Top 10 of 2009!

It may be a little early for this post, but I don't know how much time I'll have within the next few days since I'm working a bunch! Here mine go:

Katie's Top 10 of 2009

In no particular order:

1.         Biggest Overall Moment of 2009: Going to college: In this year, I’ve managed to graduate high school, apply and choose a college, attend said college, and go through the up’s and down’s always associated with first semester. Plus, I can sit here and say that although the beginning may have been rough, I’m sticking around to be a proud Carolina Gamecock!

           Internet Moment of 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0. On many blog lists of the “Top ___ of 2009” people seem to always include a youtube video. This one takes the cake in my opinion. You know you’re doing something right when The Office copies your wedding.

3.          TV Moment of 2009: Debut of Glee: This show crushes my TV quota for the year. I don’t download TV shoes from iTunes ever, and yet, I found myself downloading “Sectionals” (the episode) in order that it might hold me over until next season. Sorry Degrassi, Glee is just too good—I’m sure my dad would never think I’d like a show more than Degrassi since it’s on literally 24/7 in my house if I’m home!

4.          School Moment of 2009: Becoming an Ambassador: At school I’m now one of the tour guides who work at the Visitor Center. It is a pretty big deal at USC and so I’m super proud. This organization has played a major role in my decision to stay at school.

5.          Most Type-A Moment of 2009: H4H trip: I singlehandedly organized and carried out a Habitat for Humanity trip to Cary, NC. I was so proud of the 20 other classmates that joined me on the trip. It has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done, and I would love to do one again. I can say on behalf of every member of the group that we had a great time and would go back in a heartbeat!

6.          Sports Moment of 2009: USC over Ole’ Miss: What a game it was! Ole’ Miss was ranked 4^th when USC played and beat them. It was the highest ranked team that USC ever beat. (Meeting Eric Norwood in person takes a close second place as far as best sports moments go in 2009)

7.          Personal Moment of 2009: Au Natural: I’ve taken my hair from bleach blonde “highlighted” to basically my natural color. And as my aunt Jeanne said, “Welcome back to the club”. It feels good, I must say!

8.          Occupational Moment of 2009: Working at the Naval Academy: This summer I worked at the Naval Academy during the first few days of Plebe Summer and I couldn’t be more thankful. Aside from working for Lilly, this has been the best job I ever had. Those new plebes were some of the most anxious, nervous, apprehensive, excited people I’ve ever met, and I cannot wait to go back next summer to be a friendly, smiling face to try to make them a little happier and their day a little brighter!

9.           Family Moment of 2009: Getting to know my sister: During the two years my sister and I overlapped in high school, we really got to know one another. I am so thankful that we did because I realize that it’s getting tougher and tougher now that I’m in college. The first night that I came home for Thanksgiving break she sat in my room for 2 hours and we talked about everything. I’m so proud of her and I’m so happy that she’s my sister. (My mom’s probably awww-ing right now, but I needed a family moment of 2009!)

10      Funniest Moment of 2009: The infamous Skype video: My roommate Kathleen was skypeing with a mutual friend of ours silently while I just happened to be dancing—just like nobody’s watching—to “Sexy B---h” thinking she would expect it. Well the joke was on me when I turned around to see the friend and his roommate watching. And laughing. A lot. Needless to say I turned PURPLE, and the friend and I never addressed it. (Kathleen, I hope you enjoy being included in this.)

         What were your top 2009 moments?! My 2009 was great, and I can't wait to see what the new year has to bring along with its arrival!

          xxKatie

The Legally Blonde Musical

OMIGOD! Well, I saw this little number a few weeks ago at the Hippodrome Theater with my mom, sister, and then me. We decided to go after my mom found out that it was heading our way and she got some "buy-your-tickets-before-everyone-else" email. Well, we loved it! What a seriously feel good musical. I'm part of a family of musical fanatics, my dad included. I've seen The Sound of Music, Into the Woods, Hairspray (x2), The Lion King, Wicked, and now Legally Blonde: The Musical. I think there might be one or two more that I can't think of. Anyway, was this show fun! It's pretty true to the movie, but also makes some diversions.

I loved this movie, obviously enough to dress up as Elle herself, and loved the play as well. I would tell anyone who can go see it that they definitely should! It was totally fun and I especially enjoyed the outfits. Among the musical numbers, our cast was chock full of members of the MTV show, Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods. Rhiannon, the youngest of the TV show members, was Elle's best friend and fellow Delta Nu, whose name I believe is Margo, but it could be the other one. Check out this song "Serious", one of my favorites (second only to "omigod you guys" but everyone knows that one...) where Warner tells Elle that he has to find a Jackie not a Marilyn, which everyone remembers is the scene in the movie at the restaurant in the beginning:

For any preppy girl, who enjoys a good musical now and again, this is most definitely for you! Happy Holidays, and Drive Safely!

P.S. The Debutante presentation is tomorrow, and I'm super excited. PLUS I GOT INTO FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY!!!! I AM SO HAPPY!

xxKatie

Huge Change

Wow! So, I've told everyone about my major hair woes...yikes! (Sorry if you hate reading about it, this will be my last one, I promise!!) I've had SO many different hair colors in the past 2 months alone, that I needed to take a break. I've been highlighting my hair since I turned 15. That's almost 4 years without a natural hair color...yikes again! I talked about my recent hair problems in this post. Well yesterday I went to my real hair stylist to see what we could to about my chameleon color hair. I told her that I wanted to go back to a shade close to my original color, and since she's been doing my hair since I've started caring about it truly, I knew she'd have good input, be able to take care of moi, and remember what the color was. She also does my mom's hair, my sister's hair and a few of the other women in town. She comes highly recommended around!

This has been my hair situation over the past few years, basically since my Junior year winter--that's how far my photos date back! (this is a very narcissistic post...sorry about that. I've had a few friends want to see photos but I'm not going to facebook them because I want it to be a surprise at a big high school alumni function on Monday night!!):

Junior Year-Winter (this is a Natalie Franke Senior Shoot photo): hair is dirty blonde from highlights with roots, short length

Senior Year-Winter: hair is very light, from highlights and very long (~growth 1 year)

Freshman Year of College-Summer before I left: hair is the lightest ever, with dark under layer, short again

Freshman Year-Fall: hair is browny-gold (after being fixed from orange. That color was so awful I refuse to post photos, although they do exist on good ol' FB), short still. The color got to this horrible auburny-goldy-orange color that got progressively worse every time I showered that I needed to do something ASAP. It didn't help that my dark dark dark roots were showing up fast. My hair and nails grow extremely fast.

Freshman Year-Winter: This is the current look (although not the nicest photo). Its 1/2 a shade darker than my original color so that it can fade and the colors will resemble one another. I got this done yesterday and I like it SO much! I wake up and forget that I have dark hair, but it's so much healthier and much more shiny! (Shout out to Audrey M., I hope you like it!)

I promise that this is the LAST hair post! To qualify it as preppy, I read The Updated Preppy Handbook the other day, and realized that I majorly broke the hair rule:

Hair

Preppy hair is, for the most part, left the way God and nature intended it. Blunt cuts of chin length, shoulder length and mid-back length are acceptable. Ponytails and headbands are the most common variations from the unadorned, side-parted look. The luckiest Preps (many of them) are born with thick, straight, shiny hair in a blonde or dark brown shade. Preps that are curly, frizzy, or limp in texture usually favor ponytails. Preppy hair should not be colored (before age forty, that is).

...oops.

Can't wait for the holidays to kick up a notch in the next week! Almost 1 week until Christmas!! Merry Holidays! Tonight was the "11th Hour" shopping for the store!

xxKatie

P.S.: I was explaining this little blogging community to a fab new co-worker today and I realized how much I like it, so thank you fellow preppy bloggers!

Faux Pas

Whether its a faux pas or just something I don't understand, I'm struggling with this concept:

I took the liberty of blurring out this celebrity's face. Her name might sound like Anna Alabama or something like that. Anyway, I really don't understand Ugg boots and Booty shorts. Clearly if the weather is applicable to one of the items, it is clearly not to the other. If its cold enough to be wearing Uggs, then its not warm enough to be wearing short shorts. This is yet another college look that people seem to enjoy. I could-maybe-potentially-begin to understand the combo (maybe...) if it was inclement weather and you had no other possible options, but not today. I mean even when the weather isn't nice, I still wear my junky Jack Rogers because I know nothing will happen to them except they'll be a little slippery (and I don't have rain boots here!) but they'll dry fine, retain their shape and not be discolored--like say, sneakers might be. Anyway, this is ALL over campus today! I don't understand!!

xxKatie

PS. I'm about to POP I want to go home so much! YAY!

College Attire

Again, with all the college information, I'm sure you guys have had enough of it! Today I wore this: 

October 29 by letsbepreppy featuring Citizens of Humanity jeans

It is seriously the perfect weather here right now. I had on my pink Lilly Madge fleece and black JR's, and was so comfy! This is by no means the usual for me because I'm typically in a polo and/or a sweater for class, but I woke up 10 minutes before class started! Yikes! Thankfully I can walk about 10 steps out of my dorm and get right into the building where my 8am English class is. 


Recently I've been thinking (again) about how sloppily college kids dress. I looked online to see if I could find college rules for dressing, but nothing came up with that title. I came upon the FABULOUS website EtiquetteGrrls.com (they have no idea I'm posting this as I type it now) and it gave me exactly what I was looking for! Under their "features" section there is a feature named At College. They put the rules for dressing for class very well: 

While the Etiquette Grrls realize that for many young people, college represents Sudden Freedom from the constraints of Prep School Dress Codes, we were entirely shocked to find that so many of Our Peers took this as license to wear nasty sweatpants and ripped t-shirts to class! Dear Reader, college classes, whether they be seminars or lectures, are Public Events, and you should dress presentably! While a skirt or dress is not required for girls, nor a coat and tie for boys, you should always wear neat, clean, attractive clothing.

I couldn't agree more! I feel like the very least thing that you can do is wear jeans. None of this "leggings" stuff, it looks like you're not wearing pants and your whole behind is RIGHT there! There is even a girl in my nursing class that doesn't wear shoes. If you want to be a nurse, how could you take ALL those risks by not wearing shoes at a college campus?? I think that there is no excuse for people who wear sweatpants to class. In my closet, my jeans sit right next to my sweatpants so there is no difference in the time it takes to put jeans on or find them, it is the least you can do fellow scholars!


I hope people out there agree and aren't just "tsk"-ing when you read this!


xxKatie

DORM-itude!

WE MOVED IN!!!!!

This is our fabulous room!! This is my desk, organized yesterday!
This is my closet...enough Lilly? I've organized it by color and then black sections and the color and black again!
This is the bathroom-ish view of our room. My bed's the pink one and Kathleen's bed is the blue! Above our window, the wall jets out and we have a HUGE "Carolina Gamecocks" banner hanging.
Our little sink. Each room has its own sink and we share a shower and toilet. The rug's from Target and Kathleen and I have a towel on each side of the sink. Hers are blue and mine are...pink.
This is my bed again! The board on my bed is from work and hangs on my closet door!

I'm a little pressed for time, but check back. Sorority stuff starts TONIGHT! Woo Hoo! Updates for sure!!

xxKatie

I love bloggers.

So I had a post all planned out and what I was going to write about, but I logged on today to see that I HAVE THE BEST FOLLOWERS EVER. Your comments on my last post about college made me SO happy. Everyone is offering support and you're all excited FOR me. You guys rock! I just had had had to say something. I promise I'll have a real post tomorrow.

xxKatie

Drumroll Please...

KATIE IS GOING TO COLLEGE!!!!!!!!!

I went to visit USC this weekend for a "Scholars Day" where all the students who got accepted to the University and were awarded scholarships went. Well, the decision is in. I'm going to be a:

University of South Carolina GAMECOCK!

I have decided, sent in deposits and everything! I am going to college! Everything just seemed right during this trip. Rooms, major, people, school, geography, E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. My mom even made reservations for move-in day AND parents weekend! WOO HOO! We literally landed an hour ago to get back home, so you guys are some of the first to even know about this! I AM SO HAPPY!!

xxKatie

Alright, how is this for weird?

So today I wanted to blog about what I wore to work last Sunday, so I search the name of the dress from Resort 2008. This is the result from my Google search: Look at the fifth site down from all the results (hopefully you can see it)..."Preps Rock It With Our Collars Popped"...I got my own blog as a result!! A.) I didn't think that blogger was available in google searches, but the other day I got a comment on a prom post about a fellow blogger finding my site looking for the Chellis dress (that I'm in love with), B.) I'm so excited!! I just think that is too cool! Plus I just signed up for "Google Analytics" which is a free service that gives you all kinds of updates about your website. My friend Audrey told me to sign up so I finally did after seeing all you really had to do was register your website and voila, too easy!

To continue about my work dress though, I wore my Jacqueline Ponte Knit dress from Resort last year. Every time I wear it I get more and more compliments. It is such a functional and appropriate dress that really does look good on everyone- snatch it up if you can find it (its very true to size). I paired it with a very lightweight cardigan from Target that is basically the same color green as the green stripe and I was perfectly dressed for the beautiful day downtown! We were even able to keep the door open and had some doggy visitors (one of my favorite co-workers Harriet is a HUGE dog fan so she lets all of them in and gives them a drink!) I wore my platinum Jacks for the entire 5 hour shift and survived! Prom here I come! We also sold a pair to a high school senior who was buying the Olie Printed Dress with Bows (yellow strapless, Lilly, very cute on her for graduation party/festivities!) and she agreed on their versatility and function. Yet another satisfied Platinum Jack Rogers owner! Woo hoo! It is so nice to finally have Lilly dress weather!!!

P.S. Thanks for checking in everyone! I can't believe I got 60 views in one day. As far as I can remember that's the most ever in a single day!! I'm working on following more people so I'd love to find you if I haven't already!! And and and I'm still looking for another survey-type post like my list of 25, so if you see anything fun, let me know!! They're fabulously fun posts to do!

P.S.S. I still have made no college progress. It will happen. 30 days until I have to send in a formal deposit and enroll. We shall see, my darlings!

xxKatie

Still Here...

Hey everyone! I can't believe how iffy I've been writing these days. It's finally starting to get nice around here!! Woo hoo! Prom is just about a month and a half away and spring is getting in gear. The boys are 6-2 and have a game tomorrow! They're still playing a little unstable-ly, but they're working on it. This is my prom dress: I am so excited to finally have it! I got it at a local Off 5th and it was $730 down to $217 and that's including tax! Seriously, though, this is THE LAST prom post until like a few days beforehand.

I'm trying to think about what I've been doing recently. Over the weekend I worked! Yay! Twice, I was scheduled to work Sunday and then was emergency scheduled for Saturday to have adequate cover for a sidewalk sale! Later Saturday night, my friend had her 18th birthday at Nano where I wore my own 18th birthday necklace. That color should remind you where it was from! I loved it and paired it with a simple black strapless dress from Old Navy of all places.

More on the college trail. (I accidentally typo-ed that as "trial" and really that's a more apt word) I've narrowed it down to Villanova University and University of South Carolina. I know, I know, they're very different and as my dad says, "you have only good choices". I'm getting a lot of pressure (not from my parents) but from other people, to go to both actually- like some people tell me Villanova and some people tell me USC. It has only been made more difficult with the good news from Villanova because I had really prepared myself to not get in, it was a stretch, you know the shotty college deal though. I got a huge scholarship to USC, to make it even harder. I can actually see myself at both colleges. I certainly have the wardrobe to match both! I'm getting pretty worn down by having to make this decision and as I learned in my A&P class, the teenage prefrontal cortex is totally not ready to handle a decision this large at its current state of maturity. (The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that deals with intuition, decision making, and personality, and is not fully mature until age 25. Look, you learn something new everyday!)

Also, I've taken a short break from my LP "Wink" perfume to go back to my Calvin Klein "One Summer". I've decided that if you don't own it, you must. It is fruity and summery and just makes you feel tan. Buy it!

To also kick into spring/summer, I'm not carrying my VV tote bag anymore. I way downsized to an orange (I know...orange...yikes) Herve Chapelier C701. Cute, functional, and I want to get it monogrammed.

I'm looking for another cute "game-ish" post to do, like the 25 list I did a few posts ago, so if you see anything shoot me a link or post it yourself and I'll have to copy!

I'm going to end this post with a quote for all my classmates who read my blog. It's from The Wonder Years, a show I've decided needs to start reairing episodes asap:

"That first week of high school, as I watched our class band together. I realized something about these strangers I'd just met. Strangers I hardly knew. Strangers who were just like me. We were all sharing the same feelings. The same fears, the same loneliness. We were just starting out, and there was only one direction to go. So we went - together."

So to all the Winnies, Kevins, Jacks, Waynes, and everyone else, here's to our last quarter as high school students. Let's make it the best one ever.

xxKatie

Spring Break!

Hi all!

I am terribly sorry for my massive lack of correspondence. As a young Michelle Tanner on Full House would say, "How rude!" Anyway, SO much has been going on, that I have to so this big huge let's-play-catch-up post. First and foremost, I've heard back from University of South Carolina and as the Gamecock on the back of my envelope, it said "YES!" On top of that, they're offering me a nursing merit scholarship, so USC is super attractive in my house these days. I'm still waiting to hear back from a few, but I should know and probably will have made my choice by the end of the month!

The next order of business is in the VERY near future. My mother booked our spring break trip this year for our entire family to go to Arizona. I don't know the entire agenda, but I know we're staying in Sedona and making our way to the Grand Canyon one of the days. If anyone has any tips on packing, please please please let me know. I don't really know what to bring for this kind of weather. This is a completely foreign destination for my family since we're usually beach people. Yay!

Also, that Habitat for Humanity trip that I very briefly blogged about, GOT ACCEPTED. 20 classmates, 4 chaperones and I are going on a Habitat Trip to North Carolina for our big, important, Independent Senior Project in May. I captained this project, so I'm SO proud of everything that I've accomplished. Everyone is pumped about going so its gonna be AWESOME!

Another thing, lacrosse is going well. The boys are 2-1, but they've only had scrimmages so far. They are happily enjoying the cupcakes, and the mom's ooh-ing and ahh-ing and "Did YOU do ALL these YOURSELF?" is kinda fun too.

Lastly, I am DYING to track down a Lilly Pulitzer Chellis dress for my prom dress. If you happen to see one in a 2 or a 4, TELL ME! I want it in "OK Coral" and if you can't remember what it looks like this is it:
I hope everyone has fun, warm, fabulous spring breaks whenever they may be! I'll try to be better about writing! I promise!!!

xxKatie

Plaid Shorts Boys vs. Hip-Hop Boys

So my mom and I were on a college trip to Fairfield Unviersity and Quinnipiac University. Both had beautiful campuses, spacious "Quads" and nice buildings. At Fairfield, we saw your typical Vera-Bradley-clutching-ribbon-wearing-let's-decorate-our-dorm-in-posters-and-pink-and-green girls. The boys were rather non-descript, t-shirts and knapsacks, sneakers and a "FU" sweatshirt (that's Fairfield University, of course!). When we arrived at Quinnipiac University, however, the kids were not exactly the same. At least, the kids that we saw, while we were driving around from the College of Liberal Arts (which we named "Oz" because it was hidden in a forest) to the Lenders' School of Business (yes, Lender the bagel tycoon). They just weren't the same as th FU kids.

These guys had hats turned to the side, slicked back hair, and gangster hoodies on. (My mother so called them "Hip-Hop kids" to my dismay. She doesn't really understand the gangster style, I guess) These Hip-Hop kids were spotted from a mile away. This temporarily changed our view of Quinnipiac. A college is nothing if you're alone. If I couldn't find kids who looked like me, what fun could college be. Well, we were wrong. So maybe the kids aren't your Vera Bradley girls, but they're not freaks. They wore basically the same things 75% of girls my age wear: a black NorthFace fleece, jeans, and UGGS (its like standard issue).

My mom then told me a story about one of her friends. She has 2 sons at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, and made a comment on all of the "Plaid Shorts Boys". Hey lady, What's wrong with plaid shorts boys?! I like THEM! She herself, has several sons who may not be full-blown Hip-Hop boys, but do have gold chains and white man-tank-tops. My mom and I agreed that these boys were usually very nice and we like the way they dress. This little anecdote reminds me of when my cousin Ryan came down from Long Island, NY to go to Georgetown. Now NEWSFLASH to some of you, but Georgetown has a reputation for being extrmely preppy. (Again, we like those boys!) During his first few days at this new school, he called home and told his mom how "all the boys wear plaid shorts! I need some plain shorts!" (Keep in mind its late August in Washington D.C. so that is prime plaid short wearing weather!) She shopped around, being the shopper she is, but came up empty handed. She frantically called my mother begging her to find Ryan some preppy shorts. Well, in Annapolis, plaid shorts are not tough to come by. She found 2 pairs in his size and he kept them (or he kept one and gave one to his roomate, I can't exactly remember). He became a plaid short boy.

Now, of course, I don't have anything against the Hip-Hop boys, but I do love my plaid short boys. If I ever get a Hip-Hop boy as a boyfriend, well he has another thing coming for him...I WILL convert him. But don't worry...yet. Since the Pink Crab has begun carrying a few men's items, well, I have to find a boy to wear them (my dad won't let me buy him that stuff because he "already has polos" and I try to convice him, he doesn't have THESE ones, but he won't budge).

So I ask you, bloggers: Hip-Hop boy or Plaid short boy? Choose Wisely.

xxKatie

Spring is on its Way!

So there are a few tell-tale (is that the phrase?) signs that spring is on its way: warmer weather, brighter colors, longer days, greener grass, April showers, you know the deal. Well, in every single county in Maryland, lacrosse season is beginning. And I love it! As I've mentioned before, I am NOT a lacrosse player. I used to be, until I hit high school when things got way too competitive for my likings. I manage the boy's team for my school, which is a blast. My sophomore year I "worked" for the JV team learning the ropes, stats, and other general information about boy's lacrosse. Then my junior year, I moved up to the varsity squad, with a year under my belt. This year, I'm still working for varsity and the tryouts started today!

The boys had their fitness test today, meaning that by the time they get home, if they are still standing, they're in good shape. I was talking to a few of the players today who were hesitantly talking about the 6 miles worth of sprints that they're going to do today, among all the push-ups, timed miles, and other various physical fitness activities. WOW, this is why I manage. The coaches are a really fun group of men that I've gotten to know really over the season. One is a famous JHU ex-player, another (who I've known for awhile) is an ex-UMD player who has had his sons play there, and the third is an ex-Wesleyan player. They all get along, demand a lot from their team, and do know what they're doing.

These boys are my biggest cupcake fans. I earned the name "cupcake queen" on my spirit week shirt, and I'm sure they were some of my biggest supporters for my winning the superlative "most likely to be the next Martha Stewart" in my yearbook! (Clearly, I couldn't be prouder!) They have about 2 or 3 games each week, and I bake 2 boxes of Funfetti cupcakes (yielding ~50) for their last game of each week! Their first scrimmage is just over 2 hours away from our school, and it's not even a game!! I can't believe sometimes how serious this game gets, but some of these boys have committed to college to play, which gives them total bragging rights!!

I can't wait for the season to officially start on the 28th (brrrr!) for the first game! It should be very (cold) fun! I will be sure to keep everyone updated on how the season progresses! Go Admirals!!

xxKatie