3. We are expecting our first child on December 12, 2013. We always planned to have a baby after a few years of marriage and we can’t believe it is finally going to happen!! Annabelle Claire will be the first grandchild on B’s side of the family and the first granddaughter on my side of the family. It is incredible how excited everyone is for her arrival – but most of all, we are just over the moon!
5. Our first born is a kitty we adopted a year and a half ago named Mcmuffin. I begged B to let me get a pet for years and when he finally agreed, he said the kitty would be MY responsibility, he wasn’t going to get attached to a pet because they eventually die, and yada yada yada. I think it took one month for him to fall in love with the little guy. Mcmuffin makes our life so much better when he is around.
6. I was born and raised in Connecticut (hence the ‘Northern’ part of my blog name). I will forever be a Yankee at heart and call beautiful New England my home. However, I moved to Tennessee to go to UT Knoxville in 2005. I quickly discovered the South was quite the wonderful place (my husband of course helped). People are sweeter, life is a little more slow paced, and southern hospitality is real.
7. My favorite colors are red and green. Not just because they are pretty – but also because they are Christmas colors. I am obsessed with Christmas. Sometimes I believe in my former life I was an Elf.
8. I love to cook. I do not like following a recipe, so my dishes are usually inspired by another dish. I am terrible at documenting my cooking experiences since my camera has been broken – but promise to get better now that its fixed.
9. I am easily annoyed by lots of things – loud talkers, poor manners, noises (like the guy weed-wacking the yard next door that does not have any weeds), know-it-alls, and people who are fake. Funny thing is, though, I don’t like people who think its okay to say whatever they think/feel – so sometimes its better to be fake than to be honest. If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say it at all, right?
10. I taught first grade in Baltimore City for three years. Despite what you may think about first graders, my kiddies weren’t your average 6 year old. While I wouldn’t trade those years for anything (I learned A LOT), I would never teach in an urban low income community again.
11. I danced for 11 years and now that I am grown up, I miss it every day. I was never very good at one style in particular, but competed in tap and jazz. I’ve taken classes as an adult and usually find myself intimidated by the real dancers there. I hope to find an adult class around here in 2014.
Dance makes me feel free.
12. I consider many of my family members to be my best friends. Family is everything to me. I always think that we have a better time than the rest of the world when we are together.
Aside from them, I have two best friends that I am not related to. One lives in Boston (Momo) and the other (Kara) lives in Canada – but they are both from Connecticut! Momo has been my friend since high school and Kara is a former Vol with me. I hate that we live so far away from one another, but I wouldn’t trade them as friends for anyone in the world.
I hope you feel like you know me a litttttttle better. If you have any questions, Ask Away!
Yay for Connecticut transplants to the South! 🙂
This was great Caitlin! I danced for 15 years and taught modern and ballet at a local studio in PA before moving to MI. I miss it!!! I know what you mean about how it makes you feel free!
~Ashley @ A Cute Angle
http://acutelifestyle.blogspot.com
I’ve been reading for years, but it’s nice to get a refresher. 🙂
I love knowing that you’ve been around for a long time! Thank you so much!
Oh wow you taught modern and ballet! I bet you are an incredible dancer 🙂 I miss it so so much!
Yes!!!! Yankees in the South!
fun learning more about you! you should definitely look into adult dance classes again. I’ve been doing ballet for years and it is such a fun activity and way to get exercise.
— jackie @ jade and oak
Your clothing style, designs… you look like a real southerner to me! Any particular blogs/ Pinterest boards etc you follow for inspiration? I love it! Fellow CT-er!
As a fairly new reader, I love the reintroduction. Thanks for doing it! 🙂
Love your blog! Thanks for the reintroduction! 🙂
Love this! 🙂
Love this!!
I love this!
Kristin
crumbsandcurls.blogspot.com
Caitlyn,
I am a fairly new reader…..been around for your pregnancy and a little before but am glad to get to know you a bit better…..off to read about the cruise where you met your beloved!
Diane
http://www.2dkimballroad.blogspot.com
We’ve got lots in common girl! 🙂 Loving the re-introduction.
I love that you love Christmas. I am so excited about it this year…and I bet you are too with your little on on the way! Christmas only gets better with children. x
I am SO excited to have a little one to share my Christmas joy and spirit with as the years go on. =0)
i LOVE that you two met on a cruise!!!! cruising is our FAVORITE thing to do, ever! and you look so cute in colored tights!
I’ve been following you for a while, but I didn’t know that you taught 1st grade in a low-income urban community. I’m doing 9th right now in a low-income urban area, plus it’s my first year of teaching, and it is ROUGH. I have a feeling that I’ll be feeling the same way you do in a few years!
This is so cute! I love learning more about you! SO excited for you to have your Christmas baby!
I loved this post! Thanks for letting me get to you know 🙂 Congrats on Annabelle. I love the name 🙂
Who doesn’t love Christmas!? Its the best!! 🙂
love this!! that first photo of you is so pretty!! I love that outfit!
Thank you! I actually can’t wait to wear it again once I am no longer pregnant haha!
I know! Anyone who doesn’t love Christmas = GRINCH!
Thank you! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
I refrained from talking about teaching there on the blog as much as I could – there were some people who took what I wrote out of context, plus I shouldn’t have been saying things while I was still teaching. It was definitely a learning experience, and something that I am glad I “survived,” but there were a lot of moments spent crying and thinking I wasn’t going to be able to finish out the year! Email me if you ever need to chat – it’s always nice to have someone to go through it with!
We love cruises too!!! Thanks for the colored tights comment – at one point it got a little out of control and I blame Blair on Gossip Girl.
That makes a lot of sense. I refrain from talking about it other than things that make sense and won’t get me in trouble – like, these are the real number of hours that teachers work, and we don’t actually get a break during planning period, etc. There are so many things I would like to say about teaching and my students, but I DEFINITELY can’t. I’m definitely going through the crying and doubting I’ll survive moments. It depends, though; today I had a REALLY good day and lessons that went over well, but who knows what tomorrow will be like. I’ll definitely email you if there is anything that I want to talk about with someone who survived the experience and environment! Although I’ll keep in mind that you might not be able to respond as Miss Annabelle gets nearer. Good luck!
You know I love me some Christmas too, can’t wait to get the decorations and everything up! 🙂