You made it!
Take a deep breath. My name is Katie and it’s wonderful to welcome you into this space.
Our culture is demanding isn’t it? I juggle as an administrator, master scheduler, wife, and daughter by day and a writer by night.
I believe in the power of seeking beautiful things right alongside acknowledging and honoring the hurt and pain of our broken world. This seeking often includes Jesus, vanilla lattes, books, journals, pens with ink and recipes for baked goods. Come snack time I prefer chips and guacamole or sipping a cold, crisp glass of white wine. I suck at winking, still can’t drive stick shift, and am learning to play the ukulele.
Because life’s a work in progress, right?
I’ve got dreams of writing books and making cute merchandise and traveling to speaking engagements while encouraging others to find peace, pause, and patience in healing processes.
I hope you find what you’re seeking in this space – answers to questions about writing, a corner of peace, or a piece of quiet in a loud and noisy world. If you’re interested in working together, let’s connect. Send me an email at 52beautifulthings at gmail dot com and I’ll get back to you soon!
Enjoy!
Below is my intent for this blog – so much progress has been made since these words were written in 2013. Join me in my journey, and explore my posts to see what beautiful things are waiting for discovery.
I write each week – one post – and share my thoughts and reflections about my world. Thanks for joining in the search.
“Write to your heart’s content and by all means, have fun with your creation. It’s your moment to do absolutely anything within those pages.”
― Jennifer Murgia
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2013 was a hard year. When I was talking to my mom about one of the discussions she had had on New Year’s Eve with one of her clients, the woman said, “Yeah, I can’t wait to close the door on that bitch.” Well ditto sister. That’s exactly how I feel as well. It was a year of significant transition for me. The first time I moved out of my parents house – I’m about 88% on the way to financially independent. The first time I lived with a boy. A boy I said I would marry. And the first time I started to plan a wedding. It was the first time I had a “big kid job.” And then found out I hated that job, and tried again. And again. And again. Luckily I was able to keep landing jobs, but a job for each season lends its challenges too. And certainly makes my resume look, well, diversified. It was the first time I had to watch someone I love die, and watch my mom struggle too, as she said goodbye to her dad. It was the first time I postponed a wedding – financial uncertainty and emotional stress do not a happy wedding planning bring. Postponed…. not called off. This is an important distinction. Do not ask me if we have picked a date yet. It was the first time I was a maid of honor, saying good luck to my best friend as she began her new married adventure and the first time I opened the door to realizing that “life long friendship” takes a heck of a lot more work than I anticipated. To wrap up the year my fiancé also got laid off. God has been testing my patience and my trust in all that the universe has to offer me, and I will be the first to let you know that I am NOT patient.
Have you seen that book called “F*** I’m in my 20s!” by Emma Koenig? Well, you should check it out, because that, my friend, is quite often how I felt last year (and if I’m honest with myself how I still feel). For some reason, people gloss right over this weird, difficult, exciting time called “finding yourself.” No one really tells you how unsettling it is to be off in this great big world on your own left with a college degree, some debt, a car payment and the opportunity to pursue anything you want. Well anything you want certainly lends you quite a lot of options, and I’d say I’m still trying to figure out exactly what that means.
And so, for 2014, I wanted to start the year off with a bit more of an optimistic outlook. People say that gratitude increases happiness. Happiness is something I certainly want to cultivate in my life, and so, in an effort to practice gratitude and find the good in the every day, or rather the every week, I have challenged myself to find one beautiful thing to think about, to reflect on, or to discover each week.
52 Beautiful Things 
Hello KATIE! I’ve enjoyed reading about your blog and all the experiences you’ve had. I love your style. It’s quite captivating; and I find you energetic and determined.I see great things right ahead for you. I hope you continue to be source of inspiration to your readers and followers.
I’ve just discovered your site, and I see from this page that you’re at the end of your third year here. I’ve been blogging here at WordPress for about 6 years now — with several different sites (all for different purposes) — but I’m focusing on a new poetry site right now as a sort of personal therapy after the loss of my very best friend. It’s a refreshing that I needed. But I wanted to tell you that your whole purpose and goal for this sit — to deliberately set out to find something beautiful to be grateful for each week — is absolutely wonderful.
You are so right about how important gratitude is for a happy and healthy life. Gratitude really does help us stay healthy. I remember a few years ago, I was spending some time in prayer, and the Lord started dealing with me about the importance of being truly grateful.He then called my attention to the scripture in Proverbs that says “a merry heart does good like a medicine.” Suddenly, I found myself singing a little chorus. The tune was from an old childhood kid’s song: “This is the way we brush our teeth.” But the words flowing through my spirit were these:
“I will have a grateful heart;
A grateful heart is a cheerful heart;
A cheerful heart is medicine,
So I can be well and strong.”
I just sang it over and over. And have sung it many times since. It’s true that being grateful makes our hearts cheerful, and even medical science has now proven that a cheerful heart and laughter really can produce health. So keep up the great work, Katie!
Great article ! I just followed you and I am definitely looking forward to reading your articles !
Hi, I just found your blog through Facebook’s Modern Loss. Sorry about your dad. My mom passed last year from pancreatic cancer. I don’t enjoy silence, so I listen to radio and am frequently online or working multiple jobs to keep my mind busy from the solitude of being single and wanting to find someone as beautiful as you to share my life. I read you’re married already. So I started a blog years ago and don’t know what to write about. It was going to be about travel, but I have to afford to travel first. Have a good day, and thanks for a nice blog.
-Steve
You have a beautiful blog! I love your writing style–it’s free, enlightening and easy to follow. I am looking forward to reading your future content!