Resolutions for the New Year

I think we all like to start the year off fresh, and what better way than to share a few resolutions. I haven't thought a ton about what I want 2014 to be, but the few things that have popped into my head are as follows.

Live :: I think that sometimes with all of the technology in the world, we forget the true meaning of life; to live. In the New Year I hope to go out and just live more. This quote basically sums up the truth! The best nights are always very spontaneous and just free. I want to make 2014 as adventurous and exciting as it can be.

Good Vibes :: Good people, good spirit, good vibes. Surrounding yourself with positive people is something that makes life so much easier, but also makes everything so much better. Hanging with people that are fun to be with, don't cause drama and always like to have a good time is the best way to go because no one wants to hang around boring and negative people. In the future I plan to ditch the people that aren't doing anything good for me and find new people that will. 

Be Free :: I think that what holds so many of us back is logic. Logic is obviously important, but if you just let yourself be free and a little wild amazing things can happen. By think less in this quote, I'd rather have it say worry less. I think worries are what causes so many of us to hold back and be more reserved and not live to the fullest. If we all just drop our worries, we can all be happy and just live a great life.

Make Yourself :: A wise quote says, "live is about creating yourself," and I believe this is entirely true. A person can always change and if you're unhappy with yourself, change it. If you're unhappy with your life, change it. Whenever I'm complaining my dad always asks me, "what are you going to do about it?". My response is always, "nothing," but I think I should stop complaining and think of something to do to change what I don't like about something. Obviously, not everything can be changed, but my dad always said, "control the controllable". 

Other Random Resolutions:

-use my camera {I think that more outfit posts are needed for this blog}

-turn of the tech {I'm so easily distracted by phones, the tv, and the computer and I think to succeed in school I need to take a break and just turn all devices off}

-journaling {I love using my blog as a sort of "diary" if you call it, but I honestly like journaling and looking back at journals from a long time ago {cough, cough, J} and seeing what my life was like at that point}

-eat healthier {I'm not trying to go like all organic vegan or anything, but I do thing enhancing my diet with fruits, veggies and anything healthy will definitely benefit me in so many ways}

What are your New Years Resolutions? 

XOXO, Kate

Room Inspo

I redid my room just a couple years ago, but I'm still looking to re-vamp it a bit. I've seen so many perfectly styled bedrooms on Pinterest and I've definitely felt inspired. I think the problem with my room is the junk. I have so much junk. Half of the stuff I have no idea where it came from, and the other half is just things that I don't need at all. I think it's good to go through your entire room {over the course of a few days} and just find everything that you don't need and just do a little clean up. In the midst of this it's also good to see what you need. I know that for my room I need a bit more storage. Yes I do have too much "stuff", but for the things that I actually want to keep I need a place for everything. That's the best way to stay organized. Here are the pictures that have inspired me to sort of re-vamp my room. 

I'm very obsessed with organized open shelving, books organized to perfection and even magazines and books stacked then topped with flowers. If I ever have fresh flowers in my room {in the summer I always love buying some from the farmers market} I always stack magazines and layer the flowers on top. I love the chic look it gives.

I'm also obsessed Sailing The Sea of Style {Sloane's} bedroom. See that post here! Her room is absolute perfection and I love all of the little details in it. Another thing I love is Citrus & Style {Caroline's} desk! It is so perfectly organized and I adore all of the bright colors. I'm hoping to sort of make my room a little bit more "me". I really love the colors, all of the stuff in it, but I haven't gotten to make it perfect yet. 

XOXO, Kate

Wall Calendar

Because I have my license now I feel that I have absolute freedom to do whatever I want! That's not entirely true, but I do have the freedom to go further places because I can drive there! My friend Aves and I went to Target, just because we could! While we were there A was looking for an agenda and we stumbled upon Sugar Paper LA! I've posted about it before, but I thought for sure that all of their products would be sold out by the time I managed to get to Target! But sure enough they were stocked full of agendas and calendars! I'm obsessed with all of the agendas, but for Christmas I got a new Lilly one, so that was out of the question. What I did pick up was a super cute wall calendar! I love it because first of all it's adorable. It's mint, gold and white {my top three colors} and it is just so bright and fun! Also, I love having it to look at a glance at my week and month. I'm planning to use a small nail and attach the calendar to the wall so I can flip through it as 2014 goes by. This is my own little treat to myself to get super excited for the New Year!

Is it not just the cutest thing? I'm obsessed with the gold polka dots and the script pool font. Swoon. 

XOXO, Kate

New Years Celebration

With New Years coming up quite quickly and I was feeling a little inspiration to ring in the new year. If I could do anything, and I mean anything on New Years it would be to go to Times Square on New Years Eve. How surreal would that be? It would be amazing! Sadly, no Times Square for me, but hopefully I find something super fun and festive to do at home this year. Here's my dream New Years.

Ahh, how perfect is this? The confetti, the lights, the people; it just seems so amazing. And basically this is what I wish my New Years was like.

What are your New Years Eve plans?

XOXO, Kate

Book Review :: Divergent

I don't think I've ever done anything quite like this on my blog, so why not give it a shot? I just read a really amazing book that I legit loved. I'm not a very avid reader, which isn't a quality I like about myself. I think that reading is a really good hobby to pursue, but with a busy schedule reading is sometimes difficult to squeeze in. This time instead of reading a classic hard copy book I opted for reading it on my iPad and iPhone. This was far easier because I could read on the iPad at night and then continue reading throughout the day on my phone whenever there was any downtime at school. With this schedule I finished reading this book in about 3 days! Here is a little sum and my thoughts on the book Divergent by Veronica Roth.

The book is very similar to that of the Hunger Games. I never actually read the Hunger Games {gasp!}, but the whole idea of the plot between Divergent and the Hunger Games is very similar. Basically the main character Beatrice {Tris--for short} lives in Chicago. Yet, it is a futuristic Chicago. {It's strange because I live in Chicago so it's weird to imagine some of the aspects of the futuristic version}. Anyways the main character Tris belongs to the faction of Abnegation. There are 5 factions, each that possess different character traits. At the age of 16, they each choose which faction they want to be apart of. They take a sort of test to determine what faction they are recommended to join, but they can still decide on whatever faction they wish to join. Tris' results come back as inconclusive and she is classified as Divergent {meaning that she doesn't possess just one trait--she has a little bit of each in her}. The rest of the story is about her and what happens when she joins a faction and then her struggles as being Divergent because the main faction is after her because they are entirely against Divergents. Watch the movie trailer right here because I'm literally so excited to see the movie!

Ahh I can't wait! I'm currently reading the second book in the series Insurgent and I'll most definitely finish it by the end of break. I'll probably finish the third one as well. These books are so addicting that you'll find yourself reading one and not wanting to put it down!

XOXO, Kate

What I Got For Christmas 2013

Ay there. So I originally filmed a video for a "Christmas Haul", but it didn't turn out too well, so I thought that I'd rather just share it in a post form. I wanted to share with you what I got for Christmas this year. Just a quick disclaimer, I'm not trying to brag in any way, shape or form, but I love seeing what other people got for Christmas so definitely make a post yourself because I would love to see it!

This is probably not everything, just the majority of things that I can find online and share with you guys.

1. Vineyard Vines Hat :: I am obsessed with this hat! I got it in aqua blue which is absolutely one of my favorite colors. The hat is super cute and I can't wait for the spring/summer to actually wear it outside of my house ha ha.

2. Vineyard Vines Fleece :: I guess this was the Christmas of Vineyard Vines, but I adore this fleece! I got it in Aviator Blue which is a beautiful sea hue. I'm debating about exchanging it for a Shep Shirt from Vineyard Vines because I feel like I'd get more wear out of that, but I'm not sure yet.

3. Lululemon Pants :: I posted that I wanted a pair of Lululemon pants and my wish came true! I'm so excited to wear these because I'm super lazy and I live in leggings and yoga pants. And they come in tall versions! #bonus! My legs are super long so if pants come in a tall I have to get them.

4. TV for my room :: I don't know exactly what TV it is, besides that it's Samsung. I actually didn't even ask for a TV, but I'm so excited that I received it! Now I probably won't ever leave my room. All I need now is a mini fridge and I could live in my room without leaving it.

5. Longchamp :: Last year for Christmas I received the small long champ in the navy color, but this year I received another! Longchamps are such great investments and I love them! The size I got this year I think is a medium, but it has zippers on the outside so that you can expand it to make it bigger or smaller. It is in the same navy color that my other is, so I might exchange it for a different hue because there are way too many colors that I like!

6. Lilly Agenda :: My agenda just ended (I got it last August) so I needed a new one! I got it in the Coronado Crab--I didn't ask for a specific print, but honestly what Lilly print isn't cute? I love my Lilly agenda from last year and they hold up so well! And they keep me organized--most of the time.

7. Madewell Goodies :: This shirt and this bangle which I love so much! They are so basic, but perfectly chic pieces. Thanks to my sis who gave these to me ;).

I think there's a few more things, but some of them are just super random things. 

What were your favorite Christmas presents?

XOXO, Kate

Merry Christmas

I'm here to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! And happy holidays to all that don't celebrate! I hope everyone's day is filled with family, friends, and love. And maybe a few presents. Have a wonderful Christmas Day!

XOXO, Kate

It's Christmas Eve

Today there are two special holidays. Of course everyone knows it's Christmas Eve! Woo hoo! I'm so excited, but it feels like it's not actually Christmas Eve because it feels like it's not even December. I feel like it's still fall, but then again I'm kind of crazy so yeah. I hope you all have an amazing Christmas Eve if you celebrate it. Otherwise happy holidays to all! 

But it's also my friend Paige's Sweet Sixteen! I wanted to take the time to wish you a happy birthday Paige! {We already celebrated Paige's birthday wish a surprise party in October...kind of a confusing story, but of course I gave her a Lilly planner for her birthday and she adores it}. But today we are going to brunch to further celebrate her special day!

Paige-I wanted to wish you a very special sweet sixteen! You are honestly one of my ultimate best friends and I can't imagine my life without you. I know sometimes we hate each other, but we survived badminton camp not killing each other so I think that's good! Anyways, you are such a good friend and I know that I can trust you with anything. I always have such a fun time with you and we laugh so much. Especially in our awkward yoga pant/seventh grade phases. I love you so much and I hope you have an absolutely amazing day!

XOXO, Kate

PS Yesterday I got my drivers license! I'm officially able to drive! It's so much fun and I love having the freedom!

Secret Santa

Saturday night my friends and I got together to have our annual secret santa party! We started this tradition in eighth grade, so this is the third annual secret santa party. I was so sad last year because I missed the party due to illness, but this year I was feeling great and I took a three hour nap before I went so I was full of energy! It was such a fun time! Ava hosted the party and her house was so decked out for the event. I got a super cute scarf from my friend Helen because she was my secret santa! We had some really good food and we got all dressed up for the party. Here are just a few photos from the event. 

If you can't tell already I'm pretty obsessed with unfocused photos of Christmas lights. I think they are like the coolest thing.

XOXO, Kate

PS I'm definitely going to do a "What I Got For Christmas" video that I will post up here the day after Christmas, but it will probably be on my YouTube on Christmas. So stay tuned for that!

DIY Reindeer Cookies

Finally, I'm finished with finals so I have some time to prepare myself for Christmas. I feel like I never had any time this year to actually get into the Christmas spirit! I haven't even been listening to Christmas music...it's that bad. But, with finals over I had some time to make these super fun reindeer cookies. I'm obsessed with cookies like it's actually ridiculous and these are some of my absolute favorites! The instructions are literally ridiculously easy:

1. Use sugar cookie dough (either store-bought or homemade) and put it into flat circles on a cookie sheet.

2. Use small pretzels as the "antlers" to the reindeer.

3. Use green M&M's for the eyes and red M&M's for the nose.

4. Bake following the recipe that is listed on your cookie dough recipe or packaging. 

5. Eat!

Here's a few photos of my creations. I already ate a few and they are so yummy!

Aren't they just the cutest thing? And they taste even better than they look!

And I thought I should feature just a little bit of Christmas inspo to get in the holiday spirit. This is our Christmas tree this year! The majority of our ornaments are pictures in miniature frames that my Grandma makes for us every year.

XOXO, Kate

Skinsaver :: Coconut Oil

Today I'm talking about my newest favorite skin product; coconut oil! Coconut oil has so many uses and many celebrities swear by its properties. I picked mine up at Trader Joe's (1 pint for $5.99). It's basically the same price as any regular face wash, but I can tell it's going to last so much longer. I have been using the oil to apply to a cotton ball and remove my eye makeup at the end of the day (it works wonders) and as an overall skin saver! My skin is so the oil works as a light moisturizer. It has a solid form, but the instant it touches your finger tips it turns to a more oil like texture. I swipe my fingers over the product and just distribute it on the drier areas of my skin. It is instantly absorbed and my skin is way less flakey. Also, I apply it just all over my skin to just soothe it and help with acne. This product has worked very well over the past few days that I've been using it. Now, I already have pretty decent skin because I hardly break out. But, this year I've noticed more breakouts, and I have no idea what's causing them, but they have agitated me. I usually just use water to wash my face because anything else irritates it, so the coconut oil is just that little extra. Here are some major uses for coconut oil!

-eye makeup remover

-skin scrub (mix with fine salt or baking soda)

-used in cooking at high temperatures (does not become toxic like other oils)

-basic lotion for the skin

-natural spf 4 sunscreen

-fight frizz in your hair

-eaten for a huge energy boost + protein

-shaving cream/lotion

-help resolve acne

Although coconut oil works perfectly well on my skin, sometimes it can have some defects on different skin types. I recommend testing a small amount on your skin before totally going all out and using the oil all over your skin. It can break you out, so be careful! Coconut oil is not for everyone, but I just thought I would share it with you because it has worked very well for me.

XOXO, Kate

Officially Obsessed - Olivia Palermo

Yes! I did it! I survived final exams! It was a bit stressful, but all of the finals that I was worried about turned out to be not so bad. Except for Spanish. I probably failed that final. It was so hard and usually Spanish is just an easy A, but I don't know. That class has been a joke until the final. Anyways, I wanted to start fresh with a new series called "Officially Obsessed". This can include anything that I'm obsessed with. People, trends, cities, recipes, outfits, etc. I'm really excited to make a few of these posts, but here's the first. I'm officially obsessed with Olivia Palermo. Her style is absolutely perfect. I started pinning some pictures of her on Pinterest and I love her sense of fashion. I think that this first look is my all time favorite. I'm becoming obsessed with high waisted shorts...literally six months ago I wouldn't be caught dead in those. What is happening to me?

XOXO, Kate

Ta Ta For Now

It's time for me to take a blogging break. This break will be just a week long, so it shouldn't be too long! I have so much going on with finals and studying and drill team, so taking a quick break will be good for me! I will be back on Friday, December 20 for more posts! I need this quick break, but don't you fret! I'll be posting a lot over Winter Break and more photoshoots, videos (hopefully), and gift guides to come when I return. 

XOXO, Kate

12 Days of Christmas {Basic Girls}

I was tagged by the lovely Grace from Preppy on the West Coast to do the 12 Days of Christmas, basic girls holiday tag! Thanks so much Grace for tagging me and definitely go check out her blog because she's living my dream living in California!

Let's get into it!

1. What's your favorite holiday/winter Starbuck's drink?

Honestly, I don't drink Starbucks all that much {I know, shocker!}, but I do like their caramel apple spice. It's basically apple cider ha ha. I'm so basic.

2. Did you Instagram your first holiday red cup?

I did not because like I said I don't drink Starbucks too often. Ha ha.

3. What's your favorite holiday/winter nail polish?

I love black nails in the winter. I also love Jade is the New Black by OPI and I Saw, You Saw, We Saw...Warsaw by OPI. 

4. What is winter like where you live?

COLD! It's freezing right now where I live, including my house. I don't think the rents know what heat is! There's also snow on the ground. I love snow, but it gets annoying when trying to wear shoes other than boots.

5. Have you ever experienced a White Christmas?

Yes! Almost every year is white in Chicago, but I love it when it legit snows on Christmas. Sometimes there's just snow on the ground.

6. Sugar or gingerbread cookies?

I would say sugar, but I love gingerbread too! I absolutely love reindeer cookies. A DIY is coming soon because I make those every year and they are amazing. 

7. Favorite holiday/winter candle?

Flanel by Slatkin and Co. because it smells like Abercrombie and hot boys. I'm legit so basic.

8. Favorite Gossip Girl holiday moment?

I don't even remember what was going on in this scene, but I love the ending. Have a holly jolly Christmas. XOXO, Gossip Girl.

9. Candy canes or gumdrops?

Both! Who said a girl can't have both? No one.

10. Does your family have any special holiday traditions?

My grandma used to always have us come to make gingerbread people before Christmas, but as we got older the tradition sort of died. Tear. But on the other side we always do this little "Christmas auction" when my aunt has a bunch of gifts and we raffle them off.

11. Favorite holiday memory?

My original plays that my cousin Carly and I do every Christmas Eve. When we were younger all of the kids would put together plays and we would sing Christmas songs to the parents, but over the years Carly and I are the only ones who still like to do them so we basically have a Carly & Katelyn show but they always turn out super funny and we've had so many great memories from these shows.

12. What is your go-to Pandora/Spotify playlist for holiday music?

Either Michael Buble (Holiday) or Beach Boys (Holiday). Sometimes Glee (Holiday) as well!

I tag...YOU! If you're reading this I want to see you do this tag and then leave a comment below letting me know you did it so I can check it out!

Happy Holidays!

XOXO, Kate

Winter Treats

I'm not sure I'll have time to bake this year, and it's making me really sad. I love baking plenty of cookies and fun treats that are festive for the holidays! I actually used to have cookie parties every year where my friends and I would bake tons of cookies and decorate them. They were so much fun, until we sort of outgrew them. But, this year with finals and drill and everything in between I really hope I can squeeze in some baking because I've been pinning so many different delicious delicacies on Pinterest that I'm just dying to try!

BEWARE :: do not read if you are hungry!

I really want to try this gingerbread cookie recipe because I'm obsessed with gingerbread cookies! 

Another gingerbread recipe that looks amazing!

And I'm kind of obsessed with these reindeer cookies. They are just too cute!

XOXO, Kate

Dear Santa...

I've done a few gift guides on this blog, but I thought I'd take a quick break from them and share with you my Christmas List. I'm not asking for too many things in specific this year, but I've come up with a list of just random things that I'd love to receive this year! Obviously I won't get everything on my list, but it's still fun to dream up some perfect gifts.

1. I think the top thing on my list is the iPad Mini. I stole my mom's iPad from her so if she doesn't want it back then I don't need an iPad, but I like having something to use before I go to sleep, to listen to music from, and for reading books. I think they are really great and the mini is the perfect size.

2. A polaroid camera is definitely something that I want to get my hands on! I've been very hesitant to just purchase one for myself since they aren't too expensive. I think they are really fun to have, but the only reason I wouldn't want one is because the film is so dang expensive. 

3. I realized that I don't have many workout clothes and I really love these yoga pants from Lululemon. I really loved yoga pants in about seventh grade when PINK pants were like the thing. That was a dark time, but not I think that a quality pair of yoga pants would be a good investment. Plus, I love wearing yoga pants, but the PINK ones just don't cut it anymore.

4. My skin has especially been breaking out this year, although I've never had any trouble with acne before so I think that having a Clarisonic would be the perfect fit for my somewhat troubled skin now. I love how it comes in tons of fun colors! I absolutely love the two shades of blue, the light pink + the light purple.

5. I've come to notice that I have no bag other than my Longchamp that is perfect for every day use. In spite of this I desperately want the Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac in almond. I absolutely adore the color because it matches everything and I'm always wearing gold so the strap fits. Also the purse is not too big, but not too small. I think cross body backs are very in and I personally love the look.

Okay so that's mainly my Christmas wish list! I'm sure there are other things, but those are my top favorites!

XOXO, Kate

Words to Live By

Recently I've felt pretty disconnected with my whole life. Everything is really stressing me out. Being on competition team for drill is great, but it's a little too much. I have practice every day after school and they are rough practices. Sometimes I have no idea what's going on and with coaches always critiquing it's hard to improve. Then school, which is going decently I have finals coming up. I'm a little nervous that I won't have time to study because of drill. It's so difficult to keep my life rolling with all of these different commitments. Not to mention the weekend before finals is my busiest weekend yet. I have two concerts, a youth group meeting and a drill competition. It's hard to stay focused with so much going on, but pinning endless quotes on Pinterest has helped me to stay inspired and strong through the rough patch knowing that Winter Break is in the near future. These are some quotes that have helped me through these busy and hectic days, along with some of my other favorites that I've pinned.

XOXO, Kate

Christmas Playlist

With the holiday season comes my favorite...CHRISTMAS MUSIC! I'm legit obsessed with Christmas Music and I absolutely love listening to it! This is the ultimate Christmas playlist for me! I listen to it all December long, but only after Thanksgiving! And I decided to pick my top 25, since Christmas is on the 25th. How clever am I? Not really that clever! Ha ha. 

XOXO, Kate

Winter DIY's

In the spirit of the Christmas season, I've been looking for fun DIY's to make different Christmas gifts or room decor. I've found all of these on Pinterest and they are absolutely perfect for the holiday season! I don't know if I'll actually have time to make any of these {finals are coming and they are stressing me out big time}, but I really want to make some of these!

Gift Wrap :: Bored of classic Christmas wrap, try using brown wrapping paper and splattering it with a bit of white, red, or green paint. Use a little garnish of a pine tree to finish it off! I love the name tag too! Initials are such a fun and different way to label a gift. 

Chalkboard Card :: Try a new holiday card this year by painting the front with chalkboard paint. Use chalk to decorate the front however you like! I'm not sure how well this DIY would work because the chalk might rub off, but it's still worth a shot!

Gold Pinecones :: Who doesn't love gold during the holiday season? Grab pinecones from your backyard, the woods or even store bought ones and use gold spray paint to decorate them. You can even glitter them using spray adhesive and glitter! Tie the pinecones onto some twine and you have a perfectly pretty garland! Or, use a clear bowl and lay the pinecones for a festive, yet smile decoration.

Joy Letters :: Use cardboard letters often found at craft stores and use different colored paints to decorate them any way you like. They are perfect for display on a mantle or on any surface! 

Glitter Bulbs :: Everyone has burnt out lights that they can't use anymore, or so they think! The lights still can be used! Use spray adhesive on the bulb and dip them into glitter. Any colors you like! Some good colors would be gold, silver, red, green or blue! Display them however you like!

Bath Fizzies :: I know my friends and I are super obsessed with bath bombs from Lush, but this is an easy DIY that turns out just like them! Follow Martha Stewart's recipe to create this super festive gifts! You can package them in mason jars with festive ribbon for an ultra cute display!

XOXO, Kate

Black Friday Deals

This post may be a bit late since Black Friday was last week, but I thought I'd just update you on the things that I purchased from my black friday shopping! I went to a new outlet mall near me and let me just say; it was INSANE. People were everywhere! It was super crowded and there were super long lines for Tory Burch, Armani and Starbucks. It was crazy. I went into J.Crew Factory because they had 50% off everything (#swoon) and I picked up something that I had been dying to purchase! We ran into a couple different stores before calling it quits and heading home for the night. We left my house around 11:30 pm to go shopping and arrived back at home at 2:00 am. Then, my cousin Carly and I thought why not go for a second round of shopping? So with my Aunt and a few other cousins we all went to Dick's Sporting Goods and hit up another mall nearby. I made even more purchases at this mall. Overall, I would say the shopping was pretty successful! I can't show you everything I purchased because some of them were Christmas gifts for my family and they read this blog so...yeah. But these are the things that I purchased for myself!

First off from J.Crew Factory I picked up this shirt that I am legit obsessed with! I've wanted to purchase it for so long and for only $40 who can resist!

I also went to American Eagle and snagged these socks. Not too exciting, but I thought they were really cute so yeah ha ha. 

Then while at the mall in the morning I purchased these sunglasses, but the rims are mint green. I think they are so cute, but my cousin Carly hates them. Whatevs, my haters be my motivators. Ha ha why did I just say that? 

So then I was super happy about purchasing these Nike Free Runs at Dick's! I actually just ordered these from Nordstrom a couple of days ago, but they were backordered until January. Because I liked them so much I was willing to wait, but then I saw them at Dick's for the same price as Nordstrom, but I had a $15 coupon so they were only $84! The total came to $92 with tax, but still $8 cheaper than Nordstrom! I'm super happy with these shoes because I've gone through way too many bad gym shoes this year. 

That is all that I purchased this black Friday! I did purchase a couple other things, but they are Christmas gifts for some people so I can't share them with you! Hope y'all snagged some deals as well! I can't wait until next year when I have my license so that my cousin Carly and I can go all night black friday shopping! Woo hoo!

Hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving as well!

xoxo

K

Liebster Award (again)

Ha ha, so I was nominated for the Liebster Award again! How funny? I'm super happy though! Thanks to mSv from The Total Prepster! You should check out her blog because it is absolutely adorable, who can resist pink and green! And she has a great voice in her writing! Anyways, let's get right into the second round of the Liebster Award!

Pearls or diamonds? Silver or gold? Why?

Pearls! Obviously you should always wear pearls on the water and I'm obsessed with going boating and hitting the beach. Gold for me. Silver just seems too cold. 

If you could only live in one place for the rest of your life where would you live?

CALIFORNIA! Yes, California is basically my homeland I'm legit obsessed with that place. If you actually ask anyone that knows me they'll say she loves California and used to make funny music videos.

Favorite fashion icon?

I definitely love a few different peoples' style. I'm obsessed with Shannon Barker, Ariana Grande, and Kendall Jenner.

What is your favorite saying?

My favorite quote amongst many has to be "I just wanna go on more adventures. Be around good energy. Connect with people. Learn new things. Grow." To me this is just basically the perfect life.

Spotify or Pandora? Why?

Pandora. I like the way it works because it sort of goes off the mood that I'm in. I actually have no idea how to work Spotify and that's why I don't use it.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

5 years is actually pretty short. Hopefully in California in college. 

What are you looking forward to in the next year?

Figuring out a way to go/move to California? And summer/spring! I hate the cold!

Tory Burch or Kate Spade? Coach or Chanel? Why?

Tory Burch! My friend Paige and I are legit obsessed with Tory Burch. I stayed at a hotel in California in March and the hotel was across the street from a mall with a Tory Burch in it! Literally perfect life ever! I'm going to say Chanel. Not sure why though. Just something about it that I like.

Flip flops or heels?

Flip flops. I hate wearing shoes in general. And I like heels, but I'm already 5'8" so I don't need the height.

What is your favorite subject in school?

Lunch.

Who do you look like most, your mom or your dad?

My mom. My dad and I look nothing alike ha ha.

Thanks so much for nominating me mSv! These were such great questions!

xoxox,

K

Holiday Gift Guide :: Secret Santa

I don't know about you, but every year my friends and I always do a secret santa party. Last year, sadly I was sick and unable to attend the two secret santa parties that I was invited too #suckstosuck. But, this year I'm hoping that I'll be all ready and healthy for secret santa! We have not drawn names yet, but that doesn't mean that I can't look around for gifts yet! The great thing about all of these gifts is that they are under $30. Price to me is often something that can make or break a gift because you don't want to be buying something too cheap, or too pricy. But these gifts are just right! I think that all of these gifts any girl would love!

Essie Polishes // Whistle While You Work Pencils // New York iPhone Case // Wire Glitter Letter // Desk Calendar // Retro Sunglasses //Matte Lipstick // Fair Isle Socks //Stone Necklace

xx

Holiday Gift Guide :: For the Men

Here we come, the official Holiday Season has begun! I already posted one of these holiday gift guides, but like I said I'm going to make a few different holiday gift guides featuring different people that you may have to be buying gifts for. This one is for the men in your life. These can be for any man! I don't need to buy a gift for a boyfriend #foreveralone, but I do have to buy gifts for my dad and my brother. These are just a few ideas of what to get for guys in your life. 

J.Crew Flannel // Bally Wallet // Shaving Kit // Bose Headphones // Armani Cologne // Nautical Cuff Links // Sperry's // Camp Socks

xx

Holiday Gift Guide :: For The Blogger

With the holidays finally approaching I've already started looking for Christmas gifts! I'm pretty sure I'm going Black Friday shopping on Thanksgiving night so I need to be prepared to think about what I'm getting people for Christmas. My friends and I do a secret santa party, but we haven't drawn names yet, so I'm not thinking about that yet. But, I've decided to do a series this year on gift guides for different people. Of course, I had to start with the blogger. Myself being a blogger and reading plenty of other blogs I found a few products that to me seem like things that bloggers would love. 

Marled Socks // To-Do List // Mini Mac // Hustle Print //Loren Hope Earrings //Club Monaco Beanie  // Essie Mind Your Mittens

xx

25 Days of Christmas

Now that Thanksgiving is over I can officially get in the holiday spirit. I've been waiting to start listening to Christmas music until just after Thanksgiving. Along with Christmas comes ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas. These movies make me so excited for the holiday season. Here's the schedule! Ahh I'm so excited!

These are the my favorite Christmas movie titles!

•The Polar Express

•The Santa Clause

•The Santa Clause 2

•Elf

•How The Grinch Stole Christmas

•Home Alone

•Home Alone 2

xoxox

I ♡ Winter Tag

With winter rolling around it seems like the perfect time for the I ♡ Winter Tag! I don't love Winter all that much, but I love Christmas. Honestly, who doesn't? The season is just so cozy and fun! I was going to make this into a video, but honestly I'm way to lazy to edit that whole thing together ha ha. Let's just get onto the questions!

1. Favorite Winter Nail Polish?

My favorite has to be Jade is the New Black by OPI. It is like a dark green color and oh so perfect.

2. Favorite Winter Lip Product?

I've been obsessed with the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable balm stain in the shade Romantic. It is the perfect red shade for the winter and is a totally wearable bright color. 

3. Most Worn Winter Clothing Piece?

My coat or boots. I basically live in both of those.

4. Most Worn Winter Accessory?

Probably gloves because my hands get so dry and cold! I especially love the tech-friendly loves so I can still use my phone while wearing them!

5. Favorite Winter Scent/Candle?

I love Slatkin and Co.'s candle called Flannel. It smells like Abercrombie which everyone seems to hate, but honestly I love the smell. 

6. Favorite Winter Beverage?

If we're talking something warm I love apple cider. But if we're talking New Year's Eve I'm obsessed with Martinelli's sparkling juices. So good and festive!

7. All Time Favorite Christmas Movie?

Home Alone 1 and 2, Santa Clause 1 and 2, and  Elf. 

 8. Favorite Christmas Song?

Mistletoe by Justin Bieber. I just die.

9. Favorite Holiday Food?

Chocolate covered pretzels or reindeer cookies! Delish!

10. What is your favorite Christmas decoration?

I've always loved the Christmas lights, but I also love having garland hung around the banister of the stairs and over the archway to our front door.

11. What's at the top of your Christmas list?

I think either a polaroid camera (want one so bad) or an iPad mini.

12. What are your plans for the holidays this year?
Just relaxing at home. That is my favorite way to spend the two weeks off school!

If you're reading this I tag you to do it! Leave a link if you do this tag!

xoxox

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope your day is filled with good food and great people! Eat lots of turkey and other yummy food! And don't forget to go Black Friday shopping! Every year we host Thanksgiving at my house and 40 people come! It's a great time, although I'll let you in on a little secret: I hate Thanksgiving food. I'm a pretty picky eater, but for me I just hate all of the different foods on Thanksgiving. But that doesn't mean I hate the holiday! I love getting together with my family and then going Black Friday shopping! And my sister is home from college, so that is great too! Her friend actually is here too!

Anyways I hope y'all (I'm not southern, what am I trying to do...) have an amazing Thanksgiving! Enjoy the day!

Here are ten things I'm thankful for:

1. My amazing family, I have no idea where I would be without them.

2. My friends that I definitely do not appreciate enough.

3. My parents for always supporting me in everything that I choose to do.

4. This blog that has provided so many opportunities for me.

5. My computer, I know this is shallow, but it completes me.

6. God, who always is there for me.

7. My sister who helps me through everything (and the inverse).

8. My brother who has taught me that passion is everything.

9. My grandparents for always being there for me.

10. California, because it is where I belong to live (sorry, I just had to put it in my top 10). 

xx

Winter Makeup

I used to be extremely addicted to makeup. It was pretty bad because I would want to buy so much makeup everywhere I went. My mom basically cut me off from buying makeup and ever since I really haven't bought any. Last year for Christmas I received both the Naked and the Naked 2 palettes by Urban Decay so I was pretty set. Recently though I've been a little more interested in purchasing makeup. My skin is just so sensitive to anything that I put on it though, so I'm super careful. Clinique breaks me out, Nars breaks me out. I just never know what to use anymore! But luckily my eyes are never sensitive to any products that I use. That would be a real pain. Even though I do have both Naked palettes I'm still looking to invest in some more high end makeup products. I really don't have that much makeup so a few new additions could be needed. Here are the items I'm adoring for winter makeup.

Trish McEvoy Mascara // Nars Palette // Mac Mineralize Skinfinish // Chanel Plum Eyeliner // Clinique Concealer // Bare Minerals Powder

xx

Touches of Chic

I've noticed that on Pinterest lately many of my favorite style images are super easy to recreate. They all seem to have pretty basic and neutral pieces paired together in such an amazing way. There are little elements of chicness thrown into an outfit in such an effortless way. These looks to me give me great inspiration on how I style basic pieces.

The outfits are so basic, but look so perfect. I especially love the third look with Mary from Happily Grey. Her style is absolutely stunning and if you don't follow her on instagram than you definitely should for daily style updates and inspiration. The stripes and the gray sweater along with the statement necklace look so put together, but not too busy. 

xoxox