Monday, December 31, 2012

The Word of the Year

 You know how some bloggers choose a single word that they keep in lieu of a New Year's resolution? Since I'm not very good at keeping resolutions (Many of my birthday resolutions have already fallen by the wayside) I decided to try it this year. I've been thinking about this for all of five minutes, but I know without a doubt what my word is going to be. It's by no means a new concept for me and it's not unfamiliar around this little blog of mine. In fact, it's the title: the word I've chosen for 2013 is serendipity.

This year I want to just embrace life. As I've said so many times before, everything is so wonderful right now. Rather than try to change it I want to learn to appreciate it more. To smile at the little things. To step back and just admire the beauty of life, to take in the simplicity rather than try to complicate it. This year I want to prove that life was made for living.
♥♥Kristin

Saturday, December 29, 2012

2012//The Year in Review

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  It's that time of year again: Bloggers are all writing posts looking back onto the past year and looking forward to the one ahead. Now it's my turn. Here are the highlights:

-In March I started writing this blog and I honestly had no idea where it would be today, or if I'd even stick it out at all. It turns out that I've really enjoyed blogging a lot. It's given me a creative outlet and I've discovered more about myself through blogging. I've written a lot more than ever before and I'm discovering a lot more about myself as a writer. I don't think I'd ever choose it as a career, but it's one of my favorite hobbies. I also enjoy talking to you lovely people.

-This year I also started to get a lot closer to my co-workers. We had so many fun times: going to an amusement park, bowling, Wal-Mart adventures and just generally hanging out and having a blast and laughing until our stomachs hurt. I've developed some real friendships that I am extremely grateful for. I honestly don't know what I would do without these people. I really enjoy spending time with them, even if everyone else thinks we're completely crazy.

-I graduated from high school and started community college. That was a big step in my life. I was completely ready to leave high school because quite honestly it was never my thing. I've always been a bit of a nerd so the learning part was just fine and I even enjoyed most of my classes. I just never felt like I truly fit in with many of the people in my classes. I was always in class with the preps and "populars" and we never got along well. I was also kind of quiet, which didn't help matters for me much. In any case, that part of my life is over now, and if given the opportunity I don't think  I'd go back. I got through it, and that's what matters. Now, in college, I don't have many friends but really I feel like I'm just biding my time there until I move on. Luckily one of my work friends goes there as does my best friend, and another friend from work is planning to go there next year.

This year was actually quite enjoyable, and if I had to live it again, I would in a heartbeat. I just hope 2013 is just as good if not better. I'm not going to make any new years resolutions (let's be honest, I rarely keep them anyway) but here are some of my hopes for the new year:

-So there's this guy. He's sweet and funny, we have such good times together and I feel like I can talk to him about anything. He makes me smile. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but according to various people there is some possibility that he'd ask me out. It would be nice...

-I just want to develop the friendships that I have. I feel like we've got some good things going and I just don't want to ruin anything!

As long as things continue much as they have been going, I will be completely content with my life. I love where I am right now, for the first time in a while. This year has been good for me and I can only hope that it continues into 2013. I hope the new year is all you hope it will be, my friends.
♥♥Kristin

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Here&Gone

That's how so many things are. The anticipation and the buildup last for days, weeks, months, and then in the span of 24 hours, or one hour, or minutes, that long anticipated something is here and gone. It's the way of life but I can't help wishing that I could drag out those moments just a bit longer. After all of that anticipation, it seems almost anticlimactic that things like Christmas should end so soon. Still, that's not to say that I didn't enjoy it, because I did. We ate lots of food, played lots of card games, and laughed too much for our own good. It was over so quickly, but I'll always have my memories of yet another perfect Christmas.
♥♥Kristin

Monday, December 24, 2012

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

 After working my butt off today (gotta love last-minute grocery shoppers) I finally got a chance to go home and relax. After mixing up the hot chocolate truffles for my bestfriend (I sure hope they turn out okay) I finally got a chance to enjoy the holiday. I just love the feeling of it being Christmas Eve and the fact that I don't really have a care in the world, just for the rest of today and for tomorrow. It's currently flurrying outside and I'm dreaming of a white Christmas. Every year it's the same thing: after supper on Christmas Eve, my brother and I get to open the small gifts in our stockings. One of us will read the Christmas story from the bible. It's such a cozy, homey feeling. Afterwards I will inevitably feel the need to make a cup of cocoa (especially if, as is often the case, I receive some cocoa in my stocking). The evening will be spent watching a cheesy yet wonderful Christmas movie and reading in bed before turning off my lamp and snuggling down to sleep. I will still feel a twinge of excitement in my stomach for the next morning even though I am 19 and have a pretty good idea of what my presents will be. It's just the way it goes.
Tomorrow we'll go to my Grandma's house to have Christmas dinner and open presents and spend the whole day there, talking and laughing and playing card game after card game. We'll have leftovers for supper and even though we were there the whole day, we'll stay until at least 8:00. It's absolutely wonderful. Christmas time is my favorite for so many reasons, but family has to be one of the biggest. I love every single one of our traditions.
I hope you lovelies all have a very merry Christmas!
♥♥Kristin

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Current Obsessions

  • The song Ho Hey by the Lumineers 
  • Flurries♥ 
  • Hot chocolate with lots of marshmallow 
  • The fact that Christmas is in 3 days
  • Hopefully seeing the Hobbit sometime next week
 Is there anything that you've been obsessing about lately?
♥♥Kristin

Friday, December 21, 2012

Aunt Beast//A Wrinkle in Time

I know I keep going on about this book, but let me gush just a bit more.
I don't know how many of you have actually read the book, but I'm going to tell you a little bit about my favorite part (I'll try to keep it spoiler free!):
At one point, Meg and co. end up on the grey planet of Ixchel (Don't ask about the names, I honestly couldn't tell you). Meg is very ill and possibly close to death from a recent traumatizing experience. No one knows what to do. Soon they are approached by three of the planets inhabitants, creatures with four arms and tentacles for fingers and indentations on their faces where features would be. Of course the initial reaction is fear, but the beasts (for lack of a better term) promise to take care of Meg, to make her better. As there is nothing her friends could do for her, they have no choice but to agree.
Meg builds a special bond with the beast who cares for her, and affectionately calls her Aunt Beast. These creatures are like nothing she's ever seen before, and they'd certainly never known a human before. Still, they helped her, and she is overcome by gratefulness. These creatures are my favorite part of the book, and here's why:
They are the most caring, thoughtful, loving creatures. Meg notices that they have a wonderful scent, and thinks to herself, "I hope I don't smell awful to it...But then she knew with a deep sense of comfort that even if she did smell awful the beasts would forgive her."
Despite their unfamiliarity with her species, the beasts selflessly care for Meg and her companions in the most hospitable ways possible.
The beasts planet may appear grey and dreary, but there is so much more to it. There is music more beautiful than anything Meg has heard. They are one with their sun and the stars and nature in a very real way. They experience without seeing. Meg realizes that "It was she who was limited by her senses, not the blind beasts, for they must have senses of which she could not even dream."
Later on when it comes time to leave and for Meg to face her fears again, Aunt Beast selflessly offers to go along with Meg, "to hold her" even though she would be experiencing things she'd never known before and putting herself in danger.
These creatures have really imprinted themselves on me, and every time I read this book again I am reminded of it. They are the kindest, most selfless and giving creatures. They love and give unconditionally, even to an alien girl they barely know. This is the way more people should be. It doesn't matter how different one person is from another, unconditional love is all you need.
♥♥Kristin

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

A Snippet {8}


Humans: the hopers of improbable hopes and the dreamers of far-flung dreams. Because of this it may be said that they are arguably stupid creatures, but it cannot be denied that they are also among the happiest. They allow fickle emotion to overtake their heart and call it love. They call this the happiest of emotions though it often causes the most pain. Such difficult beings to understand, yet so simple in their complexity. She couldn't help but fall in love herself with every last one of them.
♥♥Kristin

Sunday, December 16, 2012

A Serious Post.

I'm sure you've all heard about the school shooting in Connecticut by now. It was absolutely horrible, and there's no getting past that. The one tragedy that stuck out to me the most is the story of Victoria Soto, the 1st grade teacher who hid her students in the closets and cabinets of her room as soon as she heard the gunshots. When the shooter came into her room, she told him that her students were in the gym so he just shot her and moved on. I've seen it numerous times on facebook and tumblr, but it breaks my heart every time I see it. As an Elementary Education major, it really makes me think. It's so obvious that she cared so much about her students. She was willing to die for them. I wish I had that kind of bravery, the courage to save all those lives, even at the risk of my own. I care about kids an awful lot, which is why teaching has always been my dream, but I've been battling in my mind over whether I would love each one of my students enough to do something like that for them. In the heat of the moment, who knows how I would react. I would like to think that I would save them, but in reality who knows whether I would stand strong or cave in. It's so unsettling to me, and it's been something that's settled in the pit of my stomach ever since I heard it.

I don't understand why things like this happen, but as long as there are people like that teacher in the world, it's not a horrible place. Horrible people do horrible things for reasons that no one can quite explain, but there are always those stories that emerge that show hope even amidst such a tragedy. Above all we have to remember that God is still present and though it's so hard for us to understand why he allows such things to happen, nothing is in vain. God is good and in the end, he will overcome.
♥♥Kristin

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Some Facts.

                  1. Fuzzy blankets are quite comfy.
                  2. Mugs of tea keep my hands warm.
                  3. Netflix is fantastic.
                  4. Little coffee shops and best friends make the world go round.
                  5. Books smell heavenly.
                  6. Christmas time is the best time.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Some Old Friends.

Since I have a lot of time on my hands, I plan to re-read some old favorites this holiday season. There's nothing quite like the feeling of reading a book that you've read so many times the characters are like old friends. You know what's going to happen, but it just feels so comfortable, so right. I've never understood people who don't read books more than once. There's so much more to a book than whatever you glean the first time you've read it. There are small intricacies, little details that you never noticed but that just make the whole story that much better. For me, those old familiar friends are the three following series in particular:
My old, much loved, often read copy of Anne of Green Gables
 The Anne of Green Gables series:  I have the first five books (the best, in my opinion) of the series. Anne is one of two literary characters who I most related to and most aspired to be like when I was younger (and, I'll admit, still do today). I loved her wild imagination, how she could make even the most ordinary and mundane things become exciting and new. She is such a bright and happy person that even the grumpiest of people can't help falling in love with her. Each of her escapades is so familiar and comfortable to me. She is one of my oldest literary friends.
The Little House series (or the Laura books, as I called them when I was younger): My mom read these books to me before I even knew how to read read, and they've stuck with me ever since. I loved hearing about all of the adventures that Laura had in the "Wild West." These books are the first that really got me started wanderlusting. They hold a special place in my heart. 
 The Wrinkle in Time series: I now own the entire five book set thanks to a recent indulgence. Unfortunately the last two that I just bought are not the same edition as the first three that I got when I was 13, but that's a rant for another day. Meg Murray is the other literary heroine that I related to so much when I was younger. She was average, and even considered herself below average, but she still went on these wonderful adventures. Not to mention, Calvin O'Keefe was my very first fictional character crush. I'm rereading these right now (I'm a few chapters into A Wrinkle In Time at the moment) and even though I have read them countless times and could quote whole lines, I'm falling in love all over again.
There's nothing quite like the nostalgia of old books to brighten your day. What are your favorite books to re-read?
♥♥Kristin

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

To Do List//Christmas Break Version

 I have an entire month for Christmas break in college, and I am really looking forward to it. It starts on Thursday (for me) and lasts until January 14th. I have so many things in mind that I want to do! Whether I will actually complete them is another matter...
1. Re-read the Wrinkle in Time series. I've been thinking about them a lot lately, and though I've read them all countless times, I'm ready to do it again.
2. Spend as much time as possible with my bestfriend
3. Go shopping with my Mom and aunts (It's kind of a tradition)
4. Bake/make things (especially these hot chocolate truffles and these brownies). I'm usually not much of a baker, but the holidays really put me in the mood.
5. Go sledding (that is, if we get a substantial snowfall... here's hoping!)
6. Take some photos. That's one thing that I've been REALLY slacking on lately. I can't remember the last time I got out my camera just to take a few pictures.
7. Write something. Or lots of little somethings. I don't really care so long as I'm writing.

I'll let you know how I do! What plans do you have for your Christmas break, or Christmas time in general?
♥♥Kristin

Sunday, December 9, 2012

The Hopeless Romantic.

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 That's really what I am though at times I try so hard to hide it. I'm a real sucker for mushy stories and happy endings. I want to be kissed on the forehead and/or in the rain. I want someone to text me the first thing when he wakes up just to say good morning. I want someone who will come up behind me and give me surprise hugs. I want special smiles just for me. I want someone who will come to visit me at work just because he couldn't wait to see me. I want someone who will hold my hand while we walk and put his arm around me when we're watching a movie. I want "that guy" to admit that he's just as crazy about me as I am about him. I want all of that cliche stuff and then some. I want happily ever after and sometimes it's hard for me to remember that life isn't always a fairy tale. It doesn't always turn out the way we want and that's okay. There's nothing wrong with romance so long as you remember not to let it consume you. Be a hopeful romantic but don't let reality bring you down.
♥♥Kristin

Friday, December 7, 2012

What Am I?


**This post is in response to some things I've seen on blogger, tumblr and facebook lately that have really made me consider this question**
 I've realized that for so long I've been trying to figure out where I fit in society, which prefabricated label suits me the best. Am I mainstream? Hipster? Poser? No. I'm just Kristin. I love to laugh, I'm a hopeless romantic, I inhale words, I listen to music, I have the greatest friends in the world, the smallest things make me smile the biggest, and right now life is lovely. That's me. I don't need a label to define who I am.
♥♥Kristin

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Just Another Thankful Post.

The past few days I have been doing a lot with my group of friends from work. We really have a blast together. We make 400-comment threads on facebook posts, laugh until we can't breathe even if it wasn't that funny, and tease each other mercilessly. We had a Wal-Mart scavenger hunt Tuesday night and even though my team lost I laughed so hard I didn't even care. Afterwards we went to Diary Queen and people gave us strange looks. Then, yesterday evening we had our Christmas banquet for work and we were talking and laughing so much I could barely find time to eat. We're such a mixed up group of people but somehow it all works. There are people from so many different stereotypes in our little group. We're so different, but we're friends anyway. It's great.

I guess the bottom line here is that I'm extremely thankful for this group of people. They're some of my closest friends. I was painfully shy throughout middle school and most of high school. Working at my job is what really changed that for me. They brought me out of my shell and I learned that I don't need to be so terribly self-conscious. I can be me and people will be okay with that, even love me for it. There's honestly no better feeling in the world.
♥♥Kristin

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Oh, Hey December!

Some things I'm looking forward to this month:
- A Wal-Mart scavenger hunt with the work crew
- Christmas Banquet with the work crew
- Christmas break (a month off of college starting December 14th. I'm unbelievably excited.)
- Hot tea on cold mornings
- Sleepovers with the best
- Christmas morning cinnamon rolls
- Christmas dinner at my Grandparents' with my cousins, aunts and uncles