hey all!

how was your august? mine was great – and felt REALLY LONG! i was looking through the photos on my phone and i absolutely couldn’t believe how long it actually was – like i did SO much! and today is the last day! i mean it was summer – and today is my 4th day of senior year – and even though it was long – the days are moving too fast and even though i am back into the routine i am kinda done with it. i mean like wakeup – school – golf – (errands and stuff i need) – cooking dinner – homework – sleep. is it bad that i am already bored? ugh well i might as well get to this month!

since august still had summer i did some pasadena exploring!

i did a little photoshoot at city hall with my sister and i visited the art center wall in pasadena to take some pictures and prepare for my surprise in october!

i started to go back to school

i did an entire back to school series – i did a special senior year “whats in my backpack post” as well as a picture and my first thoughts of my senior year!

summer is for ice cream okay?

i tried both wanderlust ice cream and magpies softserve for the first time and opted for some amazing dairy free flavors at both (“i love LA” at wanderlust and root beer at magpies)! lactose intolerant for the win! i also visited jeni’s again and mcconnells to eat my bodyweight in churros con leche and intelligentsia black cat espresso!

i started up with golf again.

it felt really good to get back into game play which i hadn’t done in a VERY long time – but i absolutely love my team and my fellow senior and all of the new teammates!

that was my august!

how was yours?

thanks for reading! xoxo!

(aka kate wins!)

 

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GUYS

i’m a senior 

i honestly can’t even believe it myself! it’s such an awesome feeling but i know that this year will kick my butt over and over again but i truly can’t believe it! 

my first day was okay but i burnt my hands on the wheel of my car yesterday afternoon so that was a great thing – and it’s like 100 degrees in california so i don’t even want to deal with the heat! 

but anyway! 

i hope you enjoy and tell me how your first day went! 

xoxo

kate wins 

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hey all!

i hope you enjoyed my to-do list that i was able to share with you this last thursday. in between then and now i have been able to get things done which is great and i would like to say i am officially ready to be a senior tomorrow – school supply! since i got all of my school supplies ready this weekend – and checked off my to – do list i am ready to share with you guys whats in my backpack!

first of all, my backpack!

this year i opted for a jansport superbreak pack in mist pink! i usually opt for a l.l.bean monogram backpack, but this year i really wanted to switch it up! because i still wanted my monogram on my backpack i picked up the adorable pink circle monogram iron-on patch on my backpack from the etsy shop louise and lloyd.

next, what’s in my pack.

i of course, have to include my bullet journal. i have a leuchtturm1917 medium size dotted notebook in azure   and i put my macarons and must haves ampersand sticker on the front!

for my notebooks i typically opt for the five star notebooks like my one above for calculus. i also love binders and typically opt for these ones from target and decorate the outside with a gold metallic sharpie paint pen.

i am a pen obsessed person – as i have mentioned time and time again i just love my pens. this year i picked up a new pencil case, i have this adorable packed party pencil case with glitter inside it. this pencil case makes me feel very happy and excited! some of my favorite pens to keep in my pencil case are my muji pens,   mildliner highligthers and stabilo pens.

other things i keep in my backpack:

i keep a small wallet with a little bit of change in case i need it.

i keep a “minimergency kit” with deodorant, nail polish remover, pain reliever, dental floss and many more other items!

i keep a pair of headphones – there are a ton of uses for these at school especially considering my two free blocks.

i keep my computer and its charger because in almost every class we use technology!

i keep my phone charger because sometimes its best just to be safe!

i hope you enjoy! tell me whats in your backpack!

xoxo

(aka kate wins!)

 

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hey all!

how have you been? i know that a lot of people and even some of my friends have already headed back to school, whether that is college or high school it has seemed to spring up on them and in order to keep up with my back to school schedule i have kept detailed to – do lists with all of the stuff that i have left to do before i get to school so that i am not blindsided by how fast it goes!

so here we go!

1.  finish putting together your school supplies : this means labelling every notebook and binder for my classes and putting together binder tabs as well as typing out and using the label maker.
2. finish your summer homework : yeah i said it, no explaination here.
3. put together your uniform : i am pretty sure you all know, but i wear an uniform for my high school so i need to get that together. i have socks i need in a certain length, shoes in a certain color, and i need to get together my skirt, blazer and blouse.
4. pack your backpack : i have always been that girl with the little first aid kit in my backpack because there is never a time where i could possibly not need a band-aid (y’all i am clumsy as heck – and i love to craft and i find myself getting more paper cuts then humanly possible). i like to put this minimergency kit in my bag, as well as my keys and a small wallet just in case (and i am IN LOVE with this “hair emergency kit”) !
5. plan out my new month in my BUJO : because i start school on august 28th, august is basically over so that means that it is about time to start another month. i like to also do like theme pages, so like back to school like my schedule – etc other stuff which i will show y’all on my instagram feed.
6. put together my 2017-2018 playlist : for every school year i have created a spotify playlist so i have to put together my playlist for my senior year! i also have to put together my golf playlist which is gonna be so much fun listening to while golfing and driving to golf!

thats pretty much it for right now! thanks all!

(aka kate wins!)

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hey all!

its kate – and i am back with another “kate’s korner” which if you didn’t know (or read my previous article on body positivity) is my new kinda “getting personal” series – and today i really wanted to share a little about going back to school.

i have always loved going back to school. i mean, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE SUMMER – and for awhile it was my second favorite season (behind spring because my birthday is in spring) and i never quite want summer to end. but there is something special about going back to school, and more than new pens and notebooks (although that too is a reason for my love of the back to school season – side note, i used to look through the weekly ads checking the prices of all of the school supplies – i basically have always been a school supply and stationery JUNKIE since i was eight!).

back to school is always something i have held onto. you know, for me at least summer is kinda boring unless you are out of the house everyday doing something different and in school everyday (monday – friday that is) you get out and there are new things to talk and think about.

something changed when i went to high school, something has been different since then. but now for sure, nothing makes me more excited than walking in to campus. like there truly is something about a coming into a school that i love and picked.

also just a side note, i am totally freaked about senior year!! any other seniors out there feeling the same?

thanks for reading!

xoxo

 

 

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hey all!

its so odd because i am a fashion blogger but here a truth : i wear uniforms at school, and i actually LOVE wearing them. you would think you don’t have very much freedom, however we actually kinda do! we are allowed to pick shoes and other accessories. i don’t know about you but i have just been loving sneakers recently – so i just had to put together a list of my favorite school shoes!

again, just as a note to all my readers – ‘favorites’ does not mean i own any of the above (unless noted) all that i will write about is stuff i hear from friends and other users of the product as well as the visual aspects of the product which i will mention in the comment below!

1. jack purcell converse : i had a pair of baby blue jack purcell converse for a long time – and actually just got rid of them because they were old and ripped but i had a few great years of use – and i loved them so much! although i loved my baby blue purcells, i put on my list the white ones because i love them too!
2. classic black converse : okay i mean these are classics. they are just the perfect base level shoe. i wore converse for like 3-4 years in like middle school – and i loved them so much, however, have kinda stopped wearing them because i am a little burned out after 3 years!
3. classic black and white nike cortez : okay, so if you follow my instagram, you know that these are my new faves. i have the red ‘swoosh’ cortez and i am ABSOLUTELY in love. they are sooo classic and have a perfect look and feeling. the black and white truly goes with more than the red ones!
4. nike lunarepic flyknit : these are my new more athletic nikes that i am trying out. i have walked around in them and do truly like them alot. they also just look really cool – i mean have i mentioned how much i like sneakers!
5. nike free RN running shoe : i just really love how classic and athletic these look and i have heard from so many people that these shoes are really amazing!
6. nike lunarepic rose gold and cream : these were on the nordstrom anniversary sale – so i just had to pick them up! i mean who can REALLy resist rose gold and cream! even the aglets on the tips of shoelaces are rose gold!!
7. gold metallic nike cortez : the only thing better than nike cortez, is metallic gold nike cortez! enough said.
8. classic navy blue stan smith adidas : i like stan smiths because i have REALLY narrow feet – and adidas are pretty wide, but the stan smiths are perfectly narrow for me!
9. nike roshe two sneaker in grey : i have black roshe ones from two years ago because i have not changed shoe sizes in 7 years – i think my feet are done growing at this point – but i love my roshe shoes – they really are amazing.

i hope you like my shoe picks!

xoxo

(aka kate wins!)

 

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hey all!

meal preps are amazing to do in weekends. you make bulk and keep during the week y family likes to grill chicken in the weekend so we can have it in chicken tacos

for snacks!

#1: meal prep deli boxes via miss molly vintage 

these can really either be snacks or lunch, but these are a great idea because they are easily personalizable! personally i would bring mary’s gluten free crackers with a laughing cow chese with pepperoni, some baby carrots and dried apricot with a lacroix water!

#2: no bake trail mix energy bites via fake ginger

these look so good – and they are actually a bit indulgent with the m&ms and the chocolate chips. they are just like trail mix except they have peanut butter so you can basically use the template and add as you please!

#3: homemade granola bars via minimalist baker

i don’t know about you guys, but i am not very hungry at 7 when i leave my house. however, i am very hungry around 9 – its super odd but all of my teachers let me eat in their classes. i love granola bars like these ones above when i eat my late breakfast in class!

#4: healthy grab and go snack jars via the butter half

i love this idea, you can pick and chose whoich snacks to go together! i love the idea of peanut butter, pretszels and carrots! its so ood but i actually love peanut butter with carrots and think it would be a superb snack!

#5: chocolate sea salt almonds via sally’s baking addiction

okay, so these might not be the healthiest thing on here – but sometimes you do need a little bit of chocolate in your life! these look AMAZING – and are probably much cheaper than the ones you would buy at the store!

#6: energy boosting trail mix via kristine’s kitchen

okay, so who here loves trader joes trail mix. *slightly raising hand behind keyboard at the moment* but that stuff is actually pretty expensive, and the raw ingredients themselves are not really too expensive! its also better for you – and no additives!

for lunch!

#1: meal prep one pan teriyaki chicken via life made sweeter

this is an awesome meal, filled with protein and seems pretty straightforward and well rounded. easy to make via one pan in the oven and can be paired and easily microwaved once you are at school or work.

#2: gluten free pasta salad with grilled veggies via barilla

i love grilled veggies and i have to admit, barilla makes some pretty amazing gkuten free pasta! of course you guys can make this pasta with or without gluten – whether or not you perfer to eat it!

#3: kung pao chicken with zoodles via life made sweeter

this looks SO BOMB! as a gluten sensitive person, zoodles are a total go-to, i mean they are so much better for you than the flour! whenever i go to chinese food, kung pao is my go to order, so this will be PERFECT for whenever i feel those takeout cravings so i can have something a little healthier!

#4: taco pop tarts via babble

these kinda sound disgusting – but they actually look amazing! i mean its just like a taco inside a ie dough shell! its not supposed to be sweet at all – and as long if you don’t pull a rachel from friends and put meat in your trifle you will be good!

#5: meal prep beef with broccoli via life made sweeter

this looks so good – and is another meal prep recipe! i am a total fan of chinese food takeout – so i absolutely love the idea of these chinese food recipes from life made sweeter!

#6: meal prep carnitas burrito bowls via fit foodie finds

i am also a mexican food fiend, and i just love the idea of real food for meals – instead of just sandwiches – which i am not a huge fan of!

i hope you enjoy! and tell me how you enjoy these recipes!

xoxo

(aka kate wins!)

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hey all!

GUYS, I HIT 400 POSTS

i can’t believe it, with a little under 3 years of macarons and must haves – i have done it!

to me, 400 is beyond crazy. 400 is more than a full years worth of posts – as if i posted every day.  this is definitely worth my time, my blog was a first a hobby for me, but has translated into a real life job, i feel like an actual adult when i am blogging which is a totally amazing feeling for a 17 year old – i mean i love what i am doing and i am doing it seriously.

i have changed so much since my blog began, i mean as a freshman i was just getting into preppy style, and now my preppy style is a totally new age preppy for me – different with twists of trend. its insane to think that my blog will always be around to document my life, my style and my feelings through high school – and definitely beyond to college and after that as well.

there is a lot to look forward to in october (just as a sneak peak: giveaways, pictures and more!) – my official 3rd birthday. make sure to subscribe to macarons and must haves to keep up with me in the coming months ahead.

i hope you enjoy!

(aka kate wins!)

 

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hey all!

technology has become a huge part of my high school experience. i mean, being ‘of that generation’ (i am basically the end of the millennials) i haven’t really had any experience where the internet did not exist.  i mean like smart phones didn’t really even exist till like my 4th grade. anyway, since my school experience is filled with technology i wanted to share some of my favorite – “school – related apps.” some of them are better for the iphone, while some are better for ipad or mac related needs.

here we go!

1. starbucks: while this isn’t too “study-related” this is a must have for me. i absolutely love the “mobile order” option for before school, and i am a person who loves to leave early before school and pick up a coffee, it so makes my day! like i feel ready! of course, i rarely even pick up coffee, but the few times i do, the mobile order feature is my key to make me not wait in too long of a line.
2. spotify: i have talked before, but i love studying to background sound. whether that is a crash course video, or my ‘study’ playlist on spotify. i think that spotify is so neccessary because there is always time to listen to music with friends or if you like to run after school – to get out my energy before homework, thats awesome too!
3. pinterest: pinterest – although it can be SUCH a time suck is super awesome to collect project ideas, and art ideas. pinterest is also great for mood boards and if you are completely creatively blocked its awesome to go on pinterest and you know just put together a collection of images or articles that give you inspiration!
4. reminders: so this app comes with your iphone and its really underrated. i am a forgetful person, so whenever i need to remind myself to bring something to school the next day, or to remember an upcoming test. and the app is really great and is good for the icloud, like if you want it to show up on both your computer and your phone and can – and will!
5. the homework app: this is a new app that i am trying this year, i have heard great things about it and i am testing it out now. it seems amazing because you can keep track of homework and view stuff from your phone, ipad or laptop! it also helps you to keep track of you schedule which is awesome!
6. wunderlist: i have had this app for awhile, with a list of places in LA that i have to go to. but this is also an awesome app for to-do lists. wunderlist is cross platform and allows you to share and collaborate on to-do lists.
7. khan academy: well, this is an app and a website that i remember using all the way back to 7th grade – and i am a 12th grader this year! khan academy is the amazing self-tutor with videos on a horde of different subjects and practice activities KA is super helpful and definitely has helped me in math.
8. quizlet: i have talked about quizlet many times before, i LOVE QUIZLET. its digital notecards. you type them out and then yoiu have them whenever you need them. last year i put my apush notecards on quizlet and while i drove to school i put the “play” button on and tested myself before the test itself so i would know my terms even better!
9. notability: notability is a super cool way of taking notes. you can type, you can draw, video record, highlight and more with notability’s cool fetaures.
10. google drive: along with khan academy, i remember using google drive since middle school. google drive is basically the microsoft programs (like word, powerpoint and excel) by google and on the cloud! you never lose them – its practically impossible and because google saves every version if you need to go back you always can.

i hope you enjoy! and maybe even download a few of these apps!

xoxo

aka kate wins!

 

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hey all!

school is on its way! i mean, after all it is august 10th, which means my school starts in a little over two weeks. ah i am not ready for summer to be over. like i wish it could last forever, but there is something about starting school thats just awesome and getting into my groove again finally!

i mean you guys know my obsession (that i have mentioned way too many times) with school supplies! so today, i wanted to share my favorite supplies and accessories for the school year – which means anything you can carry or hold (and not wear on your body) for the back to school time!

here we go!

1. kate spade metallic sticky note set :  i love this super cute set of sticky notes – and i am so gonna mark up all of my books and notes with these adorable ampersand, money sign and question mark little stickies! these are just so absolutely useful – and will so make me wanna study more!
2. s’well water bottle in ‘milky way’ stainless steel : s’well bottles – as i have talked about many times – keeps your drink cold for up to 24 hours. as a cold water fiend – i literally will sit and wait for the water to get cold in the fridge to keep it cool – this bottle is so necessary and super cute, i love the ‘milky way’ texture on the bottle.
3. white hydroflask water bottle : hydroflask – like s’well bottles keep your water super cold. i love my hydroflask because it definitely holds a lot more than the s’well and although it has a super simple design – and no fancy patterns you can add super cute stickers and other stuff like that!
4. kate spade 17-month agenda : kate spade’s designs are so adorable – and gold is definitely my preferred color – it will already match my computer and pencil bag! although i am not a particular fan of the pre built agendas – kate spade’s design are almost too cute to pass up!
5. hershel supply anchor laptop sleeve in cloud pink & ash : in addition to gold, pink is so my aesthetic right now! this is such a cute – almost millennial pink and gray laptop case is so perfect and protects the computer so well! its so cute!
6. MT sparkly gold washi tape : washi tape is SOO my thing guys! i picked this gold washi tape out the other day at paper source on a card run and just had to pick it up for my collection and i have already used it so much! MT has absolutely amazing quality washi tape – it tears and cuts easily but is pretty thick!
7. MT solar system washi tape : i have had this washi tape for awhile and think its an absolute MUST! click the link to check it out – the small size on my photo does not do it justice but its so absolutely adorable and its great to add to anyone’s washi tape collection if you are looking for tape!
8. mildliner highlighters : if you are a note taking fan like i am – these will be your go to pens. they are super light pens so they don’t leak through your paper and they also don’t leave too much color which is perfect for note-taking and bullet journal usage.
9. leuchtturm1917 pink dotted notebook : you guys all know that i LOVE bullet journaling and my absolute favorite notebook for bullet journaling has been the leuchtturm in the dotted pattern inside. its not too many lines but easily allows you to line out and create your images for your journal!
10. kate spade ‘out to lunch’ lunch tote : this simple polka dotted kate spade canvas lunch tote is so cute! its insulated interior allows you to keep your lunch at an edible temperature while allowing for you to also totally stay in style with the adorable exterior!
11. packed party ‘good as gold’ pouch : as i have already mentioned, gold is in my aesthetic so this adorable gold confetti pouch totally fits my aesthetic! it would make an absolutely adorable pencil pouch!

i hope you enjoy my favorites! remember you can always check out my ‘back to school wishlist’ via pinterest which you can follow below!

xoxo

(aka kate wins!)

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