If you're an OG follower of the blog/ instagram, you've seen an array of hair changes over the years. From long to short and brown to blonde and brown again, it's been a TIME. I've always found it ironic how I'm so reluctant to let certain changes into my life, yet my hair has always been one thing I don't mind changing. 

Print Mixing Inspo

Print mixing is one of my favorite ways to experiment in my style. It's a risk for sure, but done well can be be so chic & put together. 

Here are a few of my favorite inspirations for mixing prints this autumn:

Pink + Red Is Having A Moment

Once upon a time, pairing certain colors was considered less than flattering. & pink and red was definitely one of those combinations.

What Kae Wore | Dior Exhibit

An April Mood Board (+ Letter From The Editor)

{all photos via pinterest} 

"April showers bring May flowers," so they say, but I like to think April brings flowers too, cheesy as it may be. 

AN OCTOBER MOOD BOARD

{all images via pinterest}

HOW DID OCTOBER HAPPEN? Where did the rest of the year go? (& on a completely unrelated note, happy mean girls day) 

Not for nothing I am v much already in the autumnal/ holiday spirit, soaking up all the pumpkin everything from coffee to candles, listening to all the autumnal playlists, & generally being that annoying person that can't stop talking about how much she loves fall. (& slipping the christmas spotify in on occasion) Soz. 

For many, including myself, October signals the beginning of the end of the year and the holiday season, three major holidays seemingly back to back to back. It's not difficult for things to get overwhelming, what with decorations and preparing food & maybe entertaining & not really getting a chance to breathe. But this time of year is my very favorite, beginning with the first falling leaves & ending with the ball dropping, confetti falling everywhere. 

The next three months are an opportunity to reflect, to slow down & smell the pumpkin, & just be. Does that sound like the cheesiest hallmark card? MAYBE YES I KNOW. But it's the truest of truths. 

As for the blog this month, expect some truths when it comes to my favorite fall outfits, some more of the What Kae Wore series, (my new personal favorite) & some time management hacks. Podcosts you should all be listening to. Books you should be reading. & styles you should definitely be trying.

Cheers to October!

"I am so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."

-Anne of Green Gables 

xo,

kae

AN AUGUST MOOD BOARD

{all images via pinterest}

Pale colors & pretty vibes over here at WDAC, the dog days of summer in full swing. 

THINGS TO HAVE CONTROL OVER IN A WORLD OF NO CONTROL

Over the years the realization has hit  that a huge anxiety trigger for me is feeling out of control. We've chatted about this before, but I joke about it a lot because, oooh the irony. What do we really have control over in life? Not the way people perceive us or the change in the weather or why we just got cut off on the freeway.

A JULY MOOD BOARD

{all images via pinterest}

THIS IS TWENTY FOUR.

While looking at my previous birthday posts for a bit of ~inspiration~, I came across the one dated June 26th, 2014. My twentieth birthday. 

HOW I MOTIVATE MYSELF TO WORK OUT

Unrealistic thought I continue to have no matter how much I’m proved wrong: once you get a workout routine going, you’ll always be ready to go first thing in the morning/ evening/ whenever your preferred time is. You’ll be up & at ‘em, much like Monica when she was trying to get Chandler to run with her. 

VISION BOARD INSPO

Let’s talk quick & easy today about VISION BOARDS. 

YOU'RE NOT ALWAYS GOING TO LOVE YOUR BODY- - AND WHY IT'S OKAY

Something I talk about vaguely every once in awhile is the topic of body confidence. How to stop comparing yourself and ‘love the skin you’re in’! and that’s all well & good, but I’ve realized I don’t necessarily write on my own experiences much. My mental health journey has been a doosey, and most of the time I feel... ick bringing it up. If you understand, you understand. I’m not shy about the whole anxiety thing, as that’s something I’m going to deal with for the rest of my life, in one bracket or another. But the other things from my past just make me sad when I bring them up, because it reminds me of the crap place I was once in.

WHAT WE TACKLE, WE CONQUER | A NOTE ON WOMEN'S DAY

We’re going on year four of celebrating Women’s Day on WDAC. It’s something so important to me that I feel it needs its own dedication each year. (although the official day is tomorrow, it's never too early) Since starting my feminist journey, (is that a thing? let’s go with it) with each year I've become increasingly thankful and overwhelmed in the best way by the strength that we have as women, and the way we stick together. 

WHY IT'S OKAY TO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING

Hey, how was your week? I’ve been in mourning of a Pearson so excuse the mess. Anyway, enough on fictional character deaths. Let’s talk about the elephant in every twenty-something’s room- not knowing what the hell to do with tomorrow, much less YOUR ENTIRE LIFE.

I’m nearly four years into my twenties & I’ve learned A LOT so far, one thing being that nobody really knows what they’re doing. We’re all just faking it. I still listen to what kids say they wanna be when they grow up because I’m still brainstorming. (Not really but LOL KINDA REALLY)

But, something else I’ve learned? It’s okay. It’s okay because your twenties are all about figuring out what you like. That goes for the types of people you like, the hobbies, the jobs, the list goes on.

It’s super easy to get into a OMG MY LIFE IS GOING NOWHERE I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I’M DOING panic, but the truth is, you are going somewhere. Once you stop looking at everyone else’s highlights & comparing them to yours, once you focus on your own, it feels like freedom. Even if you have just one goal, focus on that & the rest will be fine.

Instead of worrying so much about if our life is going the way we planned it, we should be worried about living it right. Making the moves up as I go is the motto, am I right?

xo,

kae

SHOP THE POST:

PLAN WITH ME: FEBRUARY BULLET JOURNAL

I, for one, LOVE plan with me's. Blog posts, videos, give me all of it. It makes me feel like I can get that organized, if only for a moment. That's the thing I love about bullet journaling; it helps my organization SO MUCH and I've found that having everything written out instead of just floating around in my brain helps out my anxiety some.

SO, february planning.

I have spreads that are a given for each month, like my weekly spread, content calendar, yoga tracker, etc. This month I also added a couple new spreads; one for stevie, to track her walks & grooming, & one for meal planning.

I'm hoping it will motivate me to actually make more things and plan meals out, rather than ordering out or just rummaging in the fridge hoping something appears.

I got the sticky notes idea from pinterest; instead of having to do a new meal spread every week, you can just use pencil or put new sticky notes on. Who doesn't like to keep it simple?

For the most part my journal stays very minimalist, as I don't have the time or creative genes to make it super pretty & detailed. But it works for me and I like finding new little things to add!

xo,

kae

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE RIGHT NOW

1// Go cruelty free
One of my goals for this year was to try & transition to all cruelty free makeup & beauty (I'll do a full post eventually!) so if that's something that's important to you, we're in the journey together! Not only is it better for animals, it's better for the earth as well.

2// Pick an organization to donate to
Even five dollars helps, and it's something immediate that goes straight to the source. (My tip when donating is to go straight to the source, or if it's a gofundme make sure it's a reliable one-- check for reviews, etc) The Dreamers are in serious need of support!

3// Be kind
It's that simple. The world needs more kindness. Be it.

xo,

kae

MONDAY REMINDERS.

Consider this your monday reminder that it’s never too late to start. It’s never too late to do the thing you’ve been so afraid to do.

Normally I dread change, but recently I’ve been trying to welcome it with open arms. Our path is not our own, & change is just a part of it, sometimes for the worse, but sometimes for the so much better.

This time last year if you had told me that by this time now I’d have moved out, & then decided to start school again, & consequently moving BACK, I would’ve yelled at my future self. & yet, here I am.

My very long winded point is that you never know what’s going to happen, so you might as well just do it.

It's never too late.

xo,

kae

ANXIETY GROUNDING PRACTICES THAT ACTUALLY WORK

Sometimes advice on anxiety can have the best intentions, but it just makes you feel worse in the end. 'Have you tried yoga?' (not to discredit yoga, it is amazing) 'Just stop worrying!' HA if only it were that easy! There are a lot of techniques that work, however, and the focus is on grounding. 

Here are the biggest ones I've found to work: (remember that everyone is different & what is helpful for someone else might not work for you! try different things until you find your groove)

1// Touch your shoulder, wiggle your fingers and toes. Touch whatever is closest to you. What does it feel like? Tell yourself that you are here, in this moment.

2// Most of the time this one is known as '5, 4, 3, 2, 1' where you touch five things, smell four things, etc, but keeping up with numbers gets me out of focus, so I just do one thing for each sense. Inhale. What's the first thing you smell? Look around, the first thing you see? Etc. This is another way of getting back to yourself, remembering that you are present, in real time. 

& it's my go-to practice, because it HELPS most of the time!

3// Instead of trying to shove it away, acknowledge the anxiety is there and see if you can pinpoint why. Look around, and remind yourself that nothing bad is actually happening. Focus on your breath and the fact that your heart is beating. You're okay. Sometimes there is no why, & that's okay. Still focus on your breath, your heartbeat.   

4// Sometimes the last thing you want to do in the middle of an anxiety attack is breathe, but a good breathing exercise can be key. Breathe in for four breaths, hold for seven, and breathe out for eight. It seems impossible, but focusing on the count can help you get back to the present. Repeat until you feel calmer. 

The recurring theme in all these practices is coming back to the present. That is key when anxiety hits, because it makes us feel out of control, like we don't know what's happening anymore and all logic is out the window. But the reality is, you're here, and you're okay. 

xo,

kae

GETTING OUT OF A STYLE RUT

You walk into your closet, guns blazing, ready to put together an insta-worthy outfit. But suddenly everything looks the same, you just wore that last week, you're not feeling that trend anymore, and then it hits you.

You're uninspired, in a rut. Sound familiar?

Style ruts happen to the best of us sometimes. I've been bitten by the uninspired bug lately, and the bite stings. Luckily, if you've got some armor, you'll be able to fight back with a vengeance. Here are my tips to get out of your rut & breathe new life into your wardrobe:

Find A Style Icon

A style icon is someone you look to as a source of inspiration. Normally they will be someone of similar body type and someone who's style you really like and can envision on yourself. However, if someone's style really speaks to you & they have a totally different body type, that's okay too.

For me, my biggest icons are Rachel Bilson, Lauren Conrad, Julia from Gal Meets Glam, & Alexa Chung. If you've already got yourself some icons, you're a step ahead! Always be searching pinterest, instagram, blogs & magazines for their latest looks, and think of how you can make them your own.

Put Together A Mood Board

As an extremely visual person, mood boards are a bit of an obsession for me. Anytime you're in need of some inspiration, scour pinterest (pinterest is our bff in this post) of your style icons & any looks or pieces that speak to you. Search pins of key trends and pieces that you feel are you. For me that's denim, stripes, dresses,.... etc.

I save all the photos for a particular board into a folder on my computer, then put it all together easily through the collage maker in google photos. AAAND DONE! Now you can save your mood board as your desktop background, print & out & hang it on your wall, in your closet, anywhere you'll see it in times of trouble.

{my mood board for 2018}

Find Newness In What You Have

I'll be the first to say: sometimes ya gotta go back to the basics. Pick a couple of key pieces to make a capsule of sorts: maybe it's a pair of jeans or a dress or a blouse you feel you've worn a thousand times. Separate it, look at your mood board, & dream up new ways to put together a look with it. Sometimes all it takes is a fresh perspective to get the creative juices goin'.

Now that you have some tips, go & put them into action the next time you're in a rut & you'll be out in no time! And if you're still shaking your head, thinking there's no hope, don't forget about virtual styling.... (how's that for a segue?)

xo,

kae