One of my biggest influences has always been fashion. The playing of trends and patterns and creating new outfits inspires me, as well as the whole of fashion. I'm continually wanting to learn fresh things in the industry and I started blogging so I could teach y'all what I learned. 

So has blogging changed my perception of fashion & style at all? 

The Future Of SKS

Before I go any further, I should ease your mind (or disappoint you?) by saying I'm not abandoning the blog. At this point it's become a part of me, and even should it one day drift it'll stay up for archive, I'll make sure of it. 

THREE YEARS LATER AND I FINALLY KNOW WHAT I'M DOING

DRESS FROM SHEIN

I used to blog about blogging a lot, and then one day I realized that not all my readers are bloggers and so maybe they don't care so much about the latest blogging trend or the instagram algorithm or anything else currently trending in the blogosphere.

WHY I BEG TO DIFFER THAT BLOGGING IS DYING

It seems the good ole blogosphere has been split down the middle the past year or so, as there has been an increasing number of so called instagram blogs and less actual blogs. We're a want it now society, anything more than a screenshot to get clothing details emailed seeming like a daunting task. Reading 300+ words? No thank you. So the question causing debates all around: is the art of blogging dying? 

SIGNS YOU'RE HEADED FOR A BURNOUT

It’s such a blogger thing to do to address when you miss a day’s post, or you go on a mini break, or basically break your normal blogging cycle at all. It’s a cliche that I’m TOTALLY DOING, SUE ME. It’s important to not ignore the signs of a burnout, or of just needing a break. It's still hard for me to admit sometimes that I NEED a break. 

SOME WEEKEND READING MATERIAL (AKA RECENT POSTS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED)

Doing something the slightest bit different today, & bringing you a roundup of some of my latest posts, because I've been absolutely terrible about promoting them lately. Even bloggers have off days, okay? 

WDAC IN 2018

Hey, hello, happy Monday! I've spent the first week of 2018 reflecting & planning, and of course that includes planning blog content. SO I wanted to give you a little rundown & heads up of what I've got cooking up this year, because I'm feeling inspired & ready to WRITE.

So, what can you expect to see more (or even more) of on With Dignity & Coffee this year? 

+ Outfits 

+ Style on a budget how-tos

+ More personal reflections/ stories/ lifestyle bits

+ VIDEO CONTENT. I love using IG stories & will continue to incorporate that, as well as more IG video & maybe even youtube content....  EESH

Looking back on the heart of WDAC, it's an all-inclusive place for you, the reader, to come & feel inspired, learn new things, & feel warm and fuzzies. Sharing my style & tips is one of my favorite topics to create content for, & I want to continue that.

According to my demographic, the majority of my readers are like me: millennial age, female, & most likely don't have the budget for haute couture. So, I want to continue focusing on budget style & homeware bits, because that's what I look for in content. Things I can relate to, and I always want you to feel connected to the content you're reading/ watching. 

I say all of this to say, I'm so ready to see what this year will bring (wow, cheesy much?) & I would LOVE to get your comments & feedback on what you'd like to see, or any ideas you have. & if you have any questions for me, email or DM me on insta & I might just put together a Q&A....

xo,

kae

WHAT THE END OF PRINT PUBLICATIONS MEANS FOR THE FUTURE OF JOURNALISM & BLOGGING

When Hannah wrote an article on the end of glamour's uk print publication, (luckily it's still running in the us... for now) that was the first I'd heard of the news, but it wasn't nearly as surprising as it would have been even five years ago. And then, a few days ago, news broke from conde nast that they would be discontinuing the teen vogue print, reducing it to a strictly online publication. I'm pretty certain it won't be the last announcement we'll hear in the coming years or even months, either.

The way we consume media has changed drastically with the rise of social media and the internet as a whole. Flashback to 2007, the iphone had only just arrived, facebook was just extending past users with a college email account, and print publication was arguably at its peak. My middle school best friend & I pored over her older sister's copies of cosmogirl, teen people, and yes, teen vogue. That's how we kept up with the hottest celebrities & world news. (obviously my thirteen year old brain cared 100% more about the celebs) 

Forward to present day, just one decade later, and that world seems like an entire lifetime ago.

We now keep up with current events through the likes of our news app and twitter, digesting hundreds of little snippets throughout the day. Micro media, it could be called. As a whole, we no longer turn to magazines as our source for the latest news & inspiration, no matter how much ya love a good flip-through. That's all it is, it seems. Then we go on with our day, back to digesting more snippets.

Obviously brands have to keep up with trends and what their consumers want. If not, the brand will die, plain and simple. So I have to give glamour & TV a pat on the back, as it seems they are catering to their market.

So, what does this all mean for blogging and journalism as a whole? Will we transition to total microblogging & media? Sometimes it seems that way, and as we make our way into 2018, (say WHAT??) the shift can either keep going in the direction it’s been going, or scale back a bit. In a way, it’s up to us. Don’t get me wrong, I love all that media has turned into. The community of blogging & social media can be an amazing thing (the good side of it, at least) and I like seeing snippets of people’s lives.

But it’s also nice to have print publications, a piece of art in your fingertips. The work that goes into a newspaper article or magazine is insane. What will happen if that goes away completely? I’m not all that sure that it will; people have said for years that libraries will die & here they still are; albeit a little slow. 

But the world is changing and technology has to keep up.

Personally, I think microblogging will become even more popular, as it’s a form of those snapshots of information & updates. We will continue to get our news via social media and instead of print being our go-to, it will become our last resort, so to speak. But it will still be there, because journalism is evergreen, no matter the form it's written. 

As for the fashion magazines, I'd like to say they'll stay, but as instagram style stars become the new Glamour, it's hard to tell. Either way, we are in an era of uncharted territory, and if we don't hop on board, we'll simply be left behind, reminiscing about times no longer relevant.

xo,

kae

THE TRUTH ABOUT BLOGGING

I've read a few articles recently on the state of blogging & how "real" things are. I agreed with a few points, while others not so much. Like hannah says, blogging is a business. It can be calculated and cold. But that's not all it is and if you think that's all it is, you probably shouldn't be blogging. You won't get anything out of it, & neither will your readers. 

We have to remember that blogs & social media only show one side of things. This is something that we do calculate and control. We only put out what we want others to see, whether it's a pretty photo of a latte or a seemingly glamorous collaboration with a brand. That should be a given of social media by now. We shouldn't put our worth in what kylie jenner's waist looks like or the number of likes our photo gets, because it's all calculated. I'll admit, it can be easy to get caught up in it. Sometimes I find myself having to step back for a sec and take a breath. Remember why I do this whole thing. And then start over with a fresh mindset. 

Blogging has gone from being a place to share random thoughts to being a place to build a business while you share your thoughts. I think there has to be a balance somehow in knowing it's a business and working it while still maintaining realness, living life instead of merely posting it, & not selling your soul for a brand deal. Is there a formula to maintaining that balance? I'm not totally sure. I do know we should maintain community within this world, because with the risk of sounding like high school musical, we're all in this together. With the few and far between exception of 'top dogs' that are in their own world, this rings true. 

Yes, blogging is a legitimate career path now & you can either run with it and live or run with it so far it's all you can see and you forget about everything else. As long as you balance, I think you'll be okay. & let me let you in on a little secret: 

There's a difference in editing your waist so much that people think that's what they should look like as well & staging your coffee cup just so, or re-painting one nail for that perfect insta shot. If it's only the latter that's your game, it's a oh-okay. 

I'm there every day. 

xo,

Three Years of WDAC

{Stars Hollow poster, planner, bedding. dog not for sale}

January 5, 2014, the day that With Dignity + Coffee was born. Technically I had rebooted the blog the September before, but it wasn't until January that I found the current name & really found a rhythm of what I wanted the blog to be. 
Inspiration. Style, dignified. A way of life. 
That's the core of it all. Everything I put up on this space inspires me in some way & I want it in turn to inspire you. To take action, to go shopping, to listen to a really dope band. Whatever it may be that inspires us, this little community is our spark. 
Looking back, I feel I've come a long way from that day in my grandmother's house in too-hot-for-January Florida. Maybe I'm not Julia Engel, (no matter how hard I want to be, darn you woman) but I feel like I've found my place in the blogosphere. (is that what we're still calling it?) I've written posts I'm really proud of, ones I could've left alone, & greatly improved my photography skills. WOO. 
For the first time in awhile I'm 100% sure of the direction of this blog & how I want to inspire you. Because you inspire me. 
So here's to three more years of staged instagram photos, "can you take this photo of me posing thoughtfully at the ground?" & buying needless things at Target because I'm a blogger, danggit. 
But for real. I love blogging. HAPPY THIRD, WDAC!
xo,

WDAC GIFT GUIDE | FOR THE BLOGGER

It's the LAST installment in WDAC gift guide, for LAST MINUTE gifts. Today is all about the blogger, because obviously. * insert hair flip emoji*
I am all about sassy mugs & all the notebooks- what about you? 
Remember to pin for reference, & you can access the previous guides right HERE.

xo,

AUTUMN/ WINTER 2016 READER SURVEY

Hey babes! Today I've got a little reader survey for ya..... I'm not sure why I haven't done one in the past, but better late than never, right? 
As we go into the next year I want to make sure WDAC is all it can be, & who better to help me do that than YOU??
You can take the survey right here. I really appreciate it!

xo,

THREE SIGNS YOU'VE GOT BLOGGER ENVY (& HOW TO STOP IT)

A blogger I follow was given the opportunity to attend the Taylor Swift concert in Austin this weekend through a sponsorship. My initial reaction was somewhere in the middle of 'OMG THAT'S AMAZING HOW WONDERFUL FOR YOU' & 'WOOOOW I HATE EVERYTHING.' & then I had to check myself because blogger envy, even momentary, is just not cute. 
If I've learned anything in my two & a half-ish years here, it's that comparing yourself to other bloggers will only make you miserable & it will come out in your writing.
SO, these are the three signs you should look for, & what to do to stop them:
1// You're full on obsessed with everything a blogger does. Having blogs you admire is a great thing. We need those to stay inspired & help push us to be our best selves. But it's when the admiration becomes borderline stalker that's dangerous. Becoming so absorbed in what other bloggers are doing hinders your own growth, & copying their moves is too tempting.
Instead, focus on your unique strengths. What makes your blog different? Work off of that and readers (& brands) will take notice. 
2// You're too focused on the numbers. If you read any article on what makes a blog "successful," it touches on how important the numbers are, & it's caused me to fall into the numbers trap one too many times. I don't think it always matters how many social media followers or monthly visitors you have. What matters is the content. 
So, work on growing your social media if you want to. That's a great goal to have, but remember that content is still king. If necessary, give yourself a bit of a social media break for a hot minute. 
3// You spend more time comparing your blog to others than actually blogging. This kind of ties back into #1. It's no secret that no good comes of comparison no matter how easy it is to do the comparing. You know that really cheesy quote that goes something like 'you can't compare your beginning to someone else's middle'? It's actually kind of true. Even if you aren't a "beginner" blogger, you can't really compare where you're at to where everyone else is at. No one's pace is exactly the same. 
Instead of comparing, take inspiration from the blogs you love (but don't pull a #1...) & realize that you won't be exactly the same as they are. It's okay. If everyone was a carbon copy, life would be vastly boring anyway. 
Have you ever had blogger envy? How did you stop it?
xo, 

The Burnout

At times I find myself not feeling like blogging & I can never quite pinpoint why. This space I've created is my baby, a safe haven of inspiration (hallmark, much?) and I love every second of it. But the thing is,
sometimes I don't.
Don't get me wrong, I don't not love it on purpose, obviously. & I guess we shouldn't expect ourselves to love blogging every minute we do it. There are sometimes when life gets in the way & no matter how much you want to blog, you feel stuck. 
Am I the only one?
I always want my content to be 110%, to pour my soul into it & for that to be palpable, but I think sometimes I still put too much pressure on myself to just churn posts out. Someone, tell me WHAT THAT'S ABOUT. I know I'm not the only one that struggles with the balance of it all. 
LET'S DISCUSS: how do you avoid/ deal with blogger burnout? Any tips are helpful.....
xo,

Secrets To Running A Blog

I never knew what it took to run a blog until I actually had my own to run, and along the way I've learned lots of must-have behind the scenes secrets and lessons that I KNOW you're dying to know about. 

How do you do it all? The white rug instagrams, the looking-at-the-ground-and-smiling outfit photos? Actually writing posts? Today, those burning questions are answered.

1// Write. All the time. The best way to hone your craft is to do it, right?

2// Take the choice of your appointed photographer very seriously. (Trust me. it's rough out there for the blogger BF-less) 

3// Be yourself. Be weird. Weirdly fabulous? There is no judgment in blog world. (most days)

4//  When you're taking outfit photos, look at the ground a lot. Pretend there's a really big donut down there. Instagram likes guaranteed.... 

5// Blog consistently, but don't publish a post just to have one out. (This may contradict things, since this post is out there. Just go with it) 

6// If all else fails, remember: everybody loves a good list post.

Now spill your secrets......

xo,

Finding Your Blogging Voice

It will be two years next month since I started blogging regularly, (times flies when you're having fun) and soon after when I decided I wanted to get "serious" about it. In that time, the blog has gone through a few transitions and it took me awhile to really find my blogging voice. Now I feel like this blog is really "me", but at times I wasn't quite sure what my voice was, and I think sometimes a lot of bloggers feel that way, especially newer ones. 

So how can you establish a strong voice while staying real? (I'm starting to hate the term authentic, so we'll go with real)

Think about details of your personality. How can you incorporate it into your online voice? I'm sarcastic and sometimes witty, so most times that carries over to my writing.

Find inspiration. Look at some of your favorite blogs and the voice they've established. What makes them so relatable and readable? Figure out it for you, too.

Write the way you talk in real life. This probably seems like a duh thing, but when I first started blogging I sort of thought I needed to sound "professional," almost as if I was writing a newspaper instead of a blog. For some bloggers the more serious tone might fit their brand more, which is totally fine. But don't lose your personality either- it never hurts to be cas sometimes. (See? We can all be hip with the times)

You won't find a consistent voice right away, but with time it'll become like second nature and you'll woo everyone away with your unbeatable charm. And if not, at least you'll woo yourself.

The One Where I Went To a Blogging Webinar

IG @misskaemichelle

*There would normally be some artsy photo at least halfway relevant to the post, but half my things are stuck in storage and if blogging has taught me anything, it's that sometimes you gotta improv. And lol @ life. 

On Wednesday night, I popped on over to Helene's webinar. I'd never actually been to one of these things before, but at least I didn't have to stress over what to wear. Thanks internet. 

Anyway, as I took notes (because I'm super studious) and listened to Helene talk about monetizing your blog and knowing its worth, a certain phrase kept popping up: 

You are unique.

And that phrase got me thinking about the immense respect I have for fellow bloggers and creatives. Because it's true, we are unique and so are each of our spaces on the Internet. 

I'm glad I have a space I'm proud of and that I can share a community with like-minded people. I'll be honest, in the blogosphere it can be easy to get overwhelmed by all the "successful" blogs and pressure yourself to be a certain way or post certain things.

But you are unique. Your blog is unique. And I think it's pretty cool that so many different people from all walks of life have this one thing in common. 

PS. Another thing I learned from Helene? As long as you're genuine about it, you should never feel guilty for making money from your blog! You've worked hard enough for it.

Have you ever attended a webinar? What'd ya learn?

All the blogs

I love blogs. I mean, what kind of blogger would I be if I didn't? Reading other blogs is a part of my daily routine, and finding ones that just get me is super important. 

So, I've managed to compile a list of all my top, can't miss, must-read blogs because you should be reading them too, and because I love sharing the love. {Saturday was Valentine's Day, after all}

My blogroll...

// The Skinny Confidential: This one goes first because it's like, the lifestyle blog. Lauryn has created something incredible that really is a lifestyle of its own. I find myself on TSC time and time again for inspiration and good health tips, because girl knows what she's talking about. 

// Venus Trapped In Mars: If you like sports and have a sense of humor, you'll love VTIM. Sarah's humor never fails and her blogging tips are on point. Also, she's Dallas based and I looove reading local blogs. Basically I'm always obsessing over VTIM for one reason or another. 

// A Walk in the Park: Carly's style is incredible and AWITP is filled with pretty pinterest-worthy photos that will make you oooh and aaah. I'm obsessed. #canwebefriends?

// Helene In Between: Helene's another Dallas blogger who I go to for new music recommendations, fun Buzzfeed-esque posts, and blogging tips. 

// The Girl Who Loved to Write: Chelsea's honest, optimistic view of life is inspiring and TGWLTW is full of writing tips and inspiration, and a cutie pup. What more could you want?

// But First, Coffee: I obviously first gravitated to Kallie's blog because of the name and I stayed for the rad beauty tips she has.

To be honest there a quite a few other blogs I read a lot, but if I listed them all it would take forever. So do yourself a favor and check out all the blogs I follow on bloglovin. And then visit them and fall in love!

What's on your blogroll? Did any of them make my list?

Blocked

The writer's block has been real lately and I was searching for inspiration when I got the genius idea to write about writer's/blogger's/whatever's block. 

So meta. Or something.

I've thought of eight ways to fight that pesky block and get back on track. Trust me on this, because I'm such an expert. 

1// Waste like five hours of your day on tumblr. Reblog all the things and then look back on your choices. At least two blog posts can come from that, easy.

2// Stalk your favorite blogs and wonder how they make it look so simple. I know you know what I'm talking about. 

3// Eat pop-tarts. Don't ask. Just do.

4// Think about all the people who are younger than you and way more successful. {I'm lookin at you, miss Lorde} Kinda makes you wanna write the next great American novel so you can show them up, doesn't it? You're welcome.

5// Read 365 Blog Topic Ideas. All the ideas in one place.

6// Imagine what life would be like as a pretty little liar. How would you get rid of A? What outfits would you wear while doing so? Ooooh, interesting. Boom. Blog post.

7// Go shopping. Again, don't ask questions, grasshopper. Just do. Kaeleen says.

8//  Step away. Write when inspiration finds you, or you find it. It always seems better that way.

Tell me how you fight writers block!

Link love || 02.06.15.

Oh, happy Friday! I know everybody and their mother has said this, but I can't believe February is here and happening. How? When?

Anyway, today I have some lovely reading material for you if you so desire. 

+ Kenzie gives some unique writing topics for this month.

+ Need some tips on improving your blog? {I'm always looking for ideas} Rebecca-Louise is your girl!

+ Kallie puts some popular beauty hacks to the test. What actually works?

+ Find out what's on Helene's face.

+ Staying in on the 14th? Chelsea's got all the ideas on a Valentine's in. 

Happy reading!