Graduated-ish

HOLY CANOLI! I graduated High School in the most homeschooled way possible!

How? I'm sure you're curious. No I didn't walk down the aisle in a denim skirt and you're right, I'm not one out of 10 siblings who all happen to be proficient in greek, latin and violin. But we homeschool kids have this joke that we never know what grade we are in. Someone may look like a simple tenth grader, but don't be fooled. They're actually still finishing up last years algebra and they're three years ahead in literature...so don't judge a book by it's cover or by a homeschooler and what grade they're in.

So anyway, I graduated from high school, threw my cap into the air and got emotional about school ending...a week before finals.

This picture makes me so happy. Our mothers are best friends, we've grown up five minutes away from one another, we've been on field trips and actual trips and my first sleepover was at their house! He literally drove me everywhere for like 10 years when I refused to get my license, and even let me choose what we listened too once or twice. I cried a little when he gave his speech. Even though I'm three days older, my little brother isn't so little at all!

I just have to say that if my experience with saying yes to the graduation dress is any indication of how it will be when I go shopping for my wedding dress...I'm never getting married. Because wow! First of all, i placed a ridiculous amount of significance on one dress but on the other hand, I love dresses! And at that, I have a lot. So this one needed to be special. 

(And for once, need is not a relative term.) 

After buying 3 and trying on at least 20 others, I settled for this one. And I use settled very loosely because I love it a whole lot. It was comfortable and classy and I looked like a senators wife. Speaking of senators, check out my best friend! My best friend who I literally tell EVERYTHING but we've only hung out twice lol. Life is funny, so is Jonathan and I didn't even trip on stage in those $20 shoes that happened to go well with my ridiculously overpriced dress.

It isn't every day your boss speaks at your graduation. It isn't every day that you pick which tie goes better with the grey pants for your best friends dad. It isn't every day that you get to feel this loved and this special.

Many thanks to the incredible people in my life who have helped me reach this point. My opening prayer, well it still rings true. I'm incredibly grateful God gave my parents the heart to homeschool me and sacrificed so, so much for me to walk across that stage...a week before finals.

So you can continue to pray for me and deliver chocolate at my doorstep, because I've got one final date with High school and you can bet it's gonna be a darn good one. 

PHOTOS: 90% by @imsarahchristine who is the best human ever

DRESS: Lilly Pulitzer

SHOES: Target haha

GOOD FRIENDS: All mine. 

Here's to you, Hugh

The other day Creighton asked me if I still post on my blog. I said yes, of course(!) but casually left off the fact that I post about him.

Taking Creighton's senior photos was kind of surreal. I've know him since we were 5 years old and we used to play war together in the treehouse (I was always the nurse, I'll have you know.) Before we moved our families went on field trips to trader joes together, when we moved the came to visit us and every single year of high school 90% of our classes were taken together. And the best part is, we've been in the family zone since the day we met! No awkwardness, just brother and sister and chauffeur and fashion advisor.

Pretty proud of these images, pretty proud of my little brother and very very sad that High School is peacing out.

(First mention of brother hugh here...oh how the time flies!)

A STATE OF THE UNION....OF SORTS.

Recently I had an Epiphany:
 I'm going to miss high school.

Which is stupid! Because High school is dumb and silly and just 4 years out of a lifetime. And on top of that, high school hasn't been anything like I expected it too, and I'm blaming 99% of that on High School Musical for setting wildly high expectations. There have been no choreographed dance numbers, no pizza dates on the balcony, no unexpected karaoke nights.

(and I'm STILL waiting for Zac Efron but alas.)

These past 4 years have been brutal and wonderful and painful and peaceful. Despite the drama, puberty and, you know, the actual school, I've settled into a rhythm. Its comfortable, familiar...and about to be taken away from me. I've grown to love high school more than I ever thought I could.
And the fact that graduation is approaching isn't really helping my unexpected attachment to these weird years.

So how are things? In the State of Kryn, land of chocolate and typos? Things are bittersweet. Sometimes really sweet, sometimes awful bitter. I'm working toward a balance, a milk chocolate middle of the road. But most days, it's one or the other and that's okay for now.

And so in closing, I would like to thank my own Troy Boltons and my own Wildcats for making these last 4 years memorable and full of dancing (though not pre-choreographed) and love (though it be only platonic....) and for giving me something that I really will miss.

Because wouldn't it be a shame if I didn't have anything to miss?

Survival Essentials (senior year edition)

After 4 weeks of nothing but assignments, volleyball games and stress dreams, I finally decided to ignore my homework for a few hours and do my things. The things that make me happy and that don't involve wearing athletic clothing. I took photos of pointless things, I cooked my favorite dinner  and walked my puppy around the neighborhood.

It felt really, REALLY GOOD. Way better than reading 100 pages of Moby-Dick.

10 classes, Volleyball, Theater productions and just the general stress that comes from being a 17 year old girl has been a lot. But God is good and all is well and I ate bread today for the first time in three weeks so heck yes.

(in case you're wondering, this is the 2015 version of this post...a post that I published two months after I wrote it. #casual)

This book by Natalie Holbrook has been my procrastination method of choice. It's an easy afternoon read with just enough photos and doggone good puns. If you're in the mood for it, throw it into your amazon cart next time you order a months supply of crew socks or ramen noodles (or both!)

This Mexican blanket (which Ironically enough, I didn't buy in Mexico) is life. I walked across the street to the drugstore to buy it one day, wondering if it was worth the effort, the money and the awkward way I left in the middle of a birthday party. UPDATE: It's worth it. Tubby and I can both vouch for that.

A new to me makeup brand is ColourPop, with lipsticks only five dollars a tube! Needless to say, I stocked up. It's a good thing too, because sometimes the only way I can accomplish my least favorite subject is with a bold lip....it's girl logic ;)

And finally, the source of my joy and stamina...TEA WITH CAFFEINE! I take a cup of earl grey around 11 every night and it gets me till at least 2 am with no problems. Great for when the boys wanna chat ;)....and when you have 40 assignments due for class the next morning.

(mom, grandma: there are no boys. because boys are not nutella)

Tell me how you are friends! Tell me if your dying under a stack of textbooks or thriving. If you're thriving well, chances are, I hate you just a little. ;)

1/35- SENIOR YEAR

HERE'S TO THE 

LAST FIRST DAY OF HIGH SCHOOL.

and to less typos, more Jesus and an abundance of false lashes.

A perfect pick

Confession Time: I'm kind of picky.

I generally prefer to think about it in a more positive way. I have unique taste, I know what I like (and honest about what I don't.) but the bottom line is basically that I'm picky about pretty things.

That being said, Agenda shopping is such a chore. But what a pretty one! It's a beautiful thing for your biggest decision to be: stripes or polka dots? Last year I was new to the colorful world of agendas but I'm tackling SENIOR YEAR in the same amount of style.

(That being said, sweatpants days are a given. Hopefully my agenda can make up for the lack of attractiveness.)

O K A Y    T H E   O P T I O N S !

1.) Lilly Pulitzer LARGE Agenda in Pink Lemonade ($28)

Is there anything more Kryn than Pink Lemonade? No, not really.

2.) Ban.do Large Agenda in Florabunda ($28)

Oh, how I love Ban.do!

I set my sights on the Ban.Do agenda a few months ago. Since setting foot (and nearly passing out) in the Ban.do pop up shop,  I've been stalking their website at much as you might expect a stalker to. BUUUUT....While aesthetically pleasing and overflowing with inspiration quotes
("Eat a whole pizza, I dare you." is exceptionally motivating.) I wasn't totally pleased. The paper quality is poor and it was just a BIT to big for me and the background is actually a little off white.

 (ocd much. picky much. HIGH EXPECTATIONS much. I digress.)

And so, I ended up with a Lilly again. Because I love Lilly. I love the size of their agendas and the cute prints and Jackie O wore Lilly so I feel her spirit with me as I'm penciling in my scheduled pinterest sessions and tanning times.

(and like you know, all the classes I'm taking this fall.)

Many thanks to Tubs for helping and in general being my best friend. Are you picking out an Agenda for the school year? For the sake of your family and friends (four legged variety included), I highly suggest not being quite as selective (not picky, see what I did there!) as I can be.

HAPPY LAST YEAR OF HIGHSCHOOL!