All Good Things Must Come to an End

Hello, hello! I hope you all are well.

Well, folks - I've been trying to do this for the past year but haven't been able to let it go just yet. However, I think the time has finally come to say goodbye to the Maliyacular.

I started this blog four years ago to be a creative outlet where I can develop my writing skills and storytelling through words and pictures. I'm happy to be living in an age where blogs even exist and I've been able to "practice" my writing in this kind of medium.

However, I think it's time to say farewell! Honestly, there is no one instance or reason why I've decided to bid adieu to my blog. I think I'm just ready for a change in the way I approach and continue to develop my writing. Having said that, I have to admit that ending my blog is one of the more difficult things I've done recently - I mean, it's been four years!! I've loved documenting various aspects of my life with words and pictures to share with a broader audience. And I love going back to past posts to see "what I was doing this time last year, two years ago, etc.".

I plan to continue to write (I mean, come on - it's in my blood!) and who knows? Maybe I'll start up another blog at some point... in which case, you better believe I'll be advertising it here!

For those of you who are reading this for the first time, thank you. For those who have been reading sporadically, whenever the content of a post catches your eye here and there, thank you. And finally, for those who have been reading continuously throughout the years... thank you... ten times over.

It's truly been nothing short of a delight.

My First Healthy Living Summit!

Well. I can safely say that this year's Healthy Living Summit was worth all the hype and all the blood, sweat and tears of getting to Philly. I can't believe it's over!

While I don't live the healthiest of lifestyles, meeting some new friends and attending some panels focused on personal well-being totally has renewed my motivation to lead a healthier lifestyle (primarily by motivating me to get off my butt and exercise more!). I couldn't BELIEVE how nice everyone was! Such a welcoming atmosphere, such a HAPPY PLACE. Must be all those endorphins. ;)

There were so many highlights! I just don't know where to begin.

From listening to some pretty SWEET panels (on social media, on maintaining Realistic and Achievable Wellness)...



To meeting some favorite bloggers (I swear, they were like celebrities to us!)...




To a Sunday morning 5K, complete with the Rocky Steps...


To one of the best breakfasts ever, with Quaker Oatmeal's SNAZZY OATMEAL BAR, complete with an Oatmeal Barista(!!)...





To WINNING one of the raffles (lkdsjflkdsj!!!! I never win anything!!)...

To the sweetest swag bag EVER (thank you, Quaker Oatmeal, one of my new favorite brands!)...


To enjoying some of Philly's nightlife at only one of the BEST restaurants EVER...



To new FRIENDS!!

The Healthy Living Summit just did it RIGHT. #HLS has totally just gained one more humongous fan. Can't wait till next year's!

the Mavs/Heat can make it into Girls' Night too, you know

I love last minute plans. As I've said before, this whole daily blogging business takes some SERIOUS work, if you are working at it as your "side" job. You know, it's not even the blog writing that takes up the most time for me. It's the sheer effort of having a very active LIFE. Hahaha. I mean, I'm a social person but a girl's gotta have her downtime.

Anyway, there I was working away, pondering what I was going to blog about tonight (yes, that's what my life has come to), when good old Alma's Gchat message came my way. God, I love Gchat... I mean, I love EVERYthing Google, but Gchat is one of the most amaz- no, no. That shall be another blog post for another time, my friends. I know you'll be on the edge of your seats.

Back to the point... So! With that fleeting Gchat conversation, plans for Monday night's blog were set! Off to Hub 51 for some wine and apps, we go!

It also certainly didn't hurt that I had a $25 gift certificate to Hub 51 to redeem.

Hahaha. You know what? It's so funny because I feel like this blog is making me sound like Deal CENTRAL! But I'm really not! I just happen to have had a LOT of deals/coupons/Groupons/promotions to which to attend in the recent past. And come on, the blog's gotta have SOME substance/general themes! Hahah. It all comes back to the blog, doesn't it? Sigh.

Anyway! I ended up getting to Hub 51 a little earlier than Alma, so I quickly snagged an open table by the bar and did what any other girl at a nice (albeit slightly frattastic) bar would do while she waited...

That's right. I picked up my book. And read. I guess that kind of defeats the purpose of being in a bar, but whatever. Can I help it that Julie Andrews' biography is just THAT interesting? I'm only at the part of her teenage, early career years... so how can I NOT be intrigued to see HOW she rises to fame and stardom (in the classiest of ways, mind you)?

Well. About four minutes into my book reading at Hub 51 (how's THAT for an oxymoron?), Alma breezed into the bar... and, well, forget about the book!

I mean, it had been a WHOLE THREE DAYS since we last saw each other! We had lots to catch up on! Hello.

Some topics included in the girl talk dishfest? Well... you would be VERY proud to hear that this whole Mavs/Heat game from last night made it into our conversation. For a whole two minutes and everything! But then... well, we had Pippa and Prince Harry to discuss (I mean, did you hear about how Pippa broke up with her boyfriend and was seen at a local pub with Prince Harry?!)... and Alma HAD to introduce me to the PopSugar app (which you better beLIEVE I will be downloading in the near future)... and, well, I don't know! The Mavs/Heat game can only be discussed for SO long, considering neither of us bothered watching it and were basing a fair amount of our conversation on... well, the Facebook status updates we'd seen dominating the news feeds during the game.

Sigh. Good times. At this point, what more can be said, really?

I’m on Twitter… now what?

Alright, so here’s the thing. I’m all about social networking, making the world a smaller, place, befriending all the world, etc. That’s why I am a firm advocate of Facebook. Granted, I used to be unhealthily obsessed with it (is it normal to start twitching if one doesn’t check Facebook once every couple of hours? Oh well.), but once you realize your limitations and the healthy boundaries of social networking, you’ll realize just how powerful that tool is.

Okay, Facebook is one thing- it’s so versatile and dynamic and oh how I heart thee. I could write an ode to it. But then there’s Twitter, right? So you know how it’s like all the rage right now? I was firmly against Twitter because I never understood the point of it. After all, the implementation of Facebook’s “status updates” is one of the most annoying things ever to me (well, not EVER, who are we kidding here? I always briefly scroll through the status updates anyway! But still. You know what I mean.)… and that’s pretty much ALL Twitter is, right?

Anyway, power of persuasion and all that. I’m now on Twitter. That took about five minutes of discussion. Haha. I’m telling you, if you ever need to convince anyone of anything, you should hire Evan Fleming (no worries about that whole Internet security business… I already confirmed that he is comfortable with me using his whole name because, as he so eloquently put it, “ohhhh…. No I don’t mind… I’m all over the internet”… hahah KNEE SLAPPER). Granted, Evan is one of my favorite people alive (I heavily advertise him to all the world), so that helped in the whole persuasive component, but still.

Okay, so Evan was all about me getting on Twitter to continue to brand myself and just have another wider ranging audience to whom I can advertise my blog. This all sounded so amazing and monumental and like, wow, this is really going to be my big break in the blog/entertainment world. So, there I went, getting on Twitter.

And then… well, I just got lost and confused. I mean, how in the world do you USE this thing? Like, how in heaven’s name am I supposed to know who to follow? And how am I supposed to self-advertise that people should follow me? And then the whole use of symbols to “tag” people, etc. GOD, it is like the most confusing thing ever.

So, there I was… kind of forgetting that I even HAD a Twitter account… when I posted another blog entry (and advertised it on Facebook and Gchat, as per usual). What was I thinking? Dutiful, dear Evan made sure to get right on his follow up with me to ENSURE that I was planning to post my latest blog entry on Twitter. I mean, who does that? Haha.

So, now that I realize big brother of the Twitter world (aka: Evan Fleming) is totally all up on Twitter, I’m MUCH better about making sure I post my latest blog on Twitter as well… with all my four followers or whatever. Whatever makes him happy, I guess. Haha. It only totally motivates me more that Evan totally tweets me out from time to time. His last tweet about me? “pumped that my girl Christie @Maliyacular is going to be gracing #sf with her presence in a couple weeks. let the #tourdechristie begin!”

A #tourdechristie?!?!?! Alsdkfj;laskdjflkdsjf!!! THIS IS WHY EVAN IS TOTALLY THE PUBLICITY DIRECTOR OF MY SHOW!!!!!!!flkdajslfkdjsla! Who THINKS of something like that?!?!?!?

Anyway, so long story short, sure I STILL don’t really understand the point of Twitter (and if YOU do, please, by all means, do enlighten me), but clearly, CLEARLY, it doesn’t take all that much to get me to love it. God, I’m such a sucker. #hearttwitter! Haha or something like that…

Welcome, welcome, welcomelkajsflkasj!!!

hi everyone!

sigh. i'd like to (finally) introduce you to my BLOG!!! lkajsfdlkj! after years of just emailing my ever-ridiculous stories (often about absolutely nothing, let's be honest here) to ever-random collections of friends here and there, i've taken the liberty of compiling all my verbal vomit into one collective environment. i mean, what better way to KIT with all my BFFs in life, right? right. you're welcome in advance.

why now? having just moved for the third time in four years (ridic, I know), i figured this would be the best way to stay connected with my absolute FAVORITES plucked from anywhere and everywhere that i've been merrily traipsing about. i'm the first one to admit that i'm not the greatest at keeping in touch with people (i mean, the phone? please.), but that doesn't mean that i don't WANT to keep in touch. it's just not one of my finer qualities, thank you very much. for some reason, though, i'm so all over email's business, it's not even funny. so why not just compile all my otherwise mass-emailed stories/thoughts into one ridiculous blog?

and the title? sigh. i wish i could take credit for creation of the term "maliyacular". being the heavy advertiser of people that i know and absolutely LOVE, i must give credit where credit is due. so, hazel, thank you for coming up with such a delightful term... one of my favorites in life coining one of my absolute favorite terms in life... so FITTING! laksfdj! for those who haven't yet been absolutely blessed with my verbal vomit in email form, im hoping that as you continue to read this blog, you'll quickly come to realize what the heck is meant by "my own maliyacular". because, quite frankly, i cant really find words to describe it... basically the ONLY thing for which i can't find words to describe but that's just an aside.

with (all of) that said, id like to welcome, welcome, WELCOME you to my blog! sigh. a blog devoted to happiness, ridiculousness, nothingness... and everything else that can reasonably end with a "-ness", apparently...