Part 1: 30 Going On 13

A self portrait photo series

This is part 1 of my my 3-part photo series. I'm turning 30 soon. It's kind of a big deal, after turning 13, 16, 18, and 21. I really love my 20s and still wish I could look like I'm 23. But I'm not, so I reminiscing on my younger years, remembering my 20s, and celebrating this new decade!

I love the movie. "13 Goin On 30." I remember this movie came out just before my 13th birthday. I had a slumber party for my 13th birthday and I made my friends watch it. It's pretty much a write of passage at that age, right? It's like watching "16 Candles" when you turn 16.

The plot of "13 Going On 30" follows a girl who, on her 13th birthday, get's mad because she was supposed to kiss her crush while playing 7 minutes in heaven. But it ended up being her guy friend instead, and she got PISSED! So she cries in the closet, wishing she could be "30, flirty and thriving." And poof, she's all of a sudden a 13-year old in a 30-year old body living it up in NYC.

Earlier this year, I started thinking about how I've gotten so much older over the years. I'm not 13 anymore. I'm barely holding onto my 20s! But I wish I could be younger, like turning 13 instead of 30 (for like a day. Let's be real, middle school is the wOOORRRRRsssssttttTTTT (said in a Jean Ralphio voice)).

Unfortunately I don't have magic dust to transform me into a younger Catie, but I can recreate it. I dug through my closet, thrifted a bunch of clothes, and even found some items on Amazon to recreate some moments from 2004-2005, AKA the time I was 13. I researched outfits and styles from the mid-2000s (hello UGG boots and Juicy velvet track suits!). I got up at the crack of dawn and waited until sunset to capture these moments.

I hope you enjoy this first part of my self portrait serious as I celebrate my 30th birthday. Of course I had to recreate a couple fictional characters from the movie of my teens, "Mean Girls!"

I was so obsessed with reading, and Harry Potter was my favorite book series at this age!

Collard shirts with this pattern or stripes and stripes were so popular! And of course iPods had just come out and everyone wanted one.

I have my old middle school hoodie somewhere in my house, but I can't find it! That was all I wore in middle school - that hoodie, jeans and tennis shoes. But I was able to find this old hoodie when the high school won state, and I definitely wore this to some of the football games as young middle schooler.

Uggs - Check!

Juicy track suit - Check!

Flip phone - Check!

Weird hat we wore in the mid 2000s- Check!

We always had to carry three electronics: our digital cameras to take pictures, our flip phones to communicate, and our iPods to listen to music during down time.

Also - peep that Live Strong bracelet!

Remember taking a million selfies on your phone because you couldn't see the other side?! Don't miss those!

"Napoleon Dynamite" just came out that year, and all the middle schoolers and my day were obsessed with it. You couldn't go a day without someone quoting it or making a "Napoleon Dynamite" reference.

Remember this phone commercial?

“If you’re from Africa, why are you white?” – Karen Smith

“Oh my god Karen, you can’t just ask people why they’re white.” – Gretchen Wieners

“Raise your hand if you have ever been personally victimized by Regina George.” – Ms. Norbury

“On Wednesdays we wear pink.” – Karen Smith

“That was so fetch.” – Gretchen Wieners

“Raise your hand if you have ever been personally victimized by Regina George.” – Ms. Norbury

“I’m sorry that people are so jealous of me, but I can’t help it that I’m popular.” – Gretchen Wieners

“I wish we could all get along like we used to in middle school. I wish I could bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat and be happy.” – Girl Who Doesn’t Go to the School

“She doesn’t even go here!” — Damian