I love my Nook!

I bought a Nook for myself this summer and I've really enjoyed reading books on it. During the semester, I didn't have all that much free time to read, and so my goal for this winter break is to read for pleasure. The great thing about ebooks is that you are free to read whatever you want wherever you want, free from judgment. I just finished an interesting read called "Matched" by Ally Condie. When I was finished I looked online to see what the reviews of it were like, only to discover it was a Teen Romance. Though at age 20 I find I am no longer a teenager, I still do love a good young adult book. Next on my list is "This Year I Will...: How to Finally Change a Habit, Keep a Resolution or Make a Dream Come True" by MJ Flynn.

In terms of habits I'm planning on changing, I want to:

• Stop letting clutter collect in my room
• Exercise at least 4 times a week
• Look past brand labels and instead at quality when it comes to shopping

Anyway I find that the Nook is great for self-help books and nonfiction books especially, since you can keep lots of advice and references with you in one place. Additionally, I think I just love the way my Nook looks. It's so cute. Even the name "Nook" reminds me of how I used to read when I was a little kid, tucked into some nook in the house and curling up with a book. 

Merry Christmas All!

Merry Christmas! I am just checking in to state my intention to revisit this blog. I really do miss blogging. So, here are a few choice pictures from WeHeartIt that really get me into the Holiday spirit.

Wishing you all the best this day, regardless of whether you celebrate the holiday or not. Hope you feel loved and cared for on this day and all others.

Back to School Inspiration (and Budget Shopping Picks)

Watercolor Shirt

Would add just the right amount of color under navy and gray fall sweaters or cardigans

$19.80 from Forever 21

Bobby Pin 

Classic and Cute, a simple accessory that can make a boring outfit more chic

$2.50 from Forever 21

Stud Trimmed Belted Dress

I'm really loving studs right now, especially when combined with classic cuts and black fabric

$24.99 from Olsenboye for JCPenney

Gertrude Boot

I'm loving the short cowboy boot, and the detailing on this boot is very fun. 

$69.99 at Piperlime

Paula Cami

Going along with the lace trend, this cami would look great under a cardigan or light jacket. (Also available in Pink, Blue, Green, and Ivory) 

$18.50 at dELiAs

Sierra Twill Military Bomber

I really like the way the Military trend is starting to look more wearable. The color and fit look very nice.

(Also available in Gray and Blue)  

$59.50 at dELiAs

Summer News

Sorry I've been so MIA. I've been pretty busy lately with my internship. I helped out with programs for 5th graders, 2nd graders, and 1st graders and I'm also transcribing old Civil War letters. The typing can get tedious at times, but I'm learning a lot from reading these primary resources. I'd like to give an update about my novel. I currently have 13 pages.

I want to start writing some quick updating posts like this:

I am...

Reading... My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares

Watching .... Desperate Housewives Season 4

Feeling... Sunburnt and sore from canoeing yesterday (but it was fun)

Thinking ... I should work on my practice LSAT book

Wondering ... How the rest of my summer will go

Planning ... On cleaning my closet, selling some textbooks online, and buying a pair of black pants

White Clothing Finds

There's nothing as dreamy as beautiful white clothing in the summer. There's something angelic and ethereal about wearing something white. In terms of accessorizing, however, I think the best bet is either metallics or bold colors. Without some color white can make people look washed out. Here are my picks for beautiful white clothing and the accessories I think would go well with these pieces. 

A refreshing white eyelet dress by Marc Jacobs. $268 on Piperlime. 

Here's a colorful bangle that would definitely add some spunk to the Marc Jacobs dress.  I usually don't wear bangles, but this one is so adorable! I love the color combo. $98 at Kate Spade

This dress has cute edges on the hem and sleeves, which spices up the traditional style of white dress. 

$89 at Amazon: GUESS Katie Dress

Wouldn't it go beautifully with these Anchor earrings? They're only $8 on Amazon. Just click the image if you want to purchase them. 

Happiness Project Update

So far I have written 8 pages of a novel that I am trying to write. I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but I think part of it has to do with the fact that I am a huge perfectionist. I tend to write very slowly, reworking sentences until I get things just the way I want them.

Also, following more of Gretchen's advice, I made a purchase that made me very happy. I bought the Free People Polka Dotted dress I told you about! I wore it to the beach over a black Salinas monokini, and it absolutely made a great day a brilliant one! I will post pictures of me in the dress as soon as I find my camera charger. (Which hopefully will be soon!)

Letters to Juliet

Last night my Mom and I watched Letters to Juliet, starring Amanda Seyfried and Chris Egan. The movie was absolutely brilliant. It was refreshing to see a romantic movie that had good characters, funny lines, and, despite the out there plot, managed to feel believable the entire time. I quickly got home and IMDB'd Chris Egan, and learned that he also starred in Kings, a television show that is currently available to watch on Hulu. He is adorable, and also Australian! However, in Letters to Juliet he uses a British Accent and in Kings he uses an American one. I really want to find something that he is in with his Australian accent. Anyone know of anything?

Also, for your viewing pleasure, here are a few more pictures of Chris Egan from Kings.

Wishlist

Sadly, since my internship is only paid for weekend hours, and even then on minimum wage, I'm seriously lacking on the funds front. So, instead of buying things I will post what I hope to get once I have some sort of an income. (I've applied for a few other part time jobs. Wish me luck!)

Free People's Marrakesh Dress $98

I love this dress in the polka dot pattern, but there is also one in butterflies. Doesn't this look like the perfect summer dress? I would love to pair these with nude or white wedges and then go on a picnic! 

Nine West's Ponti Wedge $89

Steve Madden's Fauntain Wedge $79

Vince Camuto Empire Wedge $118

Help!

Here's a request to my readers in the blogosphere for help. Recently my blog started repeating posts. I can't figure out how to fix this issue. I tried using different templates that blogger made as well as trying to revert to the older version of blogger draft. I had tried to put in a new layout using a .xml file, but then, since it didn't work properly I went back to my old template. Does anyone have any idea about how to fix my problem? I would appreciate any tips you have.

**Update** I think I have solved the issue. Please let me know if it is showing up as double.

First Few Days of Summer Break

I'm finally on break, after writing about 30 pages for various papers in my History and Philosophy classes and a final on The History of Ancient Philosophy. Because my parents are working and my brother and sister are still in school, it's just me and the dog for now. It will be almost a month before my siblings are out for summer break. My brother's high school graduation is on June 25th! That's almost a month more of school than I have. My sister is also having a graduation ceremony for finishing 8th grade, that they call it "The Moving Up Ceremony," because the 7th and 8th grade is in the same building as the town's high school.

Also, I've kind of gone off the bandwagon in terms of my Happiness Project. I'm going to try and work on it more over this summer. My theme for May will be Creativity. I really want to get a head start on some creative writing that I've been meaning to do. My dream is to write a novel, but I have not written anything nearly that long yet. I've done mostly just short stories and poetry.

To help keep track of my goals to be more creative, I will post about my progress, as well as things that I find inspiring.

Right now, for example, I'm reading The Likeness by Tana French. It's a murder mystery set in Ireland and is her second novel. Her first novel, In The Woods, involves the same characters, though you don't necessarily have to read one before the other. I highly recommend it, though make sure you have a lot of free time before you read this. It's extremely hard to put down!

Photos from WeHeartIt

My First Blog Award!

I've been so busy, it's taken me absolutely forever to post about my first blog award. But since it's my first day back from school I'm posting it now :D

Thank you so much Molly Bryn for nominating me! 

Check out her blog, lessons from elephants.

The Rules:

Copy the award and place it on your blog

Nominate  and link to 13 of your most-loved Bloggers

Erika

Aury

Allison

Jen
Nikolett
Orchid Grey
The Glamourous Grad Student

Casey

Krissy

Kendi Lea
Kelly
Gretchen
Lauren

So Close

It's almost the end of the year. Only 9 more days until the end of classes. Only 17 days until the end of finals. Only 19 days until I'm home again in Connecticut. As the days go on, I find myself getting more and more tired of doing my homework. Yet, I have so many things left to do. I have a 10 page book review, of which I've written 7.5 pages. I have a 10 page paper on primary resources about the Crusades. A 3 page paper on Aristotle, a 4-5 page paper on the Crusades, and a 5-6 page paper on Kant. Hmm... I'm starting to think that I should begin those dreaded late night study sessions. Somehow, I've managed to do well all year without them. But, with the amount of work that I have, I think I'll have to go down that route. What do you think? Is it better to get sleep during the last stretch of school, so as not to go completely insane? Should I wake up early every morning (at like 6:00 or something) in order to get my work done? I think tonight I will try to do work until at least 11:30. Normally, I stop working around 9:30 or 10, because I get too tired to concentrate. But maybe I'll get a second wind.
Expect to hear more from me after finals! Wish me luck!

A Beautiful Wednesday

Boston's high for the day is supposedly 84 degrees. Waking up early this morning and walking to class, I didn't believe it at first. But, sure enough, it is beautiful outside.

Also, I found this on WeHeartIt today. This is one of my favorite poems, by William Carlos Williams. Doesn't the plum look delicious? The title of the poem is "This is Just to Say."

What are your favorite poems? Do you have favorite poets?

My favorites are:
Charles Bukowski
Emily Dickinson
Anne Sexton
Theodore Roethke
e.e. Cummings
William Carlos Williams
Lewis Carroll

Also, I have a confession... I went to poetry writing camp the summer before I came to college. Hence, I am a poetry nerd. Maybe I'll post a poem or two of my own if I work up the courage.

Magazines

I love magazines. Anyone who knows me knows that I can spend hours upon hours in a Barnes and Noble reading all the magazines I can. While I still have yet to find my perfect magazine, the BUQuad gave some suggestions for finding your perfect magazine.Cate Young's article: How to Choose a Fashion Magazine

She gives great descriptions about which personalities fit which magazines, and even shows how to save some bucks with online subscriptions.

My personal favorites are Glamour, Teen Vogue, and Self. Though they are not all purely fashion magazines, I love reading them. I do think that in enjoying magazines, though, we should all remember that these are not realistic representations of people's everyday lives. Yet, even so, I think they're really fun to read. I do wish that magazines will start to represent more kinds of women with different body types and different ethnicities. I think that some of the younger teen magazines are starting to branch out. My younger sister reads Girls Life, and I've often seen more diverse models. I remember how excited she was when she found a girl in the pictures who was Filipina. It was really nice to know that magazines, at least for those her age, are moving in a good direction.

Carey Mulligan's Hair

I haven't gotten a chance to see her movies yet, but I absolutely adore her hair. I really want to get my hair cut like this, but my friends don't seem too keen on the idea. Do you like the haircut? My hair is black and thicker than hers, but I still really want to get my hair done like this.

Sincerely Yours

Here's a video of my sorority's charity event! In the background I'm singing the solo for "First Cut is the Deepest" by Sheryl Crow and playing the guitar. P.S. I'm not really sure who made the video. I think it might have been one of my sorority sisters' friends, but they horribly butchered my name lol. No worries though! I'm totally psyched that someone recorded it.

I tried to embed it, but I couldn't figure out how to save it to my computer. Here's the link though!


My Sorority's Charity event for St. Jude's

New Layout

Despite the snow that Boston got today, I felt that it was time to try a new layout. Blogger just came out with a new template maker, and while I was planning on customizing it a lot, I found this really cute, springy one, so I thought I'd give it a try. What do you think? I think the brighter colors make it easier on the eyes. I will probably need to keep trying out layouts for a while, since I'm finding myself to be pretty indecisive. But, I'm really happy now that there will be more options for me to use, since I don't know very much HTML or CSS or anything. Hopefully I'll learn some this summer though!

Also here is my wishlist of clothing items in the upcoming warm months:

• A pair of yellow or coral sandals that are both comfortable and cute
• Patterned skirts - I'm thinking maybe something with purple, blue, and maybe some magenta mixed in
• London Soles Ballet Flats (in peach? I don't know if they even have peach colored ones but this is my wishlist after all lol) 
• Headband with gems or rhinestones
• Yellow sundress (If only I can find a shade of yellow that will work with my skin tone) 
• Capri pants (in a blue that's in between powder blue and navy...) 
• Big, glamourous sunglasses

Writing Papers

Ah, the joys of paper writing. Currently I'm working on two philosophy papers. One is on Spinoza and his views on Necessitarianism and his denial of the human free will. The second one is on Plato's Theatetus, and discusses the Sophist vs. Philosopher's conflict. They're both due tomorrow and I realized that I just need a quick break to get out of my mind. Hence, another blog post!

In the past few weeks, I've been pretty busy. But since I haven't written in a while, I figured I'd do some quick updates.

Updates:

• My Sorority's initiation is this weekend! I'm really excited for all our new members to become Sisters :)
• I still haven't seen Alice in Wonderland, but I'm hopefully going to be seeing it this weekend
• I went to the Gap and found a cute floral shirt! Finally :) 
• My brother got into Colorado College! He's really excited and I think that's where he'll probably end up going next year, since it was one of his top choices.

Although it's just starting to be spring here in Boston, I'm starting to feel the summer itch. I want it to be summertime so badly! And I only have a little more than a month left of school... crazy right? I think that my last exam is on May 8th. (I actually have only one exam this semester, but a ton of final papers to write) 

What are you all planning on doing this summer? As for me, I'm going to be hanging out at home, and I've got an internship at my town's historical society. I'm really excited for it! I'll be learning how to curate objects and I'll help plan educational events for children.

More Finds

I found just what I'm looking for! Shop Ruche has lots of patterns and textures for much better prices, which is definitely good for my budget right now. 

This is their Celestial Embroidery Tank. It's only $34.99 and has great detailing. 

The Rose Gold Tank is $28.99. I'm really loving the color scheme of this top. 

I think this one is very playful. It's an interesting mix of color and crochet. I'm not sure exactly how I would wear this, but I really like it. Any suggestions? It's called the Color Path Tank and it's $35.99. 

Their shoes are also to die for! Though, fortunately for a price of $36.99 you won't have to :) These are their Gold Studded Pointy Heels.

Now I adore this headband, but it's $16.99. I'm not sure that I would pay this much for a headband... but it really is cute. It's called the Astrantia Melody Headband. 

Wardrobe Contemplation

Looking through my heaps of clothes to find something to wear is an almost impossible task. I've come to realize that I only wear about 20 pieces of my entire wardrobe. I lack some key basics, and I tend to buy similar things. Now is the time for my spring clothing remix.

One of the big problems with my wardrobe is the sheer number of plain, fitted t-shirts. I even have 2 t-shirts of the exact same color! (Though one is made of a stretchier fabric, and the other is slightly more sheer) I have t-shirts galore, with at least 2 or three same exact shirts in different colors!

My goal for this spring is to get some patterns into my outfits. The riskiest thing that I've worn in a while are stripes. So, today, I decided to pull out my Urban outfitters crocheted white tank top and put it under my favorite cardigan (the reddish one that I'm sure you've seen me post about a million times).

Here are some examples of the new kinds of tops I want to infiltrate my wardrobe. While they don't all have to be patterned, I definitely want either an interesting shape, or texture.

I adore this top from Free People. It's $78, but I'm sure I could get a lot of wear out of it. With dark skinny jeans and cute flats, this could be a great outfit for night. Under a cardigan and with a lighter pair of jeans, it could be my perfect daytime look. This top is shown in "Indigo" but there is also a color that is mysteriously called "Mushroom", even though it looks pink to me. 

Another thing I found on Free People, a cute cardigan with a pattern on it. It is sheer in the back and on the sleeves. It definitely would be a cute addition to my wardrobe, without diverging too much, I think, from what I normally like to wear. This cardigan is also $88

I also find this top to be pretty interesting. While it's not something that I would normally pick out, the texture and shape of this silk top make it a great piece to layer under a long cardigan. (I do love my cardigans, after all) This is $66 on Piperlime.

Probably the most daring pattern I'm liking right now is this top from Piperlime. It is only $55 by BB Dakota. 

Do you have any suggestions for me about where to look for cute, interesting pieces? What kind of patterns or textures are you loving right now? 

Were the World Mine

This is an amazing song from a musical called Were the World Mine. This movie is about a gay teen who plays Puck in a school play and discovers a magical flower that can make straight people gay. It's actually a really great story as well.

Quick Update

Hey everyone,
I know I haven't posted in a while, life has just been so hectic lately. Today was great, though. I got through my History of Modern Philosophy exam without falling asleep, met up with a friend for coffee, and got pancakes with my Sorority sisters at IHOP for Free Pancake Day.
Also, after having coffee with my friend, we went to the Prudential Center and checked out some of the clothes. I'm really loving a top from Free People, but I'm not exactly sure what kind of tank top to wear underneath it.  And I can't seem to find a picture of it, but if I can find it I'll post it later.

Anyway, this got me thinking about the things I want to get for my spring wardrobe. I really have to do homework right now, but I promise a list will be up soon!

formspring.me

Hey, so I just saw this thing called Formspring. I'm thinking I'll try it out. So if you have any interesting questions for me, I'll answer them here!

Go to http://formspring.me/cohalls

Hope your day is going well :)
<3 Catie

Healthy Snacks and Mindset

I read a great article on how to snack healthy at I Heart Daily. They make suggestions based on your cravings. I especially love this picture: a cored and sliced apple with peanut butter in between!

Doesn't this look absolutely scrumptious?

Some of my favorite snacks are:

• Toast with Peanut Butter, Honey, and Bananas
• "Ants on a Log" (i.e. Celery, Peanut Butter, and Raisins) 
• Whole Wheat Crackers (the slightly sweet kind) with a bit of Cream Cheese
• Pretzels
• Yogurt with Granola
• Strawberries with a touch of Sugar (This is really good b/c when you add sugar, the strawberry absorbs it while expelling some of the water. This makes it almost doubly as sweet without the need for too much sugar!) 

Also, since February is the month of Self Love for my Happiness Project, here is a great article about how to love yourself. It comes from Positively Present. 

The tip that really stands out for me is the idea of changing your mindset. I definitely get down on myself way too often. I would really like to feel good about my accomplishments. One of the reasons I think I do this is because I am afraid of being perceived as snobby or being seen as a girl who thinks she is way better than she actually is. There are all these messages from school, religion, entertainment, and friends that say that we ought to be humble. But I think that being "humble" does not really get people anywhere. By constantly putting ourselves down for the sake of being seen as a good person just prevents us from appreciating who we are and what we can do. I find myself sometimes pushing away compliments. I try to enjoy the compliment and simply say Thank You, but often I will say, "Oh, but I could have done this better," or "Oh, I was just really lucky," or "Oh, I don't really think so."  

Do you find yourself doing this? Don't you think it's time that we start acknowledging that we are all amazing people? We all have strengths, and yes, we all have weaknesses, but that's what makes life fun and interesting. Who would want to live in a world that's perfect? Who would want to watch a movie where the main character is perfect and already has everything he or she wants? 

My goal for this month is to give myself permission to feel great about myself. After all, when you feel good about yourself, you're more able to make others feel good as well. And you know what that means... more good feelings abound. 

Hope you all have a great day, and remember, you're awesome :) 

You Are Invited to Gilt Groupe

So there's this amazing Sample Sale site called Gilt Groupe. It's invite only and they have amazing sales. It was started by two women who went to my high school! 


Here's your invite. Oh and the other thing that's fantastic about it, is that registration is absolutely free. 


Hope things are well, and Happy Shopping!


Sign up for Gilt Groupe! 

A Friday In

Tonight I'm sitting in a cafe at one of the dorms at school. The cafe does not, in fact, look like this, but I'm really loving this picture I found on WeHeartIt.

Also, I'm trying out a new layout. What do you think? I don't really know much about html or anything, so this is just one of those free ones that I found online, but I think it's pretty cute. Let me know if the text is too hard to read or anything.

I'm a bit tired, so I think I should limit my post to a few lists.

What I'm Loving Right Now

• 5 for $25 underwear deals at Victoria's Secret
• Spanish Lattes at Espresso Royale Caffe (ERC) - they have just the right amount of sweetness in them with sweetened, condense milk
• Sleep - I love sleep. Sleep is my friend and should probably be yours too. :) Hopefully I will listen to this and go to bed by midnight. 
• Honey Nut Cheerios - One of my favorite cereals! And I have nearly an entire box of it waiting for me in my dorm!
• My sorority - I had a great day with them and today we welcomed 5 new girls into our new pledge class. I think altogether we now have about 27 girls. Yay us!
• A Fine Frenzy - I know I've posted about her before, but I adore her. Listen to her music, she's fantastic!
• Headbands - I want one so badly! I'm now officially on a headband hunt. I will find the ultimate headband. Wish me luck

5 Things to Appreciate (I was going to write 10, but I'm getting tired and want to go to bed lol)

1. Finding a pair of matching socks - for me, this always seems to be somewhat of an everyday miracle.
2. Sunrises - I love the moments when night turns to day. It reminds me that the world still goes on and somehow makes me feel like I have less I need to worry about. 
3. Comments on my blog - I read all your comments and they make me feel very happy. They're so encouraging to me, especially since I just recently started actively blogging. 
4. When someone holds the door open for you - It's a nice gesture, and one that I feel deserves appreciation. 
5. Laughter - because, really, what would the world be like if laughter did not exist? 

Lots of love, 

Catie 

Simplicity

Today I read an interesting post on Unclutterer called "Setting Limits with a Super Simple Month." While the goal is admirable, I am not sure whether I would want to limit the times that I go out. Living in Boston and going to school in a college town, I would feel like I am missing out on too much. However, I do recognize that it is important to have some time to yourself. Also, buying only necessities is definitely a thing I need to be working on, since living expenses seem to be eating me up alive. Why does my contact lens solution cost about $10 for the little bottle that runs out in 2 weeks? Why are sandwiches $7.50? When did the world become so expensive?

Anyway, the post did get me thinking about ways that I would enjoy making my life a little simpler. This month, February, is the Month of Love for my Happiness Project. One of the ways that I should act in a loving way to myself is by having some time for myself away from the craziness that is the life of a college student in a city.

Here are some ideas to give myself more time:

• Turning off my electronics an hour before bedtime
• Organizing what I need for the day the night before (No more running around going crazy trying to find everything) 
• Spending less time on my schedule (I tend to overschedule, which I'm beginning to see is a way of procrastinating) 
• Waking up earlier. (My ultimate goal is to be able to wake up and have energy at 7:00 a.m. My current wake up time ... 7:45 or 8:00.)

Here's what I would want to do with that free time

• Paint my nails a gorgeous, cheery color
• Make collages from my old magazines
• Meditate
• Do the Laundry (Having dirty clothes around makes me feel like my life's gotten too crazy to handle even the simple things.)
• Settle down with a good book.