Children Singing...Enough Said

Have a case of the Mondays?  Well then watch this video of PS 22 singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" at the Oscars and your heart will melt instantly.  Guaranteed.  I didn't watch the Oscars, but I've done my research and it seems like this is the only part of the actual show that was worth watching.  As one of the people I follow on Twitter so cleverly put it:  "So it appears that the big Oscars' winners were the people who didn't watch the Oscars."  So watch this and get rid of that case of the Monday blues.

Crafty Kate?

Yall, I'm really working on being more creative and artsy and whatnot.  This means I've decided to be a top-notch crafter.  There's only one thing standing in my way of this goal and that is my lack of patience.  Oh, and the fact that I'm a complete perfectionist.  The two combined do not make for a good crafter.  If I don't get something perfectly the first time, I get incredibly frustrated.  However, I'm really working on the patience thing so I've decided that in the midst of my crazy busy life I'm going to start crafting.  Maybe it'll relieve my stress?  I don't know but that's how I'm justifying it right now.  Especially as I have two difficult midterms looming in the distance.  

Anyway, I started this crafting adventure on Friday afternoon.  One of my best friends had an a cappella concert that night and I've always meant to bring her flowers.  So I decided to make her paper flowers and surprise her after she sang.  I found instructions online for children.  Perfect.  How hard could it be?  Well, it took me an entire hour to make 3 flowers out of tissue paper.  Buckle up, Operation:  Turn Kate into a Crafty Goddess is going to be a long, bumpy ride.  

The finished product.

Of all else I'm letting go...

Wow.  I can't believe Passion was already over a mongth ago.  Watch this video and just get a glimpse of what Heaven is going to be like with all of God's people worshipping him together.  It's so powerful and the lyrics are incredible. It reminds me to run as fast as I can to God because He is the only One who can redeem me and love me as I desire.  Even though we're all so broken and sinful, God chooses to love us and wants a relationship with each of us.  No one is too broken or too far gone for God to redeem and love.  My sin is not too big for God.  This song just reminds me to let go of all my wants and unmet desires and sing Jesus' name.

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Obesessed

If there are two things I cannot resist, it's cupcakes and boys in bow ties.  Finally, the two have come together (well, sort of) in the form of the cutest cupcake toppers I've ever seen.  If there was ever something to make me want to take up crafting, it's these.  They're the definition of quirky, cute and fun, kind of like me right?

Get them here.

Carbs, Vitamin D and Folk Bands

Hello all!  First off I have to make a confession, I'm already addicted to blogging.  Seriously, it's a problem.  I keep wanting to post the most random thoughts, findings and lyrics on my blog just because I can, but don't worry I'll spare.  This post is going to be a random assortment of goodies so here it goes.

1)  Yesterday my beautiful sister made me realize that a lot of y'all may be wondering just what my blog title means.  First of all, it's in Italian.  No, I don't speak Italian (one can only dream), nor do I have Italian blood. However I have a small obsession with Italy.  If I'm ever lucky enough to study abroad I want to go to Italy.  I can't exactly explain why but I just have an innate desire to visit/live/stay forever.  Maybe it's the people or the rich history or the scenery.  Nah, who am I kidding? It's definitely the food.  Not only do I adore pasta (I kinda have a thing for carbs), but I hear the gelato is unreal.  So, anyway, back to the blog title.  "Speranza mi da vita" translates in English to "hope gives me life".   This phrase is meaningful to me because I place my hope in God's grace. The hope of eternal life and glory with Him is what gives me life.  My hope in Christ is a hope with which worldly desires and goods will never satisfy because they can't.  They'll always fall short and bring disappointment.

Manarola, Italy. Who wouldn't want to travel there?

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2)  Can we just talk about how absolutely BEAUTIFUL it is outside.  I've had not the best of days.  From dealing with waking up to repair men in my apartment to a debate in sociology (I'm not the biggest fan of public speaking) to an econ quiz this day could've easily been dreadful.  However, how can you not be joyful when it is 71 degrees in February?  I'm so blessed to be able lounge outside and just bask in the warmth while it lasts.  Seeing all the people napping, lunching and studying (but mostly napping) in the Ampitheater today just erased all my negative thoughts.  Funny how a little vitamin d does that to ya.

3) Several months ago my too cool for school sister introduced me to Mumford & Sons and ever since then I've fallen in love.  Their lyrics hypnotize my soul, they're just so raw and distinctive. Here are some lyrics from "Awake My Soul", one of my faves.

How fickle my heart and how woozy my eyes
I struggle to find any truth in your lies
And now my heart stumbles on things I don't know
This weakness I feel I must finally show

In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die
Where you invest your love, you invest your life

Give it a listen:

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First things first

Well, I'm not quite sure how to start this.  I'm a blogging novice and to say that I'm nervous is an understatement.  The fact that my words and thoughts are available to all of cyberspace makes me feel, well, naked.  I guess I should preface this post with explaining why I started this blog.  Two days ago, I deactivated my Facebook account.  Bonkers, I know.  Anyone who knows me just a little knows that I have an unhealthy relationship with Facebook.  I'm one of those people that you can always count on to see in the chat list when you log on.  It's not something I'm proud of, however it's just a part of me.  I like being in the loop and constantly feeling connected to everyone. But a couple of days ago I just felt convicted to take a Facebook sabbatical.  I feel like being on Fb led to a lot of unhealthy thought patterns and became a negative source of energy.  It became so easy to compare myself to others and develop feelings of envy, resentment, self-loathing and hurt.  Like I said, a lot of self-destructive thoughts.  A speaker at Passion told us to eliminate the moment that leads to temptation and sin and for me that means taking the drastic measure of leaving Facebook for several weeks.  Sorry for the long-winded explanation, but I feel like it's necessary to explain how I arrived here.  This is my way of keeping friends informed of what's going on in my life and yeah, it's kind of a self-centered thing too.  A blog is the definition of vanity but hey, if you don't want to read it, don't, I'm not making you. 

Now that that's out of the way, let me briefly introduce myself.  I'm a follower of Jesus, trying everyday to show His love and live as he did.  I constantly fall short, but lucky for me God's grace is greater than my sin and I'm constantly forgiven.  I'm from a mid-size town in southwestern Virginia where I feel like nothing ever changes.  Don't get me wrong, Roanoke is a beautiful town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, however, I wouldn't say it is on the cutting-edge. However it does boast the world's largest man-made, free-standing star and the largest ballroom between Atlanta and D.C., exciting, right?  I go to the most beautiful university in the country (not that I'm biased or anything); on a warm spring day I usually feel like I stepped into a J. Crew catalogue.  Heaven.  I'm constantly wrestling with figuring out what I want to major in/do with my life.  I love investing in relationships and just being with people. People are my passion and I try to show people their value both to me and in Christ.  Alright, wow, that's a lot of words I just threw at you, if you made it to the end of this post, congrats.

THE Roanoke Star

Yep, that's my school.

Currently listening to:  Stay (Wasting Time) by Dave Matthews Band