Moving to www.katepickett.com

Ryan and I have switched both our websites to wordpress blogs. From here on you you can check out my posts at www.katepickett.com. See you there!

Ta Da!!!!!

I think I am going to become the next big name in nail polish design. I was sitting at home last night pining after a lavender color of nail polish that I have wanted for weeks now but I am too cheap to go out and buy it. I tried to console myself with the nail polish that I have but I was bored with it all when low and behold I discovered a bottle of white nail polish that I haven't used in a long time. (I used to use it for french tips until I realized that no one's nails are bright white and switched to beverly hills)

Seeing that bottle sitting next to my beautiful and well loved purples I decided to do some matchmaking! A few drops of this, a few drops of that...et voila!Am I not a genius?

And $5 richer for not going out a buying a new nail polish. In fact I may begin to invest in bottles of white so that I can make my own colors. It was so much fun, but I recommend doing this in daylight as I almost mixed the lavender to dark because the lighting in my living room isn't very good.

(Sorry for the quality of the pic it was with my phone in some bad lighting. You will have to take my word for it that it looks awesome!)

About Me

I am currently living in Kansas City, Mo with my boyfriend Ryan. We love living in the city near all of the great art galleries, shopping districts, communities and architecture. We currently live alone together but I hope to someday add a few animals into the mix. I enjoy life outside of the city almost as much as I love Kansas City: bike rides, rock climbing, canoeing, and recently snowboarding.

One of the best things about living in Kansas City is living near my family. I enjoy their company, especially that of my two grandmothers who are full of great stories and wisdom. I am looking forward to spending time with my family while I live in Kansas City but someday I might enjoy moving to a place without winter, like California!

I have several hobbies. I love crafting (as long as it doesn't involve sewing). I am a big fan of hot glue guns and tacky glue. I am just getting into paper crafts and making cards and using stamps, but these aren't your grandmother's stamps! I like to keep my crafts cool and modern (no flowery prints for me).

Being a librarian, I read a lot but that's not all I do! I love watching movies, and have a rather large collection of DVDs. I gave my boyfriend Wii a few years ago just so that I could play with it! And I love music and going to concerts for my favorite musicians.

I like to think I am a well balanced person and that I spend my time doing lots of different things and that I don't throw myself into just one thing. I am a Jack of all trades and I like it that way.

Education

I got my Bachelors of Arts in History from Iowa State University in Spring 2006. I received my Masters of Library Science at University of Iowa in December 2007. I currently work as the Young Adult Librarian for the Johnson County Library in Overland Park, KS. I enjoy many aspects of my job, especially working with teens in the Juvenile Detention Center. I am always looking for volunteer opportunities and new ways to challenge myself. If you are interested in my work experience please follow this link to my resume.

Here are some school projects I have worked on at my time at University of Iowa.

Collection Development Project (graphic novels for young adults): click here

Pathfinder Project (information on providing teens with sexual education): click here

Changes in Spring

I have been going crazy lately watching the weather change from cold to hot to warm to windy to rainy to tropical to snow! I decided that I too needed a change and thank god for my hair stylist. I was desperate for change and if she hadn't been available to help me out this week I would have probably would have done something drastic, permanent and regrettable to myself. This is the new do! How do you like? I am mostly a brunette now!

Presents!

Tis the season! Well not really but it seems like I have a lot of people to thank this month and presents are such a wonderful way to do it. I love when you can get someone something that you know they really want...and I hate when you have to wait for a birthday or holiday to give it to them! Presents are a great way to thank people for just about anything.

I was recently treated to a lot of awesome things in Denver, while I was there for a conference. For a coworker who let me stay in her hotel room for free, a Sigg bottle, leak proof and carcinogen free! For my friends who drove to Denver from Manitou Springs just to take me out for dinner, a Willie Nelson CD that we all love but they lost their copy, along with a handmade thank you note. For my parents who hosted my boyfriend and I on our vacation and paid for our snowboard rentals, a picture frame and chew toys for the new puppy!

It just feel so good to give! (hint hint!) But I also like to receive!

American Library Association Midwinter Conference

Watch out Denver here I come! This afternoon I head off to the American Library Association Midwinter Conference. It was a tough decision to make but I am hoping it is worth it. Due to the economic downturn (and mostly due to dropping property values) the county has cut our budget. One of the things that got cut was my funding to go to Midwinter. So I am having to go on my own dime but I think that will motivate me to make the most of it.

I am a little nervous about meeting tons of new people but I am looking forward to the challenge. Actually, the hardest challenge will be getting home Monday night and then leaving Tuesday after work to go vacation with the parents in Pagosa! Less than 24 hours to get home, unpack, repack and fly through Denver again! For all intents and purposes I will be out of the office for a week and half (although I am coming back for one day).

Well, wish me luck in Denver! I hope to meet lots of people, learn lots of cool stuff and enjoy myself!

Welcome 2009

YAA for the new year! Here are my new years resolutions in no particular order:

• Get back to crafting (expensive and frustrating but worth it, I miss it)
• Get back to yoga (ditto the above but way way way worth it)
• Volunteer more (I am thinking of an animal shelter)
• Save up money for a trip (I want to travel overseas in 2010)

Noble goals all! I hope I can reach them. I am already back into crafting, I worked on some cards and am practicing my crochet. Yoga will have to wait till February. I am going to be out of town for the better part of two weeks at the end of January and I want to make full use of the introductory rates at the yoga places around town. I will try to write reviews here so that I can remember what I liked and did not like about each. Saving money...I have started a savings account at my bank and plan to start putting money in it and not touch it! That is the goal any way. This is not an easy time to start saving but I think there are places I can cut back. Volunteering will also wait until February when I have more time to devote to it but I know someone who volunteers at an animal shelter so I am thinking of doing that with her. Welcome 2009 and wish me luck!

The Holidays

Thanksgiving has come and gone. Ryan and his dad joined my family for dinner although Judy, Greg and Emma were not there so we were an unusually small party. I think this may have been the first Thanksgiving without a kids table that I can remember. I almost miss sitting at the kids table.

Work has been keeping me busy and away from posting but I did take off a week for Thanksgiving and visited Rachel in PA! I saw her law school, her apt, her parents house and I was shown DC by a native! We had a great time shopping, watching Princess Diaries and twisting pretzels. I was sad to leave but it turned out that on the last day I was in PA the Transporter 3 was released so we saw it before I jumped on a plane back to KC.

My parents came for Thanksgiving but then promptly jumped on a plane for Peru and the Galapagos. They are at Manchu Piccu right now. I am very jealous! It sounds beautiful. They are with a tour agency that lets you do all sorts of cool activities like wind surfing. That should be enjoyed by twenty-year-olds at the peak of their life, not senior citizens! Totally unfair. Retirement should be for the young and then at 40 you start working again till you die.

I have been playing christmas music and decorating the christmas tree since thanksgiving. All my presents and purchased and wrapped and waiting to be given. I still have to make my xmas cookies. But that will wait until just before christmas, I will have to reserve a whole weekend for all the cookies I have to make this year. It seems I have more people in my life than ever, which is a wonderful feeling.

Thank You!

I just want to take this opportunity to give my heartfelt thanks to my fellow americans for giving me, my generation, and future generations the hope that this country can change. It is through the efforts of people like my parents, who donanated, volunteered and supported the Obama/Biden campaign that our country will become great again. I cannot express the gratitude that I feel for them and other's like them. Tonight I finally feel like a true patriot for the first time in my life, I love my country. I didn't know I would ever be able to say that but I do. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for the United States and I can't wait to be a part of it! Congratulations Obama and Biden! Congratulations America!

Clay

This weekend Ryan and I went to see Clay at the Rep. This was one of the most original and creative musicals/plays I have seen in a long time. It is the story of an inner city white kid who after being forgotten/ignored by his parents and seduced by an older woman, turns to hip hop and rap to tell his story.

It is a one many play and Matt Sax wrote the play, the music and performs it all. He does a fabulous job of playing the 5 or 6 characters in the story and uses a series of subtle techniques to bring each character out.

Yesterday was the last performance in KC as the take the show to New York, where it will open in a couple of weeks. If you know anyone in New York tell them get some tickets. This is a must see!

Tough Day

I have about 5 minutes before I have to go to training session but I wanted to share a thought. Why is the grass always greener somewhere else? I am booking an author for my library and recently found out that he is also visiting my old stomping grounds at the APL before he comes to KC. It made me miss my days there terribly. It seems like it was so simple, not as much red tape as there is in this large system (that isn't even all that big). I feel like I am being suffocated by committees and asking permission for things that I would have just gone out and done at the APL. But thinking back, the APL was also not a perfect place to work either. It had a whole different set of problems. I wish there was a perfect employer where I could feel perfectly at ease. I suppose that those don't exhist but still...I miss simpler days. I am saddened about that but I was also really happy to realize that even a small town library like APL can do the same things that we do in KC! Go Ames!

New Hair Cut

Look ma! Awesome hair! After my stressful weekend in DSM I decided it was time to pamper myself and I went and cut three inches off my already sholder length hair and let my stylist go crazy with the dye! I love her by the way, she does a great job! If you are ever in the KC area get your hair cut by Alison at Chop Tops in Merriam! She does wonders...I think you would agree.

Time for some Photography

I am thinking it is time for me to take a photography class. I need a hobby that isn't work! Right now at work we are working on putting together a multimedia lab for teens and staff would need to take classes on the software and equiptment...so maybe I could take a class for free?

In other hobby news I am almost done with the bridesmaid dress. It has taken months of work and fitting and procrastinating. But I am nearly there.

I <3 Olympics

YAAAA for the Olympics! This is possibly one of my favorite times of the year. It is amazing to see humans performing at the height of their physical prowess. It makes me want to devote myself to the perfection of a single movement...but I am too lazy!

It is really cool that the Olympics are in Beijing this year. A city I have been too! I am enjoying seeing scenes of places I have been to before with my good friend Amber Redding in 8th grade. I am starting to get that lightness of foot that means its time for a trip! I have scheduled a trip to go visit Rachel over her Thanksgiving break. I can't wait. Pennsylvenia is a new state for me and I plan to explore it all (or at least Rachel's corner).

I find myself very satisfied today. I had a rough and tumble day at work, everything went fast. But I got enough done to call it a pretty productive day. After work was a quick trip to the doc for a check up and a clean bill of health and some new medication tips that promises to improve my life! Then it was to dollar sushi night! 3.99 rolls at Friends Sushi on 39th street. Then it was a happy and full Kate that headed home in her newly cleaned car into her newly cleaned apt. I feel very happy about where I am right now. I hope this feeling lasts. And now I am going to use my new iGoogle Olympics widget to decide what events to watch next!

I can't keep this up

Today has been a tough day at work. I have been working on several large projects lately and they are starting to drive me nuts! I am looking forward to my weekend break...which I get to spend sewing a bridesmaid dress! I don't understand how people do it!

I have a very brave coworker who has a six year old son, works a full time job at the library, volunteers at the hospital and has just signed up to teach a class at a local high school! Where does she find the time!? I can't seem to keep my life on track. I feel like I get into a productive groove and I am going good and it only takes one small thing to throw me off; a trip, a guest, an extra long week or extra short weekend.

I think I have put a little bit of a finger on it, I am a person of habbit living with a spontanious boyfriend! I love him for it, don't get me wrong, but he throws me off kilter. Right now I need all the kilter I can get!! Hopefully once fall and winter set in he won't be nagging me to get out of the house and go on trips as often (we spent about one weekend a month in KC this summer). I am looking forward to that.

On a lighter note the Olympics are almost here! I love watching the olympics and fully intend on sewing to some swiming meets! Ah if only I could do the things they do...but I don't want to train that much! Well I am done with my little whine-fest and hopefully I will come up with an idea to throw myself into that doesn't cost any money or time! Wish me luck!

My Life So Far

I know it has been way to long since I posted, and that is because I am a horrible person! Time has just been flying by without me being able to keep track of anything.

Ryan and I traveled to Magnet, NE to visit his Aunt Pam for the Fourth of July. The town was tiny, about 80 people but Ryan loves it because they don't care if you set off M80s in your driveway! It was a very exciting 4th...but we came home with ten fingers and ten toes each so I am considering that a victory.

Last night we went to a premier of American Teen, a documentary that is comparing itself to Breakfast Club (check out the poster!). It was a pretty entertaining night of reliving embarrassing high school experiences (at least no one ever broke up with me by text!)

The rest of this week is WORK, and lots of it, then Cirque du Soleil tomorrow and a work filled weekend, hopefully with a bit of Batman! New resolution, do better at blogging!

June Update

Sorry it has been so long since I have updated. I have been kept on my toes at work and at home. There also isn't a pic to go with this post, because I am too freaking busy to take pictures! Lets see what happened in the last couple of weeks. Lori had her bachelorette in DesMoines which was awesome. I went to Ryan's family reunion which was interesting. And my old apartment is under water! Thank god for my job otherwise I would still be living there. Luckily no one I know has had anything damaged or lost in the flood water although a few of them are a little displaced.

Otherwise life is going well but busy! Ryan and I are going canoing next weekend and then heading to his aunt's in Nebraska for 4th of July. Things are busy and I will try to update later with some more fun news!

All Hell Breaks Loose

Run for your life! Kansas City, that town of greedy and debauchery is falling! This one is going to be a short post because I am at work and super busy but I loved this picture of Kansas City. The fire was on Tuesday night from a lightning strike on a gas holding tanks near the railroad. It burned for about 24 hours! Ryan and I could see it from the living room windows and we had fun watching it on TV and in real life at the same time. It was crazy. So far we have survived all the storms that have been hitting the city, it is an advantage to live in a super old brick building with giant wooden beams! Tonight is First Friday and Ryan and I are going to go see my Beautiful and Talented Aunt Mary perform with her African Drumming group. Tomorrow it is off to DSM for Lori's bachelorette. Wish me luck!

The Pool House Invades KC

Kansas City was decimated this weekend by a group of attractive and thirsty girls from around the country! You guessed it...Pool House Reunion 2008!

The usual suspects were all there in their finest. Annie Rossi flew from California to attend the star studded event in her new ultra hot bod! Rachel Allen took time from her busy law student schedule to take in the sights (and beers) of KC. Laura Berger came in her limo from Iowa to reunite with her long lost friends. And the illustrious Katie Korn was also in attendance, cutting her tour of Texas short to join the group in Missouri.

"When these girls get together it is one gala of an event!" said innocent bystander Kate Pickett. The group invaded on Thursday night (or in Annie's case early Friday morning) and stayed at the residence of Kate Pickett and Ryan McNair, one of Kansas City's most beloved couples. As is tradition with all Pool House Reunion's Ryan was sent on an all expenses paid (by himself) trip to Minnesota to leave the girls time to giggle and watch Princess Diaries.

Friday we caught the girls getting their hair cut at Chop Tops, one of Kansas City's most unique salons. That afternoon the girls were sighted at the Boulevard Brewery tour enjoying some original brews. Apparently that wasn't enough beer for the group when the went to dinner at the River Market brewery enjoying more local tastes.

Saturday the girls helped the lagging economy by visiting the local shopping centers, Oak Park Mall and the Plaza before getting glitzed up for an appearance at Jack Stack BBQ Restaurant. The group was caught up in a fairly embarrassing incident at JP Wine Bar later that night but their publicists refuse to comment.

Sunday the group enjoyed the red pandas and sea otters at the Kansas City Zoo. The girls left, slightly pinker than they arrived, to enjoy snacks and drinks at another KC eatery before hunkering down for the night with BBQ and beer.

Kansas City was deemed safe again for average citizens when the group departed early Monday morning. Scattering to the winds until next year's reunion...watch out Baltimore!