Hey everyone – sorry I was gone so long. Spending much needed time with my lovely fiancee. I don’t get to see him much, so this time was special. I’m back to the series today.

Name of Blog: The Urban Muse
Blog URL: http://www.urbanmusewriter.com/
About the Author: Her name is Susan and she is a freelance writer who enjoys exploring new places.
What I Think of This Blog: I like it. It’s updated regularly and it’s about freelance, but there’s a lot of things relevant to the rest of the writing world. I like it.
Example of a Topic Covered: Guest Post: How to Write Introductions that Grab Readers Really helpful information for any writer and any blogger.
Relevance to College Students: If you are a writing major – I think this is invaluable.
Does This Blog Make It To My Blogs to Read Bookmarks?: Yes – I really like it and it is quality content.

Miss Lissy

So, the blog review I was going to do was a dead link.

So you get the unequaled privilege of hearing about my drive yesterday. Which I really hated. It wasn’t too bad until the last hour – when it was dark and people kept flashing their brights in my eyes and I thought that I was going to drive over the edge. It was really uber scary.

But now I’m at MLC – everyone around me is studying and I’m very thankful that I don’t have exams. I hope you are all having a good time – even if it’s cold.

Miss Lissy

I finished my last sit down exam and I have a portfolio due tomorrow (that still needs much too much editing) and a final paper (that I’ll probably crank out in about an hour).

But you are expecting a blog review and I will deliver it unto you.

Name of Blog: SmallFishBigMoney.com
Blog URL: http://smallfishbigmoney.com/
About the Author: He’s 17! Holy man that’s cool – I know that blogging is on the rise among people my age, but it still doesn’t feel like a whole lot. His name is Fabien Chetty and he’s from Perth, Australia and used to live in the Seychelles. I have to say, I am very impressed. I would not have pegged him as that age. I would have pegged him as older. I was blogging too at the age (or very shortly thereafter) and my blog was nowhere near as professional or focused. My blog still isn’t the most focused, but we have different goals for our blogs in mind.
What I Think of This Blog: It is very impressive, like I said. The design is very modern and sleek. I know it commits one of my blog “sins” but I’ll let it go because I think the content is worth clicking through. It could be updated more but the content is worthwhile.
Example of a Topic Covered: Take Control of Your Subconscious – Change Your Life Now It is what it says it is.
Relevance to College Students: I think if you are going into business it is very relevant.
Does This Blog Make It To My Blogs to Read Bookmarks?: Yes – there are reasons why it couldn’t, but the information is valuable and mostly, I want to support others my age who blog because I know it can be frustrating to blog especially if no one is reading, but at the same time, it can be a great experience.

Miss Lissy

So we are getting dumped on. Jim Doyle has declared a state of emergency for the entire state and closed all UW schools. But for the suckers at UW-Milwaukee, who decided to go ahead and have class anyways, I think that it sucks. The governor cancels class and then your school is like just kidding. Well I tell you, for the first time in my life I did not want a snow day. We would have had to take today’s exams on Saturday. I don’t even have any exams but it would have pushed back hall closing and I am more than ready to be done with this semester.

At any rate, you are expecting another post from our blog review series.

Name of Blog: Quiet Rebel Writer
Blog URL: http://www.quietrebelwriter.com/
About the Author: I couldn’t find anything
What I Think of This Blog: It needs some coding work and hasn’t been updated in a long time. The content is just okay in my opinion.
Example of a Topic Covered: Case Study: Facing Down New Project Anxiety I don’t appreciate the language – unnecessary, but I do think it makes a few valid points.
Relevance to College Students: Not sure on this one. I want to say yes because of the content, but something needs to be updated to be relevant, at least I believe.
Does This Blog Make It To My Blogs to Read Bookmarks?: No – if it hasn’t been updated since April, it doesn’t have a chance.

Miss Lissy

I’m holding in there for the end. I’ll be leaving this place on Saturday and I am glad to be getting a break. This semester has been trying. This whole school experience will always be trying. I just don’t fit in here and if I stay true to Christ I won’t.

But I will faithfully do a review for you.

Name of Blog: Freelance Parent
Blog URL: http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/
About the Authors: Her name is Traci Love (which I absolutely love that her last name is love) and she has a toddler daughter. (I personally love learning about bloggers’ families more than anything else). And there’s Christina Lemmy who is a wife and mother of two daughters. They both work! Huzzah.
What I Think of This Blog: It has really helpful information from the business side of things. I can’t really find a date on things, so I’m not sure how often it’s updated but the latest post I feel was updated before October 8th or is really, really early to be asking people to register.
Example of a Topic Covered: Learn Something New (and Enjoy It!) I think this is so true – the points it makes about learning new things.
Relevance to College Students: Definitely from the business marketing side it could be very helpful.
Does This Blog Make It To My Blogs to Read Bookmarks?: With not knowing when it was last updated and with me still wanting to focus more on the creative side of things right now, it’s not quite making the cut.

Miss Lissy

Look! I’ve made it snow on my blog! (Only in hopes that perhaps it won’t snow in real life). I know it doesn’t work that way, but I can pretend – can’t I?

I’ll give you another post in the series if I have time.

Name of Blog: Get Paid to Write Online
Blog URL: http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/
About the Author: Her name is Sharon Hurley Hall and she does a lot of ghostwriting and also academic writing.
What I Think of This Blog: I think the information is very relevant. I dislike that it only shows you one post on the main page and makes you click to get to the other more recent ones. I want as much information as possible as upfront as possible.
Example of a Topic Covered: I Got A Proximidade Award! It is about a blogging award that she got. I’ve never gotten a blogging award but I would love to get one.
Relevance to College Students: If this is a field you want to go into (freelancing) this is perfect for you.
Does This Blog Make It To My Blogs to Read Bookmarks?: No. It’s not a field I want to go into and like I said before, I dislike that it makes me click to go into more posts.

Peace out,
Miss Lissy

So, I’m really tired today. I’m not going to lie. It has not been a good week of sleeping for me. And with school being the uber busy thing that it is and with Monday and Tuesday being my longest days, I am exhausted.

But I am back to my series.

Name of Blog: Catalyst Blogger
Blog URL: http://catalystblogger.blogspot.com/
About the Author: Her name is Jennifer and she owns Catalyst Writing Services.
What I Think of This Blog: I think the blog is very interesting and updated semi-regularly. It focuses a lot on business writing and copy writing.
Example of a Topic Covered: Guest Post: Advice from a Freelance PR Writer to Press Release Seekers It’s pretty interesting, but not so relevant to me.
Relevance to College Students: If you plan on going into this specific type of writing, I think that it gives you a clear heads up on what it will be like after you graduate.
Does This Blog Make It To My Blogs to Read Bookmarks?: No. Unfortunately, this is not the kind of writing I want to do, so while it’s good advice, at this time, it’s not relevant.

Miss Lissy

So I was all excited about this post last night because Nick has no idea I’m writing it. I wanted to do something special for our anniversary, but I’m broke. Even though our anniversary was on Friday, it hit me last night. I wanted to take a break from my regularly scheduled post and write a post of 40 reasons that I love and appreciate Nick, who I will be marrying in the summer of 2012.

1. He reads my blog even though I told him that he doesn’t have to. He still reads it anyways.
2. I love the way he makes my bed, even though I bug him about it.
3. He is a man of God and he takes time to do devotions with me every single night. That word of God makes us grow closer as a couple.
4. I asked him to watch my stress level and he does faithfully. Again, not something he has to do for me and not something that is typically romantic, but I love it.
5. He always believes in me – even when I don’t.
6. His ability to sound like a broken record (that I need and love) of yes you can when I’m doubting myself or am afraid.
7. His willingness to do what I need him to do, like rest his hand on my knee the whole time we’re driving because I’m afraid of crashing again.
8. His willingness and lack of fear to let me experiment with cooking someday after we’re married.
9. His humanity.
10. His gentle guidance when I am cooking to let me do it, but to help.
11. How supportive he is.
12. I love dancing with him.
13. He has an amazing voice.
14. His smile
15. He uses a mac.
16. He pings me or texts me almost every night before he goes to bed.
17. We get through things – together.
18. He has never let distance be a reason that we couldn’t be together.
19. He holds me when I cry when I’m here.
20. He makes it okay when I cry. He doesn’t try to pretend that I shouldn’t cry. He makes it safe to cry, even if I still hate it.
21. You hold me when we fly places because I hate flying and you tell me there’s nothing to be afraid of.
22. You’re going to make a great dad.
23. And an excellent husband.
24. You buy stock in the number three in Life.
25. You taught me the rules of Lacrosse.
26. I can very, very occasionally beat you in Smash brothers.
27. You like Veggie Tales.
28. You asked me out even though you were scared.
29. You are unbelievably musically gifted.
30. You smell good.
31. You have good choices in friends.
32. You have a great laugh.
33. You like really amazing foods that I’ve never even heard of that you’ve introduced me too that I think are AWESOME!
34. You think highly of me and this is helping me to think highly of myself.
35. You have great taste in music.
36. You support and encourage me in my faith.
37. You aren’t above watching kids’ movies.
38. You think I’m beautiful . . . without make-up.
39. Your family loves me (okay, so this only has to do with you indirectly, but it’s still true).
40. You introduced me to Tim Horton’s.

There are more – but basically – I love him!
Miss Lissy

On this Thanksgiving day (and every day), I am thankful for a number of blessings that have been bestowed upon me.

I’m thankful for Nick, my fiancee.

I’m thankful for my mom, my dad, Andrew, my brother, and Elizabeth, my sister.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to get an education and the brains to be able to learn.

I’m thankful for Nick’s family – his mom, his dad, Meghan, and Annalies.

I’m thankful for food to eat, even when it isn’t always the greatest.

I’m thankful for being alive after rolling my car in October.

I’m thankful for my friends – too many here to list. All of them wonderful people.

I’m thankful to you for reading this blog.

What are you thankful for?

Miss Lissy

So – not only did I wake up knowing that one of my classes was cancelled, but then I checked educator on a whim and my really long big class was cancelled too! That means after I get done with class at 10:50 AM – I just have work and then I am done for the day. Whoot! Awesome and epic!

It will give me lots of time to do . . . dun dun dun dun! Homework.

I know, just what everyone wants to be doing on their Monday night. But it also means mini-date with Nick! Whoot! I hope he has time to watch The Big Bang Theory with me tonight.

But anyways, you are expecting your blog review.

Name of Blog: Writers on the Rise
Blog URL: http://writersontherise.wordpress.com/
About the Author: Christina Katz is an author who started this as a zine. She also teaches. That’s what I can tell you.
What I Think of This Blog: I think it’s okay. I think it’s a little heavy on advertising their classes which I can’t really afford right now.
Example of a Topic Covered: The Fiction Writing Workshop: Point of View A really good post on the different possible pov’s.
Relevance to College Students: If you are a writer and you like this format or want to publish your own zine, this could be helpful to you.
Does This Blog Make It To My Blogs to Read Bookmarks?: No – unfortunately, it’s just not what I’m looking for right now.

Enjoy your day!

Miss Lissy