Engaged.

Well, if you haven't heard it yet, you've come to the right place... I'm engaged!

Last night Harbor asked me to marry him. The last 24 hours have been one big whirlwind of surprise visits from out-of-town friends, an explosion of comments and texts and "likes" from those I'm separated from by miles and continents, wonderful phonecalls and Skype dates, hundreds of hugs and kisses, and the first sweet whispers of the word fiancé. 

Want to see my pretty ring? Harbor picked it out all by himself. 

It's all pretty dreamy. Plus it was a total surprise (and I'm really hard to surprise!).

Tonight when I was folding laundry and cleaning the litter box, I couldn't stop looking at my hand. Yes, it's true. Being engaged makes even the most tedious of tasks more glamourous.

K

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today I sent out some valentines to my very closest friends. I purchased them up at The Paper Source in downtown Naperville and could hardly wait to give them out. My friend Katie took me to this store one evening during a little girl time we had together over Christmas break (see also: hazelnut chocolate mochas, playing with makeup at Benefit, smelling loose leaf teas, and enjoying eye candy at the paper store). I loved the store so much that I went back with my family the day before I flew back to Florida. While I was there, I spotted them! My valentines. 

Perfectly pink and red with cutesy florals on the front and back. The paper is really sturdy and soft, too. Simple and cute. 

I really love them. I bought small inserts to place in each card so I could take the time to tell each person exactly what I love most about them. I also sent out a bunch of dinosaur valentines this year, because 10 cards are simply not enough to tell all your friends that you care about them. 

Right now I'm just snuggled up on my couch, doing some homework for the week. Later today, Jaclyn and I will get together to exchange gifts and have a Dunkin Donuts iced coffee date together. <3 I love this holiday so much. 

Hope your Valentine's Day is really sweet, and that it's a special time for you to love all of the friends around you. Enjoy your day!

K

In search of the perfect red lipstick.

Oh, red lipstick. You are so tricky, aren't you? With your sneaky way of turning orange when I don't want you to. Maybe it's the fact that I like to stick to neutrals when it comes to makeup, or it could just be all those years of associating brightly colored lips with the makeup I wore on stage in plays. Either way, it scares me, and I'm not entirely convinced that I can "pull it off" just yet. 

I'm musing about this subject tonight, on the eve of Valentine's Day, because during dinner Harbor and I were chatting and making plans for an Indian dinner we're going to cook tomorrow night... and then he asked it. "So, are you going to wear that red lipstick again?" (Dun dun dunnnnn.) 

The hunt for the perfect red lipstick is back on, I guess!

So, help me out. Which colors do you absolutely love, and which have you avoided? I've been recommended to check out colors that are more blue pigmented so that they balance out against my pinky skin tones. Are there any "rules" when it comes to choosing a red lipstick, or is all of that stuff made up anyway? 

K

Took a little trip to Tampa.

Hey friends. 

Last weekend we drove down to Tampa 'cause the boys had a show to play! I had been on the fence about going (see also: my entire week had been full of feeling really behind in my school work and mini emotional breakdowns), but I decided that I needed a weekend away to clear my mind and settle my heart down a little bit (see also: that's really good for grad students to do from time to time). I knew that I would be able to see a handful of dear friends I hardly ever get to see anymore, so that incentive won me over in the end. 

If you follow me on Instagram (@kaitlynmeanspure) then you've already seen most of these photos. But, here are a few fun ones from the trip!  

Florida rest stops can be quite exotic. It's one of the many quirky joys of traveling through the state. And my favorite moment from this particular stop? This HUGE billboard photo op. 

When we arrived in Tampa, we got to eat at the Taco Bus with my old roommates, Allie & Skyler. The wait was insanely long, but the tacos were really yummy. I had a shrimp taco with fresh pico and a spiced butternut squash tostada. Ole!

The show turned out to be festival, which I hadn't realized, so it was a long afternoon/evening of hanging around younger kids and reminiscing about growing up around friends who were really into "different" kinds of music. Some of my best memories are tied to growing up around a subculture of people who express themselves through music (all genres) and learning about choosing things that I liked because I liked them, and not necessarily because they were cool. I feel like music really helped me begin to grow up and become more of myself when I was a teenager. It really is fun to still feel so tied to it because of the guy I'm dating. 

Our drive home was slow and sleepy. We said goodbye to our good friend Jason and sent him back to Destin with hugs. Then Harbor and I spent the evening at our friends' home for a Super Bowl party, but ended up having a dance party on the front porch for most of the night. 

Now life is back to its cozy pace. No loud music or endless hours in the car. Just me and Matilda, a hot cup of tea, and a pile of homework to work through. I can't say it feels quite as heavy as it did last week, which I am really grateful for. 

Happy new week, everyone. 

K