1000 Steps

We hiked 1,000 steps yesterday. It's an old mining trail that was built in the 1930s and it winds, 1000 stone steps high, up the mountain side. As per usual it was a beautiful day and the view and company was fantastic.

Energy

Last week I presented my progress and story with Something Sunny at the business incubator at the board of trustee's luncheon. I loved the energy and enthusiasm I was greeted with. It inspired me to head back to the studio and try some new designs and I'm thinking seriously about starting a line of stationary, greeting cards, or notebooks.

I also stopped by a local art shop that caught my eye the other day and ended up meeting a woman running a local craft fair in November that I'm going to try and get a booth at.

Here are two designs I'm playing around with currently:

UPGRADE!

I knew this would be a good week!
I got my hair cut today, I’m playing hearts tonight, I’ve got a soccer game tomorrow and most importantly MY NEW NIKON CAMERA CAME IN TODAY! The fedex man said, “The only time I see people get this excited is when I have flowers.” OH YEAH!

My day in photographs:

Pumpkin Carving Parties :)

Last night a bunch of my friends came over for a pumpkin carving party complete with apple cider, roasted seeds, and homemade apple pie. It was about the cutest thing I'd ever seen, these guys, hunched over their pumpkins in complete concentration, knife in hand. And I have to say I was highly impressed with everyone's artistic ability. We have some talented artists on the soccer team!

At the end of the night we all trouped out to the porch to proudly light up and display our pumpkins. It was a really wonderful evening and I was so happy we were all able to spend an awesome Friday night hanging out and enjoying each others company.

Wooly hats

I love fall break & wooly hats....

Beautiful Sundays

Today was such a beautiful warm day. I felt like finally I was able to put all the stress and tension behind me and start fresh again. I cleaned my room from top to bottom, and tidied up the rest of the house, cleaned the beta bowls, and downloaded some new music and I just feel so content and relaxed now.

Tyler and I decided to drive up to the lake to take advantage of the gorgeous day. We hiked around Raystown and all the leaves were beginning to change. The air is so clean and refreshing. All in all a wonderful day and the best part yet? I don't have school for the next two days! YAHOOOO!

Why Soccer Brings Me Joy

I remember the first time I ever made the all star team. I was in fifth grade. We were in the finals and the game was tied zero-zero. It went into a shootout. The winner got to move on and travel to Irvine to continue playing. My mom was so nervous she kept leaving the field to go to the bathroom thinking that would bring us good luck. We won the game and I went to my first ever away tournament.

We stayed at the Embassy Suites Hotel. They had four glass elevators facing each other and my teammates and I had elevator races and one of the funnest weekends my little fifth grade self remembers. We got annihilated in every game but it didn't matter at all. On the way home from that tournament I remember my dad turning to me and saying, "Caitlin, really enjoy this because you may never have another chance to do something like this. This was really a special experience that doesn't come along very often"

The next year I switched from recreational soccer to Club. We won every game minus one in the season and came in first place.

From there the sky was the limit. I spent every waking moment playing soccer. My family traveled to every game. We became very familiar with Bakersfield, Landcaster, San Bernadino, Las Vegas...between my brother and I my parents' social life revolved around soccer tournaments, team dinners, practices.

There are certain games in particular that I will never forget..or more like moments. I'll always remember the final of the Celtic Cup. After three games that day and the final going into double overtime our keeper stopped three of the five PKs shots made on her. Which, is unheard of. We won the tournament and I was too exhausted to walk off the field. I skipped the first day of my senior year of high school because of that game.

This weekend I had another one of those unforgettable moments. It wasn't a particularly insane game but it touched a heart string and really reinforced in myself all the reasons why I find soccer so wonderful.

We played Moravian, a nasty dirty team that I just really generally despise. After coming out slow in the first ten minutes Katie Keating receives a pass up top and holds the ball at her feet. I knew she was going to look to find me. We have this mind connection that forwards sometimes develop with each other. The last person who knew me that well was on my club team in high school. It's an awesome feeling when you know how your teammate thinks and where you need to be without even a seconds thought.

I started sprinting.

She lays me a beautiful perfect ball, right where I knew she would. I cut the ball across my body and with two Moravian girls on my heels I tucked it away near post. The perfect goal. Juniata up 1-0.

But, it was the rush that came with the goal that really made the moment unforgettable. I threw up arm up in the air and took off sprinting down the sideline screaming. The crowd, all 200+ of them jumped up and I can't describe the energy I felt from the moment. Katie ninja jump hugged me and even now writing it gives me goosebumps.