my christmas, this year

okay folks, just like i promised! here is a little creative surprise that i've been working on over the past two days. i decided since my new camera is known for it's fabulous hd video that i should give it a try. so, i took some video throughout the christmas season and put it to one of my favorite she and him's tunes. i hope you enjoy!

my christmas, this year. from Kathryn McCrary on Vimeo.

christmas according to my iphone

christmas 2011.

how is it already over???

i am having serious withdrawals over here.

so, i am just going to relive the season through my blog

while i continue to enjoy the glow of my christmas tree :)

what have the mccrarys been up to? well, last thursday we loaded down eleanor and headed south for a winter break. flahida was extremely hot {like 85 degrees} which made the trip feel like spring break more than christmas. part of the reason why i don't feel like christmas has happened yet. despite the heat wave, it was a great visit, full of three christmas suppers, lots of yummy treats and gifts, tons of family, and even a little running on beautiful bayshore.

more christmas pictures to come. and possibly a little creative surprise.

merry christmas!

merry christmas from our family to yours!

we are relaxing it up in beautiful tampa.

be back soon with more photos and fun!

gameday

well, my georgia bulldogs didn't upset lswho yesterday,

but at least katie and i made it on the tv!

i got in trouble with espn because they didn't know what my sign meant,

and they made me take mine down.

at least it made it on during the first ten minutes of gameday!

#7 - orson charles

#11 - aaron murray

(813) - tampa, fl

proud of my phs boys playing so well at uga!

go dawgs.

i don't mind the dark anymore

lately {as in the past two days}

i have enjoyed the early sunset.

my new routine is coming home from work,

putting on the christmas playlist,

and plugging our tree in.

the sky is all dark around me,

and the room is dim with soft glow from the tree lights

that reflect out into the darkness

and mimic the skyline lights.

christmas time in the city.

cue the music: "silver bells"

oh how i love thee.

thankfully

i finally don't have to hit next on my iphone

when a Christmas song comes on!

thanksgiving is great

{especially with cobbler}

but now on to the Christmas Season!

we snuck in a little tree into the condo

shhh don't tell

and started decorating it this weekend.

it still has a long way to go, but she sure is a beauty!

trip to tennessee

well, i guess since it's november i should blog about all of our october adventures :) i do want you to know that today i looked at our calendar and figured out that throughout the 20 weeks that we've lived in atlanta thus far, we have only had 6 weekends that didn't involve traveling or big events. it has been a very busy fall for us, needless to say!

after my field trip to jekyll island, i hopped in the car and we headed to sevierville, tennessee for a wonderful weekend with friends and georgia football.

we rode go carts

talked to holly

ate really yummy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

dawned on our red and black

walked around UT's campus

cheered on our bulldogs

and then later hiked in the mountains

oh, the mountains, how i miss you!

thank you, katie for a fabulous weekend getaway.

jekyll island

hello there blog friends! are you still with me? i have lots of things to update you on...mainly the entire month of october! so, why have i been behind? well, it all started with my trip to jekyll. i went on a 3 day, 2 night field trip with my students to jekyll island. it was so much fun, but really exhausting {if you can imagine}. after getting off the bus with all those kiddos friday night, it was time to head to tennessee for the weekend. i had a wonderful weekend in the mountains {more on that later} but came back to a crazy week, complete with a 24 hour flu bug {yay} and hand writing report cards. so, here were are weeks later, and i have so much to catch you up on!

our trip to jekyll island was really fun. for someone that has been to the beach a lot, i learned so much about the wild life and how beaches change over time. we saw lots of critters while on our beach walks: various crabs and even beached jelly fish.

the north end beach of jekyll island is extremely different from the south end. here are some pictures of the north end. this spot use to be a maritime forest, but over time, the beach eroded and the trees died because of the salt water taking over. the huge trees fell and created this grave yard of trees, which were really cool. because fungi and bacteria won't grow here, the trees will not decompose and the salt will actually preserve them. {see i told you i learned a lot!}

we also had herpetology class, full of snakes, turtles, and even alligators. i was brave and held the snake.

then it was off to fish dissecting...which i did not participate in, but did watch.

i played mom a lot and had to pull a variety of stickers out of children and tell them how brave they are...check out the size of this one!

there were also tons of beautiful butterflies!

okay, that's all for now. i'll be back soon with more of october :)

happy 21st birthday, sis!!!

i can't believe you are twenty - one!!!

go shawty, it's yo birfday.

i love you so much!

oh and this, too

i forgot to mention in the weekend post about our outing on sunday. we were strolling the neighborhood, enjoying the brisk, october air when we stumbled upon an estate sale. we have frequented many a yard sale in hopes of finding treasures, but never an estate sale.

it wasn't open yet, so we decided we would head back home, change, and drive back over. i have never had so much drive to run before in my life. if only every day i could have a reason to run. anyways, i am very sore today, thank you estate sale.

our first estate sale definitely gave me a weird feeling. we perused this huge house, digging through these strangers' stuff trying to find a bargain or two. i felt like i was intruding almost. and then i started wondering...what happened to the people who lived here? why are they selling all their stuff? are they alive??? thankfully, the craze of wanting a deal came over me and i was able to push those thoughts aside.

so, what did we get?

a sharper image ionic air filter {still in the plastic}

a 3 inch binder {50 cents}

two books for our bookshelves

and a Christmas wreath

all for $20

that's right.

a steal.

but you want to know what wasn't a steal?

that pretty coffee table that was calling my name.

too bad it was $900!!!

geeze, people.

...

what is your best yard sale/estate sale bargain?

weekend update

hope you had a wonderful weekend!

ours was delightfully uneventful :)

we spent our date night friday at murphy's for dinner and palo's gelato for dessert.

two of my favorite spots in atlanta.

at murphy's, i got the steak salad and

hubby got the brisket, like a true texan.

we recommend both.

at palo's, we matched and got the sprinkle cone with fragola gelato.

so, what does 'fragola' mean?

chocolate covered strawberry.

perfection, i know.

i about melted when the lady told me.

might as well change the name to from fragola to kathryn,

because i LOVE chocolate + strawberry combo.

...

saturday began with the windows open,

a PSL and college gameday.

followed by lots of college football

and a trip to the movies to see moneyball,

which was really good!

i also ordered these business cards this weekend:

from tinyprints :)

can't wait to get them in the mail!

overall, it was a great weekend to start off one of my favorite months,

OCTOBER!!!

here's to more days with the windows open,

wearing my boots and scarves,

pumpkins in the market,

and PSL!!!

fall fashion

i am pretty sure that whoever is in charge of starting the fashion trends

had me in mind for fall 2011.

i mean, come on!

all of my favorites, together?

skinny pants

wide leg pants

long skirts

oversized sweaters

antique, gold jewelry

feminine blouses

oh my!!!

i want to jump into this fashion shoot

and steal it all.

especially at minute 2:13.

so cute!

souper supper

thursday night supper at

souper jenny's with friends.

yes, it was as good as it sounds!

brie, arugula, and chutney grilled cheese

with goat cheese tomato bisque.

plus table side s'mores!

yes, please!

ode to oats

so lately i have been really into oatmeal.

oatmeal, you say?

yes, oatmeal.

i used to hate it,

but now i love it.

lately, i have been trying a lot of new foods

that i thought i didn't like

only to find out that i love them now!

for example, peaches. hello!

why have i deprived myself from peaches my entire life???

the texture of them used to make me cringe,

but now i really like them.

other new faves: lemon in my water, pimento cheese {!!!}, and scallops.

i know, i know

i'm growing up.

okay, back to the purpose of this post:

i figured i'd tell you about my favorite brand and flavor of oatmeal.

i have only tried a few, and i am hooked

on publix's organic maple brown sugar.

even though i have two months of school under my belt,

5:45 am never is fun...

thankful for sweet, hot oatmeal to wake me up!

tuesday

tuesday fun with my katie.

our date included free cold stone ice cream

and then a trip to H&M.

we were hopeful to find some fall inspiration,

but all we found were these amazing outfits.

totally 80s and grungy 90s.

part of me wishes i could sport that

sweet denim vest

with fo-lamb's fur

every day this fall.

too bad it's ridiculous.

i did find these fabulous pants,

at anthro

that perfectly encompass fall.

now all i need is for them to go on sale!

hope you had a great tuesday!

oh how lovely

my sweet husband bought these for me last week.

hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers,

and i just love the shades of these blooms.

i am so impressed and thankful

that they are still standing strong!

wedding weekend

this weekend, my dear friend meghan got married!

it was such a fun weekend

overflowing with love, laughter, tears,

and sweet sweet friends.

the weekend began at the swan coach house

for the bridesmaids' luncheon

it was so delightful and sweet.

after rehearsing, we dined at the city club,

enjoying views of buckhead while toasting

to the great couple.

saturday began with a prayer breakfast

at highland bakery (yum)

and then it was time

to get ready for the big day!

stunning bride

{bride's hair and make up done by

the wonderful claudia mejerle}

such a wonderful wedding!

congratulations to the daniels!!!

infinity pool, check.

i spent friday and saturday with friends

at the ritz carlton on reynold's plantation

to kick off meghan and al's wedding week.

and it was delightful.

first time there

can't wait to go back :)

it was so lovely

and a wonderful way

to celebrate our meghan

now, bring on the party!

never forget

{photo from national geographic here}

i can't believe it has been 10 years.

i can remember the first time i learned about the twin towers.

i was ten, and on my way to new york city with my family.

my grammy leaned over to look out the window of the plane

and said to me, "look, there are the twin towers."

i can remember being in awe of the matching giants.

the next time i heard about the twin towers was

from ms. shaughnessy, my drama teacher,

as the world froze in horror on 9/11.

we have been watching all of the specials this weekend

and really taking in all of the perspectives

from that day.

if you watched the memorial service,

you may have noticed

mayor rudy giuliani's speech.

he quotes ecclesiastes 3,

for which our blog is themed.

i hope you've been able to take in some of the media today

and really reflect on that day.

andy stanley at northpoint church spoke today about

our leaders remembering our country's motto:

in God we trust.

a great reminder on this day.

listen here and be sure to check out the entire series.

it is really good!

tgif

happy friday, friends!

the 4 day week is over

and today about made me say a 4 letter word

why is it that short weeks seem longer??

and i am certain that an elementary classroom

on a friday afternoon

rivals the craziness of wall street

right before the closing bell.

at least that's how i feel.

well, i'm happy that the weekend is back.

just me and my pretzel m&ms hanging out.

are they not the best candy in the world?

i hope they give me a jolt of energy,

because it's time to party!

dinner and the weepies tonight.

and then scott's tomorrow.

hoping to complete our living room ;)

be back soon.

{km}

is it fall yet?

now, i know the first day of fall

isn't until the 23rd,

BUT

starbucks' pumpkin spiced latte

(PSL, for fans)

is in stores starting today {!!!}

hip hip hooray

candy corn, come to me.

ty, how are we going to top last year?

is it too early to pick pumpkins???

dearly loved

recently, one of my best friends from tampa asked me to join her prayer committee for her youth ministry at her church. she is amazing at her job and has such a heart for middle school and high school kids. it has been so exciting to pray for the ministry and see what God is doing in the community and the lives of these youth. my biggest prayer has been for the "veil to be lifted", meaning that these teens would see and experience God's love fully. i can remember being so confused when it came to my faith during middle school and high school. i grew up knowing about Jesus, but never really understanding why He was so important. i can still remember hearing the Gospel for the first time and not knowing that what i was experiencing was actually the Gospel.

even after i had realized i was broken and accepted Jesus as my Savior, my faith was so hazy and like a veil. i am thankful that the Lord has revealed Himself to me throughout my life thus far (and i don't even want to think about what i would be like without Him!) and i can only hope and pray that for those who are searching continue.

i recently finished the sequel to The Swan House, The Dwelling Place by Elizabeth Musser. both books capture the beauty and raw emotions and questions of people searching for God. i highly recommend both books. they are so well written and such great stories about an Atlanta family during the 1960s and then present. reading these stories recently has only fueled my desire and excitement for these youth that i am praying for.

i can still remember memorizing my first Bible verse (and not knowing what the numbers and the colon meant) : "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11

when i was first learning this verse, i never went further to see what the next few verses said, AND THEY ARE SO GOOD! they really speak to this idea of searching and wanting to know God: "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" Jeremiah 29:12-13 ah, so great! what a wonderful promise from God. He wants us to know Him just like He knows us.

so, do you know that you are dearly loved? on my way home for work today, i was listening to one of my favorite worship songs, "Dearly Loved" by Jimmy Needham (which led me to blog about this). that song always takes me back to the days that i didn't know Jesus and it is always a good reminder of how blessed i am just to be loved by Jesus.

"no greater joy

no greater peace

no greater love than this.."

click here to read more of the lyrics :)

party weekend

last weekend was party weekend {!!!}

friday night friends came over

to celebrate meghan

with a fun little shower.

bride with her hostesses

then, saturday night we headed to the farm to celebrate bride #2, kirkley

yay for wedding season. keep the parties coming!

happy saturday

brunch

errands

nap time

oh weekend, stay forever.

responsibility

i decided it was time for me to take care of a living thing

other than myself {and my hubby}.

so, off to home depot i went

to purchase 2 real plants.

here is one of them, a dumb cane.

i also bought a chinese evergreen {not pictured}.

before making my purchase,

i researched them and looked for

good indoor plants that help with air purification,

and these two were on the list!

so, there you have it.

i've got green babies.

hopefully they will last longer than

that dinky mini strawberry plant

{that i got for $1 at target}

who lost it's life one night in the wind.

hope you are having a great week!

check you out, chane'

the day has finally arrived! my dear friend chane', over at what the hart likes has been featured on the long adored no big dill blog!!! go to this post to see chane's etsy shop items on the dill blog. then, buy a cookbook and enter to win one of chane's adorable dish towels. and if you don't win, you can just go to her etsy shop :)

it's official.

i'm turning into "that teacher".

i think all the cool ones were purchased last week,

before school started.

i guess that's what i get for procrastinating.

i am excited about my first teacher planner.

i figured i couldn't get by with just my personal planner anymore;

planning for six subjects is a lot more than just two.

don't tell anyone, but i kinda like the jumbo pencil.

highlights from the week/end

1. finally got to move into my classroom (this is a before. after pic still in process)

2. dinner with friends at fickle pickle

3. saturday morning farmers market

4. yummy pizza

5. dinner with veggies from the market

6. possible first day of school outfit?

hope you had a wonderful weekend :)