past and present

10 things I learned in high school

1. You don't have to dress like Barbie/Ken everyday.

> Some days I dressed all cutesy and some days I didn't, but in the end it won't matter! I don't really remember (or care) what anyone wore. I did know a lot of girls who thought everyday was a fashion show. I laugh at the thought of trying to be perfect (body, style, and beauty wise) in high school. Odds are you won't even see your high school peers almost ever again, so don't sweat being "perfect".

2. It's okay to take a break.

> I tried so hard to be on top of everything all the time. I was always planning things and always stressing over homework. If you're into running, writing, photography, baking, movie watching, soccer, or just anything you love then you should really take a break every now and then and just enjoy yourself. 

3. Trying your best will pay off in the long run.

> I wish that I had tried way harder when it came to grades rather than my social level. Yes, you should be social and make lots of friends so you can look back and smile about the past but you should really care about your grades too. I didn't take college or a career seriously until I got my transcripts and cried (a lot) inside. I had straight A's most of my senior year (when I moved to Hawaii my GPA took a turn for the worst), but the past 3 years were heartbreaking. Also, try your best in everything you do, whether it's sports, clubs, grades, etc. just try your best. Trying your best doesn't mean you'll get straight A's or be the best athlete in your sport, it means that you will do everything in your power to be your absolute best self.

4. Investing in a planner might save your life.

> To those people who go through high school without writing everything in a planner... HOW? I wouldn't have gotten through one term, let alone a whole year, without a planner. Writing everything down... tests, appointments, assignments, study time... honestly saved my life. Using a planner isn't lame (if you think it is then you're probably lame), it's smart and really helpful.

5. Being apart of the gossip girls corner is a waste of time.

> Looking back I can't believe how many rumors were spread (like wildfire) through my school. Gossiping is such a waste of time! You're probably thinking, Kailee, this is the dumbest thing to list, but I can't even begin to tell you how many pointless things I heard about other people.

6. Moving on is apart of the process.

> Once we all graduated we went and did different things... college, marriage, kids, jobs, moving out of state, etc... I only see Mike anymore! I'm not complaining about that, I'm just saying that, sure, your best friends in high school are/were important, but reality will kick you in the butt after high school ends. Be prepared for losing old friends and making brand new ones.

Also, leave the high school drama in actual high school.

7. Make as many friends as possible.

> I know #3 kinda made the whole friends thing not seen so important but I know how much friends mean to teens in high school. Friends make or break you. Choose wisely. I had a very bad group of friends 9th grade, 10th got a little better, 11th was my best year with friends and then by the end of my senior year my friend list dwindled down to one. I have fantastic memories with my old friends, I just hope to see them again some day down the road.

8. Bullying should never be tolerated.

> So let me start this one off by saying when I moved during the 8th grade and started at AFJH I met this wonderful boy named Josh. We liked each other and "dated" (ohhhh jr high relationships). We had foods together and we went to my house after school to eat pie and play video games (which I always won by the way... unless he just let me win). We broke things off because friends was just better for us (plus we were in jr high). And then last year he took his own life. I'm not completely sure if bullying was the cause to his actions, but I know a lot of people were saying it might've been apart of it. After I had heard the news I began to think of all of the what-if's throughout the past few years that included Josh. Could I have made a difference? I sat with Josh at lunch junior year. I talked to him all the time. We had science together. High school was such a small part in our lives and it hurts to know that Josh isn't experiencing what's going on right now. The day of his funeral I was sitting in Seminary and my teacher started talking about life after death and suicide and I completely lost it. I cried my eyes out. Then my mom checked me out for the funeral, it was a beautiful service, I cried the whole time (I couldn't even sing the songs), and after hearing Josh's families words, I knew that they forgave him and that they were trying to understand why he did what he did. It's weird, but their words gave me a bit of closure. Later that week my mom bought me a sculpture of a hand making the peace sign, every time I look at it I think of Josh and know he's found peace. If you ever think someone's being bullied or you see it first hand then you should do something about it immediately.

9. Going to class is worth it

> I'm about 80% sure that I missed more days of school than I actually went. All of those attendance schools were not worth it. Obviously missing a day or two every once in a while is totally fine, but be sure to make it to class most of the time. I look back sometimes and am actually surprised I graduated haha. I didn't really like high school (I was bullied every now and then) so maybe that was the reason I missed so much, or maybe I'm just coming up with excuses... whatever the reason was preventing me from attending school was totally pointless. Go. To. School.

10. Procrastination can, in fact, fail.

> Obviously procrastination works for a lot of people, but it's so much easier just to do your work on time (planner time). Especially when big papers/projects have a set due date definitely plan ahead and just do it. I wish that I hadn't put things off so much. Just do your work on time and I promise you your high school life will be a little bit easier. I got almost everything turned in on time, but you'd be surprised (or maybe you wouldn't be) at how many people never did their work on time. So for all you kiddies who think procrastination is the God of everything due date, I'm sorry to break your religious homework views but, sometimes it just won't work.

Sorry for such a long post

One

-Ed Sheeran

love, k.

weekend trippin

St Geezy 2014

This weekend we (my mom, dad, 6 siblings, boyfriend, and a neighboring family of 3, and their foreign exchanged student from Norway, and me of course) all took a random trip to St George. It was about a 4 hour drive there and back. Can you imagine that long of a car ride in a van full of 14 people?? We all thankfully survived each other. 

We swam, took pictures, hiked, shopped, laughed, and loved SG. 

I absolutely love the desert look and feel, I'm praying I get to visit this gorgeous city a lot more (or move there, you know... whatever works). 

We stopped at the DI (thrift store) and I bumped into a girl named Claire who I went to high school with and who was in my same church class. I know SG isn't huge or anything but it was funny running into her. I think we're both thrift store junkies and desert lovers. 

She recommends St George all the way. I made a mental note about it.

While I was shopping at some outlets I overheard an old lady talking to another old lady:

"What's up with all of these skinny jeans lately?"

"It's this big emo phase Utah's going through. Nevada used to be big with the skinny jeans and now Utah is making it a trend. It's ugly and emo."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing, it was definitely a good laugh though.

Every time I brought Jaxt back up to the house we were staying in he would ask, "Is this my house?" I sighed and said, "Nope. I wish it was bud." I mean surrounded by warm weather, the desert, and having a swimming pool right down the street was the best. Maybe when I move there someday Jaxt will just have to spend a lot of time with me.

Two things I wish I hadn't brought with me:
> A week supply of clothes. It's so hard for me just to pack three outfits for the weekend because I don't know what will happen! I ended up packing way too many clothes.
> My laptop. I thought I'd need it to upload pictures onto but I ended up not taking as many photos as I thought I was going to, so in the end it was just extra weight (plus there was no wifi at our house).

Two things I wish I had brought with me:
> Running shoes. The main reason I didn't bring them was because I was afraid my brother was going to wake me up early to go running. In the long run (pun intended) I wished I had gone running and those shoes would've been fantastic for hiking the narrows in.
> My sketchbook. The landscapes and the architecture of about every building were both so pretty. I totally regret not sketching anything while I was down there. 

As much fun as I had I'm really glad to be back in my own little bed (even if the highs up here are only in the 20's).

Quiet Town
-Josh Rouse

love, k.

boys boys boys

It was such a beautiful day outside so we decided to paint sticks, play in the leaves, and ride our bikes. As hard as these boys can be, I love spending time with them. 

Coleson loves art, every time he draws something he says "Look I made art, everything I make is art" and every time I draw something, he studies it for a few minutes, looks at me and says, "It's so beautiful deedee." 

Coley wanted me to tie the sticks together for a room decoration. I tried my best and he absolutely loves it. It's hanging in his room right now and he's been showing everyone. I'm always blown away by how artistically inclined Coleson can be. He's going to do awesome things when he gets older.

Jaxty was being a stinker today but I got some pictures of him. One of his favorite things to do outside is feeding the neighbors goats, he kept saying "Look deedee, dotes (goats), look look look, DOTES." He loves those things. 

Chicago by -Sufjan Stevens

love, k.

music of the month

Top 10 favorite songs November 2014

1. Honey and the Moon -Joseph Arthur

2. Send me on my Way -Rusted Root

3. Oceans -Coasts

4. Medicine -The 1975

5. Rain City -Turin Brakes

6. I am the Highway -Audioslave

7. Lost in my Mind -The Head and the Heart

8. Home -Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeroes

9. Into Yesterday -Sugar Ray

10. Coast of Carolina -Telekinesis

These obviously all came out in various years, but I like them all a little bit more right now. Every month I'll post a few songs. Music is the best thing while I'm working on crafts, or drawing with the boys, or just picking up around the house. The boys never go a day without music while I'm around.

love, k.

diy inspo

recent (favorite) diy finds

1. Felt loch ness monster

I absolutely love this easy and adorable felt craft/toy. It's so cute and my little brothers would love it. Also some of my cousins would love it for a birthday gift! The site I found it on has easy instructions and adorable pictures. I'm hoping to make it soon and let you all know how well it went and how mine turned out.

Find the how-to here

2. Ombre painted pine cones

These fab pinecones are perfect for autumn decorations or even just everyday of the year decorations. I was looking around my house and don't have these kind of pinecones but I'm officially on the hunt for them. Utah is full of these so I'll be doing this project super soon.

You can find these ombre beauties here

3. Painted acorns

I came across a picture of felt acorns from FreePeople and instantly fell in love. Instead of felt I've decided to paint real acorns. The ones I found in my back yard this morning have a lot of holes all over them, so I'm assuming they have worms. I'm currently drying/cleaning them as I write up this post. I'll definitely post the end result sometime this week.

Learn how to dry/clean here

Here are the materials I'm using:
-acorns
-acrylic paint
-multiple sized pain brushes
-little boys imagination (jaxt and coley are ecstatic)
-hot glue (not all of them have their tops so after painting we're just going to glue the tops on)
-newspaper or art table cloth for clean up management

4. Painted sticks

I've loved the look of these for about ever. They're so simple yet amazing for decor. I found a blog that makes them look gorgeous. I personally think the best kind of wood for this is drift wood but living in Utah... there's no such thing as drift wood here. I've been collecting pretty good sized sticks for this, now all I need are the colors.

Find the diy instructions here

5. Cactus painted rocks

I absolutely love this idea for a little kids room. They won't actually poke them! Jaxt and Coley love painting and love plants. These aren't exactly plants but they still think they look amazing. This is another project on our list.

You can find these gorgeous rocks here

6. Ombre painted wooden utensils

I've wanted to do this for such a long time I just don't own any wooden utensils, yet. They are so easy and can work in any colors. Make them match your kitchen, a certain holiday, or just wing it. These are such an easy gift too!

Find the instructions here

7. Cactus pillow

I was looking through Pinterest the other day (let's be honest, I do this everyday) and found this gem. I looked at the instructions and loved how easy it looked! I love pillows but the ones I really love are always way over priced, so this made my life a little better. I'm putting it on the project list.

Instructions for this amazing creation here

8. Paper flowers

These are so simple and year round perfection. I love real flowers but they die and go so fast. With the right colors, paper flowers can be gorgeous.

Instructions here

9. Triangle blanket

I think this kind of quilt is perfect for anything. Baby girls and boys, living rooms, throw blankets, on-the-go blankets, and kids rooms. I'll be honest, I'm not fantastic at sewing... at all... but this is definitely something I'd try. It could be the perfect gift for my baby cousins.

Find the instructions here (and see a super cute baby)

10. Pineapple garland

I'm totally obsessed with pineapples. While living in Hawaii I ate pineapple almost everyday. I'm also going to be painting pineapples in my room soon. I love how simple this idea is plus they give you a FREE download of the pineapples! I love the ones they have and would also like to add in my own watercolor paintings for my own garland. My room is about to become a brighter happier place.

The website didn't give any specific how-to's but it's pretty self explanatory.

Pictures and free printable here

So there are my top 10 favorite and most inspiring diy projects that I love right now. I'll post 10 more in a few weeks.

Also, looking through this you can obviously see that I love bright colors and any craft that's easy to do.

Brighter than Sunshine -Aqualung

love, k.

season greetings

Last night, as Mike was dropping me off, we drove into town and bam it was snowing. Snow in the beginning of November? Really?? Once I was inside, Jaxt and Coley were more than thrilled to see it. They love the snow so much.

This morning they woke me up yelling "It snowed! It snowed! Can we go play in it?" I told them yes as long as I could take pictures of them while playing it our season greeting snow. I got dressed, got my camera, and went upstairs. What I saw out the window almost stunned me.

There was no snow.

Slowly I turned to the boys and turned my camera on only to find it dead, and the boys were still convinced there was a lot of snow somewhere out there to play in. We went outside into the cold (not a fan) and looked for snow. We found some on the playhouse slide and immediately the boys started sliding down it. After the snow was gone from the slide and promptly stuck to there jeans they came inside and got everything wet. Oh the joy.

Honestly, I'm not snows biggest fan. It's cold, wet, painful, and takes forever to go away. The only upside to snow is how pretty it is while it's falling and the sight of it once everything is covered and no one has ruined the effect yet is extraordinary. I haven't seen snow since February of this year, so it might be a good change.

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather."

-John Ruskin

love, k.

Inspiration

I've recently stumbled upon the most gorgeous blog in the history of every blog ever.

Well, that's what it is to me at least.

This family is always doing something. I envy their way of life. The roadtrips, the photography, the beaches, the thrift shopping, the music... all of it is what I aim for in my future. I really hope that I can be half the mom Jessica Kraus is, and I hope my kids are as smart and adorable as hers too. 

She posts recipes, new finds, good music, her own amazing pictures, and her life how it is. Her style is something I could forever go on about.

Another thing I love about her blog is that it's real. She posts the good and the bad. When I'm reading her words I feel like she's actually having a conversation with me. Hopefully my writing will end up being as evoking as hers is in the next few years.

She also has an etsy shop and sells the coolest teepees. If she still sells them next year I'm definitely buying one. 

She also has a fantastic Instagram account -----> @houseinhabit

Today -Smashing Pumpkins

love, k.