Oh, Hey October.

I know, I already posted once today, but tomorrow promises to be hectic (as Mondays always are) and I like to do the month intro posts as close to the first day as possible. So, you'll have to excuse my faux pas. Here's what October promises:

- My birthday!! (of course, it's only at the end of the month, but I'm anticipating it already. Why does 19 sound like such a big change from 18?)
- Autumn is going to be in full swing, and I couldn't be happier
- Finding Nemo 3D and bowling with some of the best people in the world
- Pumpkin flavored everything!
- Scheduling for next semester (Honestly, I am just ready for the current semester to be over!)

What are you looking forward to this month??
♥♥Kristin

Constant.

{via}

Lately I've noticed something about myself. I've always hated change, this much I know to be true. The thing I've noticed is that whenever I'm going through a big change, like this transition to college, I choose one thing that has remained constant in my life and cling to that. The familiarity brings me comfort, something to hold onto when it feels like the world is unsteady beneath my feet. Right now, strangely enough, that thing has been my job. The people there are familiar while I'm in classes full of strange faces and names that I don't know at school. The work is the same as it always was (I'm a cashier at a grocery store) even when I'm facing strange math problems and English descriptive essays. It's strange, the things people choose to cling to, the constants of life. I realize that the one thing that I should be clinging to, the constant of all constants, is God. My job could be gone tomorrow, but He will truly be there forever. He'll never fail me, but too often I forget that and feel utterly alone in the world. He's really the only constant I'll ever need if I just remember to turn to Him.
♥♥Kristin.

So Much To Watch, So Little Time.

Stuck in my head: "You Loved Me First" by Mikeschair

There are so many TV shows and movies that I'm watching, re-watching, or catching up on right now. It's getting to the point where I don't have time to watch them all. Here are some of my favorites:

How I Met Your Mother is one of my all-time favorite TV shows. If you haven't seen it, it's about Ted and his group of friends, Robin, Barney, Marshall and Lily. Ted is basically searching for his soulmate. The show is set up as him telling his kids the story of how he met their mother, hence the title. The new season started on Monday (!!) and I've been watching the whole thing through on Netflix. It's wonderful, it never fails to make me laugh.

I am pretty new and pretty far behind on the Doctor Who phenomenon, but I've watched a few episodes and I'm already hooked. I'm not 100% sure of the premise myself as of yet, so I can't really give you a summary other than the fact that the "doctor" travels through time and space, fighting to save earth and such. Again, I'm trying to watch it on Netflix.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers: It's the story of seven brothers (duh). The oldest, Adam, goes into town and finds a woman, Millie, to marry. She attempts to civilize his six brothers and they go to a barn raising where they fall in love with some of the girls from town. They all get a little lovesick and decide to capture their girlfriends at Adam's suggestion. I know, it sounds strange, but just watch it! I have watched this movie/musical countless times. I can quote half of the lines and sing all of the songs. I annoy my family in this manner all the time. I don't own my own copy, but I check it out from the library quite often. I just checked it out, and I predict that I will be watching it a few times before it has to go back.

This is something that I've also recently discovered. It's a mini-series, four episodes of about an hour each. You can find it on Netflix, again (What would I do without it??). It takes place in England, and it's a period drama, and it's simply lovely. It's one of your classic period dramas, with basically the same story line, but I'm a real sucker for predictable mush so, needless to say I love it.

So, that's what I've been watching lately. What about you?
♥♥Kristin

Art, Cows, and Fried Oreos.

{via pinterest}

 Where can you go to experience all of the above in (relatively) the same place? Why, the fair of course. I regret that I have no photos of my own, but I forgot my camera :( I was really disappointed with myself, but anyways... the fair. We go at least once every year. There are so many things to see and do. They have the livestock exhibit, which is where the cows come in, but there are also a lot of other animals to look at. My favorites are the rabbits, which are completely adorable, and the llamas in the petting zoo. I'm a real sucker for llamas. In another building, they show produce and baked / canned goods which are awarded prizes. There's also, in the basement of the fire hall, all different kinds of art. This is my favorite part. There are crafts made with perler beads and such, woodworking, flower arranging, paintings and drawings, and my personal favorite and the area that I could peruse for hours, the photography. All of these are awarded prizes as well. Every year I think that I may enter a photo, but I never end up doing it. Maybe next year? Finally, there's the actual fair. Here's where the fried oreos come in. I tried them for the first time this evening, and it was arguably one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten. Of course, I say that about most food that is either fried or chocolate. The fact that it contains both is just an added bonus. I also had french fries (with salt and vinegar. Yummy.) as well as fresh squeezed lemonade. There are food stands everywhere, all terribly overpriced, but hey, it's the fair. I think that every type of food they sell is either fried or sugar coated (or both). Heaven. Of course, there are rides as well, but these are also frightfully expensive, and mostly kiddie rides anyway. We rarely go on the rides. The fair is something I look forward to every fall. When it's over I always have the slight twinge of disappointment, but I know there's always next year.
♥♥Kristin

There's Just Something About Today.

I didn't take this picture today, but this is pretty much how today looks.

Today is just one of those fall days. Everything looks clear and crisp and sharp. The light of the sun has a slightly golden glow.  The sky is a deep gorgeous shade of blue and the clouds look so close I feel like I could reach up and touch them. Today is one of the days that makes me want to take a long walk in the woods with my camera and some tea, taking deep breaths of the fall air and just taking everything in. There's a very small window of time in which days like this occur, usually in the last three weeks of September, and every year I wish there was a way that I could make it all last just a bit longer, because I never have enough of time to soak everything in.
♥♥Kristin

Wishful Thinking.

{{via}}

It's something to which everyone falls prey at one point or another. Me? I catch myself a few times a day. It's so easy to do, and maybe it's harmless. You think, "She's so pretty. Maybe if my hair was as straight as hers..." or "He just smiled at me. If only he'd ask me out..." or even, "Wow. I wish I had a cell phone like that..." The harm comes when you let it take over your life, when you let it stop you from being happy because you're too busy wishing about tomorrow instead of enjoying today. Today is your most precious resource, and if you waste it with your head in your hands obsessing over what ifs, you have no one but yourself to blame. Sometimes the if-onlys are hard to shake, but I find what helps me is taking your if-onlys and turning them around. "You have curly hair, and didn't you hear her complaining just the other day that her hair won't hold curls for an hour?" or "He actually smiled at you. Talk to him, and tell your heart to shut up for a few minutes." or "You have money to go to the movies with your friends this weekend because you're not paying an arm and a leg every month for a data plan on one of those fancy smartphones." I'm not saying this is by any means foolproof, and I'm not saying that it's going to be easy. All I'm saying is that it's going to be worth it in the end.
♥♥Kristin

On Blogging Thus Far.

I've been blogging for nearly half a year now, and I must say that for the most part I have enjoyed it immensely. I've had my ups and downs, my insecurities about followers and page views, but I've come to terms with all of that. I'm learning more about who I am as a blogger, what my blogging "style" really is. My favorite posts to write are the impromptu ones, the ones that I write out in ten or fifteen minutes and publish without saving to tweak later. I love writing posts that help you get to know me better, and help me get to know myself better in the process. I love having somewhere to write my thoughts, and how certain things make me feel, and to share the little things that make me smile, because maybe they'll make you smile too. When I first started I didn't know whether this blogging venture would last, but I can't imagine my life without blogging now. Lastly, I would like to thank you, my few sweet, lovely readers. I say quality is better than quantity. Thanks for being awesome!
♥♥Kristin

A Snippet {4}

This is definitely something different than my usual snippets. Normally, when I post a snippet, that's all there is to it. Those words are all there is of that story. This time, I'm posting the beginning of what is potentially going to be a longer story. Opinions would be much appreciated!

     “Here.” He handed me a single piece of notebook paper folded in quarters. He’d called earlier and said he wanted to see me. Not with her, the way I normally visited, but just me. When I’d gotten there, he lay in the hospital bed, looking no better or worse than what had become the usual. This cancer thing was taking a lot out of him, but he was being strong. “Will, I’ve wanted to tell you this countless times, but I couldn’t. I’m sorry. Just-” His voice broke, “Just read this. Once you get home.”

     “Okay. Of course, I will, Dev. Is there, are you…” My voice trailed off, because I couldn’t find the words anymore. Fear too often choked them back. A constant fear that one day he’d just slip away. One of the very best friends I’d ever had.

     “No,” he said. “It’s not… no. I’m fine.” Too many unfinished sentences, too many words left unsaid out of fear on my behalf and reassurance on his. We spent the next half hour talking of lighter things. Of music, new movies, old friends. Of her. He worried about her, he said. Worried that she was taking everything harder than she’d ever let on to either of us.

     She was our best friend, the three of us nearly inseparable since the day we met, on our first day of work, sticking together because alone was too much too handle. Though we became a part of the larger group quickly, the three of us still gravitated together. There was something that held us together, something more than the casual friendships that I’d experienced before. She and Devon made me laugh with their constant, good-natured banter, and the three of us teased each other relentlessly, but when it came down to it, if one of us needed to talk, the other two were there with a sympathetic ear. They were the only two people in the world in whom I put my complete trust.

     Soon enough, he became quieter and I knew he was getting tired. “Okay, Dev, I’d better get going.” I was always careful to never imply that he was weak or tired. He became too defensive, and it only made matters worse.

     “Okay, just promise me you’ll read it.” He implored. I didn’t have the slightest clue what was in that note, but it must have been important for him to be so adamant. What puzzled me most was that he didn’t seem to want her to know. Why else would he have insisted that I come alone?

     “I promise. I’ll come again, sometime next week. Then we can talk about it maybe. That is, if you want.” I added quickly.   

     “Yeah. Well, maybe.” I could tell he still didn’t feel comfortable having a conversation about whatever was in that note out loud. After saying goodbye and promising to bring her along for the three of us to visit sometime soon, I left. As tempted as I was to read the note right there in the parking lot as soon as I got into my car, I decided to wait until I could devote my full attention to it later that evening.

I know, it's kind of rough around the edges. Keep in mind, this is my first draft. The reason I didn't give "her" a name is because names were never my strong suit and I just can't find one that fits her. Hopefully it'll come eventually. Also, it's kinda strange for me writing from a male perspective, but that's just kind of how the story came to me. Opinions and advice would be much appreciated!

♥♥Kristin

Recently // A Few of my Favorite Things.

Here are some things I've been obsessing over lately:

 Music: 

Tenth Avenue North's new album, "The Struggle."

Sidewalk Prophet's {relatively} new album, "Live Like That."

The song "Long Ago" by Hawk Nelson (not necessarily new, but I've been listening to it a lot lately.).

The song "Ten Thousand Reasons" by Matt Redman.

Books:

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (not to be confused with 50 Shades of Grey.).

 I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak.

Come to the Well by Mark Hall (lead singer of Casting Crowns!) ((This isn't a novel, but I'm including it anyway. It's actually really good. I was thinking about reviewing it on here?))

Food/Beverage:

I've been drinking hot tea like it's going out of style.

Nutella is delicious. The end.

Pizza flavored Pringles are strangely addicting.

Fall foods (ie, anything with pumpkin in it. I'm a sucker for pumpkin flavored food. Baked oatmeal, waffles, poptarts, bread, cookies, milkshakes, you name it, I'm there.)

Fall Things:

Cooler temperatures.

Leaves starting to change colors.

Drinking tea without sweating.

Wearing jeans and shoes that are not sandals or flip-flops.

{{All images via my Pinterest boards}}

♥♥Kristin

Of Poetry.

Poetry and I have this love-hate relationship going on. I go through phases when I'll read it, quote it (in my mind and aloud. Don't judge), and generally just soak it in. I'll revel in the way the words roll off of my tongue, the way they're crafted to fit together perfectly.Then I go through other phases when the poetry I come across seems tedious, or even downright boring. (I don't write it in any of the stages, because rhythm and rhyme schemes tend to twist my brain into a pretzel.) Now just happens to be one of those phases when I can't get enough. The one line that's on repeat in my head right now (am I the only one who gets poems and quotes stuck in my head as well as music?) is "Do not go gentle into that good night" from a poem of the same name by Dylan Thomas. I am not one to analyze the poems, I had enough of that in AP English, but sometimes they speak to me anyway.

Probably my all-time favorite poet is Emily Dickinson. A lot of people say she's pretty dark, and I'll agree that some of her poetry is dark ("Because I could not stop for death, he kindly stopped for me" and etc.) but some of it isn't dark at all. There are a lot of different themes in her poetry. For example, compassion: "If I can stop on heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain." She even writes about books! "He ate and drank the precious words, his spirit grew robust." I won't copy down the whole poem, but you get the idea. Click the links if you really want to read them.

That line, ^^ one of my favorites, is the farthest thing from dark and depressing.
Another poet whose work I like is William Butler Yeats. One of my favorite poems of his is "Adam's Curse." I will say that I like some of his works more than others.
Another one of my all-time favorite poets is Robert Frost (last one, i promise!). One of my favorite poems of his is "Nothing Gold Can Stay." "October" is a great fall poem. My favorite of his poems, cliche as it may be, is "The Road Not Taken." And, if you couldn't tell, I Also like typography of lines from poetry:

I hope that I have not bored you too much with my geekery
♥♥Kristin

ps. all images via my Pinterest Quoted board.

Just Little Things.

They're what make today perfect:

1. It's just fall enough outside to wear jeans and my favorite comfy sweatshirt.
2. Nowhere to be (Tuesdays are my favorite).
3. Bread and Nutella.
4. Hot tea and my Kindle.
5. Pandora (Hawk Nelson station).
6. Homework that's actually fun.
7. Being an introvert who enjoys days exactly like this, with noplace to be, nothing to do, and minimal human interaction.

♥♥Kristin

Of Nerdfigthers.

Maybe you've heard of them. As for me, I'm relatively new to the phenomenon, but I have to say that I'm in love with it already. If you haven't heard of them, it all started with the vlogbrothers, also known as John and Hank Green (John Green as in best-selling author of Looking For Alaska, The Fault in Our Stars, etc. Hank is his brother) They post youtube videos on their channel. They are funny, and I love John Green's books, and as a nerd, I revel in this kind of stuff. Now, let me explain a nerdfighter, lest you should take it the wrong way: a nerdfighter does not fight nerds. a nerdfighter is a nerd who fights against as they call it, "worldsuck." I do not exactly approve of this term, but this is what it stands for: basically, boringness. The slogan of the nerdfigthers is dftba, or "don't forget to be awesome." To insert a relevant John Green quote here: "nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff… Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like jump-up-and-down-in-the-chair-can’t-control-yourself love it. When people call people nerds, mostly what they’re saying is ‘you like stuff.’" You've most likely heard of fandoms. What are they made up of? Nerds who obsess over things. There are fandoms for pretty much everything but mainly TV shows and books. I guess what I'm getting at is that they actually make being a nerd (or nerdfighter) feel like something to be proud of. Nerds "like stuff" unashamedly, and that's who they are. They're passionate. Creative. Intelligent. I like looking at it that way. I guess you could say I'm a nerdfighter myself.
I will make one disclaimer: I DO NOT approve of 100% of the language / material in John Green's books or the videos.

Fall {Because}.

Fall. Colors are brighter, more vivid. A strange hope fills the air. This is the season of second beginnings. Pervading death is overtaken by life. Without endings, there are no second chances. As fall blends into winter, the more perceptive sense a stirring beneath the silent surface. The forgotten season sets the stage for everything to come.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Maybe things didn't go perfectly. Maybe the flowers didn't bloom as brilliantly as they could have, or the tree's leaves grew thinly. Fall erases these mistakes, leaving a clean slate, allowing time to regroup, and always a second chance at perfection.

♥♥Kristin

Take This as you Will.

**This is an idea that I got from Katie's blog** 

Things that say a lot about a person:
the way in which they treat the waiter/waitress
how they feel about the weather
whether they dog ear pages or highlight in books
fingernails
and hands in general
their preferred creative outlet
how much they dread/enjoy talking on the phone
whether or not they drink coffee
if they ever forget to eat
how honest they are with themselves (and others)
if they correct your grammar
and whether or not they get nervous before haircuts.

What they say about me (or more accurately what I say about them):
the way in which they treat the waiter/waitress: I'm never mean to a waiter or waitress, and I always try to give a reasonable tip, even if the service wasn't the greatest.
how they feel about the weather: I obsess about the weather at times. I love rainy days. I love sunny days. I love snowy days as long as I have nowhere to be. I love noticing the seasons change. I pretty much love all weather as long as, in winter especially, I don't have to make any special effort to be somewhere.
whether they dog ear pages or highlight in books: I will say that I am guilty to dog-earing pages, if I don't have a book mark at hand, but I make the fold as small as possible and try to uncrease it when I open the book. As for highlighting, I may occasionally underline in pencil in my own books, but I absolutely do not highlight in them. It looks unsightly to me.
fingernails: Okay, this is rather odd to talk about. I rarely paint my fingernails, but I trim them, and I suppose they look nice enough.
and hands in general: Another rather strange one. My hands are small. I don't like wearing rings and I only wear the occasional hair tie around my wrist.
their preferred creative outlet: Writing. Most definitely.
how much they dread/enjoy talking on the phone: I really don't like talking to people on the phone. I'd much rather have a conversation face to face. I occasionally need to talk to people on the phone at work, but I've never quite gotten used to it.
whether or not they drink coffee: I do. It's delicious. But, I have to load it down with sugar and milk or flavored creamers. Black coffee is not my style.
if they ever forget to eat: I am entirely too in love with food to forget to eat it. I may at times neglect to eat breakfast. But forget? Never.
how honest they are with themselves (and others): I'd say I'm a pretty honest person. I try to be brutally honest with myself.
if they correct your grammar: Only if I know you very well and feel that you should know better.
and whether or not they get nervous before haircuts: No, but I haven't had a drastic haircut in a while, and I'm sure that if I did, I would be freaking out.

Draw what conclusions you will from the above statements.
♥♥Kristin

Oh, Hey September.

This month is not quite so exciting as the summer months, but there are still some things I'm looking forward to:

- Getting into the school routine
- Cooler nights
- Hot tea in the evenings
- Comfy sweatshirts
- Moccasins ♥
- Youth weekend near the end of the month
- Leaves beginning to change color
- The official (calendar) start of fall

♥♥Kristin