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Monday, December 26, 2011

Christ-miss

The biggest gift I received this year was being able to put my life in perspective. Those tumultuous four years are starting to fade, and I've begun to look forward to the next phases of my life. 


This year durring the holidays I was finally able to look back and remember my Mom fondly instead of feel greif. Her absence is still hard to comprehend, but I no longer think of the loss as much as what she left me with.  

...her ability to laugh. 


Sunday, December 4, 2011

Best Day Ever 2011

How could I have almost forgot about Best Day Ever this year! I tell ya, when my grandparents told me, beware time goes faster than you think, I wrote it off as a crazy elderly person thing to say. This was back in the days when a 3 month summer break felt like a year. Now I don't even have a summer break, or know what summer is for that matter!


Anyways, one morning a month ago I woke up and realized I hadn't been tattooed in over a year. This is probably a good thing for my Dad, but I figure this is a healthier addiction than most. So off I went to schedule a tattoo appointment for November 16th. Being that getting tattooed is a purely selfish act, I figured it seemed like the right day to have BDE 2k11! 

Best Day Ever started really early this year due to a district meeting at 9 o'clock in Williamsburg. After I got back into town, I was ready for some feel good activities! Feeling in a cheery mood, I went to my store and called a couple seasonal applicants that I wanted to hire and offered them jobs! Definitely one of the parts of my job that I truly enjoy, giving people opportunities is such a satisfying thing. 

After a quick lap of window shopping, I took myself and Good Omens our to lunch. Every time I invision a day off, it's always me at some coffee shop with a book... all day. I didn't have all day, but I did have two hours until my tattoo, so I knocked out a good portion of my book and sipped ice tea in the sun. Meanwhile, I was catching up with friends via text, phone and email. Something that seeming seems harder to do now that the holidays were coming up. (I'm sorry everyone, I miss you!)

I arrived to my tattoo appointment early and excited to see what Katie had drew up. I got my typewriter tattoo about a year and a half ago, and I loved the outline, but I wasn't as sold on the actual tattoo as much as I wanted to be. Someone said it looked like a cash register and I hadn't been able to get that out of my head. So, I wanted to add some surrounding flowers and touch up the typewriter. What she had drawn was perfect! More dog woods, babys breath, and a lucky clover! The tattoo took two hours and I was smitten. At the end, Katie, who was an avid luck dealer and four leaf clover enthusiast, reached into her wallet to show me her dried four leaf clover collection, and promptly gave me one. She told me to keep it with me durring my looming black friday and always. I was so shocked at how nice people can be, I was beaming. 

                                        

After a few re-energizing sips of Vitamin water, I realized that I needed to eat before I passed out from all the blood rushing to my arm. I had asked a new handsome man in my life to join my BDE dinner, so off we went to get my favorite sandwich in Richmond, the grilled pineapple and brie sandwich at Commercial Tap house. It was wonderful. We got the table by the window and watched the rain, and talked about Star Wars. Being that no Best Day Ever is complete without a milkshake, we headed to Cook Out after a rain filled sprint to the car. The night ended with laughter and bad sci-fi movies. 

This was definitely the most relaxed BDE that I have had, and it was very much welcomed! Almost a month later  (I know, I have been bad about writing this up!), tattoo all healed, and milkshakes gone I am still feeling the effects of such a wonderful day. 

xoxo
Catie 




Thursday, November 24, 2011

Giving Thanks.

With all the hustle and bussle of the holidays fast approaching, it never occurred to me that in an instant they would be here! Working in retail is so highly focused and strategic around the holidays, that I forgot to look up and see what all of the work is for.

This year is a little different. This year I am finally seeing what it is all about. In the past I have driven home early Thanksgiving morning just in time to toss together my famous clover rolls and a pumpkin pie, sit for a few hours and then make the long drive home. While I enjoy seeing my family, it is so hard when I'm having to work 13 hours the next day. So this year I opted to stay in Richmond.

I thought it would be lonely, but so far, it has been wonderful! Slept in, made a sweet potato casserole, did some online christmas shopping, and set up my tree! The whole day I have been calling and getting texts from friends and family making me feel just as loved as if I was in their own living rooms. This is what I'm thankful for. I am thankful for these people in my life, all of them. The ones who are thinking about me while they are off doing their own celebrating, those who I will be celebrating with later, and those who can no longer be here. I am thankful because this year I realized that family is what you make it. Friends, animals, robots... This is a day to appreciate all that people bring to your life, and let people know how much of an impact they have on yours.

 Hope everyone has an awesome Appreciationgiving Day!

 xoxo Catie

Monday, August 15, 2011

New Additions

In a few days my Dad's fiancee's children will be coming to stay with me! Since I moved into my new home, I have only had Carl as a house guest, but I have felt no need to go out of my way to impress him- he loves me and my dirty dishes. New family is a whole different story. While I have only met them once, I still feel like I am in "first impression" mode. This is the first time they will be seeing me in my city, my home, and my comfort zone.

I'm very weird about my home, it is extremely personal. I often wish that there would be people over all of the time, but I shy away because my home is an exact reflection of me. If it is orderly and clean then I am doing well. If it is chaotic and a hurricane zone, something is wrong. All of my belongings are displayed around me like an out pouring of reminders of who I am. Family photos, coveted knickknacks, books, things that just put me in a better place. Opening my home to someone new is a big deal, because in that moment they will know exactly who I am.

Granted, my home has been slightly chaotic, but they don't have to know that. I have gone so far as buying new towels with matching wash cloths ( I have no wash cloths, they are so strange to me!) so they can see that I have my life together. I know what you are thinking, "These kids are teenagers, I think you are fretting too much about this, dear." True, I know I am. I even have our agenda planned down to the minute- but after September, when our families combine, I will be the older step-sister, and I take that very seriously.

Until then, I will pamper them with ice cream and take them to Busch Gardens for the day. After all, I want to be the fun older step-sister.

xoxo
Catie

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Ch-Ch-Changes!

It was getting down to the wire, but this Monday I signed the lease on my new apartment! In a couple days I will living here:



FIrst and foremost, it's pink (eeeee!!)! The space is a lot bigger than my current apartment, has tons of light, is in an adorable neighborhood, AND has a walk-in closet. Yeah.. I know.

In preparation I have been going through ALL of my belongings and purging everything that I don't need/want any longer and have accumulated an overflowing pile for my yard sale this weekend! Ms. Carley and I will be hosting one of the best yard sales of the season; a can't miss event!

My excitement to change my scenery is overwhelming! There will be so much room for General to run around, and so much room to spread out.

Exciting things ahead!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Double Star Birthday!

I am now a 24 year old. Weird.
On the days approaching my day, people kept asking, "what are you going to do for it?" "What do you want to do?"
Answer: Dunno, sleep?

I am EXHAUSTED!
Luckily, the people who helped me ring in my own personal new year recognized it. On Tuesday, my Dad came down and took me to Kuba Kuba and then out to see True Grit. Such a good time. Dad and I caught up, and spent some quality time relaxing. The next morning I woke to the sounds of Facebook notifications on my phone from friends wishing me a happy birthday. I'm so blessed that that many people thought about me!

On my big day, Carl, Dad, and I went and got birthday breakfast burritos. Best decision. After that we went and bough a strap for the camera my Dad gave me (will elaborate on this later). Then it was coffee with the lovely Bernedette, and saying goodbye to my dad. The rest of the day Carl and I watched Mad Men, and snuggled up while I tried to get my energy up. That night he took me out to a very very nice dinner at Mamazu's. I had never been there before, but now i see the hype. It was so cozy, and the food was indescribable. Such a sweet man.

The end of my day some friends came over with birthday brownies! I couldn't have asked for a better day. I got to see all of my favorite people, relax a bit, and eat some amazing food and goodies.

Now, what to do with that camera...
I've decided to start my own 365 project. I will soon be uploading my pictures on Flickr soon. i've decided that the theme of my project will be "It's the Little Things." I am running with the idea that life should be lived one day at a time, and it is the little things that make it special. It will be a challenge, but I am looking forward to it.
Once i've gotten things sorted out with my project I will post the link here!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Why Hello There, 2011!

A new year, a new start!
I rang in this new year with a quaint gathering of good friends while kissing my love and hearing the numbing drone of bagpipes and fireworks. Yes, that's right folks, I celebrated New Years at Penny Lane Pub downtown, and boy was it a sight. With minutes to go in 2010, over a hundred bar patrons were lovingly shoved into the streets, spirits in hand, whilst accompanied by two bagpipers belting "Ol' Lang Syne" while Penny Lane workers darted about setting off Carolina's finest illegal fireworks from any piece of ground they could get their hands on. Dumbfounded, and somewhat paranoid, customers huddled together awaiting a countdown that was consequently lost in the nights events and was hinted at when about 30 ballons drifted down from a nearby balcony.

The night was hilariously fun, and I was so thankful to spend it in the company that I did. The tone has been set, 2011 will be a great year!

Now, for that self-renewing tradition that we love so dear, the New Years Resolution-otion-otion-otion...(that was an echo, just FYI, for impact)

I have a few, i'm feeling a little ambitious in my old age. So, here we go:

1) Get Healthy, all over- Continue with cooking at home and adding more veggies to my repertoire, drink more water, get ahold of my stress, and get mentally healthy. In 2010, I made a lot of discoveries about myself, and have got the ball rolling to a better life, now I just need to keep up the momentum!

2) Continue to search for my career- Realizing that most of my stress comes from my type A personality's ability to drown out my personal life with the perils of work, I've decided if I'm going to be passionate about my job this much, I want to be doing something that I truly love. I have been working the floor of retail establishments ever since I was 14 at my Mom's store, and my feet are TIRED! Off we go into the land of informational interviewing!

3) Enjoy the little things- As previously mentioned, being a type A I tend to be very forward thinking and always a step ahead of most people. It's about time I slow down, and realize what I have around me. It's time to live in the moment!

I'm feeling optimistic about you, Mr.2011, verrrry optimistic.