Unpopular Opinions

 via Andrea Janes Photography (the natural light is s-t-u-n-n-i-n-g)

There are so many things that are "trendy" or "in" right now that are so not me...I can guarantee this is the only time you'll see the things listed below on What Kate Likes. I definitely fall into the unpopular camp for all of these things...

-Beyonce: I really don't get the obsession. Yeah, she's got some catchy tunes. Yeah, she has a pretty enviable lifestyle. But I don't really get why people are so obsessed with her?

-Statement Jewelry: It's pretty rare that I wear jewelry other than a simple necklace or pair of studs, but I'm so tired of statement jewelry. Far too overdone.

-"Arm Parties": My wrists are legitimately child-sized, so wearing one bracelet is a struggle for me. An armful of them is my biggest nightmare. And the phrases "arm party" or "stack"? Just no.

-Jennifer Lawrence: I know, I'm not a fan of the Internet's biggest darling, who am I? I think she seems nice enough, but also very crass...not my thing.

-Print Mixing: I just cannot even. It's gotten out of control.

-Topknots: The only time you'll find my hair in a legitimate top knot is when I'm getting in bed. Crafting the perfect top knot for the day? Ain't nobody got time for that. Buns, on the other hand, are my jam....

-Macarons: I love basically every other dessert on the planet, but I just cannot get into the macaron obsession. They don't really have a taste? Plus, I'd much rather have a full size cookie or a brownie or something that's big enough to justify spending $3+.

-Jack Rogers sandals: A preppy staple, but one that I think looks like it came out of your grandmother's closet. Sorry.

-Bar Carts: What's wrong with a liquor cabinet?

-Bows: If you're under the age of 10, sure. If you're in your mid-20s...no.

I'm sure there's a lot more...what are yours??? I'm dying to know, especially since some of mine are fairly controversial!

*If you're a fan of any of the things I listed, I promise I'm not making fun of you or anything like that...they're just not my favorite things or I don't get the hype. You're entitled to your opinion, I'm entitled to mine :)*

Classy.

via

I read this article the other night around 2am, and it's really stuck with me. I find that "classy" is SO overused in today's culture that it's pretty much lost its actual meaning. Call me a snob, but every time someone tells me that whatever I'm doing/wearing/reading/eating/whatevering is classy, I cringe and immediately dislike/stop whatever it is. Maybe it's because I truly do use the word classy in an ironic way, maybe it's because I'm just snobby, but I don't think "being classy" is a compliment.

I really only use the word classy when I mean it's really, really not. A drunk girl throwing herself at a guy in a relationship? Classy. Skirt so short you can see cheek? Classy.

I would much rather be described as sophisticated, elegant, refined, cultured, in good taste, classic, edited, curated, put-together...

As the article states, there are so many better adjectives you can use to describe things that you really like and that you consider high-class...let's use them :)

Thoughts on Sponsored Posts

image here

Lately I've become somewhat disenchanted with the blog world. I don't know if it's because we're headed into the holidays or it's jealousy on my part, but I feel like every. single. blog post. I've read lately has been sponsored by a brand or bloggers are wearing outfits totally composed of c/o items. It's annoying. I'm reading blogs because I want to see that person's personal take on fashion or life or whatever, not be subjected to constant advertising. I feel like the blogging industry has become less about personal expression and creativity and more about who can collaborate with the biggest brand.

I know that I personally am a very product-heavy blog, but I'm not compensated for anything that I post, ever. I choose items and images based solely on the fact that I love it, would personally wear it, and would personally buy it if I was out shopping (and had an unlimited budget). I've thought about how I could possibly make money from What Kate Likes in the future, but I actually prefer my blog to be more of an outlet for myself rather than a money-making business. I think that once I started to turn my blog into more of a business rather than just a creative outlet I'd actually start to hate blogging. I prefer the freedom to feature whatever I want, whenever I want and to not be tied to certain brands or ideas.

THE INTERNET IS GREAT.

So by now you're probably thinking that I've fallen off the face of the earth, because it's been for-ev-er since I've been around blogland!

I wish I had a cool excuse for not blogging, but really I didn't have Internet in my apartment until this morning, nor did I have any free time to blog. My company was in the process of moving into a new office and setting up a new store, so we were all putting in laaaaaaate nights and working weekends and generally just being workaholics because we're all crazy.


Anyway. I have Internet back so I plan on blogging far more than I have lately! Can't wait to share snippets of my new adventures with y'all!

Queen Eliz and The Royal Baby

Can we just talk about a few things for a second?

 Namely, how absolutely adorable Queen Elizabeth is in the picture above (so colorful! so happy!)?

Also this article where a schoolgirl asked her about Will and Kate's bebe, and she said she'd like the baby to hurry up and be born before she goes on holiday...I just can't. Just like any great-grandma who wants her grandbabies to have kids! The Queen...she's just like us.

The last quote in the article: "The Queen was said to be thrilled when presented with a bottle of damson gin saying she would be 'keeping that for herself'"...she is a delight.

Baby Cambridge, where are you? And QEII, can we be besties? I'll totally play with your corgis and drink tea with you every day.