White House Holiday Open House

Now that it is officially the end of January, I suppose it's time to post the pictures I have from visiting the White House over the Christmas holidays (!!!).  Yes, these are LONG overdue.  It's shameful, actually... but I wanted to record & share them anyway.  There's not too much to say about these pictures, but I hope you enjoy the beautiful decor of the People's House.

I love the whimisical colors of this tree, decorated with felt ornaments.

How incredible is this version of Bo, my all-time favorite first family pet?!

The centerpiece of the Christmas decor was the White House Christmas Tree in the Blue Room, which featured framed service and honor medals from the U.S. Military in tribute and thanks to our troops.

Special thanks to my dear friend Catherine for accompanying me on this open house tour and taking these photographs.

SAG Awards Fashion Recap

Alternate title for this post: I Don't Know Who the Hell That "Actress" is But Her Dress is Really Pretty
This awards season so far has been completely underwhelming in the fashion category, and the SAG Awards were no exception. I have to be honest and say that I didn't watch the pre-awards show nor the actual show, so I've made all these judgements (of the outfits) based on online photos. 
Now on to the people I recognized who looked great...

L to R: Judy Greer, Regina King, Stacy Keibler

I thought Judy Greer was fantastic in The Descendants and she looks beautiful here! And that purple on Regina King is stunning.

L to R: Jane Krakowski, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Diana Agron

I love the uniqueness of Jane Krakowski's dress, Jesse Tyler Ferguson looks so different and handsome and Diana Agron did right by the color pink. (If only Diana Agron would stand up straight!!) 

L to R: Emily Blunt, Julianna Margulies, Julie Bowen

I thought all three of these dresses were really pretty, but I do have to admit they are nothing I haven't seen before. But I would wear Julie Bowen's dress in a heartbeat!

And the people I've never seen/ heard of before but also looked great! 

L to R: Jayma Mays, Aimee Garcia, Naya Rivera

Of all these looks, Aimee Garcia's is my favorite- I just love that fabric.  I think I would wear Jayma Mays' dress before the others, though.  It's so pretty! 

L to R: Ariel Winter and Lauren Potter

Ariel Winter looks very sweet and age-appropriate in her dress.  And how beautiful is Lauren Potter's dress?? I think it looks great on her! 

Paula Deen and Personal Choices

Since announcing her diabetic diagnosis last week, Paula Deen has stirred up a great deal of press and public interest in her condition, her choice to conceal the condition for three years, and her choice to publically disclose the diagnosis whilst announcing a new sponsorship for a diabetes-control pharmaceutical drug.  Apparently, many people have strong opinions about this entire situation.  I first thought about writing a post to comment on this issue last week, but pushed the idea to the side.  Then, I saw this people.com article calling for public opinions on whether or not it's appropriate for Ms. Deen to be seen eating a hamburger in public.  And that's what motivated me to action and writing this post.

It was Ms. Deen's choice to disclose her diagnosis, and honestly, I wish she had kept it private, but it was her decision nonetheless. I understand some of the controversy surrounding her announcement, namely that she decided to announce it while also announcing that she would be endorsing a diabetes-control drug.  I can see the point that she is profiting off of her diagnosis at the same time that she profits off of her calorie, fat-laden recipes (which, in an extreme leap, can be connected forward to diabetes and the drug she is peddling to help control it.) I thought that this blog post from Cap Hill Style was well-written and it helped me see clarity in these arguments.

That said, I understand that diabetes is a very serious disease. Being overweight and therefore at higher risk for the disease, I would say I understand this better than most people. It can complicate any other health condition and lead to serious other conditions all on its own.  But in my opinion, the backlash against Ms. Deen for her choices has been absolutely outrageous.  The woman annouces a diagnosis with diabetes and suddenly, every hamburger she eats is a matter of national news.  It is absurd, frankly.  Diabetes is very serious.  So are alcoholism or drug addition.  Yet, we don't see national news headlines each time a celebrity with alcoholism takes a shot, or everytime a chronic smoker lights up. 

Many people deal with psychological illnesses, heart conditions, high blood pressure, chronic headaches, etc. but choose to take their medications inconsistently or avoid seeing doctors regularly, and this is their choice.  We may not agree with it.  It is not rational at all and in many cases, we cannot explain it, but it happens.  We each should make better choices for our own health, but for some reason, we choose not to sometimes.  And that's our choice, too.

In my opinion, people can criticize Paula Deen all they want for profiting off of her own health condition, but they cannot criticize her for not eating a salad every day for the rest of her life or choosing to eat what she wants. Do you eat a salad every day? Probably not. Me either. Ultimately, it is up to her to make good or poor decisions for her own health.

In diet, moderation is the name of the game. It is fine to enjoy a Paula Deen recipe, from time to time. Not every day or even every week. And as much as Ms. Deen may promote herself, she's not standing in consumers' kitchens forcing them to cook or eat her recipes, they are choosing that all on their own. We live in a world where we can make our own decisions, and we must be accountable to ourselves for those choices. 

Looking Ahead to Valentine's Day

I know it seems like Valentine's Day is far, far away, but in reality, it is just around the corner.  I typically don't get into Valentine's Day.  I have a few reasons. 1. I don't have a "valentine." 2. I hate red & pink together. 3. I do not care for the heart shape. Just not my thing. I'm very girly but i'm not a girly girl in that way.  I typically like to gloss right over Valentine's Day and skip to Mardi Gras (Mardi Gras > Valentine's Day in more ways than I can count), but this year I think it might be fun to plan something in non-celebration of Valentine's instead.


I think it would be super fun to have a Valentine's Day gathering with friends- single or not- either the weekend before or on Valentine's Day (a Tuesday this year).  I would theme everything in bright candy colors and include balloons, cocktails and sweets!  You could always asks guests to contribute to potluck dishes if you are on a budget. 


Here are some great ideas floating around on pinterest for Valentine's Day.  

Source: bakeat350.blogspot.com via Katelyn on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Katelyn on Pinterest

Source: craftster.org via Katelyn on Pinterest

Source: squidoo.com via Katelyn on Pinterest

Source: zakkalife.blogspot.com via Katelyn on Pinterest

Source: wanelo.com via Katelyn on Pinterest

Source: tammymitchellphotography.com via Katelyn on Pinterest

Live life to the fullest & enjoy any excuse to celebrate friendships that are dear to you! 

21 & Up

I think everyone should have a good flask.  If you think a flask might be a good addition to your party supplies, check out these chic and funny options.

 Fancy option from Jonathan Adler

 How cute is this for the preppy man in your life? (I know men don't love the word "cute" but I couldn't resist.)  From Smathers & Branson.

 This is the flask I have myself. It is so cute and well-made! The etsy seller also sells flask funnels- so perfect! 

How funny is this cheeky flask from Urban Outfitters? 

Finally, I love all products MikWright, especially this flask.  It says, "for the record, the only problem I have with alcohol is that i'm running low on vodka."  So perfect for me! 

Oh Hey

Oh hello everyone! It's been over a month since I last blogged.  Unacceptable, I know.  I'm trying to get the mojo back, so please be patient with me.  


By popular request, I'll be posting a recap of the Golden Globes 2012 fashion.  Okay, okay. So only one person requested it- but each of my constituents is very important to me, so you ask and I provide!  Let's get started.


Overall, I was completely underwhelmed with the fashion choices Sunday evening. I really only had one favorite.

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I thought Shailene Woodley looked really beautiful.  She looks age appropriate and her makeup is perfect.  The dress could have been tailored to sit a little higher on her chest, but it fits well overall.

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I also thought Claire Danes looked lovely.  This is the perfect combination of modern and glamorous. I don't love that hair color on her, but the style suits the gown very well.

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Lastly, I enjoyed Emma Stone's look.  I think she could have gone with a more delicate shoe and I could do without the eagle on the belt, but I really like this color combination and in my opinion, this is the best way to mix two colors that are so close to each other.


My least favorite options abound, but I'll just focus on two.

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Natalie Portman and Angelina Jolie committed the same crime in my opinion.  Call me crazy, but I hate the combination of pink and red together.  With the exception of Valentine's Day decor, I cannot think of a single time that I enjoy these colors.  I'm not much of a fan of pink and red to begin with so I'm admittedly completely biased in this case, but I think they look awful together!  By the way, is Angelina's dress pink? Or is it ivory? Either way, I don't like it.


Well, that's all I have for today!  Hopefully I'll be back in under a month (wink, wink)!