Wait... You are telling me it is Thanksgiving?

I was under the impression it was the 4th of July. 

Sneak Peek of my beachy weekend. 

Four Eyes

I'm pretty sure I need glasses.
I very well may be exaggerating, but when people start to say to me...
"You can't see that?!"
I start to worry.

So naturally I showed up to school wearing fake glasses.
Just to see how I would feel about "Kate in Glasses" (My New Persona)
What do you think?



Paige thinks I'm lame.
I think they make me look smarter.

The Last Days... of Fall that is

It always amazes me how quickly the seasons seem to pass. Christmas is less than a month away? Time seems to literally be slipping from my hands. But I'm glad to know that that time is being spent with some of the best people I've ever known. & here is what we have been up to.

Introducing Carlitos. My new best friend. My roommate Jessica is involved with a program called Latino Outreach, which sets up young adults with Latino children whose parents don't speak english so that the children have someone to help them with their homework. This past Tuesday I was off of work early so I decided to go with Jess. I had so much fun learning letters with Cariltos. Plus we now have a handshake. 

That is us on the chalk board. Melt my heart. 

 

Aimee is in charge of our Family Home Evening group. We get together every monday night for good times with great friends.  Lately we have been very crafty with our finger paintings and home made pilgrim/indian toppers. 

Highlight of the year. TWILIGHT BREAKING DAWN. I don't care how nerdy/lame you THINK Twilight is. The movie was so good. I've seen it twice already, and I replay it in my head for most of the day.

 

So maybe Aimee and I like to 'dress up' like (guess who) to go get ice cream when all of our roommates have already left for thanksgiving. 

& then we walk out our front door and find this: Real Snow. 

 

Which turns into this the next morning. 

I like the snow, but I'd be just fine with it staying just on the mountain for now. 

Also, we went to the LAST football game of the year. 

Topped it all off by eating an entire cougar tail. each. 

*cougar tail: a 2 foot maple bar, that if eaten in one sitting will make you want to cry. 

 

Then on Monday, Katie and I decided that crepes were in order. 

50% off Turkey Pesto Crepes. Molto Bene. 

 

& Thanksgiving break finally came!
More Instagram pictures coming soon to a monitor nearest you.

Why Mormons are Eager

Mormons. We are everywhere. You see our YouTube videos, our faces on billboards and commercials, our facebook status's, our car decals, our blog posts, our cute missionaries on bikes or at your doorstep. Why are Mormons so pro-mormon? Why do you think so many of us are so eager to share our faith. I'll tell you why. 

Its because being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints makes us happy. When you get a good grade on a test or score a rocking deal on a new outfit, what would you do? You call your best friend to tell them about it. When you find $20 in your coat pocket, you tweet about it. When something makes you happy, or impresses your life in some way, you want to share it. Its human nature. The truth is, being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints makes us happier than anything on earth. The knowledge that Christ's church is upon the earth is incredible news to us. The fact that we believe that the power and authority of God, the same power and authority given to Jesus Christ and his apostles, is available to us here on earth is life changing. So why wouldn't we want to share that with anyone who will listen. 

 Why does it make us so happy you wonder? We don't "party" (unless you count card games, which I don't). We don't drink tea or coffee. We don't have sex before marriage. Outside of the church, people make lists of what we "can't" do. But rarely do they realize what giving up these things allows us TO DO. Because we choose to give up these small 'pleasures' in life, we live much happier. Opting out of these and other habits keeps us free from life altering addictions, diseases, and other heart breaking experiences that only limit your options in life. Even more than that, when you realize that by following these commandments you can live with your family forever, as well as many other eternal truths, following those commandments seems like a worthy sacrifice. 

So if you ever wonder why Mormons are so creepily happy all the time, go to the source, ask your friend/co worker why they love being Mormon. Invite those missionaries in for a glass water, or even better... take them to lunch! We are eager to share what we know, only because it makes us so happy. No one likes to keep a secret like that. 

My name is Kaitlin O'Connor. I am a Junior in College. I take pictures. I watch British films. I spend too much time on the J. Crew website. I love my friends and family. I look forward to my future. I am a Mormon. 

Counting Down The Days

I don't think there is a single person in this town that isn't counting down the days until Thanksgiving Break. Almost a week away!

What are your plans? I'm hanging out with my family and my grandma at the beach house. Nothing sounds better right now than a week at the beach. My Instagram is about to blow up with sea-side photos, I can just feel it. Plus, I just bought a cute new swim suit with my JCrew GIFT CARD! THANK YOU ANDREA! & It should be here any day now. Can't wait to break it in. 

But lately, this is what I have been up to... 

Bonfire and the Boy's House. Probably one of my favorite activities. 

Great music, Great people, Great atmosphere. 

Great minds think alike?

Ashley and I showed up for church today wearing the same tights/shoes. RIP polka dot tights... I hate runs. 

I love when people get in the Holiday spirit. 

I had 2 MAJOR Italian tests this past week. So I spent a lot of time studying for that (or not studying) with Anna, my next door neighbor and italian club member (pictured above).

Anna and I also made a delicious Italian lunch this weekend. 

Baked lemon pasta and Tiramisu (without the coffee)

I went and saw BYU's "The Elephant Man" with Aimee as my date. Loved it. Super interactive. Interesting ideas. My kind of party. 

Getting ready for the night game. Yeah it's cold.

Found the Annie's Mac and Cheese at Target. Stocking up for the apocalypse. 

We FINISHED our no junk food challenge! It felt SO GOOD! Now sugar doesn't seem all that appealing (except for those brownies I ate and the Hansen's tonight... so amazing. THANK YOU BROTHER AND SISTER HANSEN).

PROOF: See mom, I run now. Weird huh?
Still sporting my cheer shoes from my freshman year of high school.

Just a shot of our walkway on my way home.

These kinds of days won't last much longer. 

I made my mom's chicken noodle soup.

It fed me and my roommates for a week straight. 

President Monson came to speak at BYU. Such an amazing experience to hear a prophet of God come speak to us students. 

 "When you choose to follow Christ, you choose to be changed."

Other than that, I've just been spending a lot of time in the library.

Please notice the 3 other students there with me.

The day I took this... I was in the library for over 7 hours. 

So yes. I can't wait for a break.

I can't wait for a run on the beach,

for real mexican food,

to see my funny grandma,

to read books,

and to see my good friend TANNER who came home from his mission while I've been at school! 

I'm prepping my playlist for the drive home.
Any ideas?

xoxo

Twihard.

Twilight Haters Back Off.

Guess who just got tickets for the premier showing of TWILIGHT with my GURLZ! Yeah, that's me. To say I am excited is an extreme understatement.

But I must confess, one of my favorite parts of the movies is the soundtrack. I always get kind of embarrassed when a scantily dressed jacob and smoldering edward show up on my iPod as the album artwork, but the music is just SO good. The first soundtrack is what really started to get me more interested in exploring music possibilities.

So i've literally been listening to the new one ALL DAY, and it was playing in my head for most of my classes. So what if I am dorky, at least I am honest.

Love the re-make, even better than the original. What?! 

What a TWIHARD Fan.

TEAM EDWARD

(This Year's Halloween Costume, thats me in the wig)

Guys, Lets Talk.

Guys, lets talk about guys...
What makes boys like Ryan Gosling, John Kransinski, and Lonely Boy Dan Humphry so attractive? I think I've always known, but just realize it more and more every day. Its that sparkling personality (and those dashing smiles don't hurt either). So here is a guide for guys, how to become absolutely irresistible.

1. Make Her Laugh. Nothing is more attractive than those smile lines, hence why it is listed first. Make a girl laugh and you have her heart.
2. Be Interested in Her. I met this guy, thought he was so attractive, like really really attractive... struck up a conversation. I talk to him for about ten min and I don't think he ever even asked my name. Ask her questions, listen, and react to them. 
3. Be Ambitious. Have a dream. Work towards something. Having a goal, no matter what it is, makes you that more interesting. Girls like knowing that you have a plan, or a passion, and are willing to work towards it. 
4. Be Patient. We know we are weird. We are fully aware. Sometimes we just need someone to listen to us while we rant, or hold our ice cream cone while we go to the bathroom. I promise it wont be forever, but after its done, it will mean the world to her. 
5. Be Charitable. I know I kind of touched on this earlier, but its just so important that I have to do it again. Think of others, put their needs first. Don't be too self absorbed. If you put her first, she'll always put you first. 
6. Hygiene. Self explanatory, but really guys... some of you aren't getting the hint.  
7. Family. Want to melt a girls heart? Talk about how much you love your family, and be sincere. Knowing that you love and care for your family makes her feel safe. Play with kids and its a done deal. 
8. Style. Please no socks with sandals or Walmart jeans, I understand you are a poor college student, but you can still dress nice on a dime. Suits, basketball pants, and sperrys are always acceptable. 
9. Work Ethic. Be Responsible. Girls like to feel safe. Knowing that you take your job/school/church calling seriously lets her know that you are willing to work and provide for her. 
10. Honesty. Be open and be honest. Without that, there is no trust, and without trust she is left feeling vulnerable and unsure. Be the kind of man she can rely on, the one she always feels comfortable to turn to. You can only develop that through an open and honest heart. 

Maybe I spend too much time dissecting fictional characters... 

But I promise, that if you really care for a girl and want to win her over, these steps will always work. 

Girls... Any comments? Additions? Disagree? Lets help these fellas out. 

You know when...

Random thought that has nothing to do with the rest of this post: 

Can someone make me look like this?

It might make me enjoy the winter season a tad bit more.

Moving forward...

You know you are getting old when: You start getting excited over cute dinnerware.

You know you are a poor college student when: You go online window shopping and put clothing items in your shopping bag, pretending you are going to actually purchase them.

You know you are a procrastinator when: You have a paper due the next day and yet you can't seem to get off Pinterest.

You know you are an idiot when: You brake the disposal twice in the same week.

You know you are a winterphobe when: you complain about the cold every ten seconds.

You know you are dependent on your *theme music when: you want to start crying because you left your headphones at home.

I seem to be finding a lot about myself lately.
*Am I the only one who walks home from school pretending that I'm in a movie?