Not Your Average Gal

Copywriter. Content Creator. Constant Sassypants.

Caroline Peterson

Coming Soon…

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…to a blog near you.

I’m working on re-vamping this site and maybe new branding for a blog name and URL!

I know. I know. I’m such a rebel.

Thanks for checking in.

Unfortunately, my blog was hacked last year and I had to change to a bare-bones design while we worked out getting the virus wiped. THAT SUCKER IS NOW DEAD. But because of that issue, I didn’t get a chance to go back and work on the design and layout again.

Getting married, working long hours as a copywriter and traveling over 50,000 miles in this past year has put a bit of a kink in blogging…

UNTIL NOW.

I’m devoted to upping my blogging game with some exciting seminars and classes.

In the meantime, while all that boring stuff is being worked out in the background, enjoy this lovely picture from our wedding across the pond this past year. Yup. We headed to England.

I know. I know. We’re such rebels.

Old Wardour Castle Wedding

Miss your faces.

Caroline

The 411

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I guess I kinda forgot to mention that I took a blog sabbatical… Did I need to notify HR at Caroline Made This?

I’m here now, guys!

I will name just a (few) major things, in sequential order, that have been going on in the midst being absent in the blogosphere for a few weeks:

1)  Car-o-line got a new J-O-B.

Yeah, no biggie. I am now a copywriter at a marketing studio. Basically, I get to use my creative skills to come up with some fun copy, text, taglines, logos and mottos that (hopefully) convince you minions to take action or buy a product. You know, I’m using my love of creativity and writing and putting it into a nice paycheck. Ain’t no thang.  <insert cheering and tap dancing on a table here>  Note: I said tap dancing. Not lap dancing. I was never that desperate for money… Since I direct potential clients and employers to my website, this ol’ blog may have helped me get a job offer too – so THANK YOU, guys. Being a copywriter allows me the creativity-style I desire (with video production opportunities as well), utilizes my marketing experience and hones my writing skills, all while giving my career a more creative direction. I should put that on my LinkedIn profile somewhere, eh? We’re moving in to a new office soon that is close to the beach downtown. I’m not sure if that location will be a benefit or a hindrance to my work productivity. I’ll be able to see the beach from the office. Do you hate me? I sorta hate me…

 

2)  Wedding booked. Website completed. Video Save the Date sent.

Whew. Stuff just got real. I gave myself an internal deadline of having all of that completed by the first week in December. It was slightly foolish considering I was only a couple weeks into my new job, My Main Squeeze was in the middle of finals and unable to help, oh and…I like to sleep more than a couple hours a night. But I got it done on time and successfully completed all of the wedding crap. Yes. You read that read right. Listen, I’m super excited to marry My Main Squeeze. I’m just not a fan of the superficial, sometimes hurtful, process of getting there – so, if you want me to sugar coat how wonderful the wedding planning machine is…then you’re reading the wrong blog. We’re doing our own wedding thaaaang quite well. *thankyouverymuch* Perhaps if you all get good behavior stars in school today I’ll show you our entertaining website and video Save the Date that I produced. I think it’s super fun. And I’m totally objective.

 

3) My Main Squeeze successfully completed his first semester in medical school.

You read that right! My boo got through his first semester of an incredibly tough, rigorous program and passed with flying colors. They don’t make the process of becoming a doctor hard for just any ol’ reason…I’d say saving lives is pretty important. Am I glowing? I’m just super proud of him. Sure, his time to spend and help with things is super scarce, but it’s for the greater good. (Must repeat: It’s for the greater good.) He is now 1/8th of the way through medical school. Which would make him 1/12th of the way through medical school and residency if he chooses a specialty that is a 2 year residency. Yeah. I’m not thinking about that… I’m just super, super proud. If you know him personally, please tell him to stop doing his to-do list around the house and go sit by the pool and relax! He’s a pretty good guy, huh?

 

In all honesty, I had this particular post lined up to publish last Friday. But, I felt it was highly inappropriate to post considering recent events. Still trying to wrap my head around it. My two cents: Those things you are thinking, remember them. Change doesn’t happen quickly, especially with bureaucracy. Your actions and voices matter, whether you believe it or not.

So, on a lighter note, you can sleep soundly tonight because I have plenty of sweet posts up my sleeve for the near future. Just thought I’d fill you in on all of the fun things that have been taking up a majority of my time. Boo-yah.

Friday Funny: Being Thankful Caroline-Style

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If you access your Facebook account at all during the month of November, you know there is a trend where people will use their status to list something they are grateful for every day of the month. (You know, Thanksgiving.)  It’s intention is pretty innocent and sweet and if I weren’t such a cynical wench I would probably look past the sugar-filled statuses and realize that the world can always use a little more appreciation for the small things.

…but I’m a cynical wench.

Some of these statuses are quite vomit-worthy.  We’re clearly getting to the half-way mark of the month where people are realllllllly reaching into their gratefulness pockets:

Today I’m thankful for the person who cut me off on my way to work.  They made me realize I don’t want to be in such a hurried rush like them and possibly miss what is going on in the wonderful world around me.

Liar.  Admit it.  You totally wanted to punch the person in the face.  It’s okay.

So, in lieu bombarding your newsfeed everyday with statuses that will make you want to toss your cookies, I’ll tell you here about the things I’m thankful for.  Caroline-style.

Caroline is thankful for:

1.  I’m thankful I didn’t roll over in the middle of the night onto my cat’s vomit.  It was a lovely morning present.  Thanks, Bax!
2.  I’m happy the vomit stain came out of the bedsheets and didn’t get below the mattress protector.  Mmmmm.

3.  I’m grateful I haven’t caught Dengue fever from the outbreak here in Florida.

4.  I’m glad one of my BFF’s admitted she didn’t get a pedicure today because she hadn’t shaved her legs in 2 weeks.  Bless you child - we’ve all been there.

5.  I’m happy My Main Squeeze thinks wedding planning is one giant laugh too:

 

Happy (early) Thanksgiving, my beloved readers!

 

Friday Funny: 5 Twitter Accounts You Should Follow

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Tweet. Tweet.  Tweet.

Do you Twitter?  I mean, tweet.  Are you a twitter-er?  I mean, Tweeter.

By social media standards, I joined Twitter pretty late in the game a couple years ago.  I found I’ve enjoyed it way more than I thought I would.  I mean, where else can you simultaneously find out from CNN that Osama bin Laden was killed and also see a fantastic vegetable fajita recipe from Whole Foods?

If you’re not a part of the Twitter community, you should be…at the very least to simply laugh with (or at) the following accounts.

 

5 Twitter Accounts You Should Follow:

 

1.  Oprah reads the news –   @OprahReadsNews 

And you get a car.  And YOU get a car!  And YOU GET A CAR!  EVERRRYYYBODDDDY GETTTSSSS A CAAAAARRRRRRR!!

 

2.  A Milania parody – @TheFauxMilaniaG

Do you watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey?  No?  Oh.  Well neither do I…  But if I did, I would tell you about Teresa’s hysterical daughter Milania.  She’s an unintentional scene stealing diva and I love it.

 

3.  Kit – @blogdangerously

An annonymous blogger that says everything you all are actually thinking.  She’s a business woman with sass and a kick ass momma to boot.  Basically, you want to be her.

 

4.  The Next Martha – @TheNextMartha

If Martha Stewart had a fun-loving, hilarious, non-condescending sister…it would be her.  Plus, she loves Halloween.  So she’s a lady after my own heart.

 

5. Caroline @Caro9er

Shameless. plug.

 

 

How to be creative and cheap on Halloween!

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Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love Halloween!  It’s my favorite holiday.  Yes, it’s a holiday.  It’s way better than any awkward political discussion during Thanksgiving.

This year, since we’ve moved and are still working on somewhat of a social life, we don’t have any Halloween parties to go to or costume contests to enter. <insert sad face>  But I told My Main Squeeze I didn’t care if I sat on the couch in my costume eating chips and salsa…dressing up for Halloween was going to happen.

Problem is…Medical school is expensive.  Not pulling in the income I once did sure hits the wallet too.

To remain in budget, we talked and decided we needed to choose between carving pumpkins or creating costumes.

It was a tough Halloween discussion  ya’ll.  

But in the end, I decided that pumpkin seeds will come and go…but photos last forever!

May I present to you our $1.00 The Price is Right costumes:

Yeah.  You read it right. I created that puppy for $1.00!  One dollar.  Uno dollar-o.  …or something.

With my infinite Halloween knowledge, I discovered this wonderful site:  Coolest Homemade Costumes.  A couple years ago I remember seeing a hilarious costume on there for The Price is Right contestant. I’m not sure this is the same exact picture but you get the idea:

So cool!  Well done! I knew that this year considering our time crunch, lack of social gatherings and lack of funds, I should make this costume too!  I just needed to take a different route than the Showcase Showdown in the above picture to save some $. Which is why I decided to just do the “Come on dooowwwwn, you’re the next contestant on the Price is Right!” part.

So how did I make it for $1.00?  EASY!

Things you’ll need:

1 poster board

Yellow and green construction paper

Scissors

Glue

Black marker

Yarn

Duct tape

I had everything else besides the poster at home, as most crafty nerds do.  So I only needed to buy the poster board – which was 2 for $1.  So I have an extra poster laying around here…  Maybe I’ll make a costume with it for the Bax-man!

Then again, maybe not…

Cut the poster board in half and use the separate pieces for each contestant.  Cut out your green backgrounds, yellow numbers and yellow name tags.  Glue all the necessary pieces.  Duct tape the yarn on the back the poster and use it to put the nametag on your shirt too.  Write out your names.  Grab you Main Squeeze away from the medical school books.  Direct him to look super excited.  Set the timer on the camera and Wah-lah!  

Happy Halloween!

What inspires you?

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It happens to all of us.  During our monotonous days and endless to do lists – our minds begin to wander.  We daydream of places we want to go or things that make us laugh. It happens.  And thank God it does!  Can you imagine our boring our lives would be without inspiration?  It keeps us going.

Lately, I’ve found inspiration in my (new) Florida surroundings. It’s still hard and often surreal to think that I live here…and that it’s October!

There’s no way it’s October…

It got me thinking about the things that inspire me.  I ran through inspirational figures to small everyday moments that left me smiling and humbled.

Buuuuuut basically, it all boiled down to the only thing I find inspirational on a Monday morning:

Don’t judge.

I could fill this post with the little things to the more poignant things that inspire me. But I want to hear from you!

What inspires you?