CuteOverload Prairie Dog Video

No, not that prairie dog video.

A few days ago, CO posted a video of a "laughing" prairie dog and asked readers to overdub it, saying it just needed two jokes so the prairie dog could "laugh" at them. People went above and beyond.

This is my favorite, and I can't stop laughing at the big-mouthed guy on the left:

Rescue Ink

As y'all know, CuteOverload is one of my favorite blogs (I bought the 2009 page-a-day calendar today at Barnes & Noble!). This photo is on one of their posts today.













This is an organization called Rescue Ink - a bunch of big tattooed bad-ass looking guys who are fighting animal abuse and neglect. Reading this article in the NY Times about them warmed my heart. And check out the photo gallery - you'll melt. I wish I had more money so I could donate to them...it sounds like they give a lot of their time and own money for a cause they believe so strongly in.

Perfume

I've been wanting a new "signature" perfume for awhile and have ripped out page after page of those "rub this page all over your wrist to be real classy" ads. I really liked Calvin Klein's Euphoria and Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle. I went to the mall last night and sniffed both - the Euphoria was a bit too "clean"...I wanted something of substance. However, I couldn't really bring myself to buy the Chanel that quickly for that much money. So I sprayed some on my wrist and we went to dinner. I kept sniffing my wrists at the restaurant for the next hour, and mom talked me into going back and buying it. And I'm happy I did...I had graduation money to spend on a legitimate gift, after all. So this is what I'll be smelling like for the next year or so.

Boudoir

I promise this isn't going to turn into the "what to put at the head of your bed" blog, but I had to include this because it's tufted and fabulous and my shade of blue. From Urban Outfitters, though it's regrettably $325. Anyone love me enough to buy me one?

Inspiration Boards

As I've reported, I'm semi-obsessed with blogs and my Google Reader. I read a lot of wedding- and event-planning blogs, and these often provide color inspiration boards (collages of different images according to a certain color scheme).

If I got married tomorrow, I'd use this scheme from Snippet & Ink (a definite favorite blog):

Clemson students happiest!

The Princeton Review has named Clemson as the school with the happiest students!

"Clemson students approach life 'Southern style': We're pretty laid-back, we like to have a good time, we work hard and we have pride." "Clemson football and tailgating are the most amazing experiences of college," most Clemson undergrads agree. The city of Clemson, "a town completely devoted to the school," "comes to a complete stop for games, which is great." The surrounding area offers plenty in the way of outdoor activity, as Lake Hartwell borders the campus. "We're about a half hour from great hiking and mountain biking, and the weather is great most of the time, so we spend a lot of time outdoors."

[I was trying to put a Ren & Stimpy "Happy Happy Joy Joy" clip here, but YouTube seems to be having a seizure.]

font

Ecolier is my favorite font at the moment. It's scripty without being too wishy-washy. It looks kind of like my style...a little modern, a little Victorian.

Kitchen colors

Whenever I move into my next place (when and where that might be, only time will tell), I've already decided what my kitchen colors will be. In my living room I use a dusty Tiffany-robin's-egg-blue-aqua color along with dark brown and black.

My bedroom has that same color blue plus goldenrod, burnt sienna, and sagey green. My bathroom has that aqua color along with bolder blues, greens, and purples. Are we seeing a pattern here? I love that color blue. It's my signature color to the point that it makes my friends roll their eyes. (My office is subdued oranges and purples, but that's besides the point :oD )

My dishes are black and white damask (I think I've done a post on them before), I've got bowls in "that blue," black, and white, and my stemware is blue glass. So....my color palette for the kitchen will be white and black and.....

"that blue" and red!!! I can't wait to get moved and get started decorating! Now alls I need is a job....

Vinyl headboard decal

Aaack, sorry it's been a week since I posted!

I haven't had a headboard in several years; when I re-did my room at home (well over 10 years ago) I switched beds from my old painted wrought-iron one to one sans headboard and foot...board? The one I traded in didn't "suit" me, and its successor came with a brass headboard I smartly decided not to attach. Then I went away to college where I had a kick-ass extra-long twin and bunkbed setup. When I moved out of the dorms and into an apartment, we bought just a basic frame/boxspring/mattress combo and I had no desire to get a headboard, for simplicity's sake, so here I am 4 years later, headboardless, but with a greater sense of style and a fierce desire to be Martha Stewart.

I'd love to make my own and cover it with some kind of fabric - nothing frilly of course, just something simple but with commanding presence. In the meantime, between me moving to a new place and buying/making a headboard, I might go for one of these bad boys. I'm slightly obsessed with the whole "vinyl wall decal" concept, and this is pretty much adorable and non-committal for just $40. From this point of view it's almost got a little trompe-l'œil thing going on there. Elephannie has some super-cute stuff....check out her shop!

Vintage spoof coasters

You know when you were little at Christmas, and your parents told you that one day you'd have more fun giving gifts than getting them, and you're all "yeah right, that's crap,"? Well yeah, it's true. Over the past couple of years I've done my parents' stockings and have gotten so excited buying little things to put inside that I've gotten waaaay carried away and it wouldn't all fit.

This past year I got my parents each a funny coaster from Moxie. They're made of mouse pad material and feature a vintage-y photo and hilarious caption. Mom got the "grandma farts" one and dad's is the "how the hell was I supposed to know?" one.

Cocktail napkins

It's no secret that I want to be Martha Stewart. Well, I take that back. I want to be Amy Sedaris...check out her book I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence to know what I mean. My point is, I want to be a domestic goddess who isn't stuffy and who has a sense of humor and wacky style about things.

I have a ginormous Rubbermaid tub full of party supplies, including paper goods like awesome plates and napkins I happen upon every now and then. I don't necessarily have to have an event in mind when I buy something (which can be somewhat problematic).

I picked up these napkins somewhere because they were just RANDOM. I would love to be able to entertain on a whim, and I can't wait for the day when I've got my own home (and my own driveway - y'all know what I'm talking about) to have people over all the time.

I bought these at Moxie in December when buying things for my parents' stockings (see next post) and can't wait to use them, though I'm not sure I'll be able to part with them! Oh, and PS - Moxie was totally charming...I bought a few things and they gave me a gift and included a handwritten thank-you note for doing business with them! I'll definitely buy something from them again, and I'm sad I haven't yet.

To thine own self be true

I'm not exactly religious, but it would be nice to have some kind of object of affirmation to myself. I love this necklace featuring a quote from Shakespeare's Hamlet. I might totally buy one for myself once I have a steady source of income again. Click on the image to see a few other kick-ass inspirational pendants from charmingwords.com.

Apologies!

To all of those who read (hopefully I'll get that number to increase soon), I'm sorry for going MIA lately. I've just finished my thesis and will be submitting it TOMORROW MORNING!!!! I can have my life back! Only, for the next two weeks my life will consist of nothing but packing...at least I can do it without worrying about what I *should* be doing instead.

I've been reading so many great blogs lately and have gotten really inspired to be creative and do my own thing. I've got some plans in the works for my life over the next month or so (until I find a big-girl job), so hopefully I'll be developing those soon.

Anyway, I'm going to start posting here like a madwoman to try to hone my blogging skills....so be prepared.

Love,
Kat =)

Strawberry Bars

I'm trying to lose weight (duh) and am looking for anything I can to help me out. One of the things that has gotten me to the weight I'm at now is giving into cravings in a big way. If I wanted cake or ice cream, I'd totally just go to the store and buy it and eat it all. I have the biggest (fattest) sweet tooth in the entire world, and it seems like I always need something sweet to follow up anything I eat.

I'd eat sugar free popsicles, but biting into them is like fingernails scraping across a chalkboard...just thinking about it makes my teeth and ears hurt all the way down to my throat. I bought these hoping that they'd be of a softer consistency than mere popsicles, and THEY TOTALLY ARE. They even have bits of strawberry in them. Anywho, they're doing the trick lately...let's hope I'll keep it up.

Oh, and PS, the consistency of the Jell-O sugar-free fat-free rice pudding reminded me of cold vomit, as does cottage cheese. So yeah, that stuff doesn't help.

Aminals

I'm sitting here sobbing at this amazing video...I hope it's as true as it looks!

Get ready to have your heartstrings pulled HARD.

Blog Feeds

I've been following a few blogs for awhile, but when I'm at work and refresh my Google reader, I actually want something new to pop up. So starting with a Martha Stewart page listing a lot of blogs she deems "good things," I checked out a bunch and added them to my feeder thingy...whatever it's called.

Now I'm subscribed to a whole bunch of designing, domesticities, and wedding/event planning blogs!!! And I really really want this book when it comes out; the cover makes me squeal.

Izze

Last week I was buying stuff in Target to get ready for....well...I just buy stuff at Target. That's a hobby of mine. Especially the end-of-the-aisle clearance stuff; I can rationalize ANY purchase made from Target. So they had 4-packs of Izze in a can, 2 for 3 bucks and I got them with the express intent of adding vodka. Because that's what I do - I look at new beverages and think, "hmm, now what liquor is this a good vehicle for?"

I had people over on Saturday but we just stuck to beer and lemonade, so come Monday morning I take one to work, and it's hella good! It made me feel pretty (which I attribute to the packaging, but who cares?) and it wasn't too sweet. I've still got to try my Izze cocktail though, that's the true test...

Random cat photo

I use iGoogle as my homepage, and I've added a whole bunch of stuff to it like free iTunes downloads of the week, my Google Reader, weather for "home" and "Home," and random cat photos. Every time you refresh, you get a new photo. I just logged in to check my blogs and one of my favorite photos was up:





The dog silently CHOMPS on the big cat's head. This is akin to slapping one's face with your dainty yet badass white glove to signify that "it's on."

The big cat is like "I need my coffee. It's too GD early for this shit. I'm giving you to the count of 3 before I kill you."

The little cat is all "{le gasp} oh snap!"

TLC

This is favorite thing while at the same time being one of those things that makes me want to punt a baby. I like the TLC channel and all, but I liked it better when it really was about LEARNING. I don't understand how "The Singing Office," headed up by two 90's hasbeen popstars, has anything to do with me learning anything.

I'm guilty of loving "Jon & Kate Plus 8," but mostly because I'm fascinated by how they can handle 8 children, and I'm also starting to enter the age where -gasp- the thought of a family actually appeals to me. It's an interesting look into the lives of a real family who has to cope with so much and be efficient at doing so.

But c'mon, TLC - "Master of Dance" with Joey Lawrence?!?! WHOA! (couldn't resist) I kinda get "What Not to Wear," though I believe it belongs on the Style network or E! (you're learning how to not dress like an idiot), and I kinda get "Flip that House," though it has its own place on HGTV or DIY (btw, aren't there like 8 shows with the same title, just tweaked a little bit?). I just hope TLC doesn't succumb to the MORONIC FAD that is "reality" TV. Even those tattoo shows and "American Chopper" leave me scratching my head.

There's a line between documentary and "reality," and TLC had been keeping that boundary fairly solid. However, the line is being crossed, and it makes me sad. If they want to do a "reality" TV show, follow someone with a common job so we can all see what it's like, or do something like PBS's "Frontier House" or "Thirty Days" or (God help me for saying this) those family-swapping shows where people learn something about how others live.

Don't sing and dance on my channel and tell me I'm learning.

Kentucky shirt

When I was in Kentucky a few weeks ago, I bought a t-shirt....it's Kentucky blue and has KENTUCKY in big curved letters on the chest (just like every other college sells for their own school). It fits awesomely though and I totally love it. Today I decided to wear it for the first time, and as I was walking out the door, I gave a passing thought to the fact that I'm wearing another school's name over my dedicated-to-Clemson heart. Oh well. It looks cute.

I get out of my car, start heading up the sidewalk, and this guy (faculty) turns around, giving me a not-so-subtle quadruple-take and says in broken English, "you went to Kentucky?"

No.

Pumpkin?

I got coffee this morning (at Moe Joe's, not Starbucks) and got a nonfat latte with pumpkin syrup. That's another thing about Moe Joe's.....they have so many more options than the evil empire anyway! I digress. So I had pumpkin, which doesn't exactly add pumpkiny flavor as much as it adds nutmeg and clove (low? top?) notes and aftertaste. The first thing I thought when I took that first sip is, "this reminds me of pumpkin beer!" I have a thing for pumpkin beer, and since autumn is my favorite season, I totally go nuts for the stuff. Anyway, in the case of both the coffee and the beer, it's just like regular coffee and regular beer except for those hints of spice. And to top it all off, it's like 60 degrees this morning and kinda gloomy.....it feels just like fall!!! Do you ever have - not necessarily a deja vu moment - but those moments when some particular condition arises that belongs to another place and time, and you almost feel like you're there and then? It felt like October, like I was getting ready to go out to the tailgating spot to set up camp at 9am for a 7:45 game instead of going to work at 9am only to leave 7.5 hours later feeling drained and soulless.

Tillman's bells...

....are ringing for today's graduates. Congrats. I'm bitter.

Summer's coming

I just took Maddy out with my weak little flashlight, sans corrective lenses, in the pitch-black darkness....I was uneasy to do so until I took a whiff of the air (which is a miracle....my allergies are kicking my ass and I'm tempted to rip off my nose seeing as how it's only a burden at this point). I calmed down upon smelling honeysuckle and rain, signs that summer is almost here.

That smell takes me back to when I was younger and my whole family (22 in all, minus those who couldn't make it, plus the best friends/boyfriends/girlfriends du jour) would spend so much time at the lakehouse over the summer. One of my most fond memories ever is everyone sitting around watching movies and playing board games at night, the windows open to combat the resultant nastiness of having no AC.

I LOVED when it would rain at the lakehouse, adding ambiance to our evenings and making it that much more relaxing. Our back yard (which we always called the "front" because it faces the lake which my family holds in such high regard) had several big bohemoth pine trees that have since been cut down, one of which held a bug zapper, in true redneck form. I remember the lush green sweetgum trees bathed by that creepy cool blue light, next to the back porch. I remember feeling the moist rainy air and being calm and quite content being in the same room as all those people for whom I felt such adoration and intimidation at the same time.

The other day I went walking along the dike next to Walker golf course and came across a blooming vine of honeysuckle. I plucked one, bit off the end, and suckled the honey like I did when I was little, not even thinking of who could be watching or what the vine could be covered in. I wish our family still got together like we used to, but now with all my cousins getting married and having kids of their own, it's almost impossible :o(

Empty Clemson

I'm stoked about a lazy Clemson summer and hope that it lives up to my expectations...I imagine having a cookout at my house every week, and going downtown to drink beer and shoot the shit at least 2 or 3 times a week. Plus working out at Fike every day....gotta get on that. Best part is - NOBODY'S HERE. In the words of a professor friend of mine, "it's like the Rapture came, and I didn't get the memo."

Here's a print called "Clemson Summer" you can buy at Allen's Creations off College Ave.

Pizza and Beer

This weekend I'm going home because 1) I couldn't get my shit together to graduate in May, so I won't be attending the festivities for fear of doing something embarrassing stemming from bitterness, and 2) Mother's Day. It awesomely just so happens that a bunch of my high school friends will be in town as well, and we've started a Facebook chain of messages trying to orchestrate a get-together. Friend #1 votes for pizza at someone's house, which I'm totally thrilled about. So I write something to the effect of "Pizza and beer night? Hell yeah!" and then back up.... I amend it...."Pizza (and beer?) night? Hell yeah!" Then I question putting "and beer" at all. They all drink....don't they? Do I sound like an alcoholic? Pizza and beer TOTALLY go together - why am I worrying? In How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Andie and Michelle have Chinese food and beer night when they're getting over douchenozzle boys - not crudites and champagne....BEER AND MAN-FOOD ARE FOR CHICKS!!! In fact, I just offended myself by even CALLING it "man-food." I propose that all girls' nights from here on out feature beer and something deep-fried and covered in cheese. Not that mine don't already....

Coffeeeeee

So to perk myself up this morning (perk - ha), I went by Starbucks...like I do at least twice a week. I hate that they built one in Clemson, because now I'm addicted and less likely to go to other coffee shops that aren't the Evil Empire. However, Starbucks has made it easier for me to get my fix and has acclimated me to the coffee culture, so now I want to expand my horizons and visit more coffee shops. I love the atmosphere, the smell and the sounds of a coffee shop. I want to be that person who comes in every morning to get my "usual" and sit to read the paper or check my e-mail.





If I lived in downtown Clemson and walked to work/school every day, I'd totally become a regular at Moe Joe's. It's so weird how Starbucks has less than 10 syrups, but cute little hole-in-the-wall coffee shops have like 40, probably literally. This place has smoothies, milkshake-like "coffee drinks," and food too. They even sell cigars, though that doesn't tickle my fancy.




So lately at Starbucks I've been getting the same thing - grande triple skinny vanilla latte. It's quickly becoming my "usual." This morning to spice things up, I got a grande triple skinny cinnamon dolce latte (try saying that three times fast). It makes me feel all cozy (and chic) inside to carry around a big ol' specialty coffee. I was just telling mom the other day when she and I went to SB together that I want to go on a coffee tasting adventure...in the same way they have wine tasting, they've got to have coffee tasting, right? If anyone reading this has ever heard of such a thing or knows of one (would they even have them here in the US?), comment and let me know!!!






Here's a funny pic that while sad and true, is just awesome. MC Escher-esque Starbucks:

New beer

So Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat tastes very much like blueberry.....and it's molto bene.














At Keith St. a few days ago I annoyed the bartender by asking her to recommend something. Not too hoppy, not too dark....she gave me this. I was afraid it would be stout, but it's PERFECT!!!












These are freaking awesome. But don't take my word for it.

Gourmet Discoveries

Discovery #1:

I've been using these Gourmet Garden herbs for over a year now, and I just love them. For someone poor and single for whom fresh herbs spoil quickly and waste money, these herbs-in-a-tube are friggin' awesome.





Discovery #2:



Kraft doesn't have this product on their website, so I had to find it at Amazon. I got this stuff yesterday in the grocery store after casually looking for it (when I remembered) for awhile. You're supposed to just add water, but I thought you added it to coffee. After reading the instructions, I still added it to coffee because I'm smarter than they are, and it was flippin' sweet. I'm always trying to make homemade coffee not suck (not be too bitter or too fakey sweet), and this, while not perfect, made it really good. I had probably the equivalent of 3 cups this morning, and I'm WIRED!!!!!!!!!

Chair!

If you've been to my house, you know I'm a fan of damask. I.WANT.THIS.CHAIR.

$179 at Pier 1....hinthinthinthint

Old Navy PJ Pants

Hoooraaaaay for these bad boys. I've got like 85 pairs, and I just bought a new pair on Friday (see below). The fabric is comfy, the cut is comfy, and the prints make me happy. Yes, this post is short and somewhat sucky, but I need to get back into this, one little step at a time!

Flight of the Conchords

This show is hilarious, and I owe it all to my awesome friend Emily for introducing me (I don't have HBO at mi casa). It's about two guys from New Zealand who have formed a band and have moved to the US. The show is about them trying to make it, get gigs, get women, get noticed. It's so stupid, so silly, so outrageous yet so subtle, and so brilliant. And every episode has a song or two - they're flippin' funny.
(Jemaine's my favorite, Bret is Emily's - we're safe.)

This first video is the very first FOTC thing I saw...Emily showed it to me:


In this next one, Bret has written a song for Coco, a girl he's dating. Jemaine helped.


And this one's just hilarious because of how "Bowie" exits...his legs are all dangly and run into the table. HAHAHA.

Still alive!!!

Sorry all, I've kinda forgotten about this blog, but I'm starting anew!!!

My favorite thing recently has been my choral concert on Friday night...shameless self-promotion, yes, but it was so much fun. Back in high school I was in the chorus, and I was president of the drama club and really involved in music/theater/art, but when I came to college I didn't dabble in any of it. I kept wanting to join Glee but either pussed out or didn't have time in my schedule...there were always a million reasons. But this semester (as it will DEFINITELY be my last...yes, I know I said that two years ago), I joined. I don't know anybody in Women's Glee, so sometimes it's a bit awkward, but I've managed to find a few acquaintances by making an ass of myself for attention/laughter. Anyway, the show was so much fun! I am KICKING myself for not doing this years ago. I was thisclose to trying out for CU Singers...I had signed up for the class and everything...but I dropped it the day before classes started. I kinda wish I hadn't because I think it would've been tons of fun to be in a class with guys too (girls are kinda boring), but I like the songs we're singing much better than the ones CU Singers performed (sorry guys). Anyway, that's what I'm on Cloud 9 about right now, so it's a fitting way to resurrect the blog.

Here's a picture of Megan, Mark, and me at Keith St. after the concert:


And here's one of me and mah momz:

Oh PS - another favorite thing: my new office chair....hopefully it will make me uber-productive as I really need to finish this godforsaken thesis AND study for my oral comps. Meh.

Drunk History Volume 1

Parodies are funny...pay no mind to the fact that this video features Michael Cera (I can quit whenever I want to, I swear).

This video features a stunt like one you'd find on CollegeHumor, only with the addition of 10 years and/or a post-grad degree. This guy drank "a bottle of scotch" and narrated a historical event which was later acted out according to his narration. The last 5 seconds are the best. This is hilarious!

Also, if you're willing to cough up $2, buy Darling Darling, a short film available on iTunes. It features, yes again, Michael Cera....I don't have a problem, I'm just on a kick right now in the wake of Juno...anyway, it's 13 minutes of kookiness and it, too, climaxes in a hilarious end.

Without further adieu, here is Drunk History Volume 1: Alexander Hamilton vs. Aaron Burr (also featuring Ashley Johnson - she was on "Growing Pains" among other stuff!)

Nifty Gifties

Wino T-shirt






Brown bag koozie




Jolly Roger Journal

Blargh for now.

I'll tell you what's NOT one of my favorite things - worrying about my thesis. Which is what I'm currently doing.

I've bought a few gifts online and will be giving them tomorrow, and I'll post pictures so you can see what they are because I rather like them. But I can't post them now because it'll give away the surprise!!!!

Celine Dion

I gotta admit...I used to like Celine Dion, then she got annoying. Then all I felt toward her was apathy. Then I found this clip. Now for me she ranks up there with Cheri Oteri, Chelsea Handler, Sarah Silverman, Tina Fey, Amy Sedaris....I can go on. Women who are hilariously crazy and crazy hilarious and like making people laugh and performing for others. I look up to these women and want to be just like them when I grow up.

Without further ado, I give you "Celine Dion is Amazing."