hey guys!

traveling is no cheap experience. i mean y’all it costs a TON of money to fly places and stay in hotels and THEN when you get to your destination it costs MORE money to do the fun things you want to do and also you pay for food!

since travel costs so much i really wanted to do a free – to low cost LA activities list for my LA GUIDE!

here we go!

#1: the broad

 

as i have mentioned before, the broad is a super cool FREE art museum in LA! its amazing – and if i were you i would definitely go! but get tickets far in advance!

#2: griffith observatory:

 

its free just to go and walk around – and of course take the pictures.

#3: wall crawl

 

i love walking around looking and taking photos at walls!

#4: check out USC

 

i may be partial, but i think USC is a pretty awesome campus!

#5: santa monica pier

 

best place- free and you can take the metro to stay away from parking

#6: arts district

 

you can walk around and browse to find super cool stuff!

#7: metro bikes

 

okay so this one has a little charge, but my friend Taryn from Pasadena Charm did a super cool video on this – and its a really cool and exciting way to get around LA!

i hope you guys enjoy!

xoxo

(aka kate wins!)

 

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hey guys!

since its prime fall season and i’ve been in school for almost two months – and i FINALLY feel like i have my senior year down i felt like it is kinda the best time to share some of my study and study guide tips that i have found helpful this year!

here we go!

know you guys can always check out some of my favorite study guides and bullet journal layouts on my pinterest here! and follow my board for my all time favorite content

but lets really get started why don’t we!

#1: read the book/chapter/section

this one kinda goes without saying, but i’m acing my classes because i am putting in the time and the work to read the chapter and take the notes. i have seriously put in the time to read the chapter in my history of world religions class and it is making all the difference because it makes it totally easy to participate and rack up points that way too – if your teachers take points for participation!

#2: take messy and detailed notes

so every time i read the book/chapter/section i take notes. i start off with super messy but detailed notes. i have found this to be the best way to get all of the best notes written down and put a first time down in your memory and its a great way to better understand the chapter/section that you read. its also good for quick moving fast notes that you can fill in later in class – and add stuff before you spend time making pretty notes.

#3: rewrite your notes

this is why i take messy notes, i like to rewrite my notes and make them look super nice. i saw this tactic on pinterest – they said, to take messy but detailed notes and then rewrite them – not only do your notes then look pretty when you study or prepare for tests but writing it twice really is a great way of studying for ourselves. the notes in my picture above are my buddhism notes for history of world religions which i just rewrote for a quiz later this week!

#4: make notecards and carry them in your purse

i was a HUGE fan of quizlet in the past but the second i get on my phone i get distracted. its just a fact of life that my phone is super distracting and although quizlet is AWESOME because its easier to type it in – and just copy and paste – and its also AMAZING because i can plug it into the aux in my card and listen to them play in the morning before tests i found i definitely don’t learn – or remember enough for my quizlets i have started to make flashcards too. i carry them in my sweatshirt pocket at school and also in purse on the weekends – and also its so much better to write things – as i mentioned before!

i hope you enjoy!

xoxo

kate wins!

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hey guys!

i have done a few special things in honor of my third birthday, the museum of ice cream, creating a youtube channel and i thought that this would be the best way to continue the 3rd birthday celebration for my blog!

here we go!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

you should click the link above to enter my giveaway for

voluspa candles, ban.do notebook, kate spade ‘bits and baubles’ bag and a smith and cult dark green nail polish!

giveaway ends october 25th!

(aka kate wins!)

 

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(this post contains affiliate links which may be monetized)

hey guys!

i am sure you all know, but october is breast cancer awareness month, and for breast cancer, the color is pink. alot of brands have been creating products for breast cancer awareness and they are so awesome. since its october now, i thought what better than to share my favorite breast cancer awareness products!

although i am sharing these products, if you have the means, it is always best to give to charity yourself – but these products are just a little icing on top of the cake – because when you purchase they give!

once again, a note to all my readers – ‘wishlist’ does not mean i own any of the above, or that i will buy any of the above. it just means that i like it visually and (unless noted) i do not own it; 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!

here we go:

/bobbi brown makeup/

a $69 value for only $55 and for an amazing cause this “pink peony belize” blush and brush set gives $11 of the profits from every purchase to support breast cancer research.

/dogeared bracelet double link bracelet/

with 40% of the retail sales of this adorable classic dogeared ‘karma’ bracelet going to NBCF – why not treat yourself to this adorable bracelet made in the USA! i am living for the pink ties closing it – and i am sure you would too!

/beauty blender bubble/

i love the beauty blender product – and they just came out with a baby pink bubble beauty blender – which gives 50% of profits to “Look Good, Feel Better” foundation! the color is adorable and there is ALWAYS a good use for a beauty blender!

/tory burch tote in pink quartz/

when you buy this ADORABLE tory burch tote in the best – almost millennial pink color this october, tory gives 20% of the profits to BCRF, the breast cancer research foundation. this bag is supposedly AH-MAZ-ZING and i’d believe it, its the perfect size for work and who can deny buying a pink bag!

/ray bans in pink & gold/

when you buy any pink sunglasses from glassesUSA, (that means pink lenses, pink frames you name it!) they give 10% to support breast cancer. i know it is not really the time of year for sunglasses anymore (well it always is in CA) but pink sunglasses are just perfect okay!

/s’well bottle in bikini pink/

with 20% going to BCRF, this s’well bottle in ‘bikini pink’ is perfect. hydration is key for health and skincare and its perfect when water is at that perfect temperature, and s’well keeps your drink like that ALL DAY!

/jack rogers sandals/

i have kinda been coveting these for awhile, and when i found out they had this color, the “blush” and they are giving 10% to breast cancer research. also these sandals are classic preppy so there is no way to go wrong.

/dooney and burke/

this dooney and burke shopper is just adorable. i really can’t explain why i like it, but i have always kinda had an affinity for totes and the fact that d&B is giving 20% to BCRF just makes it perfect!

did i mention that pink is my favorite color? well it is…

anyway i hope you guys enjoyed my post today!

xoxo

(aka kate wins)

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hey all!

wow, three years…

i mean seriously THREE YEARS

in my time, three years is almost 1/6 of my entire lifetime. its the amount of time

its the amount of time i have been in high school and that just feels all so real and crazy to me.

three years to me is all of the hard work i have put into my blog. the HOURS of photography, linking, coding, editing and designing mean the absolute world to me. the two names, the four re-designs, the pinterest and the instagram accounts have taught me so much about running a company and a passion project that is entirely my own and helping me to essentially figure out what i want to do with my life.

i have developed a fashion sense which is entirely my own and has given me the confidence to strut my stuff in the best of ways. i know a few things about the FTC that most 17-year old girls probably don’t know.

i have learned INSANE time management. i not only attend high school full time, but i am a gold award girl scout  (the highest level in girl scouting), i member of my school’s golf team, a volunteer in my community and an artist sharing my eye with the world. running my blog has taught me to value business – and also to make time for fun in my life and ways to do new things.

but most importantly, i know myself. macarons and must haves has given me the platform to be myself and share what i love – and what i don’t as well as sharing my life. this blog has become one of the most important things and an awesome way to document my journey through high school as a develop my style and  my own eye in design and fashion.

i love you macarons and must haves!

thank you all for 3 wonderful years –  here’s to many more.

xoxo

(aka kate wins!)

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hey guys!

you *might* have seen from my instagram, (or the title of this article) but i went to the museum of ice cream this weekend!

if you didn’t know,

the museum of ice cream is an interactive museum in the arts district of los angeles which prominently features the theme of ice cream – i mean duh the name itself says ice cream!

who better than an ice cream fanatic like me to check it out!

so below i am gonna share some of my favorite photos from the museum and some reviews! here we go!

the museum is more or less famous for the sprinkle pool, a little room where there is a small size pool filled with sprinkles, and before i let you be too grossed out, the sprinkles are actually just little pieces of plastic and not even real sugar.

i really enjoyed my time in the museum. i loved the brightly colored rooms and all of the slight puns and jokes made of ice cream.

basically, in every room they actually give you ice cream! i just thought they give you a cone when you are done, but no they actually give you one in ~almost~ every room. i tasted some really good ice cream – but the portions were all kinda large and i did not even realize how much ice cream they actually gave you. this DEFINITELY warrants the suggestion that you should probably go in the afternoon – i went at 11:30 and it kinda messed up my eating schedule for the day – but i was willing to do that for the ice cream.

also the museum is a one-way museum. no going back. so move at a speed you feel comfortable about because you will not be able to go back. honestly don’t  rush yourself, if you feel like the other people in the room are rushing you – don’t pay any attention to them.

it was such a cool experience, and i definitely had a blast in the museum of ice cream! i hope you enjoyed – and if you are an instagram fanatic and the tickets open back up its super fun to go!

xoxo

(aka kate wins!)

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hey guys

OH MY GOSH its OCTOBER

crazyness crazyness crazyness.  lets get started why don’t we…

things i am looking forward to:

1. my 3rd blogiversary: 3 years! its INSANE, i have SO many fun things planned and i am so excited for you guys to see all of it.
2. my fall arts night: i have put so much work into my ap studio art so i am so so so excited to share what i have going on in art!
3. rose court announcements: monday! seriously tomorrow is the announcement, of course i will be sharing photos and videos from the event – and i am honestly SO HONORED to even get this far from 1,000 girls!
4. taking the SAT again: i have put SO MUCH work into my SAT prep, i am excited to take it again to see the results and hopefully, it will all get better.
5. i’m going to the museum of ice cream: seriously one of the cutest places in LA, and i am so excited to go and take a ton of pictures and jump into the sprinkle pool – like seriously how cool is that.
6. fall weather & many more almond milk PSLs: its been hot this past week so i am hoping that the weather becomes more bearable soon so that i can drink more lattes and wear more fall clothes!
7. getting my art portfolio together: as i mentioned i have been doing a ton of artwork so i am hoping that i can finish some of my stuff soon!

i hope you guys enjoy!

xoxo

(aka kate wins!)

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hey guys!

sorry this article came a little late. i’ve had an absolutely CRAZY week, but lets get started why don’t we!

i started off the month going to school

 

this is a picture from the senior locker room, which we paint every year under a different theme. this year we pick candyland, and i painted a lot of it and i LOVE it. i seriously  just love sitting in the bean bags in the locker room and looking at the candyland walls!

i started putting together a feminist shirt collection

like everyone should have one. i love my ‘females of the future‘ shirt – first of all its SUPER comfortable, its also super cute paired with my denim skirt – also it would just be awesome with leggings like at the market and such. it can be dressed up or down, that’s why its on my ‘fall wishlist’

i shared my trying out for the rose court outfit

i wrote this blog article about how i tried out for the rose court. i wrote about my favorite lilly pulitzer for target dress – after all these years who could imagine! this whole process has been so crazy and exciting!

i went to the royal ball for trying out for the rose court

i mentioned this in my post about trying out, but when you try out for the rose court you get to go to a special event called the royal ball. i went with a whole group of my friends and met some of my other friends there too! the ball was so fun because there were so many people there and there was this cool carriage where we took photos in!

and i have actually made it to the last round

 

here i am with a few of my friends who are also in the last round! its so exciting to be amongst the finalists especially with so many girls who are so fantastic! i wish we could all make it – because i have met so many unique girls who are so fun!

i took some golf team pictures, and i miss my golfers who graduated

i take my annual golf photos usually with my friends from the team, but since i am a senior they have all graduated and left me 🙁 which makes me really sad because i miss them but i am so so SO glad it is my last season.

my sister and i saw hamilton

i wrote my hamilton review article this month – and i am still thinking about it day by day, honestly it was SUCH an amazing show!

thats pretty much this entire month! its all gone kinda fast and i really can’t even believe it myself!

i hope you enjoy!

(aka kate wins!)

 

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