I Moved!

I switched over to weebly.

http://themindofkristin.weebly.com

Band Camp

Today is the start of band camp for the high school I went to. I'm going back and helping out the Color Guard as much as I can!

This is a group shot of all of us at band camp last year!

This is a group shot of all the Seniors with our band director!

And these are my Color Guard girls! 

Can't wait for fall!

Although Summer is awesome, just give me fall and I'll be happy girl! I can't wait for hot chocolate and sweaters and jeans and scarves and boots and cold air and bright leaves and late nights.
Apple cider, pumpkin patch, cornstalks and falling leaves. 
Back to school, football games, Halloween, Autumn Breeze.

My favorite thing about Josh: August 7, 2013

His hugs. They are too perfect to describe. I just love them so much.

My favorite thing about Josh: August 6, 2013

His height. He's about 6' 2". I'm 5' 4". That means that it's the perfect height for him to rest his chin on my head and for me to be right against his chest. <3

Rainy Daze

Filled with eating, television, baking, and packing for the beach. 

True Love

My Nana and Grandpa just told me how they met. They were so crazy and in love. AND they married after one year, had five kids and still together 54 years later. 

Beach bound!

Making my way to the beach today! I'm meeting up with Josh's family. I can't wait! It's my final little vacation before college starts.

My favorite thing about Josh: August 5, 2013

His personality. He's funny, so sweet, and loving. He never fails to brighten my day. He always knows the right things to do and say and its perfect. I love him for that.

SHARK

SHARK WEEK! NOW.

My favorite thing about Josh: August 4, 2013

His laugh. It's impossible not to laugh along with him when he laughs. It's amazing.

Beautiful day

The weather outside is gorgeous! Sunny, yet breezy with zero humidity! Absolutely a perfect day.

Breakfast

My Nana and Grandpa brought us Panera bagels for breakfast! Scrumptious.

Shark Week

It's that time if year again AND I'll be at the beach soon and I hate sharks, but I like the show so it's kind of a dilemma. Yikes.

Josh's gift

Yesterday, Josh gave me a bag full of these wonderful items:

Jolly Rancher candy because I make him so jolly!

He knows my favorite Disney princess is Ariel, so he scoped out the Internet for this priceless collection of DVDs! I absolutely LOVE them.

He got me a Little Mermaid book also. Hehe he's so cute.

Last but not least, another set of cards! This time it's "52 Beautiful things about Kristin." Love love LOVE. 

I'm so lucky! I'm considering this gift a "going away" gift because he went to the beach today! (But I'll see him on Wednesday!) I love him!

Today at the grad party, someone asked me if I was engaged... Because of my ring (got it for my birthday) and because I seem/look older than I really am. HAHA god not for a couple of years! 

Graduation party

I went to my friend Marissa's graduation party today for a couple of hours! They had lots of food and yummy cupcakes! It was more of a going away party because all of them are about ready to move into college within the next two weeks!

Marching Band

Marching Band was a big part of my life all through high school. It took up a big chunk of time all four years. Although it was demanding and annoying at times, I will never forget the friendships and memories I made along the way.

This is one of my best friends, Molly. This was from our 2011 show; one of my favorite shows I ever performed in, titled "Four Freedoms."

This is a picture of both of the Color Guard captains holding our trophy! (I'm on the left, and Leah is on the right.) Our show was called, "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" (Dr. Seuss inspired).

These are group pictures:

This is the whole band after winning almost every trophy! It was so awesome to win those!

My favorite thing about Josh: August 3, 2013

His smile. Sometime in December he decided he wanted to get braces to fix his teeth. He's been using Invisalign! His teeth are looking better every time I see him and his smile makes my heart melt.

Since my brother is down and out from his surgery, it's up to me, my mom and my dad to work around the house. This means vacuum the pool, cut the grass, put together fans, etc. It's just so hot outside too! Sweating up a storm. 

Lazy

Laying out here is so peaceful. The sound of the water and the heat of the sun remind me of vacation.

Wisdom Teeth

My poor brother got his wisdom teeth pulled out this morning! He's currently passed out on the couch.

Vacation

Josh's family is leaving for their beach house tomorrow for two weeks...and I was invited hehe SCORE! I can't go right away and I definitely can't be there for two weeks! But I'm excited to go! Who doesn't love the beach?!

My favorite thing about Josh: August 2, 2013

The way he smells. He smells so damn good. When I give him a hug, my face is at the perfect height of his chest. It's heaven.

Throwback Thursday, again.

My boyfriend gave this to me a couple of months ago. So sweet! 

"52 Reasons I Love You" 

I love this.

Nanoblocks

I got this for Easter and I'm finally getting around to completing it.

Although it says level 2 for hardness, it was rather difficult! 

The process was painful. But it's a good thing Josh helped me.

Finished product!!! Now to try not to break it...

DIY: Mason Jar Bank

I went to A.C. Moore and bought two mason jars!

I'm going to paint them and turn them into piggy banks! 

I think it's about time to get rid of the penguin bank I've had for years!

Currently waiting for these to dry!

These jars make the perfect coin holders!

Cleaning

The amount of sweatshirts I have in my closet is ridiculous! I have two drawers full of them also.

Bipolar weather

The weather in Virginia is bipolar. This morning and until 5 minutes ago it was pouring. Now the sun is out. The struggle is so real right now.

Throwback Thursday

Baccalaureate! So many talented acts and heartwarming speeches. I will miss high school.

Hot Chocolate

What's better than making hot chocolate on a rainy day? Well...cuddling is actually better but my boyfriend is at home. This chocolicious drink will have to suffice! 

My favorite thing about Josh: August 1, 2013

His hair. He's been sporting the same haircut since middle school! He got it a lot shorter this morning and he looks so handsome :) I'm glad he decided to change it a little bit! I love it and my mom loves it too (she's a hairdresser and the first thing she notices is hair!) :) I'm so proud of my joshy baby for getting it done!

Breakfast

This morning after Josh got a haircut, he brought me Chickfila! 

So delicious! Only about the 5th time I've  had this for breakfast. Nom.

College

As if the application process isn't stressful enough. I applied and got into my dream school, Christopher Newport University.  I couldn't wait to finally be a Captain! I did the typical girly thing to do and went on Pinterest to look up potential dorm room decor. I researched every corner of CNU's website to find out  things about sororities and clubs and everything else I wanted to know. Well, it turns out that after countless hours of research, they didn't offer anything to help me to reach my end career. I want to be a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (DMS.) As I discussed this with my parents, I came to the realization that I would have to go to a community college, and then ANOTHER community college after that for the DMS program. That idea wasn't bad at all until I realized that I would never be able to dorm, I will never be a part of a sorority, I will never get that on-campus, full on college experience, and that brought me to tears. I've been waiting for this moment my whole life and I can't even make it happen. I chose what I wanted to be with the help of a research paper I did in English class, and I guess that's my destiny. I hope that it's all worth it in the end. Every time I go on Twitter, people are posting how many days until they move in, or how they just bought all they're dorm stuff. It makes me so sad, but I think I'm doing the right thing. I'm saving my parents lots of money and I won't be wasting away four year of my life because the school didn't offer what I needed. 

Dierks Bentley

Tonight I went to a Dierks Bentley concert at the Innsbrook Pavilion with Josh's family!

It was drizzling the whole time but by the time we were leaving, it was raining hard! 

This is an after shot of Josh and I in the car! 

 

Most of the time guys are unorganized and that's the problem. Guys forget to tell you things. I NEED TO KNOW INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT I'M DOING OKAY?!

Fun Fact

I only like certain cold foods. I get that from my dad. My mom, on the other hand, doesn't like any cold food except chicken. I like cold pizza, steak, chicken, etc. So delicious! 

Paint your own birdhouse

This craft is super easy and fun!

Buy a birdhouse and paint from your local craft store.

This one is almost done! It still needs one more layer of paint!

TA-DA! Finished project! Super easy (a slight mess! Nothing a protective towel and paper towels/soap can't fix!) Perfect time-consuming project...and what's better than having your work hang in your backyard?

Yankee Candle

I've been into these candles recently just because they smell so heavenly. 

This is the best scent ever. Perfect for summer!

Night In

As I stated in "25 Things to do when you're dating," #25 was a "night in." Josh and I are having a night in after Carytown! We rented a Redbox movie (A Good Day to Die Hard) and also got a slurpee! 

Carytown continued...

After dinner we walked around to all the cute shops!

Carytown

Carytown tonight with the boyfriend! Another nice night out tonight! This weather has been incredible. I'm excited to eat dinner at Burger Bach. 

25 Things to do when you're dating!

Here's a quick list I created that can be useful when you need date ideas and/or things to do together!

1) Ice skating/roller skating

    - This can be fun (as long as the two of you have decent balance!) It gives you an easy chance to grab each others hand! 

2) Beach

    - Find the closet beach area near you and make it a day trip! Leave early in the morning, grab breakfast, pack your own lunch and snacks, and then leave when it comes close to dinner time! It's the perfect way to spend the day together! You can even have a tanning contest between the two of you! 

3) Drive-in movie theater

    - Going to the movies is already a fun date that every couple has done at least once. So why not switch it up a bit and go to a drive-in when the weather is fabulous?! 

4) Shooting Range

    - Check to see if there is a local gun range in your area! Get certified to shoot and BAM! Perfect date! Make sure you are 18 and older!

5) Park

    - Parks are one of the nicest places to just walk around and admire nature. (Holding hands is a must! Pssst! Boys! Girls love it when you take them to parks!) It tends to always be crowded with families on nice, sunny days. If you go around lunch time, make it a point to bring a blanket and a packed lunch and have a picnic!

6) Run

    - I'm sure people have heard about the Color Me Rad run! Go running together to train for it and then complete it together. Success!

7) Amusement Park

    - Get a season pass or get a day pass for an amusement park near you! Roller Coasters are always fun! (Holding hands again!) 

8) Haunted hayride

    - Halloween is a time for scaring! Hayrides and haunted houses are one of the more popular attractions around this time of the year! Go with a group of friends or go just the two of you! Either way, both of you can comfort each other (I hope!)

9) Watch sunrise

    - Wake up early and watch the sunrise! How romantic!

10) Make breakfast together

    - Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! This could be perfect after watching the sunrise!

11) Cook dinner together

    - How scrumptious! 

12) Watch fireworks

    - Perfect during the 4th of July! 

13) Wash cars

    - Is it a hot day and you need to cool off? Wash the car! Get each other all soapy and then spray off with the hose! 

14) Watergun fight

    - This goes hand in hand with washing cars! This is a good way to cool off.

15) Make cake pops

    - Ever heard of cake pops? They are so amazing! (Red velvet cake dipped in dark chocolate is the way to my heart.) This process is fun and delicious at the same time.

16) Visit garage sales

    - You never what you can find at these places! 

17) Matinee movie

    - Cheaper than a movie at night! Awesome for a rainy day and want to get out of the house!

18) Tie dye shirts 

    - Make cheesy girlfriend/boyfriend shirts! Don't worry...they don't necessarily need to be worn outside of the house!

19) Buy lotto tickets

    - 18 and older! The scratchy kind are always nice! The suspense and surprise are always worth it! Who knows? You may win big.

20) Apple picking 

    - Yum! This is a fun day activity during the fall! You can even make an apple pie!

21) Pumpkin picking 

    - Happy fall y'all! Pick out your favorite pumpkin and then proceed to paint/carve it! It's always a cute idea to make a pumpkin for one another and display it!

22) Bowling

    - Get a group of friends together and bowl! Find out if your local bowling alley has a black light/disco night! Those are always the best.

23) Bake cookies/desserts

    - Once the holidays start rolling in and the weather cools down, BAKE. I know I personally love baking different types of cookies. First of all, they're super yummy. Second of all, if you make them with your boyfriend/girlfriend, what's the harm of pulling the, "Oops! I got sugar all over your face..." This can go with #15.

24) Look at lights

    - I love looking at all the Christmas lights around my area! Check the Tacky Light Tour and see if there are places near you that are on the tour!  

25) Night in

    - There is no harm in staying in for the night! Rent a Redbox movie and make some popcorn! Cuddle time!

Special K Chocolatey Delight has got to be the best cereal around.

Woah! Memories!

Cleaning is one of my least favorite things to do but I have to say that organizing everything in my room is making me have flashbacks like no other! I hate to admit it, but I'm a pack rat! I keep everything if I think it even has some meaning to it. I always tell myself, "you'll go through these drawers again and remember this!" Pshh. Things end up piling up so much, I can't even close my drawers. It's bad. Anyways, I cleaned out my desk drawers and found photo albums of when I was a kid. Holy déjà vu! I'm currently in the process of putting them all into one big photo album! I just recently put together scrapbooks to hold all of my memories (e.g. Gymnastics ribbons, a poem I wrote from second grade, a note from my parents on my 14th birthday, etc.) My favorite thing about making scrapbooks is that I know somewhere down the road, I can look back on this completed project and be glad that I took the time to put it together. I have two more scrapbooks underway!

"I love you to the moon and back."

The Story of Joshua and I:

Josh and I were both part of our high school marching band. I did Colorguard and he did percussion. I've known this handsome fellah since the summer before freshman year. He and I talked here and there but nothing much came out of it. Junior year he asked me to homecoming over Formspring (...who remembers that?!) but didn't get the notification until after homecoming. I was so upset! (He ended up going to a football game instead!) Then summer came and we distanced a bit. Once senior year came rolling around, he asked me to homecoming via eggs... 

He told me he didn't want to miss out on asking me again! A week after he asked me out (finally!) I was the happiest girl ever! We went to homecoming and had a great time! 

Next stop: PROM! Aka...a high school girls favorite time of the year! 

He asked me with little puzzles he made!

Going to prom with someone that you're dating makes it even more fun! I had the time of my life! 

I still am having the time of my life 9 months and 10 days later. <3

Relationships

One thing I have learned from high school relationships is that most of the time they don't work out. People cheat, or pull the "I just don't have time for a girlfriend/boyfriend," and the list goes on and on. From past experiences, relationships did not go smoothly for me; only lasting a month or two. The truth is...I was just being a stupid, typical high school girl that wanted to call someone "boyfriend." In the end, both of us got hurt one way or another when we decided to break up. I finally came to the realization that I needed things to happen naturally as time went on. I was trying to force things too much. That's where things always veer in the wrong direction. I decided I was going to wait for the right guy to come along and let fate guide me the rest of the journey! Well...senior year was definitely my year! I met the right guy!

Who likes traffic?

Because I know I do not. (And I have to use the bathroom...) yikes. That's the problem with being a girl. Guys have it the easiest when it comes to using an "outdoor potty."