Saturday at the Farmer's Market

Firstly, I HAVE FOUND A JOB! I found a job at a veterinary hospital in Cleveland and I am so happy to start working there this coming week. What's even better than working with/for animals is getting paid at the same time (a nice bonus to it all, really hah). A haircut is definitely on the list of things to do in the next week now that I have a job, since my hair has gotten far too long....

But, in other news, I stopped at the lovely Shaker Square Farmer's Market today with my parents! Unfortunately, I forgot my camera memory card so the only photos that I have are from my phone (not very good quality I'm afraid....). I will talk about a few of the places that I found to be the most interesting.

1. The Jam stand photographed below was just lovely. They had a strawberry chocolate jalapeno jam out for samples, and while I am not a fan of spicy dishes, I thought it was pretty darn good! Not too spicy, and the jam had a lot of subtle flavors which was the best part about it. For the life of me, I can't remember which vendor was selling the jams, but if you're interested in finding out please look at North Union Farmer's Market's web page!

Couldn't resist taking a photo of all of these jams. Yumm!

2. Zoss the Swiss Baker was also at the market today, and while I don't have a photo to put up, I do really want to talk about how good this bakery is! It's phenomenal; from their bread to their tarts, everything is made with the best ingredients. It really is like getting baked goods all the way from Switzerland, no lie! And while this establishment has not been in Cleveland for too long (since 1996), they have built up a very good business due to their wonderful foods and wonderful service. Stop in if you are in the Cedar-Fairmount area!

Photo credit: Zoss the Swiss Baker

That's it for now, thanks for reading!

xoxo
Caitlin

Maison Scotch | Scotch & Soda

I am IN LOVE with Maison Scotch by Scotch and Soda. I'm just bummed I didn't know of them before! I first found them because of a army colored cotton dress on ASOS and then went to the website. Love, love, love all of their fall designs, and here are some examples of their fall women's lookbook. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Maison Scotch by Scotch & Soda

The rocker-chic look is pulled off so well with these looks without being too out there. I may have to invest in a few pieces of their stuff someday (I may have to go to ASOS to afford it hah!).

xoxo

Caitlin

A Must-Have: Leather (or Faux Leather) Jacket

I've been scanning the stores for new arrivals, and something that I always love to see are the new leather jackets they have to sell! So, here's what I've found so far. First off is a white leather jacket from Zara ($269). The second is a biker jacket from Free People ($398). Lastly, here's a great pick from Massimo Dutti ($375).

 

Now, I don't know about you, but these are jackets that I could not even think of being able to afford right now (as a broke post-grad). So, here are some faux leather and/or vegan pieces that won't break the budget too badly! The first is a Jou Jou Faux Leather Bomber Jacket ($58). The second is a BB Dakota Moto Jacket ($98). Lastly, the Free People Vegan Leather Moto Jacket ($168). This last one is a bit pricey, but all of these choices are also Vegan and/or faux leather for people who do not want to buy something that is leather.

 

I have been a fan of these types of jackets since I bought a faux leather one in France for 20 Euros (on sale!!). I love the jacket to death, and I wear it every fall. 

xoxo

Caitlin

Stylin' Sunday

Hey everyone,

I've just stumbled across some new finds (Mango and Urban Outfitters) that I'd like to share with you today. Fall fashion is probably my favorite of any season, so I'm excited to share some more picks with you!

From Mango, I have found this lovely Suit Jacket ($120) in a floral print. While floral prints can end up looking frumpy, or old school, the sharp lines of the jacket help with the soft floral print. Just lovely! The second item are those ankle boots ($150)! I'm a huge fan of those for the fall, and ankle boots are definitely on my list of things to buy. They are great to pair with a pair of skinny jeans or with a knee-length dress. They can be dressed up or dressed down, and are just so chill looking. Definitely a good item to buy for the fall! Lastly, a shift dress ($60) is practically a must-have for a fall wardrobe. I love the print, especially since purple hues always scream fall colors for me. It's just a nice, simple dress.

 

 

From Urban Outfitters, I spotted this adorable fit and flare dress ($59)! It's length, as well as it's pattern, make it perfect to wear with tights for those colder days, and will some colorful accessories due to the black and white in the pattern. Also, $59 won't break the bank! The second item is this pieced chiffon backed sweater ($59). While it is a little bit more than I'm usually willing to pay for a sweater, I just love the pattern on the right side! The chiffon adds a lighter touch to the piece as well.

 

So, those are my picks for this month from the new arrivals, I'll post more about my finds when I find them. And please look at my Pinterest page, I put all of my finds on my boards!

xoxo,

Caitlin

Throwback Thursdays: Cleveland Indians Games

I love the summer; I especially love the summer because of Cleveland Indians baseball. While we may have not won a World Series title since 1948 (and before that 1920), Cleveland fans are some of the best fans around. We love the sport, we love the team, and we try to be as respectful to other team's fans (unless they deserve some yelling to because of their attitudes). We are known for the famous Bertman Ball Park Mustard, which kicks every other mustard out their of the park (no pun intended hah). 

Courtesy of Bertman Ball Park Mustard Homepage

From our origins in League park, to the now named Progressive Field (which will always be known as the "Jake" for anyone old enough to have gone to a game before it was renamed), the Indians have brought a lot of spirit to Cleveland. For Throwback Thursday, here are some lovely pictures of the field, and some personal photos of me and my family at the games. Enjoy!

League Park, Courtesy of the New York Times

Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Courtesy of baseball-fever.com

Jacobs Field

Progressive Field, September 2013

So, it's been a great season for the Indians, especially now that we are tied with the Yankee's to take the wild card this season. Let's hope for the best these next couple of weeks!

xoxo,

Caitlin

It's Been a Long 24 hours

So, I've been super busy this past 24 hours. I went to the local APO meeting last night, and I'm starting to recognize people's faces! I really love being able to connect with another chapter, especially since I loved mine so much at Tulane. Makes me miss all of the volunteer projects, especially the ones that convinced me that I should apply to vet school.

But, to get back to my day; I met with the social media person for Dunham Tavern this morning, and it looks like I will be helping out with their social pages and website! Maybe I can convince them to get a Pinterest if Im lucky!

Thirdly, I finally got around to turning in my résumé to all of the local veterinary clinics. I heard a couple people with positive feedback, so I'm hoping that one of the places will hire me soon! I really need the job, and the experience for vet school would be unmeasurable. Aim not a huge fan of the smal animal clinic atmosphere, but I'm really looking forward to seeing what I can learn if I get the job.

Lastly, I've spent the past three hours stripping paint in my house. It's awful, time-consuming, and tiring, but I think the final product will definitely be worth my time and effort. We have oak molding under the five or so layers of paint, and here's how the heat fun is working out!

 

So, while it doesn't get every single piece of paint off, it definitely is cleaner than using the gel paint stripper. I know, however, I'm going to crash when I get home from all of today's work. 

Lastly, I'll be leaving soon for the Indians game! I love baseball, and I try to go to at least a few games a season. I'm hoping they win, but an exciting game would also be ok in my book. Look for an instagram photo tonight!

Xoxo

Caitlin 

I'm thinking Mustard

Happy Labor Day, everyone! Each year, I always think of Labor Day as the official day to start really thinking about fall clothing. This year, I keep on seeing the Mustard/Honey/Gold color abound. Jack Wills call it "Honey", but we all know they just didn't want to call it mustard. Anyways, here's a collection of clothing and accessories that I've found with this hue. Let fall shopping commence!

     

1. Tinsbury Cable Crew | Jack Wills
2. Oxford Tassel Pump | Tommy Hilfiger
3. Plaidblock Coat | Anthropologie
4. Majesty Peacoat | J.Crew
5. Pleated Infinity Scarf | Nordstrom
6. Grove Court Maise | Kate Spade 

xoxo
Caitlin

Summer Book Review

I finally got back into the swing of reading (after taking 17+ credits at school, which left me no time to read). So this summer I knocked a LOT of books of my list, with the help of my Kindle Paperwhite 3G that I received as a graduation present. From a book snob like myself, it was a big leap for me to feel comfortable purchasing something like an e-reader. I love the feel of books, the way they sit in my hand, and the smell of the book. But I love the kindle! Reading it is so close to reading an actual book, and it has a backlit screen for nighttime reading (which is when I read the most). I also love the 3G option of the book that allowed me to look at the store without being in a Wifi network (and you don't have to pay for the 3G network either). So, all-in-all, I'm in love with it and am happy that I decided on the Kindle as a graduation gift.

Back to my reading list; all books listed below are linked to the Goodreads book page. 

Summer book list:
The Four Corners of the Sky
The Wolf of Wall Street
Gone Girl
Dark Places
Sharp Objects
Transatlantic
Divergent
Insurgent
Animal Farm
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
The Alchemist
Inferno
If I Stay
Where She Went

I didn't hate any of them, but I didn't find some of them particularly good: The Wolf of Wall Street was way too long of a book, and by the end of it all I wanted to do was finish the darn thing! The Alchemist was not long, but I never really got into the book like I do with other books. So that was a little disappointing. Inferno was fantastic until the last few chapters, where it went completely off the deep end with the story line. I won't ruin anything for those who haven't read the book, but it just didn't fit with the other novels that Dan Brown has written for the Robert Langdon series. I did appreciate the art history references, those were fantastic!

My favorite books are shown below, in no particular order:

These three were so easy to read, had fantastic plots, and made me want to read more by the author. I usually judge a book by that last part; if I finish a book, and I want to continue reading other books by the same author, then the book is written exceptionally well. Look out for another reading list in a month or so!

xoxo

Caitlin

First Post: What I've been up to this summer after graduation

I would like to begin by saying that I am terrible at writing. But really, my worst subject in high school and in college was English. Do not expect this blog to be a literary masterpiece. But to be honest, I am writing this blog for myself, as a way to track my time over this next year (and possibly into the future). 

Now that I have that out of the way, let me begin. I graduated this May from Tulane, and am applying to vet school this fall (hoping for Ohio State everyone!). It's been my dream since I was a little girl to become a vet, and hopefully this winter I'll know if that is a reality or not. I'm fairly certain that I will be able to get at least one interview, so fingers crossed!

Me at my graduation

As for what I have been up to this summer; I have gone on vacation with my family to the Outer Banks, shadowed at an equine clinic near my home, and have gone camping. It's been a fantastic summer to say the least! I've been around my family, my friends, and have been able to get some more veterinary experience under my belt. 

Jockey's Ridge, Nags Head, NC

Unfortunately, today was the last day at the equine clinic. I am a bit sad that today was the last day, but I am excited to start applying for a Vet Assistant job at another clinic. I am a poor college graduate, so shadowing without pay strains the wallet! I'm pretty excited to see what opportunities are out there for me. In the meantime, I am going to start a project at my house; strip the paint off the molding, fix up the wood floors, repaint the walls, and refurnish my and my sister's rooms. Woohoo! Along with that, I will be working with a local chapter of Alpha Phi Omega and will be working with a non-profit and their web design team. 

I am very much excited for this year, and hopefully my experiences will be interesting to all of you who read the blog. Cheers!

xoxo

Caitlin