in a paint-y mood

 

lately i have been in a paint-y mood, if there is such a thing. i recently found my mom's old art collection from when she was in college, and i could not be any more ecstatic! i have found myself wanting to paint all the time, so i will defiantly not fight that hunger. here is a bit about how my painting process goes!

 

pick a color pallet. i have yet to actually buy a plastic pallet, so i guess paper will have to do for now. for my painting, i decided to stick to pinks, oranges and greens.

 

 

the process. first find an inspiration then just let your right brain take over and enjoy painting. 

 

 

add your sig. and yes, i did just abbreviate signature. i am losing it, i swear. also, my 'sig' is a bit messy, still working on perfecting it.

 

 

all done! now admire your work. (:

 

xo. cate

 

toss or save: shorts

contrary to this post, if you do want to wear shorts this spring and summer, but do not know which ones to keep or throw out, stay tuned! and yes, i am the perfect radio Disney commercial break girl.

save:

1. classic// denim shorts// denim shorts will aways be in, friends. and the best thing about them is that you can find a pair that work for you practically anywhere!

2. trendy// lace shorts// yes, you can let out a loud "wahoo" right now. lace shorts (in my opinion) are still in. really anything lace is in, and i could not be happier! i just bought these from urban.

3. classic// neutral twill shorts// everyone needs a basic neutral short. whatever length, cut, and style- is up to you! my favorites are from here and here.

4. trendy// colored shorts// yet another trendy item that is still in! remember this post about 5 must have shorts, last year?! well colored shorts were on that list and are still on my list for 2013!

toss:

1. plaid shorts// wear what you want, but i think that as for now plaid shorts are over. i know i know, you are shedding a tear, but wipe your tears with your plaid shorts and try wearing some other patterns like these from American Eagle.

2. bermuda shorts// unless you 5 or 85, these need to go. i am not saying you need to be strutting your stuff in daisy dukes (please do not, i beg you), but the awkward knee length is over. try the 4 or 5 inchers from Jcrew instead!

3. terry cloth shorts// do i even have to explain?? no, i do not think so. buy some nike running shorts to play in, not a towel disguised as shorts.

i am sorry if i made you cry while you read this post because of your emotional attachment with your plaid, terry cloth bermuda shorts, BUT remember to look to the future for new trends and be able to drop the others. meanwhile, spend more on timeless shorts, and just a little on trendy in-and-out pieces.

xo. cate

my short collection from left to right: yellow shorts from target, diy dotted shorts (see tutorial here ), jean shorts from american eagle outfitters, mint shorts from h&m, diy studded shorts (see how i did style them here ... i defiantly would not wear them like that anymore), lace shorts from urban outfitters, navy corduroy shorts from w by azwells, orange shorts from loft, and blue and black nike shorts!

new apps and old photos

i am so stinkin' excited the the new A Beautiful Mess editing app is finally out!! i have been playing with all day, using some of my old photos of myself and my friends, family, and other randomness! enjoy some of my editing madness...

 

... oh so grateful for a sweet friend like this one!....

 

 

... meet my precious dog, bogey!...

 

... some paints i am using in art class...

 

.... parker's birthday dinner...

 

... my older brother, jackson's, last day of school...

 

 

in this app, you can choose from a few filters (b&w is my favorite, obviously), cool borders, doodles, phrases, text! it is addicting and so. much. fun. plus, all of your old pictures can have a good spring flare to them! buy it in the app store today, only $1! well, actually .99 cents, but the real question is WHY is everything .99 cents nowadays? why can't we just add the single extra cent? app store, what is so hard about just saying $1? WHO IS WITH ME?

 

xo. cate

 

p.s. i am really not this angry about the .99 cents, just passionate. plus, now i can save a whole ONE CENT! i am so excited. (;

 

spring without shorts

spring without shorts by catemarg featuring a neon nail polish

if you are anything like me (i hope you are), sometimes in spring i would just rather wear pants than shorts. because, with shorts, comes shaving, farmer's tans', coldness, shoe crisis', etc.  the list goes on. so, i thought it would be oh so nice of me (you're welcome), to show you guys a spring outfit without shorts.

start off with your favorite spring time pants (white, patterned, or BOTH). then, add a bright tank, and if needed a light weight jacket. for shoes, wear what is comfortable. flats, sandals, wedges, or heels, anything goes. lastly for beauty and accessories, pop on your favorite sunnies, girly-est necklace, and add some coral nails and cheeks!

am i the only one who does not like to wear shorts all the time? well, if so, you will still always, always, always catch me in pants. sadly, the main reason for most days is because i have not shaved. judge me, now. (;

xo. cate

my everyday spring combo

the everyday spring combo by catemarg featuring ray ban eyewear

 

 

happy may 1st, my lovely friends! just in case you were up all night wandering what i wear basically everyday in spring, here you go! my go-to outfit consists of feminine silhouettes, unique details, basic pieces, and delicate jewelry. the best part? that it can transition from spring to summer with just a few easy switcheroos! and the other best part? peplums. really though, peplums make the world go round. whatever dogma you learned as a kid that makes earth spin is false. the real answer is peplums. peplums are the answer to everything. 2 + 2= ? PEPLUM. that's right, peplum.

 

xo. cate

in my room: bed

remember when i said i was going to do a series of posts of my bedroom (see first one here )? well, three and a half months later, i have a second post! hooray! why i have not showed you all more of my room is because, a) it has not been clean since 3 months ago, b) i have not yet finished decorating my space to my desire and c) i... kinda... sorta forgot about this series. okay, call me a bad blogger now. i guess i will stop making excuses, and get into the second part of my room, which is my bed!

 

{full view}

 

 

{ frontal view}

 

{pillows from the top}

 



 

{mix and matched pillows}

 

{bed texture}

 

 

{sunburst of a mirror}

 

 

{hi}

 

{heyyyy girllll heyyyy}

 

 

my bed is one of my favorite aspects about my room, because of the fact that it is associated with sleep, my second love in life. for my bed, i wanted to keep it clean, fun, and cozy. clean, by having a very neutral basis- gray and white, fun, by adding a few colorful pillows (hopefully will be adding a few more in the near future!), and cozy, by basically making sure everything is soft and sleep worthy. i have been purchasing a couple of decor items sporadically since i have moved. for instance, my mirror (i watched the price on this thing for months!) and a small pillow (not pictured). creating your bed is so much fun, and it is a practical space that you will use!

 

with a few clean ups here and there and more home decor, i will hopefully have 3 or 4 spots in my room to show you. as for now, i will crawl in my bed and watch gossip girl for endless hours. yes, i have i life.

 

xo. cate

 

gray quilt & shams: garnet hill

white duvet & shams: pottery barn teen

blue round pillow: francesscas

mirror: hobby lobby

hair envy

i know, i know, envying is bad. but man, when you see hair like these gals, one can not help to be jealous. here are my top 5 heads of hair that i secretly want. well, not so secret now i guess.

 

 

1. dark, short, messy hair. this is so beautiful to me. i wish that if i were to cut my hair this short, it would look like this but in reality it would look like a stole a lion's mane.

2. long, curly, blond hair. first off, let's talk about amanda seyfried. she is the epitome of perfection in my book. and she has great hair too, so of course that is always a plus. also, if i were to have someone play me in a movie, i would choose her. so if you are reading this, amanda (you aren't), then i just want to let you know that you are perfect. anddd play me in a movie. (:

 



 

3. long, strawberry-blonde, ombre hair. no one else does justice to the ombre hair, like lauren conrad. last summer i sorta-kinda had ombre hair, but it did not turn out too well. i guess that's what i get when you diy. also, her hair is the closest i would come to being a ginger. red-hair is just not me for me.

 

4. clean, classic hair. of course Kate had to be on my hair envy list. actually her hair is probably most like mine currently. even though she has very simple hair (nothing crazy for a duchess!), she wears it in such a way that is timeless.

 



 

5. long, colored hair. okay so a) in my dreams, i want my hair to be this long so i can braid it, and b) i wish i had the guts to put blue streaks in it. the end.

 

although we all have our "hair envy" lists (even if you do not post them on the Internet, like me, i know you have them. i just know), we should be not let our jealously make us feel like we are ugly or not beautiful enough. you are beautiful just the way you are (sorry for going all Bruno Mars on you, but it is true). plus, the great thing about hair, is that is grows! thank God for that. so try something new, dye your hair, cut your hair, because its just hair!! really though, have fun with your hair... but not too much fun. do not go lady gaga on me. please, spare us all.

 

xo. cate

hop on over to see my guest post!

wow. it took a lot longer than expected to find a title for this post. "click? scamper? swing? on over to to my guest post". i decided on 'hop' as you can tell. hard life decision, but i say it is a successful one at that.

anyways! the real reason of this post is to announce that i have guest post up on Little Words and Lessons Learned blog. This gal has an awesome blog, so you guys should go over to check her out. in the meantime you can read my post... you know... if you want to (wink wink). Victoria is full of wisdom on an almost daily basis on her blog and shares my obsession with tea and books.
so, yeah, of course she is awesome.

thanks so much, Victoria, for letting me share on your blog!

xo. cate

be: in love with wonder lust

 

i am beginning a new series called be which will put a spotlight on things in life that i strive to be. whether is that is a personality trait i wish to obtain or a person i wish to mimic in my life, this series of posts will hopefully inspire you to be the person you were made to be. also, it will be fun to see how many times i can use the word be in one post. count so far: 5

 

 

for me this statements is truer than true in my life. i do not have the opportunity to travel that often (i probably travel somewhere 'big' once a year, or every few years if your idea of a 'big' trip involves a plane ride), so for 358/365 days of the year i am wonder lusting. if you do not know what this term means, dictionary.com defines it as a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about. i am a strong believer in bucket lists (see mine here and here), and being in love with places, people, and other things that you are currently unfamiliar with. because, someday if you are really passionate about those goals, you will reach them and see your love met. for example, i am in love with Europe, though i have never been. i adore the beautiful french language, the fashion, the architecture, the food and pastries, and the idea of sipping a cup of tea with a friend in a local coffee shop. pure bliss, in my opinion. i cannot wait for the day when i can experience these dreams first hand, rather than through pictures on pinterest. i hope that day comes soon.

 

so, friends, be in love with travel. be in love with unfamilar things. be in love with wonder lust.

 

 

xo. cate 

the impulsive shirt

 

some days are just a big hair (bun, my hair of choice for most days) and a vest day. i slightly feel like Ellen DeGeneres by wearing a vest and jeans, and i am completely okay with that (because we are actually besties in real life, no joke). also, i have been obsessed with this tee from target lately. i first saw it worn on kendi on her blog, kendi everyday, and had to go get it. truly, i am not normally one to impulsively purchase clothes, but this shirt was different. and i think that if a shirt can do that to someone, then it is worth it. or you have a serious problem, but let's go with the one that is more socially acceptable, for my sake.

 

xo. cate

 

outfit details:

top- target

necklace- francesscas

vest- jjill

jeans- american eagle

shoes- dsw