Month: July 2017

hey guys!

its so crazy that its already july 30th. i mean there is only one more day left in july.

this month there was…

the end of my diet. my diet, the blogilates 28 day reset ended on july 3rd, just in time for  prime ice cream season. my diet was no dairy, no gluten, no sugar and more. i have realized, since then that i am likely – in addition to being lactose intolerant i probably have a gluten problem as well – isn’t that unfortunate, NO MORE PIZZA. at least at lot less of it because of how it makes me feel. so a few days ago i picked up the diet again -this time adding in the red meat! i will let you know how it goes.

 

and this month had the fourth of july. i celebrated with some of my old friends – my oldest friend leah and her family. we were able to see the amazing pasadena rose bowl fireworks – which were amazing and we had a barbeque and it was just so fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

then, following the fourth i took a little day trip up to visit san luis obispo – and visit cal poly SLO, a school i will be applying to this fall. i absolutely love the school and i am so excited for all of the schools i will be applying to at the end of this year!

of course in SLO i had to check out the coffee shops – because i LOVE coffee – check out how i take my coffee here – and i found this amazing place called scout which had a really great latte!

i made homemade pasta. i made bucatini – which my family loves to eat with an amatriciana sauce – like this one from mario batali – its basically a strawlike pasta. i used this really cool pasta extruder and it turned out really well! my family would agree they  really liked it – and i successfully completed one of my 101 in 1001 tasks!

my family and i visited little damage – the home of the ‘goth ice cream’. and the verdict is: that soft serve is amazing! all of my family enjoyed it – and we all agreed that it was worth the CRAZY one hour wait time! i suggest the ‘dark cinns’ and ‘salted covfefe’.

 

i also had my senior portraits taken this month! also to clear up any misunderstandings – this is not my official portrait – they are not out yet but i will definitely share them with you all – my blog family! this is a photo my sister took later that day!

my family and i also got a chance to visit this amazing italian place in la called rossoblu. it was fabulous and the food was insanely delicious and i hope to go back soon and try the classic bolognese.

i also got to catch up with some of my friends this month! which i have loved seeing them so much and catching up – i could talk to them for hours on end!

of course, this month also had the #NSALE! i shared with you my outfit post and my picks. and just a reminder – you can easily shop my picks from clicking the #NSALE link in my header!

i hope you enjoyed my post!

xoxo

(aka kate wins!)

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hey all!

how have your summer’s been so far? recently mine has been CRAZY with the #NSALE – as being both a blogger and a blog reader! right now i am in LOVE with these rose gold nikes and this adorable tee shirt.

so about two years ago I was “diagnosed” (if you can even call this diagnosed) with “convergence insufficiency” – which is basically a fancy medical world meaning that my eyes don’t work together – (check out more of an explanation in the post here!). So this means that I wear prism lenses as reading glasses so I don’t see double when I read in books or on the computer. So, I have had some pretty awesome glasses over this year – but now I’m trying something new – glasses from Warby Parker!

If you guys don’t know what Warby Parker is it’s an awesome eyeglasses and sunglasses company with adorable glasses. they have an awesome “toms” like philosophy with a “buy one, give from program”. so today, i have a post for you guys of my favorite warby parker glasses which i will be sharing soon!

here we go!

1. baker glasses
2. coley glasses
3. stockton glasses
4. percel glasses
5. downing glasses

stay tuned to see the ones i picked – and check out my instagram for a super special surprise coming soon to my blog!

xoxo

(aka kate wins!)

 

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hey all!

i hope you are enjoying the #NSALE right now. if you haven’t yet, shop my picks via the post here; or come see the leggings that i picked or the baublebar earrings that i am in LOVE with. i also styled a look from the #NSALE with an adorable topshop dress which you can see here.

so guys, its hot here in california. like really hot, like fans running 24-7 hot, like can’t sleep under covers hot. what is the best thing to do when its hot, eat popsicles of course! so today, in honor of the current heat that i am feeling at this time in california, i decided to put together some popsicle recipes that i found on pinterest and have been wanting to try. so here we go why don’t we!

pre-word : none of these are my recipes or photos and i do not claim to own them, i am only sharing them for your viewing and enjoyment!

iced carmel macchiato pops

strawberry coconut milk pops

cherry limeade pops

creamy cookie dough pops

watermelon kiwi pops

fresh peach pops

cantaloupe pops

mango pops

strawberry mango chia pops

raspberry rosé pops

i hope you enjoy these recipes that i have for you! if you want to try them out let me know! thanks all!

xoxo

(aka kate wins!)

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hey all!

do you remember my old segment “an update with kate” well, its been quite a few months since i posted my last one. i feel like i needed to dump that segment entirely because it just doesn’t feel like me anymore. i needed a new way to share personal posts so i decided to create “kate’s korner” its basically my new segment of “an update with kate” and in rebranding i am totally feeling this new segment so lets get started.

i hear alot about body positivity these days.

there is no problem with being body positive believe me, its 100% amazing that people feel confident in their own skin, and its also amazing that there is a world that now accepts people in all different shapes and sizes.

i am in a very small and concentrated group of girls at my school – to be exact i have 91 other girls in my senior class. there is a ton of variety within people yet i have always felt like a chubby girl in my class – even though everybody tells me i am not.  i am i constant comparison to other people. yeah i have gotten the lecture many times (shoutout to my english teacher who i have talked about comparison many times) and i know that comparison is bad but its just so hard to stop. i feel like i am better than people yet also worse than them at the same time.

in middle school i was definitely the chubby girl. i was in an even more concentrated group of girls like 44 other girls and i. since middle school i have actually learned to eat ~ correctly and exercise – and enjoy it and even though i am probably the thinnest and fittest i have been since 6th grade i still am not body positive.

i listen to alot of jenna kutcher’s “goal digger podcast” and she is so cool, so confident and amazing. she talks alot about her body and personal body positivity. i am such a big fan of her and i root for her and all of her success because she’s an amazing person. its so hard to see somebody who has learned to be confident through many struggles in her life and i don’t know why i still can’t be body positive even though i see so many others being positive.

i am still working on positivity in many factors of my life. and i think that the body positivity will definitely be coming last on that list and i don’t think i will ever be body positive despite current size and fitness.

i hope you enjoy my brain dump.

xoxo

(aka kate wins!)

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1. exercise : i love blogilates channel and its free / easy to access!
2. write up a 101 in 1001 list : go see mine for inspiration.
3. watch a movie on netflix : i LOVE 10 things i hate about you with heath ledger (may he rest in peace) and ~fetus~ joseph gordon levitt.
4. check out some new bloggers : i love to read atlantic pacific by blair eadie, the miller affect by amanda miller and the college prepster by carly heitlinger.
5. bake cookies : i am a cookie fiend – and whether you bake from a package or from scratch baking cookies makes the house smell amazing and you will be able to eat warm cookies!
6. wander around the supermarket/target : i don’t know about you but personally i could be in target for hours, just looking around at clothes and home items and food and kombucha, etc.
7. plan a trip to a new city : even if you aren’t visiting it actually, it really fun to plan out the best places to go – and from a gal who actively uses my yelp app at least 3 times a day its actually really fun.
8. make a tumblr blog : tumblr is really fun – sure there are some ~explicit~ things there – but you can likely stay away from that, and you can ask to block that content – which i have on but you guys should check out my tumblr blog!
9. learn a new language : there are some really cool apps out there to learn languages – and i learned all of the numbers in japanese in only 2 hours!! yay exciting!
10. meditate : there are some really amazing apps like headspace and calm.
11. write : you’d be surprised how much comes out when you just sit down and write. at the end of the year, after the AP exam my ap lang teacher had a fun assignment to write our own spoken word pieces. she made us just sit outside and write for 5 minutes. my writing started as : “just green blades of grass” as i described every blade, then turned into something much deeper. we then performed for our pieces for the class. literally everyone in my class’s pieces were beautiful and meant so much for me to hear.
12. watch/listen to spoken word pieces : in my spoken word project i watched SO MANY spoken word pieces like this one, and this one! they spoke so amazingly i was so inspired – and it made me feel a little easier about speaking my truth.
13. start a bullet journal : you all know i am obsessed with my bullet journal so of course i want you all to try bujo-ing!!
14. take a bath/shower : i get my best ideas during showers or baths – its just so idea inducing for me so i think that its super cool for some reason so i think if you are bored or feel creatively blocked take a bath or shower.
15. do a photoshoot by yourself : okay don’t think i am lame but i set up my phone sometimes on the timer and pose for photos and stuff. even some of them have landed on my blog instagram!
16. make a vision board : whether on pinterest or in real life – i love clipping my photos from magazines and i find alot on my instagram or pinterest pages. vision boards are super nice for looking for design stuff and aesthetic planning.
17. paint your nails : i just posted my favorite summer nail polish colors here but to me nail polishing is super calming and just something to pass the time because you have to wait for it to dry!
18. write a letter : have cute stationery? write a letter to a friend you haven’t seen in awhile! i am sure they would to hear from you and maybe that will lead to a meet up later!
19. make a terrarium : terrariums are little gardens for catci and succulents! its so cute looking and its easy for all of you fellow plant killers out there.
20. go see a movie : i know this one takes money but there are always movies in the theater and even if none of the movies seem good go see one ~ironically~ for fun!

thanks for reading friends!

(aka kate wins!)

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hey all!

happy sunday! i am chugging along with my summer nicely – and its almost halfway over! crazy crazy crazy! this past week has been insane since the nordstrom sale started – you can check out my picks here. so today, in full out summer i am sharing my summer nail polish favorites! i am loving these colors for summer and i am totally ready to share them with you!

here we go!

1. sally hansen ‘glow with the flow’ color therapy nail polish:  this metallic color is so amazing! fade proof, chip resistant and helps to naturally nourish your nails with an amazing color. at $6.59 a pop its a great deal for a good nail polish – they have it in 30 colors but I love this “glow with the flow” metallic one.
2. ten over ten ‘essex’ nail polish : this blue color is classic and totally reminds me of the perfect beach day! the blue color entitled “essex” is available at amazon with some pretty amazing reviews!
3. smith & cult ‘the bee side’ nail lacquer:  this yellow nail polish called ‘the bee side’ is a totally amazing not too highlighter-y nail polish for summer. i feel that this color totally goes with the sun and can be paired with many pastel colors! and its low in stock so make sure to get it soon!
4. essie ‘beauty nap’ gel color : i have yet to try essie’s gel polish color but i have heard amazing things about it. this slightly  green / blue color is perfect for any activities.
5. essie ‘peach side babe’ nail polish: peach is one of the perfect colors for summer. i have yet to find a situation where this peach nail polish isn’t perfect. essie is amazing nail polish at a good price point.
6. ariel gordon ‘candy crush’ glitter nail polish:this glitter polish is the perfect top coat and accessory coat to put over any of these colors. i love glitter coats because they add a little special aspect to your day looking at the nails!
7. deborah lippman ‘pink cadillac’ nail polish: this color totally reminds me of my barbie dream car with a little hot tub in the back. i absolutely loved my barbie car and this nail polish will be an amazing nostalgic reminder of my younger days!
8. chanel ‘COQUILLAGE’ nail lacquer: another peach tone on my list. i have heard that the chanel nail polish is amazing, despite its slightly large price point!
9. rgb ‘nude’ nail polish: nude nail polish was so my jam in middle school – as a backstory in middle school i was not allowed to wear nail polish- so i feel like if i still can wear nude nail polish – now its become a choice to wear – its totally cool!

i hope you enjoy my picks!

(aka kate wins!)

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hey all!

the nordstrom anniversary PREsale starts today! that means you can officially start purchasing on the sale with your nordstrom card!

lets just get started why don’t we! i have sorted category by category and have pictures for y’all!

Activewear

1. Nike Dry Crop Training Sweatshirt – $48.90
2. Nike Pro Indy Sports Bra – $ 33.90
3. Zella Turning Point High Waist Crop Leggings – $35.90
4. Zella Mirage Longline Sports Bra – $35.90
5. Nike Legendary High Rise Capris – $63.90
6. Adidas Badge of Sport Sports Bra – $17.90
7. Beyond Yoga Sports Bra – $48.90
8. Zella Illusion Sports Bra – $35.90
9. Beyond Yoga High Striped Mesh Legging – $72.90
10. Trina Turk Velveteen Underground Off the Shoulder One Piece – $91.90
11. Zella Constellation Kinetic Crop Leggings – $38.90
12. Zella Glam High-waisted Crop Leggings – $42.90
13. Zella Intrigue High-waist crop leggings – $42.90
14. Zella Mesh Inset Training Tee – $31.90

Shoes

1. Nike Free Focus FK Bionic Training Shoe – $89.90
2. Dolce Vita Studded Hendrix Sandal – $99.90
3. Hunter Boots Short Boot – $119.90
4. Louise et Cie Caynlee Ballet flat – $79.90
5. Louis et Cie Jianna Pump – $79.90
6. Nike Free Run Distance 2 Running Shoe – $89.90
7. Nike Lunarepic Low FK 2 X-plore – $119.90
8. Tory Burch Claire Ballerina Flat – $164.90
9. Sarto by Franco Sarto Abbington – $79.90
10. Nike Air-Max Thea Sneaker – $85.90

 

Clothing

1. Chelsea28 Bell Sleeve Poplin Top – $58.90
2. Chelsea28 Shoulder Ruffle Shift Dress – $98.90
3. Chelsea28 Tiered Shift Dress – $92.90
4. Socialite Bell Sleeve Knit Dress- $29.90
5. Socialite White Lace Shift Dress -$38.90
6. Socialite Plunging Lace Romper – $49.90
7. Socialite Ruffle Faux Wrap Romper – $31.90
8. Halogen Flare-Sleeve Sweater – $49.90
9. Halogen Scallop Shirt Dress – $65.90
10. BP Front Button Shirtdress – $31.90
11. BP Stripe Wide Leg Jumpsuit – $42.90
12. BP Velvet Wrap Dress – $31.90
13. Soprano Cross Front Miniskirt – $25.90
14. Soprano Ruffle Lace Wrap Dress – $35.90
15. Cece Jada Scallop Shirt Dress – $98.90
16. Topshop Embroidery Jeans – $49.90

Accessories

1. BP Faux Leather Crossbody Bag – $29.90
2. Baublebar Luisa Tassel Drop Earring – $31.90
3. Le Specs Bandwagon Sunglasses – $45.90
4. kate spade new york young lane adalyn leather wallet – $58.90
5. kate spade new york young lane shirley leather satchel – $198.90
6. kate spade new york bright idea studs – $24.90
7. Rebecca Minkoff Top Handle Leather – $196.90
8. Ted Baker London Large Dajana Faux – $149.90
9. Tory Burch mini Frida Leather Wallet – $89.90
10. Gorjana Nora Hoop Earring – $39.90
11. kate spade new york do the twist bangle – $44.90
12. kate spade in a flash drop earrings – $49.90
13. kate spade new york in a flash set – $49.90
14. Halogen medium sleek tube hoop – $22.90
15. Melanie Auld collar necklace – $62.90
16. Michele Cape Silicon Strap Watch – $229.90
17. Nadri Bar Station Bracelet – $24.90
18. Nadri Cubic Zirconia Collar Necklace – $37.90
19. Nadri Medium Inside Out Hoops – $39.90
20. Kendra Scott Elisa Filigree Pendant Necklace – $35.90

 

Hoisery & Lingerie

1. Adidas 3 Stripe Crew Socks – $5.90
2. Adidas Supernate 3 Pack Socks – $10.90
3. kate spade 3 pack assorted crew socks – $15.90
4. Nordstrom 3 Pack Ankle Socks – $7.90
5. Free People Lace Bralette – $24.90
6. Madewell Micro-mesh Bralette- $20.90
7. Nordstrom Lingerie Moonlight Short Pajama Set –  $35.90

Beauty

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel – $29
2. Beauty Blender Airport Pro (set of 3) – $35
3. Butter London Cool Classics – $29
4. Deborah Lippmann Midnight Garden Set – $29
5. Drybar Tressed to Impress Collection – $154
6. Foreo Issa Sonic Toothbrush – $79
7. Foreo Luna Mini Compact Facial Cleanser – $66
8. Fresh Sugar Romance Set – $26
9. Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment – $99
10. Go Smile Dental Pro Sonic Teeth – $86
11. Kate Somerville cult favorites set – $80
12. Living Proof Perfect Hair Day – $75
13. Mario Badescu ‘The Icons’ Home and Away – $32
14. OUAI Hair Care Kit – $26
15. Philosophy Purity Made Simple Clean Set – $55
16. Sigma Beauty Innovation Duo – $35
17. Slip for Beauty Sleep Slip Silk – $109
18. Smashbox Primer Duo – $36
19. Supergoop SPF 50 – $38
20. T3 black and rose gold straightener – $120

 

Men

1. Paul Smith Land Stripe Crew Socks – $19.90
2. Ted Baker London James Chronograph Leather Strap Watch – $109.90
3. Nike Roshe Two – $69.90
4. Adidas Sam Smith Primeknit Sneaker – $81.90
5. Patagonia ‘Better Sweater’ Zip Front Jacket – $99.90
6. Hershel Supply Little America Backpack – $79.90
7. Vineyard Vines Striped Polo – $52.90

and don’t forget to check out my page #nsale and my pinterest board found below!

i hope you enjoy shopping this as much as i did making this!

xoxo

(aka kate wins!)

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hey all!

i think my favorite time of the year by far is the nordstrom anniversary sale time. i mean who can beat amazing prices on NEW items for the fall season – stuff that hasn’t been out before and some awesome brands with some of their best items in new colors or sizes, or shapes that are not only new and fresh but also classic favorites that are perfect.

so basically, the pre-sale starts on thursday july 13th and that day i will be sharing my favorites of the #nsale that day and i will also have a perpetual tab up top on my blog with my favorite items so that you can always shop my favorites with easier access!

so here we go with the secrets!

#1: look for new items in your favorite brands:

say you love hunter boots, you need a new pair, the #nsale is the perfect time to buy them! they are probably a little different than the typical classic hunter boot, like the ones i bought last year had little buckles on them, they would be more expensive typically but they are a great deal considering that hunter boots don’t typically go on sale, especially into the time that you may need them!

kate spade is also great to buy during the #nsale because new styles for cheaper prices and they are the same quality and types that you can only typically buy at nordstrom, and after the end of the sale, the prices go back up to full price!

#2: sign up for the nordstrom card and you can start shopping on july 13th:

simple, you can sign up, literally the day of the sale and still get the amazing deals early! the early access is amazing because not only you get to skip ahead but you make sure you have the items that you wanted at the sale!

#3: make sure to shop by august 6th:

on august 7th prices go back to full price, so its super awesome if you can get your fall items with those amazing prices.

i hope you enjoy and use some of my tips and i hope you are ready for the sale and most of all, happy shopping!

xoxo,

(aka kate wins!)

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hey all!

so i love coffee. its a new love affair. i used to just order fancy coffee drinks with loads of sugar – like frappuccinos – which i no longer drink, which is probably better for my physical health. but i truly learned the respect of black coffee, which i had always loved the smell of but refused to drink because “it’s bitter.” then i turned 17, and had real coffee, real, REALLY amazing coffee like from blue bottle coffee and other cool places in la and i realized that coffee is amazing.

i thought this would be a really fun post to write about how i ‘take’ my coffee, or in fewer words, how i order my coffee. here we go why don’t we!!

no decaf – ever

yeah just no decaf. i don’t really know why, but to me it truly makes no difference, and decaf almost tastes wrong to me. i have done ~many~ experiences testing myself on this coffee at night and have found for me a HEFTY sleeper it truly makes no difference and doesn’t affect my sleep in any bad ways.

 

with almond milk – only regular in a latte – or no milk at all

yeah, i am pretty sure i’m lactose intolerant. i am not gonna explain what milk does to me because thats not so cute but i am in loooove with almond milk. i will only suffer through future milk problems if its in a latte. like almond milk is popular and can be found in many places so i haven’t yet found any issues finding it, but i know, if i do i will skip the milk.

no sugar added

good coffee needs no sugar. i think the first time that i felt like i didn’t have to add sugar into coffee was my first latte at blue bottle coffee. sugar – i learned during my 28 day reset is not really necessary in anything anyway so its so much healthier without sugar anyway!

iced or hot

either iced or hot coffee i am not too particular. i love both and on any day i could honestly have either – it really depends on how i feel on my day to day coffee ordering.

 

lattes – cold brew – iced coffee

this is my list. lattes are always my first choice. something about the foam and the espresso all together makes me so happy.  then cold-brew because i love how strong the coffee is especially when its iced! then iced coffee is my third choice. iced coffee is perfect with almond milk on a day when you plan on drinking quickly – because as soon as the ice melts all it tastes like is water!

if i make it at home – french press

for father’s day, we got my dad a french press. although i have only used the press a few times i really love the strength of the coffee. we use this french press (from amazon!)and use 1/2 cup of fresh coffee grinds to 3 cups of water! it makes some amazing hot coffee!!

i hope you enjoy!

let me know down in the comments how you ‘take’ your coffee!

xoxo

(aka kate wins!)

 

 

 

 

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