Happy Valentine's Day!

i love boys that dress cute and wear bow ties...

Caution dearest readers, I'm about to be brutally and embarrassingly honest...
I've never been in a serious relationship for Valentine's day or any day for that matter... It's not like I haven't had the opportunity to have a relationship, I just don't want one right now for some reason. Don't get me wrong now, I don't want to be a lonely cat woman (hahah my name is kat...) but then again I don't want to be wasting my time pining over a boy. I do want love. true, unrelenting, sacrificial love. Like every other girl out there, I dream of meeting someone that will fit me just right. after all my exploring, there is only one place where I find that love right now though. it's in Jesus. He will lead me to such a love someday, and wherever he goes, that's where I want to be.

just gotta give it all away.

so my thoughts on finding Mr. Right? well I'm just going to let God do the finding for me. Let go, let God. 

A drop in the ocean..

this song came on last night in the studio and made me feel like climbing a mountain. Props to my little sis, annie for getting me hooked on it.

Well, as shown by my lack of posts recently, this semester has already been one filled to the brim with lots of things. I've been so busy with architecture during the week and then even busier with homework and trying to balance a social life during the weekends. I can't believe I'm already on my second semester... what whatttttttt!?

Today it is 70 degrees and absolutely beautiful outside. Days like today make me LOVE clemson even more than I do (I know, hard to imagine). It seems like Clemson is either the most beautiful place in the world or it is terrible/cloudy/rainy. There seems to be no in between. But I think I'll take those rainy days in exchange for days like today. It makes me want to run down bowman field in a long skirt singing "the hills are alive" like Fraulein Maria from The Sound of Music. ahhhhh so beautiful.

Studio has been slowly killing me, and I'm only in my first semester of it! this is no good my friends, I need to toughen up or something! Hopefully, I'll get into the groove of things soon. I spent somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 hours in the studio yesterday...ridiculous! Right now, we are working on a project where we have to draft an object that has movement. Naturally, I chose a difficult object: a drawing compass. So now I'm left puzzled by this project and wondering if the whole semester is going to be like this... we shall see I suppose! 

In better news, Harcombe dining hall has stepped up their game. The meals have significantly improved this semester. The only complaint I have is the music. The emo-punk-rock-I'm-in-7th-grade-and-I'm-uncomfortable-with-myself  genre of music has got to go. I went to request something a tad lighter and pleasing to a larger crowd; however, the manager was busy talking with the sandwich ladies. So considering he was most likely giving them more pointers to make even more improvements, I quietly left the scene without speaking to him. no worries, I'll make my music request promptly if it doesn't change soon. I think he'll listen to me...I'm a valued customer. Actually, I think the dining hall might lose money on people like me because i'm there so much.......

I'm so excited right now. I have little to no homework this weekend (for the first time this semester), I'm listening to good music, I just got out of my last class for the day, and I have the whole weekend ahead of me.  Praise Jesus, life is so so so good. Now I'm off to pick out my outfit for tonight's festivities. Theme: 80s. Should be fun fun fun!

have a spectacular weekend, friends! 

I wish you all the happiness and adventures in the world!

“Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more. Be happy now and if you show through your actions that you love others, including those who are poorer than you, you’ll give them happiness, too. It doesn’t take much –it can be just giving a smile. The world would be a much better place if everyone smiled more. So smile, be cheerful, be joyous that God loves you.” -Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

the history of art

I'm sitting in art history right now watching as my peers also neglect to pay attention and instead spend their time on facebook, email, pinterest, twitter, or youtube. The guy in front of me is currently watching videos of fights while the girl two seats down is using pinterest to plan even the most minute details of her future wedding. A few rows over, I can see a guy soundly sleeping as the rest of the class continues to waste away.

It really isn't their faults. The teacher turns down the lights, speaks in a very soft and soothing voice, and talks about the history of art. This isn't exactly the most stimulating of lessons. Therefore, we are all left gazing into cyberspace and finding boundless options to waste away our time with.

I find it utterly amazing that there are so many options for us to waste our time with. I wonder what kind of things we could achieve and what level of inner peace we might obtain if we didn't constantly have these distractions in our lives. It perplexes me that even Henry David Thoreau found his life filled with distractions even though he lived in such a simpler time. I long to sneak away into the woods and re-center myself like he did. To run away from the hectic everyday existence we carryout constantly. Who knows what would happen if we actually took the time to see.

Have a splendid day my friends, I wish you all the inner peace in the world! 

wow arch

Life is so busy these days. I've never in my life have experienced a workload like this. Studio takes so darn long, and this is only my first semester of a long long time of studio work. It's only gonna get harder...but I know that if God brought me to it, he'll bring me through it. This makes me extremely thankful for a multitude of things...

My family who always supports me (even from BR), my friends who listen to me complain about how much I have to do, my architecture friends who work along side me, and my God-given ability to complete these projects.

So much to do, but I know I'll get it done.

lesssgoo

where's waldo.

Sometimes it's so simple that we miss it completely.

 

School is starting. I oh no my classes are so hard. SAWdo I really have to go to studio.THE I'm getting fat. DEEP I eat too much. HOLE Do I have to buy all of these books.I  I just want to hang out and not go to classes. WAS Where is all of my money going.BURYING who will I invite to formal. MYSELFI don't think anyone likes me. IN why do I exist.

And immediately I knew that I had to quickly create an evacuation plan. 

As shown by my lack of posts lately, I went through a bit of a glum time. All of this negativity swarmed my life and all I could think about were my own problems and how I felt so different, so joyless. I tried to jump out of the hole by questioning my sadness and trying as hard as I could to find joy. You see, dearest readers, I focused so much on my problems (lack of joy) that I completely neglected to find the actual joy in my life. 

Finally when I couldn't reach the light at the end of the tunnel, I gave in and felt so hopeless. My mind tricked me into thinking that my life sucked and that I would never like clemson the same again along with other awful lies. I worried and felt insecure about every move I made. Anxiety filled my entire being until it hit me like a ton of bricks. BAM. I'd forgotten the order of things. 

I was so focused on all the bad things (that actually weren't that bad...just me being a drama mamma) that I consumed myself with these negative thoughts. I was holding on so tight to all of this negativity that I couldn't let any joy in. It was such a selfish thing. I was putting myself and my pointless problems first over all others in my life. All this sadness simply stemmed from me being so darn selfish. 

Joy is about putting others first

Jesus Others Yourself

so I set myself up to a challenge. I began praying even though it brought me little comfort. Then I began putting others before me simply by thinking about them. cheesy as it sounds, it actually worked. in no time I was back to loving life and loving clemson. (wow I'm such a cheeseball! hahaha) 

so dearest readers, I'd just like to share that tip with you today! Focus on Jesus and Others and You will automatically feel more satisfied and happier. Don't let the little monster bring you down in your own selfishness. conquer the monster and free your insides from it's captivity.

have a stellar rest of the week! 

my experience with the beauty shop

steel magnolias

When I came home from school, my mother and grandmother both agreed that I needed to tidy up my look with a much needed haircut. So I consented and my mother scheduled an appointment.

I took off work and then met my mother to get our haircuts. 

We unassumingly drove to the address and pulled into what looked like an average, everyday house. After taking our seats in the quaint at-home beauty shop, we soon realized it was nothing but average. I felt as though I had stepped out of my world and into the movie "Steel Magnolias"

I will describe now for you, dear readers, the picturesque scene with which I had arrived upon stepping into this beauty parlor. The bell dinged as we walked through the door where we immediately were instructed to take our seats on a comfy couch adjacent to a wall decorated with Christmas cards. You could tell that this was home to many people. Upon looking around the room, I discovered a few characters that had undeniably been loyal costumers since the start of the beauty shop.

 First was an older woman in to get her hair styled. The woman cutting her hair used the curler to make her grey hair resemble something kin to a fro, regardless, she was a happy customer. I think the woman could have styled her hair anyway she wanted because she was far too busy enjoying a conversation with the couple nearby. Now this couple was quite the sight. They were absolutely adorable, an exemplary couple for all.  You could tell that they'd been married for quite some time, and that they had done their fair share of living. The husband sat patiently as his wife got her hair cut and styled, and made conversation with anyone that would listen. He spoke fondly about the good ole days and told stories about when him and his bride were wed at the Cathedral in New Orleans. He then proceeded to tell his audience about how he was sent off to war right after they were married, among other heroic stories of his life. There was something genuine and undeniable about this man. He sure wouldn't have been in that beauty shop if he hadn't loved his wife the way he did. I hope to marry a man like that someday that will make the beauty shop a social outing when we are old and grey. He seemed to enjoy himself more than any other person in there. His wife equally enjoyed herself, and her new hair-do, which was probably the same one she got 20 years ago at the same place.
Finally it was my turn to get my haircut. First the lady washed it and then the woman proceeded to cut my hair. She made casual conversation, and my mother sat silently, continuing to observe the show that I had just left the audience of.
I could see my mother being thoroughly entertained by this scene as if she were watching a movie. She kept watching this adorable couple.The couple had come with their 20-something year old granddaughter as well, making this beauty shop a family affair. I could imagine them taking their own children there, so this must have been nothing out of the ordinary. The husband jokingly poked fun at his granddaughter for her past driving tickets and bragged that he hadn't received one in at least 30 years. The granddaughter joked back and proved the jovial state of these people.
The two women cutting hair also epitomized classic southern, working woman. The mother and daughter team were cordial and inviting, and easily made conversation with all of their customers. They were pros at cutting hair, making personal connections with just about anyone, and being that listening ear to all that needed it. I could tell that people came here for more than just a haircut.

My mother got her hair cut and then it was time for us to leave this ideal little place where time seemed to stand still. We both got a stylish new hair cut, got to hear all the latest town gossip, got to hear the stories of these everyday people, and plus my mother learned some new tips about doing her hair all for only $20 a piece.
I'd say that's a pretty good deal.

what a semester of physics has taught me.

Only one thing stands between me and the sweet freedom of Christmas break. That annoying barrier to the ability to enjoy uninterrupted nothingness is my physics phinal on phriday at 7 PM. you heard that right, 7 PM!

so late. just about everyone has left clemson.

well, on the bright side, I have more time to study at least. If only I knew this material better. I feel so burnt out, and I'm just ready for these finals to be over. 

What Physics Has Taught Me:
1. you don't remember everything that you learned in highschool. so you can't sleep through or in all of your classes, not pay attention, forget to do the homework, neglect to study and still expect an A
2. Life is in equilibrium. like the sum of all the forces or torques, everything is balanced. Good things happen and bad things happen, positive forces and negative forces. to solve the equation and put it all together, you have to assume that these two forces are balanced.
3. lazy people have to work twice. if only I had gotten just a B on that last test, I would have had a solid A and would have been exempt from the exam. yep... I wouldn't have to take a 7 PM final on the last day of exams. 'nuff said.
4. never schedule an 8 AM...ever again. for some reason having class at 8 is so much worse than having class at 9:05. I wake up at 6:50 everyday (unless my leap of faith onto the futon turns into a "well I'm just gonna rest my head here for a bit" landing) but I just can't manage to stay awake in my 8AM physics class. hence why I am void of notes and worried about this exam.gahhhhh
5. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Go ahead, convert all of that potential energy into kinetic energy. apply a great deal of force over a long distance of time to work as best as you possibly can.
6. Be efficient. even more efficient than a carnot machine
7.  Make your schedule like a sinusoidal wave. these waves oscillate at a constant rate and can continue on for ages without outside forces. They repeat the same motion over and over again. form healthy habits and stick to them like a true sinusoidal wave. A tried and true schedule leads to getting things done which leads to better grades which leads to a better job which leads to more money which leads to... well that's up for you to decide dear readers.

You see, Physics is not phun!

random thoughts about studying.

what am I doing now 

you might ask

just trying to do work

and complete each task

with the utmost care 

and if you're concerned

about the information 

I may or may not have learned

let's just say 

I'll have to pay

for neglecting to study

and wanting to play

to get that 4.0 

I might have to stay always awake

for if I don't try

there's way too much at stake

anything less than my best

would be a sin

so let's just get to this test

so I can put the right answers in

I know I can do it

I just have to go 

now now now

I know the information, I know!

I'm proud to announce

that I've been studying and getting down

to work I go so don't mess around

seriously though

who would have thought

that this girl could actually do work

I know I did not

first time in my life

besides biology ap freshman year

that I'm actually hardcore studying

yes, you heard it clear

I've been here all day

and I'm determined to stay

until it's in my brain

tattooed upon my mind

EXAM WEEK 2011

LETS GO.

something beautiful

Lately I've had the wonderful opportunity to go to mass more. It's just the thing I need sometimes. It's the perfect remedy to the stress of college classes, staying up too late, and balancing a hectic schedule. I was in church one day right after the consecration of the Eucharist when I was praying and suddenly I starting singing this song by needtobreathe in my head. I have no idea why I started to sing this song, but it totally works. The lyrics struck me because of how applicable they are to Jesus' presence in the Eucharist. 

The song states, "Hey now this is my desire, consume me like a fire, I just want something beautiful to touch me. I know that I'm in reach, I am down on my knees just waiting for, something beautiful." 

how much more perfect could you get? right before receiving the most beautiful gift in the world, Jesus. 

this song pumps me up and makes me want to climb a mountain or something. 

have a stellar week my friends! 

a few updates.

1. TIGERS WON! (both of them heck yes)
2. great weekend in charlotte for the ACC championship with great friends.
3. thank goodness last week is over. way too much stress.
4. got to see dierks bentley for a little while in Charlotte...too fun!
5. went to play laser tag on friday!
6. I went to walmart tonight
7. I'm really tired.

and that is all for now. I don't know why but I was just diggin the list format tonight.