Owning It

A few weeks ago the sweet Christina over at The New Mrs. posted about “Owning It”.  She listed all the little quirks about herself and told us that those quirks are what makes her her and she was owning it!  She explained that we should all love and embrace who we are and be proud of the little things that make us so unique.

I absolutely loved this idea so when she told us she would be doing a link up I knew I had to jump on board.

I will always love Disney.  Doesn’t matter if I’m 13 or 85.  Disney will always ALWAYS have a very special place in my heart.

I hate buying things like cleaning supplies and toiletries.  Those things should totally just be free or something.  I have better things to spend my money on.  Like nail polish and fudge bars.

I love being a teacher, but I constantly find myself thinking of other jobs I want to have.  For example I think it would be amazing to work for the State Department, or to be a writer, or to be a travel blogger, or own a bed and breakfast, or work in PR for a sports team, or be the curator at a muesum.

One of my favorite things to do when I’m in the car solo is belt out Disney songs.  My favorite song to sing is Belle from Beauty and the Beast.  I even do all the voices.  I’m sure it very entertaining to watch.

I’ve thought that my cat Sadie has either been missing or runaway 3 different times and my reaction each time has been to completely freak out and start bawling.  It happened last night.  It wasn’t a pretty sight.  And it turns out, she was in the dryer. #greatpetowner

The opinion that matters the most to me is that of my parents.  To this day I rarely make any decisions without asking their opinion first.  I also am still scared of making my parents mad.  

I can spend literally all day in bed and not feel guilty about it at all.  It’s my favorite thing to do.

I’m not a big jewelry person.  I wear the same watch and ring everyday.  I have 2 necklaces that I switch out and like 3 pairs of earrings.  Two of which look exactly the same but are different colors.  

I’ve lived in my house for almost a year and I still haven’t hung anything on the walls.  I also bought a cute stool for my vanity, it’s red and has black and white checkers on the seat cushion.  I told myself I was going to paint it/re-upholster it, yeah I still haven’t done it.  The rest of my room is pink, white, and light green.

I like going to the movie alone.

I don’t wash my face before bed.  I’m just too tired and it takes way too much effort to do it before I go to bed, I just do it in the shower the next morning.

I am ridiculously excited for Royal Baby number 2.  When Prince George was born I watched a live feed of the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s hospital and took pictures when they came out like I was actually there.  I plan to do the something with the new baby.

I still eat Ramen noodles.  I don’t care what anyone says they are delicious.

Speaking of food, nothing is better to me than a good ol ham sandwich and chips.  I could eat one everyday if I had to.

I always have to have something to look forward to.  It helps make time pass so much more quickly.  Especially if you are in the middle of something particularly unpleasant.  I’m looking forward to summer, seeing my best friend’s baby girl for the first time, our family reunion in July and obviously EUROPE! 

Well there ya have it.  Just a few of the my quirks that I’m publicly owning today! 

Thanks for hosting such a fun link up Christina! 🙂

Crazy Cat Lady

So I think it’s official y’all.  I’ve become a crazy cat lady.

Why?  Well on Friday I took out my fancy shamancy camera and had a mini photo shoot with my cats.  Well mostly Brady, because Sadie was pretty uninterested and all she did was sit in the window sill and wait for Brady to come and attack her.  

But I did get some incredibly adorable shots of Brady so I had to share them. 

He is just the cutest!! 🙂

This one could be a Toms ad.  Save for the fax that my Toms are really really dirty. Gross.

These two.  I have a ton of pictures like this.  But I like this one because both their front paws are off the ground.  Reminds me of the Lion King.  They are slowly but surely getting to like each other.  Read: SLOWLY…..but surely.

He love his big sister! Especially playing with her tail.  She on the other hand doesn’t love it so much.

This one is my favorite.

Check out those mittens for paws.  It’s what makes him a Polydactyl cat aka a Hemingway Cat, he has 6 toes on his two front paws.  Polydactyl cats were most commonly found around ports and on ships in New England and Wales. Sailors found them to be lucky charms for them while at sea.  Polydactyl cats (I prefer calling them Hemingway cats…sounds better) are know for the hunting and climbing skills (fantastic news for me.)  According to history, a ship captain gave Ernest Hemingway a polydactyl cat and he basically became obsessed with them.  In fact his home in the Keys, is now a refuge for cats, most of which are descendants of the original cat given to him by the ship captain.  About half of those cats are polydactyl cats.  Thus why they received the nickname Hemingway Cats.

There ya go…your history lesson for the day.

He has recently discovered a basket we have next to our couch.  It’s where we keep blankets.  It’s become his new favorite nap places.

So far Brady has been an excellent addition to my little family.  Jenny loves him, Maggie love him (that’s Jenny’s dog), I love him, and eventually Sadie will love him.

My parents will be taking care of both cats this summer.  It’s just easier for them to stay with the parentals rather than have to lug them around Texas all summer.  Especially since I’ll be out of the country the last two weeks in July (bah….I still get excited when I say that).

One last thing before I wrap this up….I don’t actually think of myself as a crazy cat lady.  Even though I’m 90% sure most of my friends do.  I love my kitties and cannot imagine not having them in my life.  And I’m glad Sadie has a friend now.  Should of gotten her one a long time ago.

So what do y’all think?  Crazy cat lady or perfectly sane normal 27 year old gal?

Eurotrip 2015: What to Pack

One of my favorite parts of going on vacation is packing.  Because when you pack it means the countdown is finally over and you are on your way to your destination.  

Plus I love getting all the things I will taking with me together, laying it all out on my bed, taking a picture of it to post on Instagram (obviously), and then placing it all neatly in my suitcase.  There is just something so satisfying about that routine.  

So when we booked our Eurotrip I immediately went to Pinterest for tips on packing for two weeks in Europe.

Through Pinterest I’ve been able to come up with a list of what I want to take with me one my trip.  I’ve taken most of my tips from here, here, and here.  And here’s the top three things I’ve figured out when it comes to packing with for Europe:

1. Pack pieces that allow you to mix and match.

2. Europeans don’t where tennis shoes, so you’ve got to find other comfy shoes to bring.

3. You won’t need as much as you think you will.

Now that last one is going to be especially difficult for me because I am totally guilty of overpacking pretty much every time I travel. So I’m planning out what I’m going to pack now so when it comes time to actually pack, I don’t pack too much.

So what exactly do I plan to pack do you ask?

Here is my list:

Shirts:  2 blouses, 2 cotton T-shirt, 1 chambray shirt

Bottoms: 1 pair of skinny jeans, 1 pair of colored pants, 1 printed skirt

Dresses: 2-3 cotton dresses

Jacket: 1 casual jacket

Scarves: 2-3 (I’ve read this are perfect for the airplane, to change up an outfit, and for church visits.

Cardigans: 2 – in solid colors

Shoes: 2 pairs of Toms, 1 pair of flats, Sperry’s, 1 pair of sandels.

Thankfully I have most of the things I plan to pack, but I will be purchasing the items in the picture above.  

-2 cotton dresses – These two are from Old Navy and will be purchased ASAP.  They’re exactly what I’m looking for.

-1 colored cardigan– most likely pink but black or mint green would be nice too.

-Another pair of Toms –  I think I want them in grey.  I feel like grey would go with just about anything.  And I really like this lace grey ones.
-A new piece of luggage– My mom got me new luggage 2 Christmas’s ago.  And one of the wheels fell off the largest piece of luggage at the airport at some point during my last few trips.  womp womp.  Plus I would like something a little sturdier since it’ll be drug across 6 countries.

Packing for this trip is going to be so fun.  I want pieces that will be cute in pictures (obviously) but comfortable at the same time.  From what I can tell the weather should be warm maybe even hot on some occasions. So breathable shirts are going to be a must as well.

I plan to take pictures of all the things I’ll be packing and sharing a post on that as it gets closer.

If you’ve been to Europe, what were your must haves/best things to bring with you on your trip?  I’m eating up all the advice I can get! 🙂

84 DAYS!!!

Tuesday Teacher Thoughts

This week is STAAR testing week for the state of Texas.  AKA the most stressful week of the whole school year.

It’s the week that teachers from grades 3-8 can tell if their students have been listening for the last 8 months.  And lemme tell you…..I don’t think the majority of my students were listening at all.

Now obviously that’s a joke (kinda sorta) but seriously sometimes I wonder if these kids of mine have ears and brains in general.  Keep in mind these are 13/14 (in some case 15) year olds who are going through about 1000 different emotions every day.  Which I can totally relate to because you know I was an 8th grader once too.  But it can get real rough in my class listening/talking to my kiddos.

Allow me to demonstrate some of the frustrations and thoughts we teachers go through via some very funny memes.

Enjoy:

(via)

All day everyday with that one. 

(via)

You would not believe how often this happens.  Some of my 8th graders have the attention span of a……monkey?  Sometimes I’m pretty sure they ask me a question just to get me off topic which happens pretty often. The kids don’t hate it.

(via)

If this isn’t my answer, I’ll have 5 different student asking me to leave the classroom.  I don’t have time for that.

(via)

That is when my students remember to ask me what they missed.  Which they never do.  And then they want to know why they have a bad grade.  

  

“Ms. why did you give me that grade.”  Ummmm….did you study for test?  No?  Oh ok tell me again how I “gave” you that grade.  Yeah, you earned that grade. 

(via)

Of course I know what you’re doing!!!!! I used to be you and did the exact same thing.  In fact I did it at the faculty meeting last week.  So yeah I know when you’re on your phone.  Plus no one just looks at their crotch and smiles.  No one.

(via)

Since the beginning of the year we’ve had bell work.  Everyday I have to remind them that they should be doing said bell work when they come into my room.  You’d think they’d have figured it out by now….but they haven’t.

(via)

Story of my life this year.  I refuse to talk over my students.  If the whole room isn’t silent then I stand there with the “Grumpy Cat” look on my face until they are quite.   I’m surprised my face hasn’t frozen into that look yet.

(via)

It’s fine I’ll wait. I’m on your time not my time after all.

(via)

This one is my personal favorite.  Give you extra work is giving me extra work.  How about we stick to doing the regular work so neither of us have extra work. K thanks.

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Now don’t get me wrong I absolutely LOVE being a teacher.  It has so many rewards but like any job there are many stressful moments. (Especially this year at the school I’ve been at)  

Lots of teachers hang the memes I’ve shared in their classrooms.  Which I think is a fantastic idea if only to bring little humor into the room.  And that’s what I’m trying to bring into this post.  A little humor to some very real thoughts that I guarantee all teachers feel.  

Am I right my fellow teachers? Yep, I’m right! 

Now I’m off to watch my students take a test that I’m not allowed to help them on nor am I allowed to do anything but walk around the room and make sure no one is cheating or talking…….for about 6 hours straight.  It’s literally the worst thing ever. 

Wish me luck!  🙂

TGIF

I’m taking a mental health day from the blog.  Ok I’ve taken three but hey my blog, my rules. 🙂

I hope you all have a fantastic day and a fabulous weekend!

My week has been a ball full of stress because I’m getting my kids ready for their big US History test next week.  I’m mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted.  Thus the small break from my little space of the internet. 

I plan to use the weekend to relax, see the famous Texas Bluebonnets and read.  Not in that order.

Till Monday friends!

Things Are Better in Fours

I’ve seen this fun post floating around blog land.  It’s fun, it’s light, and its an easy post! 🙂

Enjoy!

Four of my nicknames:

1. Kac or Kak-  My brother couldn’t pronounce Kathleen growing up so he called me Kac.  My parents, some family members and my Florida family all call me this.

2. Kat – This is the most obvious as my name is Kathleen. Plus I like cats.

3. Weenie – Ok only Jenny calls me this….it comes from when were in the 8th grade and she used to say “Kathleenie Beanie has a big fat Weenie.”  Not my favorite saying in the 8th grade but ever since she’s called me Weenie.  To this day.  In fact she said it this morning as she was leaving for work.

4. ????

Four jobs I’ve had:

1. Waitress at Village Inn (First job EVER)
2. Teacher (current job)
3. Camp Counselor – Lake Greeley Camp in Pennsylvania
4. Epcot Guest Relations Hostess at Walt Disney World

First picture in plaid! Oh, how I miss those days! 

Four movies I’ve watched more than once:

1. Now and Then
2. Titanic
3. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
4. A League of Their Own

Four things in my purse:

1. EOS Lip Balm

2. Sunnies

3. Planner

4. iPhone

Four places I’ve lived:

1. El Paso, TX 

2. San Marcos, TX

3. Orlando, FL

4. Houston, TX

In that order! 🙂 God Bless Texas!

Four places I’ve visited:

1. Ground Zero in NYC

2. Windsor Castle – Windsor, England

3. Anna Maria Island in Florida

4. Walt Disney’s Apartment on Main Street USA in Disneyland.

Four places on my travel bucket list:

1. South Africa

2. Australia

3. New Zealand

4. Prince Edward Island, Canada – Because it’s the setting of one of my favorite books! Anne of Green Gables.

Four things I don’t eat: There’s not much I don’t eat.

1.  Peas.  I can eat the in stir fry or fried rice, but not cold or hot by themselves. Blegh.

2.  Celery – I can only eat it cooked, not raw.

3.  Blue Cheese

4.  Pecan Pie

Four TV Show I watch:  I can only list 4?  Yikes.

1. Grey’s Anatomy.  I don’t care what anyone says, still one of the best shows ever.

2. The Amazing Race

3. Bravo – Yes I realize this is a channel and not a TV show but I watch A LOT of Bravo

4.  Game of Thrones

Four things I look forward to in 2015:   

1. EUROPE!!!!!!

2. Living in the same house for 2 years in a row. I’ve literally moved every year since 2006.  It’s annoying.

3. First summer time not working or moving.  I can actually enjoy my summer!

4. The weddings of two of my best friends!

That was fun….and surprisingly hard in some cases.  But I’m a sucker for posts like this!

What are some of your fours?! 🙂

"Let’s Go Fly A Kite!"

One of my goals for 2015 is to explore the city I live in more.  

Houston is a major city with a ton to offer.  And I don’t want to make the same mistake I made when I was living in Orlando.  I didn’t get out and really live in my city.  Sure I did fun things but they mostly centered around Disney and the other theme parks Orlando has.  For example, every week in Downtown Orlando you can attend a farmers market.  I only went once.

So I’ve made it a goal for this year to really get to know the city I live in.  And when Jenny asked if I wanted to go to Houston’s annual Kite Festival at Hermann Park I immediately said yes.  

We had the best weather possible for kite flying.  I’d never actually flown a kite before and didn’t actually that day either because I was too busy taking pictures.  But the wind was blowing just the right amount, the sun was shinning and there a few clouds in the sky.  

We met 4 of Jenny’s cousins at the festival.  Two of her cousins have kids and it was really fun watching them watch all the kites in the sky.  They had fun picking out their favorites.  

Jenny even bought a cute little ladybug kite and spent about 20 minutes or so trying to get it to fly.  She was pretty successful but she lost interested pretty quickly.

It was so neat to step back and look at all the people and their families come out to enjoy this fun event.  There was a DJ playing music for everyone to enjoy and hundreds of kites of all sizes.  There were even food trucks parks close to the main “kite grounds” so people could buy food and beverages if they wanted.  Although most people (ourselves included) brought blankets and picnic foods to enjoy while we enjoyed the weather and kite flying.

The festival was held at Hermann Park near the museum district in Houston.

We took a stroll around the grounds and Jenny showed me the reflecting pool.  I thought it was the perfect location to have a quick little photo shoot for my outfit.  

One end of the pool has some steps with shallow water that you can wade through and at the opposite end of the pool there is a large statue of the famous Sam Houston.  Hero of the Texas Revolution, the city’s namesake and one of the only Presidents of the Republic of Texas!

As I’ve already mentioned the weather was perfect.  Shorts and tank top were the perfect choice especially since my pasty pale tail hasn’t had much sun exposure since I moved back to Texas.

Tank: J Roberts Boutique

Shorts: J Crew

Bando: Francesca’s Collections

Sandals: Target

Necklace: Loft

Polish: Essie’s Butler Please

We really had a perfect little afternoon.  It was just the right amount of laid back outdoor fun I enjoy.  And I got to see a side Houston I hadn’t seen before.  

The next thing I’d really like to do is check out some of the museums near Hermann Park.  Specifically I want to visit the Holocaust Museum, I’ve heard it is amazing.

Do any of you Houstonians have a suggestions for things to do in this great city of ours?

Send em my way if you do! 🙂

Your Next Favorite Book: Young Adult Books

I’m a huge bookworm.  Huge.  There is nothing I love more than finding a book I love. Or better yet a book series I love.

Since I started teaching 8th grade I’ve found myself reading more and more Young Adult novels.  Partly thanks to Jenny because she’s read just about every Young Adult novel there is in her school’s library, well those that are worth reading anyway.

She’s shared her favorites with me and now I’m going to share my favorites with you.

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The Selection Series by Kiera Class 

Synopsis from Goodreads:
This is the synopsis for the 1st book in the series:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself–and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

My thoughts: 
I am absolutely in LOVE with this series.  It has a little (ok a lot) of romance, it has some great twists and turns, and I really love the backstory of this dystopia society.  Mostly because what the author has happen to the United States could actually happen!  I enjoy this series more than I liked the Hunger Games AND the Divergent series.  So that’s something.  Oh and the best part is there will be fourth book out later this Spring!

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Synopsis from Goodreads:
This is the synopsis for the first book in the series.

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. 

My thoughts: 
When I was first told about this series, I thought EW!  That sounds so stupid.  But oh my friends, how wrong I was.  This is one of those series that totally surprised. The combination of sci-fi and fairy tales is perfect. She intertwines them perfectly.  The other thing I love is that each book focuses on a different character but at the same time brings the characters from previous books together to form one large story.  It’s basically a story within a story.  This too has a fourth book that will be released later this fall and all 4 stories will collide for what I know promises to be a fantastic finale!

The Testing Series by Joelle Chambonneau

Synopsis from Goodreads:

This is the synopsis for the first book in the series.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?  

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career. 

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies–trust no one. 

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

My thoughts:
Of the three series I’m sharing this is the one that reminds me the most of the Hunger Games and Divergent.  And so far I still like this series more.  Now I say that but I’m currently reading the last in the series, Graduation Day, so the jury is still out.  Because I hated the endings to both the Hunger Games series and the Divergent series.  I love the idea behind this series and I think that’s why I am suggesting it that you all read it. But I have to admit I’m finding it difficult to give you exact reasons WHY I like it.  I just do.  It’s an easy read and it’s entertaining.  So if those are two of your criteria for reading books, then these will be for you.

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Obviously I liked the first two series I’ve recommended way more than the last one, if only because my thoughts on the first two are so positive and my thoughts on the last one are kind of all over the place.  But you won’t be disappointed readying any of them.  Promise! You do need to remind yourself that these were written for teenagers.  So you can expect a little cheesiness now and then.
But hey, we all need a little cheese in our lives! Right?!

Happy Reading friends! 🙂

Lace, Pattern and Blooms

Spring is my absolute favorite season. In my opinion there is nothing better than a spring day.  The weather is perfect, not too hot and not too cold.  In addition to perfect weather the Spring brings out all those beautiful spring blooms we all know and love.

Just like the blooms that are growing right outside our house, unbeknownst to us.  

Last week I wore one of my favorite spring/summer time skirts to work.  I paired it with a cute white lace top and my jean jacket.  

The day was perfect for such an outfit.  It was a bit breezy but not cold so the jacket kept off any chill in the air.  I got the skirt on a very hot sale at Loft last year and absolutely love it.  It has the cutest zigzag pattern and is just the right length.  

To finish off the outfit I added my favorite (and only) gold watch from Francesca’s Collections and the turquoise necklace from J Crew.

Outfit details:

Skirt: Loft

Lace Top: Ralph Lauren

Jean Jacket: Old Navy

Necklace: J Crew

Bracelets: Alix and Ani 

Watch: Francesca’s Collections

Polish: OPI’s Koala Berry 

I convinced my roommate to come outside with me a snap a few pictures of the outfit.  She needs to practice using the “fancy” camera for our trip.  And now she’s become my official “outfit post photographer!”

What’s your favorite part about Spring?