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Scanning across the globe is a tight-knit community lying just below the surface of everyday society. Many individuals in this group are quick to call themselves "addicted" or "obsessed" and may spend every spare moment and every spare dime on their hobby. What brings these people together? An 80-year-old form of dancing that is commonly known as swing. Anne Marie Martin, a novice swing dancer who has been at it for less than a month, has already made new friends. She went to the swing dance at Greenville's Handlebar, where she joined a dozen others to learn the basic steps of swing. Martin, like many, joined the dance scene "because I knew people who have a lot of fun doing it and I thought it would be a great way to meet new people." Paul Hoke of UpstateSwing.com is the instructor and DJ at the Handlebar swing dances. In fact, if there is something swing going on in the upstate, chances are he is behind it. A little over 10 years ago, Hoke decided to

It is so embarassing when people point out glaring typos in a post that has been published for a few days already. Glaring typos that I never saw--even after reading over a post several times. LOL. And I want to be a writer? ♥, TiffanyAnne

Mike brought over some of the candy from his monstrous candy bag and gosh I love me some Milk Duds! ^_^ ♥, TiffanyAnne

Yesterday at Target, Mike and I wandered up and down the Halloween candy aisles on two separate missions. My mission was to find candy corn. Result? Epic fail. The only candy corn was some "gourmet" mango flavored candy corn. "I don't want mango flavored candy corn!" I demanded. "I want candy corn flavored candy corn!" Is that too much to ask? No. What was particularly annoying about this was that the Halloween candy aisles had lots of pictures of candy corn. As seen in this picture I found on flickr: [do you see that runner? that's candy corn, I tell you! false advertisement! at perfect Tiffizzle eye-level!] While I was on my vain hunt for candy corn, Mike was on a hunt for the bag of candy with the perfect mixture of fun-sized treats. You know, one of those monstrous sized bags of candy that is particularly convenient if you plan on handing out candy to the masses of monsters on All Hallow's Eve. One minor hiccup, though, is that Mike

♥, TiffanyAnne

Advising for the spring semester starts next week, but I decided to check out the course schedules today just to see what my options were. By the looks of it, I may be in for a confusing spring semester. I'm looking at taking classes at two different campuses and online. I hate online classes, but that's what it may come to. I've been looking forward to taking another class from our resident Pulitzer Prize winning proff . Mitch Weiss, who won the prize in '04 for investigative journalism, will be teaching a class on investigavtive journalism. Oh wait--one minor draw back. It's being taught ON A TUESDAY NIGHT . Now I have to decide between swing dancing and journalism. Granted if it's anything like this semester, I'll get to go to half the dances anyway... ♥, TiffanyAnne

an article about swing dancing should flow effortlessly from my pen. right? where a muse when you need one? ♥, TiffanyAnne

I've got all these friends on that I hardly even know. These friendships started from meeting them one evening, asking them if they had facebook, and the putting our heads together to figure out what mutual friends we could find each other through because we both have strange last names and/or lack of memorization skills. We've never talked since except for maybe the mandatory "Hey, it was great meeting you at that party last weekend!" Several names came across of people I never remember meeting. Delete . Family members of family members of friends I don't even talk to any more. Delete . Etcettera. I'm down to five hundred friends and that's still a lot. That's still a lot of people that aren't actually my "friends." I feel guily deleting some of these people..but then I realize. Do I really care that we're "friends" on Facebook? No...and they probably don't either. ♥, TiffanyAnne

Sometimes I really frustrate myself. It is insane how dichotomous I can be. (Yeah. Dichotomous . I did just use that word. How 'bout them apples?) I just spent some time talking with my roommate and giving her surprisingly sound and logical advice. I have such a hard time applying that exact same advice to my own life. These wise words are coming out of my mouth and I just want to yell at myself, "So why don't you do that? Huh? Huh?" It's only through God that I can dig up these words to help her. Now, I need to lean on Him to use those same ideas and apply them to my life. Sometimes, the hardest thing is realizing your limits and sticking to them. Do this even if it makes you unhappy in the moment because in a few weeks, days, or even a few minutes, you'll realize that you did the right thing. That realization will happen when you come to your senses and find yourself feeling tons better. Instead of listening to our emotions, we need to make them listen to u

I'm not married, but I've really been enjoying the latest series on the girltalk blog. It's about the Proverbs 31 woman. I'm sure there are some readers who can take these ladies' words and turn them into practial application, and I wanted to pass this link along. http://girltalk.blogs.com ♥, TiffanyAnne

♥, TiffanyAnne

Tiffany's Existing Situation Needs, and insists on having, a close and understanding relationship, or at least some method of satisfying a compulsion to feel identified. Tiffany's Stress Sources Feels that life has far more to offer and that there are still important things to be achieved--that life must be experienced to the fullest. As a result, she pursues her objectives with a fierce intensity that will not let go of things. Becomes deeply involved and runs the risk of being unable to view things with sufficient objectivity, or calmly enough; is therefore in danger of becoming agitated and of exhausting her nervous energy. Cannot leave things alone and feels she can only be at peace when she has finally reached her goal. Tiffany's Restrained Characteristics Feels that she is burdened with more than her fair share of problems. However, she sticks to her goals and tries to overcome her difficulties by being flexible and accommodating. Unhappy at the resistance she feels w

I forgot a drink today. Yeah. I saw it on the floor of the garage. So what did you do? Oh, they have little milks there that I can buy. Who bought it for you? We have lunch numbers to buy things with. What's your lunch number? I don't know. I can't remember it. Well, let's practice. It's 5-3-3-2. 5-3-2-2. No, 5-3- 3 -2. 5-3-2-2? No. 5-3-3-2. 5-3... 3... 2? Yes. Oh...so there's two three's? Yup. So, what is it again? 5-3-2-2. ♥, TiffanyAnne

Like I said...purple nails. ♥, TiffanyAnne

Okay, so my sister did this makeup survey thing and was like: oh, why don't you guys do it too. So, I decided to do it during which I realized that I have a lot of makeup. Mostly, I don't wear makeup. It takes too much time and I'm too lazy. I'm one of those gals that can get away with not wearing makeup most days. Or maybe I just don't care. Either way... But here is that survey... My Foundation : Maybelline Dream Matte Mouse in light beige or creamy natural or something... Love it, reccomend it, but never wear it now that I have PF mineral makeup. My Mineral Foundation : Physician's Formula Mineral Wear® Talc-Free Mineral Loose Powder in sand beige. Love it. So easy. My Powder : CoverGirl pressed powder and PF bronzer. Never wear it . My Mascara : Maybelline Great Lash. Never wear it . Mascara makes me look funny. My Blush : CoverGirl Cheekers in Iced Cappucino...has a very odd scent. (Also own and occasionally wear: Lorac blush in Soul, Mary Kay signature bl

When I was in Tennessee for my cousin's wedding, I received a caboodles case full of my gramma's costume jewelry. All I have to say is, jeez, Gramma had style! This watch I am particularly fond of. It does need a new battery but that never stops me from wearing it. Come to think of it--both my watches need new batteries. ♥, TiffanyAnne

nerds left over from Lauren's b-day bash ♥, TiffanyAnne

Two of my gorgeous roomies doing the self-portrait thing during our first ever roomie night. ♥, TiffanyAnne

Let us examine this adorable little adventurous gal, Dora the Explorer . Are her parents concerned for her? I would be if she were my kid. Her best friend is a red boot wearing purple monkey whose name is, appropriately, Boots. Monkeys can carry diseases, kid. But, I guess, having her own television show and all she can afford to have an immunized monkey. One that talk to boot. Get it--to boot ? Because the monkey's name is Boots? Ha-ha. Dora has regular run-ins with a fox in a mask à la Zoro . The fox, like the monkey, is also appropriately named. He is a kleptomaniac. You know--he's got sticky fingers, he likes to swipe things. Which brings me to his name: Swiper . Why is the deal with the swiping Swiper stalking the monkey toting tot? I don't know. In today's episode, Dora was chased by alligators . Two alligators . That could jump. Seriously? Her parents only wanted her to go to a soccer game and all of a sudden she's running from two alligators that really

I still go dancing weekly, but it has begun to take a lesser role in my life. A lot of people, dancing friends and girlfriends mostly, have had a hard time understanding why something I love so much is such a big deal. "It shouldn't matter" that I'm out dancing even if Mike isn't. So I pose to them the opposite senario: what if he was out dancing with other girls three/four/five night a week without me? Most gals get a look on their face that clearly says they would not approve of their significant others doing such a thing. It's funny how we girls like to hold guys to a double standard that we don't hold to ourselves. There is so much more here that I don't know how to delve into. I'll probably write more later...my first series even. Last night, for the first time, an out-of-town friend and fellow lindy hopper told me that he "really respected" me for the decisions I've been making in concerning dancing styles and frequency. It'

So, the baby is sick. (Can I really call him a baby anymore? He's 15 months old. But he's still the baby. ^_^) He's just got a little cold but he feels miserable. On most days, the screams coming from his mouth are excited shrieks--but not today. No, today he is eliciting only the crying and screaming that is accompanied by streams of tears. You'd like to hold him in the rocking chair all day long and you know he'd probably like that too but that isn't exactly an option. You've got another child that needs your attention too. Chores to do, mouths to feed, hair to pull out. How do you juggle all of it? ♥, TiffanyAnne