Weekly Wishes #10

Last Week's Wishes
1.  Keep trucking on the novel: I'm still hacking away at it, and I've finished the first chapter, which I suppose is a decent start.  There's still a lot of planning to be done, but summer break starts in 2 months, so hopefully I'll have more time for all of that then.
2.  Do some soul searching:  I guess this is an ongoing thing I'm going to have to work on.  I'm really struggling enjoying my job right now, and I need to reflect on why that is and what I can do to change it.

This Week's Wishes
1.  Get started on end-of-the-year projects:  I need to get going on a few projects coming up.  I'm going to be making a scrapbook to show what I've learned this year to present after school one day later this month.  I also need to finish a few other school-related things.  I'm not going to make any other goals this week, so I don't stress out too much about other things.  Luckily, I've scheduled a few interesting posts this week, so I won't have to worry about the blog too much.

March Wishes
1.  Write, write write: It's occurred to me that I've been doing A LOT of writing lately, through blogging, posting, my class, and the book.  So I think I can safely say I've succeeded in this.
2.  Practice photography: I've been practicing for various blog posts and such, so I think I've done pretty well on this one, too.  I'm hoping to get a new lens pretty soon, too, so I'll have to practice with it as well!  

April Wishes
1.  Stay organized:  I can tell from my wishes that I'm feeling the pressure of the end of the school year, so I guess I should add that I need to stay calm at the same time.  Everything will get done in due time and it will all work out, as long as I keep my calendar straight and don't put things off too long! :)
2.  30 day fitness challenge: I want to finish one of the 30 day fitness challenges (you can find them here).  Even though it's going to be a busy month, I still want to stay healthy and keep working out.

As always, I'll keep you updated on how I do this week.  By the way, weekly wishes is a link-up The Nectar Collective hosts each week where people write about their goals or challenges they want to achieve for the week.  Hence... weekly wishes!

Material Girl

Dress - Macy's

Shoes - Macy's

Necklace - Metaphysix

Currently...

Reading:  I decided to try out an audio book this week, since my phone's been dead, and I didn't have any music to listen to in the car (my school is in a very remote area = no radio stations).  I bought The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black, and I'm loving it so far.  Gabriel is a much better, sexier vampire than you-know-who, and he doesn't glitter in the sun.  He just burns to a crisp. :P

Enjoying: Days at home with my doggies.  Spring break gave me a taste of summer and so naturally, I want summer now.  I also massively enjoyed Divergent.  Have you seen it?    

Doing:  I'm still working through my writing course and writing my way through my novel.  I've also picked up the crafting bug again so don't be surprised if you see a lot more DIY projects around here.

Listening to:  I'm all about Boyce Avenue lately.  If you don't know, he does covers of pop songs and makes them... better.  It seems like everyone and their mother is doing covers of Wrecking Ball lately, but his is definitely the best, I promise. :) Check it out here.

Thinking about: My future.  

Loving:  Lauren Conrad for this.  So much this.

Any big plans for the weekend? Here's another Boyce Avenue jam to kick it off in style. :)

Also linking up with The Life of the Party.

Monogram Flower Arrangement

I was inspired to make this 'blooming monogram' by this post on Archieli.  Rather than using blooms that fit neatly inside the monogram, however, I decided to get a little fancy and started thinking outside the box. :P The directions are pretty simple and probably unnecessary, meaning... it's so easy, you could probably figure out how to do this without my help!  

You need a cardboard letter with the top cut off, which you can buy at any craft store, a hot glue gun, a razor blade (to cut the top off of the cardboard letter), and some silk flowers.  You also need some Floracraft foam to stick the flowers in.

I don't know if there's an easy way to cut apart Floracraft, but if there is, I obviously haven't figured it out.  I mostly just tore it apart with my fingers until I got a shape that would fit in the cardboard letter.  I hot glued the bottoms so they would be sure to stick and not fall out when I was finished.  

Then I just cut apart the flowers until they had an inch long stem attached, put a dab of glue on the stem, and then stuck it in where I wanted it until the letter was covered.  I found that, when I was finished, I still had some empty spaces, so I used the leaves from the arrangements to fill those in.

There you have it!  An easy floral arrangement to brighten up any room.  Mine's sitting on the windowsill in my office.  I love it when the light shines through the flowers in the morning. :) Let me know if you try it!

Linking up with Treat Yo Self Thursday, Little Friday, and Link It or Lump It.

Women Kicking Ass and Taking Names

Okay, these ladies are totally badass.  They're known as the Gulabi Gang, a sisterhood of women in pink saris who are fighting for women's rights in India.  These women carry bamboo sticks, which they use whenever they come up against violent resistance and apparently, they train the women in the sisterhood to use them effectively. 

The Gulabi Gang was founded by Sampat Pal Devi, who saw a man beating his wife in her village.  When she tried to put a stop to it, the man beat her as well.  The next day, she rounded up 5 of her friends and then beat the man senseless for his transgressions.  On another occasion, when a policeman abused and attacked Sampat Pal, she retaliated by beating him over the head with her bamboo stick.  I guarantee those two guys think twice now before they lay a hand on a woman!  Their website puts it much more succinctly: 

"The Gulabi Gang was initially intended to punish oppressive husbands, fathers and brothers, and combat domestic violence and desertion. The members of the gang would accost male offenders and prevail upon them to see reason. The more serious offenders were publicly shamed when they refused to listen or relent. Sometimes the women resorted to their lathis, if the men resorted to use of force."

Even cooler is the fact that men are now calling on the gang to not only speak out on behalf of women but all human rights.  Apparently, some men have even joined the Gulabi Gang.   

One of the members explained why she joined the gang by saying that when she went to fetch water, the upper caste members would tell her that she shouldn't be drinking the same water as them.  As a larger group, however, they're scared of the Gulabi Gang and let them share their water.  

If I had to sum up these ladies in a gif, it would be this one:

Obviously, I'm all for these tough ladies going after equal rights and the things they need.  What do you think about the Gulabi Gang?

10 Things You Didn't Need To Know About Me

It's time to make some confessions.  Just like anyone else, I have a lot of weird quirks (more than the average person, my boyfriend would say) and unusual habits/interests.  But that's pretty okay with me, because I believe that our quirks are part of what makes us unique and in some ways, I guess I'm kind of proud of them.  Or maybe I'm just dumb enough to put them out in the open for anyone to read.  The jury's still out. :)

• I hate water droplets.  Let me explain this one.  I hate the feeling of water droplets falling on my skin, not from the shower, but from, say... someone else's skin or hands, especially if they flick water at me.  It makes my skin crawl.  I also hate standing water.  You know those puddles of water that somehow always end up around the bathroom or kitchen sink?  I hate them. 

• I like my dogs more than people.  I actually wrote about this very recently.

• I always leave the last bite of food.  I am not a superstitious person, but I always have to leave the last bite of food on my plate, because I just feel off if I don't.  I realize this is some serious OCD stuff, but it is what it is.  

•  I used to hate kids.  This sounds strange, since I'm a teacher now, but I honestly never liked kids when I was younger (younger being... in my teens).  They're so snotty and germy and sassy that I really couldn't imagine ever wanting them myself, and I definitely didn't think teaching would be my future career.  Something changed, and now... here I am, teaching Kindergarten.

• I binge watch shows.  A lot.  Most recently, it's been Revenge and the Americans.  I don't know why, but I get sucked into shows so badly.  

• I can't bring myself to spend over $50 on a piece of clothing.  In fact, I mostly like to keep it in the $5-$20 range.  I can't be only one who actually winces when clothes are more expensive than that.  Don't get me wrong... there are a lot of things I'll splurge on, but clothes just isn't one of them.

• I'm addicted to soda.  Or as Indiana people call it... pop.  I honestly don't care how bad it is for me.  I just cannot bring myself to stop drinking it.  I tell myself that life's too short to go without. :P  Mountain Dew is my biggest weakness.

• I will still cringe when thinking about embarrassing moments that happened five years ago.  I am very traumatized by embarrassing things I have done and when  I remember them, I'll turn bright red and want to curl up into a ball all over again.  I can't remember what I ate for breakfast this morning, but that one, isolated, embarrassing incident.  I will never forget.

• I am so fascinated by owls.  They're my spirit animal.  I have so much stuff that is owl-themed, it's not even funny.  I always get gifted owl stuff and I always pick up owl stuff when I'm out shopping.  It's a problem.  Maybe it has something to do with Harry Potter and my addiction to the books?  Owls and Harry Potter go together pretty well...

  

• I love spoken word poetry.  I love when words come together so fluidly that it just seems as though they were meant to go together.  Like they were created solely so a poet could say them out loud.  Words in general kind of get me high, so it's not that strange of a concept for me.  I don't perform, but I love listening to people who do.  Andrea Gibson and Sarah Kay are two of my favorites if you want to check them out.

There you have it.  10 confessions for you to peruse.  Please tell me someone can relate to at least one of them? :P

Weekly Wishes #9

Last Week's Wishes
1.  Treat myself:  I rocked this one as far as I'm concerned.  I got my hair did and it was awesome, and I'm so glad to have finally found a hair stylist who knows how to cut my crazy, thick, unruly hair.  I also engaged in some much needed retail therapy.
2.  Get a new tattoo: I didn't get a new tattoo, but I commissioned a super cool artist to design my next one, and it's looking good so far.  Hopefully I can get it done over summer break!  

This Week's Wishes
1.  Keep trucking on the novel: This week, I started writing a new book and I really want to keep it up.  My problem is that my inspiration for new stories seem to fizzle out before I can finish them, but this time, I really want to finish it just for the sake of getting it done, you know?  Just to prove to myself that I can write a full-length novel.
2.  Do some soul searching:  There are some things that I really need to reflect on in my life right now.  There are things I need to figure out if I want to keep in my life.  There are things that I need to figure out the next step to, like this blogging thing.  I also need to figure out where I want to be in 5... 10 years and start making a plan to get myself there.

As always, I'll keep you updated on how I do this week.  By the way, weekly wishes is a link-up The Nectar Collective hosts each week where people write about their goals or challenges they want to achieve for the week.  Hence... weekly wishes!

Workout Playlist To Get You Moving

I've been seeing a lot of bloggers trying to get into shape lately and posting about it, so I decided to put together a little playlist of songs that I like to listen to while working out.  I wouldn't listen to this while doing my yoga thing, but for strength training and cardio, these are good songs to pump you up and keep you moving.  They're also just good songs in general, so you can feel free to give this playlist a listen whilst browsing the rest of the blogosphere today!

Also, it's Friday!  You get one bonus track, you lucky thing. :)

What songs get you pumped up to work?

10 Reasons Why I Like My Dogs More Than People

I like my dogs a lot more than I like most people.  There.  I've said it.  After a long day at work, there's nothing like coming home and seeing your dogs, especially because they are always so excited to see you.  So, in honor of my two best canines, I put together a list of why I like my dogs better than you (just kidding... sort of).

1.  People like to do that talking thing, a lot.  Which is fine, but then there are those times where you don't want to talk to anyone.  Dogs are perfect for those times.

2.  Dogs love to cuddle and they can cuddle themselves into the smallest nooks and spaces you make with your body without you having to move at all.  They are very convenient cuddlers.

She has a leaf in her mouth, because she's a dog and stuff.

3.  They get so excited when I come home, that their butts wag.  I don't know what kind of people you know, but the people I know don't do that when I come home.  I mean, you can leave the house for 5 minutes and when you come back, your dogs are still going to be all, "OMG HI.  YOU'RE BACK.  I MISSED YOU SO MUCH."  Which is pretty cool.

4.  They bark to let you know when people are coming so if you don't want to see or talk to said people, you have ample time to hide.  They might let you know when burglars are coming too, which is also good.

5.  They are good models for pictures, even though they don't sit still very long.  The problem is that they are so cute, you will always want to take pictures of them and nothing else, which means you will have memory cards full of pictures of your dog, most of which will be blurry action shots of your dog trying to get away from the camera.  (Why do dogs hate cameras so much?)

6.  My dogs like everything that I cook.  They think I am the best cook in the world.  They never tell me that they don't like meatballs or that the sausage "tastes funny".

7.  I don't know about you, but given the choice between staying in bed with my dogs or getting up and going somewhere, I'm going to choose my dogs every time.  Every.  Time.

8.  My dogs know how to hustle more than most people.  If you have a treat in your hand, they will do whatever it takes to get that treat.  Don't hate the player, hate the game.

How can you say no to that face??

9.  Apparently, petting my dogs can lower my blood pressure, so... keeping a dog is good for your health.  And also happiness, because just look at their faces aweafoaij.

10.  My dogs are very good listeners.  Every time I talk to them, they always look at me very attentively and sometimes flick their ears or wiggle their nose.  Also, they never interrupt and always wait for me to finish talking.

Bonus:  They keep your feet warm when it's cold!

Why do you love your dog/cat/pet?

Linking up with Little Friday and Treat Yo' Self Thursday.

Tattoo Inspiration Board

Tattoos have been on my mind lately since I'm thinking about getting another, so I thought I'd compile my favorites.  Take a look and see if any of them strike your fancy!

1.  These flowers are so pretty.  I love the use of white space and shading.  I'd like to get a tattoo of peonies because they're Indiana's state flower.

2.  I love the meaning behind the enso.  It symbolizes enlightenment and embodies an important part of Buddhism, where a person is free from thoughts and emotions and is experiencing the present without worrying about the future.  Buddhists believe that when someone can exist in the present moment, true creativity can arise.

3.  I'm interested in getting a gramophone or a record player because when I was young, my grandmother and I used to dance around the living room to some old vintage records she had in a closet.  It's one of my favorite memories.

4.  I like the idea of a feather, but I like the idea of a feather quill more, because I'm a writer and... I don't know, feather quills are prettier than just plain old pens.  

5.  This one kind of goes along with the last tattoo.  I'd love to have a tattoo of all my favorite weapons, like a whisk or a spatula, and a pen or a paintbrush.  

6.  I love owls.  What can I say.  I'm so set on having an owl tattoo that chances are good it'll be my next one. 

7.  Reading is one of my favorite things in the world to do.  This tattoo seems fitting, and I love the placement.

8.  Alice in Wonderland is my favorite story.  Getting a tattoo that pays tribute to it would be incredible.  

Which of these tattoos is your favorite?  Do you have any ideas for future tattoos?

Living the HI Life: Waikoloa + Giveaway

This past weekend, we took a mini vacation to the other side of the island and luckily we did, because we heard that it stormed all weekend while we were gone.  Waikoloa always seems to be sunny, but we did catch some of the wind that blew through the island.  I was kind of worried, because on the drive there, it looked super overcast.  I mean, I didn't have much energy to worry about that, because that road had more curves than Scarlett Johansson, so I was pretty car sick.  

We stayed at the Hilton, which is a pretty good hotel to stay at it if you want to get your exercise.  You have to hoof it everywhere, unless you want to wait for a boat or the train, and let me tell you, it's not really a quick walk to wherever you're trying to go.  I mean, that hotel just seems to go on and on and on... I got some sun though, which is what I was after, so I'm pretty happy.  What did you guys get up to this weekend?

And finally, a Lilly Pulitzer giveaway for you today from The Modern Tulip and friends!  Make sure to get your entries in.  If you're already following HI + LO, or any of the lovely ladies below, you get a few free entries, so don't miss out!  

The Modern Tulip :: Make Me Up Mia :: Hope In A Blog :: HI & LO :: Simply Sweet Melissa :: Allena Mistral :: Health, Love & Fire :: Life :: The Strong Family :: Mandy Jean Chic :: A Brew of Blessings

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Weekly Wishes #8

Last Week's Wishes
1.  Write: I totally did this one.  I stressed about writing the assignment, but in the end, I just decided to sit down and write whatever came to mind.  It came out as a totally creepy bit of fiction and my instructor seemed to like it!   
2.  Build strength and stamina:  I worked on this too!  I tried out some of the Tone It Up videos (recommended by Maeg), and I worked on some more advanced yoga poses.  I also started Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30.  She's sort of irritating to listen to, but her programs seem to be effective.

This Week's Wishes
1.  Treat myself:  It's my spring break, so I wanna take advantage by getting my hair did and maybe my nails too.  I hardly ever have time to do any of those things, because of where my school's located and when the salons close.
2.  Get a new tattoo: Kinda goes along with the first goal, but I have a feeling this is going to deserve its very own heading!  My last tattoo was on my ribs, and ohmygerd, it hurt so bad, so I'm going to have to gather my courage to get another.

As always, I'll keep you updated on how I do this week.  By the way, weekly wishes is a link-up The Nectar Collective hosts each week where people write about their goals or challenges they want to achieve for the week.  Hence... weekly wishes!

Weekend Inspiration

Sometimes, I see bloggers post little inspirational quotes on their blog for the weekend.  They're usually something having to do with happiness and finding it, or whatever.  Well, this quote works for me.  And now, I'm off to the other side of the island in search of the sun.  Here's hoping I find it.

What are you up to this weekend?

Love Is All You Need

Shoes: Target

Top: American Eagle

Bandeau: American Eagle

Shorts: American Eagle

1.  Okay, honestly... I did not know I had this much American Eagle on when I put on this outfit.  I'm not that surprised though, because the majority of my closet is AE.  I read somewhere that the age group for AE only goes up to 25, but like.. fuck that, and anyway, I look 16, so I figure I can get away with shopping there for another 10 years.  And hey, maybe in 10 years, I'll actually get good customer service from the employees there, because apparently, if you're 16, you don't have no money which means you get no help.  

2.  I'm feeling better than a cold beer on a Friday night, because Spring Break starts tomorrow and guarantee I'll be popping open some girly drinks and... probably calling it an early night, because I am so freaking tired.  But it will be amazing to be able to kick back for a week and not have any obligations like that work thing that we all have to do.  Teaching does have its perks, but they are much needed. 

3.  I'm so glad I don't have to deal with extreme weather changes, like some of you seem to be.  That said, we've had our share of rain and mist and fog.  Like, driving home sometimes, it literally looks like a horror movie and it freaks me out.  It doesn't help that we have A LOT of hitchhikers, and they sometimes just kinda emerge out of the fog like ghosts.  Creepy. 

4.  I was reading this post and it really got me thinking, because my boyfriend always says that I act like I'm 40, and I understand that.  But at other times, I feel like I'm still ten years old and I'm expected to act like an adult, when I really have no idea what I'm doing.  To be fair though, I don't think any adults really know what they're doing.  What do you think your spiritual age is?  

5.  I read this article, and I think it's bs... I can't be only woman who's totally up front with my boyfriend about how I feel about him and his "poker nights".  Right?? 

How was your week?  Anything exciting happen? 

5 TED Talks That Inspire

So I have this thing about watching inspirational videos.  I love them.  I love how they make me feel after I watch them.  I love that I feel the need to be much more productive after I watch them.  I even love when they make me cry, or worse, make me want to write a blog post.  I wanted to share some of that emotional wealth with you and give you my 5 favorite TED Talks.  Here we go! 

"It's not easy to ask... asking makes you vulnerable."

Amanda Palmer is a badass.  She talks about how she used to be a sidewalk performer and wonders if it's fair to take money from people.  She explains that she believes in "crowd funding" in which people share their music and their movies, but give what they can to the artist, and she talks about how successful it has been for her.  She's very honest and passionate, and I've watched this video a million times, so you should too. 

"Because there’s nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shore line, no matter how many times it’s sent away."
I love spoken word poetry, and Sarah Kay is one of the best spoken word poets I've ever come across.  This video is worth watching, even if you only stick around to watch her perform her poem at the beginning.  I can't even tell you how many times I've watched this video.  It's so inspirational and makes you want to get off your ass and get stuff done.

"Our schools and workplaces are designed for extroverts." 

Okay, this video really says what I was trying to say in this post, except more eloquently.  She basically says that a bias exists in our world that makes introverts believe that to be accepted, they need to become extroverts.  And it's so true.  In our schools and in our workplaces, teamwork is so encouraged, which is not a bad thing, but what about those people who work best individually?  Worth a listen.

"Brain magic to me indicates the area of magic dealing with psychological and mind-reading effects."
This guy is so nuts.  In this video, he tricks the audience several times and then involves the audience in some dangerous bits of "magic".  Is is magic, really?  Well, I guess that's up to you to decide... :P Pretty cool to watch no matter how you feel about the subject.  

“If you ever are wondering, you know, ‘if I have thinner thighs or shinier hair, will I be happier?’ You just need to meet a group of models, because they have the thinnest thighs and the shiniest hair and the coolest clothes and they’re the most physically insecure women probably on the planet.”
This video is super inspiring, because I feel like a lot of women have a sort of grudging admiration/envy toward models, but this woman is very honest about her job.  She tells a very honest story about her life as a beautiful girl and how the deck has always has been stacked in her favor but how, at the same time, it doesn't mean that she's a happier person.  
Which of these talks have you seen or want to see?  What are some of your favorite talks that didn't make the list? 
Linking up with Treat Yo Self Thursday and Little Friday.

25 Years, 25 Wishes (and a giveaway!)

This year, I turned 25.  There was that awkward moment when I thought I'd turned 24 (again), but no.  I am a quarter of a century old.  I'm fairly indifferent toward this milestone, because getting older seems like an adventure and maybe by the time I'm 30, I'll finally look like I'm 20, and I'll stop feeling like a criminal every time I go to buy alcohol and the shop clerk looks at my ID and says, "There's no way this is real." (It happens quite frequently).  So there's that to look forward to.

I decided though, in the spirit of making goals, that I ought to make a list of things I want to accomplish this year, because I like goals and I like lists.  Basically, it seemed like the thing to do.  So... here we go!

♥ Finish my first writing class
♥ Finish my first novel
♥ Read 50 books
♥ Get tenured
♥ Drink more water
♥ Walk away from the computer more
♥ See more of this sexy island
♥ Visit Indiana again
♥ Work on my pool game
♥ Play all the songs in my classical piano book
♥ Work on my photography
♥ Grow my blog
♥ Exercise 3-4 times a week
♥ Get deeper in my yoga poses
♥ Go to the beach more
♥ Connect with my family more often
♥ Do things that scare me
♥ Work toward buying a house
♥ Figure out how to make macarons
♥ Be a better teacher
♥ Give more
♥ Complain less
♥ Finish Assassin's Creed: Liberation (lol)
♥ Make more; buy less
♥ Get to know myself better

And there we have it.  Some are sillier than others, some are more realistic than others, but nonetheless, I hope they help me grow.  What kinds of goals do you have for yourself this year?

Also... I've hooked up with Lipgloss & Crayons to bring you a fantastic giveaway this week!

courtesy of:

/ Olive & Ivy / Breezy Days / Head to Toe Chic / Life Unsweetened / Poppiness /Anna Delores / Songbirds & Buttons / Rebecca Lately / The Little Coral Box / The Pearl Blog / Hi + Lo / Living in the Moment / Morg Harp Nich  / Happy or Else / Clothesline Confessional / Deloom / Where My Soul Belongs / Miss Glam Dan / The Fisk Files /

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3 Easy Cocktails With Only 3 Ingredients

Had a hard day at work?  Or just need a weekend cocktail?  Girl, I got you covered.  Sometimes, when I'm at home and I've already crawled into my sweatpants, I really want something besides my usual glass of wine.  Some of these recipes might not be the "official" version of the drink, but they ARE the easiest, and that's what we're after here, right ladies?  So, kick back and pick out your favorite cocktail with only three ingredients, because come on... you deserve it.  

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Ingredients

1 part Kinky Liquer

2 parts Mike's Hard Pink Lemonade

Ice

I tried this on a whim, because I had a few mini bottles of Kinky in the fridge and some Mike's Hard Pink Lemonade.  The Pink Lemonade isn't always in stores, but regular Mike's Hard Lemonade would work the same, and you'll still get the pretty pink color from the Kinky.  Just mix the Kinky and the Mike's Hard together and add ice.  

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Ingredients

1 part sweet sour mix 

1 part vodka

Splash of orange juice

I'm kind of a snob when it comes to sour mix.  Freshly made sour mix is definitely best for this.  To me, homemade sour mix just has a MUCH better taste than the store bought stuff.  A Beautiful Mess has a good recipe for it here.  Simply mix the sweet sour mix and the vodka together, and add a splash of orange juice.  Sometimes, the flavor is too strong for me, so I'll add a splash of water on top to dilute it.

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Ingredients

1 part Disarrono

1 part sour mix

Ice

This is one of those drinks that I love, because it doesn't have a strong alcohol flavor at all.  The Disaronno is very sweet though, so if it's too sugary, add some water on top to dilute it or top it off with some whiskey. ;) 

And that's it!  Which one do you think you'd like the best? :)