sunday best

oh, what's that? you're surprised that I'm wearing a turtleneck & tights?

well, welcome to virginia, I s'pose!

I don't have much more to say about these, 

other than: jared is stupid photogenic, & I probably should have worn my hair up.

how is it already midnight???

ugh.

quite contrary

I write a lot of things that never make it to full blog-entry bloom. whether it always turns too personal or just becomes a jumbled mash of thoughts that even I can hardly follow, these little thought-seeds get tossed & begin to grow… but in my own secret & hidden emotional garden. one with a lock, & key & voice activated access code.


2012 is proving to be a big year in the oddest of ways. everything I thought I knew about where Jared & I were going next has been tossed in the air & carried away by a breeze from a very foreign place. I have yet again been told by my very tough-lovey God, “not your plan, but Mine.” it’s funny really, because He’s been telling me this for YEARS – sometimes it’s a whisper, sometimes it’s at the top of His omnipotent lungs. & I’m like, “YEAH, K, GOT IT, COACH!” & run off with too much energy, quickly forgetting what He just told me & making my own plans. again.

I am restless. I am eager. & I am once again being humbled & stretched. totally painful, but it's making me feel alive & energized. like blood is finally being allowed to pulse again after months & more months of holding my breath. with tingly limbs, I’m learning to walk again, & with sensitive skin, I’m feeling cold & warmth. naturally, after months of piling on layers, the cold is harsh. but the warmth against skin - MY SKIN- is so good. the feeling comes & goes, waxing & waning on a day by day basis.

but the point is that I AM FEELING.

I’m waiting for the writing on the wall, I suppose. all the while, trying to channel this churning that Jared & I are both feeling in our guts. this ache to GO. to BE. to DO. this ache that trivializes our everyday tasks & hovers over every waking thought. it’s better for you to know this, because it’s all I want to talk about.

in the meantime… until we figure out what the heck is next, I’m swearing off reading other blogs. ugh, & no more pinterest. it is so easy to feel like we’re the only couple in the whole blogging universe that exist in this in-between phase. I know it’s not true, but pictures of new babies, cute puppies & townhomes in Georgetown certainly make me feel otherwise.

this entire process is freeing. for jared. for me. & after so many months of holding my breath, I am finally exhaling & letting my garden grow.

xo, kelsey

hitch your wagon to a star

from our honeymoon - st. croix, 2010

i am:

waiting for allison to get her patootie over here to drink some vino

reading "crazy love," & it's crazy face-slappy

craving mcdonald's... so shameful

procrastinating. right now.

mentally shopping for new cars every time I drive around town

the thief that's cutting roses around our apartment complex

still sore from this past weekend's events

seriously contemplating hair chopping

on yet another ginger ale kick

kinda missing college tonight, with all of its deadlines & new knowledge

definitely missing my emily, wishing I was talking wedding with her over shaved ice & orange juice

craving an adventure - from here, to anywhere

adjusting, situating & warming to an unknown future

uncomfortable with that unknown, but being stretched, nonetheless

jared's biggest fan - with the annoying whistle, the #1 finger, & some ridiculous chant

being kissed all ova my face by a mr. who just got home from work

so, bye!

sunday good

... heeeeyyy.

I'm behind on internetting.

I KNOW I'm not the only person who gets this way.

when it's been 3 or 4 days since you had time to check facebook, twitter, instagram...

(blah blahhhh blah) & you just feel kinda behind on that whole world?

& so I just avoid my laptop in general.

& so I write to you from my ipod, lounging on my couch,

watching The Dark Knight on tv,

in a state of numbness after not one but THREE events over the course of 36 hours this weekend.

I have no Sunday Best post, even... which is upsetting.

but I barely peeled myself from the couch this afternoon after church.

& when I did, it was to attend a funeral in the pouring rain.

all signs point to = not a cute kinda day.

& right now I mostly just want to mourn the loss of heath ledger all over again.

heath, I loved you even as the creepiest villain of all time. 

it's true.

I'm about an hour away from sleep & day two of my weekend,
which means relaxation with my man.

it's not sunday best, but it sure is sunday good.

x-boringly-o,

kelsey

feeling beachy

apparently the salty beach breeze has made it into my bloodstream early this year.

more beach, from a visit last week with jared & my littlest sister.

made better only by dolphins and strawberries, naturally.

cocoa dusted almonds

as unappealing as this handful may look,

I just made THUH MOST DUHLICIOUS SNACK IN THE WORLDDDD.

although, snacks are supposed to be healthy,

making these a little more like dessert.

that's right, universe.

I took every ounce of nutritional value out of these almonds & coated it with sugar.

literally.

& here's how!

 you'll need:

-1/2 stick of unsalted butter, melted

-a 1/4-ish cup of cocoa powder

-like, an 1/8 cup of sugar, but who's measuring?

-3 cups of unsalted, roasted almonds

-additional 1/4 cup cocoa powder (& then some)

-1/2 powdered sugar (& then some)

preheat that oven to 350

mix first three ingredients in a medium sized bowl

pour in your almonds

stir until almonds are coated

spread evenly onto a cooking sheet (with either a silpat or non-stick spray)

bake for 10 minutes

enjoy the scent of cocoa to filling your home

let cool! 

(I only waited 15 minutes, & it wasn't long enough.)

pour into a gallon sized plastic bag

sprinkle in 1/4 cup cocoa power & 1/2 cup powdered sugar

(I wasn't kidding about these being dessert.)

shake & shake & shake until evenly coated.

add powdered sugar/cocoa until there's a dust on the almonds

(your first dusting will most likely get soaked up.)

refrigerate! to set your cocoa/sugar dusting.

enjoy! 

hint: they're addicting, cheap & now you hold the power to create them in your hands.

you're welcome.

xo, kelsey

sunday best

lovely & wonderful allison joined me at the beach this afternoon for a girly date.

can you ever go wrong with a sunshiney afternoon, making doggy friends & laughing our booties off?

well, yes, a little. because it's still april, so the wind + sand is INTENSE.

but hey. it's a free full body exfoliation, if you ask me.

so, this isn't my typical sunday attire, but certainly a little more comfy.

& actually, we're probably going to be debuting some more casual outfits over the summer

due to many a sunday spent at work during the event season.

ugh. I really need a dog.

NEED a dog.

xo, kelsey

easter family

my 

lovely

silly

easter family.

easter afternoon on the porch

easter lunch on my parents' porch.

lots of smiles, just the right amount of chocolate torte & plenty of puppy to love on.

someday, I'll get it together like my mama.

xo, kelsey

DIY - color block eggs

jared with his award winning "best-dyed" egg:

inspired by courtney + joy,

we took easter egg dyeing to the next level this year.

it made for a super fun evening with the little sistas,

& also made some delicious sour cream//bacon deviled eggs for our easter lunch.

yes, it was incredibly depressing to take the shells off,

but! the amaaaaazing taste made up for it. promise.

xo, kelsey

sunday best: easter edition

happy easter, everyone!

such a spectacular day to celebrate jesus.

i took THREE HUNDRED pictures today.

three hundred!

it was just that lovely of an easter sunday.

we started the day with the sunrise service,

spent the day with friends + family + dogs

& we're ending it with more friends,

watching movies & eating ice-cream.

& I wish I was more chatty, but it's really hard to write & watch a movie.

ps. I finished book two of the hunger games series,

so I should be a little more reliable around these parts.

until book three arrives. & I promise to read it fast.

xo, kelsey

interrupting this blog

TRUTH: I'm not going to apologize for the fact that I am neglecting blogging

because of these books, or the fact that I am totally reading them because of

the blockbuster movie that I was invited to see & got hooked on. I'VE GOT

A FEVER & THE ONLY PRESCRIPTION IS MORE KATNISS.

it's the truth, & I don't even care who knows it.

now, if you'll excuse me... 

sunday best

happy palm sunday!

& here's to this being the last sunday of the season that showcases tights.

it's april now, weather. try to keep up, please.

(unless you're just giving me another week to get some sun on those legs,

in which case, thanks, I GUESS.)

we're having a super productive day over here at casa de bethune,

& it has thus far involved zero april fools' pranks, which is just the way I like it.

it's all beautiful breeze, dave matthews tunes & awful dave matthews imitations, sung by mr. bethune himself.

almost enough to ruin the songs, but my love for dave runs deeper than that.

I can't even get too flustered with the perp, since he just made my $5 thrift store lamp functional.

that, & he just called me his dreamgirl.

consider yourself off the hook... this time.

I'm about to use my powers of persuasion to convince him

that frozen yogurt counts as the perfect palm sunday afternoon snack.

& HAAYYY... also a sundate! double whammy.

wish me luck.

xo, kelsey