2015 Recap, Part II.

This is Part II of my recap of 2015 - find Part I here.

From September through the end of the year, I felt like I was on rollercoaster plummeting down a huge drop. (Or, at least that what I imagine it felt like, since I’ve never actually been on a rollercoaster). What I mean is, life went FULL SPEED AHEAD for the last three months of the year. Erik and I attended an awesome Halloween party and dressed as Wendy Peffercorn and Squints from The Sandlot. I don’t even remember November other than moving Erik’s parents into their new house and celebrating Thanksgiving at my parents’ house.

The period of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas felt short, rushed, and overall disappointing. There were good moments, like buying our first Christmas tree and decorations for our apartment. But I didn’t do much baking like I usually do, and I didn’t really spend time with anyone except Erik’s friends for our ugly sweater party. I don’t know if it was the weather (it was super warm in November and December, so it felt more like spring) or not being in my parents’ house for the Christmas season, but I felt underwhelmed. Christmas itself, along with New Year's Eve, were low-key and I didn't feel my usual giddiness. I was also exhausted from an insane two weeks at work during this time, which didn't help with my holiday spirit.

The first week of the new year never truly feels like the new year because I’m still celebrating through to my birthday on January 8 (one week past New Year’s Day). This year was a little different in that I wasn’t celebrating my birthday in any way, other than getting some gifts from Erik. Instead, this year my youngest cousin on my mom’s side of the family got married on January 9, this past Saturday. It’s a long, somewhat crazy story, but the short version is that it was planned in three months and has been the focus of my mom’s family’s attention for that time. It was a beautiful wedding and we all had a fun time - and, if you know me at all, you know I love weddings in any capacity. For me, though, it was also a finish line. I finally felt like my year was over. My stressful time at work was over, the holidays were over, and now my birthday and the big wedding were over.

So here I am, back to life on my terms. Back to a life not filled with three-week stretches of carefully scheduled days and constant anxiety. Back to focusing my energy on what I want to be doing. One of those things, I’ve decided, is connection with people. This includes diving back into blogging and connections through blogging, because I miss it. Here's to 2016!

The End of the Birthday Bash

For the past four years, I threw myself a birthday party. Nothing fancy: a house party with good food and an excuse to get together, hang out, and play video games and party games. It started, in its initial year, because I was having a hard time adjusting to post-grad life - I missed having my friends as my roommates or a five-minute walk away on campus. So, I put the call out and by some magical stroke of luck, everyone from my college group of friends was able to make it.

After that, it became a tradition. 'Hostess' is my default setting, so it made sense for me to throw myself a party. I made arrangements for food, usually making some of it myself, and did a little decorating. It satisfied my need to party plan and also to see all of my friends; it made for a nice birthday present to myself.

This year, I decided it was time to retire the idea. Getting everyone together is becoming more and more difficult and I didn't want to be disappointed. Instead, I'm working on making plans to do all sorts of fun things (ice skating, seeing Saving Mr. Banks, playing Just Dance, getting a manicure) with each of my friends on their own schedules, which will ensure I see (almost) everyone.

The birthday parties were nice while they lasted, though.

2010

(Note the Super Mario 3 start screen in the background.)

2011

(When Erik played Just Dance and proved to everyone: hey, I really like this girl.)

2012

(My college girls, minus one.) 

2013

(WINE IN A WATERBOTTLE. While playing beer pong with Lyndsay. And wearing a purple boa. I was never going to top that, anyway.)

Birthday/Anniversary Weekend.

You know what happens when your anniversary falls three days before you birthday? You have a weekend jam-packed with amazingness, that’s what.

Festivities started on Thursday with a trip to NYC to go see the New York Rangers play. Had you told me a year ago that I’d be excited for a hockey game, I would’ve laughed in your face. Yet I was so thrilled, actually, that I kept forgetting the reason we were going to the game: to celebrate mine and Erik’s first anniversary, which was also on Thursday.

At least I got to see Lundqvist during warm-ups.

The game was so much fun. My favorite player – goalie Henrik Lundqvist – came out for warm-ups but then we realized he wouldn’t be playing because he’d be playing in a game the following night. I was thoroughly bummed out. But the evening was still exciting; the game went into overtime and the Rangers won it about three minutes in.

So excited!

Friday was mostly a low-key day. We slept in and ran errands for my party (ordering sandwiches and picking up beer and wine). Then, at my request, we decided to go ice skating with our friends at a local outdoor rink. Despite getting tired and dehydrated after an hour, it was still fantastic. I love ice skating because I find it so relaxing, and being on an outdoor rink made it that much better.

After spending a little too long lazily laying in bed Saturday morning, we finally got up and prepped for my party. People started arriving around 5pm and it was an absolute blast. It was so great because almost everyone I’d invited was able to make it; catching up with everyone and playing Wii games with them is always the best.

College girls, minus Danielle who was busy interviewing for residencies!

The boys, with whom I always neglect to take pictures. That's Kyle (Nat's fiance) and Matt (Melissa's fiance) in case the faces don't look familiar. They're both wonderful guys.

Being the birthday girl meant that everyone kept “pressuring” me to drink (it's in quotes because I gladly obliged). Every time my wine glass was low, my friends offered to fill it up – sometimes to the actual brim of the glass. With the exception of three glasses had by Melissa and Natalie, I drank the whole (large) bottle of wine myself. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel that drunk, just really sleepy by the time everyone headed out.

So classy. But really, I drank from a glass for most of the night - this was just for dramatic effect.

I can't say that Sunday morning was particularly fun, but it wasn't too bad. Meaning, there was minimal nausea/stomach upset; instead, I was exhausted and had a headache. The majority of my day was spent laying in bed with Erik, watching TV and just hanging out. He was kind enough to go get Dunkin Donuts for me at my request. We had Chili’s To-Go for dinner with my family (because I was not up for a dinner out, which was the original plan) and cupcakes to celebrate my actual birthday.

This weekend was a perfect kick-off to my year. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday or anniversary celebration; I'm so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life.

How was your weekend?

Birthday Confessions.

My birthday is still four days away, but as you'll find out in my confessions, today is the middle of my birthday week! In the spirit of that, I decided to share some birthday confessions.

• I treat the whole week as my "birthday week." As soon as the excitement of New Year's dies down - usually on January 2nd - I launch into birthday mode. It's not really something I advertise; mostly, it's me celebrating myself. Sometimes it means dressing up for work (I never do and I like dressing up), stopping at Starbucks for a latte, or taking myself shopping for something small. Or sometimes it's just as simple as wearing my pink 'birthday princess' tiara around the house all week.
• I love getting gifts! Christmas, for me, is honestly more about the excitement of giving gifts. Yes, I enjoy receiving my Christmas gifts, but I'm usually focusing on the reaction of other people opening my gifts. For my birthday, it's all about me, and I can't lie when I say I really revel in it.
• Checking the mail becomes my hobby for the week. Our mail comes between 1 and 3pm, so during those hours, I keep peeking out the window to see if I can spot the mailman.
• For the third year in a row, I'm throwing myself a birthday party. It's always really great because all of my friends come over and it's like a big catch-up session between everyone. Plus, I love having everyone who's important to me in the same room. I look forward to it all year.
• This year I wanted to do something special for my 25th birthday, but I dropped the ball. My friend Ashley went to Disney World for hers, and while I wouldn't do something that big, I wanted to maybe go to the Poconos, Medieval Times, or even just the local club-like bar to go dancing. I ended up getting busy and the logistics were too much to work out, so it's back to my basic birthday party.
• Facebook birthday greetings make me so happy. I know some people think they're impersonal because random people you don't talk to comment on your page and most people wouldn't remember if not for Facebook, but I can't help smiling at all the notifications popping up all day long.

Christmas (& Birthday) Wish List.

'Tis the season for overindulgent wishlists! As you may or may not know, my birthday is a mere two weeks (on the dot!) after Christmas, so all of my gift-receiving is jam-packed into a small period of time. The following is a list of things I'd love to own, both reasonable (meaning I might actually get it) and unreasonable (meaning I'll have to save my own pennies).

 Pink sparkle TOMS

I've been lusting after these for the longest time. They're currently on my List of Things to Buy When I Finally Get a Job.

 

Glee the Concert Movie

When I saw this in the theater, I loved it. Ash and I were singing along to all the routines and dancing in our seats. I'm trying to cut back of asking for/buying DVDs because I have a huge collection that I rarely watch, but I'm such a Gleek that I have to have it.

The Black Eyed Peas Experience // Just Dance 3

No surprises here - I'm a huge dance addict. It makes sense that I squealed with excitement when I first saw the commercials for both of these games. I don't just want these, I need them.

Nail polish!

{photo source}

One of my big accomplishments this year was finally breaking my nail-biting habit after nearly sixteen years. Yeah, that's a long time. So I want to celebrate with lots of pretty nail polish colors! The OPI and Essie brands are a bit out of my 'daily splurge' range so onto my wishlist they go.

iPhone

I was on the fence about which smartphone to get when I could finally afford one. Well, for his birthday in October, Erik got an iPhone and it took about... a week of seeing him use it and occasionally using it myself to fall completely in love with it.

What are you wishing for this Christmas?

{Have you signed up to receive a Christmas card from me yet? If not, go here and do it!}

Special Birthday.

Today (by which I mean Sunday, because I accidentally posted on Saturday night) is a special day because it’s E’s birthday.

My fave picture of him, with my brother at Easter.

(While I’m at it, I may as well drop the ‘nickname’ considering I don’t think it’s an issue anymore – his actual name is Erik. Clearly, I’m super creative with my nicknames.)

I joked that he’s officially old, but he pointed out that that makes me really old, so I dropped it. In honor of his birthday, I want to share with you an excerpt from a journal entry I wrote on our six-month-versary. I got into this habit of writing ‘letters’ to him every once in a while (that he hasn’t read), so that’s why it’s written as if addressed to him. This piece is one I constantly go back to that so accurately describes how I feel about him and this relationship.

"When we started talking, I was broken. I had just begun to pick up the pieces and try to figure out how to put them back, all the while having to plaster on a grin and pretend everything was in order. Yes, I had my friends holding me up, but they were busy with their own lives. To be 100% honest with you, I felt a little helpless.

Most of all, though, I was at a point where I thought nobody was going to love me like this. And I worried that, even if I put myself back together the best I could, the cracks were going to stay and keep people away. My health and anxiety problems - even if I "fix" them - will likely always rear their ugly heads every once in a while, and it's scary to think about facing that alone for the rest of your life.

You proved me wrong. You proved me wrong at a time when I really needed to be proven wrong. You were the first person who didn't make a big deal out of my problems or judge me for them. You pushed them aside and found the true me underneath. I feel like others look at me and start thinking 'health problems, anxiety, no job, burdening her parents' - you saw through all of that and just saw me.

As much as I love you for all of that, don't think it's the only reason. I love you for all that you are - the charming, outgoing person who makes friends wherever he goes; the goofy, silly person who comes up with stupid jokes (that I laugh at anyway); the kind-hearted, caring person who listens to my crazy thoughts and gives me advice."

It’s incredibly sappy, I know, but it’s the honest truth. That’s why I can’t help doing all these celebratory things for his birthday. He’s so important in my life and I’m pouring all of my love into things – his party, our dinner out, and gifts – so that he understands that fact. If you were to ask him, he’d probably say he’s the lucky one here, but it’s really and truly me, I promise you that.

Happy birthday, love. ♥

mumble and gloria.

Today is a super awesome day. Why? Because it's Ashley's birthday, of course!

You should know that Ashley and I are personality twins, separated at birth, perhaps. In the five years we've been friends, I think the only discrepancies that we've discovered in our lives are our political views and 90's boy band loyalties. Otherwise, we share the same passion for dance, ability to remember choreography from years ago, obsession with watching old recital videos, apathy towards getting drunk, love of crafting and Sharpee markers, and tendency to indulge our inner 6-year-old. (Oh, and as for the title of this post, we're penguin pals since we played Gloria and Mumble from Happy Feet in the winter recital of '06.)

We also have the same thoughts and feelings about a lot of things, specifically those things that make me think I'm crazy and weird. Do you know how awesome it is to find out that someone else shares your special brand of crazy? Our opinions are so mirrored that, when one of us is trying to explain how we feel about something, the other person usually interrupts and says, yes, I totally understand, we're the same person, remember?

Last weekend we had an early celebration for her birthday, which was slightly insane but tons of fun. There were games of Kings, Never Have I Ever, and of course, Ash and I rehashed some old choreography. Which, I should mention, has become so commonplace that nobody blinked an eye (except maybe E, who'd never witnessed it before) and people actually joined in if they were passing through our makeshift "stage" in the kitchen. The party was so good that the date has already been set for next year's, which I will definitely be attending.

Happy birthday Ash! ♥

birthday wish.

{photo cred: Melissa; taken sophomore year of college}

When it comes down to it, nothing bonds two people quite like the desire to spruce up a boring dorm room with foam cutouts and pipe cleaners.

Wishing the happiest of birthdays to one of my closest friends, Melissa, who shared with me both that room and a passion for Disney, arts and crafts, and microwaveable pasta alfredo. Love you!

birthday boy.

He's my partner in crime, the one who understands how crazy our parents are, and he's with me through thick and thin. I've learned that I can lean on him, that even though he seems like he doesn't give a crap, he'll sit and listen to me cry about something and actually offer some sane advice. Sometimes he's a jerk and annoys the crap out of me, but then again, he is my younger brother and I think that's programmed into his DNA.

When we were little, we fought constantly. He thought it was cool to pick on me in front of my friends or around our cousins, which usually got my blood boiling. Yet when we were home, by ourselves, we got along. At night, when we were supposed to be asleep, he'd often sneak into my room and we'd hang out.

As I grew older, I realized that his habit of picking on and teasing me was something he did to mostly everyone in his life. He's always coming up with a quick joke or snarky comment about someone that ends up being so outrageous and unexpected that you can't even be offended. What once frustrated me no longer does (okay, it does sometimes, but not like it used to) because I understand that's just the way he is. That's his sense of humor, and he rarely means anything he says.

I cherish the relationship we have because I know not everyone is this lucky. He's my counterpart - it's always been me and him, Caity and Danny, Cait and Dan. And I hope it always stays that way.

Happy birthday, brudder!

(And Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!)

welcome, twenty-four.

{One of a series of the only pictures taken on Saturday night, of E and my brother playing Just Dance.}

Waking up to a plethora of birthday texts and Facebook wall posts. Having silly arguments about what subs to order and what beer to buy, which later turned into hilarious inside jokes. Picking up subs in the snow with my brother. Playing Family Feud with E. Watching E get along splendidly with my family. Wearing my Birthday Princess tiara all night, except when things got serious in Just Dance. Making delicious spinach and artichoke dip. Getting made fun of all night for a family inside joke that E is now in on. Playing WarioWare Smooth Moves under the name Birth. Erupting into laughter when E randomly chose my ex's WiiMii as his own. Totally owning everyone in Just Dance. Dancing my ass off with Ash (like always!) to Proud Mary. Laughing until my abs hurt while watching E and my brother dance to It's Raining Men and Jump (by Kris Kross). Falling asleep on the couch while watching SNL. Cuddling with my guy. Sleeping so soundly after a busy day.

There weren't many pictures snapped, several people had to cancel for various reasons, but I still had an absolute blast. I got a little tipsy with a cozy group of friends and spent most of my night laughing and enjoying every moment.

happy birthday to me.

Twenty-four years ago, at eight-something in the morning, I was born. The world hasn't been the same since.

Fact: I developed my awesomeness early.

I was cheesin' it up all. the. time.

My first birthday was a bit traumatic due to an incident involving a birthday tiara, but I got over it.

My childhood years were filled with more cheesin' and generally stealing the spotlight at all times.

All birthdays after my second birthday (which involved a you-started-singing-happy-birthday-without-me incident, and crying) were subsequently amazing. Probably because I started to appreciate cake a lot more.

My favorite birthday to date was the surprise party thrown for me in my senior year of high school. Even though I suspected it early on, the night before I was expertly convinced that I was wrong.

I don't care if this sounds selfish, but I love my birthday because it's all about me. I'm a giver and I often get caught up in caring more about other people than myself. Therefore, when my birthday comes around, I celebrate all week and treat myself to lots of special little things.

Twenty-four sounds scary, but I'm really excited at the same time because it holds so much promise. Here's to another year of being completely and totally awesome.

birthday week.

{'C' is for Cait; cupcakes from my birthday bash last year}

This Saturday, I'm turning 24. It's a scary number because it sounds old, though I guess I'm going to have to get used to that because every number after that sounds even older. At the same time, I'm thankful that I still get excited about my birthday. I can't ever imagine myself reaching an age where I'll dislike it, but I know it might eventually happen.

My week is and has been chaotic as I plan for my birthday party on Saturday night. Lists have been made, groceries and alcohol have been purchased, my outfit has been picked out, and there is still plenty of cleaning and baking to do. Throw in a couple of days at work this week (I never work two days a week anymore) and plans with friends, and there's my week.

Still, I consider this my birthday week, so I've taken time to do things for me. Watching Live to Dance with Ash and gushing about life, stopping at Starbucks for something yummy, planning a shopping trip later today to treat myself to a few gifts (I'm looking at you, VS Semi-Annual sale), wearing cute outfits even when it's totally unnecessary, and making my relationship with E official (and Facebook official, which is how you it's forreal. Just kidding. I don't really think that).

Needless to say, I'm loving 2011. If it were a person, I would kiss it on the mouth.

P.S. - My third blogoversary is coming up on the 11th and I will hopefully find enough time to carry out my special plans, including my first-ever giveaway! Stay tuned.

birthdays, birthdays, and more birthdays!

Oh, there have been too many birthdays lately. Not that there could ever be such a thing - because I love birthdays - but every time I turned around I had to start prepping someone else's gift. In true Cait style, I got a little crafty and, in one case, did some Target searching for cute things for the birthday celebrations.

First up was Melissa's birthday in April. Hers was a very last-minute, spur-of-the-moment idea, although you would never know it. It turned out amazingly, if I do say so myself. I mean, I always set out to do really good work, but I'm a huge critic and it's rare that it passes my own standards. I'll let you decide.

'Basically just 4 years of pure insanity' is the new tag line to our friendship. Also, PIPE CLEANERS AND FOAM DEALIES.

Next up, at the very beginning of May, it was my dance twin Ashley's 25th birthday bash. Since the first project went so well, I decided to go the same route and I was equally as impressed with myself.

Penguin love!

Finally, my BFF Danielle's birthday was two days ago, although we surprised her with a little birthday celebration during our reunion last week. Natalie and I set up my family room with leftover luau decorations and some delicious drinks, and we ordered in from Chili's and watched Hairspray. It was fabulous. I went scouting for gifts at Target and wound up with an adorable stationary set, picture frame, and jasmine-scented candle.

Yes, I bought three. One for me, one for Dani, and one to use as an emergency gift for someone.


Perfection.

I've got one major birthday left - my cousin - and I'm at a loss because she and I have done everything crafty for each other. I made her a scrapbook and gave her several picture frames and collages, she's made me a big collage and gave me a lovely speech at my graduation. Her birthday's next week and I'm totally going blank. Any ideas, crafty or not, are appreciated.

So that's what I've been up to craft-wise. I'm saving up all my creativity for my grandmother's scrapbook which we'll hopefully get started on soon - we only have about a month to go!

{Also, as I finished up this post I realized that today is also my friend Kyle's birthday! So, happy birthday!}

ten fun facts.

Today I turn twenty-three, and like last year, I'm finding it really, really weird. Anything past twenty-one is a weird age for me. I definitely don't feel my age at all. If you asked me and I wasn't paying attention, I would probably tell you I'm still eighteen. Or sixteen. Or, you know, twelve.

In honor of my birthday, I'm sharing ten fun facts about myself. Last year I posted twenty-two truths (and started off this paragraph the same! exact! way!), and although I was trying for twenty-three facts for today, I couldn't do it. Because I procrastinated. And I'm tired now. Right.

1. When I was younger I took both flute and piano lessons. I can definitely still play piano and could probably pick the flute back up easily.

2. I have a surprising affinity for rap and R&B music. This shocks most people who don’t know me well (see: my entire freshmen floor) because I seem to be your typical shy, quiet, nerdy and socially-awkward girl. However. I also took hip hop dance classes for seven years and am relatively good (this is equally as shocking for some people), so I’ve grown to really like listening to that type of music.

3. Speaking of dancing, my dream job is to be a backup dancer for Britney Spears or Lady Gaga. For serious.

4. When I was a baby, I never ever took naps. This usually amuses everyone because now I sleep whenever possible.

5. In high school, I was a layout editor for our yearbook. I actually never applied for the position because I thought I’d be doing dance team, but then that fell through. I attended the first few meetings of the year and hung out with the other layout editors because they were my close friends. I guess the advisors noticed and figured they needed one more editor, so I was appointed. It was seriously one of the best days of high school.

6. I am extremely organized when it comes to putting my clothes in dresser drawers. I cannot fathom just throwing shirts and shorts and things in there all willy-nilly. I tried once and just couldn’t do it.

7. I’m allergic to penicillin. Like, in a really bad, all-my-joints-swell-up kind of way. I’m also allergic to random fruits and vegetables, like apples, carrots, pears and peaches, but that’s in a non-life-threatening way.

8. One of my favorite things when I was a kid was having a double driveway. Most houses on our street have driveways that are only wide enough for one row of cars, but we have room for two rows. This meant I had plenty of room to draw all over with chalk, one of my absolute favorite things to do.

9. For a really long time, I didn't like chocolate at all. Now I adore it for the most part except for chocolate ice cream.

10. We've had only two pets in my house during my life: a black cat named Nigel and a hamster named Lilly. Nigel was around from before I was born and lived for eighteen years (which is FREAKING LONG for a cat). Lilly was my hamster and I had her from around eighth grade until sophomore or junior year of high school.

birthday princess.

Today, I turn 22 (well, turned, if we wanna get technical). My friend said, "congratulations! You've now turned the first age where birthdays don't matter anymore." It's true, isn't it? I mean, all I've got from here until forever are the milestones. Oh well.. I love my birthday regardless of whatever age I'm turning.

In honor of my birthday, here's something I've seen a few other bloggers do - 22 truths about myself. They're pretty random, ranging from random facts about life in general to things that happened this year. Enjoy!

22 Truths

1. After fourteen years of biting my nails, I think I’m finally going to completely kick the habit.

2. Not having a boyfriend until age twenty-one was a bit sucky at times, but it was totally worth it waiting for him.

3. I’m addicted to watching Food Network. I heart Alton Brown, would gladly have Bobby Flay’s babies, and think Sandra Lee is a total lush.

4. Looking back at my college experience, I realize that I grew a lot and I am really proud of myself for it.

5. After listening to the new Britney Spears CD for the past two weeks, I JUST figured out the meaning behind the song “If U Seek Amy.”

6. Ice skating in Rockefeller Center was definitely worth waiting in line for two and a half hours in the freezing cold.

7. I just finished redecorating my room so it finally stopped looking like it belongs to a ten year old.

8. Every once in a while, I pull all my prom and formal dresses out of my closet and try them on.

9. I really, really, really miss dancing.

10. Driving long distances, like the hour ride to and from school, is my best alone time.

11. My boyfriend has the best recipe for nachos.

12. I am totally obsessed with cupcakes, and will actually be making some for my birthday (strawberry cake with vanilla icing!).

13. The reason I love Tinkerbell is because she’s cute, quiet, and sometimes goes unnoticed… but she’s a sassy bitch. Just like me!

14. “Smart People” was the worst movie I’ve ever seen. My high school friends and I (known as the ‘smart’ lunch table) rented it because we thought it’d be fitting; we all thought it was terrible.

15. When I was little, I always wished I needed glasses. Now I’m happy abut my really good vision.

16. I really want to get back into reading, now that I might actually have time this semester. Any book suggestions?

17. The only big secret that I’ve kept from my parents is when I took a trip to Connecticut to see the So You Think You Can Dance? Season 2 tour for a second time. I know, I'm such a rebel.

18. After trying it for the first time, I found out I was allergic to soy milk. Which kinda sucks, because I really liked it.

19. My favorite part of my birthday is reading and replying to my Facebook wall posts and Myspace comments.

20. Online shopping makes me happy, even if I don’t end up buying most of the stuff I put in my cart.

21. This year defined a lot of my friendships, separating the strong ones from the weaker ones.

22. My favorite meal (that my mama is making for dinner) is ramen noodles with peas and chicken. It’s delish, probably because I love all three of those things separately.