Late Night in College

Bored, I woke up my roommate Elissa a little while ago and we decided to go to La Divina, a new late night spot on campus and a branch of a local gelateria. We had scuro dark chocolate gelato and chased it with a dark chocolate brownie. It was quite rich. Now we are weighing our options for the night. Should we go out or just stay in and continue to watch TV and halfheartedly work on homework/browse the internet. Oh the life of a college student...

True Dreams of Wichita

Listening to "True Dreams of Wichita" and thinking of all that has happened in the past three months as this summer draws to a close and I prepare to begin a hectic semester of 18 hours, I recognize a sinking feeling I have had. I am sadly aware that I may have had my last true summer of long mostly carefree days spent lounging around, enjoying the company of friends and making a few bucks.  Yet in completely unexpected ways simply remaining home in Kansas over the summer made for one of the best summers of my life. Spent forging new relationships, solidifying older ones, and recognizing personal growths, I am extremely sad to see this summer fade into the past. Saying goodbye to my mother yesterday in the same place where this summer began proved to be harder than expected. I wasn't the kid suffocated by my parents all summer, itching to get back to college and freedom like I thought I would be by the time August rolled around. Instead I was painfully aware of all that I was saying goodbye too. Three wonderful monumental months with family and friends that I will always cherish. I feel as if I have a wonderful memory from every single day this summer as opposed to a couple from a vacation I took. Everyday counted this summer and everyday brought something new. As I move forward into a hectic semester and try to ignore the fact that college is flying by much faster than expected I take comfort in the fact that the memories I have of a wonderful summer spent in Wichita can always live in my dreams.

Music to Live By

As I write this post I am simultaneously sampling music on Amazon and Youtube. Music has always been an escape for me, a source of comfort, or an expression of feeling when I was unable to create these for myself. Some of my most treasured memories of music involve being six years old and sitting in front of my grandparent's tv watching CMT all day long. Another is listening to Coldplay upon my airplane's descent into Paris on my first trip to Europe, a place I had longed to visit my entire life. A less happy time music has come to play a major role in my life is when I would lie in bed at night and listen to songs that expressed how I felt after my first relationship ended. Music is an amazing outlet for human emotions. It also is a great way to preserve and conjure memories. Although I have no musical talent, I have respect for what music can communicate that the spoken or written word cannot. Even a piece of music that is simply instrumental can convey ideas and feelings that words cannot. I know that no matter what life throws at me, music will always be an inspiration to me as well as a profound way of coping with unavoidable disappointments.

My Take on MTV's The Real World New Orleans

Though The Real World New Orleans premiered in June I refused to watch an episode until the end of July. I had seen them out filming a few times last semester, I had seen the previews, heard a few Loyola students talking about their drunken experiences with the cast, whatever. I decided I didn't want to be a part of it. And so I hadn't watched it. I finally gave in though after a roommate told me she had been watching it. So here's what I think. I  know that I am not a native New Orleanian but more of a "glorified tourist" as some may think for going to college there but still, I have fiercely regarded the city as my home for the past 2 years. So I find it annoying that these people who just want to be on TV are cast on this show that really has no point or storyline. Then they come in and act like they own the place, bring their cameras into all the local spots, it's just annoying. I feel like I've earned more of a right to be there than they have. After watching an episode tonight I'm a little more ok with it, after seeing how the show portrayed New Orleans. Instead of it being some dirty, crime ridden, hurricane destroyed city it showed New Orleans as a vibrant city with a huge yet wonderful and tightknit community, which is exactly what New Orleans is. It is strong, resilient, and simply a great place to be, no matter if you are a tourist, college student, or native. And if forced I suppose I would have to admit it's pretty neat (like really really cool actually) to see places that I go all the time on national television. So although I wasn't too excited about it, I guess The Real World New Orleans is ok.

An Obsession of Mine: Online Shopping

Would blue or orange mix better with my comforter?

While shopping for new sheets online during Macy's Home Sale, I decided I have to confess on PK how much I love online shopping. It's kind of like a drug, it soothes me. Sometimes I will just browse for hours for thing I don't even really need but may someday like to purchase. I like to feel in control of my choices and my OCD tendencies can make this hard since I obsess before I buy. Shopping tends to overwhelm me. I can spend hours (well not quite but seems like it) at Walgreen's wondering which type of drugstore hair straightening product I should buy.

Online shopping changes the game though. No longer do I have to pace back and forth in a Walgreens aisle contemplating my consumer fate. I don't need to become frazzled over prices and choices and feel pressured to buy something. I can shop online anywhere I have my computer or Itouch and an internet connection.  Ususally for me this means in bed at any possible time of day watching a favorite tv program or listening to iTunes, or sometimes both. Plus I can search a product on multiple sites and find the best deals. Reading other customer's reviews also helps me a great deal whenever I am contemplating a purchase. I've also yet to run across a website with a time limit so I can take hours, days, weeks, even months to decide if I want to spend money on something. Even if the town I'm in doesn't have a favorite store of mine I can still shop it online. Basically if online shopping is something you haven't yet considered useful I recommend you give it a try; I find it great.

My Signature Champagne

Last summer in the city of Paris (where else?) I fell in love with champagne. It is the perfect purely kaitlin drink. Classy, poshly packaged and gets you feeling good fast. But by the end of my time in Paris I didn't just fall in love with champagne, I found My One. That is my one favorite champagne that happens to also cost a bit of money. So imagine my surprise when I woke up the other morning to find that my grandfather had picked me up a bottle of Pommery! It was wonderful and just like my grandfather to be thoughtful like that! 

Pommery comes from France's famed champagne country, Reims. To visit the factoy is a huge to-do on my list. Not only is it the home of my signature champagne, I hear it is astoundingly beautiful. What is your favorite champagne? If you don't have a favorite champagne or any idea about the wonderful world of bubbly, I highly suggest you make a toast and drink up! (responsibly of course) 

I highly encourage you to visit the Pommery France website and learn more about the Pommery brand. Cheers! 

Kaitlin

Happy Bastille Day!

Today in France (a favorite place of mine if you do not yet know) is La Fête Nationale or Bastille Day. July 14 celebrates the storming of the Bastille in 1789 and the beginning of the French Revolution. Celebrations take place all over France and namely in Paris to celebrate the republic of France.


In honor of a favorite place of mine and my grandparents, we had our own little fête consisting of goat cheese, French bread, walnuts, berries, and of course champagne. I do feel we cheated a bit because we were drinking a Napa champagne and not a French champagne, but c’est la vie. It was a wonderful little party and a reminder that if I continue to work towards my goals I will be back in my beloved France in less than half a year.


Speaking of working towards my goals, my grandparents and I dined at a favorite chinese restaurant. Though the food may not be what it once was, the restaurant holds fond memories for my grandparents of when I was born. Perhaps someday I will share the story I have heard on more than one occasion here on Purely Kaitlin. But another time. At the conclusion of our meal I had my PoPo (my affectionate name for my grandfather) choose my fortune cookie. Now I know these fortunes are printed in mass and probably cost a penny-a-piece from some company like Oriental Trading, but nonetheless I found value in my fortune tonight. It read ‘You need to work hard to be “lucky.”’ An appropriate fortune to share on this fledgling blog, I thought. Right now, at the beginning of this journey, I sometimes think “I can’t be one of those lucky people who truly makes a name for themselves through an online presence that many people identify with.” But who knows. Perhaps I can. And at least I know no one will ever identify with me if I don’t put myself out there. There is nothing else to do but to try, because like my fortune reminded me, luck doesn’t just fall into your lap. You have to work (and perhaps most importantly believe in yourself!) to catch it.

Kaitlin

The Beginning

Being fascinated with the field of PR and building a brand, I've decided to work on my own. The name of my budding brand "Purely Kaitlin" is coming from the meaning of my nickname, Kate, which is pure. On my blog I'll be sharing everything and anything on life, style, obsessions, travels and everything else. And what better time than now? I'll be a junior at Loyola University in New Orleans and I'm planning on studying in France (Happy early Bastille Day!) in 2011 for six months. So there is a lot going on. I want to share it. And hopefully people will want to know. So welcome to Purely Kaitlin.

Kaitlin