Creole Wisdom

so happy together

I love being home... really it's just the thing I need! I had no idea how hard I worked at school until I stopped and took a break, and all I can say is "whew!"

Alyx, my close friend from high school (who now is going to USC) came over two days ago. We continued our tradition of watching dvds (first seasons of Desperate Houwsives this time) and making a snack and just talking- kicking back and having girl time, just catching up! Alyx introduced me to Matt, they both grew up in the same church and so because of that we all have a bunch of mutual friends : )

Later that night Dad's friend Stuart and his wife Katy and daughter Fern came over for dinner. Matt came over too, it's so fun to watch him interact with kids. We played three rounds of hide and seek with Fern, which was pretty fun. Since I've come home I think dad is doing a lot better, he's not as much as a "shut-in." That's not to say I'm Miss. "Social Butterfly," but I think parents get kind of bored when us kids go away...

Matt took me to the mall (Washington Square) I had to go get my ring fitted (it was one size too big). The clerk remembered Matt from when he came in and she wanted to know how I liked my ring... I gladly told her how much I love it : ) Here's another pic (at request from my bud Katherine)

Matt is so nice, he let's me wander around the Halmark store and look at every stupid nick nack and then smell EVERY Yankee Candle and pick 4 little ones that were on sale. He took me to the Sweet Factory and we bought a bunch of candy: white chocolate haystack, massive peanut butter cup, sour patch kids... Boy does that stuff add up!

Later that night Matt and I were roughhousing as usual and Matt's mom said that she thinks since I'm an only child and that Matt's brother is much older than he is (27) that we are sort of each other's siblings. Matt didn't like that she said that, but in some respects I think we are each other's best friends. That's for sure.

: )

My Wish Come True!

I am so lucky to have Matt, really I am. I just cannot imagine life without him. Never in a million years would I of guessed we'd get so serious. In the beginning he was just a "boyfriend" now he's something more, much more. He's the man I'm going to spend the rest of my life with, and I just writing those words makes me realize how very serious we are. It's strange because I'm not a very serious person. Matt and I don't spend our time talking about the deep depths of our relationship, we love each other and that just seems to be all we need.

Well I was so excited to get my promise ring. Matt picked me up from the airport and when he saw me walking around baggage claim he ran towards me (so cute). He handed me this big box from Nordstroms... I'm thinking: what is this? Well I opened it up and here's what I saw:

I almost cried, is that not so precious. You just *know* he spent time on that and who's to say all so scrapbooks I showed him and magazines I read didn't rub off when he was planning this out!

Matt opened the box because I was just too nervous and overal excited. Inside was the most beautiful ring with three diamonds. I couldn't of been happier, I just kept saying how beautiful I thought it was.

He's just the best. I'm so in love.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all!  I thought I'd just drop by and write a quick update on my holiday festivities:

On December 15th I left New York for Minnesota.  Almost everyone was getting ready to leave and it was pretty hectic, but fun.  I missed the chance to say good-bye to Arlene, but I didn't miss the plane (mom kept telling me all the week before "don't you miss you plane Katie!")

For the first few days mom and I were pretty busy- running around town shopping for last minute Christmas gifts.  I got some great things for dad, Matt, and the rest of my family and friends. 

Mom also came up with the great idea of creating cookie boxes for our family and friends.  We spend so much time baking, here's the final tally of cookies we made: gingerbread cut-outs, rich roll cookies (white cut-outs), fruit slices (refridgerator cookies), cinnamon swirls (another refridgerator cookie), holiday spritz (my favorite, dang is that cookie punch hard to use!), springerle (traditional German cookie), and pizelles (traditional Italian cookie).  Can you believe it?  Neither can I- I was egausted after baking that much!

Christmas eve we went to church, mom and Loren (my step-dad) both sing in the choir so it was a nice chance to see them preform, they did a beautiful job!  Later that night we went over to Loren's relative's home and exchanged gifts. 

Christmas day was pretty relaxing.  We ended up opening gifts the night before so we chould have a calm morning the next day.  With church and another gift exchange at Loren's cousin's house it can get pretty hectic!  I got some great things, many of which were on my amazon wish list!  This is a *must* for anyone- really I'm so glad I set that up! 

Since I was leaving on the 27th (my actual birthda) my mom and step-dad decided to celebrate on the 26th.  My mom and I went out to this great botique in town called Local Motion and I picked out two beautiful shirts.  We also had lunch.  It was such a fun mother-daughter day where we could just have fun and bond : )

Later that afternoon they both took me to see "Dick and Jane," (I think I have that title right), overal I liked it, very funny movie if you like Jim Carey style comedy : ) For dinner we went out to Taste Of India (I just love Indian food) as usual mom and I were silly, just yuckin' it up- making my step-dad roll his eyes!

Today Abbie, my childhood friend took me out for breakfast.  It was so great to see her and touch base.  Outside from family she's the only friend I've known for this long- it's been almost 12 years!  Woah!  She loves school (UW at Madison) and cannot wait to get the chance to come out and visit me.  She got me some really funny birthday gifts including barbie themed candy, a romance novel, and a hello kitty card : )

This afternoon I'll have lunch with a bunch of my middle school buds then it's off to the airport to head home to Portland!  Matt's picking me up, and I'm so excited- not only to see him, but to get my special gift : )

I'll check in later!  Merry Christmas : )

Spring Fever...

Okay so it's snowed twice in the past week and a half and the temp is around 20 or so. It can be safe to say this it is cold, and we've hit that long, dark season of winter.

Most people during this time of year go outside and build snowmen, have snowball fights, drink hot chocolate or cider, play games, decorate the tree... I usually do these things, too. But in the absense of any school work (last paper is almost finished) I've been having some rather warm-weathered thoughts.

Like the beach. Mmmm a nice hot beach with blue water. Don't really care where it is, but I just want to be there- in the hot, hot sun. For as long as I can remember I've *loved* the beach and summer in general. Here is a list of beaches that I just love:

1) St. Tropez (French Riveria, enough said...)
2) Maui 4 Seasons
3) Pensacola Beach (wayyy out down around Navarre where you can swim in the ocean then walk across the street and swim in the gulf...)
5) Bridgehampton (the only "Hamptons" I've ever been to)

What inspired this sudden beach desire?

Well for a while Matt and I have been trying to plan a trip. This coming May we will have been dating for a year so we want to do something special. I've always wanted to go to San Fran because it just seems like a really fun time over there... Also Matt has a businessman cousin with a fat condo so we could stay there : ) And of course, it's warm there in May so...

Most people know that I love Lily Pulitzer. Remember my post on her back in July, http://creolewisdom.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/07/life_lily__the_.html yes well I really love her style. I've been looking to get a new dress (pref. on sale, this stuff asks a pretty penny and dad's not here to foot the bill anymore!) and I found this... not to mention the matching tie (I know, way to metro for Matt, but we managed to reach a compromise)

I just *love* her stuff... It really reminds me of my beloved Gymboree days (back in the early 90s that store REALLY had it going on when it came to kids' casual seperates). Those bright colors really work against dark hair and brown skin and they just are so very Palm Beach & Bridget Bardot. Did you know that Lily Pulitzer is from New York and moved down to Palm Beach? Her husband worked in the citris fruit business and she started a little juice stand. Everything was great except her clothes were just a mess by the end of the day, so a new outfit was designed and it had lots of bright colors on it... that's where Lily Pulitzer, the brand was born! How cool! You can read more about it on the site: http://www.lillypulitzer.com/

fun times!

Last night I had a great time!

Since this is final/huge paper time everyone's just been in a muck, but my friend Didi and I decided to get out and just go have some fun around town.

We went shopping for a bit in Bronxville, which is a really cute place to shop, but after a while it gets old because there isn't that much stuff...

We ended up spending an hour at Starbuck's sipping hot coccos and just talking. One thing I love about school is not really having that much of a time crunch. You can just sit and spend quality time with someone and just talk...

Since we were both free later in the night we decided to see a movie: Rent. Didi had seen it twice on Broadway, but I hadn't, so I was looking forward to seeing it in the theater.

We drove all around New Rochelle debating over going to the Regal at the Westchester Mall or going back home to the small Bronxville theater. After a bunch of traffic we just turned around, it wasn't worth it to sit on the Bronx River Parkway (I think I got that right) for an hour...

We swung by to pick up my suite mate and drove back to the village movie theater. Even though I'd never seen "Rent," you bet I knew all the songs.

Not very many people were there and so we just started belting out the songs along with the actors and actresses... ahhh another reason why I love NY. If had tried to do that in Portland they would of yelled at me hehe. I'll never forget the time I was at the Koin Theaters downtown and someone called Dad out for eating his popcorn too loudly. Geeze... get a life! When I told Didi this (she's a native westchesterian (is that even a word) she just couldn't believe it...).

Well December and Christmastime is gorgeous in NY- I just woke up to inches of beautiful, perfect snow and cancelled school : )

a writing sample : )

For the past week I've been working on two ten page papers, one five page one, and an annotated bibliography.

I think it would be only right to share some of what I've written- keep in mind this is VERY rough! But here's a sample from my child psychology essay:

"A Social Dilemma: The battle over stay at home versus working mothers

Working mother, the two words conjure up all types of preconceptions and ideas. For one we see the gilded beauty of the 1980s, strutting down a metropolitan avenue- briefcase on one arm, toddler in the other. The camera catches her flaxen hair brushed back by the wind, and her face holds an expression that seems to say, “I have it all. The perfect career and well-adjusted child.” Such romantic images have plagued the social psyches of women since the feminist era. We move two inches towards the other end of the spectrum and our view changes drastically. The confident, self-assured beauty is gone and instead we’re left with a woman who just manages to get by: working overtime for an unappreciative boss, poorly adjusted children with judgmental teachers, and an unhappy husband at home. Her hair is frazzled there are bags under her eyes, and she’s frantic- spreading herself too thin.

Fifty years ago women (who were generally of the married, middle class) would never have dreamed of mixing both a family and career, instead they chose. The options open to women in the work force at this time were very minute, and most likely a last resort for those who were suddenly faced with the need to earn. In addition attitudes were different. There was less emphases on the material, for instance to be a consumer was considered something negative. SUVs and “McMansions” in the suburbs were not seen as a necessity. People were realistic, hard work was encouraged, but the monster of have-it-all had not yet infected the majority of middle class American thought. Not to over romanticize the time, many of these women were not satisfied with their lives, instead they wanted more. The illusion of ‘having it all’ is not new to any generation, but for women it seemed to take hold especially during and after the feminist movement of the 1960s and 70s."

a winter wonderland...

This is what I woke up to this morning : )

I was asleep and all of a sudden my roomate Steph (who is from the Phillipines) goes, "Katie! Katie! Wake up!" I sat up in bed, all worried that something bad had happened... Instead I was surprised- it had snowed!

new stash!

Back in Portland I got to go and shop at Art House, my old stomping ground- otherwise known as the best stocked scrapbook store in the area.

Of course I was overwhelmed once I got inside. In the past two years since I started scrapbooking I've been used to shopping there about every other Saturday afternoon. Thus, I always had the new stuff and a huge collection at home to work with.

Now at school things are a bit different. If I want something I have to order it online, and that's not as fun as going to a store. Hmmm maybe I should start the first scrapbook store in New York City!

So when Thanksgiving break came around I was sure to hit up Art House. Here's a lo of my friend baking : )

time for an update...

Okay so things are getting really crazy around here...

Only two weeks until I leave again for another break and so what does that exactly mean?

Tons and tons of work!

I've got three big papers, just finished a presentation of psych. class, and of course I have the usual class work, field work at the preschool, and babysitting obligations...

Did you say Christmas?

I cannot believe it's amlmost here!

I got out my little dorm decorations today and maybe this weekend I'll have a chance to put them up, maybe I'll be super ambitious and post a pic : )

For a while I was just not interested in the 2peas board. Somtimes I just get tired of something and take a little break, it isn't really something that is conscious, and I didn't realize until about today that in the past month I haven't posted as much as I usually do.

Of course today was the day to come back, because there was drama.

It's interesteing how things just seem to repeat themselves... *yawn* it's getting easy to spot.

Well on to a Matt update- I sent him a care package this afternoon. In it I put: a framed picture of us from Thanksgiving, Hall's vitamin C drops (he loves these), fake mistletoe to save for when I get home *wink*, and homemade cookies! I hope he likes it!

That's all for now~