everything i needed to know about love, i learned on the bachelorette.

i’ve spent the better part of my last 15 years in & out of relationships…

if only the bachelorette were around way back when, i believe i could’ve saved myself a good amount of heartache.

the show teaches you everything you need to know about properly navigating a relationship and what to look for when dating a potential mate. (or 25 of them, simultaneously. in a very accelerated manner.)

some gems:

‘love. it don’t come easy.’

‘i wanna live in a bubble with somebody. i wanna live in some idealistic, unrealistic world where we’re convinced that we’re more in love than any couple who has ever lived.’

‘he could’ve stayed. a real man would’ve moved heaven & earth. he would’ve done everything he could to fight for you…he didn’t. he left.’

the facts:

you have to find a guy that will want to guard & protect your heart. so much that he’ll sneak out to tattoo it on his wrist. (okay, maybe that’s a teeny tiny bit extreme)

if you love having long luscious locks, you gotta spring for the $$$ extensions. sometimes even pro hair people can’t make crap extensions look good.

it doesn’t matter how deep of a connection you feel, if the other party is unavailable, you’re outta luck. (i’m referring to the frye boots that jilly rocked, but this can also be applied elsewhere. obvi)

it is important to handle breakups gracefully. at least when people can see you.

when they leave on their own, they almost always come back.

giving someone a second chance sometimes prolongs a necessary ending.

if he wants to play a song he wrote for you on his guitar, RUN. he is going to break your heart. and maybe sleep with your best friend.

you either know or you don’t. there is no middle ground ~ i’m a firm believer that love is a pretty cut & dry reality. it’s difficult, yes. it’s confusing, yes. but, it’s either there and right or it’s not. if you need to sell yourself to someone, you should probably just go shopping elsewhere.

if they don’t give you flowers, they don’t see a future with you.

sometimes you need to put a period where someone has left an ellipses, there is no such thing as: the end…

lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet…

when i started my blog a great friend suggested i write about the thing i love most: food. i shied away from that initially, but i have to break my silence to talk about one of my all-time favorite things: lemon month at souplantation. i wait 11 months just to go to souplantation in april and stuff my face. while all my other friends are counting down days till their birthdays, anniversaries, or christmas, i’m waiting for april 1st to (as a dear old friend put it) ‘get my sour face on.’

i first discovered lemon month three years ago. once i tasted the amazing, delicious treats offered during this magical month, i made sure to return to souplantation no less than four times a week during the glorious month of april. it was actually a little out of hand, but so totally completely and without a doubt worth it. for those of you who have yet to experience the delightful spin that souplantation puts on this enticing fruit, allow me to break it down for you. (complete with reviews on how i feel about each treat!)

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup ~ sadly, the taste of this has declined over the years. when they first rolled it out it was creamy and sooo much more yummmm, but it’s still super tasty when you dip sourdough bread in it.

Summer Lemon w/ Spiced Pecans Tossed Salad ~ my fav! sooooooooo good. i get at least one full plate of just this. and by plate, i really mean a mountain of it. i believe my boyfriend’s comment last night was ‘i can’t believe you’re eating so much salad’. umm buddy, you ain’t seen nothing. i workout 11 months out of the year to enjoy april at the ‘plantation.

Lemon Cream w/ Capers Pasta ~ i love this stuff except i never eat the capers. i think they’re gross. the pasta and sauce is so good to me though. i’ve found that this pasta is hit or miss, even though i think it’s delicious some of my good friends think it’s disgusting. (also great with sourdough)

Lemon Rice w/ Cashews ~ a little bland, but the cashews add a nice crunch. i’d prefer if it was a little more lemony.

Tangy Lemon Muffins ~ a nice tangy treat and super yummmmmy with the honey butter.

Lemon Lava Cake ~ i love this stuff topped with vanilla frozen yogurt. i usually wait until they bring out a fresh batch of the stuff so that i get the tasty powdered sugar and crisp top* and then throw that in one of the soup bowls (bigger than dessert bowls!) and top with the fro yo. (option to add granola/sprinkles/caramel or chocolate syrup) soooooooooo good. the hot/cold and tangy/sweet is magic. i’m not usually a fan of lemony desserts, but i looooooooooove this!

Sugar Free Lemon Cream Mouse ~ i’ve never tried this, so if you do and it’s amazing – let me know!

Lemon gelatin ~ also never tried. i like to save my calories for more muffins or a choco chip brownie. (also yum with frozen yogurt on top if you don’t like lemony desserts).

happy april kids. see you at the ‘plantation.

*word to the wise: do NOT try to get in front of me when i’m waiting on a new batch of lava cake. i’m a sweet girl, but not above throwing an elbow into your ribs.