I had originally created this outfit as part of a to-come blog post that was just me re-creating IG outfits, but I've only had the chance to do this one so far so I've made it its own post!

WHAT KAE WORE | INSTAGRAM LATELY

IT’S FRIDAY! Lots more ~helpful~ content comin at you next week but today I wanted to share a few recent Instagram snaps I’m excited about. 

I’m also v excited to finally be using lightroom presets on my photos! I really wanted to take things to the next level this year & get more creative, & that starts with aesthetic. 

Onto the ~lewks~:

BITS & BAUBLES | JULY EDITION

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 & 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

SEVEN DAY STYLE CHALLENGE

HEY BABES! Something I've been pondering on recently is getting out of your style comfort zone and taking chances. I don't even know what my 'comfort zone' is, I just know that I continue to grow bolder with my style choices, and after poking through a challenge Lauren Messiah recently did, I wondered what kind of challenge I could come up with.

Something to maybe inspire a little bit of creativity right from your closet and leave you feeling like the megababe you are. 

So, I give to you... the seven day WDAC instagram style challenge! Each day, starting Friday, August 18th, I'll be posting a look featuring that day's challenge, & I'm inviting you to do the same! All you have to do is go over the challenge, go through your closet, and ROCK IT. Use the hashtag #WDACStyleChallenge & I'll be featuring some of you on IG stories. 

The goal of this challenge is to get inspired with your wardrobe & have fun with it, because that's what style should be. 

So print this handy graphic out, tear through your closet and GET READY. This is gonna be fun!

xo,

kae

LATELY ON INSTAGRAM

{dress deets in this post}

The writers block is real lately.. sometimes inspiration flows so freely it's hard to keep up & then other times..... EEK. I always turn to places like pinterest or IG in that case & sometimes just seeing someone else's perspective helps. 

In other news, my birthday is in ten days and I have no earthly clue what to say if people ask what I want. (not that they have- is there an age limit to that? I would honestly welcome it) Like, give me coffee & it'll be the best birthday ever. 

{struggles}

What's going on in your world?

xo,

Lately On Instagram

// If you're not new to my insta, you know I have a thing for blue nails. This baby blue color is one of my very favorites!

// I like having my room a chill place & books & candles really spice it up. The on brand comforter helps too!

// LOVE a good denim on denim look- the top is from target a couple seasons ago but I've linked similar ones here & here. An easy style hack to make an outfit look effortless chic- tie your top in a 90s style twist.

// I FINALLY TRIED THE PINK DRINK! & how on brand is it?? (hey oh VS backdrop) I was actually very tempted to add a shot of espresso, because what's a starbucks without the coffee? But I decided against it & it was still super good- a perfect summer refresher!

// Luckily I got this #OOTD shot in before the mystery stains on my top happened. Denim + lace/ crochet is one of my all time fave combos for the summer! // Similar top here, similar shorts here & here
Happy weekend!
xo,

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

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,

Instagrams You Should Be Following

Instagram and me go together like margaritas and Mexican food. Hot chocolate and marshmallows. Peanut butter and jelly.....You get the idea. 

It's not all in vain, though. IG is on the top of my social media list for a reason: the photos. ("DUH Kaeleen," you say) Hang with me.

The photos that strike inspiration in me in some way as I'm scrolling through my feed are the ones I appreciate the most, whether it's a perfectly placed Starbucks cup or a witty quote or pretty outfit. AKA photos from feeds like the ones below. (segway, HEY OH)

// @heleneinbetween

Helene's blog is always full of inspiration and pretty things and her instagram is no different.

A photo posted by Taylor Helene Sula (@heleneinbetween) on Dec 15, 2015 at 4:15pm PST

// @tayloredwards  

Taylor is a (super rad) musician who followed me on twitter awhile back so obviously I had to do some lurking of my own. The results? Her use of pretty filters gives the perfect mix of laid-back California and girly hipster vibes.

A photo posted by taylor edwards (@tayloredwards) on Nov 30, 2015 at 7:56pm PST

// @rowanblanchard

My love for Rowan runs deep and her feed is filled with everything from colorful skies to posts on important social issues.

A photo posted by Rowan Blanchard (@rowanblanchard) on Dec 15, 2015 at 4:55pm PST

//@heartofchic 

Arin's blog + feed combine some of my most favorites: glitter, color and pretty things.

A photo posted by ✨ Arin ✨ (@heartofchic) on Dec 5, 2015 at 7:54am PST

// @thedailytay

How do I even describe Taylor? Witty, creative, and obsessed with her dog? Yeah, that's it. Somehow her feed captures all of it wonderfully.

A photo posted by Taylor Grace Wolfe (@thedailytay) on Dec 5, 2015 at 9:00am PST

//@hellokatyxo 

Katy's photos are always perfectly curated, captured, and inspiring. I don't know, it's like she makes creative content on the regular or something.

A photo posted by Katy Bellotte (@hellokatyxo) on Dec 6, 2015 at 8:17pm PST

What are some of your favorite feeds? Tell me who I should follow next! (I'm over at @misskaemichelle, if you were curious. you know.)

Bits + Baubles || Realness

{Karen Smith + a dog}

Oh hi hello.

I realized it's been 20 years since I've done one of these posts (or maybe it's been more like two months. Technicalities.) which was a plus for me because to be honest, I had no idea what today's post should be.

{denim on denim}

There's a certain stigma in parts of the blogging world when it comes to getting real on your blog. In the age of social media and goals, there always seems to be the question of how much is too much? How real is too real?

When my grandmother passed away (semi) unexpectedly last week, I debated not posting anything about it on social media or on here for many reasons. It was too real, too raw, too unpretty.

But, as the harrowing scenes of every teen drama (not to mention real life, am I right) taught us, the world isn't always pretty. Life happens, and you can choose to ignore it and hide behind perfectly posed photos, or you can face it. I choose to always face it.

On a lighter note, how was your Halloween? Mine consisted of this episode of Boy Meets World and yummy candy. And now it's Christmas.

Also: Tell me your fave no ish keep it real bloggers. Mine are Lauryn & Helene.....

Bits + Baubles and a birthday wishlist

{Dog hair is part of the aesthetic now}

{Dress: Target | Vest: Papaya | Boots: Ariat}

Hi hello. Happy Friday!

I'm slowly emerging from my OITNB haze- I've got two episodes left of this season. {I know, I know, fallin down on the job} So much has gone down already... I knew it was all gonna go downhill when Bennett up and took off. That was my first clue.

Don't even get me started on Piper. 

Am I like, the slowest binge watcher ever or is anyone else still with me? 

{Next read}

{Vest: F21 | Shorts: Target}

I'll know how 21 feels in a week... I think I've reached the stage in my life where every birthday brings an existential crisis. You know, all the good stuff.

What are some of your favorite summer cocktails? Ideas in 3,2,1...

At what point does it become inappropriate to make birthday wishlists? I'm gonna go ahead and say never.

Who's with me?

// Taylor by Taylor Swift perfume smells amaaazing and I'm constantly questioning why I don't have every single one of my girl's scents. I'm slacking.

// A Dyptique candle that up until recently I've been referring to as "The One All The Bloggers Have." They look like they smell pretty....

// Lorac Pro Palette 2. I love Lorac and I love a good palette. So this is only natural.

// F21. Like maybe an unlimited shopping spree? A girl can dream.

// Bloggers gonna blog shirt. Obviously.

// Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs. I've read that sometimes the VS angels use this before going on the runway and that's enough for me.

// You can never have too many summer reads. These have been on my radar recently!

Anyway, I'm off to sleep because lately my brain has decided to go into work mode at midnight.

Help.