29.12.13

on repeat.



[top: target // vest: ae // scarf: loft // leggings: ae // boots: some crappy site]

[my friend, anna bliss aka abd.]

over break, this outfit has been on repeat. want to know what else has been on repeat? going to the men's section at target (where i got this gray henley). despite the awkwardness and stares, i think for basic tees & tops, the men's section has a better selection. however, i do act like i am shopping for my non-existent boyfriend so that some of the looks will go away. "oh, yes, he would look just great in this", "his favorite color is blue, so i know he would love this", or sometimes "my guy is fine in anything he wears, so it doesn't matter"-- these are my go-to lines while browsing the flannels and henleys. i don't know if this is the cleverest thing i have thought of in a while... or the saddest. you pick.

26.12.13

new friend.

I received a camera (canon rebel T3) for Christmas this year, so Parker and I sipped some coffee this morning and tested my new friend out. I have a feeling this friend and I will come to best friend status soon. enjoy some of the photos we snapped of each other. also, I must note how awkward it is to take photos in public. for those of you who do not have your photo taken in public on the daily (aka this girl), imagine your whole town watching you take a yearbook photo. then imagine that yearbook photo taken at least 50 times with multiple poses. day in the life, people.

vest- ae // jeans- ae // shoes- urban// sweater- oldnavy




necklace from my dear friend, sophie.



this photo is for my mom. she enjoys long walks on the beach and posting zoomed in photos of me on facebook.

necklaces- Stella & Dot



bracelets- Stella & Dot



I cannot get over the quality of these photos. and how great my hair looks today. normally, I would not brag about such things but when you have used your Iphone for photos for years and your hair is a mess 99% of the time, I  do believe it is okay.
I hope you guys had a lovely Christmas shared with lovely people!

19.12.13

as of late.


when lights fill streets and smiles fill faces, it is obvious that it is the best time of the year. (plot twist: this is not going to be a sappy, cliché post.)
.... like 6 days near. with that said, what I really should be doing is buying/making Christmas presents, yet instead I write this post, watch the Christmas episodes of Parks and Recreation, and study for finals. wait, did I say study for finals? I meant eat and avoid people and books at all costs.
so here is a few bits and pieces that have been occurring as of late. this season is so grand.

it snowed over here a couple of weeks ago. like really snowed. it was an out-of-school-for-two-days kind of snow. however, I would be lying if I told you guys that this photo was amidst frocking in the snow. it went more like this: parker- "let's go outside!" me- "we are taking a photo and that's all." oh, childhood, return to me.


decorating the tree is such a sincere memory to me. from house to house, it is a part of Christmas that never changes. I love looking at the old ornaments and remembering where we got them or who gave them to us. it is quite special. however, I made my all-time record at how many ornaments I accidentally broke this year. I didn't chose the clumsy life, people, it chose me.


two of  my good friends (not those pictured) had a surprise birthday party. but more importantly, there was a photo booth there. yes, you heard me a PHOTO BOOTH. these photographs make me smile ... and laugh... and think "why, Cate?".


I had a winter formal last weekend, and parker was kind enough to come see me before I went on my way. I love best friends.

{dress- by BCBG// shoes- Mojo Moxy// necklace- Anthropologie// earrings- old navy}

my date (Elliot) and I. we look pretty spiffy, eh?


we are too much to handle. (:


I am that annoying girl at the grocery store who takes photos of pineapples. no judgment, friends.


lunch with dear friends (Claire) are wonderful and help me get through finals week. and duplicating a photo means replicating the great time we had together right? four times the fun.

~

I am enjoying this season and the lovely people that make me smile and the reg. (eek, did my Kim Kardashian voice just make an appearance in this post? uh oh.)



9.12.13

learning.


though school is not my favorite thing in the world, i absolutely love learning. the feeling you get when you finally get an algebra lesson, or have an "ah ha" moment (i get those a lot), or simply learn something new about a person... those are my favorite moments. i think that those small, random parts of a person speak so much louder than where they came from, what they are doing, & how they appear. those random facts about a person are so wonderful and special to me. it lets me know & understand a bit more into their lives & passions behind the ordinary.
(sidenote: props to you if you finish this post. i know it is long. you will have a special place in my heart.)
lately i have learned scads of things. aside from cramping every possible piece of information in my brain for finals, i have been taught so many things from people who do not have college degrees yet. and sometimes, those lessons are the ones that are most significant (but don't get me wrong, dividing polynomials is pretty important as well).  it truly amazes me that some humans are so wise. wisdom is a thing i strive for because it is vital to our lives, and it is a thing that money definitely cannot buy. and you know what, that is perfect, because i am broke. (;
one of the lessons that i have been taught lately is the "art of letting go". regretfully, i am a girl who grasps on to situations, people, & mistakes for way too long (stereotype, where ya at?!). however, i have learned that there are seasons for people in your life. not that one season is better than another, but that sometimes we must move on. life is all about moving on and continuing, yet still remembering the wonderful moments we had with people that have taught us so much.
another lesson i have been taught is joy. as stated so many times on this blog, i am a big fan of joy as opposed to happiness. however a friend recently told me that "happiness is the answer to the joy one is feeling". i really liked that. so i wrote it down, like i do with many other wise sayings. (you are pretty darn special if you make it in the book- and let's just say that "The Office" is pretty darn special) . anyways, i have always thought of joy and happiness being two separate things, one better than the other (joy). however, what i have realized is that that happiness is necessary. it is the outward reflection towards others of the joy you contain in your heart.
also, did any of you guys know that all babies are born with blue/gray eyes? i certainly did not. learn something new everyday, guys, learn something new everyday.
another aspect that has been added onto my knowledge is how much i have grown this past year. not height wise (i wish), but mentally and spiritually. something that i have been yearning for years is growth. however, until recently, the thing that i have not been showing is effort. the effort to get up everyday, do what needs to be done, & keep trying until i have reached my goals. i can now see the difference between last year's Cate & this year's Cate. i hope that this years is better, & i know that next year's Cate will be just wonderful. i love how i am typing this as i am in my pajamas in bed. but hey, it's a snow day, give me a break.
one of the last of many lessons i have learned lately is about this blog. rare i tell a friend about my blog due to fear of judgment and laughter, however i have realized that this blog is really important to me and captures my life. so why not share it? also, i have been holding back on writing posts such as these because i know that my outfits may be more interesting. however, in order to "create a lovely life", i do believe sharing what i have learned must happen. (:
my blog, in another's words, "is a collection of ideas, memories, thoughts, observations, feelings, perspectives, and conclusions." but come on, can we please use another word rather than "blogging"... i dislike coming off as a white girl writing her diary between tennis lessons.
what have you learned recently, friends?


27.11.13

today is for crafts.

crafts are a weird concept if you think about. in today's world, the first thought that pops into one's mind on the subject of crafts, is kids, holidays, or forced activities. however, crafts, a century ago, were a hobby for all, a way of making money, and an everyday event for everyday needs. from little girls making dolls (to sell for a nickel), to sewing a scarf to keep warm (and making every other piece of clothing worn), to even decorating masks for a play (to portray the gender of the character)-- let's just say that the idea of "diy" is not just a concept made up by the makers of Pinterest a few years back. though, let's face it, America would love to say they created something as great as crafts.
anyhow, crafts are fun. and today was for crafts.

  
  

I made a collage wall of my recent favorite black and white photographs & a strand of tissue paper garland in gold, plum, and raspberry for above one of my windows. wow, how refined were those colors? if that doesn't say proper and "pinkys up" to you, I do not know what does.
hoorah for crafts and breaks from the ordinary.
xo. cate

(p.s. notice my dead cactus in photo 2? I do not know how it is possible to kill a cactus, but I did it, friends! pure talent right there. )

26.11.13

a cliche post.


my least favorite thing is when people all of a sudden decide to be thankful just in the month of November, or let alone on the day of thanksgiving. however, I am grateful that we are reminded of it during this season-- though, for most people, the idea of being thankful is only a trend.
though, in all of my efforts, I am, in fact, that girl who is writing a post on thankfulness... 2 days before thanksgiving. but hey, no need to complain about having moments and people to be grateful for in my life.

I am grateful for this little girl (and her brother who is not pictured) whom I babysit, for they teach me how to let loose and be a kid again. 



I am grateful for my cozy room where I can relax and enjoy being alone.

I am grateful for mornings by myself that are filled with 2 too many bowls of cereal and learning about how to be a woman of Christ.

I am grateful for a kind little brother who lets me take cool shots of him like this. he is the best.
I am grateful for the realization in my heart that I do not need to be normal and follow the crowd, and the boldness to stand up for what I believe.



I am grateful for late night IHOP with sweet friends who make me laugh and who enjoy the smiley face pancakes on the kid's menu as much as I do.
I am grateful for (live)  music with (the coolest) people, for it makes me appreciate moments, not things.
I am grateful for a best friend who understands me in almost everyway and is always up to go to target with me.
I am grateful for new friends like this one, for it teaches me to open up to new people and let them enhance my life.


I am grateful for my art class where I can enter into another world full of paint and creativity without limits. (and for people who compliment my projects... I was told that this book I am working on is "badass". hey, i'll take it.)




and I am grateful for days I do not have to wear a uniform, and can express myself a small bit through my clothing.

~

I am grateful for life. and for cliché posts like this, that remind me what a life I have. happy thanksgiving, friends!

xo. cate

10.11.13

pretending to be productive.

these photos were taken from last sunday, yet I am posting them sunday. so today, I can pretend that I was productive and got up and got dressed, without actually doing so. wow, I love life.
also, this week has been pretty great. many delightful things have been happening to my family and myself, so I have been in a fab mood. yet, i have been trying to continue that mood to even the hardest, most stressful or boring weeks as well. staying joyful despite circumstances, is the plan, you guys. difficult, but worth it.

top-ae/ skirt-loft/tights-target/shoes-thrifted



oh, and shout out to fall. you're my favorite.

xo. cate