Waiting for Someone to Love {Musical Mondays}

What is Musical Mondays? Musical Mondays is a weekly linky party where we share a song we're into for the week, and talk about why we like it-or why it effects us.  Anyone who links up a song and a post about that song is entered to win a big music giveaway at the end of 2012.

This week's song:

Someone to Love

by Kate Earl

You're a porcelain doll that sits in a window

You hold your breath when people walk by

Safely kept behind rose colored glass

Neatly tucked beneath the spotlight

Waiting for someone to love(x3)

You're a Cheshire cat

You think a smile hides the best ambiguity

It wont always cover the facts

Where do you come from? Where do you go?

Must be lonely to be all alone.

Waiting for someone to love (x3)

And when they come they'll accept you just the way you are

You'll swear under a moonlit sky about rocks in the sky

Trees backed up by the sea, thin wild mercury

Until then you're

Waiting for someone to love (x3)

***

Isn't that the truth.  I feel like I am waiting for someone to love.  Someone who will come along and accept me the way I am.  Someone who will love me back as much as I love them.  So far I haven't had much luck with that.

I saw Mr.Bingo this weekend as a friend.  We had a discussion a couple of weeks ago about what we did and didn't want-he wants to keep going as we are now. Casually dating and seeing each other when we visit, never changing; he's not interested in having a relationship at this point in his life.  That's fine.  He was honest and I can appreciate that, but eventually I am going to want more.  So I am going to throw myself back into the world of dating in hopes of finding something real and lasting I can grow and change with.  Here's hoping.

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<a href="http://www.mysocalledchaos.com"><img src="http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww257/agofish/For%20Blog/musicalmondays.jpg"></a>

Please make sure you grab the button when you link up! 

Prizes will be drawn for the 2012 participants next month!

♥ ♥ ♥

New Reads for a Cozy Winter pt. 2

Thanks for coming back for Part 2 of my New Reads for a Cozy Winter!  If you missed Part 1, go ahead and see it HERE.  Otherwise, let's continue on with some more fantastic new finds for you that I'm loving curling up and reading while indoors during this cold weather! Make yourself some cocoa (or coffee, or tea if you prefer) and check these lovelies from my Holiday Hot List out!



Solemn Sound
Blog | Twitter | BlogLovin | HelloCotton | YouTube

Popular Topics:  Family, Life, Fashion, Gift Ideas, Crafts, and more!

Cody is such a lovely girl and has become such a great blog friend over the last little while.  She posts such great ideas for gifts, talks about her life, and shows off her cute outfits and photography. She's also great about commenting back and making relationships that reciprocate either by commenting on Facebook, Tweeting you back, or coming and visiting your blog.

Check out these awesome posts: New Years Early, Silent Blessing, Christmas Gift and Swap Ideas, Christmas Present Tip- Kids.

Little Lady Little City
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Popular Topics:  Animals, Building a House, Travel,  and more!

Amanda is one amazing girl.  Not only did she write and publish a children's book titled The Musical Adventures of Mr. Caterpillar, but she and her Mister are actually living on a mountain in West Virginia and building a house with their own two hands!  Wowza!  I love following her blog as she talks about her adventures, her sense of style, the fun furry friends that come into her life, and all of the things she loves.  She's such a doll!

Check out these posts: Vanilla Sugar Cookies,  Wedding Pt. 3,  Pt. 2,  Pt. 1,  Ladies of the Mountain Mountain Haven,  Apple Cider Waffles.

Living a Goddess Life
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Swap Blog

Popular Topics: Life, Book Reviews, Love & Dating, DIY, Recipes, Green Living, and more!

Beth is one of the greatest people I know, and truly the a super domestic goddess.  I don't know how she gets the things she does done and still has time for her man and her blog-she's crazy talented and always has something new! I've known her for years, and have even had the chance to meet her in real life-you will not regret having this lady in your bloggy-buddy-Life!

Check these out: DIY Vanilla Extract, Eat Well When Broke, 10 Steps to a Positive Body Image, A Love Story.

KV's Confessions
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Popular Topics: Fashion, Design, Artwork, Tutorials, Life &  Love,  Photography, and more!

Kristen is a gorgeous girl, and she is always rocking some awesome look that I envy.  She has great dresses, boots, and other fashionista things that would make any shopper drool.   She puts a lot of time and energy into making her blog great-the look, the feel, and the content always seems to flow really well.  She even offers blog design if you think you need a new look or a revamp (I'm even considering it-maybe if someone else does it I wont always be tweaking mine!) She's seriously cute!

Check out these posts: You're So Vain,  The Hole,  Bree's Watercolor Portrait,  Paper Flower Tutorial,  Blogging Tips from a Former Newb.

The Busy Bee
Blog | Shop | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Popular Topics: Life & Family, Vintage, Fashion, Crafting, Recipes, DIY, and more!

Autumn is one crazy creative girl, and she seems to keep herself really busy with her vintage finds, handmade items, blogging, and her family.  She's also super pretty, and her blog is a really fun read to follow.  Not only does she posts crafts and recipes, but she has cocktail recipes too-a girl after my own heart-Hurrah!

Check out these posts: Little's Learning Adventures, Come On In!, Teacup Candles!.

The Domestic Geek
Blog | Facebook | Twitter |  Pinterest | Instagram

Popular Topics: Giveaways, Geekery, Family,  Reviews, Beauty, and more!

Brittany is a bit of a jack of all trades-or is it "Jill of all trades"?  She's a geek girl who is also take scare of her household and family while keeping up with her blog that is full of great giveaways-there's usually something amazing you can win there!  I recommend you check it out!

See these posts: All Time Beauty Favorites,  {Two Ingredient} Strawberry Fudge,  Our {Early} Christmas Miracle

Grits and Moxie
Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Popular Topics: Recipes, Tea, Life, DIY & Crafts, and more!

Jennifer is an adorable lady living in Athens, GA.  Her bio tries to sum her up by quickly saying she's obsessed with hot tea and happiness-but she's really so much more and her blog is such a great read! She's just such a darling blogger-I love it!

Check these out: DIY Chalkboard Gift Tag, The Tree That Owns Itself, Beat the Heat with Neat Drinks!, 100 Before 40, Frozen Treats for the Doggies.

WildFlower Child

Blog | Style Tumblr | Personal Tumblr | Pinterest

Popular Topics: Fashion, Life,  Beauty, Shopping, Veganism, and more!

Melissa has quite the flair for style and she's always posting some outfit collection that gives me ideas on how to dress better.  Not to mention she's adorable and a bit of a hippie-at-heart which I love! She also shares Vegan recipes from time to time which can be very helpful!

Check out these posts: The Best Vegan Chocolate Chips Ever,  Sun Comes Up, En Pointe: The Choreography of Winter.

                                Making Sense of Cents
Blog | Twitter | RSS | BlogLovin

Popular Topics: Finances, Budget, Travel, & more!

Making Sense of Cents is such a great blog for learning how to budget, be more frugal, and stay within the bounds of what you need! Goodness knows I could stand to take her advice more often!

Check out: Ways I've Made Money, Money Saving Tips for Your Vacation.

♥ ♥ ♥

New Reads for a Cozy Winter pt. 1

I don't know about you guys, but I this winter I have upped the amount of blogs in my reader because I'm continuously looking for a new read for these cozy inside days.  The weather is just too cold to go out that often in my neck of the woods, so a nice cup of hot tea, and my warm laptop open to a great blog has been my reprieve!

In case you are like me, and want some new and fantastic reads, please check out these wonderful blogs that I am keeping up with this winter.  I'll start with the fantastic reads from my 2012 Holiday Hot List!

High Heeled Love
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Popular Topics: Life, Love, Marriage, Shoes, wine, beer, and running her own business!

Aubrey has been one of my best bloggy buddies for a long time now.  I'm pretty sure we met through another link-up and then just started follow each others blogs until we developed a great friendship.  She's one of those bloggers I'd actually go visit, or offer a spot on my couch if she came to town.

Great Posts: Thankful, Blog Star: August Edition, Five Questions: Holiday Style.  She also has been hosting the Happy List and Friday Confessional for the last few months!

Painting Bliss Blog | Shop | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Popular Topics: Art, Love, Family, Nature, etc.

Ashlie is a fantastically talented artist who does all sorts of beautifully inspired mixed-media art.  Aside from her Etsy shop where she sells her awesome creations she also keeps up a very thought-provoking and inspirational blog that I find myself turning to often.  She's a great mother, nature lover, & beautiful kindred spirit that I am happy to know!

Great Posts: Notes to Yourself and Reminders to Your Soul, Just Words and Thought Spread Upon the Page, Faces from Beginning to Finish.

Lena B, Actually
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Photography

Popular Topics: Fashion, Family, Photography, etc.
Lena is one of those great bloggers who knows how to mix her reviews, giveaways, and fashion posts in with the real hard-hitting posts about her family and their struggles and triumphs.  I don't know how she balances it out so well, but she's a PRO at it! Not to mention I LOVE her fashion choices.  She can take any combination of outfits and really make them work-even hotdogs on her dresses! 
She hosts:  Tuesday 10 Linkup!
Check out these posts: The Birth Story 5 Years in the Making, The Difference a Year Makes, Real Thoughts on Getting Older, Think Before You Judge.




Nykki Talks Beauty Blog | Facebook | Twitter |  BlogLovin | Instagram
Popular Topics: Fashion, Beauty, Blog Tutorials, Reviews, Life & Love, etc.
Nykki is such a sweetheart.  She continually tries to help others by sharing her knowledge of beauty products, style options, nail polish tricks, and by just being genuinely supportive of other bloggers.  In the short while I've been reading her blog I've learned tons of new tips and tricks, and I've seen a girl with a smile that lights up the room and a lot of love in her heart!  She is such a peach! 
She hosts:  The Bloggers Digest Link-Up
Check out these posts:   You Know You WANNA,   I'm MARRIED!!!,  Out with the Old in with the New!,  Current Foundation Routine.
Sweet Pea London Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Photography
Popular Topics: Photography, Travel, Beauty, etc.
Rachel is an adorable new find from the UK, and  yes, that is a picture of her next to Chris Helmsworth on the set of Thor 2 in Greenwich-she leads an exciting life! She does a lot of travel and takes some fun pictures, as well as writes some pretty great posts talking about her favorite chocolates, beauty products and more!  She's completely awesome, and I'm happy to have recently found her blog! 

Check these posts out: Photo Diary #5, October Favourites, London Trip Summer 2012, Products I regret Buying, Nighttime Skincare Routine.



Everyday Life Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | YouTube
Popular Topics: Poetry, Reviews, Family,  and more!
Becca is such a sweet girl, always commenting and getting to know people, and she writes such great poetry! 
Becca Hosts: Weighing In
Check these out: Let's Party, The Edge, I'm standing my ground.


We Took The Road Less Traveled Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
Popular Topics: Life & Love, Travel, Military Life, Shopping, Fashion, Nutrition, and more!
Casey is one of my favorite new blog finds. Not only is this girl super gorgeous (check out that hair-I'm so jealous!) but she is also extremely talented and her blog is such a great one to follow!  She's so sweet and she's always off on some kind of adventure getting really great photographs of it all to share with you!  
Check out these great posts:The Day I Saw My First Pair of German Boobies, From Vine to Glass: Grape Picking on the Rhine, Welcome to Italy: Our Tuscan Villa, A Blog About Pop Tarts.

Pulp Sushi Blog | Shop | Facebook | Twitter  | Instagram
Popular Topics: DIY, Crafting, Fashion, and more!
Marilyn is such a great blogger-and her blog is a cute little tribute to her shop with a lot of extra thrown in.  I have really enjoyed getting to know her and seeing all her wonderful vintage inspired creations! 
Check out: Pictures from Howland Holliday Craft Fair, A Visit To The Sheep & Wool Festival, Recommended Crafty Reads.

Come back tomorrow for pt. 2 and more awesome blogs to check out! Don't forget to fill out my 2012 End of Year survey for a chance to win a gift card!
♥ ♥ ♥

Confessing on the Snowpocolypse, Christmas, and More!

I confess that it has been snowing like crazy here. Christmas Eve I woke up to rain in Salt Lake City, and then driving 40 minutes to work I hit a massive blizzard just at the point of the mountain (a pass over the freeway for you non-Utahns) and then it snowed big lovely snowflakes all day at work.  Our fountain was all frozen over too.

Yesterday I came to work and nothing had been plowed, shoveled, or salted... So all the roads were full of snow, it was still a blizzard in Utah County and when trying to turn into work I slid right on by.  I was shocked they didn't plow the parking lot or salt/shovel the sidewalks-seems like a liability to me... Today it is still snowing and my street at home has not been plowed (which is really pretty.

I confess that I understand now why people drink to get through the holidays.  I went down to my parent's house on Christmas and it goes about like most Holidays go.  We had a really good time during dinner and hanging out, then my dad informs me that my brother and SIL don't want to come to Christmas at all because I was sick last week and they're worried they'll get it-so I get upset over that and because I"m upset my dad yells and threatens to burn down the Christmas tree if my mom and I don't stop talking about it.  We keep talking about it and he storms out of the room, so I start crying and put on my coat to leave until my mom begs me to stay.  I sit down, drink a couple of beers, and the rest of the holiday is like none of it ever happened.

1. Tanner riding with me in the car.  2. Gizmo trying to steal my beer. 3. Tanner and Gizmo begging for food on Christmas eve.

I confess that we went and visited my grandparents that I only see about once a year.  It was nice to catch up with them-and their Dachshunds are so cute! 

1. My grandmother with Ali-a double/triple dapple Dachshund. 2. The view from their amazing house.

I confess that Jessica is an amazing swap partner and I loved that we were paired up for the 12 Days of Christmas swap! Check out what she got me HERE.

I confess that I'm dying to start some crafting and jewelry making again.  The roommate got me a real soldering gun and solder for me to make higher quality stuff-and I want to try it out!  He's so great! 

I confess that I got some wonderful gifts from friends and family.  My favorite by far was a little Celtic Knot Moon necklace and matching earrings my momma gave me-she really knows me! My brother and SIL gave me an adorable little elephant necklace and melty star earrings that I'm in love with... My sister totally spoiled me with jewelry and a big old box of bath and body pampering stuff!  Ryan (the youngest) gave me a little turtle that he said "I wanted to give you something so pointless that you look at it in 5 years and think 'yep-Ryan'" lol! 

I confess that the European technicians that work for my company are basically useless-and in particular one is now on my "I hope you get fired" list for being a total beeyotch.  A customer was asking for her in particular (since they'd been working together and he was disconnected) and she refused to take their chat or give me any information on what the issue was so I could help him.  So she's dead to me.

What do you have to confess?

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Live on My Sidebar for January?

Hey lovelies!  I can't believe there's only a few more days left in 2012 and that 2013 is sneaking up on my so fast!  This Holiday season has been AMAZING.  I simply cannot believe how great it has been working with my sponsors, buying only local or handmade Christmas gifts, and spending time with those I love-which include you guys! :)

I just wanted to put a call out there for January Sponsors.  I've changed my sizes and options up a little bit in order to accommodate change and the need for new at the new year-but I still promise to do everything I can to promote my sponsors and work hard to get them traffic and extra love! I've been told by many of my sponsors that I work harder than most others to promote them and make sure they are kept up-to-date and in the loop!

In the spirit of the new year, use the code NewYear for 25% off any ad size!

Check out the new(ish) options:

Here is an example of an individual feature post: Occupy Your Studio

Here is an exampe of an individual giveaway post: Painting Bliss Holiday Giveaway

Here is an example of a group giveaway: MASSIVE Holiday Group Giveaway

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12 Days of Christmas

For those of you that were not aware, over at Chaotic Goddess Swaps Beth and I hosted a 12 Days of Christmas swap.  I was very lucky to have been matched up with Jessica from My Bag of Sunshine, who is one of my favorite bloggy friends and such a great gifter!  She knows how to bring the wow with wonderfully wrapped gifts, and the box I received from FedEx was HUGE! 

They were all so lovely it was really hard waiting to open each one each day! I wanted to open them all and see! But it was fun, and they were filled with really great things!

• Day 1: A Jar full of White Chocolate Peppermint M&Ms. These were so good!  I have to moderate really well so I don't eat the whole thing! 
• Day 2: A Holiday Cookie Candle that smells so yummy! 
• Day 3: A Fuzzy Teal & Red Blanket with Peace signs.  It's like this girl knows me or something!
• Day 4: A Big Fat Holiday Mug!  I love odd shaped mugs and this one is awesome!
• Day 5: A Pretty Blue Journal.  So adorable and I can't wait to use it!
• Day 6: A Portable Manicure Kit-so handy!
• Day 7: Nail Polish in fantastic colors!
• Day 8: A Red Frame.  This is so cute, though it'll have to be a different photo!
• Day 9: Thank You Cards.  I can ALWAYS use more of these! And these are cute!
• Day 10: A Hand Painted A for Angie! I loooooove this, she's so sweet!
• Day 11: A gorgeous Teal & Gold Bracelet.  Seriously this is beautiful!
• Day 12: The prettiest scarf and the loveliest note! I've been wearing this scarf a ton this week, it's my favorite! So pretty! 

Jessica is one of the sweetest bloggy buddies I know, and I feel extremely lucky to know her after this year, and I hope our friendship continues to grow!  If you want to make an awesome bloggy buddy, you really should go follow her.  

Thank you Jessica! 

Thank You Beth for Co-Hosting and keeping things running!

Thank you other swappers for your support and participation!

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