kiss each other clean.

I'm not gonna lie, I am a band-wagoner when it comes to Iron and Wine. I had never heard of them until I heard "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" on the Twilight soundtrack. Sad, I know. In the years since, I've become somewhat of an Iron and Wine fan. But the new I&W album sealed the deal for me. Whereas all of his old stuff was almost too easy listening, there is way more variety on this album, especially with the instrumentals. Obviously Sam Beam's lyrics are great. That's a given. And with the different instruments, the album actually sounds like Iron and Wine is an actual band, not just some guy with a guitar. 


Anyway, buy this album. 


And check out these live videos of a couple of my favorite songs from the cd!

**All rights reserved for Joseph Darwin who was so kind to let me borrow his copy of this cd and graciously didn't get mad at me when I forgot to bring it back to him. (That's two shoutouts for you, Joe. You owe me.)


Have a great week and don't forget that it's still January even though it felt like April this weekend. Ugh. Winter needs to end.


Clums.

Honestly, we'll never stop this train.

To begin, I just want to apologize to all of my impatient friends that are so obsessed with me that they beg for me to blog about my extremely interesting life. I hope this will satisfy your hunger for my really fascinating thoughts.

Now, to the meat of this blog post. I spent this past December doing a revue called "Rewind" at my school. Most of you are probably wondering what a revue (and yes, this is the correct spelling) is. It's basically a show choir/solo/dance recital that is put on by the drama department at my school. I've done the revue ever since my freshman year, and it has always been one of my fondest memories of high school. I love it every year because, unlike other plays and musicals, I get to stand on stage and sing under my own name. I love the revue because I get to catch a glimpse into the hearts of my fellow drama nerds when they are not "in character." But I especially loved the revue this year. Not because the set list was any different, or the band was any better (even though it was), but because of the incredible company that I was blessed to have kept all throughout rehearsals and the show. 

Those of you that know me know that I have gotten a little emotional in my seniority. Don't even get me started on Toy Story 3. I was practically in a puddle on the floor after that movie... not my finest moment. After the Saturday night performance of the revue back in December, I was a basket case. The day after, I went into a state of deep depression- I listened to "Stop This Train" at least 20 times. So when I found out that we were going to perform Rewind again in January in front of the whole student body as an assembly during school, I was overjoyed! I was so excited to perform it one last time. 

Now, I had expected to be, once again, a basket case after the final performance of the show, but I surprised myself. I was totally fine. Singing my heart out, dancing with a smile on my face... just being on that stage performing my favorite show for the last time was so fulfilling. And on the final song, which of course had to be something sappy like "Over the Rainbow," I held hands with some of my oldest and best friends, some of whom I shared the stage with for the last time. And I was fine. 

So I guess the point of all this is to say, life goes on. After this week, I am beginning to feel a sense of acceptance. And for the longest time, I haven't been excited or ready to leave for college, but I'm getting there. I know that this is the next step in life, and, whether I am ready or not, I have to take it. So I might as well get used to the idea. And get excited while I am at it. Because, as cliche as it is, we're only young once. And I really do believe that college is going to be an incredible experience. Scary, but incredible. And when I get there, I'll be ready. But for now, I'm content being a high schooler, as lame as that may be.

"Certain things.. they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone. I know that's impossible, but it's too bad anyway."

Holden Caulfield, Catcher in the Rye

Awesome: inspiring or displaying awe; excellent or outstanding

Just a few things that I have realized are awesome this weekend:

1. DNOW- Y'all, this event seriously is awesome. It's put on by my church every year, and I have been blessed enough to be able to attend for the past 6. This year was bittersweet, with it being my final year to go as a student, but hopefully I'll be able to go back in the future as a leader. I learned a lot this weekend, but the most important thing I learned was that God's will is connected to His word. I often ask God for things without meeting Him halfway. In order to have our questions answered, we have to do our part in getting to know God. This means spending time in his word and committing ourselves to a relationship with him. The only way that God's will is ever going to become clear to us is if we learn how to hear his voice, which we can only do by listening to his words. 

2. My friends- Phil 1:3

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." This one sums it up.

3. The Pretty Little Liars soundtrack- if you like chill, singer/songwriter-type stuff, check this out. Even if you don't watch the show (Which you should... I'll build it up all day, but haterz always gon' hate) you should give it a listen. The official official soundtrack doesn't come out til February, but I'm prettyyyy sure there's a way to listen to it online.

4. The OC- watch it.

5. Joseph and Albert- These guys are just awesome and this is their shoutout. 

And an MLK-inspired day in honor of the holiday:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA6Q5-Ap3o8

Clumsy.

I'll be your harvester of light and send it out tonight so we can start again.

Having a blog is a lot harder than I thought it would be. It seems that I am not as deep and witty as I would like to think that I am, and now that I am a blogger extraordinaire, it seems like the pressure to be artsy and introspective has increased tenfold. So yall will just have to be patient while I do some soul-searching. Hopefully I'll find something good to put on here!

Even though it's not december anymore, I've been listening to "Winter Song" a ton today. Gotta get into the mood for the great Alabama snowstorm of 2011- I mean, 2-3 INCHES?? Getting on the road is practically suicide, people. Not that I'm complaining- I love a good snow day. But back to winter song: best christmas/seasonal song EVER. And I mean, ever. Sara Bareilles + Ingrid Michaelson = beautiful music. It's as simple as that; a recipe for perfection. It's got Sara's haunting melody and the simplicity that characterizes so much of Ingrid's music. Check out the adorable music video below.

And to close, some encouragement that I stumbled across a couple days ago:
"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'" Isaiah 30:21
Each of our steps is planned by God, foreseen by Him. When we trust in Him, it's like having a road map through life, no matter where we go. And in this hectic whirlwind-life, a secure "way," as Isaiah puts it, is a wonderful thing to bank on. If that doesn't add some sunshine to your wintery day, I don't know what will.

I hope yall have a GREAT snow day! Drink lots of hot chocolate, build lots of snowmen, and spend lots of time fireside. And I guess watch the national championship game. Whatevs.

Clumsy.

my friends call me clumsy.

Well hey there, blog.

I'm actually really excited about this. I've wanted to get a blog for a really long time now, but it takes a lot more courage to release your thoughts and opinions onto the internet than you would think. And it takes spare time, which is something I don't have very much of. But since the second semester of my senior year (YIKES) has just begun, I've had a lot of down time, aka BLOG time!

I stole the title for this blog from one of my favorite songs, On the Radio, by Regina Spektor. If you haven't ever heard it, I HIGHLY recommend it! It's the perfect blend of poetry and an extremely catchy melody. But what I love about this song is its bluntness (which may or may not be a word). It's great for me because I tend to take everything in my life too seriously, especially the decisions that I make. This song sums up what it's all about. It really puts in perspective the things in life that are important. And as I get ready to leave for college, I want nothing more than to spend my last few months at home wisely, with people that I love, doing meaningful things.
And I got the website name for this blog from my precious friends that gave me the affectionate nickname of "Clumsy Kim." Let it be known to the blog readers of the world that I am a VERY clumsy girl. And it's not just when the sidewalk's a little slippery or when I'm wearing super high heels. It is ALL THE TIME. Trust me, you'll want to follow this blog if only for my clumsy moments. They can be QUITE entertaining.

In short, this blog will be about me, my opinions, and my life as I wrap up high school. I'll try to keep it a little more interesting than just a couple sentences about my day here and there. Cause who wants to read about that? No one. And what good is a blog if no one is going to read it? So tell your friends!

Cause clumsy's gone virtual.

"This is how it works: you're young until you're not, you love until you don't, you try until you can't. You laugh until you cry, you cry until you laugh, and everyone must breathe until their dying breath."