you asked, i answered! q +a part one

Good morning! I finally compiled my answers to your questions from, uh, about a month ago. I'm telling you, this being busy thing and computer problems are really getting in the way of blogging lately.

I've broken the questions up into wedding/relationship related and then other questions that I was asked. 

I'll start with the random questions!

What makes someone a good blog read to you?

This answer is going to be a book!

1.The first thing I look for in a blog is a connection. Does this person live a similar life like I do? Where do they live? I’m ultimately connected to southern bloggers, especially SC, for obvious reasons! And when I lived in Illinois, I searched high and low for Midwestern blogs to try to get to learn about that part of the country! I’m more into newlywed blogs than “mom blogs,” only because the thought of children for us right now freaks me out. I’m SO thankful no one asked me any questions about kids! I digress.

2. I also look for blogs that have authors that actually comment back when I leave comments on my blog to get to know me back. I have formed a lot of friendships that way and it really makes a difference when someone takes the time to comment back to you saying they agree/disagree in your comment, or even just say thanks for stopping by. I’ve also emailed “big bloggers” before, and to even have them email me back means a lot! When I first started dating Tyler I emailed {av} at Long Distance Loving and she thanked me for reaching out to her and we chatted about long distance. I’d never thought I would meet her almost 2 years later in person in my town!

3. Another thing I look for in blogs is for content. I will immediately stop reading if someone’s blog is clogged with sponsorship posts (obviously trying to make money) or products that the blogger obviously doesn’t use or believe in. I just like real-life, fun, upbeat blogs that I can relate with. Giveaways are great every now and then of course! But 2-3 sponsored posts (I’m talking feminine products and baby supplies for the non-moms) a week are a little much. And there’s nothing wrong with unfollowing a blog for a little while! There are so many out there.  Just don’t make a big deal of it if someone unfollows your blog.

4. Another blog turn-off that kind of goes off of the last bullet is blog/social media drama. You better believe I will not read your blog anymore if you are constantly causing drama on social media for whatever reason that may be! It is silly and childish and I don’t enjoy reading those kinds of blogs or follow people like that on social media. If you don’t agree with someone’s political comment on Twitter, don’t respond negatively back… Just don’t respond! This happened once and I have frowned upon this person ever since! I totally understand people not agreeing on everything, but there’s no need for negativity and unpleasantness in the blog world.

Tell us about your perfect day if you could be doing anything in the world.

I’m going to combine this question with “what’s the best way to spend a weekend” question. One of my all-time favorite things to do is be out on the water. If I could be doing anything, I would pack up my best friends and their guys (boyfriends, fiancés, husbands- whoever) on a few boats and cruise around for a while with some coolers of beer and good music! That is normally what Tyler and I do together on the weekends anyways. To end the day, grilling out after a long day on the boat would be perfect! Now, if only we could find a weekend to actually do this!!

What were you like in high school?

I’d love for my high school friends to answer this, but I’ll do it as best I can. I did ask my friend Caroline and her response was “awkward.” Well, thanks for that.

In high school I was involved in everything. I’m talking e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! I went to a small private school from kindergarten to senior year, which allowed me to really get involved in a lot! Let me just roll off my high school “resume” for you to understand…. Student Council (9-12), National Honor Society (9-12), Graduation Marshall (11), Basketball and volleyball (9-12), Cheerleading (9- hahaha what a joke!), Yearbook Editor (12), Junior Class President (11), FCA (9-12), Youth Group (9-12), Palmetto Girls State (11-12- I was a counselor too), Leadership camps every summer, sports camps every summer, etc! I also babysat and was a lifeguard at my country club. I was always super busy.  I was voted “Most Talented” as my senior superlative, even though my class and I never figured out what my talent was? I took voice lessons and played piano until 9^th grade when I got more involved with sports, so I think they thought that was my talent… years prior? Who knows.

I was pretty much a teacher’s pet and always tried to please them, whoops. OK, I guess I was contentious and really hard working and wanted to make good grades which I did, but I had a HORRIBLE SAT score. As in, I took it 5 times and never broke 1000. Judge me. But I did get into every college that I applied to and graduated with a 3.8/4.0 GPA and graduated 4^th in my class (of 37 people). So take that SAT score.  I only had a boyfriend my senior year, well except for one guy who I dated for 10 days and who brought me a cake that said “I love you” when I was sick and in the hospital. So that didn’t go very far obviously because that freaked me out. I hung out with people in my class and the class above me (because my cousin was older than me and my best friend Rebecca is older than me too), so I’d say I was pretty social. We had parties on sandbars on the river and/or our friend Matthew’s pond. Oh and I’d go to South Carolina football games and drink screwdrivers. BUT I never missed curfew and only got grounded once (stupid reason) and truly yelled at once by my dad… on the first day of my senior year… I wore Abercrombie and American Eagle and Express- because they were cool and I had to wear them.  My high school car was a 1992 Honda Accord that was bright green until I got a 2001 Pathfinder when I was a senior. So, I’d say I was pretty cool as you could get in high school, only after I got rid of my braces in 10^th grade right before our high school sorority’s formal.

I’m pretty sure I just went above and beyond on that answer, but it’s fun to reminisce and make fun of yourself every now and then!

I'll have part two and three soon. In the mean time, feel free to ask me more!