30 April 2010

Cupcake Cannon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joy just sent this to me. SO AWESOME!!!!! I'm going to have to make it to Johnny Cupcakes' next suitcase tour!!

CUPCAKE CANNON!!!!!!

Love,
Katie

26 April 2010

I might be getting worried...

It has come to my attention that my love of cupcakes might be getting out of hand. Why? Because two, I said TWO people emailed me these photos from cupcakes take the cake today:





The photos are awesome!!! I love them, and I love Jenn and Kel for sending them to me, but have I gone too far?? What do you all think??

Love,
Katie

Me... a year ago...

I was looking through my notes on Facebook, and I found this! So here's 25 things about me as of Feb. 2009. Only a few things have changed... perhaps I'll use this as inspiration for more in-depth blog posts.


1) When I was younger, I desperately wanted to have a super power. One time I was able to guess the color of m&m's in my friend's hand correctly 7 times in a row. I was convinced that I had psychic abilities for the next year.

2) The only person I've ever been in love with was not my boyfriend.

3) I have cardigans, shirts, headbands, and earrings in every color of the rainbow (and almost all the colors of the rainbow in Chuck's), because I refuse to be mismatched at any point in time.

4) My driveway is 20 feet away from my front door back home, and I live in one of the safest cities in the US, but I still run from my car when I get home late at night.

5) I watched 3 seasons of Queer as Folk in a week. That is only one thing about my TV watching that is embarrassing.

6) One of the best nights of my life was in a gay bar in Marseille.

7) The Biggest Loser makes me cry. I once cried every hour at 10 to the hour because I was watching a Biggest Loser marathon. Why can't they just let the people stay and lose weight?

8) I have fallen off horses at least 18 times in my life. One of those times is caught on film as a succession of 5 shots. My trainers wanted to put it in our barn calendar.

9) You probably know this, but I get physically nauseous when I see fist fights. I saw someone get punched in Italy and nearly threw up in the street. Despite this, I hit people all the time. (But not maliciously.)

10) I have never been more happy then when poking sea anemones in the tide pools as a child (and as a teenager... it never gets old!).

11) My mom and I bonded before I left for college by going to Las Vegas and watching an all-male review. The guys had been part of a VH1 reality show, and my mom spent the whole time trying to get them to pull me up on stage.

12) I'm pretty positive I don't want kids. I'm way to selfish. However, I have this desire to set up a half-way house for homeless LGBT youth. I make no sense.

13) A few weeks ago, when I was drunk at Amy's house, I sat with her cat in my arms and cried. It finally hit me that my cat had died. I'm super glad no one walked in, because I would have looked like a mental case. (Thanks Roxie! You were very kind to me.)

14) Rednecks turn me on.

15) Sometimes I feel like organized religion has caused the death of spirituality.

16) I have a secret blog. Only 2 people have seen it, and I think I'll keep it that way.

17) Sometimes I tell myself that if I went on American Idol and they told me I sucked at singing, I'd appreciate their honesty. Really though, I'd cry like a baby and probably swear at the cameramen.

18) I once accidentally had my bra shown to tens of high school kids at church. Brandy Basset thought he had seen my boob for the next 3 years, and our church stopped freshman hazing. That was when I learned that it's not always a good idea to volunteer.

19) I am a proud member of Team Jacob. I am positive that I'd get fed up with Edward, despite the fact that he was created to be the perfect man. I don't need to hear how your life would end if you lost me... I would prefer you make fun of me.

20) I live my life a lot like I cook. I never read the directions and just hope for the best. (Examples: biscuit cookies, hot chocolate mousse, and many others.)

21) If I had it my way, chicken fingers would be a key element in a healthy diet, along with cheese fries.

22) Despite the fact that I've got a lot of friends, I have never been called someone's best friend.

23) There is only one thing in my life that was so embarrassing I won't talk about it. Everything else is up for grabs.

24) When I was 6, I wrote a note to a really cute 8-year-old boy at elementary school asking him if he'd run away with me.

25) I have an unhealthy obsession with Rachael's rice cooker.





Oh... by the way... If anyone wants to get me a birthday present in 7 months, a rice cooker would do just fine!


Love,
Katie

23 April 2010

A few things...

Firstly,

TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY WHERE I FELT LIKE I KNEW WHAT I WAS DOING AT THE OFFICE 100% OF THE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORAY!!!!!!!!!!

Secondly, check out these pants:


I've decided this lady is actually an alien, and that her alien skin is so rough that it creates holes in her pants anywhere there is even the slightest contact. Hence the need for patches in illogical places.

Thirdly, my street is BEAUTIFUL this time of year. 



The cherry trees in the distance had even more blossoms this morning. It's breathtaking!!!

Love,
Katie

22 April 2010

Thai Iced Tea....

Feels like drinking a cow rolled in honey. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

Love,
Katie

20 April 2010

Rabbit... a.k.a. Bradley is awesome again!!!

I was blessed to be a part of this conversation with Bradley:

"Oh... a rabbit. I saw one of those the other day, and I must say they are intimidating. But at the same time, why aren't penises designed like that??? It's genius!!"

Then, a second after I stopped laughing...

"Actually, I know why penises aren't designed like that. To prevent overpopulation."

Brilliance.

Love,
Katie

Take me seriously... SERIOUSLY

Ahahaha... I just realized that my white board in my office probably doesn't portray me as the most serious and mature person. Let's see what you think:


Ahahahahaha... yup.

Love,
Katie

16 April 2010

YAY!!!


I'm finally making a post with my personal laptop... which means I can access my cupcake photos!!! These next few were created as a delicious collection of someone's favorite things... it's eclectic to say the least...
Crustacean love.

Apparently the love of shells isn't relegated to only exoskeleton. 

I realize that they love The Phantom of the Opera, but I'm more interested in the flip-flops in the background. Cute!

It seems too soon for Avatar to be one of your favorite things. Like, where's The Last of the Mohicans love?

Love,
Katie

14 April 2010

Julia Child is on MY SIDE!!!!

You must read this article... it talks about why some people (me) HATE cilantro with a passion. And who is with me?? JULIA CHILD!!!!! She also said she despises arugula!!! So, apparently me and Julia Child are practically the same person... which is SO AWESOME!!!

Me and Julia Child

Wonderful!!!

Love,
Katie

Something I thought today...

I always want to be at the center of the action... unless the action is a mosh pit... or an epidemic. 


This thought came to me as I was washing my coffee mug.

Love,
Katie

Things that make me uncomfortable...

In any city I've lived in... there have always been instances of discomfort. I originally thought this would be a post about things I don't necessarily like about Boston, but then I realized that I could remember similar instances just about everywhere I've been. So, instead of harping on my new city, I'm just going to make a list of things that make me uncomfortable no matter the person, place, or time.

1. Evangelical christians. I think the reason why they make me more uncomfortable than then they do other people is because I used to be one. Sure, I wasn't yelling in a subway car that I loved everyone and didn't want them to go to hell, but I went to church 2-3 times a week in high school. Church camp was always a highlight of my year, and my friends and I set up our own Bible study that met every week one summer. So, when I see these people spouting off on this or that about God's love, instead of inspiring me like it is intended, all I feel is intense embarrassment. My muscles tense up and have to get away. Two girls loudly praying over a homeless man the other day in Harvard Square sent me speed walking in the opposite direction of where I was supposed to be going. I just couldn't handle it.

(On a funny note, one guy once asked me if I had protected my virginity for the Lord in San Francisco. I stared at him right in the face and said. "No. I most certainly have not." I felt AWESOME.)

2. Homeless men cat calling. You can't tell them to f*ck off, because you never know just how crazy they are. You just half to walk by and feel dirty.

3. People asleep on the subway. Do you wake them up? Do you ask them which stop they need to be awake for? What about when they snore? What if they look like they're going to slide off their seat?

4. Public Displays of Affection. Hold hands all you want, give each other a hug or a peck on the lips, but the second you start mackin' on each other, you can bet your butt that I'm feeling awkward. I saw this one couple on the way home the other day where they put there faces nose-to-nose (no head turning to avoid nose-bashing) and licked their tongues out like they were lapping milk. My whole body spasmed in horror before I could run away.

5. Listening to people talk about their plans together in front of you. Sure, if you haven't invited me along, it's probably for non-mean reason (For instance, I don't know your friend in Bulgaria, so you can't just go ahead and force my presence on them), but it's still no fun. This is currently happening a lot with my roomies, seeing as the two of them get invited to events and the invitation generally isn't extended to yours truly. Makes sense, since I don't know the person that invited them, but doesn't make it any more enjoyable to be left behind.

6. When you just don't know. I bought a book because of this. Even though I still think it's funny that a certain someone didn't know the chemical composition of table salt, it's apparently a million-bazillion times worse that I don't know the dates for the American Revolution. Hence,


I purchased this book online the other day. It's next on my list after I finish The World According to Garp. The ignorance and social discomfort have gone on too long. 

And six things is where I end, which perhaps isn't so surprising... seeing as I'm generally hard to make uncomfortable. Talking about genitalia, dancing in public, making an ass out of myself... none of that really phases me. It's part of my charm... I think.

Love,
Katie

13 April 2010

UGH...

A highlight, a tint, and $216 later (including tip, not including the initial purchase of dye at CVS), I have hair that looks... normal? Depending on the type of lighting it's auburn, blonde, or gray... so I have no idea. It's as if fluorescent v. natural v. "soothing" light all resonate with the now 5 million colors in my hair differently... in the same way that burning different compounds will give you a variety of colored flames. I'm thinking of having someone take a picture of me in natural sunlight later to figure out what color my hair really is right now. No one here knows me well enough yet to honestly tell me if I look toe-up.

Note to my girls with fine blond hair... turns out that highlighting DIY kits contain 4x as much peroxide as you need. (Not the case if you have thick, dark hair.) This is such a huge overkill, that the difference in time that it takes you to cover your roots v. the rest of your hair can leave it... you guessed it... two completely different colors. Speaking from experience... JUST DON'T DO IT!!! I'm going to have to eat ramen until my next paycheck arrives...

On the upside, my hair stylist was AWESOME!!! In the long time we spent with each other, he told me about music venues all over the northeast, wonderful places to visit accessible by regional rail, great restaurants off the beaten path, Boston's best used bookstore, which tattoo shops have good reputations (Boston only legalized tattoo shops in 2001!!!), an ice cream stand where you can take your picture with the cow the cream came from, and where to go to find the most interesting thrift shops. Turns out he spends all of his free time either wandering or reading non-fiction (a genre I don't happen to pay much attention to myself), and so he's this amazing wealth of knowledge. Want to know where to try the most authentic Chinese food for prices you won't believe?? If I ever get up the courage to give it a whirl... I know exactly where to go. In that sense... it was almost money well spent.

But overall, if there's a lesson I can teach you all, it's leave the coloring to the professionals. It's a lot cheaper to get it done right the first time than it is to fix it. Or hey... just don't start. Leave your poor hair alone!

Love,
Katie

12 April 2010

Oh, right...

... and did I mention that my hair is TWO FREAKING COLORS???!!! It would appear that I refuse to learn that home hair experiments are a horrible idea. The box said medium ash blond, which is my natural hair color, so I thought: "Hey, great! Do this and maybe I'll never have to dye/highlight my hair again!" WRONG. OH SO WRONG!!! Somehow the color took differently to the top half of my head then it did to the bottom half... which has left me with a strawberry blonde top fading very ungraciously into what can only be described as gray-blonde tips. First of all... how the heck did my hair come up with a light strawberry blonde from a dye that was supposed to make it a dark ashy-blonde? It's as if it patently refused to acknowledge the laws of chemical processing!!! Secondly... WTF??? GRAY???!!! I know that ashes are gray... but this was not supposed to be literal!!! HEAVENS TO BETSEY!!! (Johnson... all hail!!!)

So... in my attempt to save myself the cost of regular trips to the hair salon, I've created a hair DEBACLE. I have to leave the office at lunch today to meet with someone and sort this sh*t out. I'm about 50/50 as to my faith that whoever they are will be able to help me. For all I know, I'll have to become a brunette first before anything can be fixed. Or... goodness forbid... I'll have to wear HATS for the next year. (*Shudder*... I don't look good in hats.)

WHY???!!! WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF???!!!

Love,
Katie

Quickly now!

I decided to blog this morning before my call, since my 9:30 debriefing marks the start of my next project, and thusly will end my short but sweet free time. I've been snapping photos like a crazy person, and thought I'd share a couple!!!

Firstly... This guy hopped on the T and just made me smile. After snuggies and creepy old dudes in Morpheus sunglasses, he was such a breath of fresh air.

Showing some redhead love.

How freakin' cute is that bow tie?! The blue paired wonderfully with his hair and eyes, and the khakis were a nice fit with dress shoes that matched his belt. HOORAY!!!

Secondly, I keep having these moments that make me realize that choosing Boston as my new home was a wonderful idea. (I mean... besides the fact that there's a shopping district 3 blocks away from the mall and 5 blocks away from another shopping district.) Here's one:


Wind Scootering!!!

I chanced upon this guy as I was leaving the gym. My gym happens to be located in one of the most ridiculous wind tunnels, and my man here was fully taking advantage of it. Coolness factor?? 8.5

Speaking of gyms... who's gym just won "Best Women-Only Gym in America" by Fitness magazine??


That's right... MINE!!!!! Thanks to yoga, pilates, zumba, african cardio dance, and a free training session with Ian, I've shed 3 lbs in my 2 weeks of membership!!!

To add even more to the awesomeness of Boston:

I F*ING LOVE PANSIES!!!!!!!!!

If you haven't seen my tattoos, you might not know this, but pansies are my absolute favorite flower. (Yes, I recognize and appreciate the irony of getting a pansy painfully carved into my body. It's like 1/8 of the reason why I love my tattoo.) Boston is COVERED in pansies!!! This is a lovely window box near where I live, and you can see them in street gardens, lining the outdoor seating of cafes, in the public park, in pots, really anywhere you can put something that requires dirt, sun, and water, they're there!!!

Also, what's 4 blocks away from me?


BPL playas!!

This is the beautiful Boston Public Library. The librarians here are baller, the rooms are beautiful, and it's a place that lets me read books when I've spent all my money on shoes. (Although recently, all my money has been going towards making my apartment livable. Surprisingly, it still gives me shopper's buzz!) 

And speaking of my apartment... when the day is done and the sun is about to set, I get to sit on my ROOF TOP and drink in the view while I eat my dinner.

Looking south... which is not where the sun sets...
compliments of my roommates.

I'll take another picture from the roof, as I think my roommates unfortunately decided to show the less appealing direction... but you get the idea. 

Let's not forget that when I went out on Saturday I danced with a med student, a radiologist, a guy who works for pfizer, a grad student, and several other guys where I didn't take the time to get to know their exciting careers. Whaat??!! (Radiologist suckered me into giving him my number, and I have yet to decide if I'll accept his dinner offer... I mean, I'm on a detox people!!!) 

And goodness knows how, but the 5 different fashion styles that I sport any given day all seem to fit in. Want to pretend I'm hipster? Fine. Feeling preppy? Totally okay. Sporting business chic? Wonderful. Bringing back the bohemian feel of the West Coast? Nicely done. Rocking the piercings? Practically bland! (Today's look: gray brogues with cuffed skinny leg jeans and a ralph lauren plaid ruffle top. I'm feeling adorbs!)

Anyhoodle, you can get the gist of why Boston seems like it just might be a perfect fit! A post will come soon where I tell you about all of the things I've discovered I don't love about the city... but they're more comical than anything else. 

Now... don't you want to come visit???!!!

Love,
Katie








07 April 2010

On the T...

I finally gave in and decided to be a creepy person who takes stealth photos of other people on the T... and it totally paid off!!! First, there was snuggie lady, which I hope you all enjoyed. Now, I'd like to introduce you to two more fine specimen... both apparently freaked out by the idea of leaving the back of their heads unadorned.


Yes, that is an itty bitty pink sequin top hat complete with bow. She was also wearing a pseudo-ballet outfit, complete with fake ballet shoes. 



Now, this man was about 65-70 years old. This means that on top of having a rat tail (a sin above all other hair sins), in order for it to be that color... he has to dye it!!! To top the look off?? Morpheus sunglasses and motorcycle duds... despite his obvious lack of motorcycle (hence public transit on a beautiful, sunny day).

Love,
Katie


06 April 2010

If you're wondering...

Why it's be a bit since I posted, it's because I've been crazy busy since last Wednesday. I've edited 130 slides down to 90, written an article, researched and written a case study, become a regular pilates and yoga attendee, gotten myself lost in a zipcar, personally walked over 500lbs worth of stuff up to my 4th floor apartment, set up my entire room (including organizing 128 hangers worth of clothing...), gone to target for appliances, cleaned my restroom to the closest to spotless perfection it will ever get, celebrated Easter with Antonina's family, and have been forced to show my cards as a marketing consultant. How'd the last part go? Well... I guess as well as can be expected for someone who has no experience. In other words... I feel like a boob 90% of the time I'm in the office.

While this slight overload has been exhausting, I've learned a few valuable things:

- Intuition is more important than google maps when driving in Boston.
- Taking a direct bus line will take you longer than an indirect subway line.
- Mamma Karen (who's only about 8 years my senior) knows just what to say when I'm stressed out about being a total boob.
- Movers are worth every penny, and I will always use them in the future.
- It is important to double check whether the water is coming out of the faucet or shower head before you turn it on, especially if you are standing in the tub.
- Always check who's cc'd on emails.
- Certain items should never be purchased without all roommates present, as it will result in you trekking heavy things back to Marshalls.
- Jelly Belly Citrus Medleys are delicious.
- Don't add hot sauce to mac&cheese.
- DVD players that cost $34 work exceptionally well.
- Check to see if the carpets are being replaced the week you're trying to move in.
- Always have packing tape. It comes in handy.

Love,
Katie

I just... I just...

I just don't know what to say, except:

IS THAT A SNUGGIE???!!!


Fashion on the T
Love,
Katie

01 April 2010

So true... and perhaps a little sad...

Today, I typed this message to Kelley:

"When Katie tells you it's not worth the splurge, you know you need to listen."

Her response: "Hahahahahaha omg that is the truth."

Although this was 100% sound advice, it reminds me of the fact that I am a fairly expensive impulse buyer. Seeing as I'm 23 and am lacking in the cushy salary department, this might not be the best bad habit to have. Luckily, I've set up safety nets in the finances department. Like what? Well, let me tell you!! I've got a savings account that never gets touched, a credit card that I am only allowing myself to use for 1 purchase a month (so as to build up my credit score), 10% of my salary already deducted for my 401k, taxes somewhat generously removed from each paycheck, and a flexible tax-free spending account for my medical expenses.

So, what this means is that my shopping "habit" will not affect my health, my taxes, or my retirement, although I'm certain it will relegate me to only eating eggy-cheese-rice (ask Kel and Rach about that one) and ramen at least a few times a year. I figure when you're a bit of a shopaholic, the only way live with the addiction is to limit the dollar amount that shows up in your checking account, otherwise it's just way too tempting.

Anyone got any better ideas? Anyone want me to look at something you want to buy and give you the permission you've been looking for?? It's 95% likely I'll tell you to go for it!!!

Love,
Katie

A room of one's own...

Look! I've got a bed! I bought it! I own it! AH! I'm an adult!


How super cute, right?? I'd show you photos of other things in my room... but there currently aren't any... yeah...

To come: a chiffonier (complete with self-installed custom mirrors) and framed photography of all my favorite things - Cupcakes!!! California!!! Flowers!!! Marilyn Monroe!!! SHOES!!!

Love,
Katie