SOCIAL MEDIA

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Current Favorite YouTubers

I've mentioned a million times that I'm obsessed with YouTube and am constantly subscribing to new channels. I recently have found a few new channels that I'm really loving so I wanted to share these channels with you guys! 

#1 Olivia Jade // So I found Olivia's channel from the 'recommended for you' section and started to watch some of her vids and quickly realized that her mom is Lori Loughlin (aka Aunt Becky!) which is so crazy! Besides that though, she's seriously the cutest and so genuine in all her videos. I really love her morning and night routines!

#2 Bryn McCrystal // Bryn's not necessarily new to me, but I've sort of rediscovered her channel recently. She lives in California (#goals) and has the greatest style ever! Her lifestyle videos like her "day in the life" videos are definitely my fave!

#3 Tess Begg // When I tried going vegan Tess was my holy savior. She posts videos daily featuring her daily diet of amazing vegan food. Seriously, if you're considering trying to go vegan definitely check out her channel because the food she makes looks so amazing that you'll totally want to! She posts fitness videos too!

I'm always on the hunt for new channels...who are your favorite YouTubers?

Xoxo
Tuesday, April 26, 2016

The Prom Dress Guide

Omg prom! I'm not going to lie, prom is probably one of the most stressful things ever. It's all stress until finally the night arrives and everything seems to sort of fall into place. I went to prom (rather unexpected) last year, and ended up having a super fun time, but it was not exactly what I had pictured.

This year for prom I am not entirely stressed out, but I know so many around me that are. For my school, prom is held at a hotel downtown, relatively 20 minutes from the school. I have yet to find my dress, but I have a couple of options so far. Oh, and I have a date already so that is settled too. All that´s left is figuring out the after part of prom. Kids at my school typically drive up to a lakehouse after the dance and spend the weekend there, taking Monday as a senior ditch day. I'm planning on going to one of my friend's lakehouse after prom and I think it will be so much fun. 

But, let's get to the really important part: the dress! At my school prom is typically only for seniors, unless an underclassmen is asked by a senior. So everyone wears long dresses. Because this is tradition I've only been looking at long dresses so I'm going to share with you some of my absolute favorite long dresses for this year's prom. I can't wait to finally finalize my dress, but I'm going to save that information until the day so I can show you guys fun pictures from the night! Also, I'm so happy that a friend of mine is wearing my dress from last year. She looks absolutely incredible in it! Honestly, I think she wears it better!

Last year for shoes I wore Jack Rogers which was seriously the best decision ever! First off, my date was practically the same height as me so I didn't want to have that awkward moment of me being taller than him! This is the same situation this year so as much as I'd like to purchase a super cute pair of heels I'm sticking to flats. I know I'll thank myself later when I'm so comfortable later and everyone around me is complaining about their shoes!

Anyways, I'm saving my dress to share with you guys later, but it's super similar to my dress from last year! I guess you can say I have a pretty defined style...but here are some dresses I've been loving!
The Prom Dress Guide

What are you wearing/did you wear for prom this year?

Xoxo



Monday, April 25, 2016

Hairstyles to Embrace Messy Hair

I truly think I've written this post before, with this exact same title. But, it's something so relevant to me that it's worth talking about again. My hair is kind of the worst. Some days I'm really feeling it, but most days I'm not. Even when it's straightened there's just something about it that totally irritates me. For one, I absolutely hate brushing my hair. I'm so lazy when it comes to hair that half the time I end up getting out of the shower when it's wet, throwing in some anti-frizz cream, throwing on a baseball cap and calling it a day. I really like the way my hair looks when it's curled, but I'm far too lazy to actually straighten the top portion first and then curl the bottom portion (the way it looks best), so I typically leave it to my friends at Drybar to do this for me :). 

But, I think embracing messy hair is something I have to take advantage of with my hair texture. It's slightly beachy, slightly curly and allover crazy. It's back to a length where I can wear it natural (my super short chop was just not good with my natural hair), but yet I still don't like to. Honestly, I hate having my hair in my face anyways so I'm always one to throw my hair up in a ponytail or braid just to get it out of my face. But, these styles are super easy to embrace the natural texture of my hair--which many people tell me they envy. As much as I dislike it at times, I'm glad my hair has some sort of wave to it and isn't just stick straight. Here are some of my go-to styles for my natural hair!

Loose Braid // Braids are honestly the best thing ever in my opinion. You can have legit any texture to wear them and I think they look good on everyone! Plus, unlike a bun, they don't make you look bald in photos! Last year I had a girl in my second period class that would literally braid my hair for me every single day. It was truly a blessing. This year, unfortunately, I don't have this luxury, but I still incorporate braids into my style. I love the go-to classic messy single braid, but I've also recently been loving two french braids!


Half Bun // Not something I wear all of the time, but something I definitely want to try out more. It's so nice to wear my hair half up half down because it keeps my hair out of my face, but my hair is still down. The only problem is my bad habit of messing with my split ends...I need a trim so badly. But it's super cute and easy to wear!

Au Natural // When all else fails, I typically just wear my hair all natural and just keep messing it up to keep it looking piecey. It's sometimes kind of fun to wear my hair natural because brushing it back and keeping the natural loosness to it sometimes can make it look good. My hair may not look as good as the hair in the picture, but I'm positive that's not natural...

What are your go-to styles for your natural hair?

Xoxo
Friday, April 22, 2016

This Week's Lesson

I haven't done one of these in a little while, but I feel like every week there is always some valuable lesson learned. This seems to be a lesson that I continually learn but it has to do with staying on top of things. I am probably the most forgetful person ever. I swear, I sometimes just don't have a memory. I feel awful constantly because people ask me to do things (aka my mom) and I simply just forget to. One time my mom asked me to get her ice cream so I went downstairs to go get it. Let's just say I finally brought it to her after going downstairs, finishing my homework, taking a shower and writing a blog post. But for real, I just completely forgot. 

So for my school if you're not doing well in any given class you can be on study table for a sport. Basically this means you have to do mandatory study hours that teacher or tutor must sign off on. Because I've missed two enviro tests I've been on study table for the past few weeks. Honestly, doing the hours is not even bad because I have two study halls a day and you only need to get a total of 2 hours of studying. Super easy honestly. But, like I mentioned, I am especially forgetful. Study table needs to be turned in at 4 pm on Friday so you can be eligible to participate in your sport the following week. Of course, I forgot. I didn't even realize I had forgotten until mid-day Saturday when I was taking a shower and I freaked out. I had planned on going to school Monday for first period (it was a senior oriented senior ditch day!), but ended up just not going to school at all. Seniors had Tuesday off for testing so come Wednesday I was absolutely terrified to go talk to the athletic director and turn it in. I kept putting it off for a portion of the day and then I finally said to myself, ¨Katelyn, you´re going to college 2,000 miles away in four months and you're scared to turn in a dumb study table sheet.¨ 

Let me get something straight, I'm really not nervous at all for college. I wouldn't move to California for school if I didn't think I could do it. But it's the little things that seem to get me. I was scared she would yell at me or tell me I couldn't play in my match later that day or tell me I needed to do something extra. But finally, once I took a deep breath and worked up the courage to go turn it in she legit just said, "Thanks!" and that was it. All of that buildup for literally nothing.

This lesson taught me a few things. One, try and stay on top of your sh** because life will be so much easier if you just do things when you´re asked to. For me this means making to-do lists, writing everything in a planner and having constant reminders so I don't forget things. And two, if you do slip up, you´re going to have to deal with the consequences so just admit that you messed up, and take your punishment. In this even there was no punishment anyways, it was just a matter of finally turning it in. 

As senior year comes to a close I am realizing that in four months I'm going to be completely on my own for the most part, in a new city with new people. Like I said, I'm 2,000 miles away from home so I can't just ask my mom to call the athletic office and do me a favor. I'm 18 1/2 years old and need to handle things on my own!

Anyways, have an awesome weekend!!

What did you learn this week?


Monday, April 18, 2016

An Endless Summer

So now that I've announced that I'm going to school in California I've realized that I need to shop/pack for college with the mindset of an endless summer. California definitely is hot hot hot and winters are typically pretty mild too. It still hasn't really sunk in that I'm moving to Los Angeles, which has been a dream of mine for years now. To prepare for the sunny weather ahead I've been doing a bit of shopping to find some cute pieces for wearing from day to day or going out at night. I feel like I need a completely new wardrobe for college, just because I'm dealing with a major weather change from freezing Chicago! Here's a few things I'm feeling. Also, this song is just getting me in the mood for California...the lyrics couldn't be more fitting. 

Accessories


Tops


Dresses & Rompers


Xoxo
Friday, April 15, 2016

LMU Class of 2020



I am very pleased to finally make my college announcement...this fall I will be heading west and attending Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA. I could not be more excited to spend the next four years in my absolute favorite city! I applied to quite a few schools and I truly feel that LMU is where I am meant to spend my time for the next four years. I debated between LMU and one other school nearby, but ultimately decided LMU because of its incredible location, strong communications program and beautiful campus. 

When I was first looking into schools in California I immediately looked at the UC schools. These schools, however, are incredibly difficult to get into, and also, are much too large for my liking. I also feel that everything happens for a reason, and there's a reason I applied and was accepted to LMU. I feel that for me to succeed I need smaller class sizes so I am able to engage with my professors on a name to name basis, rather than sitting in a large lecture hall. So, as you can tell I am majoring in communications with a hope to pursue a career in social media management. 

Aside from my love of California, my main motive to attend school in Los Angeles was because of all the opportunities that come with it. Chicago is great city, don't get me wrong, but I feel that there are many more internships, jobs and connections out west. I am planning on continuing to blog while in college, especially because it truly goes hand in hand with my major. 

I'm so excited to share this news with you--and I'm sorry it was so delayed! I can't wait to see what adventures Los Angeles brings and I can't wait to start school in the fall! To the class of 2016, I wish you all the best in the future!



Xoxo
Friday, April 8, 2016

TGIF


#blessed because it's Friday! I'm so so happy it's the weekend. Transitioning from spring break and getting back into the swing of school has been so difficult and I already feel like I need another spring break. The future has got me feeling nostalgic however. I have yet to decide where I'm going to college, but I'm between two schools. As soon as I know I definitely want to share this information with you guys, but not until it's 100% set! 

Anyways, here are three things I'm dying to do this weekend!

1. OMG Prom! It's coming up at my school and I'm in dire need of a dress. Help a sista out if you have any suggestions. You can see my dress from last year here. It was so cute and so comfy and I probably would wear it again if I could, but I'm not trying to be an outfit repeater...so prom shopping is the #1 thing on my list for the weekend! Comment where I should look!

2. I haven't curled my hair since Thanksgiving and I miss it. I cut my hair a few inches shorter the first day of winter break and was kind of waiting for it to grow back before I attempted to wave it. I'm dying to try this hair tutorial. I'm getting my hair done for Prom at, of course, Drybar, but I still think practicing doing my hair is always worthwhile. 

3. Okay so I'm like obsessed with Dunkin Donuts iced coffee. My friend showed it to me the other week and I've been drinking it non-stop. I've grown to love iced coffee this year especially and Dunkin's version is just so delicious and half the price of a Starbuck's caramel macchiato (or 1/5 of the price if it's happy hour!). I've been trying to make my own and it just hasn't been turning out. I'm hoping to try out one of these recipes this weekend. 

Have a great weekend!

Xoxo
Thursday, April 7, 2016

Ecuador Part II

Continuing on my recap of my trip let's begin with day 5. A few kids ended up getting sick on the trip and I was feeling blessed that I wasn't one of them. The rest of us headed to Antisana National Park to mainly just explore and hike. Honestly, this wasn't one of the highlights of the trip mainly just because I'm not super into bird watching and hiking in areas where the scenery isn't constantly changing. But, we did have quite an adventure on our bus. We rode a coach bus for our mode of transportation but the roads of Ecuador were definitely not designed for this type of transit. There may or may not have been a few moments where we legit almost fell of a cliff... After hiking we headed to a local restaurant for lunch and I had some of the best fish I've ever had. Seriously so good



On day 6 we went to hot springs to soak up the sun and relax in the mineral water. It was such a strange experience because I pictured it much more nature-y, but I was not picturing the correct hot springs in my mind. This was more of a pool/spa type of deal. I ended up getting super sun burnt (that high altitude sun will get ya), but now it's lucky faded to tan. It was amazing to lounge in the pools while staring up at the Andes mountains. Seriously such a breathtaking view. 


The final full day was spent visiting the final few churches we didn't get to see on the first day and then we took a cable car up to the top of a mountain overlooking the city. It was the perfect way to reflect from the entire trip and stand in awe at the amazing city of Quito. We took tons of photos with this view and I swear the background looks so fake because we're about 14, 000 feet up and there are clouds and a city far below us. 





Overall my trip to Quito was so amazing and I would definitely love to go back someday. Next on my list in South America is definitely Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Lima, Peru!

What did you do for spring break?

Xoxo
Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Ecuador Part I

Hey there! I'm back and at it with blogging. I took a bit of a break because I left on the 24th to spend a week in Ecuador on a school trip. It was honestly such an amazing experience and so much fun. I jumped at the opportunity to go to Ecuador with my school because I knew I would never have the opportunity otherwise. My family goes on vacation practically every year (#blessed), but we usually head to tropical beach vacations like Hawaii or Jamaica. I had never been to South America so this seemed like a super rare experience. 

It was definitely a change of pace because I'm used to lounging on the beach all spring break or touring a city in America like New Orleans or Los Angeles. This was completely different because each day was chock full of so much to do. I woke around 7 each morning and didn't go to bed until around 11 or 12. I think going on a school trip has its benefits though because you become very close with the people you go with. Anyways, here's a little recap of what my week in Quito, Ecuador looked like!

Day 1 was spent mainly exploring the historical city of Quito. We explored the town square and many of the historic churches in the city. It was Good Friday so the city was super crowded because this day is much more important than Easter in Ecuador. There was a huge parade procession going on while we were in the city which was kind of terrifying and if you look up Easter in Ecuador you'll see why.

The city slightly resembles the Amalfi Coast mixed with Puerto Rico and accents from the French Quarter in New Orleans...quite the strange, but beautiful mix!




Day 2 we ventured a couple hours from our hotel to Otavalo Market, the traditional market of Ecuador. This is a huge market and my friend and I got lost so many times. There you can bargain for things like alpaca blankets, hammocks, jewelry, fake Ray-Bans, and more! I didn't keep track of how many bracelets I bought, but it was definitely over 20. It was definitely a great way to practice Spanish because the locals who sell there speak very little English! Before we went there we stopped at a little overlook with an incredible view of the Andes mountains and even met a scary llama.



Day 3 was probably my favorite day of the trip and honestly one of the best days of my life. It was so adventure filled and just so much fun. We began our day by taking our bus to where we were to zipline. But, due to the rugged terrain for the last two miles to the site we had to hop in the back of pick-up trucks and spend the rest of the way bouncing around the back. I've ridden in the back of a pick-up truck before, but when I was super young. Truly, highlight of my life. So much fun! Then we ziplined 12 different lines and I even went upside down on a couple of them.

After ziplining we went to a butterfly conservatory for lunch and to observe the butterflies. They were so pretty and would even land on your hand! After that we went tubing down a rough and freezing river. Picture white water rafting but much less safe and much more wild. Honestly, one of the most fun days I've ever had!



Day 4 we visited a private school in Ecuador and got to meet with some students there. They all spoke English so it was super easy to converse with them and ask them about life in Ecuador. After that we headed to the equator which was so cool. It's such a weird concept to think that you're in the middle of the world, but so cool to try all of the strange experiments at the museum. We spent the rest of the day in La ciudad de mitad del mundo (the city of the middle of the world) doing more shopping and exploring!



Stay tuned for tomorrow's recap for a summary of the remainder of my trip!

Xoxo