Happy Hunger Games!

I will be the first one to admit, I have a bit of an obsessive personality. When I am passionate about something, I throw my whole heart and soul into it and want to learn more about it, want to learn everything I can. Though sometimes it means I can quickly become lost in another world, I absolutely love the feeling of being so captivated by something that it consumes me.

Like most people in this generation, the first thing to really captivate me was the Harry Potter series. I read these books over and over again, each time as enjoyable as the first. I remember waiting not so patiently for each book and movie to be released, going to midnight premieres or book release parties, crying at the death of some of my favorite characters and shrieking for joy when something wonderful happened. It was almost like a secret language was formed with my siblings and friends; we could use words like ‘muggle’, ‘bloody brilliant’, ‘better than firewhiskey’, ‘seeker’ and ‘blimey’ in daily conversation and not even be thrown off. The characters were so real to me in such influential years of my life that sometimes I wonder how much of my life was influenced by Harry Potter without even me knowing it.

I am notorious for getting caught up in tv shows, like Boy Meets World, Dawson’s Creek, One Tree Hill, The OC and, most recently, The Vampire Diaries. But nothing ever captured me the way the Harry Potter books had. I read Twilight and enjoyed it, but I couldn’t feel myself right there with the characters and I wondered if there would ever be a novel series to make me feel like that again.

And then I read ‘The Hunger Games’.

I realize I am late into the game on this one, but I don’t think that makes me any less of a fan. When reading the books (over the past 5 days I have read both ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Catching Fire’), I feel like I am in Panem, like I am running alongside Katniss in the arena. When she screams out for Peeta, I feel my heartstrings tug because I want to scream out for him too (and sometimes do). My eyes watered when President Snow made the Quarter Quell announcement and my heart broke during the interviews. I plan on starting “Mockingjay” the minute I get home from work and will no doubt have it done by the time ‘The Hunger Games’ DVD is released on Saturday. I am told that my love for Peeta may waver during the third installment, but I doubt it. Peeta is the man and I am very loyal to my literary crushes!

It’s been the week of The Hunger Games for me and I am so excited to have found a series where I can be captivated again, where I can escape my own world and feel like I am right beside the tributes. If you haven’t read it, I strongly strongly recommend blocking a few hours of your life and starting the first book, but don't say I didn't warn you about their power to make you obsessed.  I can’t wait to reread them over and over again, not to mention watch the movie!

(This should have really been the thing to hook me months ago...)

"Welcome to The OC, bitch!"

Yesterday marked the nine year anniversary of the series primere of "The O.C." In the summer of 2003, Fox launched a little summer show that took off to become one of the most talked about series of the early 2000's. Basic plotline: Ryan Atwood (played by hottie Ben McKenzie) is a bad boy from Chino and, along with his druggie/gun-carrying brother, steal sa car. They get caught (bummer) and Ryan is assigned witty do-gooder lawyer, Sandy Cohen to defend him. Sandy knows about being handed a tough life, but he made something of himself (and married rich. such a sorority girl at heart) so he wants to make sure Ryan makes something of himself too. It's Take-A-Convict-Home Day in California and Sandy takes Ryan back to his McMansion in Orange County where he introduces him to his sweet but slightly concerned wife Kirsten and crushable nerd Seth Cohen (played by the quick-witted Adam Brody). Throw in misunderstood-and-slightly-alcoholic girl next door Marissa, snobby-but-funny Summer and a cast of other classic screwed up rich people and you get one of the biggest guilty pleasures on television.

Like most shows, the first season was by far the best and rewatching it takes me back to a simpler time of 13 year old Kacey where my biggest problems consisted of popcorn stuck in my braces, petitioning my parents for a cell phone (so i could make actual phone calls. and play snake.) and prematurely stressing about what dress I would wear and date I would bring to the Celebration Dance the following spring. (ended up getting this fabulous buttermilk yellow dress from Nordstrom that I wish I still owned and went with a kid named Kevin. We slow danced to O-town. It was epic.)

Looking back, "The O.C." probably wasn't the most appropriate show for an eighth grader to watch and it definitely gave me a warped view of what high school would be like, but it introduced me to the band Nada Surf and for that I will forever be grateful. Here are the top 5 lessons I learned from Season 1 of "The O.C."

5) Don't light candles when you are hiding out in a model McMansion home. Something will go wrong, you will light the place on fire and then your guardian family will have to bail you out of the mess. And Juvy.



Though resisting the charm and oh-so-blue eyes of Ryan Atwood would not be my strong suit.

4) Rich people have classy events for EVERYTHING. Did you know what Cotillion was before this show? Me either, and I was extremely bitter that my social circle did not have one.  Also, someone will always get punched in the face at these events. Perhaps the next socialite outing should be the Anger Management Gala?



3) Ryan's instincts are ALWAYS right and Marissa's are ALWAYS wrong. See: Tijuana, Oliver and countless other situations. The Tijuana Incident and The Oliver Incident both scared the crap out of me and I have avoided both the Mexican city and all boys with the name since.



2) Religions do not need to feud, there is a simple solution for coexistence and peace and it is called Chrismukkah. Compromise at its finest, thanks to the lovely Seth Cohen and his quirky take on life.



1) Everyone needs a Sandy Cohen in their life. Everyone.




Ah, sweet nostalgia. 

Previously on Kacey's life

I can not believe how long it has been since I have last blogged! Here's what I have been up to for the past 133 days..


* Turned 22 years old! Was surprised at midnight by a cake with the in-house girls, twas very adorable.


* Got a BIG GIRL JOB! My internship offered me a full time position and I took a leap of faith and accepted. I am learning so much about the eye banking industry, the highs and lows of working full time and I'm really learning a lot about myself.


* Dominated Greek Week with my sorority sisters (CHAMPS), we went out with an amazing Greek Sing performance and I wouldn't change a thing about my girls. Thank you for making the end of my senior year truly eventful.


* I GRADUATED COLLEGE. I have a B.A. I am an alumni. It's weird. I'm still convinced I am going to get back on the Hogwarts Express on September 1st and---oh wait, wrong fantasy. 


* Bought a new car! 2012 Ford Escape, named it Sirius Black and I am in heaven. Unlike my old hooptie, this car has air conditioning, breaks that work and the windows go down! Not to mention a CD player... luxurious!


* Found an adorable apartment in, you guessed it, New Jersey! Just because I work in Philly doesn't mean I can't live across the bridge and enjoy all the Garden State has to offer. My complex has two pools, two fitness centers, tennis courts and, best of all, parking <3


* Became completely and uncontrollably obsessed with The Vampire Diaries--my ever so patient and generous boyfriend let me watch it almost every night on Netflix, even though it completely screwed up his 'recommended for you' settings. Nearly every song they play goes right on to my iPod and I am never ceased to be shocked at the ending of an episode. Team Salvatore Brothers. 

Eternal Studs.

Through all of these big changes and exciting things, it was my family and friends who got me through it all. I've got some pretty amazing people sticking by my side and I only hope to be as good to them as they are to me.


Speaking of sticking to things, I promise to stick more to writing this blog! I will assure you the shambly and goofy things that happened to me in college are still continuing to happen in 'the real world.' Stay tuned!

Procrastinating and Serenading

In a very un-Kacey like manner, I am procrastinating the crap out of studying for my Modern Britain quiz tomorrow. I usually never procrastinate, I am always making lists and get a sick pleasure out of crossing them off…maybe I have a case of the Mondays, maybe it’s just because I worked all day or maybe it is because I had a pretty great weekend and am already missing my boy.

Anyway, I am currently listening to Natalie Cole and imagining a better place than my un-tidy, un-productive cell of a room. Seriously, there are bars on my second story window. Welcome to North Philly. Dodge the homeless.

I always, always, always, sing to Natalie Cole. Whether it’s the fun "This Will Be", the beautiful "Unforgettable" or my personal favorite "Orange Colored Sky", I can’t help it! She is just absolutely fantastic, a true testament to her father.

Also, this Whitney and Natalie cover of Aretha’s "Say A Little Prayer" is INCREDIBLE!! That song always makes me think of My Best Friend’s Wedding, which is one of the funniest movies and sweetest romantic comedies of all time.

How about I pay someone $100 to take my quiz for me and I will go to my couch and have a movie marathon of Parent Trap, My Best Friend’s Wedding and Father of the Bride?

You have 11 hours to respond! ;)

xo

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

"May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand."

Galway, Ireland. One Year Ago <3

I'm not old, just older

Happy Hump Day everyone! I can’t believe it’s only two weeks until my 22^nd birthday…getting old. Birthdays are interesting. Little kids live for them, they spend their whole year thinking about them and the day is often so exciting that they end up crying over their ice cream cake. Then you turn 13 and think you are the shit because you are a teenager (though you still can’t really do your makeup and you wear WAY too much body spray.) Sixteen and seventeen bring a license and a sense of freedom and eighteen means you can put up an attitude when your parents still try to boss you around. Then it’s two years of stale birthdays…and then you turn 21.

I turned 21 in Ireland. A country with practically no drinking age and, on top of it, it was a Monday. I still finished a large amount of Jack Daniels, went dancing in Q Bar with my friends and wore a crown, but it definitely wasn't the same as wild 21 bashes that I have been to in the states.

Why do we have this obsession with getting absolutely smashed on our twenty first birthday? Most people have already had their first drink well before then and in many cases have also been served at bars. So why the out of control celebration?

Maybe it’s the fact that (besides being able to rent a car at 25), after 21 you can do anything you want. You have no more milestone birthdays to look forward to, no more countdowns to your special day. Turning 22 isn’t exactly something that I am super hyped about…all it means is that I am another year closer to 30. And 30....well that is OLD! ;)

xo

Weasley Is My King

So sorry for the long absence! It was midterms week followed by spring break week and this Jersey girl was busy soaking up the un-seasonably (though I am not complaining) warm weather! I haven’t gotten to do my blog post on Ron Weasley…his birthday was March 1^st but better late than never :) Here are my thoughts on the world’s favorite ginger…

 

Ron is one of the BEST characters in the HP series! I always felt like he was relatable—like all normal teenagers (and frankly most adults), he has mood swings and he struggles with jealousy of his best friend, feeling left out of his family, not being motivated to do homework and also struggling to put his romantic feelings into words. Of course, Ron also has to struggle with helping to defeat a dark wizard, being responsible for the damage of a stolen flying car and having a pet who is really a death eater. The fact he can handle all that without avada-ing himself…that’s pretty boss.

Have I mentioned that Ron has the best lines out of EVERYONE? They may not be wise like Dumbledore, but he is freakin hysterical. “Percy wouldn’t recognize a joke if it danced in front of him wearing Dobby’s tea cozy”---perfect!

Ron also put the expression “bloody hell” into my vocabulary. He definitely has the potty mouth out of the trio and is always using some interesting swear words. (“What in the name of Merlin’s soggy Y front”---no one swears quite like the British do.)

There are three posters of Ron in my room and I don’t plan on taking them down when I become a big girl with a mortgage and husband and car payment. Ron is a nice little reminder that, although life can get pretty rough sometimes, a little bit of wit and firewhiskey can make it all better.


xo

Kacey's Techey Review: Droid

I have finally entered the age of the Smartphone! I am celebrating my tenth day with my 4G Droid Razr. It is purple, nicknamed Raul and fabulous. Here is my opinion of the Droid, in a much more entertaining (though probably less informative) way than those tech boards.

Pros of Raul the Razr:

·         Fantastic camera! Such HD pictures and quick upload ability

·         The screen is really big, which is good for people who hate to squint

·         My text icon is not a normal envelope…it is a speech bubble with a smiley face in it! Adorable!

·         Words with friends!

·         It’s super fast and I feel totally boss with a cool phone. Even when the "DROID" sound annoys people whenever I get a text. Sorry you are not cool enough to have a phone that is self confident enough to say it's name all of the time. I may start saying "KACEY" whenever I have a message for someone....

·         It’s way less pretentious than the iPhone.

Droid Downers:

·         For two weeks I couldn’t receive pictures from iPhone people but now I can. I just had to update something and now it’s great

·         I sometimes do not wake up for my alarm. Whether this is Raul’s fault or my own has yet to be determined.

#TeamDroidForever

Scavenger Date

Sorry I have been so absent! Things have been so crazy with school and I took a weekend away to go home, relax and disconnect from drama. It was a perfect remedy and got me even more excited for Spring Break (T minus four days, but who’s counting?!)

Winter South Jersey is much different from Summer South Jersey, but with a little bit of creativity and caffeine, you can make a fun time out of anything. Matt and I decided to go to the Hamilton Mall in Mays Landing, not because we needed to shop, but because we really didn’t have anything else to do. How do we entertain ourselves?

By making up a scavenger hunt of course! 

 Some of the things were way to inappropriate to post, but I will say items included “a screaming child”, “an afro”, “a person with a wolf t-shirt like Alan from The Hangover” and “a middle school clique”. We failed to find a “person preppier than Kacey”, but that was expected!

I naturally won the scavenger hunt because I am an expert people watcher, and we had dinner with his parents and then went to my house to hang out with old friends and family and play the Xbox Kinect dance game. 

Weekend perfection!

Picture: Looking over the list in Macys. Note the Sperrys I am lusting after, Starbucks in my hand and 'I'm-so-going-to-kick-ass" smirk. 

Giving Up The Buck

Its Ash Wednesday today, and thus starts a time for sacrifice. Last Ash Wednesday I was in Paris at the Notre Dame…nothing against the Newman Center on Temple’s Campus, but this mass will be a little different.

The boyfriend and I were discussing what we were giving up for Lent. Soda? Nah, we don’t really drink that much anyway. Facebook? Unfortunately I need that for my internship. I realized giving up didn’t necessarily mean having to go cold turkey on a favorite commodity, it meant doing something to better your understanding of someone else’s pain and suffering.

Therefore, we decided that each day, Matt and I are going to ‘give up’ a dollar, which means at the end of 40 days, we will have $80 to put to a good cause. We have chosen the put the money towards restocking the food pantry at my local Parish of Saint Maximillion Kolbe. They always need donations and I feel I always take 3 meals a day for granted. Though its not much, its something and I am excited to give back to those in need.

What are you giving up for Lent?

Sacred Small Stuff

Ugh! I get to my ‘Modern Britian: Empire, War and Rock and Roll’ (welcome to Temple) class today and some rando chick is in my seat!!! I ALWAYS sit in that seat and there was a Malfoy-worthy sneer on my face when I walked in and saw her there.

I guess humans are creatures of habit, we all have our little rituals and vices that get us through the day. For instance, if I don’t have my coffee in the mornings, I am a force to be reckoned with. And I have to make flashcards before any test or quiz, even if it’s only ten questions and I know what it’s about—if I don’t have flashcards, I don’t feel prepared and usually have some type of panic attack. I always fold my pizza when I eat it, always put my makeup on in the same order (foundation, eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, coverup, blush, lipstick) and always say ‘I love you’ before I hang up the phone.

You never realize how much you rely on the normalcy until something throws you a little off balance. In a crazy world where every day there is a new drama, it’s nice to have a couple things you can control.

It’s also nice to have little indulgences. Vineyard Vines is having a free shipping sale so I am ordering myself a Koozie. It’s only five dollars and it is so worth the excitement I have waiting for it to come in the mail! Little things, little rituals, little moments…that’s what keeps me sane most days.

Dreaming of Warmer Days

Sorry for the absence over the weekend! It was filled with birthday celebrations for one of my good friends, a Temple Owls victory in basketball and a visit from my guy!

So apparently voting for the Top 10 Best NJ Beaches launches tomorrow at noon! It surprised me that the Wildwoods are the remaining champs (winning 3 out of the 4 past years). Not that Wildwood isn’t pretty, of course, but when you have to walk practically a mile from the boardwalk to the sea…that loses its luster.  According to the comments on their Facebook page, it looks like there is a lot of Wildwood pride and voters are ready to have the title be theirs again.

Although I love South Jersey, love my summers on the beaches in Strathemere and Sea Isle…Lavallette (off Exit 82) is the most beautiful beach. Though it shares the same stretch of island as those Jersey Shore nuts, Lavallette is a small coastal town with the most amazing sand. Somehow, the sand up there brushes right off of you, it’s got more of a exfoliating feel than the sand down in South Jersey. The water is beautiful, the sandbars are so defined and I always seen dolphins!

Lavallette’s got my vote for best beach in South Jersey—cast yours tomorrow at http://www.njtoptenbeaches.org/  

xo

Thursday Thoughts: Starbucks

Did you know in the state of New Jersey there are 259 Starbucks?

Why do we like Starbucks? Their drinks are overpriced and insanely high in calories. And yet…you have to love Starbucks. I certainly do.

I can walk into a Starbucks and know what to expect. The coffee-colored walls, the cozy couches, a hipster in the corner on a Macbook and a barista ready to take my order. Do I want a cappuccino? A chai tea latte? Whatever I choose, I know I will like it and I will walk around with that little green and white cup with a bounce in my step. I hate forking over five bucks for a caffeine fix, but I can justify it by saying ‘well, most of this is going to the poor kids in Africa on all of those pictures. And I had 35 cents left on my gift-card, I practically got this for free’. Self-deception fuels the Starbucks business.

Sometime in October, Starbucks comes back with their coveted pumpkin spice line and it’s pretty much a national holiday for any sorority. “Ohmygod, pumpkin spice lattes are back?! The line is forty people long? No problem, lets skip class and get some!”

After a stressful day at work, stop at Starbucks. Got an A on a test? You deserve a treat--stop at Starbucks. In preparation for a shopping day, you’re going to need fuel. You’re going to need Starbucks. I know I use any excuse I can to justify my overpriced latte, but there’s something about The Starbucks Experience that keeps me coming back for more, no matter how thrifty I say I am.

Well, that, and the fact that they always let you use their bathroom.

Where are the places I will go?

Even when I am at school in Philadelphia, I like to keep in touch with what’s happening at home. The Press of Atlantic City newspaper has a “local business” section and I read such a great article today. The article is about Care Custom Cabinetry, a father-son business. They do high end woodwork and their clients include the Atlantic City Country Club and Blue Heron’s Golf Club. It’s a nice read and definitely something I would recommend checking out.

I’m a sucker for small businesses, bonus points if it’s a family business. When the person at the counter knows your coffee order or the owner of a clothing boutique asks about how your brother is doing at college—that’s personal and brightens my day. South Jersey is great for finding local, small businesses to shop at, which I will definitely be featuring in upcoming posts. I also firmly believe that supporting small businesses is good for the local and eventually national economy. My local bagel shop doesn’t get their bagels from a sweatshop halfway around the world.

I’ve always wanted to run a business with my family (as in future family. Much easier to boss around my kids than my siblings), even though I have no idea what that business would be. I’ve dreamed about a restaurant, a café, a bar, a clothing shop…I’m only twenty one years old so I guess the possibilities are endless. Some days my rapidly approaching graduation date scares me, but most days it really excites me. I just don’t want to ever have the attitude that “it’s not the right time” or “maybe later”. My life is happening right now; I’m going to do what I want with it!

Dirty Drinks and Sweet Boys

It’s my first Valentine’s Day with a boyfriend and I have to admit, after years of being a hater, I am officially in love with Valentine’s Day.

Due to the 70 miles currently between us Monday through Friday, I have to wait until weekends to be with my guy. Instead of presents, we decided to just do cards and a nice dinner this past weekend at The Continental in Atlantic City. I love it there. It’s funky, classy and they never card me which was 1) awesome when I was underage and 2) great now because I always hate showing my license picture. The woman decided having an extreme close up of my face was suitable for identification. The only thing you can identify with that picture is the fact that my Bobbi Brown cover-up did not completely cover up a pimple on my nose.

Anyway, now that I am 21 I can legally enjoy the finer things in life. I’m usually a beer girl (I probably have higher amounts of Corona than water in my bloodstream) and wine is okay for holidays and movie nights and particularly stressful Thursdays. But there is one drink that The Continental makes that I just cannot resist: The Dirty Martini.

It looks sexy, it sounds sexy and it makes me feel totally bad ass/Mad Men-esque/wealthy. Maybe it’s the glass, maybe it’s the fact that it’s not a shot of Vladimir vodka (the college freshman in me just threw up a little) or maybe it’s just the way it sounds ordering it (‘Dirty Martini, extra olives please’) but I am particularly obsessed with this drink. And Matt is nice enough to fund my obsession.

It seemed that the card, chocolates, teddy bear and dinner weren’t enough though: today I received two dozen red roses from Matt himself with an adorable note attached.

Does this make up for the twenty other February 14ths I spent alone, bitter and stuffing my face with pity chocolate from my parents?

Absolutely.

xo

So much more than the fist pump...

I know. The title throws you off, right?

Let me clarify a few things: yes, I know the “Jersey Shore” cast is not actually from New Jersey. But you don’t see the show being called “Visitors From Other States Getting Paid Millions For Acting Like Idiots Shore”. And no, I sure as heck did not vote for Governor Christie. I pride myself at having a little more class than those two horrible misrepresentations of the state I call home.

I used to say the most Jersey things about me were my license plate and my big hair. I gladly escaped my little coastal town and headed to college in Philadelphia and even got the chance to study abroad in Ireland for a semester. The more time I spent away from New Jersey though, the more I realized I belonged there. I belonged at Exit 25 off the parkway, belonged on the beaches in the summer and Quizzo at Yesterdays on Thursday nights. Jersey isn’t about guidos and fist pumping: like me, it’s got more class than that.

Do I think my little pink blog will singlehandedly change anything? Nah, but why not indulge yourself and listen to my daily thoughts (which tend to turn into rambles) and take peeks into the fun parts of my life? I live at the beach, wear cute clothes and drink a lot of coffee—I promise, it’ll be entertaining.

xo