ruff!

the adventures of scruffy murphy and leela!

holiday love

i've been using my first day off to:
1. play with the puppies!
&
2. perfect the christmas gifts i'll be giving to my friends this year

i love using the economy as an excuse for frugality. who doesn't love a handmade and thoughtful gift matched with creative packaging?

great idea from design sponge:

i'm a sucker for cute

just found out about this website called cute overload...sooo great!

it's no secret that i REALLY love animals, especially puppys and dogs. so when i heard our local humane society needed foster homes ASAP for some shepherd puppies, it took me about 3 seconds to jump in the car with my roommate...and pick up two!

on my drive home from school, i decided it would be best to surprise my mom: no one could resist falling in love with those sweet faces, so she surely wouldn't be too upset, right?

she wasn't! of course, the puppies surprised us with an extreme flea infestation we noticed during their bath...

it's okay, because not only are they cute, and the lady at the humane society told me i was saving their lives.

p.s. they are tentatively named scruffy murphy and leela

approaching the 'real world'

i'm actually starting to get excited for next year...
i can't believe i'm saying that, but it's true.

it's all pretty exciting, really. especially when i focus on the fun parts. like a new place to live and a new space to decorate.

i love this wallpaper for the perfect accent wall:


{please note the tiny sheep on the windowsill}



more importantly, i love the idea of
[financial] independence,
of new faces and new friends,
new coffee shops to read in,
new parks to run through,
a new church,
a fresh start.

yes, all this change is good. but for now, i am enjoying my current situation immensely.

the color red.

it's the end of a long weekend and i feel a bit run down. my red-hot sore throat and the [idea of] cold weather make me want some comforting red tomato soup.

soup sounds good for another reason, too: at the start of nearly every week i think to myself, "ok, katie, it's time to get in shape now." good thing it's thanksgiving week. o well, the diet can start next sunday, right? haha

but i wont remember these little thoughts. i will forever associate this weekend with the color red for another reason: it marked the marriage of my beautiful friend katie and the love of her life, ben.



she could not have been a calmer, more at peace bride and it was an honor to stand by her side!

silly

hehe

strawberry swing

in the midst of the swaying euphoric crowd
swimming in the cords and rhythms of coldplay
i couldn't help but to feel

that any time i spend
not growing, not searching, not creating
is time wasted.

and if we aren't exploring our potential
we need to at least relish in those around us,
especially the ones we love.

after all, in the words of chris martin
"now the sky could be blue
i don't mind
without you it's a waste of time."

viva

last night: coldplay concert with my sister.
no words.
except sheer bliss.

{but that's the understatement of the year}

haircut

{nice, france 2007}

today i got my haircut
{this is where my mom ALWAYS says, 'which one?'}

my hairdresser told me i should travel.
see the world while i'm young and single,
just to say i've done it.

she and her husband are saving to go to Berlin in a year. although shes excited, she says it wont be the same experience she would have had at a younger age.

my soul does long with alacrity to return.
{on some days, anyway}

i guess this is the part of my life where i pray about my future,
not just base these decisions
on the sage words of my hairdresser.

driving the bus

ross always reminds me not be anxious. he always says,
"we're not driving the bus, God is."
on friday, texas a&m shot a little acceptance email to him.
God finally drove the bus to med school for ross!

sunday night tradition

sunday nights are absolute serenity. throughout this semester i've cultivated some darling traditions...which are really my innocent guilty pleasures.

1. bake for 'the dudes'
(kappa sig meetings are every monday) my roommates don't mind this too much (i hope!),
so long as they can have 'just a pinch'

2. watch wedding central on we (womens entertainment channel) and hope to catch juicy episodes of bridezillas

3. best thing to do while laughing at bridezilla? take the indulgence even further and enjoy some wedding blog browsing

{my favorite}

although i cherish these frivolous activities on
calm sunday evenings, the best part of the day was
'home church' this morning. ross, smiller and i made
lists of what we are grateful for
while sitting on our porch
enjoying the crisp and sunny weather
sipping on our mugs of coffee
while sufjan christmas songs drifted through the air.


{from here}

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:24-34

{sharon montrose}

its good to be part of the little flock :)

from kw to kk

this time next week
is big city pretty's
big day!

cant wait :)

whatever, im a baylor girl

real simple has instructions on how to make
beautiful wedding bouquets from supermarket flowers!

although i am not planning on getting married anytime soon, the economy & my frugal nature make me especially interested in having a low-budget wedding someday.

our culture has turned weddings into a huge industry, when really,
they boil down to two people
celebrating their love for one another in Christ.
in more ways than one, this love is free.

maybe part of being in the world and not of it is
separating ourselves from societal trends,like spending
huge amounts of money on one evening.
do we really need our initials on every napkin?
should a slice of cake cost $15?

or maybe, this is the one day to splurge a little, on behalf of your guests, of course.

or maybe i just like the daisies in the picture.
they remind me of meg ryan in you've got mail. tom hanks brings her some when shes sick as an attempt to reconcile. she forces a thank you and says,
"don't you just love daisies? they're such a happy flower!"
i agree!

for the dude

sarah.
my roommate.
a girl of many nicknames
(many from me)

tiny, pitterpatter, satpack
sqatterlee, squits, tiny town
and my favorite:
the dude.

she loves design, community, light,
and vintage chairs.

this post is dedicated to you,
because i found:
vintage chairs for tiny dudes!

christmas tomorrow

{paper cut art}

honestly, long distance relationships are not so bad.
life of a college student is
busy, busy, busy.
class, service, meetings, intramurals, tests, friends, etc.

it's nice to have an escape every weekend,
something to always look forward to.
it's like Christmas every Friday.

found my calling

Sharon Montrose photography

one guarantee of senior year is that nearly everyday, at least one person will ask you, "so what are you going to do next year?"

well, i found my answer: dog portraits.

haha just kidding...maybe?

spring 2009

{found here}

'Spring 2009'
6 a.m. tomorrow,
for the last time
i register for classes
at Baylor.

'May 2009'
ever lurking
with vigilant watch,
quietly waiting, waiting
to pounce.



the jigs up.
you don't scare me.
i'm ready

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life...Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
Matthew 6:26-25

the problem with college & christmas:

between thankgiving and christmas breaks there are only a couple of weeks of class, and they are littered with final papers, projects, and exams.

therefore, in order to properly decorate for the holiday season at college, you have to start pretty darn early. we started last night.


adorable decorations, gifts for friends, holiday parties... smiling more will not be a problem :)

studying, on the other hand...

things i learn in school

on friday, my geology teacher shared with our class his five rules for happiness. they are so sweet, simple and true.








1. smile more
2. love unconditionally
3. help all who need help
4. avoid being judgmental
5. think about yourself less


today i am smiling more because:
1. this pug! please look, it will make your day!
2. this time last year i was traveling through italy & i'm thoroughly grateful to be in waco right now. this time next year: who knows! i starting to embrace the exciting uncertainty

live puppy cam!

i love the way God communicates to us everyday through unique mediums.

He uses some delightfully silly ones with me: tiny things, puppies, fortune cookies. in a way, these little expressions of love and humor (and wisdom from time to time) shape and color the essence of our lives.


last night my sister sent me a link to a live puppy cam on the web, and i have been overflowing with joy ever since!

happy friday!

embracing fall

"The morns are meeker than they were,
The nuts are getting brown;
The berry's cheek is plumper,
The rose is out of town.
The maple wears a gayer scarf,
The field a scarlet gown.
Lest I should be old-fashioned,
I'll put a trinket on."
- Emily Dickinson


{our roommate + friends thanksgiving feast}


mashed potatoes

{holiday desserts!}


real simple's 5 easy thanksgiving desserts

{fall crafts & decorations}



from m.s. herself

{and leaves are finally falling}


from my weheartit album

hot dog!

ahhh!

no matter what happens,
there will always be cute things in this world.

hehe happy thursday!

homework wine

no stress november challenge #1:
try something new & silly everyday! why not?

today smiller, satt, and i opted for a glass of 'homework wine' over a cup of coffee.






{how will you be silly today?}

anonymous

"no matter if the world is
burning down,
as long as i have you in my arms,
we'll be fine."

freaking out: my coping mechanism of choice tonight.

how can you not have strong emotions over this election, one way or the other?

does unwavering faith in Christ and His Kingdom translate into political apathy? maybe, but i just needed someone to freak out with me tonight. the lack of commiseration with my neighbors, roommates, and boyfriend (due to their admirable faith) led me into tumultuous solitude in my room.

never underestimate the healing power of a good freak-out met with empathetic ears over consoling words.


[image found here]

you know things are bad when you turn to ecclesiastes for encouragement.

i initially sought the passages with comforting phrases such as 'from dust to dust' and 'evil under the sun,' but to my surprise i actually stumbled upon encouraging words:

"I perceived that there is nothing better than for them to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil- this is God's gift to man." ecclesiastes 3:12-13

despite my shock and dramatic devastation tonight, i recognize life will go on and we are called to be joyful all the while. however, we also read in ecclesiastes that there is a
"time to weep, a time to laugh
a time to mourn, a time to dance." (3:4)

although this may be melodramatic, i'm glad i feel something when i think of our great nation's well-being. i am ashamed to admit that i have taken it for granted countless times. i'm even grateful that i was reduced to tears: i've finally broken free of my post study abroad apathy.

sure, there is 'nothing new under the sun,' but all this talk of change, with his policies and ideas in mind, is a little unnerving.


[image found here]

tomorrow i will try to laugh and dance with faith and "enjoy life with [those] whom [i] love." (9:9)

no stress november will persevere and above all so will Christ and his love for us. as for our country, that is, as always, yet to be determined.

p.s. my favorite verse of the night:
"A wise man's heart inclines him to the right,
but a fools heart to the left." (10:2)

[hehe]

yes, please!

no stress november

november is a beautiful month.

texas finally agrees to change seasons (or at least think about it) and we've moved on from carving pumpkins to dreams of turkey and giving thanks. best of all, we can unabashedly get excited about Christmas.


while baylor boys are practicing "no shave november," i move we celebrate "no stress november." let's focus on "peace on earth" early this year and enjoy this season.

let's not stress over the little things we need to get done.

let's just do them.

and celebrate life while we're at it.


after all, if the Mayans are right and the world is going to end in 2012, it would be a shame to waste our last few years by stressing out. in the wise words of smiller's brother, we should all be "livin life and lovin livin."