nashville

 

Goodness, I love the Nashville skyline. I took this photo with my phone while stuck in traffic a few weeks ago. Something about that skyline just makes me feel happy. Like I belong. Cheesy, I know, but it's the truth. Nashville is such a strong city. I was reminded of this when some friends and I visited the grand re-opening of Opry Mills Mall on Thursday. It was destroyed in the flood two years ago and just now re-opened. The persistence and hard-work that Nashvillians show is inspiring. Looking at the city now, you wouldn't believe that two years ago it was underwater.

Well, I've got to get to work on a paper. Eight pages before Monday. I have a grand total of...one.

xo,

Katy

in which you became unfamiliar

Have you ever looked at a word, or said it over and over until the word became so unfamiliar, so foreign, that it made you cringe? That you had to concentrate to even grasp the meaning of the once common word? As a child, I did this often. Fork. Road. Sonic. I would sit and stare at a word, saying it over and over in my head.

I did that with your name. I saw it in print somewhere. A common name. One I've heard many times in reference to you. One I've spoken in love. One I've used as a curse. I stared at it until my eyes began to burn. I let it bounce around the cavity of my mind reserved for once fond memories. Its path soon ceased and settled in unfamiliar territory. What was once a name I held so closely to my heart--one that was on my lips so constantly--was utterly unfamiliar. I did not recognize it. And in not recognizing your name, I did not recognize you.

For those few moments, I found peace. A place beyond where memories of you lie. You were gone, and I was happy.

dark blue (i'll play it for you)

I know I've only mentioned it like 50 times, but I love playing piano. So, that's nothing new. Often, when I'm avoiding playing the songs I'm supposed to be learning (you really can only play The Girl with the Flaxen Hair so many times before it gets old...), I play fun songs. It's usually Mumford and Sons, but the other day I decided to branch out and do some Jack's Mannequin. I've been ridiculously, all-out, fangirl obsessed with them lately. Fine. I'll say it. Andrew McMahon is dreamy and he can play the piano. Swoon. I only have like...five pictures of him pinned on pinterest. That's not a ton...right!?

Source: google.com via Katy on Pinterest

I digress. The song Dark Blue is really what got me into Jack's Mannequin, so I decided to try to play it. It's only the introduction and the first verse. Someday I'll get around to learning the chorus and finish out the song.




xo, Katy

authentic blogging

I had someone say to me last week "Your tweets sound nothing like you. Your blog doesn't either. You sound so...professional. Like you think before you write."  I think it might have been a compliment, but it got me thinking...

...my blog doesn't really reflect me. If you know me in real life, you know I'm a bit of a spaz. I'm dramatic. I'm sometimes funny and always awkward. I have a weird sense of humor. My life is random, and crazy things happen to me. One moment I might be sitting deep in thought, the next dancing for no reason.

At the same time, I struggle with things like being an introvert, or thinking I'm just too weird. I cry a lot about my mom. I'm often sick. Some days these things weigh me down more than I care to admit to even myself.

So here's to honest blogging. I'm done with the profession facade, because frankly, it's not me. I'm making major changes in my life, so why shouldn't my blog reflect that? Welcome to authenticity.


xo, Katy

acrostic, a cross stick

Instead of going to bed or doing some last-minute studying, I wrote an acrostic about no one specific. The things stress does to me! At least this is somewhat constructive. I could be pigging out on Ramen or something. This has fewer calories. 

A time forgotten long ago--

(Because of a faulty memory or choice? I do not know.)

Condescending voices rang out that night

Deafening words to inspire fright.

Everything stopped (my heart mid-beat)

Frankly, my knees were sickly weak.

Gone was the trust I had in you,

Hate, that sickly colored hue.

I'm sorry you're finding out this way,

Join me, on this mourning day.

"Katherine," your voice pleaded with me.

Lies, really, were all you could speak.

Mostly I'm over it, though sadness is there.

No, it hasn't been more than I can bear. 

Only you, forever, and always, for me.

Parting words shortened that eternity. 

Quiet, quiet, do not wake my heart.

Rest, let it rest! Don't let it restart. 

Stained, those memories are gone.

Time has not cleaned them, time has moved on.

Under my bed your pictures still sits.

Violently, dust gathers, in that dark pit. 

Waiting on you in the band room alone

Xylophone sounds, my company my phone.

You did not get the best of me after those years

Zoloft no longer needed, happiness appears.

 

xo,

Katy

discourse on worship

Katy from Donelson Fellowship on Vimeo.

My church here in Nashville is having a Night of Worship for the young adult age group very soon. I'm super excited about it, and I think this video explains a little better just why :)

Please be in prayer for the preparations that are being made for this night. Pray we open up our hearts to doing big, uncomfortable things for God. Worship isn't about being comfortable or feeling at peace--it's about praising an almighty, perfect God.

xo,
Katy

cacophony

Time has slipped away from me

A fading quilt in the sun, you see,

I don't really mourn the day when

I walked away to a silent din.

Your words not forthcoming,

My heart not worth breaking.

I don't regret a thing.

Your eyes still search for me

On the streets filled by a cacophony 

Of lovers crying out to be redeemed. 

There will be no reconciliation.

Not with your notions, your eyes blinded

By what you thought love could be.

why I'll still wear duke blue

 

 If you know me in real life, you know I'm crazy obsessed with college basketball. Not just college basketball, Duke basketball. From December to April, the only color I care to see is that classic shade of Duke blue. Many people assume I'm a bandwagon fan because I'm from Missouri.

 False. 

My sweet Mama was from North Carolina. She raised my brother, sister, and I to love the correct shade of blue. I was born the year we earned our back-to-back NCAA titles. Though I don't remember the classic team of Laettner, Hill, and Hurley, I've watched "The Shot" over and over again on youtube. I loved Redick. Schyer, Singler, and Paulus. I think the Plumlee brothers are great. Going to see a Duke game at Cameron is at the very top of my bucket list. I was raised to despise UNC and tolerate NC State. When we won the National Title in 2010, I ran screaming through the house. Sorry, neighbors! 

Bandwagon fan? No. Duke Blue runs in my veins. 

Let's face it: Duke did not play their best tonight. Kelly was out, the defense was struggling. I feel like they hardly hit anything beyond the arc. But frankly, even though they lost, I'm still proud to call myself a Duke fan. Coach K was absolutely gracious about it, conceding that Lehigh truly deserved to win tonight. I'm glad to cheer for such a classy team.

You better believe I'll be wearing a Duke shirt proudly tomorrow!

xo,

Katy

play me a melody, get me out of this rut

For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to take pictures at a piano. I've played for fifteen years, and it's a huge part of my life, sometimes to my chagrin. Note to self: do not change your major to music. Ever. No matter how much you love to play the piano, you will never love practicing piano for five hours a week.

Anyway, I was super excited when I got ready this morning and saw the way the light was shining on to the piano in my sister's living room. My tripod was close by, and I just couldn't resist snapping these photos. That's one thing off my bucket list!

I've been in a huge photography rut lately. I know it happens to the best, but it's incredibly disheartening. I feel like my style isn't...me. To keep myself from completely losing my passion, I've been forcing myself to take photos. I tried to just...feel...and not think today when taking photos. So I just snapped away; looked for small details that might otherwise go unnoticed. I'm not sure I succeeded, but I had a lovely day with my sister, regardless. Has anyone else gone through an artistic rut?

 xo, Katy

new glasses | warby parker

If you own a pair of TOMS, I'm sure you're familiar with the "one-for-one" business/charity model. Buy a _______, Give a _______. I think it's great. You get an awesome product and get the chance to give back to those who are impoverished. Warby Parker does this with glasses. They're reasonable priced, and for every pair you buy, they give a pair to a child who would not otherwise be able to have glasses. Their customer service is great, and their glasses are cute. What more do you need? They have sunglasses, as well as prescription glasses. I'm thankful I finally have a pair of glasses with the right prescription.  

 I also dyed my hair red a few days ago. I've finally decided that I like it.  

ox,
Katy

This post is not sponsored by Warby Parker.

even on a cloudy day

 

This spring break, I decided to be an adult. Well, at least pretend to be an adult. Instead of going to Missouri to visit, I stayed in Nashville to work. I am so tired. I've clocked a total of 11.5 hours since Monday. It's not a lot, but it's more than I normally work in a week. I do love my internship. It's sometimes stressful (because I'm a perfectionist) but it's a lot of fun!

Part of me wishes I had grandiose plans with my friends. I'd love to take a road trip, coffee in hand, windows down, music blaring, laughing with my friends. But most of them went home, and the ones who are here--like me--have to work. However, I made fun plans of my own. I dyed my hair red. I got new glasses. I went shopping with my sister. I cuddled with my kitty, Scourge.

I'm hoping to come back from this break, recharged and ready to take on the last half of this semester. I can't believe I'm nearly a junior in college. I feel old.

xo,

Katy

Listen to->  Shake Me Down- Cage the Elephant

 

new hope

New...Minnetonka moccasins. I got a super great deal on them at Marshall's.

New...blog layout! Like it? I'm still making some tweaks on it, but for the most part, I'm satisfied with the way it looks. 

New...McKay Used Books. They moved further away from my college (sad face) but they have a much bigger facility. I'm going with a friend today. I'm hoping to find some CDs I've been wanting for a while.

New...obsession with Jack's Mannequin. I've liked them for a long time, but lately it's developed into an obsession.

New...Link at the top for my store. You should check it out.

New...perspective on peace. My roommate and I were talking last week. She read Isaiah 26:3-4 "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." We both realized...the amount of God's peace you feel is dependent upon the amount that you are trusting him. The more you trust, the more at peace you are. I don't know why I hadn't ever realized that before, but it's given me a whole new perspective on life.

What's new in your life?

xo,
Katy

hello, hello

Hello, late nights watching Scrubs and Doctor Who. Hello, multiple trips to Sonic. Hello, Star Wars Episodes IV-VI. Hello, work. Hello, couch. Hello, plenty of sleep. Hello, lots of coffee and sweet tea and shopping. Hello, books. Hello, Wizard of Oz script. Hello Spring Break. 


xo,
Katy

we're still here

Honestly, at one point today, I thought I was going to die.

I'd been keeping an eye on the weather all morning. There was a high risk of severe weather, and our NOR:RAD rating (the probability of a tornado at any moment within a 50 mile radius) was 9 out of 10. Most of the schools in the surrounding area dismissed at noon, anticipating severe weather. It was not a question of "if" a storm was coming, but "when."

I hurried to work after lunch, and kept the radar up on my computer while I proofread. My boss came through insisting that we leave by at least 4. Seeing that we were going to be under a tornado warning a lot sooner, I left as soon as I could. Of course, I got stuck in traffic. (It's Nashville. There's always traffic. Always.) I glanced at my twitter feed and saw that the funnel cloud was supposed to be near my college by 3:55. It was 3:35 and I was still in traffic. The sky to the west was an ugly shade of blue, tinged with yellow.

Traffic finally started moving and I made my way to I-440. Westbound traffic was moving, though at a reduced pace. Eastbound traffic was at a standstill. My dad had left my school not long before, and I wasn't sure if he was stuck in the parking lot on 440. I called him, repeatedly. No answer.

It was in those moments that I seriously began to consider my life. I wasn't back at school, I couldn't get a hold of my dad, the sky was angry. The strangest sense of peace came over me. Normally, I would have been panicked. But I wasn't. I knew that even if I was stuck on the highway, in the middle of a tornado, somehow things would be okay. Even if I died. That may seem fatalistic and slightly melodramatic, but I felt peace.

Long story short, I made it back to school and to the safety of our cafeteria in the basement of my dorm. The funnel cloud dissipated before reaching us. (And strangely, reformed after leaving the metro area.) All we got was some crazy hail, wind, and rain.

I'm so thankful that God placed his hand of protection over Nashville today, and I'm praying for those that didn't make it through the storm. Spring weather can be dangerous in the South and Midwest, and I pray that we don't see any more outbreaks like this.

Here's a video my dad took of the hail. Crazy, isn't it? It looks like snow on the ground!

Like I said, please pray for those in Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and the other states that have been impacted by severe weather lately. There have been fatalities.

xo,
Katy

leap-day ramblings

1. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. -John 1:4-5 I've been reading the book of John for my New Testament: Gospels and Acts class. It's always been my favorite Gospel, probably because of its theological nature. It doesn't just tell about the life of Jesus, it answers the question why. Why did He come? Why did He do the things He did? John seeks to answer these questions. As the disciple closest to Jesus--as well as writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit--I think John was equipped to answer those questions. I've read that verse many times, but it jumped out at me. Lately, darkness has permeated my life. There hasn't been much light to speak of. Depression has covered me, and I've been on the verge of despondence. After I read those verses, I realized I really don't possess a light of my own. I am just a vessel, my light is Christ's. Because I am His, the darkness cannot overcome me. It might feel suffocating. I might feel as though there is no way out, but it cannot beat me, because it cannot beat Christ. He has obliterated darkness. There is no shadow.

2. One of the things that has been fueling my depression is my health. I've been quite sick for a month now. The best they can figure, it's just a severe sinus infection. I'm on my third round of antibiotics. They finally ran some blood tests yesterday, so I'm waiting on the results from that. I've just been exhausted. Not the I-just-need-a-good-night's-rest kind of exhaustion, but the I just want to go to sleep and not wake up because living is too hard like this kind. We have mid-terms this week, but then we're on Spring Break, so I can sleep all I want to. Thank goodness.

3. I had a long talk tonight with two friends who have both lost a parent to illness. It was interesting to compare our experiences, and see how each of us is in a different stage of the grieving process. I've been missing my mom a lot lately, so it was good to just talk it out. I thank God for giving me that conversation.

4. A couple other bits of encouragement that God has sent my way...someone told my dad the other day that I have an indomitable spirit. I was having a bit of a breakdown that day, and it was exactly what I needed to hear. I just felt the need to mark that down, because it's likely I'll forget that word and compliment.

5. I'm also very sad to hear about Davy Jones' death. I've always been a huge fan of The Monkees. My mom and I used to sing their songs together. If you get the chance, listen to "Last Train to Clarksville." It's by far my favorite song. 

6. Pray for the residents of southwest Missouri (where I'm originally from) especially those that live in Branson and Lebanon (I used to live there...) They were hit pretty hard by tornadoes last night. There have been casualties and the damage is pretty bad.

xo,
Katy