The downLOWE: Finding Love on The Bachelor
After finding love in front of millions of viewers on ABC's The Bachelor, our February Guest Editor, Catherine Lowe, is the perfect person to hang out with us for the month of love! She's been dishing about all things love all month long. This week enjoy the downLOWE!
After finding love in front of millions of viewers on ABC's The Bachelor, our February Guest Editor, Catherine Lowe, is the perfect person to hang out with us for the month of love! She's been dishing about all things love all month long and we thought it was time to get to know a bit more about our favorite gal. This week enjoy the downLOWE!
What keeps you inspired?
I continue to stay inspired by keeping my eyes open and my mind spinning. Music, art and even memes excite me and make me want to create. Pinterest has been a huge asset for graphic, fashion and recipe ideas and all the wonderful travel I've been blessed with lately keeps monotony at bay. I encourage everyone to constantly challenge their senses and keep a sketch book to capture ideas! Be curious and boundless. Inspiration is ubiquitous.
What advice would you give to your
16-year-old self?
I would tell my 16 year old self to stop being so hard on my mom. Looking back, I could have been a little kinder and more forgiving because she's the bomb. That lady is one strong person to raise three pretty cool daughters on a teacher's salary :)
What’s your favorite part of the day?
My favorite part of the day is first thing in the morning when I hear "Good morning sweetheart" which is immediately followed by three kisses: one on the forehead from Sean and two sloppy ones on the face by my girls. Luckiest girl in the world :)
Is the glass half empty or half full?
Who would ever admit to being half empty?! I'd like to think I'm a realist and my life is pretty dang great so glass half full. But that might be too optimistic because I complain a lot. I'm a moody girl, what can I say?
What’s your favorite kind of party?
Pajama Party! My friends have been throwing them recently and I'm a huge fan. Being comfortable in public is a rarity these days and I'm too old for being around skankiness which hardly ever happens at PJ parties. Plus, old school games are way too fun to pass up.
If you were to perform in the circus, what would you do?
Oh, I was meant to be in the circus. At age 8 I started riding a unicycle and found myself on a 6-footer in parades with fellow nerds. Since then, I've taken trapeze and aerial silk classes so I'd imagine I'd be what you call an "All-Around." Heck, I would even be up for being a clown as long as my name was Honkers. (Someone, please hire me.)
How has marriage changed you?
Marriage has changed me by striving for patience and accepting spontaneity. I used to be a planner but since Sean isn't that way at all, I've had to allow for the unexpected. I can be a real pain too so learning to say "I'm sorry, I love you" has been a huge change for me. I also have learned every single quarterback, coach and mascot currently in the NFL.
FUN DATE NIGHT IDEAS WITH GUEST EDITOR, CATHERINE LOWE
Catherine Lowe, is the perfect person to hang out with us for the month of love! This week, she's bringing us into her date nights with hubbie, Sean Lowe, to give you her tips about creating fun adventures with the one you love and how to keep it exciting!
After finding love in front of millions of viewers on ABC's The Bachelor, our February Guest Editor, Catherine Lowe, is the perfect person to hang out with us for the month of love! This week, she's giving you her tips on how to create fun adventures with the one you love.
With a raised brow and baited breath, Valentine’s Day is left for the men to get right, so give him a break and listen closely. Date Nights are at the top of Sean and my list when it comes to spending intentional and weekly time together. Yes, we are “inseparable” but I’d hardly consider playing games on our iPads while watching Gold Rush quality time. That’s why, when we have free time in our schedule, I expect a date night with my hubs. Here are just a few of my tips to start thinking about what you should plan for your man in the coming weeks:
Something Messy
It's no secret that Sean and I are pizza fanatics, but it may be less known that I love to be in the kitchen with my man. Homemade pizzas are great for any situation, for any flavor preferences, and for any stage of a relationship. A third date to a husband (and all things in between) can enjoy a date that involves you potentially covered in food ;) The key is the quality of ingredients and your pizza partner. Whether or not he's actually contributing, he's pretty to look at while things get a little messy. The foreplay starts at the grocery store so keep that in mind. Communicating what you like on your pie and hearing his favorite flavors gets your appetites whet. Don't skimp on anything (I spring for the expensive cheese and meats) because you won't want the first time to be the last time too. Get it cookin in the kitchen. Wink!
Something Active
Doing something active with your guy is undeniably fun. It's nostalgic, upbeat and just a little friendly competition. It's also something your guy probably loves! And pleasing him is pretty darn important. My personal faves: driving range, batting cages, bike riding, kayaking. And if you're drinking buddies too, a lot of places these days have the option to drink responsibly while you play. Just don't get too serious about winning...having fun is the victory!
Something 50's
Expect to be asked to "go steady" after you plan this wholesome date idea: a picnic! I planned an evening in our backyard early in our marriage and it was so sweet. To make it grown-up and very personalized, choose foods you know you'll both enjoy and don't JUST bring PB&Js. I homemade paninis and wrapped them like a fancy deli would and packaged gourmet Mac and cheese in tupperware, among other tasty, easy to eats. This date is conducive for simple romance and uninterrupted conversation. Just make sure to truly take it back to the 50's and ditch the cell phones :)
Something New
I love learning new things with my honey and date nights are a great time to focus on that. Anyone can take you to a movie but why don't you surprise him with a day learning archery or chess?! When you challenge and pave the way for your guy, it gets him thinking creatively about how to one up you next time he has to plan date night. The best places to get ideas is from friends and Pinterest! Oh and Groupon always has get deals on things to try in your area.
Something Trippy
If you have access to a car and a free weekend, take a trip! Road trips are great for the couple who can spend long periods of time together--which should be all couples! Create a playlist of jams you both can get down on and some potential stops you might want to make. Since you won't have a strict timeline, you'll be more likely to jump on spontaneous opportunities that come up! Read suggestions on Yelp so you don't get stuck in a sketchy place. But if you do, won't that be a fun story?! Don't forget snacks to keep in the car and shades to keep on your face :)
AN INSIDE LOOK OF CATHERINE LOWE'S DALLAS BASED HOME
After finding love in front of millions of viewers on ABC's The Bachelor, our February Guest Editor, Catherine Lowe is bringing us into her home with hubbie, Sean Lowe, to give you her tips about creating a new home with the one you love (all with the help of a few Spice Girls songs).
Image | Sears
After finding love in front of millions of viewers on ABC's The Bachelor, our February Guest Editor, Catherine Lowe, is the perfect person to hang out with us for the month of love! This week, she's bringing us into her home with hubbie, Sean Lowe, to give you her tips about creating a new home with the one you love (all with the help of a few Spice Girls songs).
When I moved to Dallas, I took the essentials: my clothes and my computers. Other than that, I knew that Sean and I would create something unique to us when we found that perfect house. And when we did, we did. Our house is our most favorite place in the whole wide world because we had been planning it for so long. Little known fact, at our Canada cocktail party before the rose ceremony, our limited time together was spent frolicking (duh), laughing (double duh) and sharing the things we wanted in a home. “A big porch”…”Me too!”…giggle giggle…“I want a nice kitchen with an island”… “Oooh, that sounds nice…” What a coupla nerds.
But creating the home we wanted didn’t come as easy as reciting our dream lists. He is a southern, tidy man and I’m an eclectic, messy girl after all. Our needs sometimes didn’t match up perfectly. Luckily, there are girl bands to save the day. Anything you need to know about merging two lives together can be learned from The Spice Girls’ song “2 Become 1.” (Do not take this literally. Please keep reading.) Whether you’re moving in with someone you’re dating or you’re creating a home with your husband, there are tips that I’ve learned from experience that hopefully help you with your Relationship & Abode Fondue…all through Spice Girls lyrics.
“Empty words we both were saying”
Be honest. When you are building your special place with that special someone, be upfront about what you need. From something as specific as “I need a space where my cat poster collection will be preserved” to something as generic as “I need to feel safe”, tell him—nicely yet directly. Mine was “I need it to feel warm and ours.” If he knows what is important to you, he should respect that. If you’re moving into his place and everything still looks like a bachelor pad (har har), ask him to incorporate more of what you like into it. It is yours now too. Also, shut your mouth when it doesn’t matter. Do you really care if the curtains are that color? No? Then be supportive and move on to something that matters.
“I had a little love, now I’m back for more”
WANT to come home. You’re gonna want to go on date nights, but you should also be excited to get home. Make a space that you both absolutely adore so you can create memories together somewhere that was truly created together. Sean and I have a room that is built for comfort. It’s our TV room and we call it “The Pit” because once you’re in, you’ll never get out. This place is where we find so much joy and when we’re on the road, we have dreams about getting back to it. Form a room or space in your home that makes you feel comfortable and completely yourself. Then, go out so you can be excited to come home.
“I’ll submit to your every need but you also gotta listen to me”
(Not true lyrics, but let’s pretend. Also, should I be a songwriter or what?!)
Respect each other. The only doormat in our house is the one that says “Sup.” Neither one of us takes a backseat in the decision-making of our relationship or our house because we are both integral voices. Sean and I have been lucky enough to share a similar taste in home décor but I have (respectively) had to put my foot down when he was trying to bring his jank college guy pots and pans into my pristine kitchen. When it comes to décor, ladies don’t get too floofy on him because he’ll want to have his buddies over and you don’t want him to be the butt of every joke because of your doing. Don’t emasculate him but I’m all for bringing up the class level in your new grown up spot.
This is the space you both will call home and that in itself is pretty darn special. Enjoy the piles of dirty dishes, the toilet seat being up, the new homeowner sales pitchy mail, the 24/7 ESPN. And... all the sweet goodnight kisses. You can’t forget about those :)
MEET OUR FEBRUARY GUEST EDITOR: CATHERINE LOWE
After finding love in front of millions of viewers on ABC's The Bachelor, Catherine (then Giudici) shared her story with fans all over the world. All month long we'll be talking all things domestic and love....with a twist.
Boy oh Boy, do we have a treat for you. We've lined up the perfect Guest Editor for the month of love! After finding love in front of millions of viewers on ABC's The Bachelor, Catherine (then Giudici) continued to share her story with fans all over the world as she and now husband, Sean Lowe, promised to spend their lives together in front of ABC cameras. The two just celebrated their first of many anniversaries together and we thought what better person to help us talk love than Catherine.
From the moment we met Catherine, she brought a creative spark and level of enthusiasm unlike any other we'd encountered. A skilled graphic designer, she brings her fresh and quirky personality to every project. Lending her talents to a variety of lifestyle projects, she is the perfect example of the every day working entrepreneurial women. And she has now added wife to her list of duties. All month long we'll be talking all things domestic and love...with a twist. It's about to get weird. First let's get to know your new favorite gal....
LETTER TO THE READERS:
I'll be the first to admit: I'm no expert. Heck, I don't even know if that was the correct usage of a colon, but I do what I can. In the least egotistical way -- I hope -- I love talking about myself. I've had some wonderful and unique experiences in my life and love sharing what I've learned with the people I care about. Established California is giving me the opportunity to do exactly that and it's exactly why I am someone to listen to: love.
It's February, the month that some people consider to be the month of love, so I'd like to think my current situation makes people give a hoot about my perspective on love and relationships. Maybe not, whatever, imma share my thoughts and advice on the topic either way! I hope you follow my guest column this month and enjoy it :)
xoxo,
