Holiday Break

In light of how busy the holiday season is, I've decided to take the rest of the year off. My New Year's resolution is to post regularly here, and I have some really great posts planned for 2012. So everyone have a great holiday and I'll be back to posting again on January 2nd, 2012!

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Black and White and Red All Over // Daily Outfit

{dress//Shop Speedy Girl :: skirt//thrifted :: tights//Merona :: shoes//Urbanog :: cardigan//ModCloth :: bracelet//gift from my mom}

Ok, so these photos definitely aren't the best, but they're pretty good considering it was almost completely dark outside. I wore this outfit to the anual Christmas gift together with my dads family. Everyone on my dad's side of the family lives pretty spread out, so we've started having our Christmas get together in early December before everything gets too busy. 

I was planning on wearing a different dress, but had some zipper problems with it, so I fell back to my backup plan. I wanted something holiday-ish, so I chose a cardigan with gold buttons (I think gold is just so festive), my LBD, and some bright red shoes with big bows on top. I even liked how the tan tights looked with it all. 

What are you all wearing to your holiday parties?

Owl City's If My Heart was a House // Music Monday #23

Circle me and the needle

Moves gracefully back and forth

If my heart was a compass, you'd be north

Risk it all

'Cause I'll catch you if you fall wherever you go

If my heart was a house, you'd be home

Another Owl City song for you. I didn't really like this one the first few times I heard it - mostly because it's a much slower song, but lately I've been listening to the lyrics more, and I just can't get over what a sweet song it is. I hope that someday someone can feel that way about me. ♥

The Way You Love Me // Daily Outfit + Honest to Blog

{dress//ModCloth :: jeans//Old Navy :: shoes//UrbanOg :: cardigan//thrifted :: belt//thrifted :: necklace//ModCloth :: headband//D.I.Y}

"There's no one else who can love me,
 Quite like the way that you love me,
No, there's no one else."
~ No One Else by Breanne Duren
This is outfit is almost entirely composed of some of my favorite pieces of clothing and make up. ModCloth dress? Check. Indie shoes? Check. Bright fuchsia lipstick? Check. Bright blue cardigan, Peter Pan colar, DIY headband and (awesome) gold rockabilly car necklace? Check! I have an inkling that this outfit probably shouldn't work, but I don't really care. It's me and I like it. ♥
A couple years ago I had a friend that with low self esteem. She had to be the best and smartest at everything, and if I didn't agree with her then I had to be the one who was wrong. I know she didn't mean to be mean, because she's really a sweet girl, but I had low self esteem and being around her made me question myself. I felt like somehow I just wasn't quite as good as she was. She didn't except me as I was, and I wanted her to like me so much I changed who I was to fit in with her. I often wonder how far I would have followed her if I hadn't met my big sister shortly after. 
But this year has been awesome. I've made a lot of new friends (yes, Amber, I'm looking at you!) who love me and except me completely as I am - which is pretty crazy as the first picture clearly shows - and my confidence has grown in leaps and bounds.

Earlier this week I was telling one of my afore mentioned new friends about how irritated I am at not posting on my blog more often. I summed it up to my laziness, and half joking/half not reprimanded myself with an exclamation of "bad, Katie!" But what my friend said next caught me by surprise. He told me quite bluntly that he didn't think I was lazy and bad, but "sweet and good." I'm not going to lie: that totally made my day! I'm definitely a "words of affirmation" kind of girl, so hearing something like that -especially completely unasked for - pretty much sent my confidence soaring sky high, and if it wasn't for that I probably wouldn't have had the guts to post that first picture.

Catapult by Breanne Duren // Music Monday

I know this post is a day late, and for that I am sorry. This weekend was pretty busy, but I just had to share this song, because I am so in love with it! It's by Breanne Duren, and is by far my favorite song of her's so far - though I love all of her songs. I'm hoping to buy her EP on iTunes soon. She's so adorable and talented. ♥

I Would Make Like a Tree and Leaf // Daily Outfit

{tee shirt//District Lines :: cardigan//thrifted :: jeans//Old navy :: jacket//Wet Seal :: boots//DSW :: scarf//ModCloth :: flower clip//H&M}

I bought this tee shirt to go to the Owl City concert, but that didn’t actually end up happening. After we had got all ready to go the first time, we got a call that the concert had been cancelled, so we went out to dinner instead. i wore the outfit again several days later, which is when I got these pictures. But I washed the shirt before I got ready to go to the concert the second time, and, since it said it was pre-shrunk, I threw it in the dryer. Big. Mistake. It now fits my seven year old sister, and I am planning on calling the company to complain.

It’s all very disappointing since I really liked this tee shirt, and I could use more tee shirts in my life. They’re so comfy, and I’m actually getting the point where I’m happy with how I look in jeans, instead of thinking they make me look “the ‘F’ word” (no, not that ‘F’ word, I mean “fat”). So it’s pretty much a bummer that the shirt shrunk. Next time cool Owl City tee - next time...

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups Win

I decided that this year I want to do some of my own Christmas baking to send to some of my faraway friends. I decided to get an early start on it last Friday since I want to have lots to send out. The first thing I made was some homemade peanut butter cups, from the recipe on Elsie's blog. I got nearly 40 out of the double batch, and hey turned out really well, and are completely delicious!

The one thing I noticed, though, was that I used a lot less peanut butter filling, and extra chocolate. Not sure what happened there, since mine seem to have the perfect ratio of both - but then, I did use an odly sized mini-cupcake pan... Anyway, these things are delicious and I highly recommend the recipe!

Are you doing Christmas baking this year? What are you making?

Wish List Wednesdays

{Easy Doe-s It Dress // Culinary Artist Apron // Buck and Forth Ring // Talk the Toggle Coat  // Fawn Never Stops Ring // Gold Under Wraps Bracelet // Wear to Wow Wedges}

Ideals // Daily Outfit Post

{dress//Old Navy :: belt//thrifted :: skirt//thirfted :: tights//Target :: boots//Blowfish Shoes :: bracelet//Charlotte Russe :: coat//Merona}

“I find the whole concept of being ‘sexy’ embarrassing and confusing. If I do an interview with photographs people desperately want to change me - dye my hair blonder, pluck my eyebrows, give me a fringe. Then there’s the choice of clothes. I know everyone wants a picture of me in a mini-skirt. But that’s not me. I feel uncomfortable. I’d never go out in a mini-skirt. It’s nothing to do with protecting the Hermione image. I wouldn’t do that. Personally, I don’t actually think it’s even that sexy. What’s sexy about saying, ‘I’m here with my boobs out and a short skirt, have a look at everything I’ve got?’ My idea of sexy is that less is more. The less you reveal the more people can wonder.” 

― Emma Watson

I love this quote from Miss Watson. 

Yeah, this outfit was pretty modest and covered up, but I felt amazing in it. I liked how I look and I was confident in it - and that's the kind of attractive I want to be. I'd rather be the sweet, cute girl with a really, really nice guy, than the sexy head turner who has half-a-dozen men drooling after her, any day! ♥

This and That

This: Baking lots. On Friday I made a double batch of blueberry muffins and a double batch of homemade peanut butter cups, and I'm hoping to make some peppermint bark soon. I'm planning on sending some of the peanut butter cups and peppermint bark (along with some other sweets I plan to make) out to friends for Christmas. ♥

That: We put up our Christmas tree on Sunday, which means my birthday is coming. *squeals*  It's the week before Christmas and I'll be eighteen this year. I've wanted to be eighteen for as long as I can remember - oh, and on top of that, it's my golden birthday. I'm very excited.

Knit Storm Coffee/Tea Cozies

{All images from Knit Storm - used with permission}

I stumbled onto the Knit Storm Etsy shop several weeks ago. I don't even remember how I found them, now, but I do remember falling instantly in love with their adorable tea cup cozies and coffe mug sleeves. Sooo cute! And most of them are only $16 + shipping. Score!

My favorite is definately the top left one, but since it's sold out, and I have no use for a His and Her's Coffee Cozie, I think my favorite is the Love Coffee/Tea Cozie.

I really want to get one, one of these days. ♥

Hanging Dress // A Peek into My Room

I got the idea to hang a dress up on the wall from Kate Gabrielle. Originally I was going to hang up my blue floral dress, but then I got this one, and it was just too pretty not to display - plus I wear my blue floral dress way too much to hang up on the wall. 

I think it turned out really well! What do you think? Does it work?

P.S. Next week I'm going to start posting about all the stuff I have on my dresser!

My Week in Instagram Photos

1. At the #owlcity concert!! <3  2.Me and my mum  3. Opening act: Days Difference  4. Fuzzy Blue Lights!!  5. Dreams Din't Turn to Dust (@owlcity)  6. Doing some baking! :D #homemakerintraining  7. Woohoo! Paper baking cups mean I dint have to wash our silicone ones!! :D  8. My 18 before 19 list including Amber Rose

Thanksgiving // Daily Outfit Post

{dress//Target :: tights//Target :: boots// DSW :: belt//thrifted :: bracelet//my mom}

I’ve actually worn this dress three or four times before, but this is the first time I’ve blogged it! I’ve gotten so lazy with getting outfit pictures. I really need to make an effort to do better.

Every year my mom hosts the Thanksgiving dinner at our house, which means we spend the day before cooking and baking everything that can be done ahead of time. This year she had to pick up my elderly great grand aunt from her apartment 45 minutes away, since she no longer had a car. That took a good hour and a half out of my moms day, which, in turn, meant that my dad, my little sisters and I had to pick up a lot of the slack. I hadn’t had anything planned to wear, so I had to rummage around in my closet, and this seemed like as good an outfit to wear as any. I think it looks a little fallish, so I was happy with it.

Anyway, the Thanksgiving meal turned out great and was lots of fun. How was your Thanksgiving? Do you host or go to family’s for it?