LIFE: Health vs Lifestyle- Help Me Decide

Top left- 2 ingredient banana "pancakes" with green tea and agave nectar

Top right- Every day breakfast of oatmeal with fruit

Bottom left- Strawberry banana "ice cream"

Bottom right- typical breakfast smoothie

If you follow me on Instagram then you're probably wondering "why is she showing us pictures I've already seen?". And if you're not following me on Instagram...why aren't you following me on Instagram? 

Regardless of whether or not you choose to let me bully you into following my social media platforms, I've been posting quite a few healthy food pictures, and even posted a very sexy picture of myself sweaty and showing off my non-abs. So why does this matter to you? It might not, but I have been contemplating turning Wednesday into a "Health" section on this blog. That is where I could really flesh out any receipies I've tried (Instagram is a little cumbersome for that), give reviews on any products I've wasted my money on, or just anything a long those lines. 

I wouldn't be doing it to "keep myself honest" because let's face it. If I didn't want to post anything that week, it's all too easy to just skip out. I'd be doing it because now that my mind is thinking about these things more and more often, I find myself needing a platform other than Twitter and Instagram to really share my experience and thoughts on something. It also doesn't have to be a category. It could just be part of the Sunday lifestyle posts I've been doing and get filed in there (since sometimes I do struggle for weekly content on those).

So what do you think? Should posts like that be transformed into a new category or should I just file them under "lifestyle" and post them on Sundays as they come along?

xoxo, Katie

OOTD: Do I really need a title?

Long time, no blog, yeah? It's mostly due to a general lack of inspiration and crappy weather. Occasionally it stops raining and I can run outside, however this outfit isn't my favorite, and actually spurred me to get myself back on track with food/working out.  I'm always surprised by how I look in pictures compared to what I think I look like. Sometimes it's good, sometimes...not so much.

Dress- Timo Weiland

Jacket: Forever 21

If anyone cares about my life outside of the clothes I wear, it's been getting harder and harder to find structure in my life as the summer progresses. My job is frustratingly wonderful, because while I actually love the career I'm going in to, my team continues to give me next to no responsibilities. It's mostly because a new assistant merchant started at the exact same time as me, and they've been giving her pretty much any job that would be appropriate for an intern. It doesn't help that my desk is no where near my team, so I pretty much have no way of knowing what's going in unless they go out of their way to clue me in...

But enough complaining. I've been learning a lot and I wouldn't go back and change anything. The last 7 weeks have solidified in my mind that I really do want to go into this field, which is valuable in itself. I have no reason to complain (especially since I'm getting paid).

In the style of Elana from Room334, I'll tell you what I've been watching lately (although I promise it's much less cultured). Sex and the City was completely under my radar until earlier this summer. Of course I'd heard of it, but never actually sat down to watch it. Boy, have I been missing out. It is the perfect guilty pleasure chick-flick style show that I love to indulge in occasionally. Have you been watching anything great recently, old or new?

xoxo, Katie

OOTD: I Feel Naked

It's a weird thing, posting a picture of your wearing clothes on a fashion blog because you feel naked. I mean, does it defeat the purpose? Or am I just so hipster that wearing clothing that makes me feel clothed is too mainstream? Oh, the many questions that come with this post.

Dress- LUXE

Shoes- Steve Madden

Purse- Kate Spade

Sunglasses- Target

But in all seriousness- this "dress" is supposed to be a dress. Again, I'm not making much sense. However, it's because I'm so tall (and the fact that it's designed after what I can only presume is a toddler's dress from the 1960's) that this dress is more like a tunic, but really too long to be a tunic and much too long to be a shirt. So I just told myself I was channeling my inner 1970s plane stewardess and went for it.

I lasted about two hours. It's just so uncomfortable to feel this exposed! Even with shorts on underneath I felt like every eye was on me (my Millennial mentality is kicking in there) and the back of my legs. It was super fun while it lasted, though. It almost makes me wish I'd been a teen in the 60s and 70s-almost.

And before I go, I'm pretty sure the lady across the street from me hates me after taking that last picture. I didn't realize it was her actual driveway because it leads into this run down shack-like building that I NEVER see cars in. I just assumed it wasn't in use anymore. Fair game, right? Wrong, apparently, because as I was snapping this last picture her car came tearing around the corner and almost ran me over. As if taking pictures of yourself in public wasn't awkward enough...

xoxo, Katie

PS- Let's all just take a minute to look at my purse. I'm pretty obsessed with it at the moment- so much so that I'm going to do a review post about it sometime in the coming week. My love for quality leather goods knows no bounds.

OOTD: Sporty Spice

Jacket- Express

Top- H&M

Skirt- Thrifted

Watch- Swatch

Shoes- JCP

 

I'm currently sitting at my desk, eating lunch, and trying not to get anything on this jacket, because I am that in love with it. Although I suppose if I really loved it that much I might have planned ahead better to not bring spaghetti on a day I wore it...

 

I snagged it in the sale Express had on their clearance items two weeks ago, and it was totally worth that whopping $14 I spent on it. I never buy anything from Express unless it is on sale because I really find that it isn't worth the extreme markup they put on everything. I could have found a jacket like this at Forever21 for $25, and this one was originally $50.

 

Lame assessment of the brand aside, I've been obsessing over anything sport inspired as of late. Varsity jackets, tennis skirts, sneakers, sports bras....ok I haven't gone far enough to wear a sports bra for anything other than working out, but at this rate I wouldn't put it past me. There is just something so fun (and comfortable) and wearing girly clothes with a pair of tennis shoes or a varsity jacket. Has anyone else been feeling the love lately?

xoxo, Katie

 



ps- you can check out the runway look that inspired my outfit and how I recommend styling it in my CollegeFashionista article this week! 

LIFE: bloom where you are planted

image

For some reason or another, these types of posts don't usually do very well on this blog, but I felt this was a pretty important topic that I needed to get out.

After having moved a couple of times (twice for school, and now my internship), I've realized the true importance of a quote like this. Too often people will make themselves unhappy because a situation is less than ideal or just not what they expected. Maybe the job you wanted is in a crappy part of the country, or the place you want to live doesn't have the right job for you. Maybe you were planning to get a job much higher up, and instead you're stuck at the bottom. Life will throw all sorts of curve balls we don't plan on, but the best thing to do is react them to and move forward.

Blooming where you are planted is all about making the best out of every kind of situation, because something can be learned from anything. Right now I'm living in my roommate's apartment that smells like cat litter and has dust bunnies pilled to the ceiling. What good is it going to do me to just complain about it? Instead, I've learned that regular cleaning really does make a difference (and makes it easier in the long run) and that my mom wasn't crazy all those years when she had us do a weekend cleaning of the floors, bathrooms, and kitchen. Parents really do get smarter as we get older.

Nothing turns out how we think it will. Another great quote to go along with this one is "life is what happens when you're busy making plans". It's just so true. It seems that most of the time there is nothing we can do in the long run but try our best to work toward something and then roll with the punches. If you're working in a company, looking at the CEO thinking "I want to do THAT", but you're stuck doing data entry, don't cry about it- do something about it. Whining isn't going to accomplish anything, and doing the very best data entry you can and looking for ways to improve it will not only create more purpose in you (creating a happier person), but also earn the recognition of those hiring that CEO. Taking root in a spot, making it the absolute best possible, and excelling at whatever task is at hand

 

So next time you're lamenting a terrible position or situation, take a step back and look at it for what it could be worth. More often than not, there is something to be taken from it, and think about a literal flower. Flowers that grow even in the most dried up undernourished dirt are absolutely amazing. Even more amazing than those planted in the store bought ultra-grow fancy soil. Be that flower. Be the flower that creates something out of nothing, that shocks everyone and truly flourishes in the environment that you are placed. There's nothing to lose except for the negative attitude holding most of us back.

 

 

BEAUTY: Covergirl Outlast "Stay Fabulous" 3-in-1 Foundation Reivew

One of the best and worst things about being a blogger is people buying you random products for presents. This foundation wasn't even on my radar when my grandma (who is the best beauty gift giver- just mention something and she will almost always get exactly what you asked for) slipped this into my Easter basket a few months back. She had remembered me talking about wanting to try new foundations, and voila! It appeared. It sat in my makeup drawer for about a month until I picked it up the beginning of June, and after having tried it more than once, I think I can give a pretty solid opinion on this.

Pros:
-Packaging
-Price
-Coverage
-Wear
-Blends well

Cons:
-Matte finish
-Shade matching
-Thickness

Over all, I'd say this is a pretty decent foundation. The pump makes it super easy to get the product out, and the glass bottle is quite nice for a drugstore foundation. The price is less than $10 at Wal-mart, and I even found it at Target for less than $7.

The actual foundation itself has a medium to buildable full coverage, which is heavier than I usually go for. The formula was noticeably thick (thank God for the pump), and I certainly wouldn't apply this with a flat foundation brush unless you want to look quite painted. Having said that, it blends out to a nice level with a little work, and if matched to your skin correctly won't leave an embarrassing line along your jaw.

And on that note, I did NOT have the right shade in this. It was much too light. Rarely do I wear a any color darker than the 2nd shade, but this looked ghostly on me, even with bronzer. I checked online and this is the lightest shade, but boy is it light. The matte finish didn't help that either. I usually prefer a dewy look, and at least a neutral, but this set almost powdery. I didn't notice any accentuation of fine lines or settling into creases, though, which I've noticed can be a problem with matte foundations. It lasted most of my work day, but if I planned to do anything afterward it would require minimal touching up.

Over all, it's worth a shot, especially if you prefer this kind of finish. I'm usually all about letting my natural freckles shine through, but if there ever comes a time when I want something a little more covered, I very well could find myself reaching for this.