Day 24: Favorite places to shop

I like to shop a lot...but my favorites are:

Lands End (online)

Nordstrom (online and in store)

Sephora (love going to the store!)

Anthropologie - love the store!

TJ MAXX - such interesting finds!

Marshalls - same as TJ Maxx

Fill in the blank Friday

It is Fill in the Blank Friday....

1. The best thing I did all week was lady lunch with V. We have lunch together at least once a week, and I love it. It helps break up the work day. Today I am having lunch with Bea (she is like a sister to me) and her son (whom I call my nephew).  

2.    Being able to sleep in       makes me super happy.

3. Pets are   the best. They love you and snuggle with you. This morning I woke up to Roxy cuddled right next to me. I love it!   .

4. My family and friends   are the best thing about my life.

5. With the cooler weather I am looking forward to    non iced pumpkin spiced lattes .

6. Something that's on my "wish list" right now is   a pair of boots - congnac color.

7. This weekend I am going to    be at a 1st birthday party for one of my friend's children. I am really excited about it  .

Day 23: Favorite blog hop that you participate in

I used to participate in Taylor's  Top 2 Tuesday - but she has since gone private and it makes me sad as I miss her! I just hope she is doing well!

I also used to participate in Lauren's fill in the blank Friday's and I think I am going to start to do that more often:

Crazy google reader

Did anyone else's Google Reader become crazy today? I follow about 60 blogs...right now it shows I follow 10. Anyone else have this problem? Also - how do I fix this?????

UPDATE- after a few hours I, I think Christina was right - my google reader was drunk. Google reader has now sobered up and I have all of the lovely blogs I read back at my fingertips. THANK GOODNESS!

Day 22: Share about your hobbies

I don't have a lot of hobbies - I go camping with B. I really enjoy that. I would like to get more into volunteering and I enjoy thrift store shopping.

This week at the thrift store I got:

Hunter Boots - barely used - $10

Turquoise necklace - $10

Louis Vuitton bag (needs some TLC) - $20.

I think at $40 for those items I did really well. I actually found the LV bag but showed it to V as I didn't need it. The other two things are mine. It rained this weekend so I got to actually used the boots - LOVE THEM

Day 21: Something that stresses you out

Messes stress me out. I'm a hyper organized person - and truly a messy anything stresses me out. This does not sit well with B - who is not so much an organized person. I literally can play back in my head everything that needs to be straightened - in every place that I had been in the entire day (whether it be the card isle at Target, the shampoo section at Ulta or our copy room in the office). I try not go straighten things up anymore - I used to do that.

Day 20: Picture of Yourself

This is me and Roxy pup! I think this was last Christmas.

Day 19: Share your nicknames

I don't really have a lot of nicknames. I actually can only think of one:

Pumpkin - both of my parents called me this growing up as a term of endearment and my dad still every now and then calls me that. I love it. It always makes me smile.

Day 18: Something you miss

I miss a lot of things - sure I miss surface level things but when I miss something - it is usually SOMEONE.

I miss my brother - almost all of the time. He is away finishing up law school and I just miss him being around and being in Texas. I've mentioned before how I consider him one of my best friends and I do.

I miss my grandmothers - both of my grandmothers have passed away and I miss them both terribly. They were amazing strong, educated and loving women. I get a lot of my personailty from them. I wish they were here to see how my life is.

Day 17: Something you regret

I don't really tend to regret things. Honestly, I try to live in a way that when I look back at my life I live with no regrets, just learning experiences.

But if I had to say I regretted something - it would be someone I dated in the past.

 I regret that I let someone break me down and hurt me like I let him. I say I let him because I did. I didn't walk away the first time he said those things and I should have.

I will say that because of that relationship and because of my ability to bounce back more positive and happier than ever before - I found myself again. I found my voice.


 I am so much more appreciative and thankful for this gift from God that is my wonderful and loving relationship with B. Because love - love is a gift from God.

Fill in the blank Friday

It has been AGES...I mean AGES since I have done a Fill in the Blank Friday:

1. You should always take time to enjoy life. Smell the roses and be IN THE MOMENT.
2. Smiling at strangers and people you know make(s) the world a happier place to be.

3. I can hardly wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas. My family is probably going to Florida for Thanksgiving and then B's parents are thinking of doing Christmas on the boat. I think it is going to be a fun time!

4. Saturday is my favorite day of the week.

5. Something totally dumb and ridiculous that I love is books on CD. I listen to them in the car on the way to work. I love them.

6. If I could, I would hire someone to help out around the house twice a month. I feel like it is always more messy than I can handle. I try, but sometimes I just fail miserably!
7. I rather like curling up with a good book and a glass of wine. MMM...my idea of heaven, at least part of it!

Day 16: 5 blogs you visit daily

I have a lot of favorite blogs, so these are by no means the only ones I read, but these are the ones I wanted to share with you:

Pretty Shiny Sparkly - this is written by one of my sorority sisters from UT. She was a year younger than I am. She is a lovely, intelligent person (she's in medical school) and her fashion sense is just AMAZING! Plus she is newly engaged, and that is fun too. :)

Old Georgia House - this is written by Natalie. I have been reading her blog since BEFORE she was married. Back in the old XAnga days. I just love her style!

Sadly Leggings are not Pants - They aren't! In all reality, this website makes me laugh and I love reading it. I love blogger friends.

Reasonably Swanky - I love Blair and her posts. Her stories are funny, I love her tweets. She's like the girlfriend that you didn't know you needed!

Aesthetic Alterations - love her fashion sense. love her writing. Pretty much love this entire site!

Day 15: 3 tips for a new blogger

I don't really have tips for blogging. I don't blog to have readers (although I will say I am so glad to have become friends with some of you) but I really blog for myself.

So my tips would be.

Be yourself

Enjoy writing

Comment on others blogs if something moves you, not because you want more readers.

Day 13 and Day 14

 Day 13:

“Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option”

"If you love the life you live, you will live a life of love"

"Own only what you can carry with you. Know people, know languages, know countries. Let your memory be your travel bag"



DAY 14:

I look forward to lots of things in life, but I try to stay in the present, enjoying the moments as they pass by.

Sure I look forward to my wedding day - but more importantly I look forward to my marriage. I think nowadays there is too much preparation for a wedding and not enough for a marriage. So I look forward to married life.

I look forward to being a mother, God willing.


Mostly though - I am thankful for all that I have in this moment right now.

Day 12: Share your goals you would like to accomplish in the next year

A Goal I want to accomplish in the next year:

Read 75 books. I love reading and I get A LOT of use out of my library card, but I want to use it more!



* Disclaimer - I read A LOT. I love books and I try to read at least one a week (52 a year) and while on vacation I have been known to read an entire book in a day and start another one. The kindle for vacations is the only way I can travel - otherwise I'd be paying overage fees just for my books! When we went to the Bahamas I finished 8 books in a week. Vacations and days off are the only way I could get through so many books :)

Do you remember?

As this is the 10 anniversary of 9/11 I will not post the challenge, but I will say, I will never forget.

My thoughts, prayers and love are sent to the heroes and the  families of the heroes that gave up and are still giving up their lives in order for me to live this amazing FREE life I live.

Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your sacrifices.

Day 10: Tell us about your special someone

My B.

Wow, where to begin. I guess I will say that we met at UT back when I was about 20ish. A lot of my sorority sisters were friends with his fraternity brothers. I was dating someone else at the time so B and I became friends. When I became single he asked me out on a date. While it was fun and he was wonderful, I put him in the friend zone. In college we would meet up for coffee and talk, play poker with friends and I saw him all of the time. He truly was one of my good friends and I was lucky to have him.

As I left college and moved to Htown we lost touch for a while. We met back up and went on a few more dates but he put me in the friend zone then. We lost touch again for a few more years.

We both dated other people quite seriously, but those relationships ended.

One day he IMed me and we started talking. I remembered how much I enjoyed him in my life and now we were both in the same city. So we went out for dinner and drinks and pretty much since then we have been inseparable. Almost two years now.

B is truly a loving, caring and amazing man. I feel so incredibly lucky every single day. I feel like I am living a dream. Sure there are bad days, but every single day I know I am loved and I know I am cared for beyond what I can even imagine. He truly is the love of my life.

Day 9: Tell us about your must watch TV shows

B says I watch trash TV. He is right. I am ok with it.

Pretty much all BRAVO:

• All Real Housewives - all locations and all season
• Top Chef
• Rachel Zoe
• Flipping out
• Top Chef just Desserts
• All Bethenny shows
• Millionaire Matchmaker

Non Bravo:

• How I met your Mother
• Parenthood
• Modern Family
• Grey's Anatomy
• Private Practice

Day 8: Share a picture of your friends

I have friends from all over here are some of them.... 

S and I celebrating my birthday. I love her. She is an amazing friend who always makes me laugh and have a great time! We met freshman year in college and I couldn't imagine my life without her!

I told you in this post that my brother is one of my best friends. He truly is and I am so lucky to be his sister!

This is my friend L and her husband at their wedding in Seattle. I was a bridesmaid. L and I go back to the 8th grade.

These are two of B and I's camping friends. We haven't seen them in a while - it has been TOO hot to go anywhere!

This is S, her husband me and B. S and I met when we were 5. I was a bridesmaid in her wedding a few years back.  I am truly blessed by her wonderful friendship.

I posted  this picture the other day. I don't know where I would be without these two. They are sorority sisters of mine and truly I cannot imagine my life without them. I was K (on the left)'s Maid of Honor. I am sure she will be my Matron of Honor.  As for V - we have lady lunch every Monday as we work in the same vicinity as one another and we always saw "ladies who lunch" so we decided we get to have lady lunch every week :)

Day 7: Tell us about your favorite vacation

Santorini, Greece

My favorite vacation was when I backpacked through Europe for 3 months after my Sophomore year in college. I went alone and I fell in love...with myself. I truly learned that I could manage in any situation and that I am a lot stronger than I thought.

I flew into Athens, Greece and flew out of London, England. I traveled to LOTS of places in between. It all started when I was about 15 years old and I decided I wanted to backpack Europe. It took me 4 years to plan it, save money and then my dream was realized. The summer of 2003 was one of the best summers of my life.

I started out in Athens - I was there for 1 night. My plane landed at midnight and my dad was too worried about me on the other side of the world for me to find my hostel that late so he booked me a room at the Hilton Athens. At the time my dad traveled A LOT, he was a platinum Hilton member - he used points to get me my room. The van picked me up from the airport and I get to this BEAUTIFUL hotel - it is me and my backpack. I am given a top floor executive room - so fancy that I couldn't figure out how to turn my lights off and on. I opened the windows in the morning and there was the Acropolis. I had an amazing view. I asked for a late check out (I got it at 6pm!) I saw the Acropolis and then went to the hotel for a great shower and headed to my boat for the Greek isles. I was in the isles for a week. NOT LONG ENOUGH.

After Greece I went to Italy. I was in Italy for 3 weeks. NOT LONG ENOUGH. I fell in love with Rome, San Gimignano and all of the little towns in between.

I will say that one of my best friends, K (the blonde in the picture that makes me happy) was studying in Paris that summer. She met me in Florence for 3 days. IT WAS GLORIOUS to KNOW someone. We did LOTS of shopping, eating and seeing all kinds of art.

After Italy I went to France, Monaco, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France again and then England.

There are SO MANY stories. I kept a journal and made sure I journaled EVERY single day. It was the best thing I could have done. I met lots of people - hostels are friendly! I actually met Karen, a girl from Australia for the first time on my way from Greece to Italy. We traveled for about 4 days together. When I was in Germany, I heard people talking in the Hostel and I was like "wow that sounds like Karen!" And it was. We traveled a few more days together. She introduced me to more people and I traveled with those people as well.

So anyone that is thinking about if they should or shouldn't travel alone - DO IT. Hostels are great places to meet all kinds of people. I loved it.

Check out the rest of the blogs on the 30 Day Challenge here:

Katie's Life Journey