the color: raspberry

the color: raspberry by catemarg featuring witchery

today we are exploring another addition to the color series featuring raspberry. to be honest, i am not much of a pink kind of girl, i like sticking with my neutrals and having a pop of blue here and there, so pink is just not my forte. however, raspberry is in fact a color that i am wanting to try. i love jewel tones, so this pretty pink will hopefully be making its way into my wardrobe soon. 

one/ bag or backpack: perfect statement piece to a blah outfit.

two/ scarf. next time you buy a scarf make sure it has hints of raspberry in it.

three/ phone case. i am loving this one from target. it almost is ombre... even more to love.

four/ sleeveless shear top. don't stick with a basic white top this spring, try it in this color!

five/ nail polish. duh i have to put a nail polish in to every one of these posts, and it's pretty too.

six/ fringe necklace. add this piece to your basic white tank and you are automatically in trend!

xo. cate

thrift find thoughts

normally when i go into a thrift shop (to pop some tags), i go in with an intention to get a certain thing, whether that is something lace or a band tee, i always have a goal in mind to buy something. today, however, was different. i went into Savers just to look, and i came across a awesome button up. before you judge the somewhat hideous and somewhat uniquely cute top i bought, i will tell you my thought process as it made it's way into an outfit!

thought one: it is floral and denim... two of my favorite things all wrapped up in a button up!

thought two: it is HUGE.

thought three: i look like an 93 year old gardener (but a cute one right? no? okay.)

thought four: i'll cut off the sleeves and take the shoulder pads off

thought five: i totes messed up. should i have kept the sleeves? *mini panic attack*

thought seven: belt it and add accessories!

thought eight: ahhhh... perfect. will look even cuter with my green pants mentioned here.



thought nine: for school i will had a cardigan (apparently shoulders are of the devil...)

thought ten: ugh, my mirror is dirty, i need to go clean it.

thought eleven: okay, ADD, lets get back to fixing this granny top.

thought twelve: no need to brag, but i am pretty awesome. i mean, from that to THIS. (;

after all of my thoughts, i finally came to the conclusion that i like how it turned out! i still may do a few things to it here and there to make it cuter by itself (dip dye? crop it? fringe it?), but other than that i feel very accomplished! what would you do to this top? i may even use your suggestion, you never know.

xo. cate

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spring break essentials

spring break essentials by catemarg featuring chie mihara sandals

 

though i am not at the beach for this spring break, i am pretending i am. i have been wearing full blown spring/summer clothing, and sipping on lemonade looking out my window to the beautiful view of the ocea-- i mean my neighbors house. BUT if i was at the beach, or somewhere with sunny skies, this is what i would pack.

 

1/ bathing suit. i got a top from aerie the same style as this one but in polka dots the other day and love it. bringing retro swim wear back but with a modern twist!

2/ wedges and sandals. neon wedges for the night and vintage sandals for playing in the sand!

3/ jean or chambray button up. wear this for dinner with a skirt, during the day with cutoffs, or unbuttoned over your swim suit. perfect and versatile.

4/ skater skirt. comfy, bright, and flirty for any occasion.

5/ statement necklace. to add that wow factor for first impressions.

6/ clutch. small enough to fit in your beach bag, and large enough to fit all of your friends sunnies in.

7/ sun hat. a "don't look at me, i'm sunburned" hat... oh that's just me.

8/ lace shorts. so cute, and a great alternative to jean shorts.

 

xo. cate

back and springy

 

 long time no see, friends. the month of march has been everything but boring for me; filled with festivals, concerts, school, trips, and so. much. more. i have been super busy, but now on spring break (at home) so i have time to relax and unwind. i have purchased a few new delightful things lately, some of which are shown in this outfit of the day!

 

 

 

-top/loft-pants/loft-shoes/urbanoutfitters-bracelets/urban/bcbg/local hippy shop-

 

i have been obsessed with these emerald jeggings (let's call them pants for my sake of wearing them as pants...) lately! not only is it the color of the season, but they are so comfy. i also am loving this top, because, i mean, who doesn't love lace and when you can wear a sleeveless top in march? oh, and the shoes. two words, ob. sessed. okay, one word but you get the point. i have been wanting a pair of sneakers for forever (literally, when i was a baby i wanted these shoes), and there they were at urban outfitters, the only floral ones left, and the only ones in my size left. you should of seen my "omg those are the ones" dance when i saw them. well, maybe you shouldn't have.

 

xo. cate

1 year on Creating a Lovely Life!

guess what? i missed my one year bloggerversery (is that a word? of course!), which was February 15. sad, i know. i truly cannot believe that it has been 365 days since my very first post. here are a few things i have learned along the way.

1.) i am not a professional. this blog is for fun, and that is why i originally created it. many times this past year i kept comparing my blog to other famous blogs, and got discouraged. however i have learned that i blog to inspire others, to capture moments i love, and to share my style and fashion!
2.) editing makes a photo. probably the first 10 or so posts i uploaded unedited photos. when i look back to posts like this i seriously want to cringe. now, i mainly use editing apps or sites to enhance my not-so-great-nor-fancy-camera-photos.
3.) it's all about growth. several times i have wanted to delete certain posts. then i convince myself not to because it shows growth and how far i have come since the start. and i like that. i like seeing how my photos have gotten more creative, how my vocab has gotten stronger... i mean more stalwart, and the memories just get sweeter.

my favorite posts since day one...

downtown day style 

my inspiration board

why not?

diy dotted shorts

Guest post: Anye Sarre (most exciting blog moment ever *squeals out of excitement*)

'tis the season

2013. (bold)

 

i am beyond glad that i decided to click the "create" button for this blog. it is such has been such an incredible experience i hope to continue for a long time. i hope you have enjoyed getting to know me and reading Creating a Lovely Life!

 

xo. cate

 

 

learning to be simple

most of the time, i like layers and fun, creative outfits consisting of many different pieces. yet lately i have been more and more into simple styles with minimal accessories and quiet features. it truly is hard for me to "keep it simple" a lot of days because i constantly feel like my outfit needs moreeee. while sometimes that may be true, most times less is more.

note: this is not me. see end of post. *

this outfit is made up of mostly neutrals, and since i am a neutral girl at heart i love it. normally, in addition to these kind of two or three toned combos i would also wear a scarf, fun belt, or jazz it up with cool shoes. but i have to learn that what makes this look pretty and polished is it's simplistic aspect.

note: this is not me. see end of post. *

this outfit really sticks out to me because sometimes all i want to do is put on a knit dress, sneakers and throw my hair up, and i can. for some reason i feel like when i am wear less i look less put together... however i am learning that that is far from true. i can rock a one piece outfit (that is if it is a dress...), i can just wear some fun kicks and go, and i can eat a donut or five (ya know, to keep mornings simple).

again, i am learning to be simple and to not add unnecessary items to clothes (even if they are totes adorbs... uhhh did i just say that?!). 

xo. cate

*these photos are not mine, found from:

jazzabellesdiary.blogspot.com

www.chictopia.com

the color: cobalt blue

the color: cobalt blue by catemarg featuring flat shoes

if you know me, then you know i am not one for flashy, bold colors. however, i have been seeing more and more primary colors, like cobalt blue, on the runway and in celebrity style lately, so i have decided to give it a try. cobalt blue is the best way to add unexpected color in your wardrobe. i think we forget about this color and tend to lean towards more baby blues or teal blues. cobalt blue is great alternative to neutrals in basic pieces, such as a clutch, earrings, watch or scarf. or if you want to be more trendy with it, try to wear it in a leather jacket, peplum top, loafers, or fun shorts.

this series is one that i am loving. i get to explore the latest fashion trends and see how i can incorporate them into different pieces, and then tell YOU!

xo. cate 

zooey deschanel style

zooey deschanel style by catemarg featuring wolford stockings

i love zooey deschanel for so so so many reasons... maybe it's  her bangs, her humor, or the fact that she has "chanel" in her name, but most of all it is her quirky style. although, her style is a bit more childish in her tv show, New Girl, she still resimbles that wardrobe in her everyday wear. zooey is famous for her odd prints, feminine siloquettes, and overall nerd chic style. in the outfit shown above shows a more casual look for her, which i adore. a striped top color blocked with a bold color, black shorts, tights, and fun flats is her go-to street style outfit it seems. she keeps her ensaumbles very minimal, with simple pieces and little jewery or embellisbents. zooey is one who loves color, an aspect i wish to imitate and strive for in my style.

xo. cate

january to february

january is always the month everyone has high hopes. with the start of a new year, people (myself included) make goals, dreams, wishes, and desires for the upcoming year. as we all know, a week into january and we are already cheating on our diet, complaining about the same old situations, and falling back into the rut of the past year... and year before... and year before. so this year, i wanted to change that in my life. i decided to have my new years resolutions mentioned here, that are realistic and specific enough to achieve, but also bold and new to have something to strive for. in addition to that list, i have been begun writing "monthly to do lists", which include different objectives or things i wish to achieve for the month. i try to keep them distinguishing and attainable. this past month, i had about five ambitions to achieve and completed three of them. and that is perfectly fine with me. this technique gives me something to go for and complete when all i want to do is sit and watch gossip girl.

to describe my january in a few words i would say...

music-filled (went to a couple concerts with my favorite amigos)
thankful focus (because when we step back to look at our life, it is pretty amazing)
cold living (...as in soup, thrifting, reading, and wearing scarves every chance i get)

ah, february. i LOVE a new month. see what i did there... love wink wink. february is a fun month for many reasons... it starts getting all springy-dingy in my neck of the woods, and i like wearing pink... so this month gives me an excuse to do so. tonight i am going to kickoff my february to do list to see what this month will bring. pretty lovely things, i think. (:

xo. cate



photo from: http://juanchavarriajr.tumblr.com/post/6831341610