Speaks to the Soul

Music has a way of transporting the listener to a time, place, emotion and it's a truly beautiful thing. In a few short hours, Taylor Swift is releasing her fifth album, 1989. I can barely contain my excitement-- her albums tend to have a way of letting me know how I should be feeling. Her first single, "Shake It Off," told me I was on the right track with my emotions... and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the album is like.

Here are a few of my favorite songs of the moment:
22- Taylor Swift
This Is How We Do- Katy Perry
Title- Meghan Trainor
Dear Future Husband- Meghan Trainor
Can't Shake You- Gloriana
Rather Be- Clean Bandit
Shower- Becky G
Leave the Night on- Sam Hunt
Jealous- Nick Jonas
Have to Thank Youu- Gavin DeGraw
Can't Stop Drinking About You- Bebe Rexha
Last Goodbye- Kesha
Wasting All These Tears- Cassadee Pope
Whiskey- Jana Kramer
Somewhere Only We Know- Keane

I could go on and on about music. It's an amazing facet of our society. It's so beautiful to know that someone out there is going through some of the same turmoils that you are. There's nothing more therapeutic than blasting some ballad and singing at the top of your lungs. Preferably in the car with the windows down and with your best friend right beside you.

If you haven't listened to Taylor Swift's 1989, do it, do it now... It's life affirming, it's everything I've been hoping for since she realized her first single back in August. Yesterday, I listened to the whole on repeat, walking around campus, driving in the car, and just sitting on the porch with friends jamming.

"This is a story of coming into you own... and alive as a result." 

xoxo

KJB

Words to Live

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel...

Always remember that."

Growing up the golden rule was simple: treat others the way you want to be treated. No matter your age, the golden rule are words to live by. 

You can't control what's going to happen to you in this life. You can't control how you're treated. And you can't make people like you. All you can do is decide how you're going to react to those things.

Sometimes you have to cut people out of your life. Whether they be negative or if the friendship(s) becomes one sided. You deserve to be happy, so if it's time, and you'll know, then it's time to move on. 

Because people will treat you the way you allow them to treat you. Always remember that. Every person in your life has to earn their spot, because life is too short to be surrounded by fair-weather friends.  

xoxo

KJB

KJB Goes to the Fairfield County Fair

I have spent 8 out of the past 12 years of living in Ohio, in south-central Ohio. So naturally fall has come to mean football (usually The Ohio State but definitely BIG Ten and because of my mom, always IU) and the Fairfield County Fair. So this weekend I went home for the fair.

               

Summer ends, school begins, and suddenly-- its fair week. The excitement is tangible, kind of like the holiday cheer that can be felt right before Thanksgiving to Christmas. Fair Week heralds the season! 

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Fair Must-Haves:

Deep Fried Cookie Dough

Birch Beer (think Root Beer) & Steak on a Stick 

 My food tastes have changed since I first started going to the fair. Originally, I was all about the pizza, funnel cakes, tacos, cheesecake on a stick, caramel apples (that I lost a taste for while I had braces), elephant ears. Now, my go to's are Steak-on-a-Stick, Birch Beer, Cattlemen's Special and deep fried cookie dough. Health goes out the window when the fair is in town, though there is TONS of walking!  

   

There are officially 8 weeks until graduation. Broken down there's 6 until Thanksgiving and then 2 afterwards til December 13, 2014 at 10am (yes! I'm graduating 12/13/14, pretty freakin' sweet!). The next 8 weeks will be full of lasts. So the fact that this was the last fair week before I enter the unknown "adult" world was surreal. 

I'm not sure where I'll be in the upcoming years, but I do know that I fully plan on being back for the fair, it signals the changing season in my eyes! It's a great week(end) where I get to see another great facet of Lancaster (my other favorite town activity being, The Artwalk, a facet of The Lancaster Festival).  When the fair comes around, I know it's an appropriate time to start watching Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown and to start getting excited for the end of the year and looking towards all the fun events (Thanksgiving, Christmas, NYE) that are coming.

There are few big ticket items left mile marking my road towards graduation:

• Halloween
• Lip Jam (my sorority's philanthropy event)
• Formal
• Initiation
• Thanksgiving
• Finals
• Graduation

The finish line is in view, it's laid out in front of me... Meaning I have to make the most of this time, the time where I was be young and do all the things that I might not have time for later.

That's why I'm so glad to live in a world where there are Octobers...
& the Fairfield County Fair

xoxo

KJB

KJB's Fun Fall Weekend

Being a senior makes everything seem that much more final. Doing things for the last time are bittersweet and exciting. This weekend was my university's Homecoming weekend! 

This weekend was a bunch of lasts... My last homecoming game and my last Octoberfest (a philanthropy event my sorority hosts) as a collegiate. It was a great time! 

It's weird to think in a few months, I'll be a college graduate, and hopefully gainfully employed!, but I'm really going to miss this place and these people that I've started to think of as home.

light breezes

colorful leaves

bare trees and AGD

Octoberfest 2014

xoxo

KJB