giving, THANKS {revisited}

i forgot one other little thing i'm thankful for....

giving, THANKS

it's that time of year when everyone starts to reflect on their life and say what they are thankful for and i for one have MANY thanks to give.

{i am thankful for...}

my LORD and my salvation
my amazing and strong parents who are dealing with hardships they have not had in a long time, and with such determination
my loving sister (and BIL) who is always by my side and there to talk whenever i need her
my wonderful brother (and SIL) who is an inspiration as a father and husband
my spunky niece and two nephews who make me want to have kids of my own someday
my inspiring grandmothers who are 82 and 92 and i can still have hour long conversations with them and i know they are always so proud of me and my choices
my best friend, Jeremy who has stuck with me for 7 years now and will always have my back
my new found home at the austin stone church and my new lovely friends where i can be myself and worship with some really amazing people
my job where i might be unhappy sometimes but i am lucky to have the work environment that i do and to still have a job in this tough economy
my friends from college and high school who are always there for me and i cherish having so many. i sometimes forget how many amazing people i have met over the past 10 years
my family friends, the mccarthy's who have gone through so much heartache and trial this year- i am thankful i have them in my life to remind me of how precious life is
my new friend Ang who has quickly become my go-to gal pal and i'm so happy to finally have a girlfriend again, i've missed it

i'm sure i am forgetting a lot of other important things, but these things are on my mind every day and i am forever grateful that each one of these people and these things are in my life. i am truly blessed.

RENT

Last night I went with Abby to go see the Zachary Scott production of RENT. My sister and I are what you call RENT-heads. Well Abby more so than myself. Let's just say that she wore her RENT shirt underneath her sweater for the show last night. What a dork. :) The show was fantastic! It is the type of theater that show was made for! We were right in the action- I could have slapped Maureen's butt when she flashes the crowd during La Vie Boheme! It was a great start to the weekend!

Happy Friday loves!

No day but today. :)

just when you think it's good...

Life gets GREAT. This weekend was one for the books. Friday night my new pal Angie and I headed over to the Long Center for a FANTASTIC concert from none other than Asleep at the Wheel and Mr. Willie Nelson himself. The night was full of beer out of sippy cups, "On the Road Again" and a late night trip to One Taco. Saturday was a late morning, saying bye to the boy, and then off to Barkitecture and the Gypsy Picnic | Trailer Food Festival. Our evening ended with birthday drinks for a new friend at a new bar called icenhouer's. PS- VERY cool bar. Sunday morning was an early one with a fantastic sermon from Halim, and then my last week with the girls in my Women of the Bible class. Amy, Patty and I scooted over to County Line on the Lake for some tasty BBQ and a beautiful view of swans and diving turtles to celebrate our new friendship after class. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better I finished off the weekend in Round Rock with the parents, my favorite sister, brother-in-law and godson.

Oh and did I mention I became an "aunt" again this weekend? Definitely the best part of the weekend was the arrival of little miss Kinsley Terese Chesser on Saturday evening. Can't wait to hold this little cutie. Congratulations to my best friends Amber and Phillip, the new parents! Happy Monday y'all!

LOVE it

Halloween is upon us!

I will be the first one to say that Halloween isn't my favorite holiday. It's not even my second, or third. I like it, don't get me wrong, but... meh. We never got into anything besides the pumpkin carving at my house. I dont know how many years I went as a tennis player. (When I actually played tennis) So my outfit consisted of a shirt that said tennis on it somewhere, and a tennis skirt. Sometimes I would hold a racket, but more often than not it would be inconvenient. :) We never had Halloween parties at my house, I can't remember my parents dressing up to go trick-or-treating with us when we were little... you get the point. However, there is one great thing that Halloween brings (besides my aforementioned love for the pumpkin) and that is Halloween Specials on TV. The tradition in our family was to watch every single one while we were carving our pumpkins the week of Halloween. I'm talking Peanuts, Garfield, and my all-time favorite: Raggedy Ann & Andy. This was a less than popular one, but we LOVED it. We even made our pumpkin to look like the one from the special! Crying pumpkin seeds and all. Love it. If you haven't seen it...

Please enjoy.

Happy Halloween y'all!

everythingPUMPKIN

i'm a woman obsessed. obsessed with pumpkin. i'll have you know i make the BEST pumpkin creme brulee for my family every year. i also inhale pumpkin bread, pumpkin cheesecake, and pumpkin pie upon every holiday season. and then there is the number one reason i love austin, texas in the fall: pumpkin ice cream from amy's. get it with chocolate chips in it- i promise it will change your life. observe:

{before}

{after}

:)

fall feelin

It's that time. In Texas we don't really have "Fall" per say, but we do get cooler weather which only Texan's can call Fall. It's that brief time of year that you can sleep with the A/C off and the windows open and wear a t-shirt scarf. I love this time of year I think simply because it is so short. Pretty soon it will be full on "cold" and we'll have to cover up those cute clothes with a coat- I mean jacket. ;)

Every girl gets all jazzed about what her Halloween costume will be in early September, not me. I get my kicks from the carving. That's right pumpkin carving is MY THING. So here's my ode to the "costume ideas" for my pumpkin of course.


How cute are these?!? Happy Fall Festivus!

{weekend} happiness

I am a really lucky gal. I am so blessed. I love days when I can stop worrying about silly things and just relax and love life. This weekend was yet another good one. Friday night and Saturday morning and afternoon spent with the fam. We had game night at Abby and Chad's and I got to love up on the kiddos- see below.

Saturday night I took Jeremy to the Citizen Cope concert and had a blast. We got there at 6:30 when the doors opened at 7 thinking he went on at 8.... well he didn't go on until 9, but luckily that gave us time to make new friends with Angie, Roberto, and Alan! No joke- became instant buds. (Angie and I have already texted and emailed since Saturday) So then the concert started and we all had a blast rockin' out to Salvation, Let the Drummer Kick, and last but not least- Sideways. It was only tainted by the big "L" on the record books in Houston. Not only did we lose our star quarterback Case, we lost our backup quarterback! What the heck?!? So much for this season being a BCS bustin' season...

Sunday was a more chilled day. Jeremy and I had a really great talk about what we want. Out of our lives, out of each other, etc. Just one of those good, heartfelt, meaningful conversations with your best friend. Then church last night was great. It's so nice to hear a sermon that doesn't make you reflect on your sins. Don't take this the wrong way, but it was just a happy to be alive in this wonderful world and know and love Jesus kind of sermon. Matt talked about the importance of the ecclesia, or church. The verse was especially meaningful after Jeremy and I's conversation because it was about the friendship between Jonathan and David, and how their souls were knitted together. That they love each other more than they love themselves. It was truly inspiring and what I think was a sign of the friendship that Jeremy and I need to focus on before anything else can happen between us.

Sorry to sound like such a goody goody, but it's true- God has blessed me so much and I need to make sure to thank Him everyday for the ultimate sacrifice for me, so undeserving. Happy Monday loves!

my little soccer star

isn't he the cutest?

"Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself."

~1 Samuel 18:1

let the good times roll...

Not going to lie. Things have been pretty great lately. I have been taking the proverbial "one day at a time" and I have been LOVING life. Work is busy again- all is right with the working world. I have been surrounding myself with wonderful people and thoughts to get my head back on straight. I have actually been quite the busy girl. Trips to Round Rock to see old friends and family, trips to Allandale to see a boy with a rose bush, and trips around the block with my one true love, Bella. Things are peaceful. Not thinking to hard or too much cause that only gets me into trouble.

Looking forward to a great weekend. A trip into Round Rock, a great concert and dinner with a cute boy, and who knows what else?? Getting back to the old me feels good...


Do not look back and grieve over the past, for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering.

~Ida Scott Taylor

il mio amore, Bella

I seriously have the best dog ever. Took her with me to Houston this past weekend and she had a BLAST. She got to play with her new BFF, Luna all weekend long! They really were two peas in a pod. She was so exhausted by the time we got home Sunday evening, but rallied and was back to herself last night. So I decided to take her with me to my weekly trivia outing in Round Rock with my boys.

She was perfect.

I didn't even have to hold her leash for the last few hours I was there! She just sat next to me and walked around our table sharing her lovin with Patrick and Hunter as well. She was soooo cute!! She didn't bark once! I really can't get over how much she has grown up in the last few months!!! She's the best. I love her.

Bella and Luna

be patient.

brilliant.

starting over | discipline

3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the LORD's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Went to church for the first time in too long on Sunday. Heard an amazing sermon. Again, I don't know why I am always so surprised. He knows what He is doing with me. :) Jeff talked about how God discipline's us with a strong and sturdy hand because he is our Father. He even went as far to make the reference of relationships. That God is disciplining us for becoming so infatuated with our relationship instead of our relationship with Him that he removes that relationship to remind us that He should be our only idol. I feel like that is a really strong accusation or belief, and I'm not sure I 100% agree with it, but I feel like it couldn't hurt me one bit to put my focus in check. So that's what I'm doing. I even signed up for a woman's ministry class to better my understanding on my role as a woman of Christ. I don't know if I believe in the "firm fist" of all of this, but I know it can only help me go in the right direction.

Here's to starting over with my relationship with God. Only good can come of it. THAT, I believe.

{strength}

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
{2 Timothy 1:7 }


Happy thoughts are a choice. A happy life is a choice. I choose to let go and let God. I want to be happy. I choose to be happy. I will do everything in my power to have happy thoughts and control my thoughts. No matter what happens now, I know that I will soon be happy. This is just a stage in my life that will pass quicker than I can realize right now and I need to trust in Him and trust in myself that I will get through it. And will learn many life lessons along the way.

I think I'm going to go have a glass of wine and read my book now. :)

Love it.

Phoenix. Fell in love with them last year at ACL. Today my love was even more alive when I randomly decided I needed to get their album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, home to many (but not all) of my favorite songs of theirs. Wouldn't you know it that it was on sale today only!!!

So I will be rockin out to Lasso, 1901, and Lisztomania all. afternoon. long. :)


Happy Friday loves!

Stressed to the Max

Sooooo this week has been a little... intense. In one week I have gone from a gal with one fantastic job, to one not so great part-time job, to one not so great part-time job with interview, to one not so great part-time job with interview and part time gig for a few weeks, back to a gal with one fantastic job. My boss' are a little dramatic to say the least. This is the second time in a few months that this has happened. Now I know the economy is shaky and no one's job is safe, but there is a certain tact and responsibility as a boss to keep your employees out of the dark, and stressed as little as possible. For no other reason then we work more productively that way!!

Needless to say I am relieved this week is over. I am still very excited about the phone interview I had last night with the AMAZING Tiff's Treats (as seen here) but I am even more relieved to get one of these bad boys in my system as soon as possible. :)

Lazy days

To say that I have been unmotivated lately would be a huge understatement. I usually revel in the thought of setting up a new space. It usually comes with the territory of the whole designer thing. USUALLY. I can't seem to get there this time. I don't know what it is about this new apartment but I can't seem to want to unpack! I think it might have started because I was still transitioning and feeling weird about the situation, but I think it has turned into clutter empathy. I figure if I can live like this, what's the point of spending time unpacking? I guess I figure I have no one coming over these days, so why make my place look pretty. That sounds so depressing, yet for some strange reason... it isn't. I wish it was unpacked and pretty, but I have no desire to get it there! CRAZY- I KNOW!

ANYWHO. This weekend (for once) I have nothing going on but a quick shopping trip with Momma on Saturday to pick out my dear friend Amber's baby shower present. This weekend I will get it done. I will unpack. My dog will love that she can actually walk around. I will hang my art and photos on the walls. I will.

Check back Monday friends. Here's hoping. Happy Friday!!!!




p.s. Bon Iver on Pandora will get you so relaxed and ready for the weekend. DO IT. DO IT!

And the chapter is finally closed...

Well. I did it. With no tears as well. I turned in the house keys from Jeremy and I's first home together. I am very proud of myself. The old Kate would have not only ran but probably knocked over women and children to get back together with him by now. We need this. This is a good thing. It is going to be a good year. I will see to that. It is my new mantra.



"That's what momma always says. She says that beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most."
- Hope Floats

An amazing quote I got from my dear friend Kristen's blog... Here's to getting to the middle!

Kitchen Envy

For those of you who as Carrie Bradshaw would say "use your oven for storage" you can stop reading now. :)

I love cooking, but even more so, I love baking. For my birthday this year my whole family chipped in and helped me buy the ULTIMATE bakers delight- a KitchenAid stand mixer... in red ;) Now, I LOVE my kitchen, but in just a few short days I will have to give up the luxury of having all the counter space and storage I can possibly use to a MUCH smaller version. I can't complain, the new place has all new appliances, great modern cabinets, and a great overall style- but it's SMALL. This got me thinking about my dream kitchen. So all you Betty Crocker wannabe's- feast your eyes on these little diddies...


I love this modern style, don't know if I could actually LIVE with this though...


And then there is the allure of the traditional country kitchen that is so warm and lovely...


I am in LOVE with open storage in a kitchen...

What's your dream kitchen?

mark your calendars!!

This looks to be quite possibly the movie of the year for me... granted I just saw Inception, and that was PHENOMENAL, but how can you resist Julia?

A new beginning....

So I haven't blogged in a while because I feel... lost. I lost the love of my life. I am in the process of losing my wonderful house I shared with him. And I am losing my sense of purpose in this world. It has been a whirlwind in these past few months. My birthday came and went... a few camping trips with the Broussard's came and went, without me... 4th of July came and went. And now I'm here. Trying to deal with it all without too many people to lean on. I feel it is necessary to release these thoughts feelings so I can move on.

I lost my will to keep trying in our relationship. He made it so hard for me to love him, and it became too much. After that being said and I started to walk away, he let me.

For now I look to the future as a hopeful one. As my friend Jesse tells me, 25 is going to be a good year... Stay tuned, friends.

The Great Outdoors

I love camping. You can see it for yourself on my "bio" under my picture. I am forever grateful to my love, Jeremy for introducing the wonderful life of a camper about five years ago. We actually HAD to go camping for an assignment in school. We were learning about tensile structures and were tasked to make a tent. We got extra credit if we actually used the tent. Now- we were in our second year of architecture school so we really had no idea on how to make an acutal, sturdy, ready-to-face-the-elements tent. However we went camping, took pictures next to our tent, and voila- we got a good grade in that class. ;)

So I haven't written in a while because I have a lot going on at home. Jeremy and I have been going through some very life-changing realities about our lives, and more specifically our relationship. Don't get me wrong, I love him very much. However he has issues of being a good, strong boyfriend. So we decided to take our relationship on the road. Have a "reconnecting" weekend if you will.

It was great. We went to Pace Bend Park in Bee Caves, Texas. It is just gorgeous. Right on Lake Travis, and it has esssentially two "sides". There is the cliff side and the beach side. We stayed on the cliff side to be secluded and have a pretty sunset view, but we took a few trips to the beach side and had a BLAST. Here are a few photos from the weekend.

our beautiful view

one tired pup :) she LOVES camping

sometimes we question Him...

...and yet we always know He only puts us through things He can get us through. Today is a sad day. Well it is the middle of a sad few days. Sad actually doesn't even fit the bill. One of my best friends, Amber, has lost her newest little niece through complications associated with being a premie baby. It is heartbreaking-- Samantha wasn't even two months old.

My family has known this family for roughly 22 years. My mom taught Amber in Mothers Day out back in the day and we grew up as church friends ever since. In middle school the bond became closer, and then three years ago I was honored to stand next to Amber as a bridesmaid in her wedding. She is one of my dearest friends and I can't stand how bad she is hurting.

To make it even worse- my older sister, Abby, and Amber's older sister, Jaclyn(Samantha's mommy) are good friends as well. Jacyln sang at both my brother and my sister's weddings. Our mom are good friends, doing double duties together for PTA, Project Graduation, and everything else related to being amazing mothers.

It is so hard to trust in Him in times like this, but I have faith that he knows all and takes care of everyone and everything in His light. I ask if you are reading this- please say a quick prayer for the Johnson Family, the Ainsworth family, and anyone and everyone else who has lost a baby too soon...

On the road...

So today is my Friday at work. Believe me I am stoked, however I am a little apprehensive about the weekend ahead of me. I am so excited to be going to Houston for my great friends' wedding (Love you Oliver and Andrea!!) but I can't help but think about how crazy it will be.

Now don't get me wrong, I love weddings. The friendships, the family, the LOVE. Not to mention the dancing and booze ;) However to be in a wedding is a whole different story- at least for the girls. It is an evening wedding so naturally, we start getting ready at noon- well that's what time I have my hair appointment. Then it's off to the wedding site by 2:00, followed by photos at 3:30, then the big show at 6:00. It sounds easy enough but any gal who's been in a wedding knows it will be no such thing. And to make matters worse, Jeremy is in the bridal party as well, so we must organize (and by we I mean ME) our vehicle situation, tux pickup, etc. What a wonderful affair. :)

However, with all joking aside, I am so excited for Oliver and Andrea. They, like Jeremy and I have been together for over 4 years and are living together. They make me believe in the unconventional way of love, and they are so great at it. So here's to you, our GREAT friends. To a lifetime of happiness.



Oli y Andrea



Andrea and I

the first...

Hello- I'm Kate. I live in Austin, Texas and I love my life. I live with my amazing boyfriend of four years, Jeremy and our adorable dog, Bella. My life is fantastic and I love everything about it. I am so blessed and so thankful.

I really have no direction for this blog as of yet. I am an avid reader or a few cooking blogs and a few of my friends' blogs, however I'm not sure where I want this journey to go for me. I guess that is why I started it- to see what will come out. Thanks for reading and lets hope this goes somewhere. :)