2014 Recap

When I first thought about 2014, I thought it seemed uneventful to me because nothing really STOOD out. All it took though, was a look at photos taken in the past year to realize how good of a year 2014 was for me. The year was full of endings and new beginnings. Chapters closing and chapters opening. Developing as a person and really becoming an individual. Heck, if I were to guess 365 days ago where I would be in a year, I would have never guessed that I would be going to the University of Minnesota, moving in with some of my best friends, while missing my other best friends on the other side of the country. But enough of that, perhaps I shall some photo memories of what 2014 was like for me.

In 2014, I .....


  • Graduated from high school
  • Went to Florida with high school friends for an unforgettable Spring Break


  • Received 3rd place at State for Synchronized Swimming for mine and my teammates Trio

  • Did this


  • Had one last Hurrah with my high school friends

  • Moved to Arizona to attend Arizona State University


  • Watched Germany win the World Cup 

  • Met these two girls who would soon become my best friends (and went to a One Direction concert with them)

  • Visited Paige in Flagstaff 

  • Followed by going home with Drew and going to Disneyland for the first time


  • Said goodbye to some friends



  • And hello to other friends 



Overall, the year was pretty incredible. I wouldn't change it for the world. So thank you to 2014, and a giant welcome to 2015!

New, New Beginnings.

I’ve been really thinking about how to write this post for the longest time now. I’ve written and rewritten this about thirty times when I finally realized, I don’t need to go into details. In fact, I don’t really want to go into details that much. It’s a complex situation that I’ve spent the past three months processing and really think. That being said, better to rip it off as a bandaid, right
I will be transferring to the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities next semester.
It wasn’t an easy decision to make, that was for sure. And there are multiple reasons behind why I have made this decision, but I won’t bore you with the details. In a short story, ASU didn’t seem to be the right fit for me. As great as a university it is, including the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications, it just isn’t the school for me. I had a hard time making the decision to switch because of the strong friendships I had made while attending the school, friendships that I only dreamed of making before going to school. But at the end of the day, I needed to really decide what was best for me. I started dealing with your average freshman year crisis of “Is this really the major I want to be going into? I don’t think I like this major. Do I like this major? Maybe I do, I don’t know. What do I really want to do with my life? What if I choose a major and graduate and regret it?” Oh yes, it was not pretty.
On another note, I am so overwhelmingly excited to be a Gopher, which I secretly had always wanted, but I knew I wanted to get a feel of what else was out there. I do not regret any part about going out to Arizona and being a Sun Devil, I am so glad that I did it. I can see why all of my friends love it there and I am gutted that I don’t really feel the same way. But yes, I am still planning on “bleeding” maroon and gold, and I have already learned the Minnesota Fight song as well as made an entire Pinterest board dedicated to the U of M, so I guess that means I’m excited, right?
As for the friendships and memories I’ve made at ASU, I’m not worried at all. There are plenty of cliches out there for people like us, and I have a feeling they’ll be hearing from me and seeing me frequently enough where they will get sick of me!
I just had to listen to my gut and heart on this one. And I’ve learned a lot about myself in this process. So I guess what I’m asking is: Will you take me back, Minnesota? At least for college?

Here’s to New, New Beginnings.

The Anatomy Of...



If you had opened this blog post in hope of me (finally) teaching you about the bodily structure of a mysterious object, I am sorry to disappoint.

HOWEVER, it just so happens that there is up-and-coming band called The Anatomy Of... and trust me, you need to check them out.

Some brief information on these guys: The Anatomy Of... is made up of Dan Smith and Nick Glass. Nick and Dan met up in Duluth, Minnesota in 2011 and shared a love for music/realized they are both pretty kick-ass at being musically talented so they decided to gift us all with their talent. (Okay so maybe it didn't happen that way exactly, but it seems like a logical explanation due to how great they sound).

They released their debut, self titled album on October 31st of this year and I haven't been able to stop listening to it since. With the perfect mix of folk and acoustic, they also seem to have a hint of jazz/soul to their sound that really has them stand out above any other similar music. Listening to them, I can feel the influence of Andrew Bird with even a hint of Ben Howard to it.

The music is ideal "coffee shop" music and can magically give me focus, when needed. As a matter of fact, I listen to them whenever I am studying or writing a paper of some sort. It's funny because if you turn on some of their stuff and just lay down, you can physically feel your body relaxing.

My favorite tracks on the album include Lost, This Place, Snowtracks, and Troubadour which is featuring Glass's brother, Remy, who helps on vocals and guitar.

This band really seems to check off all the things on the list: they're new, they're cool, they're local (well, if you're from Minnesota), and you can tell they sound just as good live as they do on the album.

So please, do yourself a favor and take a listen to The Anatomy Of...

(Here are links to their album on iTunes and Spotify, as well as their Facebook page and website)

On Facebook
The Anatomy Of...
Listen on iTunes! 
Listen on Spotify!

XOXO
Audrey

The Halloween Outfit Of The Day Project

On the last day of September this year, I was doing my usual FaceTiming with my parents, like any other college student. My mother said she had a little present for me to help with my homesickness, but it was a surprise and she wasn't going to tell me what it was. The next day, this "gift" of mine was posted on Instagram for the world to see, though she made it clear for me, it was in my honor. You see my mother loves Halloween. Scratch that, she eat, sleeps, and breathes Halloween. October is by far the greatest month of the year, and the fact that it is her birthday month only makes it even better. That being said, during the Halloween holiday season, my household becomes a costume headquarters. It felt weird being away at school this year and not be able to experience the chaos of Halloween back home, so to help me with this homesickness, my mothers gift to me was to post an Outfit Of The Day (OOTD) on Instagram for me for every day of October, only with Halloween costumes. 

Now that October is Over, I shall share with you all the creativity and Halloween costumes of Katrina Kruse.



October 1st: Baby being born.
I feel the need to mention October 1st is my mother's birthday, so this one felt appropriate to her.



October 2nd: Kooky Spook
I'm not entire sure what this is supposed to be, but enjoy a childhood costume of my mothers!



October 3rd: Maleficent



October 4th: Sophia from Golden Girls



October 5th: Reverse Cowgirl



October 6th: Richard Simmons and Dee Snider
Throwback from 1996, and yes that is my manly father as Richard Simmons.



October 7th: Mexican Wrestler


October 8th: Candy Girls
Gotta love Freshman year, eh Francine?



October 9th: Slash



October 10th: Benjamin Franklin



October 11th: Teddy Roosevelt



October 12th: Easter Witch
Because everyone knows that Sweden's scariest holiday is Easter!



October 13th: Jack Nicholson
We discovered the resemblance on accident.



October 14th: Linda Belcher from Bob's Burgers



October 15th: A woman and hockey player
Ladies and gentlemen, meet my beloved Godparents



October 16th: Regular and Travel-sized Toothpaste (and NJ Housewife)
Fine Al, you win cutest child costume...



October 17th: Joan Rivers, a tribute



October 18th: Tootsie Pop Owl
I received a phone call from my mother saying "I went to the thrift store asking for a bird beak and they didn't have one! So I got a duck beak instead.. Do you think anyone will notice?"


October 19th: Little German
"Do you speak a foreign language?" "I know a little German."



October 20th: Bad Santa and Fitness guru
Meet my brother(s): Al Kruse (right) and Sam Paulson (left)


October 21st: Santa Lucia
The Cow-Flicka of Sveirge!



October 22nd: Fatal Attraction
My mother's coworker, Amber.



October 23rd: Grim Reaper and (angry) 50s Girl
I insisted I needed "angry eyebrows" to complete my costume.



October 24th: Boxer



October 25th: Little Edie from Grey Gardens
I suggest you look up "Little Edie dance" on Youtube, as my mother nailed this costume.



October 26th: Elf
She's the same size as an elf too, if I may add.



October 27th: Prince
Honoring Minnesota's own Royalty.



October 28th: Madonna



October 29th: Tobias Funke from Arrested Developement
Forever one of my favorites, claps to Uncle Claire!



October 30th: Snow Princess, Turtle, and Banjo Kazooie
Welcome to Halloween in Minnesota.



October 30th p. 2: Blind Man, Bride, and Boxer
Following my mother's footsteps, it seems.



October 30th p. 3: Prince, Dr. Fink, Evel Knievel, Rockabilly Zombie, Pimp, Wizard, Scary Spice and the Grim Reaper 



October 31st: Triangle Sally
Filmed at the restaurant my brother works at. I'm so sorry Al.




Well folks, if we've learned anything here, it's that you will never be able to beat Mother Kruse at her Halloween game, so don't even try. My favorite memories from this journey include my brother, Al, asking my mom "What the HELL is happening in our house? I am finding Halloween costumes all over the place.." and then my personal favorite was when I had a phone conversation with my mother that went like the following...

KT: "Audrey, I need you to talk to you father.."

Audrey: "Regarding what?"

KT: "Well, it's that I have a GREAT Wrecking Ball costume and he won't help me do it!!!!"

Audrey: "Ew no, mom stop, please. I don't want to he-"

KT: "NO. All I need him to do is take the picture, I have the rest covered."

We never ended up being gifted with a Wrecking Ball photo, so if you need someone to blame, point all fingers to my father, Paul Kruse.

Happy belated Halloween everyone!

XOXO
Audrey
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