my christmas list. part1.

I never ask for anything for Christmas.

This year, I have compiled a list of all my fave must-haves.

(or must-wants)

I'll make it a little easier for rockstar husband to shop for me.

(and have a reminder of things I need to save for)

time to give thanks.

I've missed you blog family.

I have had quite the eventful week.

Friend time, family time, husband time.

I don't want this week to end!

I love this time of year.

When everyone is thankful for what we have.

It's the one time of year people forget about what we don't have, who doesn't love us and all the negatives in our lives.

It opens eyes to everything we do have, all the people that love us dear, and everything we should be living for.

I, for the most part, have a fabulously positive outlook on life.

And I usually don't have to wait for Thanksgiving to remind me of all the things I am lucky to have.

 Unfortunately, on Wednesday I needed Thanksgiving, because I was forgetting everything I was about.

I was full of negativity and only thought of every possibly wrong thing going on in my life.

I guess we all have our days that we're not proud of.

Fortunately for me, I have a husband who does not let me have bad days.

He has a wonderful way of reminding me that I have nothing to wallow about.

That being said, although late, here is what I am thankful for and why my days are far and few between:

1. my romantically sweet and super fun husband.

2. my fabulous puppy who will always be my first daughter.

3. my mom and dad for never being nothing but amazing

4. my brothers who are best friends and my heros

5. my super best friend for being SUPER.

6. my next door neighbor for sooo many reasons.

7.  my beautiful nieces and nephews for keeping me silly.

8. my keke. sisters @ <3.

9. my uber fabulous canon that captures all my fave moments.

10. my super cute apartment that i share with my cute husband and silly puppy.

peace on earth.

You must must must check out this blog.

.:Carrie Goes To Kilimanjaro:.

Carrie, sister of JacPfef, and very dear friend of mine, is doing amazing things and documents it all here.

She is an inspiration and doing things to make the world a better place.

She will be traveling to Kilimanjaro in February to volunteer her time and services to those not as fortunate as us.

The world will be a better place if everyone did their part like this.

{Carrie, JacPfef, and I will be doing our part Summer 2011 in Morroco}

If you aren't able to volunteer your time, Carrie is looking for sponsors and donations to fund her trip.

Donate here!

If you do have some time to spare and you want to help out,

check out some of these sites to see what you can do to lend a hand.

habitat for humanity

save the children

cross-cultural solutions

weekend update: ornament buddies are here!

I would love  to tell of my fab weekend, but first good news.

I received my ornament swap partner today!

(but its a secret so im not telling who!)

I'm aware I have announced my excitement in plenty of previous posts, but I still don't think you are sure.

I am ridiculously excited.

So much so, my ornament has been made since the day after I signed up.

(if you haven't, you're missing out!)

Needless to say, I will be visiting the post office first thing in the morning.

Now for the weekend.

Why did it end?

It was another amazing friends filled weekend.

No we didn't see "New Moon" and yes I missed "Hit the Lights"

And still a spectacular weekend was had.

It started with JacPfef's wonderful little dinner party.

Dinner was delish!

And Apples to Apples was played.

Friday night success.

We decided spontaneity would be the way to go Sat night.

We declared it, "Saturday Nite Dance In the City With No Pants"

(I'm positive we said it different in the little rap we made, but this was the main idea)

AKA Sans Pants.

So we got our cutest little dresses on and ventured down to where the city never sleeps.

And we did what we went to do..... We Danced!

i absolutely *heart* my friends.

They make me live for today.

And the only hours I wasn't laughing my butt off this weekend... were hours I was sleeping.

This week will be filled with many more exciting adventures and a million laughs I'm sure.

separated @ birth?

This post may come off wierd or borderline stalkerish.

But that is not the intention at all.

I must tell you of the new friend I refer to as JacPfef.

(maybe not new but the newest addition to loves of my life)

Have you ever met someone who just gets you?

Understands why you say the things you say or do the things you do?

She does that and more.

Not only does she understand these things. She says the things I say and does the things I do, herself.

Did I mention, thinks the way I think?

This is not an easy task. My brain works in very odd, yet complex ways.

I wouldn't expect anyone in the world to see things in my perspective.

She does.

{she thought dressing like spice girls for halloween was fabulous just as i did}

We have the same views on life, religion, boys, friends, family, EVERYTHING.

It's scary almost.

How many times in one conversation can you say.....

Me too. I was just thinking that. I was going to say that. I want that too. OMG.

Well if you sat in on just one of our adventures, you'd be sure to hear it a bagillion times.

I don't even remember what my life was like before her.

Besides husband, she is the first text I get in the morning/afternoon.

We then hang out most of the afternoon (inc. trips to Poppy's).

Then do "family" dinners atleast 3-4 times a week.

Then we go on adventures every weekend.

And we laugh and laugh and laugh, and act sillier than most 20 something ladies.

I actually see her more than I see husband.

I've never spent this much time with anyone and didn't get sick of them.

But I can't wait for our daily lunches and craft projects.

(stay tuned for our fab craft day post tomorrow)

I guess it's just nice to know, there is someone else out there like me.

Like me in every way.

And I love it.

10 facts you must know about jackiekate.

1. We buy fake mustaches for silly picture day.

2. We plan things like Murder Mystery dinners and 80's Prom.

3. We both have a ridiculous obsessions with anything vampire. (New Moon 2days)

4. We had similar apartments bare. With decoration, they are still the same apartment. Our doors are 4' away from each other.

5. We hate that no one in Beacon delivers, even the pizzeria directly across the street.

6. We've made our comfort place a cute little table in a burger joint. (where a burger is being named after us)

7. We scare basically everyone around us. With good reason I suppose.

8. We both secretly like it when crazy skateboard kids fall. We actually anticipate it.

9. If you've seen Taylor Swift's SNL best friends skit, you've seen us. We're worse.

10. We're obsessed us. (who isn't tho?)

*Keep your eyes open for {jackiE}katE & {zoeY}roC to see our craft projects come to life*

love life & it will love you back.

I'm 25.

And I have hit the greatest point in my life thusfar.

I remember hearing... Enjoy high school, it's the best time of your life.

Then, don't rush college, they're the best years of your life.

And here I am, old and uneventful, according to the world.

The prime of my life is over. And I'm stuck here in "grown up world."

But stuck is the last word I would use to describe my life at this point.

I have finally figured it out.

I always had an ounce of optimism in everything I did.

But I went through phases of glass half full/ half empty.

I wasn't sure what to make of the world.

Yeah awful things happened everyday.

But it was up to me what to make of those unfortunate occurences.

Here I am.

Married to husband.

{who gives me the same amount of butterflies today as he did day one. actually, more!}

Adopted a puppy.

{her name is zoey. and i love her more than most people love their kids}

Best friends monopolize my life.

{i know what they say. fewer that you can count on is better. how about more you can count on?}

My fam makes the Brady Bunch look normal.

{they encourage, inspire, and love}

You all know the amount these people influence my life based on previous posts.

This post is more about me.

My thoughts. My outlook. My happiness.

I basically woke up one morning and knew it's all me.

My every happiness/sadness is based on me.

I can choose to take life and sulk and complain about my misfortunes.

Or I can live life and embrace every amazing moment as it comes.

I chose the latter.

"Everything happens for a reason"

EVERYTHING!

The bad, the good, the fabulous, the ugly.

Everyday we are forced to make decisions.

They either end well or they don't .

Either way we made that decision.

So why not make the decision to just be happy.

No matter what we're dealt, it's easier to just be happy.

"What comes around, goes around"

and negative people will eventually get what they actually deserve.

Waking up every morning with this new idea of my life.....

I haven't had a bad day since.

Yeah, some are better than others.

But they all end with. I'm alive and I have people who love me.

I guess who could really complain with this schedule......

Wake up. Lunch with my soul (jacpfef) @ the infamous Popp'y. Crafts and Decorating. Cuddle time with puppy.Dinner with the love of my life. Work in which I spend my time emailing and blogging.

Winter *Wonderland*

Winter is slowly apporaching, which usually means

hibernation, depression, and yucky snow.

NOT this year!

I have decided this winter will be different. It will be an amazing winter.

I've planned out almost every weekend between now and {st. pattys}

And it's all kinds of fun stuff.
{nyc tourist day, 80's prom nye, murder mystery dinner, satc girls night & endless craft days to name a few}
I will no longer be wasting one second of my life on mediocre moments.
This is all about living life fabulously.
And no other way.

While on the subject of winter.....
who else is excited for christmas?
ME!
I can't wait to rummage through my boxes and boxes of delightful holiday decor.
I can't wait to make our new traditions as husband & I celebrate our first christmas married.
I can't wait to put up the "real" tree that will so quickly bring me back to amazing childhood memories.
I can't wait to wrap everyones presents and make the packaging look even better than the present.
I can't wait to see the look on husband's face after he opens his presents ;)
I can't wait to see all my out of town family. Nothings better than holiday get togethers.
And in case you haven't figured this out, yet, I can't wait for Christmas
{well maybe I can wait a little because of all the fun stuff before}

craft day.

Me and JacPfef found our spot today.

Hobby Lobby.

It's a toss between ACMoore, Home Goods, Pier One, and Heaven.

((according to Jac))

We were just "stopping by" to see what it was about.

If by stopping by we meant shop for 3+hours.

Every aisle was filled with "I love its" "Thats fabulous" and "Awesome"

Then followed by a thud into the cart.

{note to self: no more sharing carts between shopaholics}

Needless to say, we left with pretty amazing finds.

Expect our Etsy shop to be fully up by December 1st.

We had a  blast getting our project ideas together today.

I hope you all love them as much as we love them.

We were so excited about them, we got home and didn't know what to start first.

We promise you will not be disappointed.

Very fun stuff.

knock knock.....

{crazy silly face}

I didnt get the memo that we weren't up to {angry face}

there it is.

he was {fabulous}

she was an {angel}

I'm a little late on this post.

I watched my niece and nephew last week.

It was a fun filled day of:

*pancakes*

*chalkboards*

*new wall paintings*

*bee movie*

*more bee movie*

*burgers@ poppys*

*lots of pinball*

*toy store madness*

*knock knock jokes*

*lots of funny face pictures*

*much needed naps*

ornament swap. yay!

I've been uber excited about Dolce Vita's Ornament Swap

since the first time I saw it on Exposed Brick. 

Sooo needless to say all I have been thinking about what kind of amazing ornament I can make for a fellow blogger out there.

It has me thinking. Who will get my ornament?

Is she into sparkles and glitter?

Or sassy and cute?

Maybe old school and vintage?

I guess I will have to put a little of myself into it and hope for the best.

If you have not signed up for the swap, yet, I suggest you get your butt over to Dolce Vita 

and do so.

I hope I get yours!!

did you ever know that you're my hero?

There's nothing quite like a mother*daughter bond.

For those of you who never experienced this. I'm sincerely sorry.

Many will try, but no one quite gets me like my mom.

I've never felt I had to lie to my mom. She would be able to tell right away anyway.

While all my friends were sneaking out and being crazy,
I was running home and telling my mom all the gossip.

I swear she stayed up some nights just to wait to hear all the latest.

I can truly say that my mom is never less than a fantastic mother, whom I've been lucky enough to equally call a best friend.

She is the mom all the kids on the block wished they had.

And really they might as well, she always treated all our friends as if they were her own.

Opening her heart and home to them.

Moving out was probably one of the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

Mostly, because being away from  her, is for serious, torture.

10 fabulous facts:

1. She is no doubt my hero and I am the wind beneath her wings.

2. She is guaranteed to be the first one out dancing at a wedding.

(and you've never experienced meatloaf (pbdl) until you've experienced my mom doing it)

3. She never cooked for 5, she cooked for 15 hoping friends would be over to help eat.

4. She can instantly bring out any emotion I was hiding.... just by looking at me.

5. She is a SPECTACULAR Mom Mom. She wears the name well.

6. 95% of her actions are selfless acts.

7. She taught me everything I know about shopping. And she is the only one I'm able to go "real shopping" with. The rest of the world just doesn't get it.

8. I'm secretly "not so secretly" her favorite. She waited to have me to stop having kids.

9. She buys watermelon, takes out all the seeds, and cuts it up into amazing bite size pieces for us.

10. Her laugh is contagious. It will put me into laughter instantly. As is her crying.

<3

look how big my {heart} is. <3

I absolutely mean it when I say I have the most amazing people in my life. I've decided each post, I'm going to give you a glimpse into the lives of the people who change mine. The people who have made me who I am today. And the people who are shaping me into the person I want to be. There's not much more to say besides.... They're amazing. And I love them with every piece of my heart.

There's no better way to start, then to start with him.

The love of my life. He completes me. Really.

In trying not to make this the longest post ever (because I could go on forever about him),

I need to give you a little backstory.

I was never the "boyfriend" type girl.

I had my friends, and really what more did a girl need?

I didn't even know such a  huge part of me was missing until it filled in.

Until he re-walked into my life.

He didn't steal the heart that already loved so much.

He proved how much bigger my heart was with a spot that was being saved just for him.

I'm sure you're sick of me going on about him and how much we love each other.

But you can't possibly understand me, until you understand what being with him does to me.

Just the little things I'm addicted to...........

1. He makes me giggle. uncontrollably. and when I start I can't stop.

2. He's more of an impulse buyer than I am.

(therefore, we're broke, but we have pretty sweet things)

3. After working 15 hours, I could ask him to run around the block then come back and rub my back.

And he would. No questions asked.

4. He likes the Yankees, since 2004.

5. He's completely ok with me blasting Ashlee Simpson when his ipod is filled with fab music.

(and he'll wear a tiarra and sing along with me)

6. Every car ride becomes a private concert, with steering wheel drums and katie cymbals.

7. Every chance he gets, he steals our niece, Teagan, right out of my arms. And he he has the cutest baby talk voice ever.

8. He leaves me little notes to wake up to. And always signs them poophead.

9. He lets me bitch about dumb girls for hours. And actually listens. And responds.

10. He says "I love you" always. When we hang up, when he comes home, when he leaves, when we go to bed, when we wake up, when I'm mad at him, when he's mad at me, and even when we've been together all day he makes sure to remind me periodically.

<3

yes please!

hair cut this week?

what do we think about this?

more so the bangs than anything else.

leggings, tights, or fabulous high waisted jeans?

so today is the day of THE interview.

every decision we make in life vastly changes our future.

it could be something as simple as wearing leggings today over my tights and super cute dress.

me accepting the positon ( if i am offered) or declining.

every thought, every choice will one day bring me to a different path in life.

i guess thats why i take all decisions so seriously.

what if i never joined myspace to look at a friend's pictures?

no ben. no husband.

(we didnt meet on myspace, we reunited on myspace.)

something as simple as clicking sign  up changed my forever.

i am beyond happy with my life right now.

yes, i want my dream job and to be financially comfortable.

but i have a job i like, a husband i adore, a puppy i smother, a family to envy,

& friends.... well friends that i'd take bullets for.

corny as it sounds. this is a life most search their whole lives for.

and here it is. perfection @ 25.

so you can see where my dilemna is.

how do i mess with what already seems couldnt get any better?

am i being selfish for wanting more?

baaaarackarackarackaracka

If you know anything about jackie*kate..... this will make you pee your pants.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19zPbFAFC74

weekends are the new black.

Spectacular. Weekend.

Yankee parade. Photo shoot. Medieval Times. Fabulous friends. Cheer Competition.

I was busy, busy, busy.

Therefore, this Monday is very hard to stay up.

We got a late start to the parade. I missed Yankee pictures. But I got fan pics galore.

 

Medieval Times was great until we found out we had the worst knight.

We were the loudest group in that place.

That alone should have made our guy win. I mean we were LOUD.

He punked out at the end of his fight and didn't even die with dignity.

It was a good day with friends. And I get to hang with dirrrty kid!

(sorry no pictures, left the house w/o a mem card)

We finished the night with fabulous friends.

Sunday was our cheer competition.

And the last day of cheerleading altogether.

I'm sad because there are a handful of girls who I will miss dearly.

At the same time, I don't know what I will do with all my free time. It will be glorious.

I was pretty nervous about their routine today, but they pulled it out like *ROCK*STARS*

(this time I left the card in the car. im awesome. so here's some pics from the season)

the lights will inspire you. in ny.

this is me. super excited for the yankee parade. nyc.

its been awhile since we've been here which makes it even more exciting.

and this is me. super sad that benny boo wont be there with me.

he's working at his stupid job.

i will miss him dearly.

side note: i have an interview with forever 21 next week for a visuals position.

where i want to be forever no. but i think it will be a blast while i get the rest of my dreams in order.

stay updated for pictures of my fabulous day!

i love him. i love him. i love him.

throw up. hate us. whatever you have to do.

i {LOVE} him.

this month always gives me butterflies. its the month where we started talking and dating again.

it reminds me of that first nite we were supposed to hang out again.

we talked for weeks and weeks.

then he had a show in pok. i begged, pleaded, and then some to  get someone to come with me.

no takers.

i obvee couldn't go it alone. i finally get to see him and he'll think i was a loser.

no thanks.

so i had to wait another whole week to see him. no biggie rite?

torture.

especially when he called me from his show as soon as he rocked out.

saying he missed me there. (sigh)

from there on..... MAGIC!

true love. fairy tale. happily ever after.

stuck forever <3

and now we have our little family.

and i love him even more.

he continues to surprise me and come out with cute little things to make me smile.

he says "i love you" a lot.

i love hearing it. i love saying it back even more.

we have our little tiffs.

and that's ok. he looks cute when he gets all mad.

but when all is said and done.

he says "i love you"

even if it is in a grumpy voice.

I dream of bright lights & big cities.

This post is in no way saying I am unhappy at my current living place.

It's quite the opposite actually.

I am in love with my super cute apartment.

In my super cute mini city.

And I can't wait to see what it one day will bring.

Beacon will be the next Williamsburgh right?

That being said, somedays I do still sit and dream about that *nyc*penthouse.

How amazing would it be to wake up here every morning?

Everything in this world is possible and this very well could be ours one day.

(think the big window would scare zoey puppy?)

love you, halloween. lots.

This picture sums up my whole *fabulous* weekend.

From Friday lunch at Poppy's.

Shopping, shopping, and more shopping for Halloween.

The most amazing Halloween party on the face of the planet.

(provided by jakiekate)

 I mean Spice Girls were there so how could it not be.

Seriously though, best night ever.

Saturday morning breakfast at the diner.

Food not so fantastic. Company very.

BIG dinner @ mom's. Trick or Treating to follow.

Yankees win.

Sleeeeeeeep.

Yankees win.

Love my friends. This will definitely be the best year yet. <3