Hi everyone! I apologize for going incommunicado with no explanation after my little flurry of OOTD posts last fall. Lotta reasons, but my biggest driving force was my New Year's resolution to call a complete halt to my J. Crew shopping until I got my closet, and my buying habits, properly sorted out. It helped to just kinda go underground. Suffice it to say that progress has been made on both fronts. Look for a lot of stuff to be going on the weekly exchange from me really soon! And be on the lookout for a little overhauling around my blog. I'll still include some OOTD's and fashion finds and wardrobe teaching tidbits (like my now-famous short-shin/long-shin skirt-length-rule!) from time to time, but I'd like to branch out and talk about other things that interest me and, I hope, will provoke thought and discussion. I hope you'll find the changes fun and worth sticking around for. You might possibly see a change to my screenname, too. It's always been mysterious to some people and, I will admit, it's definitely unpronounceable as written. (For the record, JCAUNCMom translated is JCA, as in "J. Crew Aficionada", UNC (as in University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) Mom (because both of my adored sons are UNC-Chapel Hill Tar Heels.) I'll make sure y'all know where to find me, and that it's ME whose ramblings you're reading!
On to today's post -- my version of the very cute A to Z. Just to kick off the notion of letting y'all get to know the non-fashion side of me a bit. Hope you enjoy!
A. Age: Mid-50's (ugh)
B. Bed size: King, and there are four of us in the bed: (1) my sweet husband who sleeps like a windmill, (2) our old, dear, Bichon Frise who likes to sleep on. my. feet. (as in, if I move them, he moves back on top of them --- he's vigilant), (3) me, and (4) menopause, who's a hot bedfellow, lemme tell you. Honest, the mattress could be the size of my bedroom floor, and it just might not be big enough for all four of us.
C. Chore you dislike: Unloading the dishwasher. I don't mind cleaning up a dirty kitchen. I just cannot stand to unload clean dishes. And I feel similarly about laundry -- don't mind doing it, don't mind folding it, detest putting it away. Weird, I know.
D. Dogs: Eddie, world's largest Bichon Frise, age 14 but frisky. May we please, Lord, have a few more years with this awesomely intelligent, wonderful little guy. (Eddie's picture is at the bottom of my blog home page - enjoy!)
E. Essential start to your day: Bold caffeinated coffee with 1 packet of Truvia and 1 Tbsp. Fat-Free Hazelnut Coffeemate. Drink and repeat. I am a big fan of clean eating, but, as the saying goes, they'll have to pry my Coffeemate from my cold dead hands.
F. Favorite color: Very different preferences in clothing and household decorating. Household decorating: Sage green, slightly olive. Clothing: Tie between black and navy blue. (You didn't ask, but I'll tell you anyhow: Favorite clothing pattern by FAR: stripes.)
G. Gold or silver: I like and own both but look way better in yellow gold.
H. Height: 5'4"
I. Instruments you play(ed): Piano lessons from age 9 to age 18, and like my French after nine years of classes, now totally atrophied. These two should catapult to the top of my bucket list, by all rights. Shameful.
J. Job title: Group fitness instructor specializing in indoor cycling classes (loooooooooove doing this). Newsletter editor/Board member/volunteer for a women's community service group (love this, too). College applications-preparation/essay-writing tutor for high school students (yet another awesomely fun and rewarding thing). Occasional civil litigation lawyer (used to do this full-time at a big law firm, still do it in connection with keeping my license current, never thought it was much fun at all). Also former big-company telecommunications transactional lawyer (more fun than civil litigation, but not much). Also former partner in a direct-market high-end women's clothing business, and sales trainer/corporate educator for the same company (both parts of that job were GREAT fun).
I've concluded that I really do have a juvenile attention span. :-)
K. Kids: 2 sons, ages 24 and 21. And Eddie.
L. Live: In a northern suburb of Atlanta, GA.
M. Mom’s name: Joyce (Rest in peace, Mama. I miss you so much.)
N. Nicknames: "Kas", pronounced "Cass" -- short for "Casper", as in the ghost, but spelled with a K as is my name, Kathy. My parents nicknamed me "Kas" because apparently as a little kid I had this disconcerting way of suddenly appearing in a room without making a sound, as if by magic. Wooooooo. Also often called "Kath". Possibly interesting fact: "Kathy" is the name my parents used to introduce me to new people, school, camp, church, etc., and so it became the name I most associated with my "public" self and it's the name I have always used to introduce myself. But neither my parents nor anybody else in my maternal/paternal extended families called me "Kathy", and my husband doesn't, either.
O. Overnight hospital stays: Two childbirths at ages 32 and 34 3/4, and a tonsillectomy when I was 5 that I don't remember at all. My parents loved this story: The surgeon instructed them not to tell me I'd have a sore throat after my operation, and boy, did that "mind over matter" trick work. I didn't know that I should feel a little pain, so I didn't feel any. The day after surgery (as legend has it) I asked for, and promptly ate, a hamburger with extra onions and a side order of fries from the local drive-in greasy spoon.
P. Pet peeves: Biggest one lately: People who have great abundance in their lives (money, time, energy, education, whatever) and don't share with those who have little. It really does amaze me how selfish otherwise seemingly normal, rational people can be. I was raised to believe, and we taught our children, that much is expected from those to whom much is given. You know what I mean -- if you have a whole, fresh loaf of bread, share with those who have only crumbs. Not to get all preachy, but this concept seems so simple and self-evident to me.
B. Bed size: King, and there are four of us in the bed: (1) my sweet husband who sleeps like a windmill, (2) our old, dear, Bichon Frise who likes to sleep on. my. feet. (as in, if I move them, he moves back on top of them --- he's vigilant), (3) me, and (4) menopause, who's a hot bedfellow, lemme tell you. Honest, the mattress could be the size of my bedroom floor, and it just might not be big enough for all four of us.
C. Chore you dislike: Unloading the dishwasher. I don't mind cleaning up a dirty kitchen. I just cannot stand to unload clean dishes. And I feel similarly about laundry -- don't mind doing it, don't mind folding it, detest putting it away. Weird, I know.
D. Dogs: Eddie, world's largest Bichon Frise, age 14 but frisky. May we please, Lord, have a few more years with this awesomely intelligent, wonderful little guy. (Eddie's picture is at the bottom of my blog home page - enjoy!)
E. Essential start to your day: Bold caffeinated coffee with 1 packet of Truvia and 1 Tbsp. Fat-Free Hazelnut Coffeemate. Drink and repeat. I am a big fan of clean eating, but, as the saying goes, they'll have to pry my Coffeemate from my cold dead hands.
F. Favorite color: Very different preferences in clothing and household decorating. Household decorating: Sage green, slightly olive. Clothing: Tie between black and navy blue. (You didn't ask, but I'll tell you anyhow: Favorite clothing pattern by FAR: stripes.)
G. Gold or silver: I like and own both but look way better in yellow gold.
H. Height: 5'4"
I. Instruments you play(ed): Piano lessons from age 9 to age 18, and like my French after nine years of classes, now totally atrophied. These two should catapult to the top of my bucket list, by all rights. Shameful.
J. Job title: Group fitness instructor specializing in indoor cycling classes (loooooooooove doing this). Newsletter editor/Board member/volunteer for a women's community service group (love this, too). College applications-preparation/essay-writing tutor for high school students (yet another awesomely fun and rewarding thing). Occasional civil litigation lawyer (used to do this full-time at a big law firm, still do it in connection with keeping my license current, never thought it was much fun at all). Also former big-company telecommunications transactional lawyer (more fun than civil litigation, but not much). Also former partner in a direct-market high-end women's clothing business, and sales trainer/corporate educator for the same company (both parts of that job were GREAT fun).
I've concluded that I really do have a juvenile attention span. :-)
K. Kids: 2 sons, ages 24 and 21. And Eddie.
L. Live: In a northern suburb of Atlanta, GA.
M. Mom’s name: Joyce (Rest in peace, Mama. I miss you so much.)
N. Nicknames: "Kas", pronounced "Cass" -- short for "Casper", as in the ghost, but spelled with a K as is my name, Kathy. My parents nicknamed me "Kas" because apparently as a little kid I had this disconcerting way of suddenly appearing in a room without making a sound, as if by magic. Wooooooo. Also often called "Kath". Possibly interesting fact: "Kathy" is the name my parents used to introduce me to new people, school, camp, church, etc., and so it became the name I most associated with my "public" self and it's the name I have always used to introduce myself. But neither my parents nor anybody else in my maternal/paternal extended families called me "Kathy", and my husband doesn't, either.
O. Overnight hospital stays: Two childbirths at ages 32 and 34 3/4, and a tonsillectomy when I was 5 that I don't remember at all. My parents loved this story: The surgeon instructed them not to tell me I'd have a sore throat after my operation, and boy, did that "mind over matter" trick work. I didn't know that I should feel a little pain, so I didn't feel any. The day after surgery (as legend has it) I asked for, and promptly ate, a hamburger with extra onions and a side order of fries from the local drive-in greasy spoon.
P. Pet peeves: Biggest one lately: People who have great abundance in their lives (money, time, energy, education, whatever) and don't share with those who have little. It really does amaze me how selfish otherwise seemingly normal, rational people can be. I was raised to believe, and we taught our children, that much is expected from those to whom much is given. You know what I mean -- if you have a whole, fresh loaf of bread, share with those who have only crumbs. Not to get all preachy, but this concept seems so simple and self-evident to me.
Q. Quote from a movie: "If you build it, they will come." Such a profound little metaphorical statement.
R. Righty or lefty: Righty
S. Siblings: 1 sister, 15 months younger, who calls me "Sister". (I forgot that nickname!)
T. Time you wake up: 7:45-ish although I'm often awake earlier because I'm not much of a sleeper. I'm also a serious night owl and rarely go to sleep before 12:30. I must say I'm super-lucky to have this flexibility. My work doesn't require me to be out of the house early, my kids are grown so I'm no longer on get-them-off-to-school or make-breakfast duty (my DH doesn't eat breakfast), and my little old dog sleeps very late.
U. Underwear: Oh yeah. Truthfully, commando as a concept kinda gives me the creeps. And the idea of a SKIRT commando is, well, a bit hussy-like.
V. Vegetables you don’t like: Beets and turnips.
W. What makes you run late: Existentially speaking, just being me. It's a family joke that if I holler downstairs that I'm "about ready", my boys could put a frozen pizza in the oven and it could well be ready before me. I try, I try, I try, but the only things I am consistently on time for are doctors' appts and the cycling classes that I take and teach.
X. X-rays you’ve had: Teeth, chest and sinuses.
Y. Yummy food you make: I'm a really good amateur cook and baker if I do say so myself. I make a great Ragu Bolognese sauce, I do a mean banana pudding, and every week I whip up a batch of killer balsamic vinaigrette with a bit of a twist.
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