I’ve got a lot of outfits & posts planned out, but it’s been a doozy of a couple weeks on my brain (mental health! LOVE IT) & I haven’t been able to sit & shoot photos/ write what I wanna write. So I’m bringing July in review a little early, & hopefully next post I’ll be back with fresh eyes. And fresh coffee. 

JUNE IN PHOTOS

Hi hi, welcome to a new & improved version of bits & baubles. I've revamped this so many times you probably don't even remember what it started out as. I barely even remember. Anyway, you've seen most of these photos on my insta, but I thought I'd collect them all here. 

BITS AND BAUBLES | MAY EDITION

WHEN did it become June? In any case it’s here & I’m not mad- - summertime & my birthday are fast approaching. Is anyone else struggling with the the fact of not really caring about your birthday anymore? BUT I still love a good month-long celebration so...

BITS & BAUBLES | THREE THINGS FROM MARCH

 

Well hi, hey, is it time for a monthly roundup again? This one is going live a little earlier than usual, if that's okay with you. March pretty much didn't happen, if you ask me. One minute we're changing the clocks back & it's (finally) still daylight at 5:30 pm, the next minute we're mere days away from easter. (which is on april fools this year & you can just hear the traumatized cries of tiny humans everywhere) 

BITS AND BAUBLES | THREE THINGS FROM FEBRUARY

OH HEY! It's time for another little monthly roundup/chat/catch up. I cannot TELL you how much I'm ready for March to get here and spring to bloom. Once January hits I am OVER winter and fully prepared for off the shoulder tops and all the pastel colors.

BITS & BAUBLES | THREE THINGS FROM JANUARY

Oh hey, hi! Long time no see! It's been a MONTH, yes? January may just have 31 days, but every year it feels like 311. HOO. This one was particularly busy, as I've gone a little off the rails & decided I just couldn't get away from school. You'll see plenty of the (mis?) adventures over on my insta stories, since I've completely abandoned the old snapchat for them.

& so is life.   

ONTO THE LIST:

1// These mules.

I'm almost certain I've highlighted these recently, but it's only because I just can't get enough. I'd never actually owned a pair of mules before & these babes are comfortable, cute, & go with literally everything. My best friend calls them my old lady shoes, & I wear that title proudly, thank you. (& here's a little alternative for all you non-kid size wearin babes)

2// The Greatest Showman.

I actually saw a new movie!  I don't get out to the movies often & it's a shame because I really enjoy it, aside from the $10 popcorn prices. anyway, my mom & I decided to see the greatest showman after hearing rave reviews from literally everyone, & I don't regret a second of it! The costumes. The music. The cinematography. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. 

3// Yoga, consistently. 
My yoga journey has been nothing short of a ride, & for the past few months I've made a commitment of practicing at least five times a week, and for the most part I've stuck to it. The holidays were a little hairy, but January is the month of getting back on track and that's what I've done. My favorite virtual yoga teacher Adriene does a 30 day practice at the beginning of each year, & I've been loving this year's. Practices like this help keep you in check with a consistent flow. It can be extremely challenging, but worth it!

{ARM CANDY} 

xo,

kae

BITS & BAUBLES | 17 THINGS I LEARNED IN 2017

I'm currently gorging down a pack of christmas m&ms, admiring my new salt lamp and wondering where in the world this year went. 

As quickly as it passed, one of my favorite things about the end of year is looking back & looking ahead to the new year. 

At the end of last year I did a post on 16 things I learned, & so I'm continuing the tradition with 17 things, because 2017. Get it? I'm, extremely creative, I know.

1. Pizza & wine is a perfectly acceptable meal.

2. Good friendships change everything.

3. There is no logic when it comes to trump supporters & we should all just stop trying to understand.(i went THERE)

4. Sometimes all you need is the comfort of home.

5. There is no such thing as a straight line when it comes to mental health. Your good days will be overwhelmingly beautiful and the bad days overwhelmingly painful. It's okay. 

6. You can't play it safe.

7. You also can't run from who you are.

8. Yes, forgoing that near-daily starbucks really will save you dough, hard as it is.

9. Women are magical. This was definitely not new information for me, but it became increasingly unmistakable with things like the women's march and the celebration of wonderful women like mary tyler moore & carrie fisher. The spark we have in ourselves & each other is undeniable. 

10. We will no longer be silenced. 2017 became the year of the silence breakers, & I am forever in awe of the strength of the people, famous or not, who have ever come forward. They can't break you.

11. Vegging out for a day doesn't make you a bad person.

12. I wasted six years of my prime on pretty little liars. go figure. 

13. Don't waste your energy on people who don't give you any effort. 

14. Walking around target alone is its own form of therapy. 

15. You get out what you put in.

16. Just when you thought taylor swift couldn't outdo herself AGAIN....

17. Nobody truly knows what the heck they're doing .We're all just wandering around trying to get it right. Take comfort in that.

Tell me what you learned!

xo,

kae

BITS & BAUBLES | THREE THINGS FROM NOVEMBER

{same skirt, different day} 

Hey hi, happy Wednesday! Another month, another look back on all the things. 

The official start of the holiday season, November is always a pretty busy month, yes? Although it was a quick break, I didn't post the Friday after thanksgiving (because who has the time to read blogs then anyway?) & it felt.. refreshing. It's always good to take a break every now & then. 

1// Reputation was released & I've been alternating between that & christmas music ALL MONTH LONG. 

2// I've been trying to get through the lovely bones for MONTHS (life gets ya sometimes) because my friend recommended it to me, but I still haven't made it through. Not that it's not good, it is. It's just.. maybe a little slower paced than I'm used to? I'm not sure. In any case, for now I've opted for a bit of a lighter read, Jenny Han's latest. I've just started but it's good so far-- I really like the TATBILB series. Young Adult is my kryptonite, sue me. 

3// Taking time to just take a bit of a breather & be with family has been so refreshing! I had family come in I hadn't seen in ages & it was nice to have a bit of slower pace. I think the hustle & bustle of the holidays can make it easy to forget what it's all about.

xo,

kae

BITS & BAUBLES | THREE THINGS FROM OCTOBER

Hey, hi! can you believe it's time to write another B&B? October kind of flew by and now it's officially the holiday season! I know I always rush it a bit but can ya blame me? Kae THRIVES on Christmas. 

Anyway, back to this month. It was spent with family, friends, and a bit of a refresh. It had been awhile since I had a good old fashioned mental health day from the blog, and I think it did a lot of good! I'm back full force now, ready and inspired for new content. 

I've been pretty much living in my mules this month-- they're so easy to wear & I love that I can just slide them on with jeans for an instant look. 

October was a good month for music-- obviously I am counting down the days until taylor swift releases album #6. (we're at t-minus 11 days. it's fine, everyone is fine) I've also been listening to kelsea ballerini's new single on REPEAT, which you can find over in my get happy playlist.

Tell me your three things from the month!

xo,

kae

BITS & BAUBLES | THREE THINGS FROM SEPTEMBER

Oh hey hi, happy Friday! Somehow, September has come & gone, and it's been pretty eventful.. where to start? In case ya missed it, I MOVED! I've already done a couple of posts on organization & things, & once everything is put together, maybe I'll do a little apartment tour!

September is one of my favorite months, only because fall TV is back. I don't watch a whole lot of non- Netflix, but I'm super attached to the ones I do watch, like this is us. Y'all know how addicted I am, & can WE TALK about the last scene of the premiere on Tuesday? HOO. I need to know every single detail of what happened, asap.

I've also been doing a bit of will & grace bingeing, since the revival is almost here. I've only ever watched the show casually, tuning into re-runs when they were on. So far I'm loving it just like I used to!

Let's talk about a style favorite... living in the south makes fall hard because instead of dressing for the fall you WANT, sometimes you gotta dress for the fall that is, which most times includes short sleeves & jean shorts. BUT it's cooled down some days & I've been able to wear the flannel that I love! It's an autumn staple, no question.

Okay, tell me all about your month! What have you been reading, watching, etc?

xo,

kae

BITS & BAUBLES | THREE THINGS FROM AUGUST

Hey, ya babes!

It's the end of August, can you BELIEVE? It's time for another bits & baubles, this time on what I listened to, watched, and did.

There's A LOT going on right now, in the world & in life. I haven't really spoken about Houston, if only because I feel so helpless not knowing what to do. It's so strange, being in the same state that a natural disaster caused so much devastation in. Luckily, the Red Cross is still taking donations & any little bit helps. My heart always breaks for the pets in these situations & Miranda Lambert's rescue, MuttNation, is doing a lovely thing: they've made an amazon wishlist of supplies needed. More info is here.

Now on to something a bit more cheery: CLOTHES. I've decided to re-start up my poshmark again & really start dedicating some time to it. It's actually really fun styling the flatlays! If you wanna check out what's new, head to @kaeleenmichelle.

As I talked about in this post, I've been obsessed with the bold type. It's so feminist & modern & genuinely funny, plus the main girls are all AMAZING. The mid-season is nearly over, but you can catch up here!

As for music, let's talk about taylor. Y'all know I'm biased & she could literally sing a chinese take out menu & I'd be happy. But WOW. First, if you haven't heard the new song OR WATCHED THE VIDEO, do it now. When the song first came out I honestly didn't know what to think. I wanted to like it but it was so... different. But that's the whole point. & the amount of symbolism in the video! I just love art, & she's definitely an artist. Will you be getting her new album?

ALSO aly & aj are BACK & their single is so '80s inspired and I'm in love. 

Annnnd after writing this I've realized we've actually covered four topics... oh well. Twisted clickbait?

Tell me all about your month!

xo,

kae

BITS + BAUBLES | THREE THINGS FROM JULY

Oh hey, hi babes! August is looming down on us & although it's still approximately 5000 degrees in the south, I'm already eyeing autumnal themed candles & big sweaters.

SIGH.

I was poking through The Anna Edit & was inspired by her roundup of personal highlights at the end of each month. This won't be exactly that, but I thought it'd be fun to chat with you about things that happened, I bought, watched, etc.

So, first things first, I guess I should address the little facelift going on here. It's been a hot minute since I updated the design & thought it was time. The design is from Hello Manhattan and I absolutely adore the simplicity! If you have a look at the sidebar you'll see I've added a food category.. I'm not turning into a food blog by any means, but I have been getting bit by the baking bug & want to start sharing more goodies.

Which brings me to... BAKING. I've been baking. Actual things. It may not seem like much, but for me it's an accomplishment, HA. I even bought the e-book version of Chrissy Teigen's cookbook (mostly because I wish I was her) and I'm SO READY. What are your recipe go-tos? I'm looking for any recs!

As for netflix, something you should know about me is I'm super into documentaries, (especially true crime) and I've been watching The Keepers, about the murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik & the general shadiness of the Catholic church. It's extremely interesting- albeit disturbing- and I fully believe she was killed because she knew too much.

What are your three things?

xo,

kae

BITS + BAUBLES | IPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY

STORY TIME. A few months ago (read: too long ago) the card reader in my DSLR broke & I had been wrestling with whether I should have it fixed or just buy a new camera altogether. I was also in the market for a new phone, having eyed the iphone for quite some time. (yes, I was an android user. sue me) Sarah's post on the new portrait feature kind of sold me, so iphone it was. 

I picked out the 7, rose gold color and everything & was all set to go. I fell in love quickly, only to realize that OMG THE PORTRAIT SETTING IS ONLY ON THE PLUS WHY DIDN'T I READ THAT I'VE MADE A MISTAKE. 

But I decided to make the most of it, as the camera is pretty great even without the extra setting, and beautiful photos don't HAVE to have a bokeh effect. So for the past week or so I've been playing around, trying to get acquainted. It's SO NICE to have a semi- dslr quality camera at my fingertips without the hassle.

{my favorite test subject}

Time for a debate: Do any of you have the plus? How does it compare? 

xo,

Bits + Baubles | Valentine's Day

{vinyl dreams}

 Hey, hi! How was your v-day? I've never really been big on valentine's, & even though I've always been single on the holiday, I'm not bitter about it, I just think it's silly when you should show love to your loved ones on a daily basis, ya know?

BUT, lately I've been getting more into the idea, especially the concept of galentine's day (thank you, leslie knope) 

1. pretty pink things EVERYWHERE

2. celebrating your friends is pretty dope

{treat yourself valentine's edition | sweater, jeans}

{some fave threads | floral dress, blue dress (similar)}

So that's exactly what my bff & I did: cheesy movies, wine, & candy. valentine's day ain't so bad after all....
Are you a go all out for v-day or more stay in & netflix it out type? (i'm somewhere in the middle, with lots of pizza included.)
xo,

BITS + BAUBLES || ON MAGICAL WOMEN

{love ya mary. // wall art found here}

 HEY BABES, happy Friday! This week was pretty interesting & weird & sad & empowering. The two major things on my mind: (well ok three if you count our uh, current presidential situation but that's a rant for another day) 

ONE: The women's march. I've yet to get over the power and strength we have. I also have a hard time getting over how people can be so mean over a harmless thing, but I choose to look on the bright side.

{#ootd // choker}

 How magical is it when women of all colors, religions, & beliefs all over the world come together to fight for each other? Pretty damn so, in my opinion. I actually got teary-eyed while scrolling through my IG feed saturday night, LOL.

TWO: Another magical woman, Mary Tyler Moore. Dick Van Dyke is one of the first shows I remember ever watching, & I was later obsessed with her as mary richards. I wanted to be her. I still do! (& can we take a moment to appreciate the style on that show?? I've seriously considered doing a comprehensive look... LMK)

ANYWAY, Mary was such a pioneer for women everywhere & I will forever love her.

{new kicks // similar} 

{via}

xo,

Bits & Baubles

first day of autumn leaf action. {tee found here}

Oh hey, hi. HOW'S IT GOIN? Thought I'd pop in for a little b&b/ chat. It's been awhile.

FIRST, Camera update. Still not fixed. Still haven't taken the steps to get it fixed. Do I blame life or laziness? Hmmmm, life. Life happened. SO still kickin it old school with my point & shoot. #throwback #sovintage

Grey's & HTGAWM are back & we need to talk about for it for a sec. Seeing alex karev revert to his season one self is heartbreaking and I think he needs a hug. & you're telling me we gotta wait the entire Murder season to find out WHO DIED???? How is that okay? I get enough of that with pll, thanks.

{shades // choker} 

{bff} 

Operation Meditation is still in full swing. I never knew what even five minutes can do. VERY good for an anxious mind. Next up I'm gonna try & start this mindfulness book I've been meaning to get on for aaages. 

SO, what about you? What's new in your world?

xoxo,

Bits & Baubles

{ice cream + blue nails}

WHEW it's been a hot minute since I did one of these posts! I think I'm gonna start them up again because I like giving you a glimpse of things going on that aren't long enough for a full post. HA.
I've been experimenting a little more with photography as I really do love taking photos, especially on my little instant camera. BUT I'm semi-clueless when it comes to digital shots- I know just enough for my blog photos! I've been researching/ pinteresting but any advice is welcome.....

{experimenting}

{SUNdays}

Speaking of blogging, I'm SUPER excited about Helene's new project! There are so many dreams & ideas I have for WDAC & a community like Blog Boss Babe is EXACTLY what we need. Check it out!! (she didn't tell me to say this, promise) 

{chokers are where it's at right now}

I'm not sure if I ever updated you BUT I'm officially caught up on Grey's & I'm not ready for this finale tomorrow! There's so many directions it could go. ANYWAY I need a new show to watch! I STILL haven't done Fuller House so I think I might start that soon. Or Gossip Girl, even though I'm about seven years late to that party.  
Watched anything good lately I should know about? Update me on your happenings! I'm nosy like that. 
Happy Wednesday!
xo,