Guess Who's Back...Back Again

Monny's back...tell a friend. Now everyone report to the Blogger, to the Blogger, to the Blogger. Now everyone report to the Blogger alright stop. It's posting time.

Excuse me while I get my white girl on, but I'm here. Yes, it's really me! I've missed blogging so much. A week without internet Mexico was awesome. The weather was perfect(almost) and I only got minimal sunburn! I'm sure I'll have like a week long recap because I have no idea how to get it all into a few posts but I will try.

I came home to some awesome surprises last night. I got my second Influenster VoxBox. This #JollyVoxBox tissues, a mini roll of duct tape, an eyeshadow trio, a box of chocolate (Momma always said...), and lip lacquer. I'll write a review of these products when I've gotten a chance to actually use them, although I couldn't resist opening the chocolate and it's delish.

I also got my Christmas card from Kaylee. She wasn't kidding when she said she drew cartoons of us. Also, I've never seen anyone address a card like she did. It really says "your bloggy bff Kaylee" on the return address. I LOVE IT. It might be one of the best cards I've ever gotten.

Even my senior portrait proofs came in. It makes me feel more official about getting my diploma, even though we don't get to have a graduation for our major. I think they turned out pretty well. I can't wait to order them!

I'll leave you with one of my favorite pics from our trip!

Linking up with Whitney for #backthatazzup Friday. I think this one is pretty fitting for my mindset this week.

XO - Monny

Yet Another Show to Add to My List

I'm probably on my way home right now, which is bittersweet. I'm sure I'll have a ton of stories/picture to share next week after I've gotten back to the real world.

I have a confession to make. I never watched Sex & the City. [insert collective gasp here] I do however watch The Carrie Diaries and this post by my newest blog friend Rachel makes me want to check it out to see why Carrie is her spirit animal.

XO - Monny

Blog BFF

I don't even know how to introduce today's guest post writer. Kaylee and I became fast friends over the last few months and she is now what I like to call my bloggy bff. Should I abbreviate it bbff?! For those of you who are living under a rock, this is similar to a real life bff, except we've never met each other. We talk all the time in all of the various modes of communication. She is one of the few people who has ever been sent super embarrassing videos of myself on Snapchat. Like lip-syncing "The Lonely Goatherd" embarrassing. Anyway, I'll let her tell you more about her lovely, bubbly self. Take it away Kaylee!

XO - Monny

Next Stop: Hell

When Monica shot out a text a few weeks ago asking for guest posts while she was in Mexico, I obviously said yes. Monica was one of the first bloggers that I exchanged phone numbers with. She consistently makes me laugh. We share a serious love of tea. And even though her boyfriend has horrible taste in football teams, even he is pretty awesome (yes, we’re Twitter friends).

And though I’m beyond jealous of her being in Mexico right now (what I wouldn’t do for a beach vacation right now), I of course am thrilled to be on The Empty Teacups!!

Monica often tweets or snapchats about funny things she encounters while riding public transportation. In the winter, I tend to take public transportation more often because I hate driving in the snow. A normal travel day for me is about a 40 minute ride on the train (or rapid as we call it), followed by a 20 minute ride on the bus.

This morning, as I was reading Harry Potter, while wearing snowpants over my leggings and a hat with a giant black fuzzy ball on top and sitting next to a man in a super fancy wool coat who was reading “The Age of Reagan” on his iPad, I just had to shake my head and giggle a little. The train/bus is a funny place.

1. Girl who is trying to look good even though its -10 with windchill. Wear a damn hat. That peacoat that barely covers your midriff can NOT block the wind. And stop fixing your hair and looking around to see if anyone notices you. We’re all freezing and no one gives a crap.

2. Old lady talking to herself while doing what looked like sign language/interpretive dancing. Say what?? I couldn’t hear her as I was sitting a few seats away and was listening to music (which is what I do as a way to block people’s crazy out).

       

3. Man who was laughing SO LOUD that I could hear it over pre-mentioned music. And I guess now is a good time to say that he was by himself and not talking to anyone. Just laughing. Really loud. Like a crazy person.

4. Person listening to super inappropriate rap music on their phone with no headphones. So loud that I can clearly hear it over my own music (which I am listening to WITH headphones). There are no words for you. You just suck.

5. And the best for last. The person who sits on the outside seat even though the bus is absolutely packed. And then acts super inconvenienced when someone tries to sit in the empty seat and make a big show of getting up to let the other person sit down. No one feels bad for you, you big jerk. 

I'm Not Here

Hi everyone, and happy Monday!

As you might have seen on my Twitter/Instagram/Blog, I've been counting down the days until I left for Mexico (less than 24 hours after finishing my undergrad career!). So right now I'm probably sleeping off a margarita-induced hangover in 85 degree weather. #notsorry I didn't want to leave you all hanging for a week so I've asked some of my bloggy friends to entertain you while I'm gone.

Let's give a warm Blogland welcome to my good friend Sara - The Queen of Nail Polish! No, but really. Sara is such a pro. She even painted her nails different every single day for 21 days. She's basically my nail painting idol and she's also really good at life advice....and beer suggestions! Enjoy this awesome tutorial that I'll definitely be trying as soon as I get home.

XO - Monny

Going, Going, Gone!

Hey everyone!

It is 12:40 am on Saturday and I have to be up in 2 hours so naturally, I'm writing a blog post. I just wanted to let you all know that the countdown has finally ended and our flight for Mexico leaves at 7:47 AM. I finally got all my stuff packed and I wish I had cleaned my room so I have something nice to come home to. Oh well, I can't do everything.

What I can do is leave my blog in some very capable hands while I'm gone. I hope you all come to visit this week because Sara, Rachel, Kaylee, and Margaret are staging a takeover. Each day, one of these very awesome friends of mine will be posting about themselves or their lives in general. So sit back, relax, and sip a margarita because God knows that's exactly what I'll be doing.

Enjoy your week!

XO - Monny

P.S. - I didn't get around to answering too many emails this week. Next week, I promise!

Silent Vlog

Happy Friday everyone!

I'm in the best mood ever because I just finished the final final of my undergrad career. Let's be real I'm also excited because the only thing standing between me and Mexico is the fact that I still have to pack all my stuff. I'll still be posting while I'm gone because I have some amazing guests stopping by

ANYWAY, I just sent in my last ASL assignment and since it's a video, I'll be linking up with the always awesome (ya alliterations!) Ashten for #Vloglikeaboss.

I also want to make you aware of the fact that this travesty happened last week in not only the world stage, but in the sign language world. This imposter who claims to have been in the middle of a schizophrenic attack when he effed up everything signed gibberish at Neslson Mandela's memorial service stated that "I think that I've been a champion of sign language.” NO BUDDY. You are an embarrassment to your country and interpreters everywhere and you are an insult to the Deaf Community.

Here's my video. I'm signing real words about myself.


Translation along the lines of:
Hi my name is Monica, I'm a student at Temple University. My major is speech-language-hearing. I live in a house with my family. I have a mom and dad and two siblings - one sister and one brother. I'm the oldest. My sister's name is Lauren; she's 20 years old. My brother Christian is the youngest. He's 19 years old.

We don't have any pets. We used to have a goldfish named Ralf. Now he's dead. In the past, my family lived in Philadelphia, now we live in Bensalem. My boyfriend's name is Kris we met and fell in love. We've been dating for 5 years. Maybe in the future he'll propose marriage.

My favorite drink is tea. I like to read books, but I don't like reading for school. I also like to cook. I cook for about a half hour a day. WHen I'm not reading or cooking, I'm at work. I work at a food store called B***** D*****. I work about 20 hours. My job is pretty easy. My family is small, but my mom and dad have big families. I have 26 aunts and uncles and about 50 cousins. We have a family reunion once a year for Christmas. I love my family.

Thanks for watching me sign!
XO - Monny

Blogmopolitan Quiz

Hey bloggy peeps!

I was so busy studying yesterday that I never even saw Erin's brilliant Blogmopolitan post go up! This idea is one of the most creative things I've seen in the Blogosphere lately and I knew I had to fill mine out. Here ya go, almost a day late and definitely a dollar short!

Thanks to Erin, you get to know even more random things about me!

XO - Monny

PS - Go check out Whitney's newest design. I want it. *Lord, Let me hit the lottery*

Weekend Shenanigans & Studying for Finals

Hey Bloggers, it's Monday! I'm sure you're all still thawing out since this is basically what the United States looked like this weekend. Except you, Florida. What da hale?

I wish I could say that my weekend was full of fun shenanigans, but I spent the majority of it in my room, at my desk, studying. The most exciting thing that happened this weekend was leaving my room for 3 hours to go drink wine with my best friend.

Friday I cleaned the whole first floor and put up all the Christmas decorations. And studied. Ate dinner. And studied. Then drank wine. And studied.

Saturday, I studied all day, then sang at Mass and went to Amy's. We talked about boots, school, work and how much we missed each other. Oh, and how I'm leaving for Mexico in FIVE DAYS. Then I came home and studied some more.

Sunday, I studied then turned on the Eagles game to see this.

The Eagles won after the most exciting game I've ever seen and that means I get free coffee today at Dunkin. Yay!

Studying is such a process for me so I thought I'd share it with you.

8 stages of studying for finals

Stage 1 - "Ah, I have plenty of time!"
Stage 2 - Contemplate starting soon.
Stage 3 - Get distracted by Pinterest.
Stage 4 - Put game face on.
Stage 5 - "Crap, is this on the test?"
Stage 6 - Go into panic mode.
Stage 7 - Consider dropping out to be a stripper.
Stage 8 - Give in to exhaustion.

XO - Monny

Factoid.

Guys, my bff Kaylee (if that is her real name) wants me to tell you 11 random facts about myself. This sounds like a good idea since I didn't get around to writing a post today.

1. I already have my wedding date picked even though Kristo hasn't proposed to me yet.
2. I want 6 kids. He wants 3.
3. I will intentionally cross the street if the other side is sunnier.
4. The Sound of Music is my favorite musical. And no matter who performs in it, I will still love it.
5. I'll be getting my diploma in February, but I don't get a graduation. There weren't enough of us to justify holding a Winter commencement. Laaaaame.
6. I found out that house hunters isn't real, but I can't stop watching.
7. I'm shy. When I meet someone for the first time, I put in a lot of extra work so I don't come off as snobby(does that make sense?). It is emotionally draining.
8. I've seen Halestorm, my favorite band 7 times in 3 years. Glee performed one of their songs in an episode this year and then they won a Grammy.
9. When customers are rude to me, I secretly smash their chips as I scan them.
10. I also make hideous faces at little kids while their parents aren't looking.
11. I talk like Fran Drescher...like a lot.
    

If you wanna know more random facts about me check out these posts!

And just because every post needs a picture.

Ugly sweater contest from Christmas 2011. Still bitter that I didn't win.

XO - Monny

Undergrad Gratitude

Welcome back for another week of Gratitude on my blog. Glad you could make it! This week I'm grateful for finishing my last essay as an undergrad and finding the time to blog. I'm also grateful for...

ONE this little bird ornament from Target. It makes me smile and I wouldn't be opposed to someone buying it for me

TWO pups that look like Gandalf

THREE that I take the train early enough to see the sunrise every morning

  

FOUR days like today where everything is right with the world

Remember that thankfulness is not only for Thanksgiving. I wanna know what you're thankful for! Let me know in the comments.

XO - Monny

Giving Thanks

Hello, my pretties!

Guess what I did last night. I finished my last paper and got to bed before midnight! It may not be my best work, but it's good and it's finished and I won't have to write another 6-8 page essay for a very long time. I need a drink.

But I digress. The real point of this post to to tell you about my Thanksgiving, which seems like a million years ago now. Let's talk about it. Or not. Maybe we'll just let the pictures do the talking. Yeah, that sounds good.

 My aunt's gorgeous centerpiece at the 21+ table.

Peggy made pumpkin soup and we put it in a pumpkin serving bowl. I'm still laughing at the irony.

This is Kristo's plate. Mine wasn't colorful enough to take a picture of.

Mom-Mom and 8 of her grandkids (and 2 boyfriends). Me and chef Peggy. Me being proposed to by a dog...maybe. Gianna wanted us to have a selfie. and the girl cousins sharing the world's stretchiest(is that a word?) fleece blanket.

*this is where I stopped writing to go get my senior portraits taken. I looked fab in case you were wondering*

We left my aunt and uncle's house at 12 and got home around one. THEN WE WENT SHOPPING. We went to Target, JC Penney, and H&M and got home at 6 am. Yeesh. But I did see the cutest bird ornament and didn't buy it. #sadpanda

And that was the Thanksgiving recap you really haven't have been waiting for.

Oh. Here's a Thanksgiving selfie too.

Have a great Tuesday! I know I will as soon as I hand in my paper! EEEEP!

XO - Monny

Motivational Monday

Hi Bloggers! I hope you all had a fantastic, food-filled, frugal (haha, right) Thanksgiving weekend!

I have the last essay of my undergrad career an 8 page paper due tomorrow so I don't have time for a normal length blog post. I will be back tomorrow with some pictures of my Thanksgiving shenanigans, but for now I will leave you with the first of many Monthly Motivational Monday posts! Make sure you link up with Rachael or Heather. 

unfortunately it's sold out on Etsy

This is exactly what I need to keep repeating to myself until I get this paper finished. See you tomorrow!

XO - Monny

Thanksgiving Gratitude

Guess what day it is. GUESS WHAT DAY IT IS! Not, only is it HUMPDAY, but it's also the last day of school for the week. *Cue Handel's Messiah Hallelujah Chorus* Today is also National Gluttony Day Eve. Yes, tomorrow we will celebrate everything we're thankful for by stuffing our faces with too much food and cheering on whichever team is beating the Cowboys.

Well, I should probably get back to the actual topic of this post so I can prepare for tomorrow's festivities. I try to do a gratitude post once a week with Steph at Insert Classy Here so this just going to follow the same format it always has.

ONE I'm thankful that Kristo can make a good casserole, even when he can't handle the Pillsbury Croissants.

TWO I'm grateful for countdown widgets that make me even more excited for vacation (the day after finals!) and to get my Bachelor's of Arts in Speech Language Hearing Sciences after four and a half lifetimes years of hard work.

THREE I'm grateful for books that change my life and help me bond with my friends. I'm even more grateful that they sometimes get turned into movies that take everything from my head and put it on the big screen.

FOUR I'm grateful that I'm not the only one who hates rude shoppers at the grocery store.

FIVE I'm thankful that my dad tries to keep up with the times, even though he doesn't understand that you can't ask someone to "take a selfie of me."

SIX I'm thankful that tea can get me through assignments that are due in 3 hours almost anything.

SEVEN I'm thankful for sunrises past when I'm stuck with a dreary Monday morning.

I'm thankful that I have a loving family and friends and that we have more than enough delicious food to go around.

Lastly, I'm so thankful for all of you who read and comment on this little blog of mine every day and for my fellow bloggers who have become my faraway friends!

I hope you all have an awesome holiday and eat lots of your favorite carbs! Travel safe and I'll see you next week.

XO - Monny

Chins Up, Smile On.

Happy Monday!

Usually, this is the day of the week that I hate most, but I got more than 5 hours of sleep last night and there are only 3 days until national gluttony day Thanksgiving so I'm in a good mood.

I hope you all had a great weekend! Mine was pretty low key, except for the fact that I GOT TO SEE CATCHING FIRE. It everything I wanted it to be and more. I laughed, I cried, I got mad that Plutarch didn't show Katniss his watch, but mostly I fangirled. It is every book lover's dream that the movie adaptation is true to the story line and it was for the most part. I want to see it again and again. What are you waiting for? Walk away from the computer and go see it - I'll wait. When you get back we'll discuss Finnick's abs and Effie's eyelashes.

Since this week is going to be kind of crazy, I'm writing my mini goals list here so I can keep myself accountable.

• Deaf event essay - due Monday 5 pm 
• Audiology online quiz - due Tuesday 2 pm
• Online observation and language sampling analysis - due Tuesday night 11:59 pm
• Evaluation report - due 12/3

To help you get through your Monday...

XO - Monny

Kristo Behind the Blog

Hey party people! I know I haven't been in the blogosphere much this week, but it's the end of the semester so I don't really need to say much more.

I'm here with a post that isn't even about me. Everyone please give a warm welcome to my boyfriend for the Boys Behind the Blog link up. Please save all your applause until the end of the Q&A segment.

Who is your favorite band/musician?
Not to cop out, but I don’t have a favorite band. I listen to tons of music of varying genres (aside from country, much to the disdain of Monica). The bands/musicians I listen to the most are (in no particular order): Skillet, Halestorm, Avenged Sevenfold, Pink Floyd, Lindsey Stirling, Paramore, and Muse. If this was solely judged on amount of concerts attended, Halestorm would be number 1 with 12 concerts.

*Halestorm (2013 Grammy winners for best hard rock/metal performance!)*

What was your first CD/tape?
Unfortunately this question is one of my darkest secrets. My first CD was Oops!...I Did It Again by Britney Spears. Yes, you read this correctly. I won this CD in a machine in Disney World.

*I didn't know this.*

Who was your first concert?

 My first concert was Paramore in the Hammerstein Ballroom in NY with The Swellers and Paper Route as opening bands. Hayley was amazing in person, especially considering she was battling laryngitis at the time. The amount of passion and energy she brings to the stage is hard to match.

*my first concert was The Click Five*

What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?

Mashed potatoes would be a sure fire number one, but since I have them on a consistent basis, I’m going to choose Monica’s uncle's mushroom soup. Every other year when I attend Thanksgiving at their house, I am excited for it. Coming in a close second is pineapple stuffing and sweet potato casserole.

*mashed potatoes are my fave if anyone cares to know*

Finish the sentence: I am thankful for...

...having so many people that can be called my family. This includes my mom’s boyfriend's family who I have known for almost all my life, especially my aunt Lynn. In addition to them, I am thankful for Monica’s large family, providing me with something I never had. As an only child of a small family, I never had the experience of a large one. From her immediate family to her extended family, over the last 5 years they have accepted me as their own. 

*we're pretty awesome*

Kris and his mom // Kris, his cousin, and his grandmom // Kris and Greg "dancing" // Kris and my uncle...idk

Hope you enjoyed getting to know him a little better!

XO - Monny

How to be a Good Customer

It's Thanksgiving season and you're lying if you say you won't be hitting the grocery stores any time in the next 2 weeks. Here are some helpful tips on how to be a good customer (from a seasoned cashier's point of view).

Have your money ready. 

The people behind you shouldn't have to wait for you to navigate the depths of your Mary Poppins bag to find 56 cents. 

What do you mean you forgot where you put your money? 

"Oh, I guess you need me to pay huh?" This is not cute. You are not clever. It's obnoxious and your pissing people off.

"Can you check how much is on my food stamps card?" Uh, not in the middle of the order. "Oh, well there might not be enough on there." What.

Learn how to read

Don't bring up a lonely turkey when both the sign and  the ad say $0.37/lb turkey with a $25 minimum purchase. And don't tell me the sign doesn't say that. IT'S WRITTEN IN BLACK AND WHITE...and highlighted.

Don't fight with the cashier over a price. This is not a flea market. If you tell me a gallon of ice cream is $1.68, I can tell you didn't read the product name on the price tag. It makes you look stupid, not me.

"Are you open?" Does my sign say open?  "Yes" Then I guess I'm open.

The register says 12 items or fewer. You have a full cart. This is not okay.

Check yourself before you wreck yourself.

If' you're at the register and you remember something you forgot, wait until your order is paid for and then go get whatever it is. Don't run back for "just one thing" and come back 5 minutes later with half the store in your arms. It's rude, you lied, and all these people had to wait for you to finish being a d-bag.

Let my people goooo.

If you have enough food in your cart to feed a small village and the lady behind you has a gallon of milk, let her go. It's good karma. Who knows when you'll get stuck behind a full cart when all you wanna buy is a box of Brillo pads.

Follow proper cart etiquette

Don't let your kids stand in the cart. You'd think this is common sense, but it's not...oh I promise it's not.

Leave the carts in the store or put them in the cart corral. Don't be a d*ck...like this person.

The walk was a little too far for ya, huh buddy?

Don't take the carts home with you - I wish this was a joke.

Don't ram other customers with your cart - I wish this was a joke too.

There you have it! If everyone and their mother followed these simple rules, we'd all have a happier holiday season.

XO - Monny

Gratitude Catch-up and the Thankful Project

Hey guys! I can't believe the feedback I got on yesterday's simple handwritten post. I was so surprised you all liked the idea.

Linking up with (the newly relocated) Steph for this week's gratitude post. Here's an abbreviated version of the last month since I haven't done a post like this in forever.

ONE I'm thankful for my church where I can get peace of mind whenever I walk through the doors.

TWO I'm thankful for the Philadelphia skyline that always makes me well up with pride for my city.

THREE I'm thankful for coming home from work to find 10 new pairs of socks (Thanks, Mom!).

FOUR  I'm thankful for our first couples costume looking awesome even though it wasn't exactly what we planned for the Halloween party.

FIVE I'm thankful that my first #Vloglikeaboss post finally uploaded.

SIX I'm thankful for colorful marshmallows in my hot chocolate when I'm having a bad day.

SEVEN I'm thankful for my new blogbff Kaylee who will "sing" Wicked lyrics with me over text message and not think it's weird at all.

EIGHT I'm thankful for days like these where I know someone is looking down from Heaven to say hi.
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And since this post was kind of short, I'm also linking up for the #ThankfulProject with Kenzie at Chasing Happy. Today's prompt is an ability you're thankful for.

I'm thankful for my ability to sing because it allows me to share the word of God through music at church. I'm thankful I can lead the congregation to worship through song. Music has opened so many doors in my life and I'm grateful for it every day.

Handwritten Post

Borrowing a fabulous idea from Anjali at From L&P to English Tea

Saturday Shenanigans

Happy Monday, Blogland!

Are you ready for my weekend shenanigans? (The correct answer is yes.) I was a good blogger and took pictures this weekend so I would have something to talk about when today rolled around.

I was in a crappy mood for pretty much all of last week. Luckily, I didn't take a nap Friday morning which meant I got to watch Paramore perform on Good Morning America and get my dad's birthday post done. It was the perfect way to get back into a good mood and it totally made me feel better.

After class, I went to work which sucked as usual, but at least no one told me I look like a 16 year old this week.

On Saturday morning, we woke up an hour before Jesus started handing out blessings and headed to south Philly for the Philadelphia Heart Walk. It was warm enough that I didn't need my winter coat (Yay!) so I rocked my school hoodie since I was walking for Temple Health anyway. When we got into the stadium the first thing I saw was Temple's mascot and I yelled "Hey Hooter" before skipping happily into his arms asking for a picture. Go owls!

We sat in the good seats for the opening ceremony while the Phillie Phanatic made fun of friends with the NBC peacock and generally disregarded all ceremony etiquette. He is the best mascot with the most personality and I want him at my future wedding reception. This is not a joke.

After the walk, we headed to my Mom-Mom's. On the way, we passed a place called Burger Bar and I asked my mom what it was. Her response? "Oh it's good, they have alcoholic milkshakes." Thanks mom, but I was asking about the food. With an explanation like that, we had to go in.

Apparently I really like bourbon. Like a lot.

When we got home, we (mostly Mom) made my dad his birthday dinner. It was a filet mignon roast and it. was. awesome. After dinner, we sang happy birthday to Dad who refuses to sit still or look at the camera, which resulted in 47539287 pictures.

After dessert, Kris and I went to see Pride & Prejudice. You know what's not fun? Explaining the whole plot to your boyfriend at intermission. You know what is fun? When he gets riled about the characters and wants them to live happily ever after.

Sunday was pretty dull, but mom and I made Apple Pie Cake. It didn't turn out as pretty as this, but it tasted like a dessert prepared by the magical cake fairy from Heaven. I will definitely make it again!

I hope you all have a great week!
XO - Monny