Oh, how PINTERESTING!!

I've been in a fantastic blog funk lately, so today I am resorting to Pinning my heart out!

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Source: hgtv.com via Katie on Pinterest



I love the look of this bookcase for a living room display!




pumpkin cupcakes with salted caramel buttercream... ay yi yi!




I just ordered orange flats-- I can see this outfit taking shape verrry soon :)




Always looking for ways to display pictures-- I'm trying to downsize on frames to downsize on clutter on shelves, so hanging them could be a perfect solution!




love.love.love.




Y'all can relate, right?



My runnin' friends, you get it!!




I need this sweet puppy in my life immediately.


Source: tumblr.com via Katie on Pinterest



Amen.




love, the English major




I need to make this happen, asap.




Perhaps I'll save these up for a Superbowl bash!




Pottery Barn DIY-- yes please!

Have a lovely rest of the week!!


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Thoughtful Thursday.

This is the weather in Boston right now:


Am I the only person who feels obligated to climb right back into bed upon seeing buckets of rain falling as a chilly wind blows? For the past two days I just could not shake the sleepiness, which is problematic considering 99% of my job consists of sitting at a desk and looking bright-eyed and cheery. Today, I am failing at the cheer.

Exhibit A:

This would be my "I choose not to fight the humidity and will resort to an all-pulled-back look while snuggling down into my pink fleece, which I refuse to remove today" look. Luckily, it's pretty quiet around here today so slacking off in the fashion department isn't quite so big of a deal.

As for my thoughts...

1. Home. I flew to Texas this past Saturday morning and had the pleasure of being an only child for the weekend with my Mama and Daddy (my brother was stuck working for the holiday but he was missed!.... most of the time). It was WONDERFUL. Every time I fly home there are always a million people to see and things to do. Instead of enjoying my time with everyone, I'm stressed and rushing to fit it all in, which just leaves me sad, to be honest. I miss everyone while I'm in Boston and WANT to see everyone, but I'm trying to work on realizing that sometimes it's just not possible to do it all. Anywho, for this trip we decided to do NOTHING. I paid a much-needed visit to the salon on Saturday for a haircut, then we grilled steaks and drank wine. Sunday we all went to see The Help (thank the Lord I thought to take a BOX of tissues with me) then came right back home, made supper... and drank wine. My flight wasn't until late Monday night, and while there were tears as we said goodbye, I also felt content - it's taken, you know, FOUR YEARS for me to get to a place where I could leave home and fly back to Boston and not feel like my world is ending. While Texas and wherever my family may be will always be home, I've adjusted nicely to living in Boston as well.

2. Fall TV. I am not the type of person who typically gets excited about new TV shows. If something looks good, I watch it; if it's awful, I'm not devastated about never seeing it again. This fall, however... well, the cable gods have lined up the stars and have blessed me with the best. new. show. lineup. EVER. Just to name a few that I'm JUST A LITTLE BIT EXCITED ABOUT...

The 60s... the style... I die.

I literally laugh out loud each time this promo airs... and I don't even have babies yet. Will Arnett is hilarious and I heart Christina Applegate. This looks hilarious!

"I don't understand why women use the "silent treatment" on their man at all. The silent treatment is not a punishment; it's a reward. Want to make them miserable? Keep talking. Talk about your emotions, that you think you look fat, about your period..."

SO. TRUE.

And lastly, my most favorite...
NEW GIRL.



Ever since Zooey Deschanel sang with Will Ferrell in Elf, I have been a big fan. She's just so funny... I'd like her to be my BFF, as well as Sandy Bullock. And Michelle Obama. And Jen Aniston so I can snag some workout tips.

3. FOOTBALL. The glorious fifth season of the year has arrived-- football season, obviously, and I could not be more ready. My "football fabulousness" bookmark folder is overflowing with recipes and party ideas to serve during football togetherness this year! There is a looong list of dips awaiting my preparation, the crockpot is ready for Sunday suppers, and Texas team pride (The Boys and the Horns) is ready to be paraded around...





'Til later, my lovelies!



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get me outta here.

I am going insane.

Chocolate chip cookies eaten: 4
Glasses of old champagne consumed: 3
Bottles of (heavy, strong) Sam Adams "Harvest Selection" conquered: 3
Rom-Com movies watched: 3
Hairstyles attempted out of boredom: 2.5
Number of times I've looked out of the bedroom window: 37
Amount of damage I've seen due to Irene: one

(taken from the living room window-- ay!!)

Percentage of funny in Brian telling me his parents were coming for dinner... and then telling me he was kidding: -204%
Times my outfit has varied in the past two days: twice, from one pair of leggings and a hoodie to another pair of leggings and a hoodie
Amount of time I've spent on Pinterest in the past two days: enough to have a mailbox full of notices that people have repinned MY pins.

Now I'm sipping the last of my champagne and watching Julie & Julia for the umpteenth time while a big pot of taco soup simmers on the stove. As frustrating as it's been to be cooped up inside, I desperately needed a weekend of downtime to relax and take a breather. For the first time in close to three weeks, my left eye has stopped twitching. Seriously-- three weeks now, the eye has been twitching. So I've relaxed and cooked and drank and watched bad TV... and I've loved it.

I know that we missed the worst of the storm, and am SO grateful for that but I certainly hope that my boredom does not come across as... bratty? Several of my co-workers, family members, and Twitterers have lost power (with small children in tow-- I send them mental good vibes), had damage done to their homes/cars/streets... all in all, different areas have had different variations of damage. I know that we were lucky to miss the brunt of the storm, but everyone that did NOT is certainly on my mind.

'Til later, my lovelies!

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Come On, Irene!!




For the last three days, I've definitely been walking around singing "Come On Irene" to myself... only to find out that it's actually "Come On Eileen." I believe that at some point in time in my past I knew the actual words, but with all of the hullabaloo going on about Hurricane Irene, it's kinda been on my mind.

Luckily, since we're a decent distance away from the actual downtown area of Boston, we should be just fine once the storm actually arrives-- lots of wind and rain, but that's about it. Regardless, after receiving warning emails at work yesterday about potential disaster conditions and constant texts from my Texas folk about staying safe, I got myself a little worked up yesterday.

If you don't know me "in real life" then you likely aren't aware of the fact that I have two settings (unless, of course, these settings are so intense they're conveyed through the blog... in that case, my apologies): very laid back and calm (this is rare), and Type A obsessive compulsive planner who has to have every second of every potential situation planned. This day was the latter. I got so worked up in fact that I...

a) called our super to check if there's anything we can do should we lose power. My main concern was whether or not we would have running water should the power go out. Now, before you think "Really, Katie?" I've heard that in high-rise buildings the water is pumped to the higher floors electrically... hence my concern. I left a voicemail and he called back to say that should the power go out, we couldn't really do anything... and to make sure to tie down anything on the porch. So helpful.

b) created a list of things to survive should we lose power. This was essential to me. After researching various Hurricane Emergency lists, I made the following purchases to ensure that we would be safe and sound and comfortable should we be stuck inside for the next couple of days:

*Have canned goods/ foods on hand that can be eaten without being heated.
Check! I have a sick childhood attachment to Chef Boyardee... I love it. Since getting healthy and checking my eating habits, I NEVER eat this kind of stuff. However, if there's going to be a natural disaster, I'm gonna eat this and justify the heck out of it.

*Stock dry foods (chips, crackers, cereals, granola bars) that can be eaten and transported easily, if necessary:
Check!

*Have stock of comfort/stress foods in the event that your situation get intense (I changed the wording my swear on my days that one of the lists advised to stock stress foods. I'm thinking the chances that a PMSing woman compiled the list are quite high):
Check!

*Have beverages on hand that can be consumed without purification:
Check!

And check again!

*Have flashlights and candles convenient in the even that you lose electricity:
Check! If we're going to potentially have to sit in the dark, why not smell cupcakes while we're at it?! BTW, this candle is from Target, was $9.99, and smells di-vine.

All in all, I think we're set. The rain isn't supposed to hit until tomorrow, so we're wrapping up tonight with takeout Thai, a Real Housewives of New Jersey DVR marathon (for me) and the Patriots game (for Brian), and a good night's sleep in air conditioning. I'm hoping to make it to the gym tomorrow morning pre-storm so I can come home and hunker down with a pot of taco soup on the stove.

Sidenote: When I told my Mama this afternoon that I'm making soup tomorrow, she said that she's just delighted that someone somewhere in the world is cool enough where they can stomach the thought of a steamig bowl of soup. When she left my cousin Jack's birthday party today (in Texas, at a swimming pool, at 2pm), it was 110 degrees. Have mercy. No soup for the Texans.

I'm getting back into the swing of running so I can run this little baby IN TWO WEEKS. It's a 9.11k (5.66 miles) in observance of the 9/11 ten year anniversary. At first I wasn't sure I could kick up my game in time, but I finished 4.5 miles last night and felt amazing, so I think it's going to play out pretty well!

Have a fab rest of your Saturday, my lovelies!!

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A bit of random for your Tuesday.

May I just start today by saying that few things have ever made me feel older than having a sprite young summer student in your department not be able to name the main actor in Titanic.

T to A: You know Bar Rafaeli? The supermodel.

A: No...

T: Oh come on. Seriously. Sports Illustrated swimsuit model? On the cover of the magazine last summer? She dated that guy from Titanic.

A: Who?
T: You know, that guy... what's his name? The blonde dude?

A: Leonardo DiCaprio?

T: Yea, sure, whatever.


Y'all, tell me I'm not the only one who had this poster on the wall of my bedroom, who could gaze for hours at Leo in all of his floppy-haired loveliness. And this kid who was unaware of Mr. DiCaprio isn't THAT young. Okay... maybe in high school, but still! Only seven years younger than me! Maybe eight... Good Lord. Old age is for the balls, I tell ya.


Moving on...

I REGISTERED FOR MY FIRST 10K!! I was really trying to gear up to run my first half this fall, but I would love to run my first in Texas so my family can see me finish. Between the cost of flights and needing to save time at work, it's just not going to happen right now. Realistically, I also wasn't in top-form to start training for 13.1 miles and really want to take on that task when I feel like I'm in great physical shape, so I'm meeting myself halfway and aiming for 6.1 instead. It's also advised to have a handful of 5ks and 10ks under your belt before taking on a half marathon, so I think I'll feel more prepared mentally since the miles will be building up.

Anywho, I run on Columbus Day-- Monday, October 10th! It should be a fun run since it goes all over and Boston and back, plus Brian has the day off so he'll be there with bells on. It just so happened that I decided to run this race on Sunday, which put me at exactly eight weeks before the run. Perfecto! considering the training plan I'm following is eight weeks long. Hopefully this is the kick in the bum I've been looking for to really get back into the whole "I dig working out!" mentality, as opposed to the "Yea, I'd prefer a nap..." view that I've had as of late.

Lastly, my addiction to Pinterest has not waned. Oh no, my friends-- it has multiplied by the tons. I'm obsessed, and I am not afraid to admit it. Lots of my friends are teachers so I've been all about finding gifts to make for them with this whole little back to school thing going on.



I love this. A lot. If I become a teacher, will someone give me one? Maybe make me one just for the heck of it?



I die! So darn cute.



This is one of my best friend's first year to teach with her MARRIED last name-- I think this is a must! The question is, would the crayons melt on the way to Texas? Hm...
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Oh, How Pinteresting! Wednesday

I love when my bloggy friends come through for me and present blogging material for me that I wasn't even anticipating. The fabulous Rachel linked up for Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesdays, so of course I'm jumping on board!

Y'all can go ahead and thank me now because as of about fifteen minutes ago the only thing I had to write about was a) how tight my pants feel today, and b) how a huge drop of water fell off of a roof while I was waiting for the train and plopped directly between The Girls (it would have been slightly comedic in a movie. For me, it furthered my irritation that had already been spurred by the death grip my pants have on my thighs).

google


Source: etsy.com via Katie on Pinterest



Have mercy at the cuteness. Recreating this could be my new project!!




Amen :)




So cute for our little college football parties! Texas may be miles away but I can always count on college football to keep her close to my heart - Hook 'Em! :)




I'm a planner. Not only do I already have Halloween ideas pinned, but Christmas and Valentine's Day as well!


Source: jcrew.com via Katie on Pinterest





Anyone else as ready for fall as I am?!




No. Words. Necessary.

Thanks for stopping by!!


Posted by at 10 comments:

wine really can turn your day right side up.


Making this purchase was the highlight of my day.

One Kings Lane has become my official obsession as of late, so when they ran a deal today on wine accessories, I had to scoop this up immediately! We're in the process of looking for an apartment, our first that will be OURS AND ONLY OURS, and judging from the places we've looked at, our counter space will be VERY valuable. Hence this gorgey wine rack.

Despite my purchase, today was a Tuesday that felt like a Monday.

My training for the half marathon that I have not yet chosen/registered for began today, so I headed to the track in the rain to get my miles in. It was awful, torturous, and painful. I kept within my time but my legs felt like lead the entire run. A plus was that the humidity broke so even though there was a heavy "sprinkle" the entire time, the humid/hot element was alleviated. I knew it was time to throw in the towel when my PMSing self started to get mad at the feeling of the raindrops hitting my arms.

Brian had dinner pretty much finished by the time I got home, which was wonderful. We went for a back-up dinner tonight: pasta tossed with a garlic sauteed in olive oil with a dash of crushed red pepper, topped with roasted veggies and a side of baked eggplant. I can't lie - it was a good, comforting dish that didn't leave me feeling uncomfortable or too stuffed afterwards. Love that!

Now it's a kickoff to the first couple of episodes of season 4 of FNL and I'm off to bed.

At least we're kinda sorta halfway through the week, right?
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