coffee date no. 19

Oh, friends. There’s a profound sense of restfulness and rightness washing over me as I sit down to write right now. It has been far too long since my last Coffee Date post. We’re talking since January! I am genuinely relieved to be in a place where I have the clarity to sit down and talk a bit about the latest going on around here. What a joy it is to share life with you!

For those of you who are new around here, Coffee Date posts are where I take a few words to get deeper than my daily outfit posts and share what has been going on in my life outside of Lonestar Southern. Of everything I do here, getting real with, sharing life with and relating with y’all through these in-depth (aka quite wordy) catch up posts is my very favorite.

With that being said, let’s dive into a few favorite photos that have characterized the past few months. You’ll find my full recap (aka jumbled mess of thoughts) below.

ready for the airport

scarf // top // jeans // boots

meeting catherine lowe

dress // earrings

palm beach, florida with lilly pulitzer

robe

san miguel, mexico

top // jeans // sandals // bag (bought in mexico)

san miguel, mexico

top // jeans // sunglasses // hat (bought in mexico)

soulcycle

sports bra // leggings // shoes // sunglasses

asia with starfish project

sweater // jeans

asia with starfish project

sweater // top // jeans // sandals // sunglasses

madrid, spain

sweater // top // jeans // shoes // bag

seville, spain

dress (bought in seville) // earrings

barcelona, spain

jacket // scarf // top // sunglasses

arkansas lakehouse

swimsuit // shorts // hat // sandals

seljalandsfoss, iceland

jacket // striped top // leggings // shoes // rain jacket

rejkjavik, iceland

jacket // striped top // leggings // sunglasses

florence, italy

dress // bag

florence, italy

dress // bag

milan, italy

striped top // white jeans // sandals // bracelet

arkansas lakehouse

swimsuit

nantucket, massachusetts

hat // rain jacket // sweater // striped top // belt // white shorts // sandals

seaside, florida

swimsuit // sunglasses

chicago, Illinois

top // earrings

Let’s start with a question I’ve received from many of you over the past few weeks… why has it taken me so long to write up a new Coffee Date post?

I’ve always found it easier to share life updates when I’ve reached certain mental “conclusions” to whatever season in life I’ve been walking through – when I have perspective enough to tie up everything that I’ve been doing and learning into a nice, insightful, pretty little post.

Well, y’all… the greater part of the past eight months have been so transient and all over the place that until recently, “conclusive” is the last thing I have felt.

So many factors and things up in the air, so much going on that I didn’t feel like I had a grip on. That was me. Craving a place of routine and “settledness” and sunken-in roots, and instead, feeling all over the place both mentally and physically. But  today, I’m happy and thankful to be sitting in a season of rest and clarity, ready to chat your ear off about it!

So what did the past eight months look like for me? A lot of travel. A lot of travel. In fact, I’d spend about two weeks a month at the very least away from my desk and life in Dallas. Initially, I loved the idea of that! Doesn’t it sound glamorous? Bopping around from destination to destination?

From the photos above, I know it certainly looked that way. Asia, Spain, Iceland, Sweden, France, Italy, Chicago, Nantucket, Palm Beach.

Trust me, there was so much of that travel and adventure that I absolutely loved. I feel so lucky that my schedule allowed for it. But what I didn’t realize was the toll it started to take on me personally. My life rhythm began to turn into two weeks of travel straight, minimum, and then two weeks of crunch time here in Dallas where I’d attempt to fit a months worth of work into fourteen days.

Turns out, that wasn’t a super healthy life-work balance for me. Who would have thought! :) Instead of the joy I’ve always found it to be, work started to become an overbearing burden. I wasn’t the friend I wanted to be since I was never around. Even things like my prayer life and commitments that I had here in Dallas suffered.

Amidst most of the fun and adventure (which is what you see all prettily-filtered above), there was exhaustion, insecurity and a feeling of displacement.

But then, in an unforeseen turn of events, life slowed down. It was the last thing I expected, but little did I know it was just what I needed.

July rolled around, and after a conversation of mutual clarity, the cowboy and I decided to break up.  The long-distance element was a challenge we were both happy to work around, but at the end of the day, it was a pace we couldn’t keep up.

I want to take a second to say that he is an absolutely incredible guy, and I only have thankfulness for our story. I feel so lucky to have had him in my life, and am so excited for where the Lord takes him in his future!

It’s been in the wake of that decision that travel has begun to slow down considerably over the past few months. Life has settled into a wonderful, manageable, orderly pace. Sine I’m not here only two out of four weeks, I have had weekends here in Dallas to devote to friends and rest. I’ve started being able to be present for the things I want and need to be present for.

Out of a sad moment, God brought a lot of blessing I didn’t know I needed.

The older I get, and as each passing Coffee Date goes by, I see more and more just how well the Lord knows me. He knows my heart, my desires, my thoughts, my insecurities and my dreams far better and more clearly than I ever could. Time and time again, I’ve seen Him provide for me in ways that were anything but “wanted” at first, and which turned into profound blessings.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Ecclesiastes 3:11

This verse has been cycling through my heart and mind over the past few weeks because in this season I’ve seen it is so true. The Lord makes everything beautiful in its time. In His time. See, the thing is, so often it isn’t my timing or my standard of “beauty.” For the longest time that made me feel like He didn’t really know me or understand what I was going through… because I couldn’t see the “finish line” or “happily ever after” right away. Moment after moment of “Really, God?! Not exactly what I had planned. At ALL.”

But the older I get, the more thankful I am for that. I see it time and time again. He knows so much more than I do. He sees so much more than I do. His ways are so much better than mine.

So now that I’ve reached this season of happiness and contentment, what’s ahead? Oh y’all… so many fun things! Two of my very best friends are engaged, and this girl loves nothing more than wedding festivities. I have a trip to Washington D.C. planned here in the next couple of weeks, and get to visit my best friend Amanda in Austin this weekend. Dallas life continues to be so fun as amazing new restaurants pop up all over the place and I have the opportunity to meet more and more people. I’m loving spin class at SoulCycle, Halo Top Cookies & Cream ice cream, 3:30 pm cups of coffee and listening to Cody Johnson on repeat.

Life is beautiful and life is good, even when life is hard. Today, I’m rejoicing in how He has made and will continue to make everything beautiful in its time.

Love from Texas,

Kate

 

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25 Comments

  1. Claire Groff said:

    So happy to hear you are doing well, Kate! Keep up the amazing work :).

    Published 10.5.17 · Reply
  2. Nora said:

    So sorry to hear that you guys broke up, but sometimes it’s just not the right time for two people to join their paths of life! So glad there are no harsh feelings, you’re handling this in such a grown up manner Kate. I wish the best and most happiness to you for your future shenanigans ;)

    Published 10.5.17 · Reply
  3. I love when you are vulnerable! Traveling always takes a toll on me as well. Listening to the Lord’s plan and his design is hard but oh so sweet. I can’t wait to continue reading about your journey. Jess at Just Jess

    Published 10.5.17 · Reply
  4. Ellie said:

    Kate,
    I thought y’all may have broken up… My heart goes out to you. This post touched me on a spiritual level, and was weirdly just what I needed today. You’ll be in my thoughts!

    Published 10.5.17 · Reply
  5. Ruth said:

    Kate,

    I have missed the coffee date posts and today I realised why – these posts remind me to stay focused on now and not the past or future. So many times we forget God has a plan, an unknown plan to us and each step takes us closer and makes us the person ready for the next chapter.

    Thank you!!

    Published 10.5.17 · Reply
  6. Kaeleen said:

    Oh sweet kate, how true are these words! It’s incredible to see how the Lord knows us so much better than we’ll ever know ourselves. you always seem to find the joy in life & it’s quite inspiring. glad you’re doing well, love!

    Published 10.5.17 · Reply
  7. Carly said:

    Omg dc! That’s where I live :) it is absolutely so fun in dc. You should totally try Farmers Fishers Bakers or their sister restaurant Farmers and Distillers. Also Baked and Wired cupcakes or Astro Donuts or District Donuts. Or especially Teds Bulletin’s homemade pop tarts! I would love if you did a meetup in dc as well!

    Published 10.5.17 · Reply
  8. Meredith said:

    Nothing but love for you Kate! I super appreciate the times you incorporate your faith into your posts, the words you share are super comforting and a beautiful reminder of what we should cling to in tough (or super busy) times! You are such a light and I am so thankful to be able to look up to you!

    Published 10.5.17 · Reply
  9. Bre said:

    Kate,
    This post is exactly what I needed to hear! God used you to speak to me directly. I have been putting off starting my own blog for over a year now, simply because I didn’t feel ready. It wasn’t in my timing -but God (man, those two words hold so much power)- God has been telling me that HIS timing is everything, and now I know. Its time to follow Him, and he will make it beautiful in HIS timing!

    Thank you for being so transparent with us, and thanks for the inspiration and words of wisdom.

    Published 10.5.17 · Reply
  10. Alexa said:

    wow this post is amazing!

    http://alexamjohnson.com

    Published 10.5.17 · Reply
  11. Annabelle said:

    This is such a lovely post! I love the little summary of your past few months, and it looks like you had such a wonderful time! Exploring so many different places, I’m jealous!

    x Annabelle
    travelsandtea.com

    Published 10.5.17 · Reply
  12. Morgan said:

    I am so thankful for your coffee talks! I have been feeling so restless in what my life has looked like lately and keep wanting things to happen now… I didn’t realize how much I was trying to rely on my time rather than God’s. Your post is definitely an encouragement in that. Thank you, friend!!

    Published 10.5.17 · Reply
  13. Bailey said:

    Kate your coffee date posts are always a favorite of mine, thank you for sharing!!

    Published 10.5.17 · Reply
  14. Sarah said:

    Absolutely love this! So inspiring to know God has such a great plan for everyone!💗💗💗

    Published 10.5.17 · Reply
  15. Alana said:

    Kate, Lovely post! Appreciate your openness and vulnerability with all of us. I learn every time you share what the Lord’s been teaching you.

    Published 10.5.17 · Reply
  16. Nicole said:

    Thank you so much for sharing your heart :) the Lord and his timing are so good!

    Published 10.5.17 · Reply
  17. Sophie said:

    I’m so excited for when my grocery store gets Halo Top’s vegan flavors. The flavors sound amazing.

    http://www.goldclutter.com

    Published 10.5.17 · Reply
  18. Kristyn said:

    Thanks for sharing!! Love reading honest posts like this. I’m from DC, so if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to let me know. You’ll love fall in DC!!

    Kristyn
    http://www.kristynalysse.com

    Published 10.6.17 · Reply
  19. Emily said:

    I’m glad things have slowed down for you! Let me know if you ever need a friend to try out new places in Dallas! 😊

    Published 10.6.17 · Reply
  20. Ariana said:

    Lovely and gorgeous pictures! I love the Coffee Dates so I was excited to see one today! I’m sorry to hear about your breakup, those are hard. But the fact that you’re finding peace and seeing God’s plan working is an amazing thing! After my hardest breakup (also the first), it took me a long time to see that it was actually for the best and God was helping me! I’m praying for you to stay strong girl, keep doing you!

    Absolutely Ariana
    http://absolutelyariana.com/

    Published 10.7.17 · Reply
  21. Tabea said:

    Dear Kate,

    so happy to hear that you are doing well. And how true are these words. I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed with my work-life-balance myself and reading your words made me feel so much better. Thank you for the beautiful reminder of what is really important in life and to stay focus on the most important. Also thank you for always being so honest with all of us.
    Keep up the good work and sending you all the best from Germany xoxo

    Published 10.8.17 · Reply
  22. Erica Nickel said:

    Thanks for sharing your heart, Kate! I have recently found your blog, and love it! Thanks for being so real and transparent!
    Blessings to you as you continue to follow after the Lord!
    Erica

    Published 10.8.17 · Reply
  23. Lauren said:

    If only everyone could be as heartfelt, kind, and beautiful (inside and out) as you!

    Published 10.11.17 · Reply
  24. Andra said:

    Well I am sad that you and the cowboy broke up but I’ve noticed that he still likes the instagram photo’s of you – something tells me this isn’t quite over with yet. As usual I love all the gorgeousness that you share. Ciao bella…

    Published 10.14.17 · Reply