Graduation Day

I finished my master's degree & graduated this past weekend. It was a lovely weekend & I was very blessed to have a few members of my family in town to celebrate.  I am so grateful for their support during the past two years.  

Here are a few snapshots from the weekend.  We were lucky to have incredible seats for the large ceremony on the National Mall.

Our commencement speaker was Brian Williams from NBC.  He charged us to "take us [the country] somewhere."

My family gifted my with this beautiful bracelet. It has amethyst stones. I absolutely love it and know that I will enjoy wearing it each day.

I have lots of things i'd like to do now that I have "free time" again.  More goals & info on that is coming soon... but in the meantime, I am excited about a long-overdue vacation and a chance to catch up on my sleep!

Things I'm Lovin These Days

Yall already know about my obsession with Tervis tumblers.  I am truly obsessed.  Now they have handles for the 24 ounce size tumbler. Uhm, I need these pronto.

I have a birthday coming up in September.  Just sayin...

My pals and I have taken to a weekly Sunday Funday.  My productivity basically goes into the negative realm, but it is tons of fun. And in this heat that we've been experiencing in DC, there is nothing to do but retreat to someone's rooftop pool. (In this case, we retreat to mine.)  Now, I know that it is hot EVERYWHERE right now, but heat goes to a whole nother level in DC when it is just as humid as Louisiana (no, really...) and you walk or take public transit everywhere you go.  Seriously. You sweat in places you didn't even know you had. 

To beat the heat, we've been taking to a pool party on Sunday afternoon. This weekend we even grilled out and ate dinner outside. Everybody brought something to share and it  was so fun! I made this strawberry cake from Martha Stewart.  This pic is of it uncooked.  It was deeee-lish.  I added some chocolate chips to the batter- they really balance out the cake well. It got rave reviews and is super simple to make.

I've also been making this blueberry-lemon iced tea recipe each week. It is popular and goes fast!  Its nice and refreshing for the hot weather.

Speaking of Sunday Funday, we were talking about the Duke and Duchess during dinner and someone in the group said, "Does he [William] work?" and everyone in the group looked straight at me for the answer. LOVE IT.  Why yes, I am the resident expert on the British Royals and celebrity babies born circa 2006.  Please direct all questions on either topic to me.

By the way, thanks to everyone who offered good work shoe suggestions! With my first paycheck I plan to place some online orders to check those babies out.

I am now taking suggestions for great lunch items to carry to lunch.  Eating out is tough on the wallet and the waistline, so any suggestions are welcome! My go-to these days is a salad.  I'm just out of the PB&J phase of life and to be honest, I don't like sandwiches anymore if they aren't toasted.  Add to list of things that are weird about Katelyn.

I am also really loving my Land's End Tote these days. It is perfect for throwing in everything I need for work and class for the day and sturdy! And virtually indestructible. Mine was a graduation gift from high school (that's right, high school) in 2006. (Gosh that's getting to be farther and farther away, isn't it?)  It is monogrammed. Duh.

Mine is the size of the one on the second row on the left.  The handles are the perfect size to go over the shoulder. Mine is also one of my favorite colors, yellow. Its great!

This past week I finished The Great Gatsby.  Can you believe it was never assigned reading for me in school? Anyway I read it and loved it.  I have a copy of Tender Is the Night at home in Tennessee and I'm going to grab it to read the next time I go home.  Did you know they are doing a remake of the movie to go out in 2012? Leonardo Dicaprio is starring as Gatsby.  Hello, perfection!

How fun is this map? Are you on pinterest? If you are find & follow me so I can follow you!!! 

Here's another thing I recently pinned.  Uhm these are exactly my type of jewelry.  Maybe I should rethink my position on marriage in the next 5 years... Just kidding. Maybe...

If you just had to decide, which is your favorite?  Mine is the one on the very bottom row on the left.  Perfection to the Nth degree!!!

Okay, ladies. That's enough randomness for now.  I have no blog topic for tomorrow- hopefully some inspiration will find me.  Have inspiration for me? Leave it in the comments.

What I'm Loving Right Now

I just want to begin this post by saying that I hope I do not lead my readers to think that I am a product-obsessed person. I love "things" as much as the next girl, but after a while, I do get tired of bloggers (and tweeters) who are constantly discussing "things."  I like to shop (mostly online these days) but I also like lots of other things in life.  And I really limit what I actually purchase, especially these days.  I have a budget just like everyone else. If you ever think I'm writing too much about stuff, you have my permission to leave a comment and let me know! 

That said, some things are just too cute not to blog about, so here are some things I'm loving right now.

I adore these cards. Kate Spade is one of the best in the business at coming up with clever stationery. She had some holiday cards this past year that I just died over. I hope she brings them back this year (and I hope my budget is roomy enough)! 

I am slightly flipping out over these dinner plates from Anthropologie. I was very generously gifted with 4 of the dessert plates for Christmas last year. I absolutely am enamored with the dinner plates.  The cups and saucers aren't bad either. I am thinking these might appear on my birthday list. It's in September but who's counting?

Speaking of Anthro, I am still loving the raw gem trend that's happening right now. These earrings are darling. At nearly $100, they are definitely out of my costume jewelry budget, though. But they sure are pretty to look at.

My friend Kathryn recommended this book to me. It's one that I'd seen in the store several times, but just never purchased because I thought it might be a flop (and I think Paris-lit is easily overdone in the wrong way). But since she recommended it, I decided to give it a try. It is so good that I am purposefully making myself read it slowly so I do not fly through it as I tend to do. It is great so far. And the main character has one of my favorite names of all time.

I'm also loving several songs right now (country music haters, beware), including:

Mean

Taylor Swift

I've been pretty adamantly anti-Swift but I just love this song. Summer guilty pleasure?

Knee Deep 

Zac Brown Band 

(borderline obsession has been happening with this one since my last beach trip in November)

You Lie

The Band Perry

"That ain't my perfume...."

What are you loving right now, dear readers?

The Royal Wedding

Hello, dear readers! Did you miss me? I apologize for the absence, but I've just been experiencing a combination of not having time to blog and not having much to blog about the past few days.  I want to catch up by starting with my thoughts on the Royal Wedding!  

I know, I know. It probably seems like old news by now.  And I mean, some pretty important things have happened in the last four days, to be fair.  I know you might not even want to read about the Royal Wedding anymore, but I kind of want to blog about it just for posterity, if nothing else.  So here goes.

First of all. The dress.  

I'm referring to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge's ceremony dress.  It was incredibly beautiful.  I've always loved Princess Grace's dress, so Catherine's dress was just a perfect, slightly updated version.  I have to say, though, that if someone had asked me to say what she would wear the day before the wedding, I would have said something very similar to what she actually wore. So in some way, I was surprised that I wasn't surprised about her dress.  Make sense? Probably not. But it does to me. 

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Also... can I just point out that sapphires are my favorite gemstone (also my birthstone).  Catherine's engagement ring is a sapphire.  Also, the name "Catherine" will be incorporated to my first daughter's name someday (assuming I have one).  It was my grandmother's name and the inspiration for my name ("Katelyn" is a form of "Catherine") and I have always intended to pass it on to a child.  Anyway... incredibly random but just some little tidbits about me. 

Moving on to other parts of the wedding.  I really liked how Catherine kept all the details of her ensemble in such a small scale.  The tiara fit her petite waist frame beautifully and matched the small scale of her earrings.  (And honestly, is it possible for her waist to be any smaller? I think not.) Another thing that was beautiful in scale was her bouquet.  I want to go on record now as predicting that bridal bouquets in the next couple of years may get smaller à la Catherine. In fact the only thing that was large in scale on Catherine was her ring.  The world as it should be. 

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Catherine's second dress was also really beautiful.  And can we talk about that hair? Actually, I don't want to talk about it.  Sometimes life just ain't fair.

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But really, let's move on to the real star of the day... sort of. 

You know who I'm talking about, right?

P-I-P-P-A.

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Um, all I have to say is good grief.  As if the Middletons didn't produce one daughter that was already basically flawless, they had TWO!  Those girls are both so thin! I mean, SO THIN.  I mean, can you see my jealousy through your computer screen? Would you please look at her in the above photo? Her body is completely flawless in that dress! And as if you needed more proof, my friend Neri texted me Friday to say that the announcers on ESPN (of all stations) could not stop talking about Pippa.  "Well," I told her, "that's probably because she was a KNOCKOUT in that dress."  Good Lord. To think the camera adds ten pounds.  My brain is literally shutting down. 

And now, I want to end by passing on a little gem to those folks who haven't seen it yet.  I'm pretty captivated by Kate Middleton, so please know that I am recommending the follow site for its snarky humor, but it is with love that I do so, alright? Alright.

If you have not visited this tumblr site yet, you need to.  It should keep you laughing for at least a good 20 minutes.  Here are some of my favorite "Kate Middleton for the Win"s.  And please don't miss the little tidbit in small print under the photo. 

 

I actually left out a few of my favorites- but you should definitely visit the site and see them all for yourself! 

Tomorrow, I may or may not recap some of the other wedding fashions.  Until then, dears! 

Happy Spring!

In case you weren't aware, yesterday was the first day of spring. 

I have a few suggestions for what you can do to get yourself in the mood for spring- in case the warmer and beautiful weather isn't doing it for you.

1. Bake this carrot cake.

2. Take a stroll or bike ride around your neighborhood or a local park.

Bringing your pet is encouraged!

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3. If you are in the DC area, plan a trip to see the cherry blossoms at the tidal basin!

This is on my list of things to do soon.

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4. Head to your local farmer's market and stock up on fresh in-season fruits and vegetables.

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According to fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org, some of my favorites such as asparagus, pineapple, strawberries, butter lettuce, spinach, and oranges are all in season during spring.

5. Get in gear for spring cleaning. Or at least organize something that's been bothering you lately.

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I cleaned and reorganized a couple of my kitchen drawers last week and I feel so much better about it. Now everything is where I think it is and it's all clean and fresh!


6. Buy yourself something new that says "spring" to you!

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I love this ring that I found on etsy. It's adjustable, so it should fit most ring sizes, and it is a bargain at $18. Plus the fact that its an etsy find guarantees that nobody in your classes or at work will have anything like it! 

What ideas do you have to get ready for the new season? 

Frugal Finds Friday: Tassel Earrings

Tassel earrings are all over the place right now.  I have been noticing them on so many different sites, so there are many options out there if you want to get the look for less.  I thought these two pairs were pretty good matches, although the Ann Taylor earrings are definitely not as fancy as the KS version.

Kate Spade Crystal Cascade Lever-Back Earrings

$101, marked down from $145
UPDATE: I just noticed that these are now down to $72!

Ann Taylor Tassel Earrings

$38

Tradition Transformed & Blogger Consumption

So, Monday night I saw this photo on people.com.

Now, yall already know that I love Talbots.  I re-discovered Talbots last summer before my internship and found some great, classic pieces.  This was around the beginning of their re-branding, I think.  The creative director describes the new Talbots as "Tradition Transformed."  Indeed. 

Did yall also know that I love Julianne Moore?  I've always wanted hair her color. [Debra Messing à la Will & Grace is my ultimate dream hair.]  And i've always admired her style.  So it is especially exciting for me to see her in this campaign for Talbots.  Can't wait to see more images.

If you want to see more, click here and scroll down to the video at the bottom of the page.

In other news... has anyone else noticed that this ole blogging world can sometimes cause a girl to go a little crazy? I mean if you are like me and read lots of fashion/ home style blogs, you see great items to buy all. the. time.  At least, I do.  And the fact that I get paid weekly by my job doesn't help matters.  I mean it does help- but it enables! I always think the next paycheck is just around the corner. Which I LOVE- a little too much. Anywho, that is another post for another day.


I mean, it was on a blog that I first really took notice of Kendra Scott (and now I have two pairs of earrings- bought on sale!).  The blogging world first introduced me to gilt.com, One Kings Lane & Rue La La.  (Okay, so I've only made one purchase from any of these sites- and it was a pair of Kendra Scott earrings, so maybe I do have some self-control. Right? Right???)  


And, now, my friends. the blogging/ twitter world has done me wrong again.  But in such a gooooddd way. 


I read Nina's blog and follow her on twitter.  Today on her twitter she posted a link to another blog, Summer is a Verb, and her fabulous post about these:

Source: Summer is a Verb blog

Meet the Audrey Enamel bracelet by Rachel Leigh

Aren't they b-e-a-u-tiful??? You must read the post on Summer is a Verb about these.  I felt the same way she did about them.  I must have one! 

Here's another view:

Source: kaboodle.com via google images

Yeah, I think we have a problem. 

Current Preoccupations

Things tend to spiral out of control when one spends too much time on one's computer... online window shopping.

Glittering Arc Barrette from Anthropologie, $18

I love this barrette from anthro. I'm very tempted to buy it for a Mardi Gras Ball I'm going to soon.

Cheers Necklace from Kate Spade, $75

This necklace from Kate Spade is darling. There. I said it.

Citrine & Amethyst Earrings by Bounkit, $365

The picture you will find if you click the link is a little different.  These earrings are not even remotely near my budget, but I really love them.  They are nice to look at, at least.

And speaking of online shopping browsing, I sometimes browse while watching these ladies:

What do yall think about the season?  Adrienne is definitely high on my list of all-time favorite housewives in terms of being an actual human being I would want to adopt me know in real life.  In terms of being entertaining, I really liked Kyle all season, but recently I'm not so sure.  I do love Lisa, though. She tells it like it is, but with a sense of humor.  And she's not afraid to find humor in herself, too. 

In a preview clip I saw of tonight's show, Andy Cohen tells Taylor point-blank that she was responsible for starting the Kim-Kyle limo showdown.  I'm looking forward to hearing her response to that claim. I tried to give her a fair chance at first, but I have to admit that she is not my favorite- she always starts things and then acts oh-so-innocent & tries to be "above" it all.  It will be interesting to see what excuse she comes up with this time.

Fellow devotees- don't forget to tune in to part two of the Reunion tonight (Tuesday) on Bravo!  And if you aren't a devotee, please don't judge me. Okay... you can judge me a little- but it won't change my adoration for these ladies. 

Familiar

I was shopping on urbanoutfitters.com last night (I know, what an exciting life I lead) and I started to notice that a few things looked really familiar.

Remember this post that I did on beautiful Kendra Scott Jewelry?  Well I have been visiting her site a lot contemplating buying a pair of earrings, so I have become relatively familiar with her collection.

So, I started to notice that I was seeing some familiar things from Urban.  I'm just going to post the pictures.  You can draw your own conclusions.

Urban Outfitters, $20

Kendra Scott, $70

Urban Outfitters, $16

Kendra Scott, $50

Urban Outfitters, on sale for $9.99

Kendra Scott, $75

Urban Outfitters, on sale for $19.99

Kendra Scott, $100

There's no doubt that the Kendra Scott jewelry is more beautiful and one would assume that for the price, the craftsmanship is on an entirely different level.  But if you are after the look and on a tight budget, you can definitely get very close with the knockoffs from Urban.  Hmmm... 

Happy Saturday everyone! And happy homecoming to my fellow alumni & sorority sisters in Louisiana! 

Beautiful Baubles

I was perusing another blog today, and I stumbled upon jewelry made by Kendra Scott.  Oh. My. Word. Yall.  It's like what i've been searching for.

I've been really bored with my costume jewelry lately.  I have a few pieces of very nice jewelry that have been given to me over my lifetime for all sorts of special occassions, but I also love to mix things up with trendier costume jewelry every now and again.  I'm totally LOVING all of these pieces.

Tavi Stud Earrings in Emerald Green

 I love the emerald green color!

Novia Beaded Stud Earring in Champagne

These are SO me. Like, beyond...

Carly Botanical Stud Earring in Violet Purple

These beauties are even purple and gold! [Some observations are so hard-wired in my personality that I just cannot escape them.]

Linden Earring in Chalcedony

These would be beautiful with the right dress- maybe for a holiday party? 

Happy Wednesday!