What we girls go through.

Today I had to get the brows waxed. It was needed. Now, please don't get mad at me when I say this.... Promise?? I only get my brows waxed, about every three months AND I don't pluck in-between. The genes of my childhood still run through my eyebrows and they are blonde and thus do not require much maintenance.
But today I couldn't handle them anymore.... they needed some work. So I went to Bello Nails because they are great!
And here is the diary of a brow wax.

I walk in and they are super sweet and say things like "Oh come sit" & "You need nails too?" and then escort me to a pedicure chair.
Then they look at my eyebrows and give a questioning look, like they don't think they need to be wax.
I say "I know, look close, they are blonde, they need this"
She laughs and say "Ahh, I see"
I close my eyes and right on que she says "You need lip waxed?"
***At this moment everyone women in America thinks "Crap, is she trying to tell me something". Even when you go in having checked out your upper lip, you still question it.
I say "No, but thanks."
Then she rips the first strip off and my eyes start watering.
She says, "Ah, I so sorry" and I say, "Happen every time"
Then she says "ohhh, lots of hair" Like I was lying that I didn't need this done.
AND THEN.... I am not kidding... when she finishes she looks at me and says...
"These brows will get you kissed at midnight"
HAHAHHA.....I had no idea that was all I needed.

Since I am on the topic of beauty. Look what only a Beautician could give her daughters for Christmas...

Route 44 used to dramatize how freak'n big these these things are.

AK

Sonic

How many Sonic drinks does it take for the Kelly's to make it through the holidays? 

AK

What did I do on my first day off.... 


8:15 Alarm goes off and I am mad because its my morning to sleep.
8:30 Realize I set my alarm so I could get to the mall by 9:00 because I don't like shopping with people. (yes I might be the Grinch)
8:42 Call sister #2. She doesn't answer.
8:50 After brushing my teeth and looking at my hair :), I hopped in the car. 
8:51 Call Mom- tell her to have Nathan to call me.
8:58 Already yell at a stupid driver who cut me off.... Umm hello big blue car you can't miss me.
9:05 Sephora to pick up ***** (Can't say, cause my friends & family read my blog. Didn't buy... I needed to see all my options.
9:06 Sister #2 calls. Tell her also to have Nathan call me. 
9:10 Call sister #1.
9:15 Bath and Body to get *****.
9:16 Take a moment and enjoy the quietness of the Mall.
9:17 Go to Forever 21.... I just couldn't say no!!! I had to go but I didn't buy anything. I know, I was shocked too! 
9:22 Attacked my a very peppy mall vendor man. I don't care if you like my earrings, I am not buying anything from you, you creepy, creepy man.
9:24 Contemplate reporting overly happy mall vendor man. 
9:25 Decided I am over shopping and head to Sephora.
9:30 Back at Sephora to get ******.
9:32 Realized I miss 2 calls from Nathan.
9:35 Done with the mall..... Boo ya to all you people who slept in.... oh wait, you did get to sleep in. Ok, its a win-win situation.

AK

My 20's are coming to an end.

I turned 29 this week. Its true. I am one year away from my 30's and that means 11 years away from being 40, aka my 40th Birthday Prom. I have been planning it since I was in the college.


Ok, truth. I do not love my birthday. I carry with me a little birthday baggage. Most dealing with guilt because people feel the need to buy me something and the scars of some really bad birthdays. The worst being in 7th grade when I invited my girlfriends to come to a party, which included us going to the movies, and they each said they couldn't come. Then that I night I saw them at the movies. I actually had to walk by them when I walked out of the main doors. It was horrible. The close second would be my best friend moving away on my 16th birthday.


I say this not so that you feel sorry for me but so that you understand what I learned this year. Yes, I had some bad b.days in my teens but I have been holding it against the birthdays of my 20's. Because the truth is, my birthdays the past few years have been really great.
--I got to see the third Lord of the Rings on my 22nd birthday at a midnight showing.
--I spent my 25th in London.... granted I was sick with an African parasite but I wont hold it against London
--My best friends took me ice skating and I love ice skating.
--My brother threw me my first surprise party at age 28.


So this year, I decided, with the help of some close friends, that I would embrace my birthday. I would not cringe every time someone said happy birthday, or try to act like they weren't talking to me.  I graciously say thank you and smile. I even put my birthday on facebook. And it wasn't bad and I survived. I mean you can't hate a day where you are given flowers, you have coffee with your Dad at Panera, spend time with some of your best friends, and your niece sings Happy Birthday to you via FaceTime.


But my friends, one of my favorite things about my birthday, is not only having the blessing of having a best friend who knows you oh so well, but this.....

A Harry Potter Glitter Wand. 

LJP, I love it and that little red rhinestone you added! Cause you know I love red & rhinestones.

AK-29

He made me an Aunt.

 I will forever remember this snapshot...

 In those few seconds he was 2 again and he loved my hugs...

And he loved my kisses...

Now he wipes them off or doesn't stop long enough for hugs.

But don't worry I am strong and can wrestle him to the ground...

I can't wait to do it in front of his friends. 

AK

Lets give it up for Thanksgiving.

Lets give a big ol' thanks for this....

At this point you are probably wondering why you even bother reading my blog. Yes, I did just post a picture of a tree and for very good reason. Everything under the sun is inspired by something. Every design, every color, and every article of clothing.

Thank you Mr. Tree for giving someone the inspiration to design this...

and thanks to Target for letting me find it on a sale rack for $7.

Happy Thanksgiving!

AK

Can I say no????

I found this and have no idea what I was even searching for....
but I am in love.

I have looked at this everyday for the past week.... I think it has turned into an obsession. 

My perfect day in this jacket would be:

I would first wear a pair of holy jeans with a simple white tee. Shoes would either be heels or a pair of flat tenni's. I would go to Panera and order a medium coffee in an actual mug. I would drink it black and read Jane Austen. Then I would head to Quail Mall, not to shop, but to watch a movie. I would look awesome going to a movie by myself in that jacket. 

Readers, please tell me reasons why I can justify buying this jacket????

AK

Reasons my new phone should judge me.

Reason #1- I dropped a phone in water.

Reason #2- I shattered a phone by dropping it on a tiled kitchen floor.

Reason #3- I washed a phone during an ice storm.... do you know hard it is to replace a phone in an ice storm?

Reason #4- I used a phone so much that the screen started going blank after only one year.

Reason #5- I flushed a phone down the toilet.

No one in their right mind should let me have this. 

But they did.

Heaven help me. 

AK

You know the world is right when...

One of your favorite freshmen is in a Whoopi-cushion costume,
Your nephew has expandable batman wings,
And your 5 year old niece is wearing fake eyelashes and says "Twick or Tweat"

God bless kids who can't say their "r's"


AK

Watch and Smile!

AK

All good things must end....

I woke up this morning to complete silence.


There were no little feet walking up creaky stairs,
Or little hands closing cabinet doors, over and over,
Or hearing "Good morning Aunt Mimi" really loud, while some crazy PBS show is playing in the background.


Sometimes silence is good... sometimes its even needed. But this morning it just made me sad.


I had the most wonderful 5 days in Jacksonville, North Carolina. So much, that I didn't want to leave.

Reasons I love me some Jacksonville! 

Blue eyes

Shopping and Liam posing for pictures

Little footprints in the sand

The ocean

Sisters in matching scarfs

Sweet Tea... and I mean real sweet tea.

Front Porches

Coffee and talking 

And I love Jacksonville because it gave the three of us a reason to be together!

AK

"So are you leaving tomorrow"

This is the sweet sweet thing my nephew asked me after only being here for a few hours..... Awesome. 

He loves me, I promise.

Wake up at 3:45 and head to OKC airport.

Arriving at my sisters, Liam took to me to my bed where he had drawn me a picture.

Tara is the best hostess ever and left KC and I welcome signs on sea shells and Victoria Secret lotion. 

Oh and she has a fan by my bed... she knows me so well. 

And I rode on 3 planes all for this!

Eliana Marie

& Liam Everett

& of course my sweet sister Tara! 

The best part of the day, beside my nephew asking me to leave 4 days early, was when he got his fake hamster stuck in KC's hair. And then kept saying "Aunt Kasey just give it back".... We did have to cut some hair. 

Welcome to NC! 

AK

All my bags are packed....

And holy hannah, am I ready to go!!!

My alarm will be going off at 3:45 am and I will be getting up to head to North Carolina.

To see this....

And kiss on this...

Oh and 5 days of sister bliss!

AK

Garage Sales....

I really do love a good Garage sale.
It gives you the rush of a bargain and sometime it only cost you 25 cents.


Here are some recent finds:


Shawnee T-shirt..... It has glitter lettering and I love it.

25 cents


Pumpkin... I added the Christmas lights.

$2


Cowboy Belt... Only on certain days will I wear the B-Buckle. You know what days I am talking about.

$1


Books... Its the first items I look for at any garage sale.

25 cents


Go forth and find a good deal! 

AK

The gasp heard around Hobby Lobby....

Yes, it could have been from people finding out that I forgot to call my sister on her birthday. AND yes it is  the sister who lives 22 hours away from any family. I feel horrible and I did start to call but got side tracked with a student... Crap, that makes it sound worse. TARA I LOVE YOU!!!!

No, the real gasp was from when I discovered that they put out the Christmas wrapping paper.
I seriously made the loudest sound, that had women's heads turning. The gasp that I let out could have been that of a mother watching her child run out in front of a car, or maybe watching someone knock over your grandmother's antique punch bowl, or hearing that Justin Timberlake is madly in love with you. These are all acceptable reason's to make a huge scene in HL...... But mine was because of a 75 feet roll of paper.
I immediately called my sister and let her know the good news. She was equally as thrilled.

Tara I would have called you too but you don't have a Hobby Lobby and that would just be rude to rub it in your face, especially since I won the worst sister award yesterday.

The only thing better to them putting out the Christmas wrapping paper, is when they put it 50% off!!!

AK

I love Ziplock baggies.

Its true. I absolutely love them.

I buy a box of every size before I go to camp. I will go to the store immediately to buy more if I run out. And if I am traveling anywhere I have a handful of empty ones, just in case.

And when I am preparing to spend 37+ hours in Hardeman auditorium this week, I use them to store pre-made snacks. Or to store grilled chicken, that I can put on a salad.

Take a look at this fridge.

This says I have 10 minutes to run home change clothes and grab a sack of carrots, sack of grapes & orange, breakfast drink, water, salad w/ pre grilled chicken and low in sugar salad dressing, orange juice, or a glass of Earl Grey tea. 

What lead me to this crazy organization.... Fear. Straight up fear that I would have zero time to eat. 

And I love to eat! 

AK

Before/After

Before:

After:

After searching for the perfect turquoise spray paint.... I gave up. 

I then bought a small bottle of craft paint and found perfection in $1.19.

AK

Guess what happened when I stayed inside ALL weekend.....

I rediscovered my love for Joshua Jackson.

I loved him in Mighty Ducks, especially the third one, when he cried. You know that part where Emilio Estevez says "I told him you were the heart of the team" LOVE THAT.

And I LOVE him in Dawson's Creek. Now I never got to watch DC because like every good CofC girl, I was at church on Wednesday night at 7:00..... (that also meant I didn't watch 90210).

But there was one glorious semester at Harding, where my roommate and I would go to early worship at 5:30 pm on Wednesday and then run to the student center to grab dinner and then run back to our dorms, so that we could enjoy what we had been deprived of for so many years, Dawson's Creek.

Now I did end up transferring to OC :) and thus my semester of deviant behavior was over. But lucky for me by the time I was a senior, TBS was showing the re-runs and thanks to a my trusty VHS timed recorder, I finally found out if Joey and Pacey were at long last together.

And now due to the SICKNESS THAT WILL NOT GO AWAY.... I have watched seasons 1, 2, & working on 3. I know its disturbing that anyone would spend that much time watching anything.
BUT, If I am going to be sick, at least I am sick with Joshua Jackson.

AK


*PS. In season 3, episode 15, Pacey wears a jacket from American Eagle and I totally bought that jacket my senior year in high school. We are soul mates.

My Friday night is spent with....

200 freshmen, and a cold.

Just in case you didn't know what 200 freshmen look liked on Hardeman stage.

Since I am sick, I had yesterday off and started the first season of Dawson's Creek. 

Joey and Dawson just hooked up.... I will keep you updated on the 1998 drama.

AK

This is how I welcome Fall....

Another reason why I love Hobby Lobby...
Pumpkins that are fashion forward.


AK

Just a little Christmas Party in a one horse town....

Here are the 9 women that I fell in love with last week.

Thank you for your selfless attitudes, your servant hearts, and your ability to make all those around you have an enjoyable time.... even when you were tired, tired, and even more tired. :)

Sorry Hannah we missed you! 

AK

Its my Christmas Time!

I love a little thing called EYW. (read here to fully understand)

And truth be told, I probably love it a little too much. 

I am surround by sweet friends who are now showering me with Christmas gifts..... I am a little embarrassed cause I have made up my own holiday and now people are giving me gifts..... 

This was not my intention but never the less, I am humbled by their generosity. 

Laura wrapped my gift in cute paper.... and gave me Emma. 

Which I will be watching as soon as this week is over. 

Lindsay gave me my favorite candle..... And I mean my favorite candle!!!!

And my sweet, sweet director from last year, Miss Stevie White, left a note on my door.

It was full of pictures from previous years at EYW.

This pic is my fav.... but I love them all. 

Any of course she references N'Sync.

Merry Christmas! 

AK