you've got a lot goin' for ya

before i get started, i'd like to say that i am so completely relaxed this winter break that i don't know what will get me to go back to school..... oh wait, i think i know.........

every day is a day closer to many wonderful happenings in my near future: spring break to Disney, my birthday, graduation, and ITALY. Yes, i said the "i" word. I'm going to Italy. No really, i don't know if you heard me.... I'M GOING TO ITALY.... THE BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY, ITALY!! Oh, and i'm also going to college. (lol, can't forget that one.)

Only one semester to go before my life changes in so many ways. It's really bittersweet though. Im super duper excited and happy, yet at the same time, i remember when i was just a little kid playing with my beloved American girl dolls. I dont really wanna grow up already. I'm gonna be 18 in a few months... like when the hell did that happen? Man, these happy 17 years sure have gone fast. I have a vivid memory of being in the 4th grade and we got track and field shirts with my class' graduating year on the back: 2012... back then it seemed like the space age. Yeah, well 2012 is gonna be here in 24 hours. haha.

Seeing time fly by so fast is why i'm gonna take a deep breath and just soak in every detail while things are the way they are right now.... before they get all weird when i go away from college. I know i'll come back to visit for breaks, but it just won't ever be EXACTLY the same. The thought of my family of 5 turning into a family of 4 at our dinner table next year makes me kinda sad. Sometimes being the oldest child kinda sucks. (Oh, but it does have sooooo many perks!) So let's make it an awesome 2nd semester of my senior year!!! And let's make it better than 1st semester!!!

So far this year, i've been bombarded with such crazy stress, i really dont know how i am staying sane. ha. Seriously though... college this, college that, college essays, college apps, college, college, college. If i hear that word in a stressful manner one more time...... haha let's just say by the time i finally get there, i will be MORE THAN READY TO PARTY!!!! (oh.....hey mom reading this!) Lolz. Im gonna embrace college life in the best way possible. Cant wait to meet new friends and really launch my artistic abilities.

Oh, yeah, the only MAJOR thing about this whole college topic making it kind of awkward right now is the fact that yeah, haha, i have no idea where i'm gonna end up yet! I'm still on that "getting into college" journey right now. So far, it's been a bumpy bumpy ride. But i'm trying to stay positive.

After finding out that i have been wait-listed at my top 3 school choices, it's been more of a faithful journey for me. I've gotten myself this far by working hard in school and staying out of trouble so now it's up to God from here. I've been praying that He will bring me to the right place and of course, i completely trust in His plan for me. It's very comforting to know i'm in good company.

2012 not only is my graduating year, but it is the year my dreams are literally coming true. Not many people can say they are looking forward to a trip to Disney World/Orlando Studios and Italy this upcoming year! I can say it though :o) hehehe.

I can tell it's going to be a magical year for me. A year of growth and happiness. And i am ready to embrace every part of my story to come. I totally cannot wait to meet 2012. She seems like a pretty cool year to me.

angel rays

just thinking lately about how many angels i have that are watching over me and keeping me safe. whenever i feel scared or stressed or mad or happy or sad or confused..... i know i will be okay because i have my guardian angels. i believe i have already met some of my guardian angels. my nana and poppop and mimi and jae. i miss them terribly. especially my poppop. i cant believe its been almost a year.

i also have angels watching over me who i havent met yet but they know who i am. i never met a bunch of my great grandparents but they look so sweet in pictures. they are watching over me too.

but whenever i get sad about missing the ones who i have loved and lost, i just have to think about how i had lunch with them earlier or how they guided me to school or helped me take my test. they're always with me. even though they are in heaven and i am on earth doesnt mean anything.

the other day i found this on pinterest



so true. seriously though, it got me thinking... the concept of time is SO WEIRD. there really is no such thing as "time." We are living in the same time as 100 years ago... it just looks different. The time i've spent away from my passed loved ones is no time at all. It seems like just yesterday they were here. I'll see 'em later with God though.

they're (not so) grrrrrrreat

whenever i was little, i used to love frosted flakes. well not anymore. i seem to be surrounded by them everyday and they're getting really old. i'd rather be surrounded by a buncha honey nuts... because at least they're better for you.

we all have those flakes in our lives whether we realize it or not. too bad i'm realizing it everyday. we've got the snow flakes, the corn flakes, and the dandruff flakes. but most especially, the frosted flakes.

frosted flakes. they seem so nice on the outside, but really, once you let them set in the milk, they get all soggy and limp and they break apart. they look very decieving. you think they're going to be there forever but soon enough they disinigrate.

tucan sam once told me, "be a fruitloop in a world full of cheerios."

you may say i'm a dreamer

with so much going on, i've managed to get my college aps accomplished for the most part! it was not easy balancing studying for tests and doing homework for the next day while trying to apply to college (which seems so far away), but i did it!!
anyhoo... the essays i've written have me thinking about my future and my dreams. my dreams are pretty outlandish but my heart just knows. maybe i'm already living in my dreams right now. who knows. all i know is lately i've been daydreaming.  my head has been in the clouds. the clouds of my dreams.

From solovelydecoration.blogspot.com

what could i do that would make a name for myself? ...a name that even the people in italy would hear of. but dreams dont even have to start out to be so extravagant. i could have a million little dreams. what is a dream even? i think it is just a snipit of your future. don't ignore your dreams, but instead, believe in the beauty of your dreams, even if they seems impossible. nothing is impossible unless you say it is.

 wordz by Sarah Kathleen

i know some people who are afraid to dream or who are afraid of their future. who have also given up a lot of hope. i think it's just straight up stupid. and it makes me sad when people doubt themselves. seriously, just stop. there is nothing wrong with being a dreamer. really, all it takes is for one to believe in oneself and with true perserverance and passion, they can do anything. seriously, dreams come true everyday. what day is gonna be the day your dreams come true? in a year? when you're "older"? you don't know? for me, my dreams start today. and so could yours. dont let others getcha down.

From delightfully-tacky.com

remember this: the two most important days of your life are when you are born and when you find out why. rember that.

forevuuuuuuuur

so my mom took me n lauren and brendan on a lil senior pic photoshoot today.

disclaimer: being serious is something us 3 friends cannot usually handle so that is why most of these pics are goofy-fied.

i mustache you a question.....

real laughter. lol.

my breathtaking, stunning, beautiful, illuminating best friend, lauren. aka my sissy from anotha missy.

aw my very handsome, funny, illuminating best friend, brendan. aka brother from anotha mother.

^that girl would be yours truly, me, illuminating kate.

haha idk just a random

............................



hahaha not to brag... but we are rediculously funny.

when you look at those 3 good lookin people, i dont know what comes first to your mind... but i think they look like friends forevz.

if my life had a soundtrack...regina spektor would sing it

i'm so in love with regina spektor. her voice is amazin'. her lyrics are also the bomb diggity. i was totally inspired by this song. i think it is about two people who fall in love and their love is so grand that even when they are both gone, their love still lasts forever.

this piece is very symbolic. the roots represent how deeply in love they are and how woven into the earth their love is.  the rest is pretty self explanatory. anyway, hope ya like the song. we all deserve to have love like this♥

always me



lately, people in my life have been changing and it's been a little different. i dont really know if its good change or bad change but life isnt stopping so i'm just gonna keep on being me. i'm not gonna let others determine who i am. i really think its important to surround yourself with people who believe in your dreams and who support you all the way there.

i've been thinking about the people who are in my life at this very moment. are they all here for a good purpose? do they make me happy? do they distract me? do they ask me how i'm doing? do they even really care about me? or am i just that one friend who is always there for them only when they need me? yeah, i dont really know the answers to all those questions but i think i have an idea.

it's whateva, i guess. even if a friend changes a little, it doesn't mean you cant be friends with eachother at all anymore. just maybe not as much friends. high school is a crazy journey and its just the beginning of our life stories. we are just starting to create our wrinkles and scars. friends will come and go. i'm okay with that because those who matter will never leave.

everything was always meant to be.

while some people change to try to find who they are, i'm just gonna keep on being me. i'm not saying i'm never going to change because everyone changes. but what i am trying to say is... dont change just to be accepted by people who you barely know. dont change to be "cool." dont change your life based on the decisions of others. be you. be true to you. 

yup. i'm kate joy mcd. and i'll always be true.

baby kate

So here's a lil story for ya:

my dad is a freakishly amazing mathematician. he does math for fun.

my mom is the most awesome artist there ever was. she does art for fun.

mom♥  + dad♥  = baby kate

baby kate gets the best of both worlds and can do math and art. however, art is her passion.

math is not so much her passion.

math is easy in elementary school because she can do 1+1=2.

math is still easy in middle school.

she grows up and goes to high school.... is this a joke? she starts liking math! maybe she wants to do math for fun with her dad.

she goes on to geometry... eh ok maybe math isn't her thing anymore.

pinmarklet

then she gets to algebra 2 and gets the worst teacher of all time but she still pulls out a good grade.

senior year she has to take pre-calc.................................................  "AW HELL THIS IS HARD!!!" she no likey math anymore but she is a really good student and doesnt catch "senioritis" and still does pre-calc homework for hours everynight so she can understand the lessons. she works so so so so so so so so so hard on pre-calc and what grade did she get?

a FREAKING 69.0%..........

baby kate gets her first D on her report card. baby kate is sad. but baby kate is so motivated to start fresh on the next grading period. baby kate wants an A.

baby kate is going to get an A next time.

**to be continued......................... dun dun dun


pinmarklet

portfolio day yay

so excited... just got a few more college applications sent and feel a little less weight off my shoulders. i'm feelin purty good since the SAT and ACT are over... but still plenty of craziness to keep my senior year never at a dull moment!!

a couple weekends ago, i went to Herron School of Art for National Portfolio Day and it was seriously amazing and so encouraging. National Portfolio Day was held at Herron School of Art and Design on September 25 (open to the public) and it was a chance to meet college representatives from all over the country who gave helpful feedback to anyone's artwork.

Going to the portfolio overview definitely gave me the dose of confidence i have been needing for my art lately. I had such a successful outcome... every college rep i talked to gave me encouraging things about my artwork. they loved my art! It gave me a sense of accomplishment and i felt so proud of myself. really, i was on cloud 26 or something like that.

I've never actually "showed off" my art before. I mean, yeah, I show it to my family and close friends and stuff but never to strangers. It was weird just standing with my portfolio in front of a stranger who probably knows alot more about art than i do. i will admit i was shy at first, but it was so easy to overcome because my art is who i am and once they got a feel for my art, they knew who i was. it was seriously as easy as that.

I did get some comments of how i could improve my art and i am so grateful because i want to work on my weaknesses. I want to strive to become a better artist everyday.  Overall, national portfolio day was a freaking awesome day.  I am so so so so so happy i took the time to go.

Before i went to national portfolio day, i was deadset on going to a university for college. haha now i already have two art schools i am going to apply to. Who knows where i will end up.... God knows where i'm going and i'm just gonna follow his lead ♥ But for now............. i'm just going to be working on my portfolio and living up my teenage years. i don't know about you, but that sounds fun to me!

i am fo-sho loving my artsy, funny, studious, adventuring, happy, joyful, carefree, high-school, friendly teenage life. also, this is very random but i desperately need to make some pink hello kitty pumpkins for my frontporch. i'm sure my brothers wouldn't mind... hehe. she's just so cute.

 crafts by Barbara Petersen

can't get enough of this everyday love

friday night kicked off the soon-to-be best week of the summer!

we got a hotel room nearby to celebrate julia's 18th birthday! it was soooooooooooo fun!!

(i'm so mad at myself... we all got so dressed up and never took a group picture!!! arg!)

happy birthday julia!

for her present, we pooled 80 bucks and put it all in ones and then taped it into a long strand in a tissue box... when she opened it she had no idea that there was cash instead of tissues!!

next on the agenda was the RASCAL FLATTS & SARA EVANS concert!!! it was amazing!!

I went with one of my besties, tara, and her sweet cousins!! it was a girls night!

♥

SARA ON THE BIG SCREEN!! SHE IS EFFIN BEAUTIFUL!!

DA RASCALS ♥♥♥♥♥

IT WAS PACKED!!!! AND IT WAS A HOT SUMMA NIGHT.

just painted this because i was in the rascal flatts mood. i love their lyrics. and i love them outloud!!!!!!

it was a lucky day for me. on our way in the stadium before the concert even started... i found a 20 dolla bill just layin on the ground!!! thankyou very much!!

the luck doesnt even stop there!!!! rumor was that Gary Shirley from MTV's Teen Mom was at the concert. We looked for him the whole night and thought we would never find him.

But out of a huge stadium with 15,000 people... we happened to be walking right next to him on our way back to our car!! he was so nice! he let us take a picture with him and we told him we would tweet it and we asked him to retweet it! and guess what.... HE RETWEETED IT TO HIS 67,000 FOLLOWERS!!!!!! UM YEA.... THE PICTURE ALREADY HAS OVER 1,700 VIEWS!!!!!!!!!

EVERYONE SHOULD FOLLOW @ItsGaryTime

(.....and me @katejoymcd)

you could say i had a fun night!! the flatts and sara know how to throw a good party!!! country music is feel good music!!

many more good times planned ahead this week!! cant wait to share more adventures. im gonna hold on to summer as long as i can. only 16 days left or something crazy like that. not fair. i wish it could be summer forever.

totes AWK

couldnt help but giggle from some funny/awkward pics i have found on my computer. you know... those pictures that were taken but never uploaded on facebook because they were too embarassing... or too weird. well here ya go.

welcome to my awkward life!!!

let's just pose by the pickles...

what was i thinking? cubed ham?

ya goofball

you gotta lil somethin-somethin on your face... but i probably didnt tell you at the time. hehe

oh ya know... just lauren awkwardly giving a nanoo-nanoo sign in front of a building. nothin new.

uhh..... dont even ask why i was posing with a bag of chapstick. probably just procrastinating my homework at the time. oh the things i find myself doing instead of homework.

did i mention how hot i am? just kidding. i was scaring the people at panera.



why did i feel it was necessary to take this picture?

mmmm calcium makes ya strong

hello julia's face



here kids, want some candy?

aw c'mon.... i got the good candy!!!!!

look at how awkward our stance is

ok last one... even though i could go on forever.

i love my life because i'm so glad that i can laugh all the time.

laughter heals the soul.

 and it is contagious.

and it is free.

what could be better than to live a lifetime in laughter?

ARRY POTTA HANGOVA

"Whether by page or by big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home."-JK Rowling

Last night was splendid! Even though i wouldnt necessarily call myself a "die hard" harry potter fan... i was definitely in the spirit! My friends and i went ALL OUT.

Costumes. British accents. Butterbeer cupcakes. MAGIC.

Julia was Hermione! Perfect!

"I'm going to bed, before either of you come up with another brilliant plan to get us killed...or worse, expelled." -Hermione Granger

Lauren was Professor Trelawney!!!!!!! Love it.

Brendan and i were gryffindor students. He is not harry potter. fyi.

I solemnly sware i am up to no good...

Mischief managed.

sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow!

Oh ya know... just having a wand dual in julia's backyard. #NBD

PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!!!!!!!!



We waited in line for an hour and a half! Lots of crazy times.

Julia dared me to run in and scream "THERE'S A TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!!" And of course i did. Everyone in the theatre stopped what they were doing and it got really quiet. Hehe.

LAST NIGHT WAS TOTALLY BARBARIC!!

This night sky picture was taken around 4:30 AM on our way home. SO WICKED LOOKING! I can just see professor loopin howling in the background.

 Even though it marks the end of an era, harry potter will always be a special part of my childhood! Im so proud to have grown up in the harry potter generation!!! Cant wait to show my kids these legendary movies someday. JK Rowling, you've done good ♥