2009

Credit: Unknown

So this year flew by so fast. It feels like I read all those "make 2009 the best year" lists yesterday. When I look back on the year, I can't help but have fond feelings for it.

This year I discovered that I have exceeding potential and that I'm brave enough to make huge changes in my life. I transferred to a different school, moved into a house full of strangers and broke up with my first love.

I also know that I'm brave enough to overcome my irrational neuroses, and can do things on my own. Like go to a party by myself.

I made a ton of new friends and reconnected with old ones. Worked at a job I loved.

I had a real first date, my first semi-walk of shame [it's not a walk of shame if he walks you home, right?] and my first taste of alcohol.

I learned to love myself, and realized I'm probably more attractive than I give myself credit for [I was referred to as hot for the first time ever].

I succeeded and I failed some times, but I learned a lot, especially about myself.

I laughed a lot as well.

I developed a more positive outlook on life. I realized I have to stop over thinking things and now I know I can do just about anything, and that makes me happy.

I remember something I said during my job interview in May, I want to have as many different experiences that I can. I think I did just that this year, and I hope to for many years to come.

So cheers to 2009 and whatever 2010 has in store for us.

“Make a radical change in your lifestyle & begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live within unhappy circumstances & yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, & conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, & hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new & different sun. If you want to get more out of life, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security & adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life you will see its full meaning & its incredible beauty.” — Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild. [Found on Gala Darling]

With love and noise makers

Cathryn

It is going to be your year

So here it is, the second last day of 2009.

For Christmas I received Sarah Von's "A Year in Yes" calendar. It is even more wonderful in person, so I suggest everyone snap one up while it's still available. I'm excited to put it up but I hear that's bad luck. I'm also not in my Toronto home yet. I think what I'd like to do with it as well is to invite other people to write down their own thing on the little lists on the side. This isn't any ordinary calendar, why should I keep it to myself?

I'm going to head back up to Toronto tomorrow for New Years. My house is having a party and I have my party dress

American Apparel Le Sac Dress

Except mine is red.

With love and champagne

Cathryn

It might get loud

I was at my uncle's cottage for the night and this morning he threw on this film for all the kids.

I know songs by Led Zeppelin but I didn't really know much about the band. Jimmy Page is quite the hottie. Especially back in the day.

As an 'aspiring' guitar player, this movie was really cool to watch, just to see these three amazing guitar players talk about playing guitar. It also has a great great soundtrack.

With love and pickups

Cathryn

"We can't have raccoons for the Christmas thing. They'll hunt the kids for sport"

Credit: Unknown

Hey guys, I'm swamped with post holiday family stuff. Not that I'm complaining, as I don't get to see my plethora of cousins very often, but it will be nice when I have some free time to properly post.

I hope everyone is having a lovely vacation.

With love and red wine

Cathryn

Merry Christmas!

I bring you lovely pictures and cute videos.

Credit: Unknown

Credit: Derek Vincent

Credit: Unknown

With love and gift wrap

Cathryn

Things I Love Thursday: December 24, 2009

The holidays

I've been home since Saturday, and not had any academic commitments since last Tuesday. It's been sweet.

Catching up with old friends

Had a get-together with my friends on Tuesday. Most of them I hadn't seen since the summer. It's great how we just slip into old habits. It's like we see each other all the time. At the same time I wish we'd see each other more, which I hope happens over the next year.

P.G. Wodehouse's Thank You, Jeeves

My friends and I are big fans of Stephen Fry. He is hilarious. You may know him from appearances in V for Vendetta or Bones, but he's very popular in Britain for his shows A Bit of Fry and Laurie, and Jeeves and Wooster with Hugh Laurie. To make a long story short the show inspired me to read some of the books it's based on, and it's amazing. So delightfully British and old-timey as it's set in pre-WWII Britain. I like being able to read for pleasure.

Merry Christmas Eve!

With love and turkey legs

Cathryn

It is your birthday. Period.

Today is my younger sister's 19th birthday. Going to get her shmammered [smashed + hammered].

Love her.

She is the uber blonde one.

With love and malibu rum

Cathryn

Lovely Photographs

the dreamers by Arden Wray

My friend Alie steered me towards these beautiful photographers. The pictures are so beautiful I just had to share.

Arden Wray

Abbey Drucker

With love and soft focus

Cathryn

Liquid Liner Inspiration

Credit: Wire Image

One of my first posts on here was my art of the liquid eyeliner tip list. I did briefly take a break from my beloved eyeliner, but I just didn't feel the same.

Anyway, today on the Glamour blog I found this and I figured it would be blasphemous not to post on here. Eyeliner inspiration if you will.

I'm still experimenting with my little Sephora pack to great results, and now I have new things to try. I'm excited.

I look so vampy here.

I would also like to add to my tips of putting on liquid eyeliner [and this is an important one, to which I should have mentioned *facepalm*]

To steady your hand, place your pinky or ring finger on your cheek. It seriously helps.

With love and wing tips

Cathryn

Top 5: Holiday Movies

In no particular order:

Christmas Vacation

My Dad owns this movie and I'm pretty sure we watched it year round. It is the funniest Christmas movie I've ever seen. Acting like Clark Griswald is now a running joke in my family.

A Muppet's Christmas Carol

I have fond memories of watching this on TV as a child. I can't really watch it any other way. It has to be on TV with all the commercials. I'm particular like that.

The Royal Tenenbaums

This isn't specifically in a Christmas setting. In fact the seasons seem to jump around wildly in a short span of time. However, the characters are often seen wearing thick jackets and they play Christmastime is Here twice. And the CBC used to play this late at night around Christmas.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

You can try watching it on Halloween, which I have done, but the plot is more Christmas focused despite the dark atmosphere. It's an odd choice, but it's fun all the same. Beautiful even.

Home Alone

I have a hard time getting over the first little bit, because the whole family is obnoxious and insolent. I know it's supposed to serve a purpose, but would an uncle really call a small child a jerk for spilling some drinks, nor would they completely dismiss a police officer standing at the front door.

Everything after that is well done. My favourite scene is the one in the church when they play Carol of the Bells.

With love and candy canes

Cathryn

Music Monday

Credit: Unknown

Have you heard this sound? These are what I'm playing on heavy rotation

"What's the Altitude" - Cut Chemist

"Untitled" - Interpol

"With a Girl Like You" - The Troggs

"Christmas Time is Here" - Vince Guaraldi Trio

"You Can't Always Get What You Want" - The Rolling Stones

With love and constant repeats

Cathryn

Things I Love Thursday: December 17, 2009

Credit: Unknown

Gingerbread [Christmas cookies in general]

My roommate Mike bought two packages of those Pillsbury Doughboy cookie dough. Kayla already made the gingerbread, and I'm addicted. I can't wait for Christmas food.

Being done the semester

Last exam was at 3 on Tuesday, and now I'm officially done my first semester. For real this time. Last year at this time I was at home waiting out the strike going on at my old school. This is far more comforting.

Cranium

The other day my roommates busted this out and between the humdingers and Kayla screaming "CLUB CRANIUM" at the top of her lungs, a good time was had. We're probably going to play it tonight... we may get drunk and play it. Should be fun times.

With love and star performers

Cathryn

"You're trapped inside the spell of these loving lusty men"

Why haven't I posted this before? It never ceases to make me laugh, plus look at Stephen Colbert's hips go. *swoon*

With love and chafing thighs

Cathryn

Exams be gone!

Credit: Unknown

Finished, and now I can go back to being a lazy bum for a bit. Guitar it up, read P.G. Wodehouse and decide between Harvey's or no Harvey's. [Both have its pros and cons]. I'll be in the city until Saturday so I have four glorious days to unwind. It's not cool that it feels like Thursday when it is indeed Tuesday. What's the deal Tuesday!? Why you gotta be this way?

For the most part, I think I want to do a little city exploring, picture taking and Christmas shopping then sit around the house all day, although I do want to clean the place a bit. I now understand why my mom was hellbent on getting the house clean before going on a trip.

It should also be noted that immediately after completing my last exam I went to the LCBO and bought 26 ounces of raspberry Smirnoff. Because that's how I roll.

With love and g chords

Cathryn

G turns to D

Cara is the one on the left

My brother's awesome girlfriend Cara is letting me borrow her acoustic guitar so I can learn how to play!

I'm excited, although I hope my tiny fingers are up to the task. It certainly felt cool carrying around the guitar case on the subway.

Does anybody know of easy beginner songs? It would be much appreciated

With love and guitar strings

Cathryn

Top 5: Reasons it's okay to be single over the holidays

Credit: Unknown

1. One less person to buy a gift for. Sometimes it's easy, more often than not you're probably stressing to find something perfect. You'll save money and spend less time at the mall. Win/win.

2. You don't have to divide your time. Two different families, possible three or four if you have divorced parents, to see can become hectic. A party here and a dinner there means having to shuffle around from place to place, meeting many new people and having to make awkward chit-chat. When you only have to stay in one place, it's less to worry about.

3. More time to spend with friends and family. This goes along with the one above. When you don't have to divide your time between two [or three, or four] different families, you have more time to see your parents and friends. People you probably haven't seen in a long time.

4. You'll be more comfortable. You don't have to worry about sleeping in separate bedrooms or him hearing your embarrassing childhood stories [especially if it's a new guy]. Same goes for being the new girlfriend meeting his group of friends.

5. Freedom to have fun. Although you don't have the comfort of having a person you know you can kiss on midnight on New Year's Eve, being single gives you the chance to do whatever you want [within reason, no drunk toplessness please!]. Find a cute guy to kiss under the mistletoe, without having to worry about an attachment. You will never be as young as you are tonight.

I know it's not the easiest thing. This is a time for people to come together, and is a little harder to ignore than the obviously commercial Valentine's Day. That doesn't mean you should dig yourself into a holiday pit and sulk. Reconnect with your friends and have a good time. It will certainly make up for any lack of a significant other.

With love and mistletoe

Cathryn

Things I Love Thursday: December 10, 2009

Super condensed "I should be studying" version:

Watching the snowfall

Making Christmas plans

Almost being more than half way done my exams

With love and frosted windows

Cathryn

The Boyfriend Sweater

Forget boyfriend jeans [which I don't understand as a marketing tool, because they're just baggy jeans and I don't think I'd ever want to wear a boyfriend's pants], I have something better.

The boyfriend sweater is a preppy-ish striped crew neck sweater. Something that would be fitted on him, and casually baggy in the perfect way on a girl. This is sort of a concept I came up with two years ago [and forgot about as my ex didn't own sweaters like this]. It was February, and I had let my friend borrow my cardigan. I was only wearing a t-shirt under my jacket, and when I arrived at this [really] cute guy's house he lent me a sweater like this:

West 49 Wide Stripe Royal Sweater

Knit Stripe Sweater Crew Neck

And I fell in love. It was comfortable and something I could totally see myself "borrowing" from my significant other all the time.

At the moment, I'm not looking to be anyone's girlfriend, so I suppose I'll have to wait a little longer, before this clothes fantasy can be fulfilled. I don't want to go out and buy a guy's shirt because I want it to be authentic. It would be perfectly lived in already. Like an extension of him. Okay I'll stop being so mushy.

With love and knits

Cathryn

Pay attention; we're all in this together

Credit: Unknown

"If we forget who we were, how can we figure out who we are and where we're going?" - Joe Fiorito

With love and journeys

Cathryn

What I want right now: December 8, 2009

Snow

Credit: JAM 2.0

Kisses

Credit: Unknown

Christmas

Credit: Justin Ouellete

1 exam down, 4 to go

With love and number two pencils

Cathryn

Reality Check

Credit: Unknown

I've been battling a cold since Wednesday, and I'm slowly getting better, thanks to OJ and "rest". I also spent a good portion of Saturday, and nearly all of today at the library studying. I'm being productive which is good, but not so much when you'd rather decorate your apartment with snowflakes and Christmas ornaments. Or pretty much do anything than study. Although I love the library. I can see myself spending a lot of time there next semester. I'm far more productive.

It's still entertaining to talk to your very drunk roommates though.

Kayla: "That's my phone. It makes important calls"

Yes, it does... yes, it does.

With love and writer's callouses

Cathryn

Things I Love Thursday: December 3, 2009

The Office

The other day, my roommate Kayla decided to put on The Office having never seen it before. Simply something to have on in the background. Well she went through season 2 and 3 in three days and is catching up online. She is obsessed and I'm glad to indulge in it with her. It was exciting to remember the first time I saw Jim and Pam kiss and live vicariously through her excitement.

Being finished all my assignments for the semester

True, I still have five exams, but studying for a couple hours everyday is much better than scrambling to finish work. Weight off my shoulders.

Credit: Unknown

Sleep

I'm developing a bad habit of staying up late and sleeping in until noon. Today, I fell asleep on the couch watching TV for two hours. I woke up a half an hour ago actually. It was jarring to wake up and have it be dark out. At the same time, it's nice to feel rested.

With love and soft blankets

Cathryn

An Ode to My Wardrobe: The Red Cardigan

Continuing with my series to document my cherished wardrobe items, my next item is my beloved red cardigan.

The time I found this gem is hazy. I think I was 14 or 15, maybe even 16. But I know I got it at a Giant Tiger in Napanee with my Dad and step-mom. They told my sister and I that we could pick out an item, and I found this little red cardigan for ten dollars. At the time I was trying to move away from my punk, tomboy phase, and I really liked Amber Tamblyn's wardrobe on Joan of Arcadia.

I've probably worn it hundreds of times, as it's perfect in its simplicity and ability to spice up an outfit. I definitely wore it on my first date with my ex-boyfriend two years ago and when I saw Metric almost four years ago. It's been with me for what feels like forever.

Although it's cheapness has been starting to show for the past few years, where stitching is coming apart, I can't bear to part with it, and fix it the best I can.

Red is the perfect attention grabber. And for that reason, I'm going to try to hold onto it a little longer.

With love and buttons

Cathryn

Here's to December 2009

Credit: Unknown

November was a topsy turvy month for me. I had essays up the wazoo, but I also got to hang out with my little siblings and learn things about myself.

I want my year to go out with a bang, so I have to make the most of this month.

• I have studying to do and exams to write until the 15th, and since a majority of my essays were on the mediocre side, I'd like to really kick ass on my finals.

• I'm going to experiment with make-up. I got a little make-up to go kit from Sephora on Saturday and with the tips I got from my roommates, I'm going to see what I like.

• I'm going to be more bold. Stop over thinking stuff. It's getting me nowhere.

• I'm going to write in some form everyday. Whether that be journaling, posting on here, or writing in my notebook, I'd like to do it everyday and get in the habit of it.

• I'm also going to take more pictures, so I'm going to carry my camera around with me.

• I'm going to reach out to my friends more. I appreciate them and they should know it.

I just have to remember that I am one cool chick, that is capable of doing anything. That's not conceited, it's a life-affirming mantra.

“If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin” - Ivan Turgenov

With love and snowflakes

Cathryn