Guest Blogger: Katie Did It

My guess about my new job in L.A. has indeed proven true and it has sucked up all my time. I literally get up, go to work, come home, and pass out while attempting to do things like eat cupcakes from Sprinkles or watch the Saints game.

Soooooo, to keep you entertained while I'm adjusting I have my FIRST guest blogger! 

                                                                                                                                                                       

Hello lovelies!

I'm here today blogging for the amazing Mo while she is busy starting her new job in Los Angeles! Lucky dog!

When I was first approached to do this, it took me a while to decide what I wanted to share with all you readers. I finally decided to focus on ways of finding your own look! 

Growing up I was always concerned with how I looked to others. Especially when I was in high school. I always felt like if I wore something completely out of the norm, that I would get judged and made fun of. High school is hard because everyone is trying to fit in and grow up. So I always just played it safe. It wasn't until my senior year of high school when it finally clicked in my head. Why am I making my parents spend an outrageous amount of money on clothes from Abercrombie and Fitch, when I don't even like it? From then on, I wore whatever the hell I wanted to. I even got some of my other girlfriends to start shopping at the Salvation Army with me. It was great to be able to wear something that I actually liked, and not feel bad about it. 

Since then, my style has changed a little here and there but I have always tried to have a little fun with it. I know that there are trends that don't look right on me (ahem, super skinny jeans) and trends that are actually really do-able (flares, pretty dresses, tucked in shirts).

It can be super overwhelming to try and figure out what your exact style is. So my advice? Don't try so hard! Wear whatever you feel fabulous in, and ignore people who are going to try and tell you differently.

If you still love rockin' some butterfly clips in your hair, then do it! At the end of the day, dress for you! Not for others! I'm sure the 80 year old man at the grocery store doesn't really like my bright yellow tights..but oh well! I think they rule!

Who cares if your top is so last season! Buy items that you will want to keep wearing, regardless of what items are "In".

Here are some outfits of mine! As you can see, I wear a lot of girlie dresses, but I do wear jeans too. It is also super easy to mix and match dresses, tights, accessories, what have you. Make it your own look!

Now go have fun with your clothing! And come visit me!

xo!

                                                                                        Katie

Cause I'm a super profesh adult and all.....

(Please excuse the picture quality. Capturing a awesome bed jumping photo is hella hard on a Mac...meaning I don't have a fancy camera like most bloggers)

Off to LaLa-Land

Alright everybody.....I'm off to Los Angeles today for the first time EVER! 

Sadly, it's not for pure enjoyment but for work. I could lie and say I'm totally not nervous and that I think I'll fit right in and will take the city by storm. Truth be told, I've been farting up a storm due to nerves and I know I'll probably be working even longer hours than I normally work (I clock about 75 plus hours a week on any given film) and won't have much time to explore.

Oddly enough I'm most nervous about the traffic and getting to work on time. Seriously.

Thankfully I'll only be there for 3 weeks before I return home for Christmas break so I have that to look forward too. I know I'm going to not only miss John like crazy but also my city.

We'll see what happens. It should be fun to read on my blog because I'll do either 1 of 3 things:
1) Slowly have a meltdown due to stress
2) Completely go AWOL due to long hours
3) Have an AMAZING time.
WISH ME LUCK!

Double Whammy!

Yesterday I went to not one but two Thanksgiving dinners. Yeah, you read that right: TWO! I actually had no clue I'd end up at the 2nd one so I didn't prepare my stomach or mind for it properly. Needless to say, I am feeling the pain today.

Stomach indigestion aside, it was a wonderful day. I always love seeing John's family. Originally I thought I was going to be out of town for work but due to the film getting pushed a few days I'm not leaving until tomorrow. It was a Thanksgiving miracle!

The best surprise though was finding out the gender of what would be John's 5th niece or nephew. Both John's brother (Hey, Scott!) and I were convinced it was a boy. This would mark the first nephew in the White family clan.

He's sister found out the gender before driving down to Baton Rouge for the holiday and surprised us all with a cake that would reveal the gender.

It's a BOY!!!!!!

Soon-to-be big sister enjoyed eating the cake. She is so freakin' cute. But than again, all of John's nieces are. I constantly brag about them to anyone who will listen.

How was y'alls Thanksgiving? Any surprises?

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year has been vastly different from last year and I am so utterly grateful for that. I'm also grateful for (in no particular order):

-An amazing boyfriend who supports everything I do

-Reconnecting with family members

-Working on some amazing films this year I can't wait to see

-My dad and brother (even when they forget my birthday and blame it on being distracted by the Penn State scandal....seriously, I'm not kidding. BOYS!)

-John's family (this time next year we'll have two more additions)

-Sensing my Mother's presence (which makes me sad and happy all at once)

-Being able to take time off and visit friends

-My friends having healthy, beautiful children

-A home that has heat/air conditioning (living in a city with a large homeless population it's hard to not be grateful for this)

-My friends. Seriously. I have some amazingly supportive friends that shock me daily. I love them so much.

I could make a much longer list but I need to start cooking or John and I will never be able to leave in time for his family's Thanksgiving. I can't wait to see them!

Hope y'all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

PS You know how some families have a tradition of watching "It's a Wonderful Life" or "A Christmas Story" on Christmas Day? Well, my family has a tradition of watching "Alice's Restaurant" on Thanksgiving. Random? Silly? But I love it.

TREAT YO-SELF Tuesday: Nov. 22

This week's treat was a must-have: 2 tickets to see Lykke Li at Tipitina's.

I have been a major fan of this lovely lady since 2007 so it goes without saying that when I found out she was going to be in New Orleans I flipped out. I would have honestly paid $80 to see her but thankfully it was more affordable.

Oh, and even better, First Aid Kit opened for her. It was a double whammy of magical music that I may or may not have cried in public over. Not sure if it was the music or the obscene amount of gin I consumed. I choose to believe it was the music. The tears from the gin came today with the hangover.

How did y'all treat yo-self this week?

Get in My Mouth aka Po-Boy Festival

I'm pretty sure that the Po-Boy Festival is one of my favorite food festivals in New Orleans. Every year I tend to eat even more food than the year before. And every year I regret it the next day with a mixture of a booze hangover and a food hangover.

I managed to down: 2 Jackfruit BBQ Po-Boys (totally vegan), Grilled Portobello Po-Boy, half a shitty cannoli (I'm a snob when it comes to a cannoli and I'm not ashamed to admit it), a strawberry & nutella crepe, and fries. 

The weather was amazing yesterday. It made for a perfect day to walk up and down Oak Street gorging on all things lovely.

If you ever come to visit New Orleans in November I HIGHLY recommend planning your trip around the Po-Boy Festival. You won't regret it. Oh, and I also recommend bringing a pair of pants a size-up because you'll need it afterwards.

Hope y'all had an amazing weekend!!!

Sing It With Me: Beverly Hills

In one week I'll be flying off to LA for the first time for work. The closer the date comes the more unknown phones calls from California I receive. About 60% of the calls are from a Beverly Hills phone number. It has become impossible for me to not break into Weezer's song every time I get a work related phone call. This whole idea of going out there for work is still blowing my mind so this song only seems fitting.

To Ink or Not To Ink?

I've been on the fence about getting another tattoo for about 7 months now. I constantly go back and forth. I have two tattoos but both are in areas that I can cover up for work. The spot I would want this tattoo in would be my first visible tattoo hence why I'm a little nervous.

The area I'd like to tattoo is my upper inner arm. An area that I know does now age well but really is the only spot I think would work for my tattoo.

What I'd like to get is a emerald. It was my mother's birth stone and is also what I have always dreamed to have as an engagement ring (yes, I have mentioned this more than once to John).

I'd like to get it on my upper inner arm as it reminds me of where my mother used to hold me when I was feeling sad, sick, or any other form of emotion. It's the place where all kids feel safe. It's where we calm ourselves by listening to our mother's heartbeats.

For those of you who have visible tattoos: has this ever been a issue for you while you are at work? More so, does dressing for work become more tricky?

Also: Does anyone think that this is a bad idea?

Deep down I think I already know what I'm going to do but I'd love to here your impute!

TREAT YO-SELF Tuesday: Nov. 15

It's been decided. I will officially do a TREAT YO-SELF Tuesday as a weekly feature. I got great responses and am really excited about sharing my guilt over the internet with you.

(yup, I'm weird)

This week was pretty epic for treating myself with a bunch of little things I don't really need due to it being my birthday this past weekend. While I oddly didn't have any major TREAT YO-SELF moments on my actual birthday, I had many leading up to the day. Therefore, I think it's only fair to not just admit to one of them but four of them:

1) Catching up on my guilty pleasure reality show: Work of Art

Due to my long work hours I rarely watch TV during the week. Normally I catch up over the weekends via Hulu but there are certain shows they don't post right away and this show is one of them. Yes, judge me if you must but I am strangely addicted to this show. It's by no means as good as the first season but I feel super cool when I can tell which artist has the weakest piece of art before elimation. I don't watch Top Chef, Top Model, Top anything else but I do watch this. Shameful but I do. And even more shameful is I'll pay $1.99 when I miss it.

2) Renting The Change Up

This was surprisingly alot more aggressive than I thought it would be but I tend to enjoy that with my comedies. I have a few friends who worked on it so I was super pumped when I saw their names in the credits.

3) Buying Adele's album 21

I give up. I am part of her cult. I heard of her from time to time but then when Casey Wilson (one of my favorite comedians) gushed about her I decided I would fully embrace the magic that is Adele. This purchase is worth it soley for keeping me awake while driving into work at 5am and singing it at the top of my lungs. (note: totally off pitch but still enjoyable)

4) Downloading Kelly Cutrone's Book to my Iphone

I can NOT believe I forgot to mention this on my birthday post but Kelly Cutrone and I share the same birthday. I could care less about anyone else sharing it with me but her. I am in utter awe of this woman. Call her a bitch but she is exactly what I would want my life to be like.

When my mother passed away the only thing I could think to do that would make me feel better is watch her show "Kell on Earth" on repeat. Whenever I fly I watch the show because it distracts me from the thought of falling from the sky.

This book was the best TREAT YO-SELF purchase of the week. I loved it. I devoured it within a day and a half. I'm thinking about re-reading it already. I can see where people hate this book but Kelly and I share so many views. This is a self-help book for people who already have their shit vaguely together and just need a little push.

So there you have it. I treated myself a tad to much but whatevaz. It was my birthday week.

How did y'all TREAT YO-SELF?

Birthday in my Mouth

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! I appreciated each one of them! The day was wonderful and filled with a freakish amount of food. Seriously. I'm not kidding. None stop food.

I started the day at Il Posto with a soy cappuccino, the best bruschetta in the city of New Orleans, and tomato basil soul.

Watched the Saints beat the Falcon at The Mid-City Yacht Club. Best Bloody Mary in town. For realz.

Yummy, yummy, yummy I got love in my tummy :)

Dinner at one of my favorite restaurants: Grapevine. If you're ever in New Orleans you MUST give this place a try.

Dessert at Sucre.....

You jealous of my birthday mouth? Cause it was aaaaaamazing!

It's My Birthday!!!

I've worked with 2 of the 4 celebrities who share my birthday. Holla!

I'm officially 26 years old today. Not sure if that means I'm old and a failure or still straight dab in the middle of my quarter life crisis still? Not sure. Don't care. I'll figure it out tomorrow because all I'm concerned with is celebrating today!

Zombieland

I have been working freakishly long work hours (16-17 hour days) and also developed a weird sinus infection. I keep meaning to not only write blog posts but also to just have time to shower and catch up on my sleep! 

The way I'm feeling can best be explain via some of my favorite celebrity mugshots.

In conclusion, I am looking rough!

Hope y'all are having a good week.

TREAT YO-SELF Tuesday: Nov. 8

I'm assuming that most people who read my blog don't make a large salary. This is not to say that you are failures that can't make a decent income. Nay, nay. I assume this because most bloggers that I follow (and I assume follow me) are recent college graduates or just new to dealing with adulthood in general. Normally this means you are also broke as shit.

I've come to terms (for the most part) that I basically live paycheck to paycheck and that one day (hopefully, good GAWD, hopefully) I will make enough to start saving and buy things like, oh, say a functional car and house. That day seems like light years away though. Until then I try to save money where ever I can.

I am not great at saving in general though. I know that I shouldn't buy things because I don't need them but I still get them. Examples: itunes, rental movies, that REALLY cute top, pizzzzzaaaa delivery, etc. I know I'm not alone with this sad trait that I guilt myself over. 

I've been inspired by a recent "Parks and Recreation" episode:

While I don't go crazy once a year with a bunch of ridiculously massive things I do justify a lot of smaller things with the motto "treat yo-self"......so, I was thinking why not share my guilt with the blogging world and do a weekly post on a singular item I purchased that week and justified as a "TREAT YO-SELF" item.

This week's item:

I bought this while bored at work when I realized I could download Kindle to my Iphone. Did I reeeeally need the book? No. Did I think it was a wise investment at the time because I was dying of boredom at work? Oh hellz, yes.

The thoughts that literally went through my head were:

"You're filming nights in the freakin' cold, Mo. You know what....TREAT YO-SELF"

So I did. And it was awesome solely for entertainment and enjoyment reasons and not for my bank account.

So, dear readers.....would you like me to continue to write a weekly post called "TREAT YO-SELF Tuesdays" or is it super lame? 

Also, I've looooove for y'all to write about your "TREAT YO-SELF" gifts.

Top 12 Things I'm Lovens on Currently:

1. Hollygrove Market

2. Juice boxes at work. I have an addiction....much like Buster from "Arrested Development"

3. November weather in New Orleans (high 60s, low 70s YES PUH-LEASE!)

4. J. Crew button-ups

5. Friends having babies

6. Kindle App on my Iphone

7. Old school friendship bracelets

8. Bike rides soley for the purpose to check out houses in surrounding neighborhoods

9. The TV show Happy Endings

10. Being able to visit college friends

11. Starbucks Soy Chai Lattes (just because its Pumpkin Spice season doesn't mean I'm drinkin' it)

12. Kittens hidden under sheets

What are some things y'all have been lovens on?

I can't believe that this time last week I was just starting my journey back up north with my Dad and John. So much has happened! Driving through 7 states and flying back within 5 days takes it out of you.

While home I managed to squeeze in a few visits but mostly I just cuddled up and relaxed.

 John and I met up with Dan and Lise. It's so weird that they live back in Pennsylvania now. I still sometimes think that they live right above us.

        We went to Cafe Bruges for dinner which quite possibly may be the best restaurant back home.

 The next day we woke up to this bullshit. Sorry if that statement offends you but I HATE snow. I moved down south for a reason!

 I mean, come on! It wasn't even Halloween yet and it was snowing? Mother Nature, you can be such a temperamental bitch sometimes. Can't you wait till at least Mid-November?

 After driving around in the snow for a bit (I don't think John understands what snowed in means) we came home to my house having no electricy. The one perk of snow storms is warming near the fireplace. Some of my fondest adult memories of my mother were spent here. We curled up and watched "In Bruges" and "Frost/Nixon" while nibbling on cheese (yeah, I have had some hiccups with eating vegan lately).

The next day most the snow was melted and we got to witness the aftermath. Snow should NOT happen when there are still leaves on the trees! There were branches all over the place. Part of me is happy I don't have to clean them up (like I would have had to do as a kid) but part of me feels bad that my Dad will be doing it by himself.

While it was lovely being back in my family home I am definitely glad to be back in New Orleans! I love being able to wear shorts until late November. I love my city in general!

Happy Hump Day, y'all!