Fill in the Travel Blank

1. My favorite place I’ve ever traveled to is…I haven’t traveled that much, but I love going to this little town in Eastern Washington, Winthrop. It’s full of memories and just a quaint little place to relax and recharge, and it’s pretty beautiful there!

2. Paris…is somewhere I’d love to go someday.

3. I pass the time on a plane (or bus, or car ride or train) by…reading, trying to sleep, journaling, playing games on my iPod.

4. My three must-haves when I travel are…a good book, my iPod, and a blanket.

5. My favorite travel companion is…just someone I love.

6. The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling is…nothing really, most of my trips have gone according to plan, hopefully they’ll stay that way! :0)

7. The most exotic food I’ve ever tried while traveling is…well since I haven’t really traveled anywhere exotic, I guess I would have to say raw oysters! Not very exciting.

8. If I could live anywhere else, I’d live in…on the water, we are very close to the water – just a few minutes drive – but I’d love to have waterfront property!

9. I have been to…five…states in the U.S.

Thursday Latelies

Hope you’ve been having a wonderful week! Here are some things bringing me joy this week!

Honey Latte I’ve always been a mocha girl, but this has become my new favorite regular drink (instead of once and a while when I’m tired of chocolate). So if you want a new Starbucks treat, try an extra foamy latte with a packet of honey! Yum!

“The True Tale of Robin Hood” The play has come and gone and it was a success! Our first show on Tuesday night was good but a little rough, mostly due to adults having miscommunication backstage. But last nigt’s performance was awesome! The kids did so well, the dance was the best it’s been since the snow storm, and all of the adults were much more organized backstage! So proud of all of our student actors!

New Columbia Fleece While making a quick stop at Fred Meyer this week, I saw this hanging on the clearance rack with an additional 50% off sign above it. I’ve been looking at this jacket since September and was so excited to see they still had my size and it was such a deal! I’ve been loving cuddling in this cozy fleece all week!

Puppies I’ve been at my parents house all week because of the play and it’s been so fun to let may pup play with their chocolate lab. They are totally crazy together and hilarious to watch!

Family Like I said I’e been staying at my parents this week and it’s been wonderful to hang out with mom and dad, and just to know hat even though I don’t live here anymore I always have them to come home to.

Well, That Was Fast

So much for all the roommate bonding, there’s been some drama today.  Things are good with one of the roommates, but with the other things are in not such a great place. I don’t want to rehash all the happenings of today – essentially the center of the drama has to do with my dog and the fact that she isn’t necessarily the most well-behaved pup, and she may have escaped from her kennel this afternoon and chewed up something belonging to said roommate.

The roommate, who I am having conflict with, is it out-of-town for the weekend and will be back tomorrow at some point.  We’re going to talk about things, but last time we had a similar issues the talking didn’t go so well…

I seem to have struggles with roommates.  My roomie from freshmen and sophomore year of  college and I got along fabulously and still do, she’s one of my closest friends. But after that my luck with roommates has been less than stellar.  Junior year, I roomed with a girl who I thought was a friend and things turned ugly quickly, ending with me moving out early, continuing to pay rent for an apartment I no longer lived in for a few months, and then paying a hefty sum to break the lease. After that, I shared a suite with some interesting girls who were pretty nice just not the most friendly people. And then , when the sister and I attempted to go apartment hunting in Portland, it  became clear we would not be good roommates.

I thought I had this current living situation in the bag as far as roommates go, 2 girls who I genuinely like, we have similar interests, and overall things have gone well. (There have been some bumpy patches, don’t get me wrong, that’s part of the deal about living with people)

More and more I’m starting to feel like this isn’t where I want to be come next September.

Really trying not to worry about this current bump in the road, and just trust that things will work out like everyone (Mom, Dad, friends, roommate who’s not mad at me) has already told m…I just keep over-analyzing the situation and imagining the worst case scenario. It just plays over and over in my mind. I’m really trying to just pray about the situation and know that it will be okay.  It’s not the end of the world., it’s hard to do when you’re in the middle of it. And even as I type this, I’m thinking this whole things is just a silly little thing that will be forgotten in a few months time.  I will take responsibility for what the dog did, I have no problem doing that, I’m just sort of running out of solutions to solve the dilemmas that keep popping up with the dog. It feels like I can’t win, and that’s where the worry comes in.

However, I found this on Pinterest and it’s an excellent reminder about all the good worrying does…

So I’ll try to keep that in mind and leave the worry behind.

Sorry to be so melancholy over the last few days, praying for a change of heart, maybe not a change of heart, but to find some joy, and trust in God’s plan.  Right now I’m not sure where he’s leading me, but I will keep walking

Snow-eek!

I don’t ever remember having this many snow days in a row, but it’s been a full week without school.  Four snow days plus MLK Jr. Day on Monday.  There’s been a lot of roommate bonding time over the last four days which has been nice because lately I’ve been feeling a little lonely.  We made dinner together the last two night, and went for a little snow walk late last night.  We ventured down the snowy streets in our neighborhood looking for snowmen to take pictures with but we only found one.  We also went over to the local elementary school and played on the icy playground toys.

It’s been nice to have the time off but now we’ll have four added school days in June.  I’m looking forward to going back to school and hearing all about the snow from my sweet kindergarteners, this is their first experience with snow days, I bet they’ll have lots to tell me!

Yesterday, we ventured to the store to get out of the house for a while, a much-needed break from being trapped at the house due to the wintry road conditions. The roads are mostly clear today except for the side streets, and parking lots.  And they closed down the bridge from threat of falling ice. I was supposed to head home tonight for a Stella and Dot party and for play rehearsal tomorrow but I don’t know if that’s going to happen.

The dreary winter sky has kinda got me in a funk at the moment, so I’m hoping for sunny skies, or at least some more cheerful weather! I’m ready for spring, but I’m not ready to give up boots, tights, and scarves yet.

My puppy just jumped up on my bed, I think she’s subtly telling me she needs some attention. :O)

Thursday Latelies

Happy Snow Day number 3! So, it’s Thursday and since I happen to have the day off I can take part in Thursday Latelies with Bex. I don’t have a video, but I do have some photos to share via Instagram. I’ve been a little obsessed with this app this week.

Here are a few things bringing me joy this very snowy week!

Starbucks Christmas Espresso Roast – one of my all time favorite roasts! This is my last bag of he season and I have been savoring it every morning! Can’t wait for next Christmas!

Earth Therapeutics, Elixir of Dreams Pillow Mist – I picked this up at Fred Meyer about a week ago after my friend Natalie gave me the Bath and Body works Sleep aromatherapy body wash for Christmas. Both products are awesome, but I love the pillow mist, just a few spritzes on my pillow before bed time and it helps me relax, and drift off to sleep. I love the lavender scent!

Champion Snow Boots from Target – I had been wanting these Sorel boots since last winter, and then I found these at Target. So I bought some bright blue laces and I have my boots! They have been wonderful and warm in all the snow!

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? I just finished it this morning, and this is a hilarious book. It’s basically lots of little essays about Mindy’s views on an assortment of topics as well as how she found her way to The Office. If you’re looking for a easy, fun read I definitely recommend this!

Hope you’re having a wonderful Thursday! Hopefully, I’ll be back with another list of loves next week!

Snowmaggedon

The weatherman was right! Everything was covered with a fresh blanket of snow! We got around 8 or 9 inches. Guess they were right about that whole historic storm thing!

Luckily, the school district decided to cancel school last night (Tuesday) and there’s no school tomorrow either. I’m happy to have the days off, but with the play next week I’m a little concerned about our actors and actresses. It’ll be a fun performance, if not the most rehearsed.

It was another fun day in the snow – it actually stuck around this time! And it’s still a wintry wonderland outside. The day went a little something like this…

Snow Day Part II

Well, today was another snow day in the Pacific Northwest.  At first, it was just a 2 hour delay, and then the district decided to close school for the day.  A few hours after making that announcement, blue skies and sunshine were out for all to see. So it turned into a snow day minus the snow…there is still snow on the ground but the roads are clear and the school closure seems kind of silly now. But hey, I’m not one to say no to an extra day off!

I spent my day doing a little shopping (something I perhaps need to do a little less) but I had some great finds! I also play the Wii Fit, and chatting with my dearest friend on the phone.  It’s been a very good day!

Currently I am watching When Harry Met Sally. I absolutely love this movie, how they hate each other at first and then become friends and then fall in love…if you haven’t already figured it, out I’m a total hopeless romantic. And love watching a love story unfold, whether it’s real life or made up in the movies.  Little Women is next on the list, something I meant to watch over Christmas break and never got to.

The weatherman is calling for a huge winter storm tomorrow, but who knows if that will actually unfold the way they’re predicting.  According to weather.com it’s got “historic potential” - http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/more-snow-headed-for-northwest_2012-01-16 - what does that even mean? I personally would love another snow day, especially one where the snow actually sticks around for a while.

Snow Day

I love snow, and currently it’s floating down peacefully outside my window. I love the way it makes everything white and sparkly. Here are a few shots of my snow day…

Fill in the Blank Friday

1. The last thing I ate was…some Hershey’s hugs for dessert!

2. The last song I listened to was…”Rivers and Roads” by The Head and the Heart while working on costumes for the elementary school play.

3. Using the letters in my name I can spell…Katie: Kate, take, ate, eat, tie, it, at…

4. If I had to dress in one color for the rest of my life I would pick….this is tough, black I guess and I could accessorize with color right? :0)

5. If you were to look in my bag right now you’d find…thank goodness I’ve been using my small purse! Let’s see…wallet with very little cash, at least three different lip glosses, Chapstick, checkbook, pen, ribbon, coin purse.

6. When I finish filling in the blanks I’m going to…finish reading Bossypants by Tina Fey and then go to bed.

7. My all time favorite song to dance to is…there are too many! A few favorites are “Footloose,” “Yeah,” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

Must Watch

Okay, so I just watched a great documentary on Netflix! If you’re interested in fashion, photography, or sweet old men - so that sounds totally creepy - then you need to watch Bill Cunningham New York.

Ah loved it! And totally inspired to take more fashion risks, enjoy life, and do the things I love! Great movie!