Versatile Blogger Award

Posted on October 17th, 2011 by Jean

I’ve been awarded The Versatile Blogger award by Tammy at The Tesserae. Thank you, Tammy!
 
The rules of accepting the award are that the recipient reveal 7 unknown facts about themselves prior to passing the award along to 5 deserving bloggers.
 
7 Unknown Facts
1. Before saying March or May, I have to really think about it to figure out which month is correct for my discussion.
 
2. I also tend to forget what I own. As a child, I coveted my sister’s green pogo stick. Turns out it was mine. I’ve done the same as an adult with a toothbrush.
 
3. I’m a workaholic. Even though I complain about my workload, I get a great deal of satisfaction by how much I accomplish.
 
4. I wish I had a garden, but have no idea where to start.
 
5. I have a hard time making friends the way some people have a hard time finding a partner. I knit-pick (in my mind) until I’ve talked myself out of pursuing a relationship.
 
6. The other side of the coin is that I love searching for and finding friends from my past! Facebook is great for that, but so is the internet as a whole. I’ve had two girlfriends say, “How did you find me?”
 
7. I don’t wear heels anymore. I’ll take comfort over style.
 
5 Worthy, Versatile Bloggers
Tammy picked The Girl From The Ghetto, but I will too. When I think of versatility, I think of The Girl. She has give-aways, book reviews, product reviews, and juicy posts that are bold and personal.
 
Beth of Word Nerd Speaks also epitomizes versatility. Along with hosting her own blog, she heads GBE2 (Group Blogging Experience 2) and partners with writers to host One Stop Blog World. Beth is one busy woman whose writing seems effortless.
 
Teacher Girl Blogs is a wonderful site by anonymous blogger, Teacher Girl. Her “What I Wore Wednesday” feature inspires me to open my wallet and purchase the cutest ensembles.
 
Sherri at The Kitchen Prescription is versatile and gifted in the kitchen! Her savory dishes and perfectly decorated baked goodies leave me drooling.
 
Mary of The Mama Mary Show is incredible. Everything she does, she does well. Her site is so professional from her header to her top of the line videos, interviews, tv spots, and blog posts.
 
I hope you will take the time to visit my friends if you are not already familiar with their sites. Thank you!

Censorship: The Secret Ingredient

Posted on February 25th, 2011 by Jean

On Valentine’s Day, I had the honor of being the featured blogger at SITS (Secret Is In the Sauce). Due to this, I’ve met so many wonderful bloggers, and am still catching up with comments.
 
I was taken aback, though, when I realized I had been censored. The first thing I noticed was my blog header was cropped, removing me entirely.
 

 
My interview was very nice, but I was startled by the warning posted at the end.
 

 
Luckily, the turn out was incredible, and those that commented were supportive of my header.
 
Later I realized that my favorite posts were not included in the published interview, so I’ll include them here now.
 

Here are 3 of my personal favorite posts: FB Profile Hack combines humor and tech, while A Haunting at Chuck E Cheese adds humor and photoshop to the supernatural. The salacious Man Stories took me out of my comfort zone which I found exhilarating.

 
I’m not sure how featured bloggers are chosen, but I can share how I was picked. In October 2010 I was contacted by one of the SITS leaders and asked to host a “tribe” (group of bloggers with similar style). For my efforts, I would be featured. A few months later, I received a schedule with a tentative date for being showcased, and was interviewed via email prior to the Valentine’s Day.
 
All in all, I am still a member of SITS and encourage you to get involved if you haven’t already.
 
• Is your header censor-worthy?
• Do you read blogs with your child/ren on your lap?
(I actually do!)
• Which celebrity would you photoshop your head onto?

Special Guest: The Mama Mary Show

Posted on October 21st, 2010 by Jean

It’s an exciting day here as I host my first Guest Blogger. Please help me welcome Mary of The Mama Mary Show! From the minute I stepped foot (virtually) into her world, I knew Mary had “it”. She’s entertaining, charming, professional and beautiful. Watching her vlogs, I feel like I’m catching up with a good friend. Enough of my intro. Let’s get to the good stuff! ~ Jean
 

 
Everyone’s A Winner
 
The year I turned twenty-one I went to Las Vegas at least eight times. I was in the middle of my junior year at the University of California at Santa Barbara so Vegas was only a short drive, and really the optimum place to celebrate one’s entry into official adulthood. Once I got a taste of the bright lights and a hankering for doubling down, there was no stoppin’ me.
 
My best memory of Vegas that year was a trip I took with my three besties, Amy, Brandy and Lori. We stayed at the illustrious Circus Circus hotel where $2.00 Black Jack tables were a highly sought after commodity rather than a thing of the past (pretty sure the $2.00 tables can’t be found nowadays).
 
Once we found a $2.00 table that could accommodate all four of us, we bellied up, antied up and settled in. The dealer and our fellow table mates could tell that we were newbies so they were very forthcoming with the “understood” rules of when to hit and when to stay. If you’ve played Blackjack before than you are probably aware of the dirty glares and eye rolls you get if you don’t “let the dealer bust.” We quickly caught on, and after a few hands of watching the dealer hit a twelve with a ten and begin stacking chips in front of us, we got the hang of it. Shortly thereafter, my friend Amy remembered a phrase taught to her by her favorite aunt.
 
The phrase is “Everyone’s a winner!” She taught us the very specific inflection and cadence with which it must be uttered (see video below) and we then taught it to everyone else at our table (to give the phrase its true magic, the key is to not only say it with the required rhythm, but it also must be said in unison by EVERY player at the table).
 
Luckily our tablemates were game, so to speak, and began chiming in with us every time the dealer would bust. “Everyone’s a winner!” we exclaimed, time and time again. Soon the pit bosses were gathered around and we had nearby tables joining in on our jovial cheer.
 
At some point I had to excuse myself to go to the restroom (you know, free cocktails and all). When I returned to the table I found seven empty chairs, no dealer and a black tablecover indicating the table to be closed. It was a Twilight Zone moment for me as I looked around for my friends and tried to retrace my steps back to the bathroom in case I had gotten turned around (casinos have that way about them). But after due investigation, I was certain that my friends had been hauled off to the Vegas black market and I had some splainin’ to do to our parents.

 
Minor panic began to set in, until one of my girlfriends sauntered over and grabbed me by the arm. “They moved us to a different table,” she explained as she pulled me in a different direction.
 
Apparently our table had been making quite the scene, in a good way, so the “house” moved us to a more visible, high-profile table. Our chanting-infused good luck continued at the new table and we were all able to walk away from the night winners.
 
Since that night I have introduced everyone and anyone I have ever met at a blackjack table to the cheer and though I have never been as lucky as that first night (who is?), my gambling experiences are always a blast (albeit annoying to the more serious game playas who should be playing at higher stakes tables anyway).
 
What about you? Do you have any traditions or good luck charms when you’re gambling? I highly recommend the “Everyone’s a winner” cheer for you and your table. It’s fun for the whole casino!
 
Check out the video below for a brief tutorial.
 

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