The 80's, Cat Lady, and The Quickly Flipping Calendar

You know in the movies, when they want to show that time is passing at a quick rate and they show the calendar pages flipping past you as the days fly by?
That's how I feel my life is. There aren't enough days for me. Mostly because I'm gone at work from 8-11 pretty much all the time. I actually start work around 12 or 1, but I come in early with my dad since it's easier than him driving all the way from downtown and back to take me to work. I get Mondays off. But I only have 2 of those left until I move back, and I have to pack and fix my bike up, and come up with an efficient yet small organization system for my dorm (since I have less floor/art storage space this year because of new bed configurations). Also, there are people who want to hang out with me. Why they all wait until I have to work every day, all day, I'll never know. But it's driving me mad.

Speaking of fixing up my bike...
I'm SO excited to be starting on that. Yesterday (on my day off) my dad took me to the local bicycle warehouse where I picked up new handlebars and grips. Then we went to Home Depot and I got primer, lacquer, and a new pretty color for my darling two wheeled friend.
Now I need to find time to clean all the parts, sand and paint it, and wait for my new tire tubes to arrive in the mail. I've talked about my bike, right? I finally named him. Theodore. So cuddly, so proper. Good 'ole Theodore. I can't wait to fix him up and add the finishing touches of a vintage basket and my new bike bell straight from Amsterdam that my parent's brought back for me.

And now speaking of work....
The show I'm working on right now is called Mixtape. It's pretty much a musical overview of the 80's. Which is pretty cool, even though I only had 2 months in the decade I can still remember some things that carried on to the 90's. Pretty cool, that is, until you have "Eye of The Tiger" stuck in your head for 3 days straight. I'm sitting in the theater right now, in fact, early in the day while the carpenters are working on the set, listening to some nice chill-out-modern-day music.  I've got some amazing acoustic-early-days-when-she-was-awesome Lady Gaga (check out the song "No Floods" it's wonderful), some Stephen Speaks, Owl City, Jason Mraz, Jane Monheit, Ben Rector, Jeff Pianki, Colbie Caillat, Pomplamoose,  and Regina Spektor. Talk about easy listening.
So now I'm doing a deep cleanse of my eardrums for the day until it gets gunked up again with the likes of the Jem theme song, tons of MJ songs, "Papa Don't Preach", Madonna, and "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (which makes my mind jump to praise songs after the verses, look it up on youtube, if you want to know what I mean).
Don't get me wrong though, I do have a certain respect for the 80's. I mean, Captian Eo..... need I say more?
It's the kind of thing that happens no matter what show you're working on though. Last summer, I couldn't stand songs from The Fantastiks for weeks after I worked it. I could recite the entire play of Harvey at the beginning of the summer when I was on book for weeks. I guess now is my chance to get a thorough 80's education.


.....Bet you're wondering what all this has to do with the 'Cat Lady' in the title...
I just put that in there because I am a cat lady. Most people shudder and give me hateful looks when I admit to it. Several people have told me I should stop admitting it to save my reputation. But I love cats. I've always wanted one. So much that I used to pretend to be one when I was little. I think that when you start pretending to be your own pet cat is when you have confirmation of you being a cat person.
We have a particularly sweet kitty on our street that always tries to get into our house when we come home. He's a beautiful cat too... he looks almost like an ocelot. He runs over from the front yard of his house and attempts to sneak in next to us. So I give him some pats and skratches and tell Mr. Cat that he can't come in our house today. Then I usually close the door slowly on him as I secretly wish I could grab him up in my arms and snuggle with him as I curl up with a cup of tea.
Someday I will own a cat. It's one of those dreams that I've had for so long that it comes before children in my book, probably even marriage since I'm expecting that nothing like that will happen until I'm 30.

Best things about today?
1. Got my Starbucks Gold card in the mail = free grande tuxedo this morning to go with my yummy blueberry muffin (oh how I love muffins...)
2. Brought one of my Nutella snack packs from Germany with me, also my 'Nerd Herd' travel mug with a PG Tips tea bag in it, ready for a nice cuppa.
3. Found the mysterious disappearing third Milka bar in my almost unpacked from Germany suitcase. I knew I had one more!
4. My fake bro, Rayray, told me he knows what he's getting me for my big Two One bday coming up in october. AND my real-bro-at-sea-in-the-Caribbean-with-the-best-cruise-job-ever told me he got both of my bday pressies in the mail today. Needless to say, so much curiosity is building up inside of me right now.

There's another crazy word jumbled update from me!
-Brenna Kathleen

Christmas break!

Time to catch you all up on my beak so far.


I came home an immediately jumped into working. I babysat the most wonderful 14 month old, Scotland.


Her parents were in An American Christmas, the Christmas show I did for 8 years before I couldn't do it anymore because of my college schedule. But Scottie was in it too in the beginning. So they would take her out onstage, she would be there for a song and meet some of the guests, and then she would come out to us. Then we would take her around the Hotel Del (where the show takes place) and take her for walks around Coronado.
It was an amazing experience, despite the fact that people would glare at me when they saw me carrying her around. They though she was my child. So sometimes I would switch my ring to my left hand and turn it around so it looked like a wedding band.
I told her parents I'm always there if they need a babysitter. I love that girl so much.


Other than that, Christmas was chill and lovely. I got a Slanket from Santa. Woot! It's better than a snuggie, warmer, less static, and longer so it covers my feet. I'm wearing it right now, in fact. I rarely take it off if I'm home.

I just decided yesterday that I need to find a look for myself. I talked it over with my mom about how I felt like my style was all over the place, so we narrowed down my tastes into a look for me that consists of three words

"Nerdy Vintage Chic"

I love vintage styles, and sweaters, but I would also want to be able to put a modern twist on things. So that's what I'm doing. The plan is to slowly start changing my style to that by adding a few pieces here and there, whenever I can afford to. To start it off I went on Lookbook and different blogs to find images for inspiration.







An odd thing that I discovered whilst looking through Lookbook, is that I liked the guys styles more than I liked the girls. Maybe because I've been thinking of ways to change my style but still stay pretty casual, since I don't like feeling dressed up all the time. And the guy posts were the only ones with pants (since I don't count leggings as pants)




And of course you should know about my obsession with the site Modcloth by now, so of course I checked there for pieces that fit perfectly with what I like.. now to find the money for them.....







And of course I searched the archives of one of my style icons, Keiko Lynn. She has the perfect blend of modern and vintage.




And while looking at her pictures I found the perfect pair of shoes. Folks, there have been a few items that I've dreamed of owning. And a pair of black Oxford pumps is one of them. They've always been very specific in my mind of what they have to look like, and the wonderful people at Seychelles Footwear have brought them into the world.

There they are. And I can finally own my dream shoes, if I pay $110.00. Dang. I knew it was too good to be true.

Anyways, right after this talk, I had the opportunity to do a little shopping! First was Burlington Coat Factory. Which was chaos, but I did manage to find a great gray coat (something I've needed for quite some time) and a Bowler hat (something I've longed for for quite some time). My Mom told me I need to start wearing the two of them wherever I go, since they work so well with me and my new look.
Then we went to a thrift store by my Grandma's house And I found a great shirt for the summer, a really cool black vintage skirt, and a tan sweater set! Three things to get me going.

I'm very excited about my new change. To go along with that I'm also getting a library card, so I can get some major reading done this break, and I'm going to force myself to make something (I've had plans for a dress since Summer, and I'm hoping to make it since I now have access to a sewing machine).

That's it for now. I'll keep you posted on the reading and creating.

Right now I'm going to get some dinner and start the first book on my reading list, How To Be Like Walt.

Ta-ta for now!

Oh,and have a Happy New Year's Eve!
-Brenna Kathleen

Summer Update-1

I wrote this a while ago, obviously before the second update, I just realized I never actually published it, so here you go!

Remember the lace parasol I talked about not that long ago? And how I said I would go to Modcloth just to stare at it?

It seems to be a problem of mine. Most of the websites I visit regularly are various blogs. Either for fashion or home. On my bookmarks bar on firefox I have: facebook, yahoo, blogspot, dailybooth, my college's site, youtube, hulu, mugglenet, wookieepedia, Dvice, Apartment Therapy, Unplugged, Design*Sponge, Designboom, swissmiss, etsy, modcloth, and fail blog.

Most of those are sites that find new or cool things and tell them to the public. I go on esty and just browse the items for sale. I look for inspiration, but also I just look. I don't know why. It's like home decor magazines, I've always loved looking at the perfect rooms. I imagine what kind of life I wold lead if I lived in a place like that. Because my life would be completely different from what it is now. I always decorate because I feel like it reflects who we are, and I want to live in my own place that reflects me. If I lived in one of those houses in the magazines, I wouldn't be me as I am now. I'd be me with more money, or me if I took up gardening, or me if I wanted to live by the beach. I love imagining who I would be. But I also love just me as I am now.

I also think about the architecture of the home. Sometimes I imagine my own things there. Have you ever thought about your future home? And what it will be like based on the things you own now?
My house will be very odd. I have over 30 garden gnomes, and a plethora of Disney's Snow White collectibles (old illustrated story books, never-opened dolls, a framed copy of the poster from the ride at Disneyland, and a 2 ft. figure of the lady herself). I have vintage hats, old suitcases, and a spooky black candelabra. A huge wardrobe, an adjustable dress form named Molly, and a fake raven named Edgar. How all that will fit into a home, only God knows. And whatever he knows, I hope it's lovely. Poor man who ends up marrying into all that.

To the update part..... Work is splendid. It's a lot to do. There's a lot I'm in charge of like props and opening trap doors and things that if gone wrong can ruin a performance. But so far I'm doing well (besides the stress related breakouts that have graced my visage). Since I've grown up around it, the theater is like a second home to me, and the people are just extended family. I very much enjoy the behind the scenes part of it all. I get such a rush of excitement running from the grid above the audience down the the pit below the stage to set the trapdoor in place. The actors do their thing, but it wouldn't be the same without everyone in the shadows helping them along. How I love being in the shadows.
It's probably also the mother in me. I always find myself taking care of my friends in a very motherly fashion. I make sure they're alright when sick, that if it's cold they'll be warm. I even have the urge to sing a lullaby every so often.
So I guess it makes sense. I make sure there's coffee made, the green room is clean, they have their props. And the show hasn't even started yet. We're only beginning dress rehearsals!

That's been my life so far. It will be most of it I reckon. In the day I sleep. and practice the Ukulele. I've gotten pretty good. I know "Lucky" by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. I'm getting the strumming pattern down for "New Soul" by Yael Naim. And today I learned a wonderful version of the Rihanna song, "Umbrella."

Kenny found curtains for our dorm in August! And I found a coffee maker that looks good... I'm going to keep looking. It's going to be real though! the amazingness of picked roommates and a decorated room!! And I've already told you the importance of a decorated room to me. I can't wait.

work at 3 tomorrow!!! I finally get to sleep in! my plans were ruined today by a dentist appt at 8:30am. :[ I had to get a filling.... that was caused by my braces!
oh well.... I have perdy teeth now, I guess it's worth it.

The random voices and noises outside my window are kinda' creepy...
until next time!
-Brenna Kathleen