Another bad habit I have is only buying clothes that are on sale. This probably sounds like a good habit, but for me it’s not. I looove finding a really good deal (who doesn’t???) but in my case if something is 50% off I seem to think it’s okay if I like it 50% less than the clothes that aren’t on sale. This leaves me with a closet full of things I only like 50%. Buying clothes that aren’t on sale is really hard for me, but I’m trying.

My last problem is that I’m just plain picky… and that the things I like in stores aren’t always what I actually want to wear in everyday life. I’m drawn to black and white, but when I’m looking in my closet for thing to wear to teach, black dress pants and a white shirt feels so boring. I’m picky when it come to colour though, and am generally not drawn to prints. I just don’t seem to love most things out there right now, but I need some nice clothes for my new big girl job.

Today while wandering around the mall, I decided that there should be one perfect brand for me that would never let me down. One designer who, it feels like, shares the exact same style as me. Their clothes would be girly and flowy with lots of floaty top and dresses, and not overly cheap or expensive. When I needed something new I would just know that this designer wouldn’t let me down and I wouldn’t have to look anywhere else unless I really just felt like going shopping.

Interestingly enough, today in The Bay I found a designer – Rachel Roy,that might fit the bill. I definitely don’t love everything, but the ratio of things I like to don’t like is much higher than in most stores. This shirt feels like it was meant for me – flowy, casual, different colours without having a print:

(I think part of the reason for my frustrated state was that I was rocking messy hair and no makeup with tights and a sweatshirt when everyone else at the mall looked so good.)

I’m looking at the Rachel Roy website now and there’s a bunch that I like:

Now that I’ve looked at everything on the website, lot of it is much more funky/edgy than what I would wear but I looove these especially the second and last photos I posted. I don’t think she’s my perfect designer after all, but these are definitely perfect for me. Although I didn’t realize my first pick was a romper until I’d already posted it. I don’t know if I could do that without feeling like a 5 year old. My legs are pretty long. Maybe?

What’s your approach to shopping? Is there a store or designer that never lets you down or do you like to look at everything?

This year I don’t need to give up buying clothes (in fact I should probably start buying clothes again), and I don’t feel that I even eat enough junk food to warrant giving that up. I always try to give something up that will really change my life or at least be pretty difficult. While Erica said that she doesn’t like being told when to start something new (as in New Years Resolutions) I actually really like it, and Lent in particular since it comes with measurable dates to start and stop. I could start exercising more, but let’s be honest , it’s winter and I live in Canada. But Kent is running every day for Lent so I’m sure I’ll get out there with him when it’s not snowing.  Just not every day.

Now that we’ve established that I’m perfect and I don’t need to give up anything (juuuust kidding!), I’ll tell you what I did decide to give up:

For Lent, I’m giving up procrastinating.

Does anyone else have that ongoing list of small tasks that need to get done eventually, but that never seem pressing? I do, but I wrote them all out a few weeks ago and haven’t crossed any off since. On it is everything from getting my last name change officially finished, printing honeymoon pictures and some more wedding photos, hanging the quilt my Oma made us as a wedding gift (apparently wedding tasks are not my forte even six months later), fixing my coffee table, painting a bookshelf, filling me and Kent’s ipods with songs, organizing all the photos and videos on our computer, fixing my car tire, vacuuming my car, getting Kent’s ring sized finally… the list goes on! (For two and a half notebook pages, to be exact.) For Lent, I’m going to finish EVERYTHING on this list.

I wrote out everything I could possibly think of yesterday and then felt extremely overwhelmed with everything I need to do in the next forty days. But I got started on it right away, and last night in the hour between school and my evening course, I got all my honeymoon photos printed along with some wedding photos, and bought an album to put them in. I also made an appointment to get my name changed on my health card today, and Kent has been instructed to get our tire and coffee table fixed today (okay so maybe I’m not doing it all on my own.) I’m excited, not about doing all of these things but about having them all done.

Although to be honest, I’m a little worried that tasks like these keep adding up and I will keep adding things to the list forever. I’m curious, how does everyone else deal with these little tasks? Are you good at staying on top of things or like me do you have pages of things that need to get done eventually?

I’ve started supply teaching and it’s pretty awesome – I already have jobs booked for every day this week and one day next week. On Friday I got to be a librarian and spent the day helping kids check out books, reading to kindergartners, letting kids hang out in the library and play chess or put books away when they didn’t want to go out for recess (I can totally identify – I was totally one of those kids who looked for jobs in the school in the winter so I wouldn’t have to go out in the cold.) I am used to becoming BFFs with my coworkers so it was a little sad going in to two different schools and not knowing anyone, and having no one pay that much attention to me since they know I’m just there for a day. But then I would think instead about how much better this job is than the coffee shop or any other job I’ve ever had was and feel MUCH better.

I didn’t have my mom to take a picture of me on my first day of school so I took one of myself instead:

One good thing about not having my own classoom? If I wear the same thing every day, no one will ever know! I always find a favourite outfit and then it’s the only thing I want to wear for a few days, until I move onto a new one. This job totally feeds that habit. For the past three days I’ve been wearing a white t-shirt, tan cardigan and green scarf :

And there’s a good chance that this trend will continue tomorrow and no one will ever know (except Kent, but he has to love me anyways. Well actually not even Kent, because he won’t realize it.)

I thought it would be fun (okay, my boredom has reached it’s max!) to take a self timed shot and show you exactly what my anti-superbowl night looks like. My little buddy Levi is hanging out with me as usual so I’m not totally alone (Kent’s at a superbowl party.) The anti red eye wouldn’t work on the kitten’s eyes, what is up with that? It makes me laugh that Levi is looking at the camera, he’s so aware.

Enjoy the rest of your superbowl, or anti-superbowl evening!

If you check out my post from last year’s Bachelor you’ll see that I picked the Canadian Jillian and I didn’t do too badly – in fact she went on to become the next Bachelorette! Right now there are only four girls left, but I made a list of my top four in the very first episode and three of the girls – Ali, Tenley, and Gia are still in! Pretty good! Especially since I don’t think anyone really likes the other girl in the top four, Vienna, except for Jake. I didn’t really have a fourth favourite so I picked Jessie just because she is Canadian. She didn’t do too badly, she left last week.

Of the top four Gia is my favourite. I got a little flack for liking her in the beginning since she’s a swimsuit model, but she is totally coming through for me. I think she’s adorable and Jake totally agrees.

]]> http://fiveblondes.com/micaela/my-love-for-the-bachelor-continued/feed/ 10 http://fiveblondes.com/katelyn/a-few-reasons-why-2010-is-already-pretty-gosh-darn-awesome/ http://fiveblondes.com/katelyn/a-few-reasons-why-2010-is-already-pretty-gosh-darn-awesome/#comments Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:40:13 +0000 Micaela http://fiveblondes.com/?p=3603 This marks my first post as an aunt annnnd an employed teacher!

That’s right, on Friday I got a letter in the mail offering me a job with the school board. I did a happy dance around my apartment, threw my kitten up in the air a few times, went to a meeting and signed some papers, and once I get the second half of my tuberculosis test done on Thursday, I can start teaching! Providing, I guess, that I don’t have tuberculosis, which will bring on a whole new set of problems. But my shot seems to be healing nicely so I think I’ll be okay.

So, yayyy! Problem solved. I am so relieved that I get to do what I want to do and that I won’t have to apply to any jobs that I don’t actually want, ever, ever, ever again!

Then on Saturday night, Erica and I were at the Hilton in Toronto for our awesome cousin Lara’s bachelorette party and I got a call from Leah  who said,  “Katelyn had the baby! It’s a girl!” I was shocked, number one because I was sure Rasperry was a boy, and number two because I didn’t get the memo that no one was going to find out when Katelyn went into labour. I thought I’d have some time to prepare! I’m SO HAPPY to add another girl to the family. Lara and our other cousin Lindsay ran out into the hall to join Erica and I and we did a tiny little celebration for Katelyn, Scott, and Hailey, then of course went back to celebrating Lara! Her bridal party did an amazing job of planning the perfect bachelorette for Lara which you can hear about from her point of view on her blog.

On Sunday Kent, Erica, and I made the two hour trip back to London to meet Hailey. I wanted to hold her but I have this belief (and I still stand by it) that my chances of dropping someone’s newborn increase 100% if I hold it, and really, that would ruin my day a whole bunch. Along with some other peoples. Not that I have shaky hands or am prone to dropping things but you know, it happens to the best of us. For instance tonight I dropped my keys before unlocking my door. But I could tell Katelyn was getting slightly insulted when she started asking me why I didn’t want to hold Hailey, so I sucked it up and very carefully held that cute little bundle of perfection. I love her! I miss her a whole bunch already and lucky Kent now gets to deal with every fifth sentence out of my mouth being something like, “hold the kitten and pretend it’s your baby.” For the record, he pretended to breastfeed and Levi attacked his hands. It wasn’t very realistic.