Five Things

Here's a few things that I've been loving lately...enjoy!

1. This Gap tee is the perfect mix of fitted and drapey. I bought the white one on a whim one day, and I think I wore it three days in a row. I want one in every color and multiple white ones because it's SO good and I have a feeling Gap won't make it again. Size tip: buy your normal Gap size or a size smaller!

2. This Clinique eyeliner is seriously awesome. I used it a while back, but when I ran out I decided to save some money and went with a cheaper pencil that smudged in about 5 seconds and would routinely give me raccoon eyes. Not cute. I bought the Clinique eyeliner a week or so ago, used it yesterday and not only took a nap but forgot to take it off before I went to sleep and it still looked fresh both times with no smudging. Thumbs up.

3. Talenti's Double Dark Chocolate Pops: Seriously one of the most decadent grocery store splurges I've ever made. These babies are a chocoholic's dream...I am thinking about stockpiling just in case. I found mine at Publix, but you can use the store locator to find some near you! They don't look like much, but they taste amazing.

4. These Tory Burch boots. Drooling over how amazingly perfect these are. They're very similar to my current, well-loved riding boots, but are so sleek and chic. Even the black is beautiful...and I think black boots are nearly impossible hard to get exactly right. If these happened to show up as a birthday present next week, I wouldn't hate it... :) ps: these boots are amaze too!

5. The Westside Provisions District is easily one of my favorite parts of Atlanta. So many great stores, but the food scene over there is seriously the best. I dream (literally) about Star Provisions' brownies and baked goods and can never get enough Taqueria del Sol in my life. My friend Patrick lives within walking distance, so we've been soaking up the beautiful weather and enjoying Westside whenever I'm over at his place.

What have you been loving lately?? Anything good I need to know about?

Insta-Weekend

A few recent Instagrams...

 took a little nature walk through the backyard a few weekends ago and found this little guy!

pretty roses in the backyard

made this chocolate chip cookie the other day because why not?

one of the best brownies I've ever eaten from this adorable bakery...wish I'd gotten some snaps of the bakery itself! it's one of the cutest places!

bridal shower gift-wrapping...one of my favorite things

me and the lovely lady who we celebrated at the shower on Saturday! I'm so excited for her wedding in July!

my dress is this one if you're interested :)

Just thought I'd give a few little glimpses into my "real life"! I've realized that I need to be more intentional about taking pictures to remember things...both with my real camera and my phone! I've gotten so lazy about using only my phone and not my big camera, but half the time I don't even use my phone to snap pictures. #bloggerfail

 I hope you all had great weekends!

The Holy City

I've been fascinated with the city of Charleston, South Carolina for a looooong time. I dated a guy who's from Isle of Palms (up there on that handy-dandy little map) and hearing him talk about his hometown made me fall a little bit more in love with the city itself. It's so quintessentially Southern--genteel and cultured but also a little bit rough around the edges. There's so much history, culture and iconic food there.

I had an internship opportunity in Charleston offered to me back in January (see this post), and while I didn't take it, I haven't been able to get Charleston off my mind. Since my job search is not going well at all, and the internship opportunity is still available, I've pretty much made up my mind that I'll be heading down to the Holy City in the very, very near future to apartment-hunt and look around.

So. I need some help from y'all. What should I see while there? Where should I live? What's a must-do, must-see, must-eat? I have a few friends in the city I'm planning on meeting up with, and I'll be there an undetermined length of time. I'm excited! If everything pans out, this will be a totally new adventure but one that feels so right.

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all images from my friend Emily's amazing Charleston Pinterest board...definitely one of the things making me fall in love with the city!

It All Started With a Juice Stand...

We lost a colorful lady, Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau, yesterday. I don't even know what to say, I'm so sad. Lilly was quite the inspiration and the world will be a bit less colorful without her in it. She was the embodiment of her phrase "live life colorfully" and will be missed dearly.

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Luck o' the Irish

image via Lilly Pulitzer

Happy St. Paddy's Day, lucky leprechauns! I hope you're all having a fantastically lucky day and wearing green so you don't get pinched. I plan on wearing green pants, eating Lucky Charms and indulging in some lime sherbet...maybe even looking for a 4 leaf clover or two.

Have a perfectly lazy, lucky, happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Oscars Fashion

So last night was the biggest, most important night in Hollywood--the Oscars/Academy Awards. I didn't watch any of the red carpet coverage but I do have opinions on dresses, both good and bad, and really that's way more fun to go over than who won what, right?

Here we go!

LOVED:

 Sally Field: Possibly channeling a little Mary Lincoln, but she looks phenomenal. This is so chic and elegant and age-appropriate but not old/matronly and I really just want to be her

Naomi Watts: Sparkle, interesting neckline, sleek, nothing too frou-frou, relaxed hair and just-right makeup. I think she gets my Best Dressed vote!

LIKED:

Octavia Spencer: War Eagle to my girl Octavia. She always knows how to dress for her body without looking like she rolled around in a bolt of fabric. I wish this was a color, but I don't hate it as-is

 Jessica Chastain: She looks great, but I wish the color of the dress was just a touch darker. Her hair/makeup is ON POINT though

Jane Fonda: This is great. I love a unique, bold color for events because it's so different and really stands out. I'm also really loving longsleeved gowns right now. A little bit 80s, but I can dig it

Kelly Osbourne: I hate her hair color, but this dress is so pretty on her. I really like the sheer parts with the sparkles and the neckline/straps. Very nice.

 Charlize Theron: This is so sleek and structured. It doesn't come across in the photo, but the peplum had little pearls or beads or something all over, and it really just works for her. And that haircut is making me want to chop my own hair off!

As far as dresses I didn't like, I didn't like Anne Hathaway's at all. It was very 90s and not too flattering either. I wasn't a fan of Samantha Barks's look, but mostly because it just looked fine. If I was going to the Oscars, I would probably dress up a little bit more.

Just for fun, here's Bradley Cooper and his mama; I love that he brought his mom and took pictures with her, what a guy:

 all photos via The Cut

 On another Oscars-related note, if you were invited to the Oscars as a date or a nominee or really anything involving dressing up, what would you wear? I'm torn between this white Lanvin gown or this coral Badgely Mischka gown.

What gowns (or suits!) did you love? What did you hate? I'm so interested to hear!

Weekend Update

via*

Hello friends! I'm sorry I've been a bit MIA over the weekend/past few days, my parents and I took a super last-minute trip to San Antonio to watch my cousin and the Air Force Academy baseball team play against UTSA. It was so much fun to hang out with my cousins and laugh and just have a great time, and even better that I got to see one of my BFFs for a bit while I was there too!

As great as the weekend was, it was so much better to be home and in my own bed last night. This week I'm planning on finishing up NYFW and possibly starting London Fashion Week. I also have to catch up on last night's Downton Abbey episode (no spoilers, please!!) and just made a ton of homemade granola to snack on while I watch and blog and live. All of these things make me happy.

What were your weekend plans? What's making your Monday a little bit brighter?

*in case you were wondering, no, I don't read or speak Spanish at all, I found the picture on Pinterest, but that's the original source...

Old Love

 so sweet

Since February is the month of celebrating love in all of its many forms, I want to share this sweet, sweet New York Times article of two people who married at 71 and 81.

I know I'm guilty of thinking love is only for the young and you couldn't possibly fall in love after your 30th birthday or that romance dies once you hit 28 or so. I'm happy to admit that Sam and Eve's story made me realize that although our grandparents and their peers are old, they're not immune to love or romance or first-date jitters or any of those other amazing feelings that you experience in a relationship. If anything, they've experienced those feelings more frequently and more strongly than I have.

I don't really know what else I can say about the article, other than read it--it'll make your day a little bit brighter.

And now I'm going to go mail a valentine to my sweet grandparents.

xoxo and ps: I have no idea who the people are in the picture, but aren't they just the cutest?

Beach Dreams

In my dream life, I would take a trip to the tropics every January. January is such a blah month to me, and I'm usually so tired of the cold and dreary days that a trip to the beach would be the most perfect way to recharge for the coming months and get excited for spring.

This year, my beach craving is extra strong since I don't have the promise of Spring Break or another little weekend trip to the beach. I need some salt air and sand in my life!

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Thankfulness and Inspiration

If you took the time out of your day to read my unedited, heart-to head-to hands post yesterday and aren't ready to quit reading this little bloggie of mine due to my general lack of knowing what the heck I'm doing, or if you thought 'man that girl needs a) some advice, b) a hug, c) spiritual guidance, d) all of the above' and gave me any of that, just know that I am infinitely appreciative and blessed by all of it and y'all and that I'm giving you all hugs through my screen.

Anyway. I'm obviously still mulling things over and thinking things through and talking them out and trying to figure out what to do, so here are a few little quotes that are on my mind.

xx

 

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Merry Christmas!!

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Merry Christmas sweet friends!! Today is such a blessed day and I'm so happy it's finally here! I hope you're all having a great day filled with family, friends, fun, relaxation, and of course a few new presents! I personally can't wait to see what the wrapped presents underneath the tree downstairs hold for me...eeeeep! As excited as I am for presents though, I'm thankful for the real reason for today: the birth of Christ.

If you don't celebrate Christmas, well, I hope you're having a great Tuesday full of all the same things and a little bit of winter cheer!

Treat Yo Self

I've recently become obsessed with Parks and Recreation thanks to Netflix (yes, I realize I'm a few years late on this...it happens...) and I share Tom and Donna's idea that you should Treat Yo Self at least occasionally.

Familiarize yo self with how you should treat yo self with this little video, and then check out the little ways I sometimes treat myself below.

1. Nail polish: New nail polish is a rare splurge for me. I often check out the selection at Target and Ulta, but rarely do I take the plunge and buy a new bottle. I'm an obsessive polish chipper, so it's easier for me to go unpolished, so getting a new color and then polishing my nails is a super indulgence.

2. Read a book: I love to read, but it often falls to the bottom of my list because it feels so self-indulgent to be absorbed in a book. I have to finish a book once I've started, so I can't just pick up and put down a book at random...I have to read it all at once. But that's what makes it such a treat--I can read a book without feeling guilty or thinking of the million other things I "should" be doing.

3. Pore strips: This is a weird way to treat myself, but I love the way my skin looks after using a pore strip on a patch of less-than-perfect skin. It's a great way to get the gunk out and since you have to let the strip sit until it's dry, it also forces me to slow down and spend those 10-15 minutes on me.

4. Sleeping in late: I love to sleep. I need a ton of sleep, and a lot of times I just don't get as much sleep as I really need to feel 100%. I have class or work or other things that force me to get up early, so being able to roll over and snuggle back into my bed for an extra hour is a perfect treat. Bonus treat-points if it's raining outside!

How do you treat yo self? Are you into big or little treats?

{side note for P&R fans: I totally had a Ron Swanson-approved dinner tonight on accident: pancakes then a little bit of pot roast. That sounds gross, I know, but I used separate plates and spaced them out a bit too...just living my life WWRSD-style.}

What Kate's Listening To: Study Playlist

I'm currently in the midst of my last finals ever (!!!), and I've been going kind of crazy just studying in silence. Normally, I'm not a music person, I actually prefer to study or work in silence, but for some reason this year it's making me fidgety and generally just kind of ADD.

If I ever do listen to music while I study, it's very chill, calm, relaxing music. You know, acoustic and whatever. 95% of my iTunes library is acoustic and the other 5% is random stuff. I am definitely not that person who's up on the latest music or bands or anything...so don't expect any of that from me. In fact, at one point, I hadn't updated my iPod in about 8 months....shameful.

Here's what's keeping me sane this week:

1. Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison)
2. Let Her Cry (Hootie and the Blowfish)
3. Wedding Dress (Matt Nathanson)
4. Christmas Song (Dave Matthews Band)
5. She Is Love (Parachute)
6. Wagon Wheel (Old Crow Medicine Show)
7. Austin (Blake Shelton)
8. Details In The Fabric (Jason Mraz feat. James Morrison)
9. Highway 20 Ride (Zac Brown Band)
10. All My Loving (Jim Sturgess, from Across the Universe)
11. Fire and Rain (James Taylor)
12. Welcome to the Black Parade (Piano Tribute Players)
13. Only Wanna Be With You (Hootie and the Blowfish)
14. Closer to Love (Mat Kearney)
15. Carolina In My Mind (James Taylor)
16. 5:19 (Matt Wertz)
17. To Sir With Love (Glee Cast recording) (go ahead and judge me for that one...)
18. Brielle (Sky Sailing)
19. Chances (Five For Fighting)
20. Stand By Me (Ben E. King)

What do you listen to when you're trying to focus?

Update: I just re-read this list of songs...y'all, I swear I have a) upbeat songs in iTunes and b) female singers/bands/songwriters. I am seriously not this depressing in real life...

What Kate Likes: Neiman Marcus x Target

You've heard about the Neiman Marcus x Target collaboration, right? I've had today, the launch of the collaboration, marked in my planner since I first saw a preview of the pieces over the summer...as pathetic as that may be. I'm nearly always a fan of the Target collabs, mostly because I just love Target that much.

Anyway. This collaboration is definitely a new one for T, but I think it's a great direction for them to head in with future collabs. I think that the items all look to be high quality, but as I haven't seen them in person yet, I can't be 100% sure that they're worth the higher prices than Target usually charges.

Here are my picks...

1.

This Tracy Reese sequined top is so pretty. It would be so versatile--throw it on with jeans and boots for a touch of glam for day, or skinny black pants and heels for a night out. I wish the back was sequined as well, instead of being solid blue fabric, but that's minor.

2.

I love these Band of Outsiders cookie cutters! These would be such a fun little gift for a friend who bakes a lot or as a stocking stuffer. I'm already imagining all of the ways you could ice that little necktie...I may pick these up for myself :)

3.

Have a Tory-obsessed friend? This thermos would be a perfect Christmas gift, paired with a box of hot cocoa or her favorite coffee. I love a good thermos, and this one is eye-catching enough that it wouldn't get lost in a cupboard or pantry. Such a chic way to keep your drinks warm...I'll also most likely be picking this one up!

4.

Ahhh I love these Tracy Reese plates!!!! I am a total sucker for anything that's a) brightly colored, b) damask patterned, and c) a dessert plate, so obviously these plates check all of those boxes. I need want these so badly...and I have no use for them. These would be such a perfect hostess gift for your super-stylish friend who loves to entertain since you can never have too many plates. These would also be such an adorable wall decoration for a kitchen or living room as well.

5.

When I say that I've been dreaming about this Lela Rose top since July, I'm really not exaggerating. I am obsessed with this top. It's everything I love in a top: delicate details, a sleeveless shape so it's seasonless and easily layered, lined, not cropped...perfection. I just emailed a link to this to my mom so she can "forward it to Santa" ASAP because I need this in my closet. This top would be great with skinny jeans and fierce booties, black pants and glittery heels, colored pencil skirts and neutral heels, a cardigan  and jeans...really the list is endless. LOVE.

You can see the entire collaboration here. What's on your list? Anything you absolutely need? I want to hear!

What Kate Likes: Holidays!

 ornaments

Hi sweet friends! Yesterday I got my laptop charger in the mail, so now I'm back!

Since Thanksgiving has officially passed us by, it's time to start getting ready for the holidays. I had originally planned on doing a series of gift guides, but for some reason, practically every blog I read has been doing them this year and I'm already gift-guided-out.

So. I'll be doing some other holiday-related things like holiday outfit posts or what's on my list for Santa this year...and maybe a fun little guide just because I can!

On an unrelated note, I now officially have less than two full weeks of school left forever! #panicmode. Still hunting for a job, so I would appreciate any and all prayers, good vibes, good wishes and/or good thoughts! :)

Relaxing and Recharging

 

I'm having a great time at home, but I just wanted to pop in and say that posts will most likely be sporadic all week, since I'm trying to soak up as much relaxation time as possible before finals hit. Ideally, I'd prefer to be relaxing in the little nook pictured above, but my bed and the couch will have to suffice for now.

Have a great week y'all!

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