I'm Not Obsessed, I Just Really Really Like It...

My name is Katelyn and I am addicted to Tangled. 

What? What's that? You don't know what Tangled is? 

WELL YOUR WAIT IS NOW OVER. 

Tangled is Disney's most recent animated feature, and its 50th. How cool? 

It's the story of Rapunzel from the Brothers Grimm with the Disney spin on things. It's FANTASTIC and if you haven't seen it, I recommend it!

 Here is a picture of the chameleon Pascal -

 My mom sent me him in a surprise package! 

My mom also sent me a second pair of Tangled 

sheets to make curtains for my room! 
Linked HERE is a picture of the first set.

My friend KK and I stumbled across this Tangled pillow in Wal-Mart during one of our excursions. Needless to say at our second trip to Wal-Mart, KK picked it up for me and surprised me with it in her car when we went out the next day! 

So don't be surprised to find out that this is considerably my favorite movie of all time. Over the summer I watched it at least once a week and thought I had scratched it because it stopped working once...it's fixed now! Because I watched it all the time, I now can recite the movie as it's happening. #champstatus 


Anywho, it's really a feel good movie much like any Disney movie, and in stressful times, i.e. the week before Spring Break, it's a good chance to take a break and get tangled up in the wonderfully awesome story. 

HA - you see what I did there? I'M SO PUNNY! 


Regardless of bad puns, I hope you have a wonderful day! Get out, enjoy the sunshine if you're in the VT area, and welcome in spring! 
Katelyn :)

You Are Loved

Today is a day that I remember a fallen member of the SMC community. Last year many lost a friend, son, brother, and student too soon. This is just a quick post to remind you that you are not alone, and that you are loved.

This week was Valentine's Day. Whether you celebrate it or not, it is a time that we should all reflect upon the love and blessings in our lives. Whether receiving a card, candy, or text might not seem like a lot to some people, I appreciate those who have remembered me enough to make the effort.

Life can catch up on us, get overwhelming, and seem unbearable. It is during these times that we must remember the good things and how we are loved.

It is now that I would like to share a story about a starfish.

While walking along a beach, an elderly gentleman saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it into the ocean.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water.

He came closer still and called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”

The young man paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”

The old man smiled, and said, “I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?”

To this, the young man replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”

Upon hearing this, the elderly observer commented, “But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!”

The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it into the back into the ocean past the breaking waves and said, “It made a difference for that one.”

Reach out and tell people you love them. Check on a friend, call your parents, be there for those when they need you. Make a difference for one person and you can change their life.

Even more so than ever, I send you all my love. I wish you well on this day and remember: you are not alone, you are loved.

Miss Alexandra Byrne

Even though her birthday was a WHILE ago, I promised her this as a part of her birthday present. Happy (belated) birthday Alex! Always better late than never I say.

There are so many wonderful things I can say about this girl. She is one of the best people I know and I truly feel privileged to consider her one of my best friends. When we first met I knew I liked this girl and our friendship has continued to flourish over the last year and a half at Saint Mike's.

Now here are a few reasons why I love this girl so much:

1. All-girls schools RULE!
2. Finding our connections realizing that its a small world we live in.
3. Being LINK buddies :)
4. Her positive influence on my life!
5. The marvelous things that happen when we're together
6. Hijacking friends' cars and going on trips to McDonald's for a late night McFlurry and fries
7. Car playlists!
8. Hey neighbor...
9. DELICIOUS TEA SHE MAKES.
10. The fact that we both have memory books
11. She helps me make my bed because I fail at it ALL THE TIME
12. She comes up with the best nicknames for everyone!
13. Our vent sessions
14. TLauts love
15. Campus Ministry insanity
16. GDAMS!
17. She's got an ASL that shoots through the roof
18. SHE'S MY LEAP CANDIDATE
19. #sassyladylove
20. She's been 20 for exactly a month now - so HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU 20 YEARS 1 MONTH OLD!
    
    
    Sending all my love, Your Sassy Lady :)

2012: New Year, New Experiences

Finally we're counting down to the last week of vacation! While being able to relax for a month is enjoyable, I'm itching to get back to school, unpack my room, see my friends, and start new classes! This past week I enjoyed spending time in the middle of nowhere visiting my boyfriend in Northwestern Massachusetts. I did not bring my computer nor did I have signal (thanks T-Mobile haha). It was a refreshing unplugging from the world for a little bit. I got to meet the family and hang out with his adorable poodle Archie whom became my snuggle buddy. He's just so fluffy I WANNA DIE! (yes Despicable Me reference.)

One of the adventures we went on was exploring Mass MoCA. I had never been so we took an afternoon to check out the exhibits. I really liked Memery: Imitation, Memory, and Internet Culture - basically it incorporated much of the things we see on the internet, pointing out connections between things you may not even realize. For instance, much of the animation used for Disney's The Jungle Book was reused for their productions of Winnie the Pooh. I sat in amazement watching the identical scenes next to each other.

My other favorite was Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective. This is located in one of the permanent galleries and is MASSIVE. Three floors of his early, middle, and late productions. A combination of 65 artists and art students reduplicated his works down to a T. It fascinated me. Below is a picture of the process in which the wall drawings were created. LeWitt gave explicit directions for all of his works so that they could be reduplicated. Some of these are now my background because there's just something about their magnitude and how they possess both simplistic and complex qualities. This exhibit runs through 2033 so you should definitely make the trip!
I am now in the process of applying for study abroad for fall semester! It's exciting and nervewracking. Luckily I've got the sweet tunage to calm me: Of Monsters and Men. I recommend checking out their album My Head is an Animal, their song Little Talks is one of my faves. Anywho, the program I'm applying to is Advanced Studies in England located in Bath. I'm going to take a few courses as well as hopefully get an internship! Fingers crossed.

2012 looks to be a year filled with new experiences and new adventures just waiting to start. Hope you make the best of your time doing the things that make you happy!
Sending all my love,
Katelyn :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Just a picture or two to describe my Christmas:The tree!

My brother and father with their new hats!

Sending all my love to you and yours on this marvelous day,
Wishing you health and happiness,
Katelyn :)

10 Things I'm Looking Forward to this Break

Finally after the long grueling week of finals, I have made it safely home to central Connecticut. Now as I wait for grades to be posted, this is what I will be preoccupying my time with:

Cleaning
This is my first time home for a long time since last winter break. I've started to reorganize and go through my room, getting rid of clothes and things I don't use anymore. Considering I left my room in a disarray after packing for freshman year, this thoroughly cleaning and organization is long overdue!

Knitting
Thanks to my friend Kayley, I've picked up knitting! I brought my knitting home with me and I hopefully will get needles and yarn for Christmas (hint hint parents!)

Running
Since I don't have a job, I plan to get more in shape and start running on the treadmill and taking my dogs Bella and Mojo for walks. I'll be looking for things to fill my time and might as well get in shape!

Watching movies
Going to college makes it harder to go to the movies; granted I got to see The Help and Lion King: 3D while at school, I plan on seeing more movies at home (plus it's cheaper). Top of the list includes Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (click to see the trailer!). I'm looking forward to watching some old Disney movies as well as the classic Christmas movies too!

Traveling
This break I plan on traveling to NYC multiple times to see the city decked out in all of it's Christmas glory. I also love driving around town and looking at all the houses with Christmas lights up.

Visiting with Friends
I can't wait to visit some college friends as well as my SHA girls! It's been ages since I've seen them and we have LOADS to catch up on!

Splitting wood
My dad is basically a lumberjack. We have piles and piles of wood in our yard as we heat our house using a wood-stove. While I enjoy the warmth, the process of running the log splitter and stacking wood isn't my favorite. Needless to say we have lots of wood from trees that have fallen down from Hurricane Irene and wood isn't going to chop itself!

Volunteering
I hope to volunteer at the Humane Society that near me - I used to go there during high school and I love giving back and seeing all the animals. We adopted Bella and Mojo there and I hope that all the other animals there will have a home.

Applying for Study Abroad
My goal for the end of the break is to finish what I need to do for my study abroad application. I hope to go to Bath, England in the fall with an internship either in Theatre or History. My passport came in last week and I can't wait to get out of the country!

Last but not least, SLEEPING!
Catching up on sleep is very crucial during this time - recuperating from all that hard work last semester! It paid off as I got the best GPA yet. Let's hope this is a good sign for the future! Feeling refreshed and ready to start classes again will be goal out of this break.



Sending happy and positive thoughts to those still finishing finals! You're almost in the clear!



-Katelyn :)

End of the Semester!

Now that the end of the semester is in sight, many on campus are feeling the stress dealing with papers, projects, finals, and only God knows what else. Now is the time to take things in stride. Though it may not feel like there are enough hours in the day, everything will be okay. The last few days I've been taking it easy before the craziness of finals. Most recently the arrival of SNOW yesterday with decorating gingerbread houses, my friends Allyson, Alex, and I walked in a winter wonderland singing Christmas carols and walking through the townhouses to look at the Christmas lights. We even stopped to visit my friend Kaitlin and sang Jingle Bells for her! Tis the season!

Because of the season I've done some changes to my blog - a bit more wintery theme, a new picture from my Buffalo Trip last January, a new picture with me and my little house! I'm definitely feeling the Christmas spirit and that's what's getting me through the last push of the semester. I'm ready for a switch of classes - my next semester's schedule is more theatre-focused. Check it out! With this new schedule I'm ready to take on all that the spring semester has to offer. I've loved taking the classes I am in now but I'm ready for next semester and planning for study abroad! YIKES!

Well, I'm off to Christmas dinner with some friends, and then off to my date with Durick! The library and I have a love/hate relationship so we'll see how this turns out.

Sending all my thoughts, prayers, and love, especially to the Stonehill and Virginia Tech communities. May you stay strong in this troubling time.

Hoping this finds you happy and healthy,
Katelyn :)