Friday, November 30, 2012

When You're Feeling Down.

I don't know about you, but when I'm feeling down nothing cheers me up or encourages me like music. In particular, contemporary Christian music. I don't exactly know what it is. I suppose it's some combination of the catchy tune and heartfelt lyrics. There are days when I'm feeling discouraged or overwhelmed or just a little disappointed when all I want to do is crawl back in bed and sleep for the rest of the day. On these kinds of days, usually all it takes is listening to the radio as I drive or listening to my mp3 player while I do my homework to help me feel better again. Here are some songs that have been meaning a lot to me lately:
Wait and See by Brandon Heath: especially the line, "Still wondering why I'm here, still wrestling with my fear but oh, He's up to something." It reminds me that no matter how discouraged I may feel, how out of place, God is still working in me.
Arms That Hold the Universe by Fee: This entire song just reminds me that no matter what I'm going through, God is holding me.
Even If by Kutless: Even if everything doesn't work out the way we'd like, God is still God.
Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture: The title makes it obvious: God's love never fails.
You Love Me Anyway by Sidewalk Prophets: No matter how many times I screw up, God loves me anyway.
I could share more, but you get the idea. When you're feeling down, sometimes all you need is to listen to a few songs and remember that it won't last forever.
♥♥Kristin

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Today It Snowed.

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Not much, just enough to coat the ground and transform everything from brown to white. I am self-admittedly not a huge fan of snow, but I couldn't help smiling as I saw the big flakes drifting down this morning. It lends a cozy feeling to the atmosphere and Christmas, though little less than a month away, is in the air.
As long as there's nowhere to be, snow is the perfect thing for a lazy winter day. Brew a cup of tea, choose your favorite blanket and curl up on the couch with a book. The snow falling gently to the ground outside just completes the image.
I don't know what it is about this year; somehow every season and all weather just feels magical to me. It could be downpouring or gusting or sunshiney or cloudy and I'd still be happy as a clam. It's kind of a nice feeling actually. I really should try being delighted by the weather more often.
♥♥Kristin

Monday, November 26, 2012

Two Belated Snippets {7} && An Update

Sometimes the words just didn’t come. Some days she spent more time wracking her brain for the words than she spent writing them. These were the days that made her want to give up, that made her question her dreams and abilities. She didn’t know what exactly it was that kept her going. Maybe it was the satisfaction of seeing pages upon pages of words that she herself had formed and combined from 26 simple letters. Maybe it was the joy she felt when others complimented what she’d written. Or maybe it was the exhilaration of spilling her mind on the paper. Whatever it was, she knew that no matter how hard she might try, she’d never stop writing.
 ~~~~~~
The dull roar of chatter flowed around her, half a dozen conversations none of which she was a part of. It was funny: she felt less lonely when she was alone. It was moments like these when the feelings began to gnaw in the pit of her stomach. Friendlessness and insecurity blanketed by a vague sense of depression. Someone turned to ask her a vapid question. A false smile and short forced reply hid her emotion too well. Unappreciated. Unloved. All she wanted was someone to make her feel less alone in a crowded room.

These are both very autobiographical. Much of my writing is, after all. And now, the update: I am not going to continue with my project 365. I feel terrible that I committed to something that I didn't follow through on. I honestly did think that I was going to do this. It just turned out to be harder than I'd envisioned, more time consuming. For now, I'm calling it quits. The tumblr will stay up, but I will not be posting on it anymore (for the time being). I'm not going to stop writing, I'm just going to stop doing it with a timeframe.
♥♥Kristin

Saturday, November 24, 2012

A New Look.

I've kind of revamped my blog a bit. It's still Serendipity, I just played around with backgrounds and headers. I chose something simpler this time. I think it looks cleaner and fresher. Less cluttered. I've also added a tab up top ^^ a bucket list, still very much a work in progress. If there's anything that needs to change, let me know! I'm completely open to suggestions.
♥♥Kristin

Friday, November 23, 2012

'Tis the Season

 I know it's only the day after Thanksgiving and some may say I'm jumping the gun, but I say as soon as Thanksgiving is over the Christmas season has officially begun. Every year it's a tradition in my house to decorate for Christmas on the day after Thanksgiving.This morning I baked while listening to Christmas music (and possibly singing along loudly). My favorite time of year is from September through December. Fall may be my favorite season, and I love it a lot, but I'm never completely sad to see it go. It just means that Christmas is around the corner (It's when Christmas is over that the depression kicks in).
I love how cheerful everything looks at Christmastime. Many of the houses have pretty white lights strung in the eaves and electric candles glowing softly from the windows. Stores are decked out in red, green and white. Christmas trees wink from picture windows and if there is a snowfall the whole world looks fresh and clean.
Christmastime is arguably cozier than Fall. There's nothing better than coming inside with red cheeks and numb toes, brushing the snowflakes from your shoulders and making a nice cup of tea or cocoa. I love snuggling up in bed with my laptop or a book, turning my heater on and just relaxing on a Sunday afternoon.

Christmas time just makes me happier. I feel more content, and the simpler things make me smile the widest. When it comes to this time of year, there's nothing I'd rather do than spend an afternoon with my family, playing cards and joking around and having the time of my life. At Christmastime, the little things are what count.
♥♥Kristin


Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The Cliche Thanksgiving Post.

What can I say? I'm usually a sucker for cliche stuff. And anyways, cliche as it is, that doesn't make it any less important to be thankful. So here's what I'm thankful for this year:
1. My job. I know, cliche answer, but it earns me the money that, as a college student, I so direly need. I also met some of my closest friends through my job. Which brings me to:
2. My friends. What can I say? They're the best.
3. My family. Also the best. We have a blast together all the time. They're crazy and I love them to death.
4. Sugar. In the form of: cake, candy canes, Mountain Dew, chocolate.... I could go on.
5. The internet. But really, how did our parents survive without it?
6. Books. They're absolutely lovely.
7. Words. Because they're one of my favorite things in the world.
8. Hot beverages on cool fall days.
9. That I live in America despite what everyone's saying lately. I have religious and other freedoms, enough food, clothing and a house. That's more than a lot of the world can say.
And, most importantly, 
10.The fact that, no matter how many times I screw up, no matter how many times I fall, God is there to pick me up, brush me off, and give me a second chance.
What are you thankful for this year?
♥♥Kristin

Sunday, November 18, 2012

I'd Fancy A Lake House.

I know it's Fall and very nearly Winter, but bear with me as I pine for Summer for a moment.
I have no idea whose little lake house this is, it's just a photo I found on Pinterest, but I'd love to go to a little house just like this one sometime. There's just something about lake houses, and lakes in general, that strikes my fancy. For whatever reason, I've been thinking more about them lately. They just seem so quaint and homey and like a place I wouldn't mind spending the summer at.
I can just see myself sitting on the edge of a dock like this one, dipping my toes in the water and reading a book with pages ruffled by the breeze off the lake. Mornings I'd wake up, take a cup of tea and my bible onto the porch (naturally my lake house would have a porch) and have my own little quiet time with only the sound of birds singing and water lapping on the shore. We'd have a rowboat and perhaps a few kayaks. Mid-morning, before the real heat of the day, we'd go out on the water and just paddle around, dipping our fingers in the water and watching fish swim beneath us.  Perhaps after lunch when it's hottest we'd go swimming or wading in the cool water. I'd pause for a few moments, just long enough for a few minnows to nibble at my toes. After eating dinner we'd go out on the porch with books or a journal in tow to spend a quiet evening enjoying nature and watching the sun set behind the lake until the sky dims so that the stars show and fireflies start flickering. Maybe some evenings after it gets dark we'd start a fire in the fire ring and roast marshmallows and sit around it until the fire is nothing more than glowing embers and we'd talk and laugh until we cry. Then, I'd crawl into bed with the windows open so that the cool night air and the unique lake-smell can waft freely through the house (Since this is my dream world, mosquitoes do not exist). And that would be my summer. Simple. Carefree. Delightful.
So yes. You could say I'd fancy a lake house.
♥♥Kristin


Saturday, November 17, 2012

It's That Time of Year.

I was outside raking leaves earlier today and I was reminded why this is my favorite season. The scent of dead leaves, strange as this may sound, is one of my favorite scents in the world, right up there with freshly ground coffee and cookies baking. I was breathing it in, the cold wind stinging my fingers and numbing my face, and though I was so cold my toes began to tingle, the crispness in the air made me feel so alive. Being cold only makes it feel that much better to come inside, brew a cup of tea and make lunch. Food tastes better after a morning spent outside. As of now I'm thawing out on my bed, wearing a comfy hoodie with my warm laptop resting on my legs. I'm going to have to go to work later, but for now I'm just going to soak it all in. Lazy, cozy fall afternoons are my favorite.
♥♥Kristin

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Some Word Love.

As you probably already know, I absolutely love quotes. Here are some that I have been obsessing over lately:
It's so true. We go our entire lives saying "maybe tomorrow" but what if tomorrow never comes? This applies to so many things. It really made me think.
This is from Anne of the Island by L.M. Montogmery. It describes November so well! Not to mention makes me want to visit Prince Edward Island even more.
This is something I too often forget.

"The funny thing about introverts is once they feel comfortable with you, they can be the funniest, most enjoyable people to be around. It’s like a secret they feel comfortable sharing with you. Except, the secret is their personality."
I don't know who said this, but speaking as an introvert, it's very true. It takes me a while to become truly comfortable with someone, but when I am I can be "normal."
I'm not much for the style of this quote, I think it's too dark, but I love the message. Too often, we put all of our faith in people and then feel so hurt when they let us down. We have to remember that God is the only one we should be putting our full trust in.

So, those are some of my favorite quotes lately. What are some quotes that have stuck out to you lately?
♥♥Kristin

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

I'm Back//Life Lately

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 I realize that probably wasn't a long break at all, but to me, it felt like a long time. There were a few times when an idea came to me and I wanted to blog, but I didn't. This break helped me to realize more fully how much I really love blogging. I don't want to give it up, even though I was almost considering it two weeks ago. There may be times when I feel uninspired or rushed, and I may go a few days more than usual without posting, but overall my posts should be back to normal now. Here's a little bit of what I've been up to this past week and a half:
-I'm still working on my project 365 blog, and it's coming. I still don't feel like it's quite my best work, but that's what the practice is for. I just have to remember that it is impossible to crank out a masterpiece every single day.
-I've fallen more in love with tumblr as a whole. In the past I didn't post horribly much, but I'm liking it more and more. It's becoming a source of inspiration. Here is the link to my main blog.
-I saw Skyfall over the weekend. It's the newest James Bond movie. It was very good, but a bit inappropriate at times, as James Bond movies tend to be. The theme song has been stuck in my head for days.
-I'm really starting to get excited for Christmas. Fall is my favorite season, but Christmas is my favorite holiday, hands down. I even started a new Pinterest board. I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but I'm unbelievably excited for Christmas to come.
I promise a real post is coming soon!
♥♥Kristin

Saturday, November 3, 2012

A Confession.

My 100th post was a few posts ago. This one is more like 104. I wanted to do something big and super exciting, but to be quite honest I didn't have the time or the inspiration! That carries over into my writing 365 as well. The things I'm writing are definitely not top quality for me. Usually, they're thrown together a few minutes before midnight just so I can keep the promise I made to myself. Even writing this post in which I attempt to make up for that fact, I'm browsing Pinterest while I try to think of an idea. And I think I have one. I'm going to be taking a blogging break. Maybe as short as a week, maybe two or three. It all depends on how long it takes to get my inspiration back. I'll still do my best to keep up with the project 365, because it's entirely too early to give up on that. I'll also still be around, reading your blogs, but I won't be posting on mine. Much like Frosty the Snowman, I'll be back again someday (soon)!
♥♥Kristin

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Oh, Hey November!

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 Some things I'm looking forward to this month:
- Thanksgiving: we always go to my Grandparents' house with all of my cousins, eat too much food and have too much fun (If such a thing is possible.)
- The Christmas season is soon starting! It's one of my favorite times of the year.
- Drinking hot tea while I do my homework
- I'd thought about doing NaNoWriMo, but I've decided against that. 50,000 words is a lot, and I'm so busy with school and such. Instead, I'm just going to write, without a goal, just for fun, to see how much I could actually write in a month. Maybe next year?
♥♥Kristin