Elements of a Gathering

I've always been one for parties. I really like hosting because you get to decide all of the little things that go into a great get together. The worst part, is cleaning up. That aside, hosting can be a bit stressful, but it's so much fun so the stress is worth it! I really haven't planned many events because every birthday party I've had my mom has planned. My mom plans events for a living so she obviously took over. Even though I wish I would've planned a super extravagant gathering for my sweet sixteen, I'm already sixteen. My parents took me to LA for my sweet sixteen so I didn't feel that a party was really needed.

But, I'm still trying to find a reason to plan such a perfect party. I've found so many cute DIY party decorations, snacks and more on Pinterest and I could't wait to share them with you! If you're looking to see more about event planning and a little inspiration follow my Pinterest board Colorful Entertaining! 

Personally I feel that summer outdoor parties are the best to host! Usually they have perfect weather, they can include gorgeous outdoor scenery and your most fun sundress! I especially wish to host a white party (gossip girl, anyone?), but other than that a brunch party would be amazing as well! These are my favorite party decor, snacks and drinks that will be sure to make you the hostess with the mostest! 

How perfect is this setup? I'm obsessed with the tassel garland strands! I may have to try making some for my next gathering. The flowers tie all of the colors together and who can resist pink + orange?

These chairs are so perfect! I love the white and the chair on the end has pastel yellow accents. The palm trees in the background only help make the destination perfect for a party!

To add a little sparkle and a ton of fun use a metallic sharpie to write on balloons! I'm definitely going to have to try this out!

I am so having an ice cream bar at my next party! Use mason jars to fill with ice cream and use bowls to fill with a variety of fun toppings like gummy bears, chocolate chips, sprinkles, fruit & cookies.

Like I said I'm think about trying out a tassel DIY! I love the different hues of pink, orange, silver + gold. They add such a fun girly flare to a plain wall.

I'd be lying if I said I'm not obsessed with this piñata! The silver + diamond = pure perfection. If I ever need a piñata for anything I'm going to search for a super classy one like this!

A mimosa bar, shell yes {get what I did there}! You can make it virgin for the kiddies at the party as well. Just use different flavored juices mixed with sparkling grape juice. I love that you can add whatever fruit you like and the straws make the drinks so cute!

S'mores are actually my favorite. Especially in the summer. These are perfect because every summer party needs a sweet dessert and s'mores are so classic! These are so cute with fun different flavored marshmallows! 

XOXO, Kate

Hairstyles to Try

First off, I just want to say that I have the worst hair. Like the worst. I honestly couldn't hate it more. The main reason why I hate it is because it's just plain awkward. It's not totally straight, not totally curly, and not totally wavy. It's a strange mix of them all. Okay, well I'm being a bit dramatic saying that I hate it with a burning passion in my soul, but the main thing that annoys me about it is that it never quite dries the same. If I use this strange leave in conditioner that I love it makes my hair dry super curly. If I don't it dries puffy and wavy. And if I sleep on it, the next day it looks like my hair was left in braids overnight. Light, but distinct kinks if you know what I'm saying. Another major setback was that I got my hair cut on homecoming and the hairdresser cut a lot off. I wasn't expecting to get so much cut off and she put in a lot of layers and now some of my favorite hairstyles don't work on my "new hair". My hair has grown back since I got it cut, but it doesn't look the same way that it did before and honestly I miss my old hair! I never liked my old hair, but now that it's long gone I want it back. I guess the saying is right that you don't know what you have, until it's gone. 

This is my hair before my hair cut. This is my natural-ish hair after half blowdrying it and half letting it air dry. It's a bit shorter than it was then, and has more layers and just to be clear I'm never getting layers again because they do not look good on my wavy hair. 

Well, now onto the actual point of this post...hairstyles that I want to try. I see really beautiful hairstyles all over pinterest and with a little bit of time they seem pretty easy to create. Although, who actually has this time? Not I, especially in the morning getting ready for school I like to sleep as late as possible so there's little time for hair. But, if I'm willing to take the time these are the hairstyles that I'd love to try. 

WATERFALL BRAID

This look is so stunning! It looks so effortless, but I'm not sure that I'll be able to get the hang of this braid very quickly. I think that it's good to keep your hair a little bit out of your face, but also gives some intricacy to your hair look.

TOPKNOT

I honestly love the look of a messy topknot, but I can never achieve it. On me it just looks like some strange bun on the top of my head. I want mine to look like the one in the photo above, sleek yet messy. It doesn't look anything like that though.

HEADBAND BRAID

I've seen a few different versions of these, but I like this one the best! I like how it's thicker so it gives a better effect. And I love the loose waves that go along with the beautiful braid. It just looks so amazing!

MESSY PONY

I love the look of a slicked back ponytail, but the rest of the hair is sort of loose, messy waves. It has such a relaxed vibe and it looks so effortless. If only my hair was naturally like this so I could just swoop it into a ponytail and be on my way.

What are your favorite hairstyles?

XOXO, Kate

Healthy School Lunch

With my new health crave I've been trying to create really healthy lunches to fuel me throughout my school day. I have fallen in love with a new recipe that {as far as I know} I made up! I'm sure people eat this all the time, but it's new to me! I love making a great lunch and then feeling refreshed after eating it. I usually don't eat the cafeteria food at my school {it's not the best...or healthy whatsoever} with the exception of the cookies. Those things are just cookie dough cooked under a light bulb, but they are amazing. Except, I've restrained myself from now on from eating those greasy fat cookies {that are just so dang good!}. But, here is my favorite lunch!

Turkey Lettuce Wrap

I tried this on the first day back after winter break when I just began my fitness crave. I didn't expect it to be that good, but it was delicious! Here's how to make it!

Use a large piece of romaine lettuce {I mean large--this is replacing a tortilla} and spread hummus on it. I like the pine nut hummus, but any kind that you like works! Spread this as a sort of base to the wrap. Add in turkey and red pepper. You can really use any sort of meat/veggies that you like. This is just what I had at my house. Chicken, cucumber, zucchini, carrots, or anything that you like would taste good in it! 

Then just roll it up and enjoy or pack it for your school lunch!

Honestly, this is such a healthy alternative to a sandwich because you're including protein from the meat and lots of vitamins from the plethora of veggies you're including. 

Veggies

I like to also include veggies in my everyday lunch even though there are already veggies in your "sandwich", but honestly you can never have too many veggies! 

My favorite to include are carrot sticks, red pepper {the sweet kind}, zucchini, cucumber, peas and broccoli. 

Pretzels

I'm sure that everyone is used to having some sort of chips in their lunch. The majority of different flavored chips are filled with oil and fat and artificial ingredients. I know that pretzels aren't amazingly healthy, but I think they are better for you than most junk food chips. 

Fruit

For a sweet dessert I like including some sort of fruit in my lunch. I include fruit in my breakfast as well because if you're looking for something sweet, fruit has natural sugars that aren't as bad for you as high fructose corn syrup. 

I like including my favorite fruits which are apples {honeycrisp are my favorite}, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, banana, kiwi, pomegranates, watermelon and clementines. They add a little something sweet to your lunch.

Also check out this video made by one of my favorite YouTubers comparing healthy vs. less healthy lunches.

What's your favorite healthy lunch?

XOXO, Kate

5 Trends To Try in the New Year

I was reading Prep Northwest the other day and I saw such a clever post! Different trends that Connie {the blogger behind Prep Northwest} wanted to try in the new year. I immediately was inspired to write a post of my own. Be sure to check out her post right here and see her trends that she wants to try. These are the trends that I'm eager to try in the new year. 

High Waisted Shorts

I'll have to wait until spring/summer to try out this trend, but I've finally caught onto the fad. Six months ago, I wouldn't have been caught dead in high waisted shorts, but now I'm obsessed with them! I'm thinking a DIY post is needed at some point during the spring. I think the look is super vintage and relaxed and just reminds me of California. I can't wait until the weather gets warmer I'm going to try out this trend for sure.

Destroyed Light Wash Jeans

These jeans have been on trend for quite some time, but I've never tried it out. I strictly wear dark wash classic jeans, but I'm feeling a little wild this year. I really like the look of light wash jeans in the spring so I definitely want to try some out and I really like the distressed look. I love the way they are cuffed in this look as well.

White Jeans

I've never even owned a pair of white jeans and I feel like they are a staple. I definitely want to try them out in the spring and see how I like them. I think they look really nice with other pastels or even with black. They can be styled so many ways and I definitely think I should add them to my wardrobe.

Denim

I have a denim shirt, but I've seen so many other ways to wear denim. Like in this adorable skirt! Denim has grown to be a huge trend and I think I need to experiment a few other ways to wear the style. I love this skirt with the scalloped inlet on the outer edges. So perf!

Converse and Dressy Wear

You know that Demi Lovato song, "Who says I can't wear my converse, with my dress...". I can't even believe I'm referencing this, but I like the style of converse with something a little more dressy. Not like a ball gown and converse {unless you're Hilary Duff in A Cinderella Story}, but skirts and converse can look super great.

What trends are you looking to try in 2014? Gosh I can't even believe it's 2014--this is cray!

XOXO, Kate

Mixing Neutrals

In the dead of winter I find it hard to have any fashion "style". But neutrals work in any season! I have found some fashion inspiration from Pinterest that shows neutrals mixed in an outfit. I like it because sometimes I always find myself needing a pop of color, but honestly mixing neutrals is perfectly okay! These outfits prove this to be true! They mix different neutral tones in a totally chic way!

I think I need to be a little bit more daring in my style and mix, not match. I always find myself being so particular about if clothes match when really mixing gives a better style. Obviously you don't want to look mismatched, but the majority of my clothes are pretty basic so it's close to impossible to look mismatched. 

XOXO, Kate

Fully Raw Vegan

I've recently found a new favorite YouTuber; FullyRawKristina! She's not my typical YouTuber because most of the people I watch are either beauty gurus {I'm addicted} or random funny people. But recently I found a new YouTuber, Kristina! She gives me so much inspiration!

Basically she had hyperglycemia and then because she went fully raw vegan her heath improved greatly. A fully raw vegan means that all you eat is fruits and vegetables and consume little nuts or seeds.

She has recently become one of my new favorite YouTubers because I'm on a bit of a health crave. I strongly considered going fully raw vegan, but it seems much to difficult for me and too dramatic of a diet change. I think what I'm doing is just enough for me by changing my eating habits. Although I'm not on as restrictive of a diet as her, she does have great recipes for amazing foods that are super healthy! Even fully raw deserts! Everything she makes looks so delicious and the comments are full of good reviews about the food. I'm here to share with you a couple of the recipes that I'm dying to try from Kristina. She also gives amazing motivation for staying healthy and not giving in to sweets.

I tried to make this juice and it was amazing! It was a bit of a hassle because I don't have a juicer so I had to blend it in a blender and then strain it multiple times, and it didn't make all that much juice {I used less of each ingredient than Kristina did} but other than that the juice was delicious! Another one of her recipes that I'm dying to try is this!

Mmmm it just looks so good! And it's totally healthy too! If I every try any of her recipes I will be sure to follow it up with a post and tell you my thoughts on it. Definitely check out Kristina's channel here because she's truly amazing!

XOXO, Kate

Blogging Basics

I haven't been blogging for all that long, but I thought that it would be useful for me to have seen a post like this before I actually began blogging. These are just the blogging basics. For all of you that are new to blogging or thinking of starting a blog I hope that some of these tips help you to be successful. I shouldn't say I know a lot about blogging because there are many others that have been blogging for longer than I have and are much more successful than I am, but I still thought this would be a good post to write. So without further adieu, these are my top tips to making it in the blogging world. 

Be Authentic

Authenticity is key when you're blogging. Going on someone who has a very professional blog and just stealing what they write is not going to help you make it whatsoever in the blogging world. Being original and writing about whatever makes you happy will just naturally attract followers. Also, using a voice that is personal to your readers is extremely important as well. You want your readers to feel like they're connected to you. Just making your blog original will definitely help you gain more readers. 

Write About What You Like

Obviously writing about something you're not interested in is not going to be fun at all. Blogging is supposed to be fun. Sure, it is hard work and is very time consuming, but if you like to do it it doesn't seem like work at all! Pick a topic that interests you. For me it was preppy fashion. Now that I'm getting older preppy fashion may not be the only thing limited to this blog, but mainly style is what my blog focuses on. Pick something that you love and write about it! Others that have similar interests will love reading about it!

Let Your Blog Grow

Your blog may start out with one topic, but sort of gracefully extend to another. For me it started out as strictly "preppy", but now as my style changes a bit it has grown into a more general style. This can include many different styles. As you get older you're going to change so let your blog do the same. Just be sure it's a gradual transition. Also, if there are opportunities for your blog to become more public and more popular, take them! Don't worry about other people finding out about your blog because usually people think it's pretty cool that you blog. All of my friends and family are super supportive and read my blog. 

Don't Compare Yourself

There is always going to be someone else's blog that is more popular than yours. Don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle. Some of my favorite bloggers are my age, but they have more followers than I do. I don't let this get me down because I haven't even been blogging for a full year, while they have been blogging for longer than me. With time and continual effort your blog will continue to grow. 

Be Consistent

Bloggers that blog every day or have a certain blogging schedule tend to have more followers. If you're just going to post sporadically it's going to be hard for your readers to keep up. Personally if someone posts almost everyday or I know when they're going to post I tend to read their blog. If I notice that someone has been absent from blogging for a while {without a post explaining where they are/when they're returning} I don't really like to read their blog. 

It's A Commitment

Blogging takes a lot of time, energy and work. Be sure that you're up for the challenge! A lot of people start blogs, but they don't stay committed to them. My logic is if you're going to put all of the effort into starting a blog, you should stick with it! Just know that it does take a lot of time. It can be hard to manage, but it's totally worth it. I absolutely love blogging so much that I don't think I could ever quit. 

Get Connected

Connecting with your readers and other bloggers is extremely important. Comment on as many blogs as you can, but don't spam. Truly read other blogs and comment meaningful responses and also leave a link to your blog. If someone comments on my blog I almost always check out their blog and read a few of their posts. Just be sure to comment something that goes along with their post and don't only say that they should check out your blog because that's an immediate turn-off. Also connect with other bloggers for help if you need it. Make friends with bloggers too! My tips on that is connecting with bloggers you have some relation to or other bloggers that have a similar number of followers. No one wants someone to be friends with them just to gain followers. 

Some other random tips include ::

-have a clean design that is easy for readers to navigate

-have a name that is intriguing for readers and that makes sense to what you're writing about

-stay active on social media

-have fun! blogging is about having a creative outlet and it should be something that you like to do, not a chore

I hope this helped you guys! Leave your tips in the comments below!

XOXO, Kate