fall ready

fall is my absolute favorite time of the year. i have been ready for this season since the start of the year. i am ready for sweaters, boots, football games, crafting, trying new recipes, colorful leaves, crisp morning weather, movie days with friends, hot tea, a good book, and oh yeah, blogging.

i always feel more stylish in the fall because of one word... LAYERS. i love layers. the more you pile on, the better. most times.

i made this little outfit on polyvore and love it! too bad those jeans are only a couple thousand dollars. my fall outfit staple is normally jeans, big sweaters, scarves, tall brown boots, knit hats, and cross body bags. i am going to try to change it up a little for this year...

 

jeans- colored or printed jeans

scarves- well, you can never go wrong with a scarf.

tall brown boots- ankle boots with a bit of edge

knit hats- fedora or cloche

cross body bags- a bright clutch

 

 

this look from the blog, fruity girl , is so perfect for transitioning into fall. a summer flowy dress layered with a chunky knit cardigan, gold jewelry, black tights, and ankle booties. so perfect.

 

 

 

are you ready for fall? if so, we should be best friends. this season could not come slow enough though, i might as well just wear boots and tights and hats and see if it will come faster.

 

xo. cate

be silly

scarf-gift from italy/ tank- h&m/ shorts- american eagle/ bracelets- laura&lily/sunglasses-tar

there is a time and place for everything. as in, don't judge someone's outfit when your wearing sweats or don't eat a cupcake while your at the gym. it's just the simple rules of life, friends. there is also a time and place to be serious, and a time and place to be silly. laugh, smile, have fun, love life, make fun of yourself, and be joyful. don't go through your day with your head down and a frown on your face. chin up, buttercup and BE SILLY!


xo.Cate

(these photos were taken on the last day of summer... welp.)

new

I start high school tomorrow. this is a time for change, a time for new beginnings, and a time for second chances. It is going to be a big year for me, but I know I can do it. with prayer (and a cup of tea) it will all work out. I just have to kept reminding myself of that. deep breaths, Cate, deep breaths.

plus, what's a better way to start off a new school year than with a new mug from anthropologie? nothing, that's what.

xo. cate

current obsession: gold

recently, i have been buying all things gold- from jewelry to bags to room stuff- it is all gold. in the past, i have always preferred silver things over gold if there was a choice, but now for me, there is no choice. gold it is. i just feel like it is classier, prettier, and a bit edgier. here are a few items that i am loving that are... well you guessed it, gold.

love the arm stack trend this summer, and have been loving GOLD arm stacks even better.

isn't this a beaut? i think it is for sure. gold hard wear on bags is a must for my latest purse wish list (doesn't everyone have one?!).





 

gold accents, like this wallpaper, are so beautiful and fresh to me in a home. they can add that bit of pizazz in a home you are looking for.

oh no... my obsession has been added to another one of my obsessions, sweets. this could not be good... or could it?

hope you enjoyed another one of my current obsessions, and go peek at my first one on retro swim suits. have a lovely day!

xo. cate

picture 1-http://middlechildcomplex.tumblr.com/#12

picture 2-  http://www.francescascollections.com/product/metal+gleam+crossbody.do?sortby=ourPicks&page=2

picture 3- http://sweethomestyle.tumblr.com/

picture 4- http://sweetapolita.com/2011/12/pink-champagne-cake-pops/





diy dotted shorts

polka dots are a beautiful gift from heaven. so why not add them to lovely clothes? why not do it yourself? polka dots, meet shorts.

materials: white paint (or any color), old shorts, and a pencil with eraser.

i am using folkart's enamels acrylic paint in white. any acrylic paint will do though. begin by pouring it in a cup.

grab a pencil with a mostly unused eraser (for a perfect dot) and practice your dots on a piece of newspaper. you can do bigger dots or smaller ones, which i prefer.

start dotting your shorts! it is very easy and fun to do, just stick with a consistent pattern and it will turn out great. i wanted my dots to be really close together and some of them not all filled in, but you can do whatever you like. plus, it is diy so they do not have to be perfect!

once you dot the front of the shorts, wait a few hours for the paint to dry completely and begin the back. when the back is dry, go back and do some minor touch ups on the the sides, in the pockets, and anywhere else that the paint did not get to.

after a day or so to make sure the dots will stay, iron the shorts but with a rag over them so that the paint will not spear. then wash them with cold water and let air.

 

tada! you are done! besides a lot of time to dry, these diy shorts do not require a lot of labor or time on your part, and they are the perfect statement piece for your summer wardrobe.

xo. cate

take a journey somewhere someday

i love travel. when i get older, that is all i basically want to do. going to new york this summer was one of the first places that i have been that i got to "cross" off my bucket list. my mom told me that once you cross something off your list, you need to add something on. so here are a few places i would love to see someday in my future.

1. London.

this place has actually been on my list for quite a while now, but lately i have been wanting to go even more. probably because the Olympics are there and all, but it just seems like such a magical place to be. i remember in elementary school writing a story and the main character went to London and saw big ben... i got an A on that assignment. i guess it is meant to be.

2. northern lights

i feel like this is something that is on every body's bucket list. anyways, i want to see this also in my life time. it just seems so beautiful and to something so rare to encounter is amazing to me. i absolutely love color and to see it in the sky moving... wow. it really just amazes me. plus, it is in Alaska. so that would be a bonus too. maybe because The Proposal was filmed there or maybe not(;

3. Paris

when i thing Paris, i think beautiful views, fashionable people, good food, and love. but really. i know that last one sounds sappy and all, but i want to go to the 'city of love' someday when i am married. this is yet another place that seems so magical and unreal. as for right now though, i will just dream about myself being there eating a macaroon by the Eiffel tower and blogging. ah, the life.

4. San Francisco

this one of my more recent additions to my list. i feel like if you were from another country and you came to the US to visit, you would have to go to 3 places: Washington DC, New York, and California. i have been to all of those places except Cali. San Francisco seems like such a fun, relaxed city that would be a cool place to visit or live in.

5. Senegal's Lake Retba

this was added to my list this morning. i was looking through pinterest as i always do in the morning (and i mean always), and was searching 'places to see' and this popped up. all i could thing was: pink. water. pink. water. i really amazed me, so now i have to see it, swim in it, and take a thousand pictures of it. duh.

these are just my top 5 places/things to see before i die. what's yours?

xo. cate

1- http://thenameschelsey.tumblr.com/post/19467753235

2-http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/london

3-http://favim.com/image/465972/

4-http://pin4fun6557.blogspot.com/

5-http://500px.com/photo/5657958

6-http://gingerleaf.tumblr.com/post/25081165792/atiyavt-situated-north-of-the-cap-vert

 

music love

music makes my day so much better, and finding new songs that you adore is even better. this morning i discovered a new music artist that i love. i really enjoy soft acoustic music with a twist, so Gabrielle Aplin is my cup of tea. here is my favorite song of hers, Home.
http://youtu.be/1pLsb1YMsKE 

xo. cate

p.s. she had great style too(: