styling lessons (for the everyday girl)

hey hi hello, friends! 

unrelated note: long time no see. you can say that again, cate. yes, i know. i have taken a little blogging hiatus this past month or so. due to the immense amount of school work, family + friend obligations (well, not all obligations), and honestly a lack of sleep & desire to whip out the ole laptop for a post, this site has been taking a much needed cat nap. but nonetheless, school is out for summer (do not make me break into song) and i am more than eager to blog again. with a mind full of ideas and unlimited creative boundaries-- let's do this whole blog thing once more.

styling. the art of the perfect composition and freedom to make ordinary objects & actions look beautiful. styling is one of my favorite creative outlets to pursue, so i am constantly learning and growing in the process & outcome. whether i do it for the 'gram or just for kicks and giggles, it is something i genuinely crave & thrive in. in an ideal world, i would have a pretty studio (think ban.do or rifle paper co.), a plethora of backdrops, and endless props. but, plot twist: we do not live in that world. surprise, right? through this i have learned how to create the most with my current circumstances and make do with my available resources. 

through just a white desk, a window, and so much washi tape that it makes you think i have a problem (i do)-- let's dive into the creative process of styling for the everyday girl, doing everyday things.

while browsing through the aisles at target (which, as you all know, i do on a semi-regular basis), i came across this funky washi tape and thought well if that doesn't say summer, then i don't know what does. so i bought it. being the girl i am, i have this desire to use/wear whatever i buy immediately. i thought that the pattern would work well as a mini-backdrop for a shot, so i taped about 12 strips of this fun-fetti washi tape to my desk. 

then, i gathered supplies! i had stamped two pieces of art the previous day (they turned out quite wonderfully, too) so thought that they might look appealing on the backdrop. also, i collected this polaroid from the night before of abigail & i at anthro (surprise, surprise). 

i tried out the stamped 'hello's' first. after i took 10-12 shots shifting each of them in and out of the frame, i ended up not loving the way it looked. 

quickly, i tested the poloroid and realized the colors of the photo match the washi tape. can you say match made in heaven? again, i shifted the photo every which way...

...and even did the 'so instagram hip' shot of holding it...

... thought it may have needed another aspect, so i added these pretty pink packaging peanuts...

... and shifted those out...

... then i started from scratch and took the photo from a different angle so the tape lines point diagonally...

and at the end of it, i decided to go with the first shot of poloroid. clean, simple, and just what i wanted to capture. i actually ended up posted it on instagram*, but just used an iphone photograph because i am, well, lazy.

though a posed shot (thank you, self-timer), this is a pretty accurate representation of  what my personal process looks like. i am sure i get a great deal of looks from my neighbors and passing cars, but heck-- i have way too much fun doing this to even care.

i have learned that through styling (and most creative pursuits) sometimes most of the time you do not get your desired look on the first try. it's a process. it takes time. it takes patience. it takes trying and believing in your every idea. and through it all, and an abundance of practice, the process shortens & you actually long for your initial frustration of coming up with the next best idea. the key to success is learning to love the growth and progress-- embracing every mistake, laughing at failing ideas, and mostly realizing the art of "not yet" but "close".

~

hope you all enjoyed seeing a little peak into one of my passions. and thanks, friends, for sticking around through the lack of posts, but get ready for operation: take over the blogger-world.

 just kidding, i am not that ambitious. pretty ambitious, but not that crazy.

yours truly,

cate

(*p.s. shameless plug: missed me so much? follow me on instagram @cate.marg for almost-daily posts of my un-instagram worthy life.)