Ten Day Challenge: One Picture

 We're finally at the end! Ten weeks and it's all over. This is my final post in this challenge. One picture. It wasn't hard to come up with this one. It was between this one and a picture of my favorite Cape Cod beach, but of course the picture of myself won out.

This is me, by the way. When I was much smaller. We still have that laundry basket, but I don't fit in it anymore.

I've been brainstorming something to take the place of these posts on Fridays, and hope to have something new in place by next week. I've also been making a list of all the new things I want to do with this blog, so look forward to some changes 'round here in the next few months. As always, thanks for stopping by my little corner of the internet! Love you all!

Ten Day Challenge: Two Songs

Just TWO songs?! Woof.

1. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd I just really like this song. It's also my go-to ring tone for my phone. No reasons, I just like it. I also really like the lyrics.

   Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here by citticringle

2. Again I Go Unnoticed - Dashboard Confessional This reminds me of high school, and being young, and singing loud. Still love when it comes on shuffle on my iPod.

Two songs out of bazillions. That was rough. Helen and I were just talking about the Now & Then soundtrack today, courtesy of this post on HelloGiggles. That is a rockin' soundtrack. Knock Three Times? Sugar, Sugar? Come on.

Honorable mentions go to: David Bowie - Space Odyssey, Queen - Killer Queen (marching down the aisle to the instrumental of this! Try and stop me, mom!), Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (the whole album, great lazy rainy day music, very chill), Little Mermaid - The Soundtrack (paarrtt of youuur woorrrlldd!!!), Adele, Florence + the Machine, and anything I listened to in high school and college, for the memories, bro.

Also, just for good measure, been obsessed with these three songs lately:

  Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra) by Gotye

  fun.: We Are Young ft. Janelle Monáe by Fueled By Ramen

  Sweet Sour by Band of Skulls 

Ten Day Challenge: Three Films

We're nearing the end of this challenge! Ten days that I turned into ten weeks. This week's challenge? My three favorite movies.

1. Say Anything - Love, love this movie. Classic 80s teen romance. John Cusack with that boombox? Iconic. I have a poster of it hanging in my cube at work. Yes, my cube is decorated like a dorm room. "I gave her my heart and she gave me a pen."

2. Princess Bride - Another quirky 80s romance. I have a type when it comes to movies, obviously. There are people out there who have never seen this. WHAT. Get on this, people. It's on TV all the time and occasionally it's on Netflix instant. "My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die."

3. Harry Potter - I can't help it, I love The Boy Who Lived. Plus, it was easier to pick Harry than to pick from any of the other numerous movies I love to death. It's weird - the Harry Potter movies make me think of Christmas and winter, while the books make me think of summer. Random. "Of course this is happening in your head, Harry, but why on Earth should that mean it's not real?"

I have a bunch of other favorite movies, of course. I'm sure many of my good friends are reading this saying, "But Katrina! What about The Breakfast Club!?" That movie was my favorite for years. I can probably quote every single line. It's still my favorite, I just felt like branching out a bit.

"Screws fall out all the time, the world's an imperfect place."

Ten Day Challenge: Four Books

Okay, this one is gonna be hard because I love to read and have so many favorite books! Here goes nothing...

 

1. Rebecca - This is hands down my very favorite book ever. My grandmother told me for years and years to read it and I was all "Yeah Grammy, that book is old, it's probably boring." Then I finally read it. It's so, so amazing people. Read it, love it.

 

2. Harry Potter - Yes, all seven. I don't care if that's cheating. If you made me pick, I'd say Prisoner of Azkaban was my favorite, though. Or the first one. That one still gives me chills every time I read it. I can remember what it felt like before all the books came out and you had no idea what was coming next, but you knew it would be magical (pun intended).

3. Catcher in the Rye - Oh Holden. I want to name my son after you but I worry he'll end up troubled. Plus, we'll never be able to afford all those boarding schools. You're the boy all the girls want to "fix."

 

4. Practical Magic - I am an Alice Hoffman fan, mainly because my mother is an Alice Hoffman fan, and also because she is a really spectacular writer. This one is my favorite though. I also love the movie even though it's not really like the book.

That was painful. First, I had so many books I wanted to include, and then I got really strict with myself and couldn't pick just four I liked the best. I tried to pick something somewhat representative of all the genres I like. But I can't help myself:

Honorable Mentions:

Jane Eyre - crazy woman living in attic, hello.
Great Expectations - an old lady who stopped time on her wedding day catches fire, hello.
Shopaholic series - Obviously.
Hunger Games - It pained me to leave this off. I really love them, so much.
Unbroken - Seriously one of the best books I've read in awhile.
Water for Elephants - They made a movie so I felt the need to read the book. The book was great, haven't seen the movie yet.
The Help - Same as above, only the book was far better (still love you though, Emma Stone!).

Okay, I'll stop now, because this is a slippery slope.

Ten Day Challenge: Five Foods

Five foods, please. This is a cakewalk.  No food related pun intended. I love food.

 via

1. Pasta - I'm Italian, what can I say? Give me any kind of pasta and I'll gobble it right up. If you have the chance to try homemade, fresh pasta - do it. It will change your life. If you're ever in Portland, ME make reservations at Paciarino. They make the past right there and you can watch through the window!

2. Pizza - Duh, who doesn't like pizza, amiright? Little Italy in Beverly, MA or Fauci's in Lynn, MA are my top picks for local pizza joints.

3. Mac & cheese - Homemade, with Ritz crackers crumbled on top.

4. Steak - I'm a meat and potatoes kind of girl. I like to go out to a fancy place and order a steak. Or sometimes I like to go to a casual place and get steak tips. Or maybe I just have a hankering for a steak and cheese. MEAT: it's what's for dinner. I will never go vegetarian.

5. Brownie sundae - Warm brownie, plus cold vanilla ice cream and all the fixin's on top? Hello, welcome to heaven, population: MY MOUTH.

This list is much more simple foods than I would have thought. I could go even simpler: cheese, bread, water, tomatoes. I could live forever on that.

Ten Day Challenge: Six Places

Sorry for the radio silence over here. Life has been pretty hectic and it doesn't really show any signs of slowing down anytime soon. Hopefully I'll get back on track with regular posting soon, but until then you'll always have these weekly posts to read! At least for a few more weeks until I am done. ;)

Today we have six places. Let's dig right in, shall we?

1. The beach. I'm a huge beach bum. I'm kind of selective about my beaches though. They have to meet my moderate-to-high standards.

2. My bed. It's where I get to sleep. Occasionally I read, eat and watch TV there as well.

3. Cape Cod.

4. Savannah, GA. I visited last spring and it stole my heart.

5. Portland, ME. I can't believe I am even putting this on here since I've never really liked Maine, but I've also never been to Portland and had a bad time. Drinks at Gritty's, pulling the face with Helen & Co., that awesome little Italian place. It's very charming.

6. Home. Even though I live with people who should be committed to a special home.

Ten Day Challenege: Seven Wants

Well this will either be easy or difficult - can I narrow my wants down to just seven? Here it goes...

1. I want to quit my job. It's always been bearable, but lately it's really bringing me down. It's not what I want to be doing and I desperately need a change. I haven't had any luck with any jobs I've applied for (like, not even a call for an interview luck) so I'm feeling pretty discouraged and trapped. Maybe I should just take a leap of faith and quit?

2. Shoes. I always want shoes, they are my weakness. Instead of seeing this as a problem, I prefer to think of myself as a collector. Of shoes.

3. A vacation. Preferably someplace warm and beachy. Or Disney World.

 How many times can I use this picture? Many. Many times.

4. The ability to be thin and healthy while sitting on my couch and eating things covered in cheese! And then fried! With ice cream! Dream big.

5. A MacBook. This is on my ultimate wishlist. I have an iMac, but now I'm tired of being chained to my desk. My bed is so much more comfortable than my desk chair. I am justifying this with the fact that I ma applying to grad school and you totally need a laptop for that. I actually plan on spending my coin jar money and my tax returns on this. Plus my very best friend works at Apple and told me I could use her friends and family discount.

6. My own place. I did have an apartment, but no longer. Sometime this spring I should back in my own place and basking in the peace and quiet of it all!

 via

7. Flannel sheets. Yes, I am adding a completely utilitarian item to this list. I'm also cold right now and wish I was wearing a flannel jumpsuit. Mmm flannel.

Ten Day Challenge: 8 Fears

I forgot to post this on Friday. My bad. Here is my list of Eight Fears! Hope you all had a completely un-fear-filled weekend!

 1. Puking - This is honestly my number one fear. I don't like it. I avoid it at all costs. People may say "How can you avoid puking? What if you get sick?" I just don't. It's all in your minds, people. If you tell yourself you're not gonna throw up, you won't throw up.

2. Killers - Like, duh.

3. Being mauled by farm animals - I got chased by a rogue sheep when I was seven. It was traumatizing.

4. June bugs - I don't know how common these are in other places, but I grew up spending summers on Cape Cod and at night these giant beetles that we called June bugs would come out. They would cling to the screens on the windows and I'd take great enjoyment in flicking them off. They make loud buzzing noises and my grandmother got one caught in her hair when she was a child and that's always been my fear. *shudder*

5. My house burning down - Again, like, duh. When I was little I used to make evacuation plans. My bedroom was on the first floor and I had a giant bin filled with stuffed animals. Fill bin with all stuffed animals and valuables. Drop bin out window. Jump into bin. It was obviously every man for himself, because my plan involved the rest of my family finding their own way out. Sorry, family.

6. Myself or a loved one getting a terrible disease - This would just be the worst. I think we can all agree.

7. Going to space - I would never get on a spaceship. Astronauts puke all the time in space. Plus, what a long and boring flight. The only way I would even go to space would be my choice was "stay on Earth and die, or go to space." Even then I'd only go if we were traveling to an uber-cool space station like Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century

8. Zombie apocalypse - I just started watching The Walking Dead, can you tell? Don't worry guys, I have a survival plan. In involves moving into a Wal-Mart.

Photo 1 via we heart it
Photo 2 via Screen Rant

Ten Day Challenge: Nine Loves

1. My iPhone. Call me superficial, call me a nerd, call me a tech addict - I don't care. I rely on my beloved iPhone for to-do lists, appointments, photography, networking, distractions, communication, calculations...I couldn't live without it.

2. My puppy. She's not a puppy anymore, but she'll always be my little baby Mia. Look at that face!

3. My friends and family. Duh. Who doesn't love their friends and family? Though mine are pretty spectacular. plus, they seem to like me which is both amazing and awesome.

4. Coffee. I can't live without my coffee. I only need one, in the morning, but if I don't have it all hell breaks loose.

5. Yoga. I may not be going as often as I should be, but I love it. It's the only workout I actually enjoy, and I leave the gym feeling like a million bucks instead of a pile of poo.

6. Sleeping. Oh my gosh, I just love to sleep. There is nothing better than going to bed exhausted and sleeping until you can't sleep no more.

 via we heart it

7. My closet. Though I guess, specifically, the clothes in my closet. I just love getting up every morning and putting together an outfit.

8. Food. I love food. I won't deny it. I love trying a new restaurant, I love having dinner at my grandparent's on Fridays, I love eating pizza from my favorite pizza place. Now I'm hungry.



9. Vacations. Who doesn't?

Ten Day Challenge: Ten Secrets

So normally I don't participate in any of these kinds of challenges, because I am lazy and prone to dropping the ball on these things. I'm sure no one remembers the 30 Day Photo Challenge I started, because I only got to day two.

HOWEVER, I am giving this one a try, because my dear friend Helen is doing it and I enjoy reading her entries.Plus it's only ten days, maybe I can handle that. Though I think I will only do these once a week and make it a ten WEEK challenge just to keep things lively over here. And also to be a bit of a rebel, not gonna lie. This is how it goes:

Day 1 = 10 secrets

Day 2 = 9 loves

Day 3 = 8 fears

Day 4 = 7 wants

Day 5 = 6 places

Day 6 = 5 foods

Day 7 = 4 books

Day 8 = 3 films

Day 9 = 2 songs

Day 10 = 1 picture

So today is Day One, so here are my Ten "Secrets." (Like I'm really going to share my deepest darkest secrets with the internet.) Also: TEXT HEAVY POST.

1. I sing with my brother a lot. No, we can't actually sing. We don't even really like each other. This isn't some kind of family band hipster thing where I have a maraca and he plays guitar and we harmonize. Typically we are just belting out "Bohemian Rhapsody" randomly. We also like to just talk in the tune of "Bohemia Rhapsody" - "Mama! Oohhhh! You forgot to feed the dog, she will starve to death before tomorrow, feed her noowwww, feed her nowwww!" We also do a mean rendition of "Baby It's Cold Outside" during the holiday season/year round.

2. I still sleep with a blankie. I'm not even embarrassed about this. It's a raggedy excuse for a blanket, since I've had it since I was a baby, but I can't sleep without it. It's been on every vacation and sleepover I've ever been on. Once, when I was, like, two, the whole family was walking a boardwalk through a marsh on Cape Cod and my blanket fell into the marsh. My dad had to climb down and get it out of the muck.

3.My favorite snack ever is Wendy's french fries dipped in a chocolate frosty. Sooo good! But I never have it anymore because it's probably responsible for all the weight I gained in my early 20s.

4. I already have the name of my first child picked out (it's going to be a girl, obviously) and everyone in my family knows this and calls her by name already. As in - "Oh my god, Baby Julia will look so cute in this dress!" "You're definitely not allowed to babysit Baby Julia, ever."

5. I am a member of a VERY expensive gym, and I don't go nearly enough to justify the cost. I have bouts when I am really good about going, but I've fallen off the wagon recently. I really need to get back into the habit, because when I do go, I feel so much better - mentally and physically.

6. I have a shopping problem. It's kind of major. Not major to the point where I am up to my eyeballs in debt or anything, more like "I keep buying things even though I have TONS of clothes and TONS of shoes and it's not necessary for me to buy things." I really need to reel it in, as I'd like to pad my savings more and actually WEAR all the clothes I already have, but it's like an addiction. At least it's not a nasty coke habit, right?

7. I love planning vacations. I sit around all the time planning dream vacations online. I have multiple trips to Disney world planned out. I have a rough draft of my future honeymoon. I drool over the locales features on Jetsetter daily. If only I had the income to support my desire to travel. While it can be a hassle planning vacations that you actually TAKE, especially with multiple people involved, I wouldn't trust anyone else to do it. I've entertained the thought of becoming a travel agent. Do those still exist?

8. Speaking of jobs - I think my dream is to be an author. I'd at least like to write a book some day. That is definitely one of my life goals - to finish a book and send it to publishers. I won't hedge any bets on whether or not it gets published, though.

9. If the author thing doesn't work out, I definitely want to work in a more creative field. I'd love to work for some kind of small company that is just really awesome. Can someone make that happen please? I am a fast learner and a hard worker, though my boss told me yesterday I am a little too "zen." So if you're looking for someone who won't FREAK OUT about every little thing, I'm your girl.

10. I have a survival plan for the zombie apocalypse. But in the event I get bitten, I fully expect each and every one of you to be willing to shoot me in the head. I cannot go through life as a zombie. Not cute.