Karly Kim: Good Enough To Read

Kym stole my heart from the first time I read her blog. Her life is downright interesting. She is genuinely sweet and beautiful. I know you're all going to love her, too!

Hi there! My name is Kym and I blog over at Travel Babbles. I was born and raised in Massachusetts, and I currently live in Denver, Colorado with my husband TJ and our tubby English Bulldog, Brutus. You can learn more about all of us here. I started blogging back in 2010 when we moved to Germany for the first time, and since then I've documented our travels between Massachusetts, New York, Florida, Texas, and a second stop in Germany. Travel Babbles is my creative outlet, my diary, my recipe book, my photo album, and my travel journal. It's a collection of my favorite things, pieces of my heart, our hockey life, our loss, what inspires me, and the many things that make me smile. I hope that you'll stop by Travel Babbles to say hi, and that you'll enjoy my little space on the interwebs as much as I do. Let's connect on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, too - I look forward to chatting soon! xo

If you could be friends with a celebrity, who would it be and why?

I would LOVE to be BFF's with Lucy Hale. She's a babe, and I've read a few of her interviews and she seems like such a down to earth girl who prefers jeans and a tee rather than the eclectic outfits she wears on PLL, which is totally me. She's my kind of girl :)

Would you rather give up your cell phone or TV for a year?

Oh, no way could I go more than few days without a phone! Isn't that sad? I could definitely go without TV for a year, I'm always behind on current shows - I prefer to have lazy Sunday's and watch 6 (okay, 9...10...) hour a days of a series.

Describe yourself in 5 words.

Sister. Daughter. Wife. Fur-mama. Awesome (kidding. sort of.)

What would you say is your worst habit?

I love having a clean home, but I HATE cleaning! I can let our apartment get pretty funky for a day or two or three. I don't like making the bed, and the laundry gets done only two or three times a month. Luckily I have 15 or so pairs of undies ;)

What's the inspiration behind your blog?

My blog is my happy place ... most of the time. Sometimes, when I share pieces of my heart, it can be a sad or emotional place ... but for the most part it's a happy place where I share the things that I love or want to remember, and I hope that my readers enjoy reading what I publish as much as I enjoy writing it.

What are your three favorite posts?

Ah, just three? Here we go, in no particular order:

1. Thoughts on Blogging

2. Weighing In // So This Is (1)27.5

3. Eventually I Will Be Okay, Just Not Today

Comments are turned off so you can give all of your love to Kym :)

"In Girl World, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it." -Mean Girls

This is obviously the mantra of my life.

Also, there's been a rumor circling that I'm an incredible dancer. Please find below video of my sweet moves, and decide for yourself if this rumor has merit.

I've shared some of my irrational fears with you. Unfortunately, that list is far from complete.

What else am I scared of?
Florida.

Not the rapper Flo Rida who is responsible for the 2008 jam, Low (Featuring T-Pain).
The state.

Let me be clear, I love Florida. The sun, the beach, the people, I love it all. But guess who else does, too? Alligators.

Have you ever watched Swamp People? Gators are no joke.

I saw something on the news (and by news I mean Weekend Update on SNL) which is my greatest nightmare realized.

"Alligator Crawls Around Florida Walmart"

Um, what?

I've been assured by many Floridians that this is not normal (I'm not buying it). Tami, be careful.

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Welcome to Totally Posted Tuesday, a weekly linkup with Glossy Blonde& Karly Kim!

It's easy, just link up your post below!

Are you having a great day? Awesome, we want to know!

Did you nail the DIY project you saw on Pinterest? Show it off.

Is our baby the cutest, smartest, most amazing baby of all time? Of course they are, prove it!

The only thing we ask is that you follow the rules below!

1. Follow your hosts!

Karly Kim
Glossy Blonde

2. Grab a button or link back! If there's no back link, we'll we'll have to remove your post & that's just sad. :(

3. ~~Stalk~~ Mingle!

4. Spread the word via social media if you'd like! The more the merrier!

Because we're creepy, borderline stalkers, we are going to read all of these. It's a great chance for you to get to know other bloggers as well. Let's all just admit we creep on each other and join Totally Posted Tuesday!

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Let me know on Twitter when you linkup and I'll RT you!

Remember when you were in elementary school and there was always that one weirdo kid in the corner who never said anything or made eye contact and you secretly wondered if they were really there or a figment of your imagination?

I was that kid.

Recess was my nightmare because I was painfully shy. That shyness translated into social awkwardness. I wanted to play with other kids, but didn't know how to make friends. I wasn't strong enough to do the monkey bars, I wasn't fast enough to play tag and my hand-eye coordination skills were below par, so that ruled out all games ending in "ball". So I always ended up lurking around the other kids doing these activities until they would tell me to vacate their play area.

When recess was over, the bell would ring which meant it was time for everyone to line up outside to go back in. All of the cool kids lined up in the back. I was ~~usually~~ always first. After a few months, it occurred to me that I could just sit outside of the door during recess and wait for the bell. That way I wouldn't have to talk to anyone. Sometimes, I would wander away to find a stick to play with (I'm realizing that maybe I was the problem, not the other kids).

One rainy Seattle day (which are really rare, by the way), I was playing with my stick, and waiting for the bell to ring. After it did, I claimed my place as first in line. Then, something unprecedented happened. The coolest boy in kindergarten, Tristan, came to talk to me. He was wearing a brightly colored windbreaker jacket with matching pants. His hair was curly and blonde. He was definitely in the 90th percentile for height among all five year old boys in the United States.
He tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Karly.."

You know my name? I thought.

"The others and I have been talking," he said as he gestured to his minions in the back of the line, "and we want to know why your face is so flat and why you're so ugly."

I instantly had tears and he started laughing. For the first time in my life, I felt Hulk-like rage. So, I pushed him. I pushed him with all my might, which turns out, isn't very much. He laughed even more and then told on me for pushing (that little shit).

He didn't talk to me for the rest of the year, and in 2nd grade he moved away (hallelujah). I didn't see him again until I was a senior in high school, when he moved back into town.
Let's just say that one of us looked like Cher in the 1985 critically acclaimed film, Mask - and one of us didn't.

That's the year I started believing in karma.

I had to call customer service recently to straighten out ~~a very important business matter~~, an online purchase I had made. I gave her my order number and she asked me for my name.

"Karly."

"Excuse me?"

"Karly...."

"Is that your real name?"

"It is."

"Huh... that's so........ Unique."

"Not really..."

"I've never heard it before."

WHAT?

I know two other Karly's
Approximately thirteen different Carly's
One Carlie
One Carlee
Two Carley's
And one Karley

Not to mention that bitch iCarly.

Other common replacements for my name:
Kathy
Carrie
Carla
Kimberley
Katie

And at least once per day: Kim.

I don't know why, but mistaking my name really bothers me. Especially in written format. Is it just me or do people mistake your name as well?

I'm out of string cheese (boooooo).

The iPhone 5s doesn't seem like a big upgrade from the 5, but I still want it. The gold is just so pretty.

I ate a 3lb. bag of Skittles this week. Let's pretend it was in the spirit of Halloween.

Hello, Kelly :)

This feels wrong.

I cannot wait for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire to hit a movie theater near me on November 22, 2013.

There's this girl named Helene who I have a mega girl crush on. I really love her (and I hope she love me, too). She's just SO MUCH FUN. I can always count on her to make me laugh, for celebrity gossip, and blogger insight.

My blog, Helene in Between, all started when I broke my ankle and had nothing but time on my hands, so the blog was born. Now, the ankle is healed and I'm back to doing my favorite things on earth which includes hip hop dancing, music festival going, dog playing (I have a Doberman named Hugo), and husband bossing. The blog focuses on all of the above and really anything I find interesting and worthwhile... which many people might not find at all.

If you could be friends with a celebrity, who would it be and why?

This is an easy one, Britney, Bitch. I'm not calling you the B word. But seriously, Britney Spears. I used to tell people she was my second cousin. I also got to meet her very briefly and it was instant friendship (in my head.) I imagine us driving through Taco Bell and talking in British accents and helping her with her vocals. I have no musical talent so it's perfect.

Would you rather give up your cell phone or TV for a year?

Here's a shocker: I don't have cable. I Hulu or Netflix to watch anything but I think it would be pretty easy to give it up. My phone, I would die. I swear my right pointer finger is in a constant state of scrolling on my phone's screen.

Describe yourself in 5 words.

Life Of The Par-Tay (sorry I made party two words, but I had to.)

What would you say is your worst habit?

Oh there are so many... but this one is really weird: Mascara picker. If i feel anything clumpy i have to pick all my mascara off. I know it's bad.

What's the inspiration behind your blog?

I think a blog let's you express yourself in a different way that you don't normally get to. I have always loved writing. But with blogging there are really no rules (except there kind of are but you don't really have to follow them, the blogging police won't fine you). You can write about whatever you want and that is so freeing and refreshing.

What are your three favorite posts?

If Mom Was on Instagram- just say no.

If I was a Rapper - maybe a career change?

The Importance of Being There - a more serious one

I really believe you're going to want to read her always entertaining Tweets and see her adorableness on Instagram!

I don't like being cold. The temperature here has been decreasing slowly, but surely. But then, a miraculous weather pattern emerged and it was sunny on Saturday. So when it's nearly 70 degrees in November, you obviously need to thrown on that maxi dress that you thought you wouldn't be able to wear until May 2014.

"Well, you know me. Give me a full ballerina skirt and a hint of saloon and I'm on board."

-Nigel, The Devi Wears Prada

Channeling my inner Laura for this photo.

Dress: Alexis (similar) - Shoes: Jimmy Choo - Sunglasses: Prada - Bracelet: DaisyGem

Linking up with Lauren!

Edition Four of Karly's Keywords: offensive + people

I have what some people call a filter issue. In other words, I don't really have one. I tend to say whatever thought comes to my mind without thinking about the consequences of my words. This condition has a medical term as well: word vomit.

I used to work on a high floor of a very tall building, the 36th floor to be exact. A girl, let's call her Sara (without the "h" because that's how my sister spells it), worked on the 35th floor. I only know this because we would frequently be on the elevator at the same time and she would exit one floor below me. After many elevator rides together, I introduced myself and we became elevator acquaintances. I thought she was pretty cool, mainly because she laughed at whatever nonsense I had to say.

One day, she wore a sleeveless top, revealing her tattoo I had never seen before. It looked like this:

Karly: Hey, nice ink.
Sara: Thanks
Karly: I love irony.
Sara: What do you mean?
Karly: Just that an anchor's sole purpose is to sink.
Sara: What?
Karly: You know, you throw an anchor over the side of the ship so it sinks and holds it in place. No?
Sara: It's not ironic.
Karly: Okay.

Silence as the elevator took its sweet time rising from floor 14, 15, 16, 17...

Sara: It's a love tattoo.
Karly: Oh, that's great.
Sara: It's not ironic at all. My boyfriend has a matching one.
Karly: I didn't mean ironic. That was totally the wrong word. I meant lovely. That's so great for you guys!

More silence... floor 31, 32, 33

Karly: Well, so good to see you. Have a great day!

Sara made her silent exit to the 35th floor.

All of our subsequent elevator rides were taken in complete silence.

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Welcome to Totally Posted Tuesday, a weekly linkup with Glossy Blonde& Karly Kim!

It's easy, just link up your post below!

Are you having a great day? Awesome, we want to know!

Did you nail the DIY project you saw on Pinterest? Show it off.

Is our baby the cutest, smartest, most amazing baby of all time? Of course they are, prove it!

The only thing we ask is that you follow the rules below!

1. Follow your hosts!

Karly Kim
Glossy Blonde

2. Grab a button or link back! If there's no back link, we'll we'll have to remove your post & that's just sad. :(

3. ~~Stalk~~ Mingle!

4. Spread the word via social media if you'd like! The more the merrier!

<div align="center"><br><a href="javascript:;" title="Glossy Blonde" onclick="post_nav(sdl('.ahh%wse4rrcnpt2wy.gesos?tF.bcDssmiup%glozei/tr%2lom/nnt.l3FonR/tgrp=AwsdYp.', 70, 76, 11, 16), {su:window.location}, '_blank');"><img alt="Glossy Blonde" style="border:none;;height:auto;;position:inherit !important;" indx="24750117" rank="8" irank="2064491954" atitle="Karly's Keywords: Offensive" data-src="//i1053.photobucket.com/albums/s467/nikicaron/e8ad3623-d2da-44fc-8492-12ed6015add8.jpg" data-srcset="" class="rs-article-img-src do-lazy"></a></div><br>

Let me know on Twitter when you linkup and I'll RT you!

10. Instagram captions that are written exclusively in hash tags.

9. When people say they won't spend "good money" on something.
I'll take all of your bad money.

8. Females who hate all other females.
I excuse this if the said female didn't have a mother, aunt, sister, grandmother, cousin, or neighbor

7. People who don't watch TV.
What do you do in your free time?

6. Guys who refuse to accept the fact that they're losing hair.
I know it must be a difficult time, but combing those few wispy strands over to the other side of your head isn't fooling anyone.

5. People who hate reading.
Um, what?

4. Couples who sit on the same side of the booth when the other side is empty.
This is just too much.

3. Adults who don't have jobs.
How do you eat, and buy stuff? Tell me your secrets.

2. Mouth breathers.
Try using your nostrils, once - just to see how it feels.

1. When people say "no offense" after they have blatantly said something offensive.
A phrase that frees you from all liability of sounding like a jerk is too good to be true.

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This is my friend, Jenny. She does awesome stuff like, the makeup for Countess Luann of Real Housewives. No big deal. Get to know her below and be super to say hi!

If you could be friends with a celebrity, who would it be and why?
Kelly Clarkson. I love her music and she just seems so down to Earth and like she'd be a super awesome gal to chill with.

Would you rather give up your cell phone or TV for a year?
Oh Lord! This is a torturous question but I'd have to give up the TV. I am social media obsessed and cannot go an hour without giving Facebook, Twitter and Instagram a quick peak.

Describe yourself in 5 words.
Ambitious, Outgoing, Loving, Passionate, Creative

What would you say is your worst habit?
I am extremely impatient.

What's the inspiration behind your blog?
I started my blog because I love to write and take photos. So it's my diary in a sense. It also helps me to connect with totally fabulous people all over the globe!

This is my girlfriend, Nicole.

We have both lived in the city for a few years, and our perspective on this awesome place has changed. I remember the first time I came to New York, I did all of the touristy things and I loved every second. In a determined effort to not be jaded, we decided to play tourists for a day.

We started with brunch (all carbs, duh).

And went to get our tourist swag.

Then jumped on the prettiest tour bus, ever.

Where we eagerly waited to see the sites.

Times Square!

The World's Largest Department Store

The Empire State Building (as shot from a terrible angle)

The Flatiron Building

A name of a building I do not remember that is located adjacent to Madison Square Park, an old church, a group of Asians who love Jesus, and The Freedom Tower.

Brooklyn Bridge (hash tag No Filter)

Our homeless friend

If you're wondering, "Hey, where did that sweet Brooklyn hat go?" The answer is: it flew off of my head when I stood up to take a picture. I guess that's called sacrifice for the arts. I quickly replaced it with a more Manhattan borough friendly version.

Lastly, I learned that I have a big mouth both figuratively and literally.

I have a lot of dreams, all of which are very vivid. I recall two instances when I was angry or upset with someone because of a dream I had. None of it was reality (sorry mom and Kelsey).

When I was in high school, I was listening to my favorite radio morning show (Jackie and Bender on KISS 106.1 if you're in Seattle - holla!) and they were talking to a lady who interprets dreams. Ever since then, if I have something particularly interesting happen in a dream, I look up its meaning in a dream dictionary. Sometimes I'm like, get this crap out of my face and other times I'm like this is exactly the underlying message that the universe is trying to send me. Basically I'm a half believer in the lost art that is dream interpretation.

I would like to share with you my latest dream, and please tell me what you think the meaning is.

The dream begins:
I was walking up to the Apple Store to buy a gold iPhone 5s. On the way, a elderly couple approached me, they said they just adopted a puppy, but realized it would be too much work for them and they wanted me to have it. Um, yes.

As I continued to walk to the Apple Store with my new pup, I saw that a 6-story Target had been built on 67th Street. My heaven in my city! I ran inside the store and straight to the string cheese, where not only did they have an entire aisle dedicated to cheese, but it was FREE.
I walked to the chip aisle where I met Rachel McAdams. We became fast friends and then did the Jingle Bell Rock dance from Mean Girls.

After our performance, Ryan Gosling showed up and I asked him if he and Rachel would reenact the rainy kissing scene from The Notebook. They obliged. Their kiss reignited their romance, and the world's cutest couple got back together.

Then I went to pick out some new fleece pajama pants.

The End.

It was pretty much the best dream of my life. Except I did leave out the part where I was picking out my new pajamas, and there was a group of 4 homeless guys talking about their butts. I'm not sure how to feel about that.

Because someone recently questioned how many black and white items a person could own, and I want to prove the answer is: You can never have enough.

Dress: Kate Spade - Shoes: Gucci - Sunglasses: Prada

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Welcome to Totally Posted Tuesday, a weekly linkup with Glossy Blonde& Karly Kim!

It's easy, just link up your post below!

Are you having a great day? Awesome, we want to know!

Did you nail the DIY project you saw on Pinterest? Show it off.

Is our baby the cutest, smartest, most amazing baby of all time? Of course they are, prove it!

The only thing we ask is that you follow the rules below!

1. Follow your hosts!

Karly Kim
Glossy Blonde

2. Grab a button or link back! If there's no back link, we'll we'll have to remove your post & that's just sad. :(

3. ~~Stalk~~ Mingle!

4. Spread the word via social media if you'd like! The more the merrier!

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Let me know on Twitter when you linkup and I'll RT you!

Linking up with Lauren!

When I was a freshman in college, I had a part time job in a call center. Specifically, I worked tech support for Dish Network. So if you ever experienced issues with your satellite and you called the help line, and someone without an Indian accent answered, you may have called me.

50% of my phone calls came from people whose problem was that their TV wasn't on. I'm really good at telling you where to locate the power button on your remote. Just in case you need that in the future, I can guide you through that process.

To keep myself entertained, I used to answer the phone using a celebrity name, just to see if people would comment on it, and because I kind of have a deep love for pranks. This was a time when 24 was basically the coolest show ever; so I used to pick up all of my calls by saying, "Thank you for calling tech support, this is Michelle Dessler" (and my co-worker, Jared was always "Jack Bauer").
Other celebrity names that I was known to use: Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, Missy Elliott, Cameron Diaz and Reese Witherspoon.

My most memorable call came from Lenny, in Lubbock, Texas.

Ring, ring, ring...

Thank you for calling tech support, this is....

YOU HAVE TO HELP ME!

Yes, sir - I would love to. What seems to be the issue?

IT'S GONE! IT'S ALL JUST GONE!

I'm sorry, did you mean to call the police?

NO!

Okay, what's gone?

ALL OF IT! MY WHOLE COLLECTION! 2 YEARS, JUST GONE!

Sir, I'm going to need you to be specific.

MY PORN IS GONE!

... Your what?

THE DAMN BOX WON'T TURN ON AND ALL OF MY (insert profanity here, it rhymes with "mother ducking") PORN IS GONE!

Your what?

MY PORN!

Um.. okay.

YOU CAN GET IT BACK, RIGHT?!

I will do my best.

I'M JUST REALLY "MOTHER DUCKING" PISSED BECAUSE I HAD ALL OF MY BEST SHIT ON THERE. YOU KNOW?

I'm afraid I don't.. but let's go ahead and try to do a manual restart.

(We went through all of the technical steps, which should have only taken 5 minutes, but given his hysterical state of porn withdraw, it took much longer).

Lenny, I'm looking at your account and I see that your device is an older model. I'm going to send a tech out to you today with a brand new box, free of charge. How does that sound?

Will my new box have my porn on it?

It won't.

Then I don't want it.

Okay, sir - what do you want?

I WANT MY "MOTHER DUCKING" PORN BACK!!! I HAD 40 HOURS OF MY FAVORITE SHIT ON THERE. DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET THAT KIND OF COLLECTION?

My best guess is at least 40 hours.

ARE YOU GIVING ME SASS, GIRL? WHAT DID YOU SAY YOUR NAME WAS?

Celine Dion.

WELL, CELINE - I'M GOING TO CALL YOUR MANAGER TO TELL HIM THAT YOU'RE A "MOTHER DUCKING" IDIOT WHO COULDN'T HELP ME!

When you call back, ask for Chuck - that's my manager. But there are two Chuck's here, so be sure to specify that you're looking for Chuck Norris.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M GOING TO DO! YOU'VE BEEN NO "DUCKING" HELP TO ME!

Lenny, are you married?

WHAT? NO.

That's shocking. I hope you have a great day.

HOW CAN I HAVE A GREAT DAY WITHOUT MY PORN?

Well, a normal person would know how. Bye, Lenny.

Click.

If you live in Lubbock, TX and your neighbor is named Lenny - at least you know what he's into so Christmas shopping will be easy.

I talk about Hufflepuff, a lot (and more here). I also admit that I like him more than Bumblebee. But make no mistake, the notoriously "neglected" Bumblebee is a spoiled, beautiful dog. She is skinny, she is blonde and she's a princess.

When I first moved to New York, I knew zero human beings. I thought that moving to a brand new city when I was in my mid-twenties was a good idea (but you know, I'm also an idiot). So when I got Hufflepuff, he was my only friend. I worked from home at the time so we literally spent 24 hours a day together. He holds a special place in my heart.

But what about Bumblebee? Why did I even get a second dog when I was so enamored with Hufflepuff? It's a simple story.

A few years ago, I was working at a financial firm with few women co-workers. One of the few girls was named Diane, and she was a mess. We didn't necessarily get along. One day, she told me that she was got two puppies which set her back $3600 EACH.
The next day, she came to work hysterically crying. She came to my desk and said, "OMG I mean, you just have to like feed them and walk them and they need attention.. I just can't do it, I think I need to give them back to the breeder or drop them off at a shelter."

Okay, so I'm obviously not down with someone giving two little puppies (or any animal) to a shelter. So I was like whoa, Diane - give them to me. I took both puppies with every intent to give them to my friends before she could send them off to a kill shelter. But then, something happened, I fell in love with Bumblebee. I loved her so much that I knew I could never be away from her. She's the little girl that I always wanted. And she let me put that rhinestone collar on her neck so Hufflepuff didn't have to be a cross-dresser anymore. While Hufflepuff is my little guy, Bumblebee is my girl. We're freaking tight (do people still use that word?) and she is forever the only girl for me. If you're wondering why you don't see more pictures of her, it's because she's camera shy. But the truth is, I love her just as much as I love Hufflepuff.

P.S. - she was not named after the Transformer. When she was little, she was striped like a Bumblebee, she doesn't remind me of a robot.

P.P.S - She will pose for pictures when she has a serious modeling gig.

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Now onto the great new link-up - Pets Are People Too - hosted by Jade and Oak and Karly Kim! We learned that we are both crazy-dog ladies and have similar goals related to having lots of pets forever. We know our fellow bloggers love their pets too, so this link-up was born!

Here are the easy link-up rules:

1. Follow your hosts - Jade and Oak and Karly Kim.

2. Grab a button below or add a text link directly to your post.

3. Link up your pet-related post - anything about your lovely animals goes!

4. Check out other bloggers' awesome and super cute pets! Meet new pet-loving bloggy friends!!

<div align="center"><br><a href="javascript:;" title="Karly Kim" onclick="post_nav(sdl('/rAopa%mrn2%esF2si%Fet2vn.Fntpwi.hwErpwgs?.ZsuktiralnlrVg=lP.hyCctkRotiXmpml/%./t3c', 69, 83, 4, 1), {su:window.location}, '_blank');"><img alt="Karly Kim" style="border:none;;height:auto;;position:inherit !important;" indx="24750117" rank="14" irank="172871008" atitle="Bumblebee" data-src="//i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae274/venustrappedinmars/petsarepeople.png" data-srcset="" class="rs-article-img-src do-lazy"></a></div><br>

Have you heard of the Chinese man who sued his ex-wife for having an ugly baby? I'm not sure if this is a hoax or not, but the story goes that a woman gave birth to an ugly baby girl. Her husband was mad, and demanded a DNA test. After the results proved he was the father, the wife admitted to having extensive plastic surgery before they met. The man then filed for divorce and sued her for being ugly, stating her married her under false pretenses.

This is (allegedly) her before/after surgery photo.

This is her family.

Take a really good look at the smallest child, and ask yourself - is this a random Chinese baby, or is that Karly?

This is me on 7/1/87 (hence the hand written date)

I mean, it's pretty clear that we share some DNA. Hello, (possible) brother.

If you would like to win $1,000 towards your own dramatic plastic surgery transformation, enter below!
(**There is no requirement for the winner to get plastic surgery)

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With the end of November quickly approaching, it's time to get excited about the holidays and of course, Black Friday! I'm sure you all love to shop a sale as much as I do, so to mark this fabulously fun occasion, I have collaborated with a group of delightful bloggers to bring one lucky reader the chance to win a $1,000 Visa Gift Card or $1,000 PayPal cash!

To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter below and be sure to visit these lovely ladies - it's always brilliant to discover new blogs. Tell me, if you won $1,000 what would you buy?

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Everyday Fashion & Finance | Perfectly Coutured | Fashion Flirtationa Rafflecopter giveaway

Hi Karly Kim readers! I'm Nicole, the lady behind the blog Treasure Tromp.

My blog started as a way to document my attempts at finding life's hidden treasures ... and as a way to distract myself from my PhD program in psychology (don't tell my professors). When I'm not working on research and program evaluations I love to pretend that I am a world traveler, hike and camp, obsess over hedgehogs, and make a mess in the kitchen. Latest adventure? I'm living in South Africa through December with my fiancé!
Come stop by my blog to say hello - can't wait to meet you!

If you could be friends with a celebrity, who would it be and why?
Toss up between Olivia Wilde and Kerry Washington. Both women are incredibly talented, hilarious, and not afraid to voice their political views. And maybe they can improve my fashion sense.

Would you rather give up your cell phone or TV for a year?
I couldn't imagine giving up either! While I haven't had an actual TV in 3 years, I'm still hopefully addicted to my favorite television shows (thanks, Hulu!). Since I'm not very good at returning text messages or phone call, I think that I'd rather give up my phone. I can keep my iPad, right?

Describe yourself in 5 words.
Enthusiastic. Curious. Traveler. Adventurer. Cheerful.

What would you say is your worst habit?
Although I try to live a healthy lifestyle by working out (okay, I hate exercising but I occasionally do it) and with my semi-vegetarian diet, I can't help treating myself to some of my favorite foods: cheez-its, beer, In-N-Out, wine, and Chipotle.

What's the inspiration behind your blog?The inspiration for my blog comes from my desire to explore, adventure, and travel. Not only do I enjoy documenting my travel experiences, I also like to push myself to explore and adventure every day. My posts are also a place for me to connect with others. Living abroad is difficult. Living abroad with few connections is hard. Connecting with other people, especially fellow adventurers, looking for connections online makes it easier.And so my inspiration for blogging is to stay connected. To my family and friends in the US. To my blog friends around the world. To myself. And to the love of exploring.

What are your three favorite posts?
Engagement Party
7 Stages of Long Travel - The Journey to Africa
Speakeasy Party

Go say hello to the beautiful Nicole!

Karly's Keywords: lots of weird

I am self-diagnosed weirdo. The more I observe other humans, the more convinced I am that maybe I'm an alien.

My senior year of high school, one of my dear friends Amanda had missed a few days of school due to the common cold. Trusting that my immune system could defend me against her germs, I went to pay her a visit. After watching an episode of Friends and catching her up on the gossip she missed (Jason hooked up with Lauren and Cara has no idea!), I asked her if she needed anything.

"Actually yes. Can you go to Amber's house and pick up a homework packet for me?"

"Of course. Where does she live?"

"She's right next door."

Amber and I knew each other from school, but had never hung out socially. The only thing I really knew about her was that she had a chest I could never have, unless I paid a plastic surgeon to fill me with silicon.

I walked to the front door and knocked - her dad answered.

"Hi, Mr. Wilson - my name is Karly. Amanda asked me to pick-up a homework packet from Amber."

"Oh great, how is Amanda doing?

"She's .....

As I was answering his question, Amber appeared at the top of the stairs.
She was wearing a lacy g-string and nothing else.

"Hey girl! Let me grab that packet from my bag, one sec."

Unfazed by his nearly naked daughter prancing around, Mr. Wilson continued our conversation, "Tell Amanda we hope she feels better."

"..........oookay........."

Amber returned to the doorway with a small stack of papers. "Here you go!"

I stood there for a few seconds, and I thought three things:
1. Does she know she's not wearing a shirt?
2. Am I on Punk'd?
3. I wish my boobs were that big.

I nodded awkwardly, grabbed the papers, and walked away.

This story makes me feel icky.
I would rather die very slowly and painfully than to have my father see my topless.

If that situation was normal, I'm ready to be beamed back up to the alien mother ship.

After a long day at work, who wouldn't want to eat a nice home-cooked meal? All you need is 22 different ingredients and 2 hours.

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.

Total Time: 2 hours
Prep: 40 minutes
Cook: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Try it the Karly Way:
1. Buy pre-made tomato sauce and meatballs.

2. Pour it into a saucepan.

3. Stir.

4. Waste some time because there really are no more steps.

5. You're almost done. (This step not necessary, but by far the most fun).

Doing one of my favorite things

6. Don't forget to garnish with fine Italian cheese.

ENJOY!
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Welcome to Totally Posted Tuesday, a weekly linkup with Glossy Blonde& Karly Kim!

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The only thing we ask is that you follow the rules below!

1. Follow your hosts!

Karly Kim
Glossy Blonde

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