out with 2016, in with 2017

the internet agrees that 2016 was trash, but my 2016 was the opposite. It's been hard, but this year has definitely been my favorite. I've received so many blessings, along with challenges; I feel like I'm a completely different person. It's amazing how much I've grown this year, and it's even more amazing how fast it's gone by! I'm excited to see what 2017 has in the cards; Maybe this year I'll actually keep some of my resolutions, haha :) I've been keeping track of everything I've done and experienced this past year:

2016

january: traded in my single card for a cute guy. booked my first ever vacation without adults. took my driver's test. passed said driver's test. 

february: had my first not-single valentine's day. spent spring break in florida with a friend. turned 18. 

march: had a lovely, spontaneous catch up with an old high school friend. got accepted to colleges. surprised my little sister at school on her birthday (with cake!)

april: went to disney world. got a surprise visit from my older brother.

may: hatched a baby duckling. named him Finn. committed to college. went to prom with my boyfriend.

june: lost Finn. got back into swing dancing. fell in love with Ben Rector's music.

july: spent ten days camping with my mom's side of the family. hatched two more baby ducklings. had a ton of summer fun with my boyfriend. went on a Wisconsin adventure for the weekend. 

august: made the most of what was left of summer. Said a lot of emotional goodbyes. moved to Florida for school.

september: adjusted to living away from home for the first time. struggled (a lot) with said adjustments. 

october: drove 7 hours in a 24 hour time span. saw Ben Rector in concert. visited home for the first time. had lots of fall food/cuddles on my visit home. 

november: binge watched multiple seasons of The Office. voted for the first time. Went home for Thanksgiving break. Came home for Thanksgiving early to surprise mom at her show. 

december: finished my first semester of college. pet a real live corgi (this was honestly the highlight of my year.) conquered a spiritual fear. celebrated Christmas with family. Visited grandma in Pennsylvania. 

fall break

I got to go home for Fall break last weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Honestly it was the weirdest/best trip I could've ever imagined. Being home felt like a dream...for eight weeks my life has been tests and dinner at the student union and late night music parties. It was strange to all of a sudden be thrust back into familiar territory. Plus I missed my memory foam mattress back at Ave *lol*

I flew home late Wednesday night and spent three days in a chilly Michigan paradise. I had lots of cuddles on the couch, car dancing/singing, and yummy food (Velveeta mac and cheese, homemade enchiladas and my favorite Chinese takeout!) 

 Rainy Thursday was morning mass with Michael at my home parish, breakfast at iHop (I had the most HEAVENLY stack of pancakes) Target shopping (or rather Target wandering around gawking over stuff with Michael laughing at me and then losing my cool over the Halloween decor/Christmas lights,) and Charlie St. Cloud while snuggling in the big comfy chair. He fell asleep so of course like the god girlfriend I am, I took copious photos and videos. Those will remain private, but rest assured they are ADORABLE.

Friday was finishing up Maggie's photo session which turned into an impromptu couples photoshoot...then hot cocoa and more movies. It was great to spend some time outside in the chilly Autumn air. I also carved a super cute pumpkin! Michael was too scared of the squishy insides. He's funny like that. 

Isn't he cute?

He's the best :)

 Saturday was the cider mill (PRAISE.)  The donuts were just as warm and delicious as I remember...you know how much your girl loves donuts. Michael said he could get used to this tradition ;) Then after it got dark we went to Greenfield Village's Hallowe'en Nights. Michael did a great job of protecting me from the nonexistent threats. For realsies, there were five year olds braver than me...what can I say? Haha. 

I left for school at 5am on Sunday morning-now that was rough. I was really sad to leave, but I couldn't have spent my break a better way. It really was perfect. And Thanksgiving is only 4 weeks away! How is that?! 

It was a wonderful break :)

xoxo Kate

The best concert I have seen so far

If you know me, you know I love Ben Rector's music, which is why I practically jumped at the chance to see him in concert. Maddie and I have been planning this trip for months, literally since before we met in person!

We drove three hours to Orlando last weekend to see Ben perform at The House Of Blues bar and ohmygosh. It was an *adventure.*

Like I said, Orlando is about three hours from Ave. I did all the driving, since it was my car we took. I still can't believe I did it. How do you go from intense driving anxiety to a seven hour road trip? Beats me...divine providence I guess. 

We left early in the morning, stopped for lunch, and finally arrived around 12:30ish in the afternoon. 

Maddie and I started squealing when we saw the Disney signs....

That's right. the concert was INSIDE Disney. 

And by inside Disney, I mean the huge shopping mall outside of the parks that anyone can get into. 

But still, there was Disney stuff EVERYWHERE. 

^Our "We made it!" selfie

We walked around and window shopped for awhile, which was super awesome, especially since I haven't been in a real store for literally seven weeks...what exactly do I mean by real store? Anything that's not the tiny Publix on campus. 

Had way too much fun trying on all the crazy hats...

More hats. Hats for days. 

We took some pictures with princesses....

By the time we had seen everything, it was about 2:30, so we decided to head over to the line. We waited in direct sunlight for two hours, taking turns sitting in the shade because it was so hot.  Then we got some shade, which felt awesome, and theeeeeen we got hungry, so Maddie went over to the taco truck to get us dinner while I held our place. 

Good Lord, those were THE best tacos I've had, possibly ever. Could it be because I've been eating cafeteria food 24/7 since August? Probably. A little bit later, Maddie's roomie, Maria, joined us. She lives in the area, so we made plans to spend Saturday night and her house and drive back to campus Sunday. 

Then this is the fun part.

In the spirit of Florida, we saw the storm clouds roll in, because of which it proceeded to rain for an hour and a half. All we could do is sit and take it. For 90 minutes. By the time they let us in at 7, we were soaked, and I had run to the car to get us dry clothes. We took turns changing in the bathroom, and after almost not being let back into the venue, which is a story in and of itself, we settled into our spots, standing just five rows back from center stage. 

Jacob Whitesides opened with a bang. He was fantastic! Maria kept calling out for him to marry her. Lol. 

The concert started at 8ish, and he sang for about 45 minutes. 

^a very wet but very excited selfie while waiting for Ben!

Ben opened with his song Fear, which instantly sent me into tears of course...It was amazing. 

He sang some of my favorites, including Whitney Huston, Bob Marley, and Jackson 5. We did the Cha Cha Slide, he and his band members did a synchronized boy band dance routine, and there were many epic guitar solos. Ben not only performed with grace, but he also entertained. He maintained the respect that his emotional songs deserve while keeping the atmosphere appropriate for playful songs as well. When he sings live, it sounds *exactly* like the recording you buy on his album. He is absolutely the real deal. 

After lots of jumping, hand waving, singing at the top of my lungs, and pinching myself, the concert was over and ALL of the emotions began to kick in. We tried healing our post concert sadness with brownie sundaes from Ghirardelli, which were delish. But still,  

We drove to Maria's, got a good night's sleep, and drove back to campus early Sunday afternoon. It's still insane to me that I stood maybe 30 feet from this amazing artist. The fangirling is REAL. 

All in all, I had a wonderful weekend. I've been told he's coming back in February, so if anyone wants to give a girl a birthday present...

xoxo Kate

that one weekend where i was actually social

Wanna know where my favorite place on campus is?

my room.

I know that sounds really unenthusiastic, but let me explain. I'm still getting used to things here, and being able to walk around in pj shorts is a limited luxury. Plus, my room is cute! So while I love seeing my new friends, nothing compares to my bed + netflix.

However, I occasionally get out and do fun  (social) stuff. I figured I should document it just in case mom asks what I've been doing for the past seven weeks when I come home for break.

 Every year, one of the households on campus hosts a 50's themed swing dance/sock hop. Me, my roomie Christine, and Emma from down the hall thought we'd go check it out and ohmygosh it was SO much fun. Everything was retro'd out from the music to the outfits and the food. I missed my dance partner (sad face) but I learned some cool moves to teach him :)

We're cute. 

I will admit, I got a little crazy with the mom dancing. Four weeks of stress and homesickness were relieved and it felt *awesome.* Because of my oldies childhood, I knew the words to pretty much every song they played...so thank you daddy :) 

 Then, the next morning, we drove an hour into Naples for a Sunday on the beach, and finished it off with Panera. Funny how I didn't go to the beach *once* over the summer, but a month into school I plan on hitting the beach as much as possible...

This Michigan girl totally forgot that not all water is fresh...heh heh heh.

sunbathed, waded, met a sand dollar named Tommy....good times.

I'm supposed to be studying for two exams right now...but I just wanted to let y'all know that I'm not a total shut in (except that last night I skipped out on more swing dancing for a New Girl marathon...)

By the way, it's the first day of Fall, so...YAY! And here I am posting beach pics. *insert cry laugh emoji*

xoxo, Kate

New Adventures

I've officially survived not one, not two, but three weeks of college.

It's still kinda sinking in.

It's been every bit as hard as I thought it would be. Not academically, per se. Emotionally. Mentally. Literally everything about my life has changed. If I want breakfast, I have to wake up before nine and walk ten minutes to get it. I have to make sure I'm getting out and socializing enough, but not too much. I have to email important adults and schedule meetings instead of ignoring the problem or asking dad to do it for me. For the first time in my life I've been hungry with no food to eat. And I don't mean "no food" as in nothing looks tasty. I literally mean NO. food.

Growing up is hard! But microwave mac & cheese and listening to Ben Rector helps. 

 In all honesty, the first week was awful. There wasn't a second where I didn't want to pack up and go home. I felt like that week would never end. It wasn't until this Monday when I actually felt like I might be able to do this. I keep reminding myself that four years ago, my anxiety was so severe that I didn't even think college was an option...There was no way I would've lasted a second. And yet here I am, living 1,423 miles away from home. I'm doing it. 

last week was much easier, and definitely faster. That being said, I still miss home like the dickens. Every day I wake up and cry internally over the fact that I'm going to miss all the pumpkin flavored things and turning leaves and crisp chilly weather. You can take the girl out of Michigan, but you can't take the Michigan out of the girl. Luckily I'm coming home for fall break at the end of October, so I'll be able to binge on cider and donuts for a couple days. #givemealltheautumyouhave

my dorm--third floor JP II 

All in all, there's some amazing people. It really is a wonderful place, and I've already learned so much. It's hot, but beautiful. And it usually only rains once a day. But it's still nice most of the time ;)

xoxo, kate

Transitions, Anxiety & Faith

I leave for school in florida in exactly a week--even just typing that is weird. I've had so many different emotions the past couple of days, and I'm not gonna lie, most of them are negative. Anxiety, doubt, fear...it's all really overwhelming. Sitting here and writing about it isn't easy.

I feel like this is God's way of waking me up a bit. You know when you hit a dry spell and you feel like you're just kind of going through life with your eyes closed? Well Jesus wants you to live with intention. He wants you to be bold, to trust in Him, to rest in Him. As someone who is both incredibly stubborn and a little too attached to their comfort zone, this can be a very hard lesson for me. I know I picked a wonderful school, and I have so many things going for me. But when you struggle with anxiety, all the positives in the world can't completely quell your fear. That's where Jesus comes in. That's when you throw your hands up in the air and say "I'm weak, scared, and imperfect, but You are not. You are strong. You are brave. You are perfect."

I leave for school in a week, and I'm not going to spend my last seven days at home worrying about things. God has already gone before me.

yummy fruit infused water

in an attempt to live a healthier lifestyle, i've decided to make a few simple but important changes to my lifestyle--one of which is drinking more water. lots of people have trouble drinking tons of water straight up, which is where fruit infused water comes in! it adds just enough water create variety, while adding extra health benefits.  i love straight up water so i don't have this problem, but i thought i'd give it a go. i made three flavors: lemon raspberry, strawberry mint, and citrus (orange, lemon + lime.)

if you're interested in making your own flavored water, here's how i did it:

-8 oz. water
-1/4 to 1/2 cup of fruit (depends on how much flavor you want)

let your fruit water sit in the fridge and "steep" for anywhere from 4 to 24 hours for best results. as for fruit combos, check pintrest--there's some really delicious ideas over there! my favorite is strawberry and mint. there's just enough sweetness from the strawberries, paired with the refreshing mint...delicious. go crazy and try a bunch of different combos until you find some that you like!

until next time!
xoxo kate

summer date ideas

picnic: the epitome of summer romance. i love how simple to put together and meaningful picnics are.

drive-in movie or outdoor concert: just like the old days! grab some popcorn, blankets, and get cozy. i love this idea because it's fun, creative, and low key.

festival, carnival, or fair: this is another classing summer staple. get him to win you a teddy bear, eat funnel cake, ride the ferris wheel. be a kid again!

dancing: i'm a part of an outdoor swing dancing every monday night from may to august and it's one of my favorite things about summer. it's a great way to get some exercise, have fun, and get to know each other. bonus points for dressing in 40's attire.

bowling, roller skating or mini golf: nothing like a little healthy, fun competition. great entertainment, while still allowing opportunities for focusing on your date. bowling is great for those rainy summer days!

baseball game: complete with hot dog, cotton candy, or other old-timey stadium food of your choice. it's such a throwback! there's something about a good old fashioned ball game with your love.

campfire + star gazing: There's no better way to spend a summer evening than being cozied up by a fire, eating s'mores and staring at the stars. not to mention the smell of a campfire is addicting. just add some fuzzy blankets and you're good to go!

day trips: here in michigan we have a lot of beautiful, exciting options for day trips up north. if you live somewhere with not a lot to its name, that's okay--you can always stay close to home! the point is to get out of the familiarity of your hometown and have an adventure. a great bonding experience if i do say so myself :)

pizza on the beach at sunset: this one is my personal favorite. go to the beach for a day of fun and relaxation, then finish it out with yummy pizza while enjoying God's creation. this will definitely be happening this summer!

bike ride + ice cream: cardio and a reward. plus you get to enjoy the summer breeze? win win.

i can't wait to do some of these this summer :)

until next time!

xo kate

summer bucket list

get another ear piercing - because rebellion.

go crazy with temporary tattoos - because i'd never be able to commit to the real thing

learn at least one song on the guitar - because i wanted to last summer and didn't.

go night swimming - because how fun would that be?

take more polariods - because they're more than just pictures, they're memories

do at least five things on my summer pintrest board - because i never get around to doing anything i pin on pintrest

spend a night under the stars - because they're beautiful. 

xo kate

summer mix tape, vol 2.

make them gold // chvrches

sugar // maroon 5

heartbeat // mat kearney

favorite song // ben rector

all of you // betty who

wake me up before you go go // wham!

can't stop the feeling // justin timberlake

daddy lessons // beyonce

paper thin // astrid s

sweet nothing // gabrielle aplin

what a feeling // one direction

the sound // the 1975

amazing day // coldplay

style // taylor swift

promenade 2016

i wasn't going to post prom pictures...but i caved. and thus begins the enchanting story of may 17th, 2016...

my wonderful boyfriend asked me to his prom (which we are going to pretend is my senior prom since i was in england last year during prom season.) it was on a boat along the detroit river: a little bit cold, but infinitely magical. i did my hair, makeup and nails at home, ran to target for a pair of eyelashes because i totally trashed the first pair while trying to apply them (because that's just my luck) picked up his boutonnière at the florist, and then spent the afternoon at his house. we went with another couple: his best friend and the younger sister of my best friend, mar. 

once i got to his house we had a fancy dinner together, then changed into our super posh prom clothes. of course we ended up getting a late start, because can you ever be on time when it really matters?

because awkward prom photos.

me and pete (aka mar. it's a long story.)

kisses from mama

our relationship in a picture...

my lovely corsage :)

i got my dress in kansas city while on a college visit. i added the sleeves for effect and because really, a floor length strapless dress on a crowded boat of jumpy, dancey teenagers? bad idea. in the end it looked quite similar to hermione's dress from harry potter and the goblet of fire. coincidence? maybe ;) okay BACK TO MY STORY. after ten minutes of frantically snapping pictures because we were horribly late, we all crammed into the car and headed to detroit.

our wonderful chaperone. he's a doll.

the waterfront was goooooorgeous. a bit chilly with the wind, but once we were on the boat it calmed down a bit. we posed for some more pictures and waited for the boat to arrive. once we got on the boat the party started...three whole hours of awesome. there were three different decks, with a dance floor on the top and middle floors. everyone else on the river was jealous of our awesome party boat--there was even a sailor dude who started dancing to our music despite being a kabillion feet away!

the COOLEST mirrored ceiling ever. pardon the straight shot down my dress. ha. 

totally aware that 70% of these photos are selfies. totally not sorry.

the bridge at dusk. stunning.

we docked around ten and picked pizza up on the way home. then i drove myself home and crashed because holy cow i was exhausted...but a good kind of exhaustion :) is this how all the a-list actors feel after the oscars?

seriously such a blast.a great way to start off the summer. 

xoxo, 

kate