THE GREAT SAINTS OF 2017

A cool thing about growing up is an apparent need for less stuff. By this point, we've lived long enough to know what we need, what we don't, what we want and what is just plain pointless. That being said, I still have to talk myself out of buying the mini sized items that surround the checkout line at Sephora because if there is one thing I've learned it's that I have very minimal self control when it comes to corperate marketing strategies.


Old habits die hard! And travel sized stuff is just so cute! I digress.


FAVORITE COFFEE // Wawa

You'll laugh and maybe cry but my favorite coffee is from WaWa...the gas station. I got into a wreck in the WaWa parking lot in January and idk, Im also a wreck when i don't get wawa coffee often. It's an odd dynamic but also only $1 per cup...so I manage ;)

FAVORITE PASTOR // John Mark Comer

Is it weird to say you're in love with a pastor...of a church you've never been to? Probably. That being said, I'm definitely in like with John Mark Comer, the pastor of Bridgetown Church in Portland Oregon. I started off the year by reading a couple of his books and they changed my faith radically. Since then I've listened to nearly all his teachings (which are available on the website) and if you ever need a dose of Godly wisdom, look no further than good old John Mark.

FAVORITE ALBUM/ARTIST/HUMANS // LANY

Guys. I love LANY. And I hate when other people say they love LANY because I know for a fact that no one loves their music as much as I do. Their songs feel like an extension of my soul, if I had any musical abilities or talents whatsoever, I'd make their music and sing their songs and write those same lyrics. However, since I have none of those talents, I'm grateful LANY exists because they do the work and I just get to enjoy it.

FAVORITE SKIRT // an $8 skirt from china (similar)

Halfway through the summer I placed an order on Shein.com. and even though I was slightly worried the site was a scam and that the clothing quality wouldn't be worth the hassle, I was very wrong. I got a lot of things (some of which I wore a lot, some of which didn't fit, and some of which were whatever) but the one purchase that I will forever praise the Lord for is this black denim skirt that I wear literally. every. day. It goes with everything, it's basically made of plastic so its oddly water/stain resistant and I can wear tights or bikini bottoms under it, depending on which state I'm in. Needless to say, I think I got my moneys worth out of it.

BEST LIPSTICK // Patina By Stila

(don't act like you didn't think this one was coming!) I didn't wear lipstick a lot this year but when I did, it was pretty much always Patina (looks great with the black skirt I also wore every day;)) The Formula lasts a very long time and the color was flattering no matter what hair color/shade of skin I was sporting.

2017 BLOOPERS

Fine, I'll go ahead and say it: These are not the worst of the worst.

Mostly because I deleted those and unfortunately not because I became a model and now every photo taken of me is perfect. Normally I like my bloopers to be blackmail material quality but the battle between bloopers and hard-drive space was won by the pressing need for space on my computer. The casualties of that battle ended up being a couple of golden bloopers. Still though, I think these definitely suffice! 

I just know these also don't fully capture how ugly and unphotogenic I can truly be, so there're that. 

I guess that just means there's more to look forward to for next year?

Bloopesrs of bygone years....

2014 // 2015 // 2016 // 

TWENTY IN TEXAS // weekend sweeter than sugar

If the calendar year is like a cake, then December is the frosting on top. And the only thing sweeter than a copious amounts of sugary frosting is friends who throw you a surprise party and give you copious amounts of said frosting! December 1st is always my favorite day of the year because it always puts everything back into perspective for me and reminds me how blessed these years of my life have been. Life isn't always easy but there are so many people in my life that make each day so much sweeter. Turning 20 in Texas reminded me of just that. 

My dear sweet human Mallory threw me a surprise party. And by surprise I mean, she accidentally told me about it the day before and then made me walk in twice because she forgot to film it but either way, what a win. What did surprise me (actually) was how freaking thoughtful every detail was. Apples because I eat like 16189 a day, frosting because theres nothing gluten free in the bakery so that's all I can eat, pink everything because duh and LANY was playing in the background because nothing describes my life more than those lyrics.

Every detail was so thoughtful and wow. I could cry just thinking about it!

"Because Diet Coke with Lime is your favorite!"

On my actual birthday I wore my favorite little plaid pants and even though I had classes all day, it was so fun. After class we had a little photoshoot then hit the road because what place is there to spend your 20th birthday other than Lubbock, Texas?

Our time at Tech began with some technical difficulties for me, but the next day I went to Sugar Browns for a couple hours to do homework and it was definitely a good decision. Never in my life did I think I'd spend the day after my 20th birthday in a random coffee shop in a random town in Texas, but I love how life works. You know what else I loved? The acai bowl I inhaled SO quickly that I forgot to take a photo.  

(Mallory, Mallory, Me and Sarah. Apparently homeschool girls don't know to wear black.)
The actual real reason we went to Lubbock was to attend a formal for a fraternity that we are definitely not apart of (because uh, we're girls?) at a school of which we most certainly do not attend (because uh, we go to ACU?) either.

Our dates were super fun and absolutely precious.  And considering that we met them 5 minutes before walking into the formal, I think the entire night went very well and definitely wasn't as awkward as we anticipated.

(Unfortunately our dancing was just as awkward as we expected.)

The next morning we went to church, ate the most amazing taco's our life and frolicked around downtown Lubbock which is actually pretty dang cute. Plus I found a pink house! What more could I want in life/for my birthday weekend celebration?

A week before I turned 20, I was terrified. Today, I'm thankful because through another year of life I have learned that The Lord can provide in ways we never expected. He has given me amazing friends, a wonderful time in Texas and He went above and beyond and blessed me with everything from the acai to the pink house on Broadway.

HAPPY DECEMBER / DEFINING DECADE! 

Birthdays past...

14 // 15 // 16 // 17 // 18 // I never turned 19 apparently // 

turning the page to twenty

Twenty. Such a small word but yet it has such a powerful impact on my feelings of youth and childhood and bliss. Twenty seems like the age in life where you find out how cruel and ruthless the real world is. It's like finding out Santa doesn't exist. The magic of adulthood you thought was just around the corner turns out to be nothing more than a figment of your idyllic imagination.

And on that note, I turn twenty tomorrow.

Twenty seems neat and tidy on paper. Ducks all in a row, resume polished and your wardrobe suddenly becomes peppered with blazers and poplin shirts. Except in reality? I still can't decide what to order at Chick-Fil-A and my favorite jacket this season is a furry coat...from the kids section. 

It gives me the chills to think about everything that could happen in the next 10 years. A college degree? A husband? Children? A stable job? The ability to answer the phone without anxiety? Who knows what lies ahead in this next decade. I wonder how many times my heart will be broken, how many friendships I'll have to mend, and how much money I'll spend on coffee in the next ten years. Probably a lot more than that hypothetical stable job can afford.

I am thankful I won't be alone. Christ is guiding this expedition. He's teaching me that it takes bravery to take steps, but also an equal amount of fortitude to stay fixed in a solid foundation. It takes guts to grow, and guts to stay. In my head the 20's are about reaping the harvest but in reality, I've only begun to sow. My life, which has the potential to grow into a beautiful, willowy flower, is a mere seed  at this stage. Wherever He plants me, I can trust that it is the soil He made me for. 

Here's to a blooming in a garden of Christ's incandescent happiness. And here's to growing through a lot of dirt first. 

20 things I've learned.

1.) my mother is the wisest woman i know.

2.) acrylic nails are always worth the investment.

3.) find joy in simple things because sometimes that is all you have

4.) breathe

5.) great expectations lead to great devastations

6.) eggnog enjoyment is hereditary.

7.) 20 minutes in the sun is basically free therapy

8.) make your plans in pencil, let god rewrite in ink

9.) engage engage engage

10.) rising before 6 is best

11.) and doing bible study before 6:30 is even better

12.) each friendship teaches different lessons. learn and take note.

13.) people think you're brave if you wear red lipstick

14.)  memories sometimes feel like murder

15.) and on that note, scary movies are utterly stupid!

16.)  crying is cathartic, but shouldn't be continuous.

17.) There are books, then good books and then there is the Great Gatsby

18.) equality for pink, every shade is perfect.

19.) sunsets are a glimpse of heaven.

20.) ignorance is anything but bliss.

H-O-M-E

One week till warm weather!

One week until iced coffee instead of hot.

One week until palm trees instead of falling leaves.

one week till home!

 I've been thinking a lot about what home means. I'm pretty sure everyone has this same introspective struggle at some point. The first day that my phone routed me "home", and by home I mean back to campus, I cried a little inside. Where is home? Florida? My dorm room? (TBH I actually live in the library now so that's it.) 

Coming to Texas, I definitely had expectations that this state would feel instantly like home. And when it didn't, I was confused. If Florida doesn't seem like home and Texas doesn't really either....where is it? Did I pick the wrong state- what am I missing?

At the beginning of the semester I spent a lot of time praying about feeling settled here in Texas And while God has done an amazing work in that area, He's also said a flat out NO. Because think about it, we weren't destined or destined to live in this sin-filled world. This wasn't His intent for us. No matter whee we are on earth, getting settled to some degree always requires with settling in with the sin that permeates our world.

Maybe the reason we've can't figure out where Home is or what it feels like is because we've actually never been. We've spent our entire lives trying to build up a framework of what we think it should be like, but we are yet to experience being at home with Him.

I'm excited to go home - to Florida and my mom and the 80 degree weather! I'm also excited because it's encouraging to know that wherever I end up on earth, I always have a home waiting for me.

(let's just hope it's 80 degrees in Heaven too!)

ME MINUS EVERYTHING EQUALS ??

I'm Karissa. I live by the beach. I'm tan. I'm a photographer. I go to Moes and Chickfila at least 5 times a week. I go to three different churches and I watch the sunset at my spot on the river every night.

Except now, the only thing that hasn't changed on that list is my name.

It took leaving home and moving to Texas to realize that WHERE I am actually has very little to do with who I am. It was unsettling at first. What am I without a house by the beach and a job that I love? Who am I when I'm not in my normal setting of church and friends and school? What am I like-really?

Though unknowingly, I came to college with the expectation that my well established life and routines would be exactly the same. I thought it would be easy to slip back into my old life, yet in a new place. Surely it wouldn't be too hard! I mean, they have Chick-Fil-A on campus and the sun sets every day no matter what so there's that.

Well the Chick-Fil-A closes at 7pm. And doesn't serve salads. And I miss most of the sunsets because I'm in lab or the library.

So what am I, without that? Who am I, when I'm stripped of all the external things that made me, me?

I'm Karissa. I live in Abilene Texas. I don't live by the beach, and my parents won't for much longer either. I study biology. I eat at least 4 apples every day. I'm obviously not tan at ALL. I see the sunsets as I'm walking home from the library.

Every physical marker that I associated with my identity has changed. From my possessions (new car!) to profession (no job!) to passions (passing classes) to popularity (ha, that's laughable) has all changed. I don't wear dresses very often, I hardly do a full face of makeup. I can't get up at 6:30 because my roommate would murder me, and rightfully so.

It was suffocating at first. I can't be me! The one thing I'm sure of in life is who I am. 

The thing is, you can't force an old life into a new location. You can't move to a totally new place, leave everything you know behind...yet expect it to be the same? Because that would be weird and also, completely physically impossible. But I tried anyway, because that was my life! It was what I knew.

The only thing beyond my name that hasn't changed, is Jesus. 

In a day my identity went from established to very confused, but He was the same. When I was worried about who to be, He never changed. His love for me and grace in my life didn't stop when I moved 3,000 miles from home. If anything, the less I have of me in the way, the more room in my life I have for The Lord.

It's painful. It's hard to let go of things you thought were a part of your identity. But really on this earth?. And beaches and tans are nice and all, but really the only thing I've got for sure and forever is my name and my savior.

(But if Jesus doesn't mind, I'd love to get the tan back!)