Top 10 Favorite Movies -- You haven't seen them all!

I guarentee, you haven't seen all of these. But they are my favorite movies -- I list I like to prune and fluff daily. Not in any order but surely for your enjoyment! Happy weekend!

Circle of Friends

Double Jeopardy 

For the Boys

Waking Ned Devine

Anne of Green Gables

The American President

The Commitments

Pride & Prejudice

Love Actually

Chocolat

The Mirror Has Two Faces

The Thomas Crown Affair

Girl!? Where you been?

Woa! You know it's been a long time when you have to update your age and you might as well add two years because you're THAT close to your next birthday! Whew!

I won't bore you with where I have been..

Okay, I'll give you the quick version. In YouTube videos, Facebook status updates, tweets and instagrams.

July

Our www.clevelandirish.org fest went on through the rain.. Again! This year is our 30th Anniversary! IT. WILL. NOT. RAIN!

I sang with world reknown Irish band, "Cherish the Ladies". Dream come true!

August

I dislocated my knee and missed my BFF Rita's wedding. Worst. Weekend. Ever.

Turned 27. Shut up.

September

I was Maid of Honor at my BFF Michaela's wedding. I made this speech. It's awesome. :)

October

Random FB posts.

November

Took 16 kids to the National Catholic Youth Conference!

Set up the Thankgiving tables.. My favorite!

December

January

Took a bunch of girls to the March for Life!

February

Watched the Superbowl and tweeted through it..

March

My brother made this movie about my little sister, Caroline:

I played a wedding for St. Patrick's Day.

April

I spoke at my old high school on Chastity... See the hilarity ensue!

Did the Living Stations of the Cross with my youth group kids!

May

Our Bishop Confirmed 84 kids at my parish! Such an incredible day!

I also got turned on to "Draw Something". Best game ever!

Rita had a baby and Laura got preggie!

June

Got proposed to.. I will be the new Mrs. Chan Chak Hung.

Went to the lake for a few days... Gorgeous!

And now it's almost July and near time to the festival! Another trip around the sun! :)

The next million hits video!

And I'm in it! Watch my Maid of Honor speech for my BFF Michaela (Mikey) and her new hubby, Mark! It's pretty legendary!



Here's the speech:

Mikey and I have this inside joke where we bet that I will get really nervous up here at botch my whole speech. But let's be honest.. If you put a microphone and a couple of unsupervised minutes in front of Caitie Beardmore.. It's everybody else that gets nervous.

That's the only inside joke that I'll refer to tonight. Partly because it would be silly for me to talk about all our jokes when you don't know what we mean. And mostly because if I did, you'd think we're crazy. The only joke we've ever found that everyone else gets too are the songs that we've re-written for youth groups.. We're on YouTube! Actually, that would have been a funny way to do this speech..

(Music comes on, I pretend I don't know what's going on)

Yes, Mikey. You know I couldn't do this like everybody else. I'm going to tell you the story of Mark and Michaela and the *journey* of their relationship.

Just a polish girl
Livin in a lonely world
Hadn't found Mr. Right
She'd date anyone.

A California Boy
In Psychological Employ
Getting his PhD
He was almost done.

*** Now, I don't know if you know this , but on their first date Mark and Mikey (and Rita) went to this greasy diner on campus where all the drunk kids pass out. And Mikey was so nervous she called Mark a leprechaun. But I guess racial slurs work for this guy. ***

Breakfast in a smokey room
The smell of drunks and greasy food
For awhile she was real nervous
Called him a leprechaun, a leprechaun.

They'd been, waiting
Up until then, not successful
Been Calmly
Searching for the right one.

Single people
Looking for their one vocation
They found something
That night!

*** So here we are! At their wedding! Tho it took a little longer than Mikey expected to get engaged! ***

Workin' hard to get that ring
Mikey only wants one thing
(We were) Worried someone else would get engaged
Just one more time.

Engagements were in
Mark would choose
Michaela would sing the blues
The cycle seemed to never end
It went on and on and on and on

See, Mark was, waiting
Right time to start their family
Waited til God gave the green light

Engaged people
They became in adoration
When Mark asked Mikey to be his wife

*** Alright, I know you know the words. I want everybody to get up and sing to the happy couple! Sing to the married people!

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feeling
Married people

** Let's raise our glasses! I love you both so much! I hope that you dance and sing and laugh every day of your marriage the way that you will today! God bless you both! To Mark and Michaela!

To see Mikey and I's video, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IgHWhERNYQ

Dream come true!

How can I explain how special this was? Hmm.. Let me put it this way: my grandfather, who had probably given me a compliment three times in my life, told me I needed to get a manager.

Watch me perform with "Cherish the Ladies" at our family's Irish fest this weekend!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KCMEapKseE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Does Oprah know she's pro-life?

You are here for a reason:

"How I think one masters one's life is to understand that you are co-creating that life with the ultimate creator. Not understanding that puts you at your own pitiful, meager, little will and everything is left up to you. And YOU can't do it. YOU cannot survive in this world, by yourself, just believing in yourself. You're not big enough to do it. I'm not big enough to do it. Nobody is big enough to do it. You have to understand that your very presence here as a human being on this earth came from something bigger than you. And not justfrom your parents who wanted to have a child. The fact that that egg was hit by that particular sperm in that particular moment and you were created.. Wow! How amazing is that!? Of all the different choices that had to happen in order for you to be here now.. What a celebration that is!

"So when you recognize the mystery of that creation. All the circumstances that had to configure and reconfigure themselves. All the questions that we don't have answers to. You have to know this: the fact that I'm here matters. And the fact that you're there matters. This is no accident. None of us are."

~ Oprah on Master Class on OWN

You'd be stupid to not acknowledge all this but then say that there is nothing wrong with destroying that sperm and egg that has so mysteriously come together to form a person. Wish Oprah would get publicly behind the pro-life movement!

Blogging with a Bad Catholic!

I'm having a conversation about the silliness of the idea of a female priesthood over at BadCatholic! Have you tuned in yet? Marc be so smart! One of my favorites!

Here is part one.

Here is part two.

Part three is coming soon! :)

I'm baaack!

Don't even look at the date of my last blog post.

Don't.

I said don't!

I can't bring myself to figure out how many days it has been, but if I had to guess, I'd say it was a million days ago.

Yes, definitely a million days ago.

Ah! Why did you just go look?!

Oh..

It was only 2 months ago?

Well, see now that doesn't seem so bad!

And see, I do have an excuse!! Well, actually 10 of them! Can I give you a list of the top 10 things I have been doing since I last blogged?



10. Teaching kids to read. While in transition between the last two things on this list, I was nannying. And I totally taught this little one to read! What a great feeling! I hope teachers feel this rewarded. Though.. Some of my pride came from having taught her to read the colors of OPI nail polish. "Duh.. Dee.. Deeva.. uh.. of.. Gin.. Geneeva.. Diva of Geneeva!" Way to go, kiddo!!

9. I faced my FTPS! Many of you know about my condition: FTPS, or Flat Tire Paranoia Syndrome. I was self-diagnosed a couple years ago and basically, if I drive more than 30 miles, I will stop at least once because I'll be sure that I have a flat tire. However, the other day, I actually got one! But I did fine, pulled to the side and looked helpless enough that someone stopped to change it for me within mere minutes. Success! :) Now to conquer my FOFAPFITM condition.. That's Fear Of Forgetting and Putting Foil in the Microwave.

8. I became homeless. I moved out of my apartment, am storing my stuff in my parents garage and living in my car an hour away awhile I'm working. Staying with friends here and there, but basically homeless. I wonder how bad it would be to stand on the corner of a big intersection, begging for money, with a sign that read: "I guess I could go home, but it's like an hour drive.."

7. My brother John and my cousin Maria graduated high school and my BFF finished, defended and turned in her dissertation! Okay, so I had very little to do with this, but I am so proud of all three!

6. My brother left me a few voicemails. Have you heard these? They are seriously deranged. The one above is where he spends nearly 4 minutes pretending that he's responding to a Craigslist ad. Clearly the kid has problems. But I can't help it! I love his voicemails! :)

5. Getting ready for the festival! 29 years ago my grandparents started Cleveland's Irish Cultural Festival and it is now considered one of the best in the country! It is so much fun and I am so proud of what our family has created! Being around all that Irish music, dance, people.. Whew! It is awesome! And you should come! But my favorite thing is that I end up staying up all night in the hotel bar, singing and playing music with some of the best Irish singers and musicians in the world.. It's dreamy!

4. I just planned the bestest shower/bachelorette party ever! Now, I have been bridesmaid before (in fact, I am also in my other BFF's wedding next month! Can't wait, Rita!!), but this is the first time I have been Maid-of-Honor. Lots of responsibility.. You think the BRIDE is stressed! Ha! :) But I hosted a garden party bridal shower in my parent's backyard and then planned a bachelorette weekend in Chicago. It was perfect: fun and relaxing, exciting and girly. Minus the cab ride with Mitchell, an older gentleman whose long-winded stories were as comprehensible as his slurred speech. Don't worry. I got his number.

3. I worked my butt off to finish school, these past 6 months, cramming in classes that I didn't have time for before, taking indpendent study courses and being resourcesful in my scheduling of classes. I must thank Marian University because although I didn't love everything about the school, by the grace of God (and my advisor), I can safely say the following:

2. I graduated!! Now, for those of you new to the Caitie-scene, this has been a long time coming! I took four years off school and went back when I was 23, so it kinda took me 8 years to graduate. "Eight years?" You say. "That's not so bad"! Well, yeah. If I were now a doctor. But no. I'm just a lowly Theology major with a book-bag full of Peter Kreeft books. Woe is me. Or is it.. (See #1)

1. I GOT A JOB! It's my dreeaaammmm job and so thankful for the opportunity! I am now the youth minister at St. Maria Goretti Church in Westfield, IN. This parish is so cool.. Very family oriented, very Eucharistic centered. It's a new church and the pastor is awesome. Big parish, strong youth programs and a lot of room for growth -- both for the teens and for me! :) I am so excited -- praise Jesus!

AWOL

I've been gone forever, I know!

Don't hate me.

(You're thinking, "Caitie, its been peaceful without you.. No need to apologize! Really!")

Well, thanks. But really, I've just been so busy!

See, I planned my BFF's bachelorette party, went to her shower, babysat like crazy to afford it all, planned my moms 50th birthday surprise party, made her the video below, finished my semester along with the biggest project ever which I started the night before, I became the lone dweller in my house when my roommates moved out, I started summer session before I will graduate in July, I got a new job, I started work, I got some horrible flu and an ear infection which sent me to the ER, my brother was Confirmed (which I couldn't attend), my sister received her First communion, I found a new apartment, and, through it all, have been deep in prayer with some big intentions.

I've missed you though!

Now here's the video of birthday messages that I made for my mom.. Friends from Ohio, family from Ireland.. It's a whole lotta love for Noreen. :)

"I will wait for you.."

My favorite video to watch while I wait for my future husband! ;)

"I will wait for you
And I will know you
Because when you speak
I will be reminded of Solomon's wisdom
Your ability to lead will remind me of Moses
Your faith will remind me of Abraham
Your confidence in God's Word will remind me of Daniel
Your inspiration will remind me of Paul
Your heart for God will remind me of David
Your attention to detail will remind me of Noah
Your integrity will remind me of Joseph
And your ability to abandon your own will will remind me of the disciples
But your ability to love selflessly and unconditionally will remind me of Christ.
I won't need to identify you by any special Matthews or any special Marks,
cuz His Word will be tattered all over your heart."

My Dad's Puns

I texted a picture to my dad today.. It was of my middle finger (no, I wasn't flipping him off!) and the burn that I got the other day which is in the shape of a perfect heart. I said:

Caitie: "Love u so much it hurts! LOL I burned my finger other day and it's a heart.. Even my burns r cute."

Dad: "Maybe u should take TUMS for ur heart burn."

Oh boy.. LOL!

Royal Wedding Dance Entrance

Stop what you're doing.

No, I mean it. Stop.

You have to watch this.

The resemblences alone are worth it!

But it's also hilarious!



I think they could have picked a better song tho, eh?

My Lent Without Facebook..

** Disclaimer: There's no point to this post. I don't come up with anything poignant at the end or even attempt to make it interesting. This is merely a string of thoughts and pictures. I just thought you looked a little tired of those hum-drum coherent blog posts and silly complete thoughts that all those other bloggers put up! How boring! Well, no need to thank me.. Just let your eyes glaze over as you read on.. **


I thought it would be hell..

I thought I'd never survive it!

I was sure that I'd cheat (which is why I let my friend Rita change my password and she let me change hers).

But, despite a few brilliant, hilarious, unforgettable status updates that I was dying to share-- none of which I can remember -- it hasn't been that bad!

Thankfully, when I first told God that it was a little too easy, He got me Oprah tickets. He knew.. It was the one thing I would have loooved to post! Ruthless? Nah. It's been awhile since I've prepaid for gas and left without getting any.. God needed a chuckle.

But this Lent has been less of a struggle and more of a revelation for me.

As I've been evaluating what Facebook really does for me, I made the following list:

(1.) Waste time running through days of status updates like "About to go to bed" and "I'm on Facebook.." or the worst.. Melancholy song lyrics. Blah!
(2.) Keep tabs on old boyfriends who have no idea (thank God) that I just spent 10 minutes sifting through their photo albums looking for signs of semi-intelligent life (aka - a new girlfriend).
(3.) Update friends (read: bombard them with messages) about my CD release in hopes that each one will buy a couple and I'll have enough money to go to Ireland, tour with a band and be the most famous Catholic old-jazzy-irish-folk-bluegrass singer that ever lived!
(4.) Untag myself from unflattering pictures, a full-time job in itself.
(5.) Enter contests.

It's not that I hate Facebook. But I don't love it either. So, why am I on it? I don't know. I feel like I should give up Facebook for life.. I mean, still have it there to use if I need it, but not allow myself to get on and spend 17 hours looking at a screen.

Question is: Do I have the discipline?

Haha!

You're so funny!

Whew!

That one really had me goin'.


In the end, I have to wonder.. Maybe it's the thing that doesn't seem so bad that is the one to be examined? Maybe it's the thing that is hard to argue out of that will let the most danger in? With marriages crumbling because of Facebook and the Pope speaking out about its corruption, I feel compelled to keep looking at this to see what it truly brings to my life..

Plus, with all of the changes Facebook makes, why haven't they gotten rid of "poking"? Any program that keeps something so inane around is questionable in my book!

Today, on the Oprah show..

Watch the Oprah Show on Tuesday, April 12th! It's the SNL Reunion show and I was there! Got to see Tina Fey, Dana Carvey, Tracy Morgan, Jane Curtin and Chevy Chase in person! It was incredible!

Go. Watch. Confess!

You HAVE to watch this video!




My new friend, Marc (aka BadCatholic) has submitted this for a scholarship competition! Watch early and watch often -- it helps his chances! And pray for him too.. Read more about this video here!

Encouragement I needed..

Remember back when I whined -- er! posted about how hard it is to be in the limbo of sure-I-have-offers-and-leads-and-opportunities-but-what-I-don't-have-is-a-definitive-answer-as-to-what-exactly-God-wants-me-to-do-so-do-you-know-hey-you-do-you-know??

This brought me much comfort:



via (as always) Aggie Catholics