"People will stare. Make it worth their while." -Harry Winston

xo kate

"Be in love with your life. Every detail of it." -Jack Kerouac

 

xo kate

"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea."

Going with the sea today.  I've give anything to be at the beach right now.

xo kate

My new boyfriend

I have a date with this man every night.

Okay, okay, Mr. Shaun T of the Insanity workouts is not actually my boyfriend.  But he is the CFO of this wolfpack...Chief Fitness Officer.  And he is kicking my ass (and abs and arms and back) every day.

I plan to be shredded in 60 days. Have you tried Insanity or other gym-less workout systems?  Do you want to?  

Continually shhh'ed

“Being tender and open is beautiful. As a woman, I feel continually shhh’ed. Too sensitive. Too mushy. Too wishy washy. Blah blah. Don’t let someone steal your tenderness. Don’t allow the coldness and fear of others to tarnish your perfectly vulnerable beating heart. Nothing is more powerful than allowing yourself to truly be affected by things. Whether it’s a song, a stranger, a mountain, a rain drop, a tea kettle, an article, a sentence, a footstep, feel it all – look around you. All of this is for you. Take it and have gratitude. Give it and feel love.”

Zooey Deschanel

A person's a person no matter how small.

Dr. Seuss is one of two authors that made me love to read.  (The other was Roald Dahl.)  I struggled to learn to read -- I was a low reader through first and second grade -- but when I got it, when it clicked, I read everything.  And I haven't really stopped since.  Loving to read has changed the course of my life and currently I spend my days, largely, trying to convince 23 second graders to love to read as much as I do, because I know it will change their lives too.  Thankfully, I have Dr. Seuss and Roald Dahl and Jon Scieszka and James Marshall and Giles Andreae and about a thousand other fantastic authors to help me along the way.

In a crowd of giants, Dr. Seuss stands the tallest to me.  I love him, not just because Green Eggs and Ham is inspired by my hometown -- Hanover, New Hampshire -- but because his wit and humanity shines through in all his writing.  Dr. Seuss teaches us to care about our environment, not to be racist, to believe in our dreams and to love the people around us.  Today would have been Dr. Seuss' 108th birthday and is a holiday in hundreds of thousands of school across America.  In my classroom, we'll be eating green eggs and ham (technically turkey bacon because I'm not allow to serve ham to students) and talking about our favorite books.  For those of you who don't spend the day with seven and eight year olds, here's an opportunity for you to celebrate at your desks with the wise words of the great doctor.

xo kate

Friday afternoon pep talk.

What the dickens?

Confession: I've never been a big fan of Charles Dickens' work.  I honestly haven't read much of it, and probably never will. I tried to read Great Expectations like 7 times, but never got past the third page.

But this little gem...this sounds about right to me.

Things fall apart

Did you know that today is the day most people give up on their resolutions?

I've had a rough couple of weeks--both physically and emotionally--but no way am I throwing in the towel. How you wildcats holding up?

luck be a lady

i am guilty of this...thinking happiness is the product of luck alone.  i think i will be building on this thought for my 2012 resolutions.

Smiling is my favorite.

School Portrait (2011) from Michael Berliner on Vimeo.

Here here!

In the wolfpack: Marcel the Shell with shoes on

My friend Summer just told me that Marcel the Shell is back.  I'm so thrilled. Do you know Marcel?

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On is an animated short film made by the collaborative efforts of writer/director Dean Fleischer-Camp and writer/actress Jenny Slate. The short is about Marcel, an anthropomorphic shell. The film premiered theatrically at AFI FEST 2010 where it was awarded Best Animated Short and was an official selection of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

Here is part one of  Marcel's adventures, originally posted on youtube in October of 2010.



Part two was released earlier this week.



Summer's favorite part is about smiling all the time because it is worth it.

I think my favorite part is: Oh god, I can smell his face.

What's yours?

How to look lovely

from bippity boppity boo

I keep the Oriental Trading Company in business

Last Christmas Day, I tackled my first formal table scape.   I had so much that I decided to kick it up a notch and put something together for Thanksgiving as well...any inspiration for me?  How do you set the table for holidays? 

Here's to the crazy ones.

Something wicked this way comes.

Have you decided on your halloween costume yet? If not, here are some helpful ideas for you, your canine, and baby.

First, some pictures stolen from my favorite obsession, Pinterest:

Love that the dog is dressed up like this guy.

Rainbow Brite and Twink.

The A Team

How adorable is this little girl?

In case your were wondering, my roommate's pup Finnleigh is still deciding too. 

Frog, pumpkin or bumble bee?

And lastly, some personal highlights from  over the past few years.  

My friends are very creative and quite silly; I hope they inspire you.

Charlie Brown, Elmo, and Big Bird.

Inspector Gadget's helicopter actually worked.  

He practiced his french accent for weeks.

We are the members of the All-American League. We come from cities, near and far.

The Spice Girls. 

The KFC guy was not only funny, but also delicious.

This year, I'm attending the 90s prom hosted by FNX.  

I'm thinking of going as Janet Jackson in Rhythm Nation.  

I just have to work on the moves. What ideas are you considering?