Wedding Day Details Continued...

Here are the photos of the Mecredy-Zimmerman wedding. After switching up my blog, I lost the photos in the transition...but here they are again! This wedding was so fun to help with, not only because Eric and Jerusha are two of my closest friends, but because I LOVE floral arranging. I was able to help the blushing bride design the perfect flowers for her June wedding. All of the pinks, oranges and yellows were really perfect for these lovebirds. I enjoyed getting to know the friends and family of the couple, and feel blessed to have been Jerusha's personal assistant!

Silk Flowers were used for the bridal party, boutonnieres, corsages, and bride's bouquet.

Summer Bride bouquet

The soon-to-be Mrs. Zimmerman

Bride bouquet

Putting the finishing floral touches in the bride's hair.

Silk flowers with a pearl center were just the right touch!

Jerusha was ready to march down the aisle!

~Thank you to Shaina Sieh for the beautifully captured photos!~

Wedding Day Details Continued...

 Working on such good friends' weddings is not a job--it's a gift! I love helping people on one of the most special days of their lives. Also serving as a personal attendant, I absorbed every minute of the weekend. Running last minute errands, fixing hair and makeup, talking with relatives...nothing gets better than being there for someone when they need you.
Getting to meet the wedding party was also rewarding! You may be able to guess that such a humble twosome would have quality friends as to accompany them. The bridesmaids were more than lovely! Thank you to Shaina for the beautiful photos! Another thank you to Abby Knott, my partner in crime!

If you are wondering about the flowers in the photos--they are all silk. This is a great way to preserve your special day! Jerusha picked out a summer arrangement to match their brown and ivory wedding colors. The bridesmaids also carried silk--a green and hot pink lily. All arrangements were tied with double sided satin. The boutonnieres for the groomsmen were also silk. Grandparents, parents and other guests of honor were adorned with carnation corsages. One arrangement that set the Zimmerman wedding apart was the purple floral display at the front of the church. The couple had relatives that had passed and couldn't be there on their wedding day, and the display was to commemorate those relatives and keep them present.

Before the snow falls...

My newest found passion has been refurbishing furniture. The quote that comes to mind is, "What is some people's junk, might be someone else's treasure." And let me tell you--I have a niche for taking old crap and turning it into new crap. In the fall, before the snow and ice cause us Minnesotan's to become hermits for half the year, it is the perfect time to throw on a pair of gloves, roll up my sleeves and get down and dirty with painting, sanding and varnishing my newly found gems from auctions, yard sales, or even junk piles.

I can't put my finger on what makes turning something that was once passed off as something old and unuseful into a new piece of art or furniture. I wouldn't call myself an artist or decorater, but more of a "recreator." I like the artistic process someone has to go through to come up with new zany ideas on how to turn an object into a new purposeful item with character. Here are a few of my most recent projects...

This is a dresser that I spray painted a dark charcoal and distressed.

Coffee Table with new top coat.

Old library desk. $3 at a yard sale, just add paint!

Our banister used to be dark brown and close up the kitchen. Now that it is white,

our kitchen looks twice the size!

I found an old picture and frame at our local thrift store and used chalkboard paint to make this classy and fun chalkboard!

Catch-22 to a Happy 25th

After graduating from college, I though life was going to be filled with opportunities and great things to come. To my dismay, it is quite the opposite. It turns out...this 22 year old is literally a catch-22. Now I know my critical self tends to lean towards satirical cliches, but this story does have a happy...well, beginning.
Yes, going to college and graduating with a degree is a fabulous accomplishment for anyone, however, graduating during the nation's recession can be slightly disheartening. I thought after my first job interview, I was going to be accepted into a prominent role in society, paid on salary, and the rest would be gravy. Professors, mentors, etc. in college love to tell you how your education will provide a foundation for success, but often times they forget to mention what a pain-in-the-ass searching for said success is.
I'm not blogging to vent on how I am still at my same part time job, living in my parents' basement, yadda yadda yadda...because you have all heard that story before. Instead, I'm trying to remain optimistic. Plus- now I actually have time to pursue things I LOVE to do!
Martha Stewart, however snide or bitchy you may believe her to be, has made quite an impact on my life. (I know what you're thinking---where the hell is she going with this? But I have a point, promise.) Ol' Marty is a successful entrepreneur, minus the jail time, and she knows how to make herself happy with simple things, a trait we should all strive for. Plus, I am quite the crafter/home decorator/time waster.
Event management was an emphasis of my college career. I love every aspect of the game from cooking up promotion to booking the caterer, and from writing a press release to mailing the thank you cards. With this said, I want to start sharing some of my more recent projects through my blog.
Tomorrow is my parents' 25th wedding anniversary. Besides being the greatest parents a girl could ask for, they are the hardest workers I know and the most selfless people you'll ever meet. If any couple deserves a party, it would be them. The party will be held this weekend in my father's home town of Walnut Grove, Minnesota on my uncle's private property and wildlife reserve. He has an amazing shed/house that is perfect for entertaining. I have been working on this project for about a month and a half now. Below are photos of the fall themed invitations...

Who knows, maybe someday I'll be getting paid to do what I love. Until then, I'll just do it anyways.

Changin' it up...

Alrighty... Here is the new blog! What used to be found at catiedebates.blogspot.com can now be seen here! My previous blog, "Caught in the Middle" has been deleted, but preserved in this post! Please follow me at this new URL and keep reading!

Past Posts...

Sunday April 5, 2009: Blogging
I have been advised to start a blog by a professor of mine. Now, usually I would have scoffed at the idea, thinking that I am far too busy with more important things like Facebook or staring blankly at a page in a text book. This time was different. I don't know why, really. Maybe I have finally reached the point where I'm now saying, "Well if you can not beat the technologically driven world, you may as well join it," or maybe, perhaps, I simply need a blog like a thirteen year old girl needs her diary. Now, I am most definitely not trying to bore anyone with my pondering on life, how I did on an exam, or who is "like totally the hottest guy to walk the planet." No my readers, rest assured that my blog will remain completely quirky, down-to-earth, none trendy, plain Jane, puzzle-piecey, 100% ridiculously-my own. I am not on google to blog about what the world owes me, the play-by-play of each and every one of my days ( I may not even keep up to date on said blogging...we'll see), or to start witty banter or deep debates on whether or not my opinions are sensible, silly, or stupid. You can read, enjoy, hate, or discriminate. For all I know, I will probably not like what I have blogged about the day before either, but I guess that is one great thing about posting thoughts over an Internet tool that lets complete strangers to read text and judge your lifestyle...you can change here, or at least have the courage to be yourself.

Thursday April 30, 2009: Knowledge Wasted?
Every year at this time, students turn in their text books and breath a sigh of relief. It's the end of another academic year here at Minnesota State University and I, like many, am very pleased to see a glimpse of summer.

Although we are all happy, I can't help but think about all of the concepts, theories, and information that could potentially be wasted during the summer months. Tuition will be raised yet again, and what am I paying for? Knowledge that students posses over the school year (or perhaps only a portion of the school year) more often than not, will get tossed out the window once those eighty degree days filled with outdoor activities, cleared agendas, and adult beverages become the top of every priority list.

I have spent most of my days learning about how to be a professional PR practitioner in school, and now that summer has hit... how do I keep up on that? Of course I will stick to working my two summer jobs and preparing for next year's campus activities board, but what about everything I have just learned?! Should I review this past year's lecture notes and quizes in hopes that I will be able to remember each and every fact and figure? Or should I go about my days, hoping that next year's transition will be as easy as they have been in the past?

I can tell you right now that I will not be slaving over my AP Style book all summer long, but I believe that summer is a time to grow in self-fulfillment. If I want to be successful someday, I should take the bull by the horns now and utilize my summer as a chance to network, make business connections, and form myself into that professional I hope to be someday.

So here is a list of things that I would like to see myself do this summer...
1. Have lunch with Mark Ghering (contact for Vega Productions--a nonprofit organization that benefits music programs in need of extra funding).
2. Transition from Concert Company Chair on our campus' IMPACT Team (campus activities board) to Vice President and Public Relations Chair.
3. Use that transition to develop promotion plans for all Fall '09 IMPACT sponsored events at MSU.
4. Move into my new house and become completely re-organized
5. Update my resume

Now those 5 things will take a lot of time. Maybe not all summer, but they will be works in progress. Also--those 5 things are NOT in order. I don't really know why I felt the need to blog about these things, but I do know that sometimes it just feels good to say you are going somewhere...

Best of luck to graduates and others who are off to find their place in this crazy economy and world! For now, I will be in Mankato, MN trying to work up the courage to do the same come next spring!

Tuesday May 19, 2009: Looking Up
I haven't blogged in a while...so here goes...
I spent ten of the first twenty days of summer spending money. The next ten days, I spent working to pay for all of the money spent. I have now learned the importance of a budget, and plan to stick to one for, oh...I'd say the rest of my life.
Now the new and exciting details. I have recently been accepted to the Hesselbein Leadership Summit in Pittsburg, PA. I had to write an essay, send in my resume, and two letters of recommendation later...I received a 'Congratulations...' email. I'm not exactly sure what the conference will offer, but it sure does sound like a resume builder! I will have more information on the events to come later...apparently I am one of fifty college students to get in, so it definitely requires some merit.
You know, it's funny...Applying for this leadership summit was completely last minute and out of the blue, and it turned out to be a great opportunity! I have been thinking a lot lately about how watched seeds never sprout. You can't look for happiness, happiness must fall upon you. I usually get so anxious about the future; and plans that I have dwelled on turn out to be disappointments. Maybe I have too high of expectations and my nit-picky nature ends up being a road block rather than something that helps benefit me at all. (And yes, I do recognize my constant metaphor usage...what can I say? I prefer to be relatable.)
Does anyone else feel this way? Or is this simply another pondering that just ends up frustrating me into believing that I am a little on the crazy side?
Anyways...I hope everyone is enjoying their nice weather as much as I am! Today was a record high in Mankato, MN at 95 degrees! I plan on hitting up Madison Lake tomorrow morning for some much needed sunbathing and relaxation!
Until next time...

Updating: Why so Hard?
Updating this blog has been more than a challenge for me...I have actually winced at the thought of sitting down and hashing out certain events that may or may not appear to be interesting to the world wide web and it's surfers. Why do I feel the need to constantly please people--whoever they are!?

I realize that I need to let things go. I need to be able to do what I believe is right, and look the other way when people criticise. Then again, I should also get better at accepting constructive criticism. As you can see, my blogging revolves around ideas and occurences that are merely important to anyone (even myself) and have little weight when it comes to worldy issues or deep contemplation...why? Because writing about the fluffy things in life can't hurt anyone. But does it help? Probably not...

Updating this blog should have been easier. I should have jotted down more notes on accomplishments throughout the year, plans for the future, etc etc etc....
But instead, like I have mentioned before, I let miniscule tasks and projects stand in the way of simply keeping up with a semi-professional blog.

So here goes (in list format because I am trying to be concise--not fancy)...

Attended the Hesselbein Global Academy Leadership Conference in July 2009
Elected Vice President of the Minnesota State University, Mankato IMPACT team
Chair of Public Relations-IMPACT team
Communications Intern at the Centennial Student Union, MNSU-Mankato
Working as a Personal Care Assistant through MRCI
Presented at the IMPACT Retreat: Public Relations, Professionalism in and out of the Office
Host of the Grand Opening of Ostrander Auditorium
Dabbled in Broadcasting: Thank you Pete Steiner
Sent out a holiday card with the family--it is harder to organize than you'd expect.
Connected with several professors in my senior year
Applied for graduation and was accepted.

So maybe now you can see why I create excuses to just sit around at night rather than typing away at this blog. I have been busy. I hope that everyone's falls have been going swimmingly! Minnesota has been oddly warm until now. Today is the coldest day yet with a high of 5 degrees. Maybe I will intern out of state?

Until next time...

Choosing
Every second of everyday, we make choices. Today it was my choice to watch a film that I had just watched last night while laying in bed until...well..I'm still lying here. The movie was Julie and Julia, maybe you have heard of it? A plot revolving around two true stories, that of the famous cook Julia Child and a lowly writer out of Queens, NY. To cut to the chase, the movie inspired me to make an exquisit grilled cheese sandwich for lunch, and then return to bed.

No, I am not ill. I am simply choosing not to grace the bitter cold today. I much rather prefer spending my Sunday in oversized men's sweatpants and ungroomed. Visit weatherchannel.com and type in Mankato, MN. You will understand why I have chosen to recess inside and hybernate.

Big PlansWhile strumming through my portfolio the other day and sitting around thinking about what I am going to do when I graduate in May and my lease ends...I decided to make big plans. I got in touch with my family members and friends out in Washington and talked about the possibility of moving out there. I don't know how long I will be there...but I think it's time I start to fly by the seat of my pants and do something out of the ordinary.
I love my family and life here in Minnesota. Man, it took me a long time to say that! The winters are cold and miserable, the summers are hot and 'buggy,' and not much of our family still lives here. I need to force myself out into the world and seek opportunity, because so far it hasn't come knocking at my front door. I think I will head out at the beginning of June and try my hand at an internship out west! (Sounds exciting, right?)
If you have been reading my blog...wow that even made me giggle a little... You will know that changes in my life have recently been made, hence the new blog on big plans. I am great at planning! It is not only what I am trained to do in school, but also because I always have to have a plan, list, or something to keep me on track. Recently being derailed, I have found that a big plans need to preoccupy my time. If I keep dwelling on all of my misfortunes, I will never get out of my winter slump. I am in a rut.
So for these BIG plans...the move will be most significant..preparing mentally and physically. Also, I have been planning a spring break trip with my girlfriends--getting out of the below zero weather will help boost my less-than-cheerful attitude. Panama City Beach, round two!
I'm going to keep this short and simple by ending with the tried and true speech of, "Do what makes you happy." Heed my advice when I say that you are the only one who can make yourself happy and enjoy life. Find happiness in others, but drive yourself to pursue new goals and adventures! Be cheesy! Laugh until you cry! Make new friends, but stay connected to your past. Love.

Thursday July 15, 2010: The LatestI have recently graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato and received my Bachelor's degree in Mass Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations and a minor in Speech Communication.
I will start my post-grad. internship at the Greater Mankato Convention and Visitor's Bureau on Monday as a Public Relations Intern. I will spend 20 hours each week this summer writing press releases, helping with community events and assisting the marketing team however I can. I can't wait to absorb such a great experience!
I just moved back to Waseca, MN...in with the parents. I hope I can remane sane with the company of good friends and the will to find a job and move on as soon as possible.
I am currently working on helping plan my first wedding! (Well not MY wedding, but dear friends of mine are to be wed on June 5th). I am serving as a personal attendant to the bride and will be doing the floral arrangements and helping with the planning as needed!
Pictures coming soon!