First Annual 29th Birthday

I don't know if I've ever been so proud of a baked good. These have got to be the prettiest things I've ever baked. A pastry bag and a tip in the right size makes all the difference (if you're wondering, I used a size 6. Size 7 is good, too). They're peach and blackberry and, let me tell you, I went all out. The bottoms had a slice of peach and a bit of oatmeal crumble. Then, I made a peach-blackberry filling for the centers. I used peach flavoring for the frosting, which I wasn't crazy about, but all together, they tasted amazing. I bought the little star sprinkles a couple Christmases ago, but never used them. They were the perfect final touch.

I can't wait for my mom's birthday in a couple weeks. I'm gonna make her some mad cupcakes!

Before you go on, let me tell you something. This was one of the best birthdays I have ever had. No joke, a live band showed up at the beach to provide mood music (it sounded like we were in a beach movie). I couldn't have planned it more perfectly. Also, my friends and family are amazing and it was so wonderful hanging out with them all at the beach.

My friend, Laurel, made me cupcakes, too, but she had to bring them on a bike so didn't get to frost them till we were at the beach. They were rosemary-blackberry with the most amazing chocolate buttercream! My friends Adam & Camille brought me a cupcake from Macrina and my sister-in-law, Mallory, brought a dozen cupcakes from Trophy.You can never have too many, right?

Thanks to my sister, Beth, for this picture.

My husband, dealing with salsa and sand. He hates the beach.

My cool friends.

Any chance I get, I buy these little patterned bags. I filled them with salt water taffy, cuz we're at the beach, duh.

Maddie and Tilly manning the fire. Thank goodness Tilly is afraid of fire, so she didn't spend much time near it.

Sigh. How am I gonna top this next year?

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Beauty: Back to Basics

My skin has gotten more sensitive as I've gotten older. Even in the past year I've noticed a big change in the way my skin reacts, so I've decided it's time to simplify things. I've been avoiding any makeup or skincare products with perfumes and have started using unscented laundry detergent. I even have to be careful about the lip balm I use! Just in the knick of time, I received this free sample of Hydrating Serum from Lucky Magazine and Seventh Generation.

The new line of Seventh Generation's skin-boosting serums is so natural you could practically eat them! Seriously, there are 12 ingredients in the hydrating serum! It's hypoallergenic, won't clog my pores and contains absolutely no parabens, phthalates or synthetic fragrances.

I apply it after I wash my face in the evening, since it's mostly oil-based. That way it has time to soak in and I don't have to walk around all shiney faced! In the winter, I'll probably mix it in with my lotion to avoid the crazy-dry skin I get in cold weather.

Simplifying your beauty regimen doesn't have to be drastic, and if you're not having problems with rashes, like I am, it doesn't mean you have to throw away everything in your bathroom. Use up the products you have, then invest in some high-quality, earth- and skin-friendly products from Seventh Generation's new line. 

Here are some of my #AllNaturalStyleSecrets :

- Skip lip balms that contain peppermint oil. This is really irritating and can make chapped lips worse!

- Get soft skin with this gentle face scrub

- Having trouble getting smells out of your clothes? Switch to natural fabrics! Polyester and synthetics tend to stay smelly, even after several washes. Plus, they usually make you sweat, and we all know what that leads to!

- Remove heavy makeup by applying a few drops of olive or jojoba oil to your face. Let it soak in, wipe with a tissue, then wash as usual.

Frida's gettin' back to basics, too.

Look of the Day: Denim & Plaid

 I've had this obsession with blue lately. I want everything made of denim, chambray, or oxford. I'm this close to redecorating my house in nothing but french ticking. I'll have to control myself, though, and be satisfied with the kitchen towels I bought at Ikea. I also just found a fantastic pair of vintage denim tennis shoes that fit with the blue theme perfectly.

Aren't the striped laces cute? Too bad I didn't find them a day earlier, because they woulda been perfect for this outfit.

I was recently invited to join the Oasap blogger program and I used my credit to get this shirt. It's the exact spelling of my niece's name. My sister used the french spelling, Mathilde, since it was our great-great-grandmother's name. It's not exactly a common spelling in America, so it was funny to see it on a shirt!

Oasap Bike Tee - GAP denim jacket - vintage plaid skirt (similar) - Thrifted hat - Madewell suede flats - Forever21 sunglasses

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In Photos: A Trip to the Ocean

Disclaimer: I wish I could take credit, but I did not build this. 

Chive cream cheese, candied salmon, cucumber, and roasted goat from my mom's farm! 

Tilly took this picture of me. She's the size of 6 year old, so her hands are just big enough to hold the camera. All her other pictures are of the dogs and her feet.

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Thoughts in Overalls: Insults & Comebacks

Saturday must have been International Rude Day. I woke up to a rude comment on Facebook AND a rude Tweet. The Facebook comment started with a compliment, but then quickly digressed into insults, lazily excused with an "I have to be honest"clause. The commenter said that "bigger people" would look like taxis if they wore a yellow blazer like mine. I was at first insulted, then felt bad for being insulted when I realized it wasn't directed at me. I gave it some thought, then responded with "Bigger people can wear what they want." Just minutes later, I opened up Twitter to find a tweet from some tactless girl expressing her feelings about my look that was featured on Your Next Dress. I don't think she even knew that it was tweeted to me as well as the website. So much rudeness and all before 11am!

To address the first comment, which I think is more important, I must first admit some things. I, like most people in America, have an automatic negative response to being called fat. I wish I didn't. I'm working to change my perceptions of my own body and the word fat. Through middle school, high school, and till about the age of 22, I was "overweight". Then, suddenly, the weight started coming off. The only explanation I have for it is that I was exploring the world and changing my outlook. I think those changes were enough to change my activity level as well as my eating habits. 

I was very happy in high school, so I don't want you to think I was completely miserable being overweight, because I was far from it. I did, however, feel like people couldn't see the real me. And I hated not being able to wear all the clothes that were in style. 

In the ten years that have passed since I graduated high school, I've made some huge changes and feel pretty lucky in life. Most people didn't recognize me at my reunion! I did however fall into my old pattern of only talking with my group of friends all night, but that usually happens at reunions, right? My husband did the networking and I was my typical wallflower self. It works out.

This Facebook comment has got me thinking, though. I still carry around a lot of the insecurities that come with being fat in a skinny-obsessed world.  But I've had a breakthrough. One that I think shows progress in changing my body image. I realized the insult wasn't being called fat. The insult was being compared to an inanimate object. No matter what your size, color, or gender you're a human being and you deserve respect and kindness.

To address the second rude comment. The girl said "Hell no!" in response to the question "What do you think of Catie Beatty's dress?" Bitch please, I've been in 4 magazines, a book and featured on loads of websites. Your tactless remark only made me realize just how awesome I am.

Vintage silk blouse - thrifted GAP overalls - Forever21 sunglasses - Madewell flats

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Look of the Day: Yellow Jacket

August is always a month full of celebrations! All my best friends from high school celebrate their birthdays this month. Then I have 3 cousins, 3 aunts, and one uncle who have birthdays. And don't forget my birthday! I just got this white skirt from Oasap so I have a fun party skirt that I can easily mix and match for any celebratory event. For this look, I thought a yellow blazer would be bright and festive paired with stripes.

Oasap Skirt - Chico striped top - Truth & Pride silk blazer (similar) - Vintage beaded purse - Madewell suede flats - Rivet & Sway glasses 

In Photos: Claire's Visit

So a little background. I lived in England for 7 months in 2006. It was a dream come true, but of course I was horribly homesick. I probably would have left early if it hadn't been for our neighbors, the Jones, or as I call them, the Duncans (I couldn't remember their last name, just the dad's name). Claire was just 15 when I met her. She's now an amazing young woman who saved up her pounds and pennies to come visit me. After a fab week and a half, it was a teary goodbye at Seatac yesterday. Here are some photos from our adventures.

MONDAY

We enjoyed cupcakes at Cupcake Royale and wandered around Ballard

One of the best photos anyone has ever taken of me.

TUESDAY

Shopping and dinner!

We're both huge fans of Gordon Ramsay, so we had to have dinner at Yanni's, which was featured on the latest season of Kitchen Nightmares. Honestly, I'm not even sure why, because this restaurant has always been great.

No more rumors! It's actually happening! Claire was not impressed, since Zara is plentiful in England.

WEDNESDAY

I usually avoid touristy things, but I'm so glad Claire was so persistent on going up the Space Needle. We went at sunset, found free parking (!), and the views were spectacular. It wasn't even cold and windy, like I had expected.

THURSDAY

We had lunch at Cafe Presse with my family and my best friends. We had a pomme frites eating contest, of course. I took her to almost all of my favorite restaurants and bakeries. We missed out on Top Pot, though, because we were both sick of sweets and baked goods by the end of the week. 

After lunch, we all went to Volunteer Park, since the conservatory was free for First Thursday. Then we sat in the grass and fed the squirrels, and ourselves, pastries from Bakery Nouveau.

On my way to dinner, I jumped out of my car into traffic to rescue this racing pigeon. Everyone keeps telling me how brave and awesome it was, but lets be honest. It was idiotic. I dropped him off with a man in Tacoma who has racing pigeons. Hopefully he can nurse him back to health, because I didn't know what I was doing. Someday I'll have pet pigeons, though.

FRIDAY

My dad and stepmom, who also lived in England, took us to Kingston for dinner. It was the most beautiful gray evening.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY

We went down to Shelton to stay with my mom. That means more pastries, of course.

Raspberry tart and chocolate-banana cream (I think) from San Francisco Bakery in Olympia.

MONDAY

We took Claire to see the Pacific Ocean for the first time!

TUESDAY

After a stressful day stuck in a car with no A/C, it was nice to finally make it home to Seattle. We went to Kerry Park, had dinner at Mezcaleria, and watched the sunset from Queen Anne Boulevard. It was the perfect note to end our vacation on. Unfortunately, one of us had the idea of going to Ikea on the way to the airport. Claire made it home safe and sound, though.

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