about something or if you're having a bad day.

Clue Number Two: Strangers rarely approach you for directions, ask the time, ask to pet your dog, or anything of the sorts. Sometimes, they even directly avoid you or move out of your way.

Clue Number Three: It's hard to make new friends because when you meet people for the first time, they think that you hate them.

Clue Number Four: On that note, flirting is also a struggle because your RBF scares away all the cute ones.

Clue Number Five: When you make a joke, people are unsure to laugh or not because they can't tell if you're serious or joking.

Clue Number Six: You often get called into your boss's office to discuss "how you're liking your job," because every one at the office thinks you want to secretly kill them.

Clue Number Seven: Candid photos always end up making you look sullen, hungry, upset, or all of the above.

Clue Number Eight: Often people say that you remind them of Rihanna, Anna Wintour, Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart, or Victoria Beckham.

Now what do you think? Can you diagnose yourself with Resting Bitch face?

Say hello to this month's sponsor:

Saturday Sessions: Lindsay from Bourbon, Lipstick, and Stillettos

Please give a warm welcome to Lindsay from Bourbon, Lipstick, & Stillettos. Want to get to know a bit more about her? 

Describe your blog and why did you start blogging?

Bourbon, Lipstick, & Stilettos started as a beauty blog but has transformed into more of a lifestyle and opinion blog- guess I felt I had a lot more to say! I started blogging because I write professionally and wanted to have a little fun in my free time. And you cannot beat the relationships and opportunities that blogging provides.

So obviously, bourbon, make-up, and shoes are some of your favorite things, but what is your favorite bourbon, favorite make-up product, and your favorite pair of shoes?

Oh man, picking a favorite bourbon is too difficult! Living in Kentucky means I’m in THE bourbon epicenter. There are several distilleries within a few miles of our house! My three favorites are Maker’s Mark, Bulleit, and Woodford Reserve. My favorite make-up product is mascara. I NEVER leave the house without it! And for shoes, my current favorites are these babies from Mod Cloth.

What do you do when you’re not blogging?

When I’m not blogging I’m working as a technical writer. When I'm not working, I spend my time drinking wine and bourbon with my better half and getting addicted to series on Netflix. You’ll also find me workin’ on my fitness from time to time.

What are some of your favorite posts you've written?

Leading Lady

I Have a Big Butt (and that’s okay)

The Last Single Girl

If you were to meet any famous person in real life, who would it be and why?

I have to tell you that I don’t give a hoot about celebrities, but would definitely try to convince Jon Hamm to run away with me. ;) If you've seen him, you know why. 

Say hello to this month's sponsor:

Starla's American Journey

Products c/o of Chewy.com in exchange for an honest review. 

About once a month, Starla gets lucky and gets more mail than I do.



This month they have a new line of products that came out called American Journey, exclusive to Chewy.com. So they decided to let us try some of their new line.

 She might have also got a cute new bandanna. I swear this girl looks good in every color. It's not fair!

At first, Starla wanted to try her Beef Tripe chews. She thought they smelt lovely and tasted delicious. She might have also been mad at me about how sunny it was, and that I insisted on taking her photos.

Her favorite trick is give a paw. 

If you have a dog and haven't heard of bully sticks, you are missing out! They are made from 100% all natural USA beef with no fillers or artificial colors, or flavors. They are the best alternative to rawhides, which aren't the healthiest for your dog.

Starla is a crazy chewer and these can entertain her for a nice long time. She'll do all sorts of crazy tricks for a little bully stick. 

We received the American Journey Curly Bully Stick, bully stick, roasted marrow bone, beef tripe chews, and just turkey jerky. Her favorites are the bully stick (of course) and the turkey jerky. She thinks they smell and taste delicious. 

What type of treats to you give your furry friend? Have you tried out Chewy.com?

Say hello to this month's sponsor: