Did you know...

That I am eating dinner,
By myself,
right now?

I am. And the waiter has already made eye contact, been to my table three times, and introduced himself.

What would Patti say about leaving my number? Eh, I've left my numbers at restaurants before... before I was practicing that is... and that has not turned out well... and I really like this place.

Maybe I should just stop by again next week...yes?

Pop Quiz

Here are some of Patti's tweets... I'm going with either True or False, with a brief explanation. If you disagree, let me know? Thanks.

Always date three guys at a time until you are monogamous with one. Men love competition.
TRUE.
I love hearing from guys that I haven't heard from in months and the minute they hear I'm "seeing someone" they all of the sudden turn into needy, horny little boys who want what they can't have, plain and simple. Men love the chase, and you should take advantage of that. Don't settle for one, until you meet "The One."

Sexy is a confident state of mind that no man can resist.
TRUE.
If you feel confident, look confident and act confident (which more or less are all the same thing) No man will be able to resist your appeal. It never fails. I'm not built perfect, but if you got it flaunt it and men will notice, it works, promise.

What’s on the outside DOES count.
TRUE.
This sounds harsh, but you gotta' look like what you want to attract. If you want to attract hott, you gotta look hott. I'm not saying starve yourself, or go all Biggest Loser on me, but take pride in your body, men will appreciate it.

"If you steal another woman's man...then you will lose him the same way you met him."
TRUE.
Ahem... Edmund... sorry, there was something in my throat.. ;) Anyway, this is so true friends... maybe because I have learned this from experience. But be smart, you lose 'em how ya get 'em, just know this, please.

Breaking out the cold weather clothing? Remember: while black is chic and hides all sorts of flaws, it is also boring and unoriginal.
TRUE.
I have on blue today. I will try my hardest not to wear black tonight. You want to stand out in the crowd, not blend in with all the other eligible women trying to hide their flaws. If you got it, flaunt it, it's kind of my thing..

A smile will win his heart instantly.
TRUE.
This goes along with the 5-second stare. If you spot a guy at a party, and you like him or want to be approached, maintain eye contact for 3-5 seconds, and end it with a genuine smile... you will seal the deal. If he doesn't approach you, you may not be his type, or he is taken. No need to fret, you got in some practice ;)

Patti's tweets make me smile. You can follow her twitter @PattiStanger.
I hope she makes you smile too.

Something I've been wanting to touch on for a while now...

Christmas lights are already up and canned pumpkin is out at the grocery store, holiday season is knocking at the door. I think a lot of us find ourselves wanting to be with someone... someone to hold our hand, or offer us their jacket... I had a cold winter last year, and not primarily because of the weather...
In the past the Holiday season has been my favorite time of the year when I've dated someone, and it will be in the future as well. I don't have a big family, so I LOVE the awkward family dinners, and multiple Thanksgiving celebrations, the questions from the family, the endless looks of "is she right for him?" As miserable as this sounds to most, its fun to me.

But, at the moment I don't have someone to trek around town with on Thanksgiving... I don't have a family (outside my own) to bake a pumpkin pie for or supply a bottle of wine for, and that's OK. Although I am human and I do miss it, I have realized over the past year that... right now,

I would much rather be alone than be lonely in a relationship.

In saying this, I don't think being lonely in a relationship is always the case, but in only having negative feelings about my past relationship it makes me so grateful for the choices I've made and the steps I've taken to make it this far, by myself.

It's not easy to be alone, but it beats being lonely with someone...

I would much rather depend on myself for happiness than someone who was-

embarrassed by me,
never called me,
never wrote me a love letter,
never brought me around their family (unless I begged) which may classify under being embarrassed of me,
lied to me,
possibly cheated on me,
made me feel worse than better about myself,
let me walk away AND never came back... which is tough, because I do like the idea of that person coming back, but at the end of the day, I know its just the idea of them that turns me on... not them.

But in this moment I can honestly say,

I may be alone, but I sure as hell am not lonely.

I don't want to dwell on the past, but I will say,

things usually work out, or don't, for reasons that I've come not to question,
but to embrace it with open arms.

Why would I question something that has given me new life?

I was talking to my sister the other day... and mind you, these types of talks usually don't happen, but she had said something along the lines of how she thinks I have done better without a boyfriend than she thought I would... she was proud of me and included the fact that I was a lot more fun than I have ever been. That means more than anyone will ever know.

I HAVE come a long way since my relationship with Edmund-and I'm so proud of myself.

I find that I used to be a "WHY" person, and now I'm a "WHY NOT" kind of gal...

I venture out my comfort zone more often than not, I meet new people and reconnect with old acquaintances, I've changed my hair color with the seasons, and I have come to know bartenders and bouncers at local bars and in doing that I have drank more vodka cranberries than one should be allowed (only on the weekends ;)

Ultimately it comes down to the fact that in being alone, which for the moment I am choosing and am totally content with, I have had the grand opportunity to focus on me. No one else. Of course, someday I will be with someone again, I have no doubt, but in taking this time I have found so many things out about myself that it has been nothing short of awesome.

I may be alone, but AGAIN, I am not lonely...
I have more friends a girl could ask for, a family that's kind of bitchy, but loves me unconditionally, a rewarding job, and a life that any girl would dream of....
I smile and laugh everyday because guess what friends,
I'm happy, with myself,
and that is priceless.

This kind of goes along with my dating detox experience a few months ago, but as Patti states,

You have to be happy with yourself before you can even pretend to be happy with someone else...

In saying all this, all of you deserve to be happy in life, by yourself, and a man would just be a cherry on top of the sundae that is already scrumpdillyumptious.

It will taste much better that way, promise.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving xoxo

Thing 4

Hi friends. So I know you're at the edge of your seat wondering how things are going with Mr. Thing... I can just tell.

Well, short of the long... We had, Thing 4? Friday night. I've seemed to have lost track.. but it consisted of:
1. Fun
2. Beer pong (I made him drink the beer and then proceeded to drink a.l.o.t. of wine... )
3. Getting ddd-runk,
4. Not going home
BUT
5. Not having sex (What kind of girl do you think I am?... )
AND

Kissing. He FINALLY kissed me. And it was hott.
Is it weird that I was surprised by that?

Needless to say after I made the walk of shame and topped it off with breakfast at DQ I crossed my fingers he would call or text me in at least 3 days. I didn't hold my breath for same day gratification.

Although... to your relief (and mine- because we should all know by now that I was not going to text him ;)
he did text me later that day asking me how my pre-holiday cleaning was going... what a peach.

Patti is wise in her ways, and early on she explained that

you do have to kiss a few frogs before you meet your prince,

and even though this isn't first-hand Patti advice, it's true...

Don't diss it, 'til ya' kiss it friends.

He was man enough.

After taking a rain check Friday evening, "Thing 3" took place last night.

Much to my surprise, I had a good time.

I met him at his place, we stood in his living room for a split minute, then he drove us down the street to a trendy sushi place I suggested because as long as I've lived in my neighborhood- I have never eaten there.

After discussing our days briefly, I may have come off as a bit upset, only because my oh so sweet mother embarrassed me in front of a dear friend earlier in the evening and I was still kind of huffing and puffing over it. But nonetheless, he says

"I'm buying the sushi."
I said,
"That's not the deal... I lost beer pong, I'm buying dinner.. it's only fair."
He says,
"No, you've had a long day, I'm taking you to dinner."

We order 4 rolls. All kinds I've never had.
Conversation is little, but it's not awkward.
We eat. We laugh.
He pays. I smile.

Then we stop at the liquor store and he buys 2 bottles of red wine. I love wine. And only recently have I grown to love red wine.

We go back to his place. Drink wine. Watch the Office.

Then things get awkward. No hand holding. No overt flirting. It's odd.

He likes to get me kind of tipsy, all. the. time. though... I'm not sure I like it, or him. But who knows.

I stay too late and he walks me out and says

"Talk to you later."

I say,

"Yeah, for sure."

And skip to my car at midnight.

I'm left feeling as awkward as this blog entry is.

5 Non-Negotiables

If you watch Patti's show, you know that she often has her clients come up with a list of 5-Non negotiables. These are 5 traits that that person will not compromise on. On this note, I feel like this is something all women need to do. Come up with a list of 5 things.... just 5.... that you want your potential mate to have.

I find that so many of my friends don't know what they want/don't know what they're looking for, thus leading them in every direction... dating guys who don't understand them, who don't respect them or treat them right.

We're never going to find what we're looking for unless we know what it's supposed to look like, right? We wouldn't go on a road trip without a map...

That's why this list is so important.

You have to be able to visualize your potential mate, to know
what you're looking for.

I can't make anyone do this, obviously, BUT since I've made my List, it has made the searching much easier and a little more laid back. Why you may ask? Because if a guy I meet doesnt meet at least 4 of the Non-negotiables I have created for myself, he is not worth my time... leaving me time and giving me the opportunity to move on- because if I would have compromised, it probably wouldnt have been worth it... been. there. done. that. friends.

So,

I have described to you my LIST prior, but lets take a look at it again...

1. Family man
2. Educated
3. Motivated to succeed
4. Good personality
5. Tall? ..I'm 5'10 so I would like a taller guy

These are broad, and I think that's ok. Everyone's list will vary because everyone's wants and needs are different. If you go forward with this, do me a favor... BE HONEST. Don't cheat yourself out of something you might consider a non-negotiable because you think its ridiculous or doesn't exist. BECAUSE. IT. DOES.

A friend of mine is a vegan, and she refuses to get serious with anyone who is not a vegan. I respect that. If something means that much to you, you want your potential mate to feel the same way. And for the record, if my friend and I are ever out together minglin' with the hotties, I make sure to ask every guy I meet if they're vegan... because if they are, I deault them to her, because I. LOVE. CHICKEN. AND STEAK.

Point being, you have to make a list- broad, or detailed, of 5-things- you NEED. And never COMPROMISE, because you think you can change him..... or maybe 'he'll come around' ... because it won't happen.

Save yourself the frustration and just find someone

who meets your criteria, not someone you wish did.

I promise it will be worth it.

...THING 3!

We may have a problem...
Remember oh Boy from Thing 1 a week ago... well, Thing 2 took place Friday- we'll discuss that briefly... and NOW much to my dismay, Thing 3 is already lined up and ... well,... it's whatever really...

OK,
Brief overview.
Thing 1- Overall good. Movie, wine, laughs, conversation... no big deal.
Thing 2- We hung out, played beer pong/wine pong... made our way to the bars to hang with friends, he got SUPER drunk, to the point of not being able to talk, and I was just a bit embarrassed for him- BUT the wager we had for our game is that loser takes winner to sushi and wine. I lost. Thus leading to...

Thing 3- ... which is set for Friday. Sushi and Wine. Hm.

I wish I was interested in this fella. But truthfully after he got shit-faced on Friday and THEN on Saturday I ran into him at the bars and he had his arm around some chick, I was like,

"Really?... I'm dressed as a slutty cat on Halloween and you have your arm around her? She's not even dressed up... who wants to be that person? I don't think so, sir."

I'm going to go ahead and go get sushi with him not out of pity, but because he's a nice guy, and I will have to see him regularly since he runs in the same group I hang with. AND more importantly, as PATTI suggests that...

you have to leave good impressions with everyone you go out with. You may not like him, but they may have a really awesome friend who they think would be great for you.

And you want them to have nothing but good things to say about you.!

"So, if you're really going to do this thing called dating, you better make it fun. You better find a way to get at least something satisfying out of every date you endure, so in the end you can feel grateful for the universe for providing you with a new opportunity, rather than pissed that you just wasted six hours of your life that you will never get back..."

-PATTI

And for the record, if he doesn't pay for dinner... even though I lost the bet

... he's not man enough for me.

CHEERS friends.

Mirror, Mirror... take two...

Over the past few months, lets be honest, I've let myself go... I don't know why, and I don't know how it happened (LIE! I do...) BUT it needs to stop. PATTI SAYS, I have to have "fuckability factor" and believe it or not... what is on the outside.does.count... :) Anyway...my friends might still tell me I look good, and I might feel good inside, but I know better when I go to karaoke and I'm out of breath after singing T.I. "Whatever You Like" So- here's the game plan...

1. Record what I eat- daily. Possibly even do Weight Watchers... but not officially yet, because I'm b-roke.
2. WORK OUT- here's where my problem lies. When I'm not active, my weight creeps up on me like a silent Little snake... I need to pick up the activity in my life.
3. That's. it.

If I eat less, and workout more, I should be golden!

AND OH! I became a blonde over the weekend...I like instant confidence! And I'll definitely keep ya updated on whether or not they have more fun :)

...Thing 2

T.G.I.F (first of all)- it has been one of those weeks... a great one, but disguised under the sleep deprivation, bad eating habits and long hours at work. Needless to say, it's Friday, so no more complaining from this girl!

Alright, alright... remember Oh Boy who I had a "thing" with on Tuesday? Well, "thing 2" is tonight.


Lets back track...

Tuesday ended on a pretty positive note with him saying...

"We'll talk later"

I'll take that. As Wednesday came and went, I had heard nothing from him- buuuut if you've learned anything I'm stubborn. I did not call him/ text him... because a. I don't do that... and there's no b.- I simply. don't. text. guys. after. dates.


Here's the deal...


I want one who will chase me, and if I set the precedent that I will chase him and do all the work in the beginning, that's how it will be if we go forward into a relationship. Point. blank. friends. I've been there, don't that, and I will reciprocate effort in a relationship, but I wont carry it on my back- it's tiring.


And also- there should be no communication with the guy until he has time to think about what just happened... see, guys need time to process the experience, the ... "thing" or the date... maybe to distinguish if it was a thing or a date... whatever, they just need time to process it. That's why you leave it up to him to contact you- because if you call him and distract him, he will not be able to see the great person he just had a great thing or date with :)

Gah.... I just want to share so much of Patti's advice with you- it's hard to stay on track, but this is very similar to how my mind works- so scattered.

Anyway...


Thursday came... as I was telling a girlfriend at work about my "thing" on Tuesday she asked if he had contacted me, and I said

"It's only been 2 days girl, if he doesn't call me by tomorrow, we can worry."

NOT 2 minutes later, he texted me. I love moments like this. This fellow and I have a running talk smack game going. I beat him at a game 2 weekends ago and since then, he posed a re-match and we have spent last week getting each other going as far as challenging each other to a re-match. So as I get a message that says,

"There can only be one champion. Prepare to be vanquished"

I got excited. We nonchalantly lined up "thing 2" for tonight- consisting of watching The League, pre-drinking some hot and hard cider, and then a friendly little re-match of beer pong. I may dress up in my Ke$ha costume- would that be too much? I don't think so.

"A man is like a cat; chase him and he will run - Sit still and ignore him and he'll come purring at your feet”

I love this quote, for three reasons:

1. I love cats.

2. I love men.

3. There is nothing but truth in this statement.

As Patti says

"In this man market, with so much competition from other beautiful women, YOU
want to be a mystery, and let him be intrigued by you."

Have I mentioned that I love her? She speaks the truth, and I know this from practice, and from mistake...

Let me tell you a story- I'm hoping you have a minute...

Once upon a time I was asked out by a nice gentlemen who I was introduced
to through a friend who I met and hung out with on a couple occasions at the
bar. Nothing exclusive, until... we exchanged phone numbers, he texted me, even
called me, and then asked me out on a date- for Tuesday night- I know, Tuesday
is NOT Saturday, but Tuesday is also my only weekday night free... so, I let a
weekday date slide for date one... anyway... We meet there, we have good
conversation, we devour some delicious sushi.. it goes well in my opinion... but
as the night comes to an end, he walks me to my house- we live in walking
distance of each other and of the restaurant. As he drops me off, he hugs me and
says,

"Well, call me sometime this week if you want to hang out over the
weekend..."

annnnd, much to my dismay I said

"OK."

(OK?!?!?! WHO AM I??) If I
have learned anything from Patti that is,

LET HIM CALL YOU!

This is not a hard concept.

Take notes--

As women, the phone can be are best friend or our worst enemy.

Women tend to use the phone to chat all day about ...well, nothing. We talk about our breakfast, our work day, how we feel, what we're doing later, who said something rude to us... the list goes on.

Men use the phone to talk about... business. Simple.

He or she that calls most has the most interest, and least control. Let me tell you a secret... I LOVE having control. Won't lie. I want the ball in my court at.all.times. and to do this, I will not call a guy more than he calls me, and that is that. I don't care how much I like him... if I like a boy more than he likes me, I have no control, and I might be seen as needy and demanding, and ONLY my sister is allowed to see that side of me- got it?

When a guy does call you, remember the "allure of again" as one of my best guy friends dubs it... only give him 15 minutes on the phone and then give him an upbeat excuse on why you have to get off.. and do not say you have to watch Jersey Shore. Make something up, for real.

Alright- the basics, we're not calling guys, they're calling us- right?

Let them chase you... it will be worth it!

In my experience I shared with you above, I should have kindly told him that...

"I'm a traditional girl- I prefer you to call me."

Instead, I spent 2 days wondering if I should call him... and in the end he texted me- we hung out again, had a good time, but that was 2 weeks ago.

I've saved myself some trouble and heartache on wondering if he likes me or not and have come to the simple conclusion that

He's just not that into me if he's not calling me...

NEXT PLEASE!

My thing...

So, I had a "thing" the other day... when I say a thing... let me explain.

I'm not sure how it happened, but after a few endless jabs about how I beat a guy friend of mine at beer pong, we started talking/texting/exchanging friendly flirtatous comments on facebook. I'm not sure where our 'friendship' of sorts took a turn, but when he asked me to help him heckle our mutual friend at the new restaurant where he is a waitor, I said

"Only if I can order like Sally, on When Harry Met Sally"

... much to my surprise (not really) he had not seen the movie. So I suggested a movie night,

"I'll bring snacks"

I said... and he replied back with,

"I'll bring the wine."

Couldn't argue with that.

Thus leading us to my Tuesday night thing.

I told my closest guy friend about this and he says "A thing? ... let me say this, if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck... then, what do you think it is?"

Whatever this was, the night went well. With 4 glasses of wine under my belt, some great hors d'oeuvres, a fantastic movie and not terrible company, I left with him saying

"We'll talk later."

Leaving me still at a loss on whether this was just a thing, or if it was in fact, a date.

Which poses a new challenge... is it my call, or his??

Here we go...

I understand, it has been quite a while since I've dropped in, but in honor of Patti's new New York season, I thought I'd drop a line and say hi... "HIIII"


Since we last talked, a lot of things have gone on in my life that I can not even begin to catch you up on... let's just say, I've back tracked a bit from Patti, and in the lesson's I've learned, I've decided I'm ready to Practice again.

I'm ready to take care of myself.

I'm ready to have fun, without being "that girl."

I'm ready to date.

I'm ready to get out of my comfort zone.

I'm ready to get rejected.

I'm ready to laugh,

I'm ready to live and...

I'm ready to love.

So, let's try this again. And this time around I'm sharing my stories, and I'm giving a gallant effort, because ladies and gents, I'm ready.... I think.

Holiday

Hello fellow Practicers. I failed to mention that I will be taking my Holiday until the beginning of July. I am going abroad and have already been here for 6 days. I hope to be up to speed when I return, I'm sorry for the lack of commitment. I hope all of you are enjoying your summer and of course are spending many nights with friends, family and on ocassion by yourself at the local pub making 5 second flirts with the good lookin blokes across the room ;-)

Cheers. Until July. xoxo

"They met ONLINE, can you believe it?"

Do you hear this phrase a lot? I DO. I feel like the idea of meeting people online has become more widespread over the past 10 years than we actually realize. More and more people meet online, connect and as I have noticed, get married. Now I don’t have any statistics, but I can tell you I know about 3-5 couples just off hand who have met online and are now married.

First of all, let’s get one thing straight, there is no shame in meeting people on internet dating sites. Internet dating should be fun and remember,

“If it becomes boring or burdensome, it might not be for you…”

There is one rule of thumb when it comes to online dating and that is: HONESTY. No lying girlfriends… not about your height, weight, hair color or interests. Also, rule number two, just like dating in real life ;-) the guy must make the first move… whoever calls most, has more interest- but when it comes to internet dating, the man must contact you- NO EXCEPTIONS Ms. Thang, no matter how cute he is.

To take internet dating for a spin, Patti has a few fool-proof tips- so I have taken the liberty to give you the abridged version of her 12 page dedication to internet dating.



SO- Here we go…

A few notes on creating a desirable profile:

Picture Perfect
To get a better man, you must have a better photo.
Patti suggests the following-

Glamour shots
The picture must show from the top of your head to the bottom of your thigh… you would want to see the whole package, right?
No trendy clothes, just something flattering and possibly in multiple outfits.
Smile- men find engaging, warm and happy attractive.
NO ALCOHOL in pictures.

Provocative Profile
Honesty is the Best Policy
Be 100%HONEST.

Create a fun, flirty screen name… try to avoid placing ‘licious’ at the end of your name.
State what you have to offer first, and not what your intentions and desires are… use words like playful, energetic, fun, attractive… don’t be humble. DON’T use words like sexy and steamy…unless you’re looking for a quickie…

If you’re looking for a man who has some money to offer, veer away from phrases like,

“I’m looking for a generous man who will…”
and say something more like,
“I’m looking for a guy at the top of his game” or
“I’m doing great at my career and I hope you are too.”

Men do not like shopping with women.
Expand the search geographically by 100 miles of where you live- Love knows no distance.


If you take the above steps in highlighting your profile men will be lining up to add you as a friend and ask you out. You will get most attention in the first week and month of joining, so take advantage of being on the rotation of new, attractive women. To weed out the men of worthy, here are the ones you reject:

The man who gives you his number and asks you to call him for a date that night= QUICKIE
The man who asks for more photos= NARCISSISTIC PERFECTIONIST
The man who doesn’t ask for your number after 2-3 lengthy emails or deep conversations.
The man who has bad photos, who you think you’ll get back too= NOT EVER GOING TO LOOK BETTER.
The man who corrects your grammar and/or edits your profile= CLASSIC CRITICIZER.

Get to know the potential Mr. Rights and Patti says

"if he hasn’t arranged a date after two initial emails, he’s not serious about looking for a wife; he’s looking for an email buddy."

When you do meet someone who wants to take you on a date, remember:

COFFEE= Cheap
DRINKS= Audition
LUNCH= Interview
DINNER= Business

If he’ll spend money on you it indicates that he is serious AND this is crucial to know in any form of dating.

“The guy that wants to get married wants to spend that money on you.”

The man who has marriage on the mind is reading through profiles and just wants to find his match and get off the market.

CAUTIONS about online dating:

Knowing too much about him.
Deceit.
When meeting, go somewhere public and check in with a girlfriend before you go.
DO NOT go to his place after wards.
Watch to not get addicted- don’t spend longer than an hour or less on online dating- and only make it 1/3 OF YOUR SEARCH.

Phew, Patti just goes on and on about online dating… I’m thinking about going and getting an online profile myself after spending all day re-reading her ideas…
is she convincing enough for YOU?

2. Step III- Making your Matchmaking Map!

In creating your Own Matchmaking Map, you have to have options!

When I read this Step, I was slightly overwhelmed and a little nervous about the great ways Patti suggests to meet eligible singles. I was also excited! Patti always makes things sound super fun and easy… that’s probably a matter of perspective,

but I trust Patti wholly and completely and I just know she would never steer me wrong!

In saying this, Patti gives us three ways in that we can potentially find Mr. Right and those three endeavors include the following:

Online
Personal Contacts
Out and About

I'm not going to spend too much time talking about each of these, but I do want to hit some of the hot topics that Patti discusses within along with some tactics I have personally used.

You do have a pen, right?

Are you....

Leaving bitter feelings behind…

Learning from past mistakes…

Finding happiness within…

Feeling good from the inside will reflect the outside and in that are you taking care of yourselves emotionally and physically…

Ready to Love again?

I know I am, and I hope you are too… and If so, we're moving full force ahead to STEP III and that is creating your Own Matchmaking Map. Before we do that I have a few things to share...

This happens to be a very important step, so get that
purse size notebook out and a pen and get ready…

Finding the perfect man is somewhat similar to finding your perfect house- and this analogy will come in handy a bit later for sure, but for now- the three most important factors in finding your perfect match are a lot like the three important factors in finding your dream house: LOCATION, LOCATION, and LOCATION! Like knowing where you want to live and where would be best for you, in finding the man of our dreams, we have to know where to find him.

Patti shares a few statistics, and since I’m not a huge fan of numbers, I’m only going to skim them over for you… (All of these stats are based on the singles population only)

There are about 6% more single women than men.

There are approximately 25.4 million single guys in the U.S.

between the ages of 25-40.

The cities with at least 40,000 more single women than single men are:

New York/northern New Jersey, Memphis, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

The New York/northern New Jersey area has about

185,000 more single women than single men.

Patti does not hesitate to tell us that if Love is not working for us where we are currently living that relocating is not a terrible idea. As desperate as it may sound she says that if you were made to transfer for your job, you would do it, so why not transfer somewhere to find true love… which is more satisfying than any job any of us will ever have.

It defniitely puts Finding Mr. Right in perspective... and I find myself wondering...

What is LOVE WORTH?

1. A LiTTle Secret about Dating Detox

I’m really good at keeping secrets, but sometimes secrets have to be told to help other people… i.e. YOU, my readers. So, in saying this, there are two things I have yet to tell you about my Dating Detox experience. Now, don’t get too excited or nervous, I have yet to do anything to compromise my fellowship to Patti, but I did almost fall victim to one of Patti’s notes about Dating Detox and that is,

“Do not settle for the first guy you meet out of Dating Detox…”

Of course, there is always an exception, but Patti looks at dating like trying on shoes for a wedding…

You can’t settle for the pair that’s a little too small, and rubs your ankle wrong, or the pair that’s just a shade too light but you don’t think anyone will notice because the weddings at night or the pair that has a real big flower on it but the shoe itself is the perfect color…

At the end of the night, the shoe that might have been discounted was probably marked down for a reason and even if it was a thrifty purchase, the color was wrong, and the flower was awful and the small shoe rubbed a blister the size of Texas on the back of your foot… and it hurt.

We all have done this, whether it was a shoe, or a guy…

and ultimately the shoe or the guy didn’t work out because it wasn’t exactly what we needed and we suffered through the night because we didn’t have the patience or the time to find exactly what were looking for

… And we more than likely paid the price.

In saying this, you might have seen an absence in entries there for a bit in April and I'm sorry. I feel extremely accountable to you all, and I felt terrible I was leaving you out of my life... but I was slightly embarrassed... And that was because I was consumed by a gentleman whom I reconnected with after several months of detoxing and we began dating. I should have followed my gut,

AKA Patti sitting on my shoulder telling me that this was not the best idea, that just because he was the first “marriage minded” guy that I have met, does NOT mean I have to just throw in the towel

… I should have known better… I should have come to you all…

Well we started dating exclusively and it was great... I suppose… he met my family, I met his, we hung out with his friends, he cooked me dinner, I cooked him dinner… it was a great courtship… but there was something missing……..

I started freaking out. LIKE FREAKING OUT. I was like,

“I can’t do this, I can’t be a girlfriend, and I can’t love or be loved….”

It was super scary… but then I realized…. It wasn’t him, or me… it just wasn’t the perfect fit… and that’s OK.

We ended badly, because I led him on and I feel terrible about that. Ultimately it was better to end it sooner than later… because I found out that my foot can not fit into a size 9 shoe and that is that… and in realizing that I feel like it was a small victory, but in battle someone has to get hurt… it just wasn’t me this time.

Coming soon...

1. A LiTTle Secret about Dating Detox
2. Step III- Making your Matchmaking Map!
3. Dating 1o1
4. How it happened

I thought I would let you know that I am planning on updating you all, my readers, on my everystep... good or bad, sad or happy in my dating Adventures.

If you have questions, ask.

If you have comments, share.

GREEN LIGHT

THE DATE WENT... like this...

We grabbed Sushi at a local Japanese grill.
We talked about ....

Everything... (BUT the off-limit topics for a first date, according to Patti).

He encompasses the following of my top 5 MUST-HAVES:

1. Tall


2. Good sense of fhumor


3. Family Man


4. Has a steady job

He made me smile... and laugh. I enjoyed that.
We took a walk after dinner.
He held my hand. That was great.

He kissed me goodnight.

...GREAT.

IMPORTANT::::: I used Patti's "Pay it Forward" technique. I will share more later.

The Ten Commandments of Dating

THOU SHALT....

Return calls promptly.
Honor thy dating commitments.
Let the man take the lead.
(In the beginning) leave the past in the past.
Be engaging.
Not drink too much on a date.
Not be a gold digger.
Act like a lady.
Express sincere interest and appreciation.
Not become intimate in the first date.
Not wear too much bling.

P.S. I have a date tonight.

Frustration.

I find myself asking,

WHAT WOULD PATTI DO?

all the time.

I wish I knew.

My TRANSFORMATION

For those of you who don’t know me well, you don’t know me…
But for those of you who do, I hope you have seen some sort of transformation over the past few months, because I sure have. I mean sometimes I catch myself looking in the mirror or doing things and I think, “Who are you?” and as weird as that sounds, I LOVE it!

So in going through Patti’s List of looking ourselves up and down I have taken the following actions- all positive and reinforcing.

HAIR- You can call me Rogue.

I am now a brunette.
I was a redhead for the past year or two (ish) and even before Patti suggested against it, I realized red was doing nothing for me, so, there it went with a box and a night of vomiting in the shower, yeah… terrible experience.
I also have a slight blonde highlight in the front which I like call my superhero edge… it brings out the inner blonde in me… which I now realize why they say blondes have more fun.
And Im letting it grow out as much as I want to cut it off SO- HAIR, check!

LIPS- Pouty and Plump

I have packed my cosmetic pouch in my purse up with 2-3 different colors of lip gloss and I always apply it… it cant hurt.
I wear pinks and nudes because my skin is fair, and my lips are large.

MAKEUP- Still learning…

I like to wear makeup, but Im still learning on how to apply it so I still need to take advice and get my bum to the mall.
I go for the natural look- powder, gloss, bronzer, eyeliner and mascara… and it does do the trick!

BODY- I like to be naked.

I’ve been “training” for a 5K the past 6 weeks and it has done wonders for my body.
I have a flatter stomach, tighter ass and sweet calves.
I challenged myself to “run” and I did it… which was an accomplishment in itself.
And I understand at one point someone will be seeing me naked and I really do not want to disappoint… it’s not in the cards right now. .. So, I want to undress to impress.
And to no surprise, exercise is better than sex with someone who doesn’t love you…
AND Patti is so right ALL the time… because since I’ve been running I’ve lost a few pounds and the lighter I am the sexier I feel …. And now I’m feeling pretty terrible about those sour cream and cheddar chips I just devoured… gross.

CLOTHES

I have retired a lot of my baggy t-shirts and A-Line skirts for tighter shirts and shorter skirts.
I flaunt what I got and that is that.
My mom also makes me skirts that are very flattering that I absolutely love.

SO in doing all these things I had come to the realization that prior to this self-discovery stage I did not like who I was and at the time was not willing to change because was so used to being that person. But with a little effort and a little will I did the most impressive thing I have ever done for myself and that was…I changed and in that change I improved who I was inside and out and I became someone I have always wanted to be… and to be honest, she’s pretty BA.

Mirror on the wall....

STEP II- MIRROR MIRROR

So- We’re moving on fast- Hold on tight DUDES AND DUDETTES!!

Dating Detox has taken a dramatic end and here we are, travelling forward...

Step II is called “Mirror Mirror” and this step can be done during the Detox stage, and continue afterwards as well. Patti uses the stage to ....

“...tell you all the things you need to hear, things that even your mother, or your sister or your best friend doesn’t have the balls to break to you.”

In this stage of finding who we are, and finding who we want to be with we have to take a good look at ourselves and get in our ideal condition. Because according to Patti *And she “hates” to say it*

“But with men, its all about the packaging—one look is all it takes for them to decide if you’re a keeper, or if you should be tossed back…. This may sound crude, but they’re measuring your fuckability factor… No matter how beautiful we are on the inside, if the outside does not reflect it, you’re going to spend the rest of your days alone….”

And that is directly from Patti.

During Dating Detox I have already done numerous things to improve my fuckability factor… and as the messenger, Patti gives tons of ideas on how to spare us humiliation as she claims to be famous, or infamous for her no-nonsense attitude.

In discussing our look head-to-toe… here are some tips we can all use! ... And I shall share my progress later!

HAIR- “If you think you’re going to get away with short hair, you’re not.”

-Men like long, flowing locks.
-Most men see short hair as “hitting the wall” or her young and sexy days are over.
-Perms are out. Wavy hair is fine, but men don’t want to get

“snagged in scraggly, frizzy, pubic-looking bird’s nest.”

“Red hair is not the freshest produce on the aisle” ...

and Patti says that 90% of the men in her club don’t pick redheads over brunettes and blondes.

TEETH- “You’re smile is your calling card—make sure it’s in perfect working order.”

LIPS- “DON’T leave home without lipstick or lip gloss. Always apply it before you set foot outside, even if it’s a quick little swipe.”

-If your lips are large, avoid bright or dark lipstick shades.
-If they’re small, invest in a good lip plumper.

MAKEUP- “Less is more.”

-Bronzer, and lip gloss.

“Most straight men prefer girls with low maintenance looks- even if it takes an
hour to achieve. Your man loves you to look natural...”

-Don’t “cake on bake on” your foundation.
-A little lipstick or gloss, blush and eyeliner and mascara, will do the trick.
-If you do not know how to apply makeup, make an appointment with a makeup artist or visit Sephora and try the many samples—LOVE doing this!
-DO NOT let a gay man tell you how to be a better woman, he’ll never understand exactly what it’s like to be an attractive female looking for a heterosexual male.

SKIN CARE- “The real secret to great-looking makeup is great-looking skin.”

BODY- “There are breast men, leg men, ass men—even foot men, although they tend to be a little kinky.”

-The perfect body is all about attitude; really… if you love your body, you’re probably in the best shape you could possibly be.
-Exercise and nutrition are the best ways to change the way you look and feel.

"The lighter you feel and weigh, the sexier you feel.”

-Exercise not only makes you look better, but you also feel better- as discussed in Step One.
-You have to find what works for you as far as exercising goes.
- Exercise can be better than a sex…okay, at least better than sex with a guy who
doesn’t love you- and much cleaner and less complicated.

2 NEW FRIENDS- Shapewear and Certain Dri. Look ‘em up, they will help you- Patti says.

SHOP ‘TIL YOU POP

This still goes under STEP II, and I apologize for the length, I just like to be consistent.
In this part of Step II, we get to go on a shopping spree- since we got rid of a lot of clothes during Dating Detox, we can fill our closet up with new clothes! In buying our new dating wardrobe we have to follow a few guidelines…
“Look for clothes that make you feel like the sexy diva you are.”
“Show off your assets... men are drawn to women who are comfortable in their own femininity.”
“ Solid, bright colors are guraunteed guy catchers, BUT NOT big
prints that will distract him.”
“ RED & BLUE will draw them in.. black is chic, but its also boring.”
“Steer clear of baggy and blousy.”

**IMOPRTANT** When you are ready to go shopping- don’t go alone, or with your best friend or your mom or sister… GO SHOPPING with a single, straight man.

This sounds rather strange to me, but I love the idea. So, I will give you some time to catch your breath and we will continue momentarily..

I caught a wave.

So yes, I have been out of commission for quite a while and for that my dear readers I am truly sorry... I really have no excuse, and for those of you who know me, things in my life have just been, kind of weird to say the least. I am finding that I go through the motions of so many things, but I actually don't feel them or appreciate them or even enjoy them sometimes. So I find myself doing things just for the Hell of it and well, I'm done, DONE. I've been riding a wave and it's crashed so Im gonna hop on the next one. But let me fill you in on the little wave I've been on... readers digest version of course.

SO.
I met a guy, and he liked me.
We started dating, but... something was missing...
While this has been happening,
I've been transfered at work and my fellow employees hate me and gossip about every mistake I make.
My mom tends to misunderstand me and our current stance as roommates is pretty disppointing.
My friends are always there.
I faced a few fears...
I tanned in the tanning bed & I visited my college town.
My College Best friend is moving right next door to my Ex-BF and my cat.
I have decided I'm worth MUCH MORE than I give myself credit for.
I stopped running because I was too busy making out, but I'm starting again.
I have 4 weeks until my European adventure.
AND,
I've decided I'm not ready for a realtionship...

Thats been my life in a nutshell... AND thus, I find myself being a re-born again practicer of Patti. So here we go... *again*

W.W.P.D.?

I love Patti and I feel like I don't really talk about her enough in my posts... so this post is going to be dedicated to her.

On a daily basis, I get advice from Patti, via twitter.

I love twitter- I might get PracticingPatti a twitter account...
but let me think about that first.

I love twitter because it gives me a way to keep in touch with friends and their random, crazy antics. Even if they are cities away, if they twitter something ridiculous it makes me feel like I experienced that event with them. Patti does two things with her twitter; she does personal promotion, in that she lets her followers know when she will be on a certain radio show or t.v. shows but she also sends out daily advice. For those of you who haven't already bought and read her book, it is advice straight from it. It is sporadic, but meaningful, and such a sweet surprise when I pick up the phone and see her little tweet...

Here are some recent tweets I have received from ours truly *And maybe I'm crazy, but I always hear her voice saying these things*...

• Start frequenting the places where single men gather - put yourself smack dab in the middle of their radar.

• You should always thank a man for the date while you're on it - that's sufficient.

• You must be prompt and not make him wait more than ten minutes for you.

• Remember knowledge is power. It's helpful to know more about him than he does about you...

• Let the endorphins flow by going for ride near the beach on a bicycle built for two.

• Part of acting like a lady involves allowing him to be a gentleman.

• If witty banter is not your forte, at least ask interesting questions.

• Talking about $ is crass by those who have & threatening by those who don’t. If u lead with $ foot = zap romance & go straight to biz mode.

• If you do the initiating in the beginning, you'll set the precedent for life, and you'll do all the initiating in the future...

• NO “EX TALK”. Men don't want to hear about your previous guys. The less you care about your past relationships, the more desirable you are.

• CHASE SPACE. Let the man pursue you. Let him call you. He NEEDS to be the hunter & enjoys it. Don't take that joy away from him.

• COMPASSION = SEXY. Helping others helps you! Most millionaires ♡ the philanthropic life – just ask Brad Pitt. Volunteer at ur fave charity.

• LEAVE SOMETHING BEHIND. Little perfume on pillow, casserole in oven, tidy home, a note. A nice reminder makes him think about you all day.

After reading through these, even today, they all make sense. I love her! I have Patti's tweets come directly to my phone, which is great because she keeps me in check.

I find that I enjoy being accountable to something, or someone, and that is Patti. If I find myself analyzing, or critiquing or just thinking about a guy or a situation, I think, "What would Patti Do (W.W.P.D?)"

And more often than not, I channel Patti, read through my bible and she answers my questions... granted, it might not be the answer I hoped for, but it is probably the right answer.

I have actually taken a handful of her advice in the above tweets... and friends, they work. I look forward to using more of them, but only time will tell. If you need a pick me up, follow Patti on twitter, she'll keep you in check...your head and your heart, and if you ever find yourself at a crossroads, just ask yourself,

"W.W.P.D.?"

http://twitter.com/pattistanger

LOVE Patti.

I Love Grocery Lists.

I LOVE to go to the grocery. I also love to cook and because of this, I want to share a little thought I had...

When I go grocery shopping, I always start in the produce section, and end in the dairy section. And I do this, because I have mild OCD and also because I don't like my milk or ice cream to get warm by the end of my trip.

SO- in saying this, I also create my grocery list in order of the way I shop. Beginning my list with produce/lunch meat and ending with cheese/eggs/milk.
It makes my shopping trip much simpler and a lot more organized.

I know it sounds Obsessive compulsive, but I think it only makes sense this way...

Also, I make a list because if I don't I will go in the grocery and pick things out I don't need, like cookies, or candy. Or sometimes I'll even say,

"Instead of granola bars I want a snickers bar" ...(I LOVE candy, p.s.)

Then I find myself trading items for items that aren't really good for me. So a list is necessary so I don't get off the beaten path (Are you catching on here?)

You may ask,

"Why are you talking about grocery lists?"

Well.. my grocery lists are very similar is thought to my 5-MUST HAVES List. I thought of this comparison because just today someone asked me if I carry my list around with me, and if a gentleman talks to me do I whip it out and go over it, checking off "have" and "doesn't have"

and it made me think that building a potential mate in my 5-MUST-HAVES, is very similar to grocery shopping in that...

1. I go in looking for specifics.
2. When picking off-brands instead of name brands, I have to weigh the options..
   

• Is it still what I'm looking for?
• Even though the outside package isn't like the name brand, is the product just as good?
• Off-brands might save me short-run, but long-run I'm not sure.

1. If I sacrifice an item on my list for another item, there was probably a reason I didn't have it on my list in the first place.
2. I'm very strategic in my list and shopping... call it OCD, I don't care.
3. If I get to the register, and am checking out, sometimes I realize I don't need everything I put in my basket, and sometimes, I realize I forgot a critical item that could possibly make or break a meal.

The more I have thought about it, the more I agree in that creating my MUST-HAVE list is critical in building my mate, just like you need basic elements of a recipe to create a meal, or even the basic elements of a grocery list to make it home successfully.

So to answer the question presented, no, I do not "whip out my list" and go through it, like a grocery list..checking off things that look good, or I want.. it's all mental. It is all stored in this crazy little head of mine and my 5-MUST-HAVES skim through my head every time I speak to a gentleman who I might find interesting... or who might find me interesting... I have memorized the 5- MUST-HAVES and WILL NOT sacrifice no more than 2 of them. I will stand by the things I want and need and that is that.

Because at the end of the day, you can't make broccoli casserole without broccoli... I mean, you could, but it probably wouldn't be as good...and hey, the broccoli part is the healthy part.