Coffee Shop Inspiration

I find myself asking the question "where do people find the time?!" more often than I'd like to admit. This either means I spend way too much time lurking social media sites (guilty), and/or it means I'm looking at other people who are following their dreams, finding their passions and acting on it - while I am not.

{1 - echo, 2 - starbucks, 3 - lola, 4 - casa kath}

Twenty four is officially the most interesting age yet. I'm settling into a career field that I absolutely adore, focusing my attention on the activities that make me most happy, and have surrounded myself with a group of friends that I know would do anything for me...which means the WORLD to me.

I feel very lucky. And unsettled. I have an inkling sensation in the back of my head that I should be doing something more, and the feeling becomes almost overwhelming when I spend time with people I respect, that I'm inspired by, and in my favorite places. I don't know what it is about a local coffee shop, where I bring out my planner & a notebook that makes my mind EXPLODE with a million and a half ideas of future business ideas, growth opportunities, travel daydreams and pages of to-do checklists. It typically gives me the most excited, queasy feeling in my stomach - which makes me want to go out and conquer the world! But as soon as I leave those doors I'm slammed with the realization I have other things to accomplish like laundry, grocery shopping and a job.

Fully realizing no matter how much begging and pleading I do, the universe is not going to give me more hours in the day. Harumph. Which means I need to utilize my hours that much better, which apparently I am terrible at.

For now, I will enjoy this day off (woot!), drink a big cup of coffee and try to tackle at least one itty bitty item on my list of life goals. Small tasks to make up a big picture life dream. Onward & upward! Happy Thursday friends!

...

{Finding Inspiration: Resolutions}

As you may have read in my resolutions post, I'm trying to keep this year's goals simple, in the hopes they'll be easy to follow and accomplish. Thankfully there are some pretty great products out there to help me check off the boxes one at a time.

1 - A cute notebook to capture blog ideas & remember new friends and sites.
2 - A new set of fancy colors to inspire nail upkeep. This one too. Love.
3 - A website and app that leave me with no more budget excuses.
4 - An environmentally friendly bottle to carry water with me at all times.
5 - A poster to inspire continuous hard work // blog, job & friendship related.
6 - A start to a birthday card collection, to remind me to send them to friends.
7 - A hilarious book, the first of my book-a-month goal, only 11 more to go. (which includes this, this, and this, to start!)

I also resolve to throw more dinner parties, like this fabulous evening, and start using my little nest to its fullest potential. Finally, you've got to read these accurate, smart & funny resolutions for those 20 somethings that haven't nailed theirs down yet.

What are your resolutions this year?

{there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so}

My one resolution of the year:

Be positive.

Being positive makes me nicer which makes me feel better. 

Being positive makes me childishly excited about the little things which makes me live better.

Being positive makes me happy which makes everything better.  

In lieu of more resolutions, I made a short 2011 bucket list:

1. Do something on Friday or Saturday of every weekend - get dressed up, go somewhere fun, just leave the apartment!

2. Take two pictures of myself a week (do I hear fashion posts coming? maybe!)

3. Attend a wedding

4. Blog at least 15 times a month

5. Take a trip

 {sorry for the douchy myspace-esque picture}

Alright people, here it is! 

Picture #1 of 2011. 

Anxiety. 

Fighting the camera shyness one day at a time.

 Wearing: dress by Urban Outfitters, watch by Michael Kors , Lincoln Park After Dark by OPI

{the big announcement}

so...

I have big news.

Big changes in my life...

exciting adventures...

big risks, hopefully with big turnouts...

{terrible iPhone shot, me and my new ASU gear}

I'm moving to Arizona!

(gasp! shock! wow! second gasp of disbelief!)

This week is my last week in the beautiful city of Seattle that I have grown up around, and come to really love in the last few years. I will be saying goodbye to my wonderful mother/roommate, my fabulous friends, my brilliant dad, my coworkers, my comfort, and my all expenses paid apartment (food too! thanks mom!) to pick up and move to Phoenix, AZ.

{Bahaha proof he puts up with me}

My reasoning?

1. The boyfriend and I have been doing long distance for entirely too long. So hey, might as well try something new right?

2. I have the opportunity to do an awesome PR internship at an agency that I have been oogling at for quite some time.

3. Hello sun tan, where have you been all my life.

So that is my big exciting news. I can't wait. So many new things to blog about, new features, stuff to check out, friends to make, sweating to do (uh 110 degrees every day? crap.), and exploring to conquer. 

So this is Chris. 

He is 23, smarter than he knows, and on occasion makes me laugh. He is kind, a wonderful writer, and his only major flaw is his dislike of chocolate/coffee (blasphemy).  He recently graduated from Arizona State University, and is going back in the fall to begin his next degree in business /supply chain-ness (which most students cringe at the idea of...more years in school? Crazy man). 

He wishes I liked sports more, and thinks I am WAY funnier than he will ever admit.

He also takes me to frozen yogurt whenever I want, 

and only slightly judges my coffee addiction.

He lets me watch 'Say Yes to The Dress',

and will try at least one bite of anything I cook.

{the question is...what did I do now?!}

I think I did okay:). 

{Eurotrip chapter I: Barcelona}

My very first time to Europe involved a study abroad program when I was 16 years old. It was the summer between my junior and senior year in high school, and with my advanced spanish class. My two best friends and I decided it was a necessity to go on this yearly school trip, and before we knew it we were on the plane to Spain, to study language & culture for a month.Ever since that trip I have felt a pull toward Spain. I loved to culture, the weather, the sandy beaches of the south, the castles and palaces, the food and the people. I fell in love with the language and decided to continue my study on into college.

 College came and I decided to minor in spanish. The plan was to become fluent, and my junior year in college I would study abroad in Barcelona for a semester. It seemed perfect, and I constantly counted down the days, fueling my urge to continue learning. 

But as they say, life has a funny way of repaying you when you make 'plans'. At the end of my sophomore year in college, I had a pulmonary embolism (I may or may not have the body/immune system of an 85 year old grandma) and was forced to withdraw from school. Away from my friends, stuck in the hospital and then bed rest at home, bored to tears, I came to the sad realization that study abroad was no longer an option. 

 With my strict four year college cutoff date looming in the future, there was no way my credits would be evened out with the loss of a whole semester. And with the additional unexpected cost of my medical bills, there was just no way. I was crushed. I managed to stick out one more semester of spanish class, when I realized my motivation was gone, dropped the minor and switched to fine arts. 

 Cut to present day. I couldn't be happier I decided to stay for that semester. Entirely too many funny stories and memories. Also, Switching to fine arts was the best decision I could have made, allowing me to re-fall in love with black & white photography, the discovery that I was actually pretty good at drawing, and the reminder that me and paint just do not mix. So everything must happen for a reason right?

Moreover, my love of Spain was the deciding factor on our first leg of the trip! Life goal, check.

{well hello}

I'm baaaaack!

Back to Seattle. Back to blogging. Back to friends. Back to the parents. Back to stormy and rainy Seattle weather. Back to my summer job. Back to my cluttered room that could have used a spring clean about 5 years ago. But mostly, back to normal & familiar.

I have certainly been on quite an adventure from my last post until now, and I am sure that every inch of this adventure will be posted on this blog in the coming future. Only the most exciting stuff of course, but I cannot promise a sane minimal amount of Europe gushing. It will be plentiful. But to recap my life since April 19th...

My best friend Lauren celebrated her 22nd birthday, which was filled with coconut cupcakes, parties, dinners, and a very special mug which so wisely states 'sleep is for the weak'. Picked out by yours truly.

My life was suddenly filled with an over abundance of lady bugs. In my apartment, landing on my sunglasses, on my doorstep, my shoulder in class, at the office, etc. It was random and I loved it.

{Spotted: hiding on the screen}

I struggled through a hard couple of weeks at the end of the semester, an even harder finals week and then suddenly it was over! We celebrated. Hence the celebratory mustaches.

We did it! The celebrations continued. A couple of weepy nights, a lot of laughs, reminiscing about the best memories, shaking our heads at the worst, reading our freshmen year letters to our future selves, hugs, with not a single regret we said our goodbyes...

and GRADUATED!

So I packed up my things, said goodbye to our apartment, and left early in the morning. Well, attempted to leave early in the morning. We ran into one small hitch when my Ikea bed did not end up being as compact as we had measured. So at 6AM the morning after graduation, you could find me and my dad standing over an Ikea frame, in a parking lot, outside of our U-haul looking so very puzzled. Clearly my education paid off.

Once disassembled, (yay dad!) we hit the road. Two days in Seattle, unpacking and repacking, and I was off to Arizona to see the boyfriend graduate, mini side trip to Vegas, BBQing, and hanging out with his family. And then...

EUROPE!

16 days.

9 plane rides.

3 countries.

5 cities.

more croissants than I will ever admit

&

the best trip I've ever been on.

{...is this real life?}

With less dentist, and more public relations.

{name tags}

Today was a great day for me and my career. Exactly 5 weeks from today I will be walking across the stage and accepting my diploma from WSU (well, it'll probably be an nice and empty leather folder). I have been thinking about my career in public relations for the past two+ years, researching and attempting to learn more about the cool companies I would like to work for.

{PRSA Jumpstart 2010}

I attended the Seattle PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) chapter's 'Jumpstart2010' conference and learned quite a bit. After interning in an agency last summer, it is amazing how much I feel like I already know about the field. Yes I did fetch coffee and lunch (only once I swear, and for a completely legit reason), but working in a smaller agency I was able to be so much more hands on during my experience. They let me call reporters, draft press releases, briefing documents, sit in on important company meetings and more. Day to day life was exciting, between the press kit stuffing, media list building, google searching and pitching. I even got to do follow up calls! Me, 20-years-old-no-experience-flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants-eager-to-learn-and-happier-to-be-involved-Katherine, and I'm hounding reporters trying to get them to attend an event all the way in St. Louis.

It ROCKED.

This conference reminded me that I should not only be thankful I have had this experience when many have not, it also hounded some major principles into my head. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Don't just sit there.

2. Develop a tough skin.

3. Social Media is a top priority (obviously.)

4. Create relationships,

5. Don't give up. Try, try and try again until you get a yes, (or a VERY obvious no).

It made me realize that the only thing that is constant in this world is change.

Stay focused. Never stop learning.

{added bonus- got to test out the new power suit!}

{countdowns}

Things that make my life so worth living:

-2 days until my oldest friend Devin arrives (we met the day I moved to Washington, 4 years old and sassy as can be)


Here we are on her last trip up to WA.


-9 days until the boy gets here. ♥

-17 days until I get to return to beautiful Seattle to celebrate spring break (half spent playing, half spent working at the Mariners)

-21 days until my half birthday, which will be celebrated with about as much excitement as my real birthday. 21 1/2 woohoo!

-45 days until Mom's Weekend. Party on.

-74 days until Graduation, and I part with my lovely deck view.


-75 days until I move back in with my mother, and I take my last drive home.



-77 days until my mother demands I move out:)

...and 81 days until the boyfriend and I leave on our European Excursion! Plans currently in the making...more details later!

{because life really is this beautiful}

new year&new goals:

1. blog!
2. get a job in the industry (post-grad!)
3. be healthier-work out more, eat healthier ( chocolate can only be the answer to my problems SOME of the time...)

Is it cheating if I add graduating to my list of goals? I know it is happening, I just love being able to cross things off. My list, my rules.

4. GRADUATE!
5. start carrying my camera around everywhere, and document! life is meant to be captured.