today= normal

today's outfit is normal. nothing special (well maybe the hat!), nothing too exciting (okay... my new purse is pretty exciting) but just something that looks like me on a regular bases. today I helped take care of kids at my church, so I wanted my outfit to be kid friendly but still cute and fun! I am wearing my new fedora (target), a gray tank top (aerie), coral shorts (loft), my sandals (ae), and i am carrying my new bag (urban outfitters). you have no idea how obsessed I am with my hat... I absolutely love it. oh and my new beautiful bag (sadly you didn't see much of it in the pictures...) will be featured in an upcoming blog post of my Dallas haul! glad to share with you my simple yet lovely outfit today!

xo. cate

sneak peak: DIY dotted shorts

here is a little sneak peak into what I am doing today. I am bored of the basic regular shorts everyone has... so I am adding some fun to a pair of navy shorts I already own today! with a bit of paint, a pencil, and shorts (or any item of clothing) you can add polka dots to your outfit! I don't want to show the final product yet because in the near future there will be a DIY and a 'how I wear it'!

xo. cate

recap

I know I haven't posted in a while... but I have been so busy lately! two weeks ago I had a weekend girls trip with one of my friends, and last week I went to camp. oh and it's been hot. very hot. which makes Cate tired and not want to do anything consisting of being outside for more than 30 seconds. above are a few photos I've taken of my life these past few weeks.

I hope to be posting more this coming week before I leave again... for NEW YORK! I honestly cannot contain my excitement for this trip if you can't already tell. just wanted to share with you snapshots of the life of Cate over the past weeks... hope you enjoyed.

xo. Cate

(p.s. these photos are very out of order [technical difficulties] ... so food and food and cute stuff-- girls trip. gravel background and sweat-- camp.)

why not?

someone asked me the other day, "why are you wearing that?". my answer to that \and to most questions lately has been "why not?". why not wear a bright dress/skirt when you do nothing all day? why not buy those crazy shoes? or why not have a piece of cake... or 3? on sunday, i had a pretty normal day: woke up late, did who knows what for a few hours, and had dinner with my family that night. however, i decided i could either wear a t-shirt and nike shorts with my hair in a bun all day or wear my new maxi skirt and look somewhat cute, even if i am overdressed. the choice is quite clear...

 

i have been wanting a maxi skirt or dress for way too long, and thankfully old navy recently had exactly what i have been looking for. its extremely bright and fun and perfect for cool summer days. i wore it with a gray tank top from aerie layered over a coral one. to highlight my waist, i added my extremely long belt from target that i doubled. my everyday shoes, sunglasses and jewelry finished off the look and kept it casual.

came across a quote that said, "stressed, depressed but well dressed." well said, well said. wear something that makes you happy even if others smirk at you or do not like it. it is your opinion that matters... unless you are wearing crocs... then your opinion does not matter at all. you are simply saying to the world, i give up. don't give up. don't wear crocs.

xo. cate 

my inspiration board

what inspires you? a good recipe, beautiful scenery, or a thought provoking book? well, story time. few months ago i popped into a local shop which was decorated with newspaper flowers, and i got that feeling. you know, the feeling when you think, hey i could do that. so even if it is the smallest of things (like newspaper) you can be inspired, and once you are you begin to build on that original inspiration until it becomes something wonderful and others are inspired by YOU.

after lots of brain storming, i created my inspiration board with those newspaper flowers and other things i adore. enjoy...

 

a bit messy, but hey what isn't?

 made from old book pages, i created these little flower/fan type things. i also covered the entire door with the pages as the back round.

yes, even chocolate and cupcakes inspire me.

 

i have begun to save all of my fortune cookie fortunes and put them on my board.

one of my favorite quotes(:

 

hope you enjoyed taking a peek into what inspires me and find something that inspires you.

 

xo. cate

home not house

when i first started this blog i thought it would consist of mainly fashion & style (check!) and home decor. so better late than never... i am finally doing something home related. here you go, my home decor style (or what i hope it to be some day) in 3 photos.

my pet peeve in a house it that when i walk in it feels like it is out of a magazine and nothing... i mean nothing has been touched or used. that, my friend, is a house. i want a home. i love the picture above for so many reasons: the crisp white bed, the clear box displaying magazines, the subtle yet unique wallpaper, and the whole atmosphere of the room that makes you want to walk in, light a candle and read a book or chat with a friend.

the kitchen is always the best part of the home for me, whether small or large, new or old, everyone always ends up in the kitchen. when i have a home of my own, i want my kitchen to be inviting and reflect my style. i love the colors in this room above (not too girly or manly), the way they display their utensils and supplies, and with just a few little changes from the original kitchen (the teal nobs, red and white tile, pretty towels) i can clearly see who lives here.

my family calls it a den. my friends call it a living room. my grandmother calls it a sitting room. whatever you call it, this is a place one can rest, play, and enjoy in. i love the simplicity of the room in the picture above, the mixing of colors and patterns, and the open and fresh feeling it gives off.

contrary to this post title, i would call this post "the you home". i believe that it is not the house you buy, how much it was, or what neighborhood it is in that makes it your home. it is simply the way you portray it... so how do you do that? well, decorate of course! find something you love and style your home around that. i hope you have enjoyed my home decor style, and have a lovely day!

xo. cate

photos from: lilacandgrey.com /poppytalk.blogspot.uk.com

base6: white tee

to start off my "base6" series, i am showing how i wear a white tee. keep in mind that this is how i style my top; i hope you are inspired by how i style it, but make sure you add your personality into your outfit. 

 

my basic white tee is a burnout white v-neck that i wore over a coral cropped tank. i have seen a lot of people wearing their tops in a knot, and have really adored this trend lately. so i knotted my white tee to the side to show off my high waisted shorts. i also layered a few necklace together (telephone one from forever 21, butterfly one from aeropostale). my shoes... i absolutely love them. i got them a few weekends ago at ann taylor loft. they are kinda crazy and consist of a lot of trends: rattlesnake, neon, t-strap. however, they are so fun to pair with simple outfits like this one! to go with the laid back feel of this outfit i wore my hair in a messy side braid.

i hope you have enjoyed how i style my white tee and there will be more base6 style guides to come!

xo. cate

current obsession: retro swim suits

i absolutely love the whole look of the high waisted bottoms and a under wire bandeau for swim suits lately. i think it really flatters women with a straight figure by providing a more curvy look to your body, although if you find the right one it can work on all body types. this style is very feminine while still adding a cool retro vibe to what you're wearing. i encourage you to switch up your swim suit style this summer, and try new fashion trends like this one!

xo. cate

base6 introduction

base6... say it aloud...again... yes you got it, basics. basics are a wonderful thing in fashion. they start the outfit and make it what it is. they are easy to style and easy to find. they are an essential in every women's closet. you can just add a current trend with them and be on your lovely way! i am starting a series called, 'base6' this summer. in 6 posts i will show you how to style each piece (of the 6 pieces) in your unique way.

the 6 basic pieces are..

1. white tee
2. jean shorts
3. gold earrings
4. the summer sundress
5. striped top
6. white jeans

i hopefully will be starting soon, and will be posting quite frequently since it is finally summer! i am beyond ready for this summer and all that awaits me! what does summer have in store you for?

xo. cate

how I wear it: bleach pen tank

yet another how i wear it! i like doing these, because although making diy clothes is fun, if you don't know how to style it your way, then there is really no point to making it. on a recent post i demonstrated how to make a diy bleach pen top. so, if you have not looked at that please do! this project is super fun and not time consuming at all! here is how i wear it...

i tucked my hot pink tank into high waited navy corduroy shorts (local shop) with a distressed belt. of course, my gladiators(ae) were the safe way to go with this outfit. i am trying to get outside my comfort zone with my outfits, which is hard. i recently got a pair of snakeskin and neon yellow sandals that would look really good with this outfit. i will hopefully be showing you a outfit of the day soon with those featured in it.

hope you enjoyed this 'how i wear it' with my diy top! make one of your own, promise it won't let you down(;

xo. cate