March Madness! | Goals & Favourites

Favourites

1. Topless and Barefoot by Essie
This has been my favourite nude polish this month. It's just the right amount of brown and pink- love it so much!

2. Painting
I'm not good by any means however, I have found great love in painting. I think it's important to have creative outlets even if it isn't necessarily something you excel at.

3. Cosmetic Photography
I'm not a huge makeup lover so this new found love for cosmetic photography took me completely by surprise. I love the way the products look in photography!

4. Rubber Boots
This time of year it's so muddy and sloppy and rainy. Rubber boots have been my go-to footwear all month. Mine are by the brand Kamik; super durable and lined with amazingly soft material.

5. Teen Mom 2
GUYS THEY'RE BACK!! I have been a fan of Teen Mom 2 since they first aired with these girls five or six years ago. I'm so happy they are back!

6. I Think I'm In Love by Kat Dhalia
I'm late to the party on this one, but this song has been my go-to jam throughout the whole of March.

7. High Key Portraits
The light just makes anyone and everyone look utterly flawless! The vibes of high key portraiture are just stunning.

8. The Sims
This obsession is kind of embarrassing haha. I really enjoy this game though. I have it on my phone and I play it almost every day!

9. Vampire Diaries
I've made it to season three! This show is so gripping- every episode is a new problem for the cast and I can't get enough!

10. My Mom!
This lovely lady turned 50 just yesterday! She is such an amazing person (maybe I'm biased because she's my mom haha). She is always there for me and knows exactly what to say. I've been struggling a lot this month because of stress and anxiety and she is always there for a phone call no matter what time of day.

Goals

1. Strengthen my faith: explore spirituality
This has been such a beauty journey to take on this month. I have been able to place my faith in the universe and the greater plan.

2. Love my body: don't weigh myself all month
I failed. I weighed myself twice... However I didn't freak out or obsess over the numbers which is something I'm really proud of.

3. Explore new creative mediums: make a sculpture with clay
I did this.. I'm not sharing the picture of it because it is dismal haha. I didn't enjoy sculpting at all and it's not something I will do again.

4. Find more joy: wake up and immediately smile
This is something I think I will continue doing for the rest of my life. It has helped with my moods infinitely and it just sets the day off in the exact right way.

5. Have an open heart: write mom a thank you letter
I can't wait until I'm home to give her the letter I wrote her. It was such a cathartic experience to write all the things I was feeling and to get my thanks out on paper.

April Goals
1. Strengthen my faith: read a book on spirituality
2. Love my body: appreciate my nude body in the mirror daily
3. Explore new creative mediums: sketch something
4. Find more joy: enjoy my last month in Ottawa best I can
5. Have an open heart: be honest

I hope you enjoyed reading through my monthly favourites and goals! March has been such a hectic month and I'm very much looking forward to April. Hopefully it will be a little more clam. 

What have you been loving this month? Do let me know in a comment!

Thanks for reading & check back again to see what KatieDidd, xo

49. Things You Like About Winter | 52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge

I've never been able to choose a favourite season- I love them all for different reasons! I do really enjoy winter though. There seems to never be a dull moment. From the holidays to the outdoor activities, there's always something to do. 

Here is a list of the top 10 things I like about winter.

1. Snow machining

2. Footprints in the snow

3. Icicles

4. Hot chocolate & tea

5. Christmas

6. Baking season

7. Sweater weather

8. Watching the snow flakes fall

9. Cozy movie/game nights in with the family

10. When it's over

As much as I love winter, I'm always just as happy to see it go as I was to see it come. I'm so looking forward to spring and eventually Summer!

What do you love about winter? What is one thing you're looking forward to this summer? Let me know in a comment!

Thanks for reading & check back again to see what KatieDidd, xo

Life Lately | Update

March has been one heck of a crazy month! School has been absolutely insane with assignments and due dates and tests. Now finals are just around the corner and it doesn't seem to be letting up quite yet. 

So much has happened this month that I figured a little update was in order. 

School

Gotta start off with the big one. The one that has taken up the majority of my month. I still love my program and I still love my school. 

It's a relief to still be able to say that after the hectic month we've endured. A lot of my classes are wrapping up now as the first two weeks of April are for portfolio development and the third week of April is dedicated to portfolio interviews. 

I have realized this month that I really enjoy commercial photography as a whole and high key portraiture. I really enjoy photographing products, especially cosmetics! 

I think I like high key portraiture so much because it seems to make everyone look flawless! I mean, come on, a Mola beauty dish can make anyone look amazing haha. 

Relationships

I had Tinder for like 6 days haha. My friend convinced me that it would be a good idea to put myself out there and make people know that I am available for a relationship. Firstly, I think Tinder is a joke. I know a few couples who have actually met through Tinder and are doing great together but on the whole I don't think it's meant for serious relationships. 

I realized through all this that I don't think I am available for a relationship. No, I'm not taken. But I'm spending so much time and effort on working toward loving myself that I'm not sure I'm really ready to open my heart to someone else. 

Friends

I have grown very close to a girl here in my program. We have been doing all of our shoots together and have been spending a lot of time together outside of the program as well. She is easily my closest and best friend here in Ottawa. 

The first friend I made here is someone who I'm not sure I'm proud to call a friend anymore. We had a little argument toward the beginning of the month where in she left me in a full blown anxiety attack. She didn't ever apologize or ask if I was okay, instead she left. Friends shouldn't give friends anxiety attacks.

Since that has happened, numerous others with in the program have revealed to me that they really don't like her and they feel that she is rude and judgemental. I couldn't agree more. However, I only have three weeks left with her so I'm remaining civil. It seems like the best option. 

Roommates

I have been struggling to get along with my one roommate since day one here. She is the type of person who makes messes and leaves them behind for someone else to clean up. But then if she finds a mess in the apartment that isn't hers all hell breaks loose and she's spam messaging the rest of us that we are slobs and need to clean up. It has been a genuine test of patience to deal with her. Just three more weeks. Just three more weeks.

Family

I'm not sure if I mentioned it on here but my aunt and uncle had a house fire just before Christmas. They FINALLY received an answer about their home from the insurance adjusters- it's being written off. I'm so happy that they are able to move on with their lives, look for houses, and move out of the hotel they've been living in. 

I can't wait to be back home this summer. Again, just three more weeks! My family and I are all so close, especially me and my mom. I'm excited to be able to enjoy more time with them again. I'm going to give my mom the biggest hug when I see her!

Personal Wellbeing

With this being such a stressful month I have been making a conscious effort to make sure I'm not letting myself get on auto pilot. I've been trying my best to stay present in every moment and take breaks whenever I need to. 

Yoga and walks around the neighbourhood have been two things I've been doing to help keep me active and sane. It's so easy to get into editing mode. Before you know it four hours have passed and your eyes are hurting something fierce! I try to take a break every hour for about fifteen minutes. 

Coming Up Next

I don't plan to return to Ottawa for the next school year. The photography program at the college back home has been revamped and is just as good as the one here! I'm so happy to be moving home.

My health has been acting up lately. Moving home really is my only option as far as taking care of myself and my body. I do like Ottawa and at first I was extremely gutted. Once I learned that the college offered a comparable program, I was really relieved and I'm now looking forward to being back home.

Speaking of moving home, my oldest and best girl friend is moving home too! We plan to spend the summer working and living at our homes to save money. When August comes we're going to get an apartment together! I'm so excited! We've been talking about living together for years and it's finally able to happen!

I got offered a photography job shooting a wedding! This July ninth I will be photographing a bride and groom on their big day! I'm so anxious about it. On one hand I'm really excited for the opportunity but on the other hand it's a huge deal and I'm quite nervous. It happens to fall on no bra day... one of my favourite days of the year... so I'm taking that as a positive sign haha.

How has March treated you? I hope daylight savings spring forward didn't mess with your sleep too much! What are you looking forward to this summer? Let me know in a comment!

Thanks for reading & check back again to see what KatieDidd, xo

How To Survive Allergy Season | Tips & Tricks

Welcome to spring!

Welcome to allergy season!

I definitely am affected by seasonal allergies a whole heck of a lot! As someone who doesn't like to take medication, I have come up with some tips and tricks to help me get through allergy season alive. 

1. Splurge on the Tissues

I totally understand not wanting to spend a fortune on some luxury tissues. However, a good quality 3-ply tissue maybe with some lotion in them is going to save the skin around your nose. 

2. Make Time for Tea

I'm sure there's some sort of health benefits that go along with this, but just having a warm beverage in your system can go a long way in making you feel a little more like yourself.

3. Keep Moving

It's so easy to crawl into your bed, bury yourself under the covers and stay there until the pollen settles itself down. Don't do that. I really recommend staying active and not avoiding the outdoors. I find that I can build up my tolerance almost as Spring progresses if I spend more time outdoors. I also make sure I'm still working out and doing yoga- work out those body aches and pains!

I hope these tips help anyone who struggles with seasonal allergies. Trust me, I know how crappy it is to deal with the allergies that come along with Spring. Take care of your body as if you had a cold- it helps! We can get through this together!

Do you have seasonal allergies? What helps you get through allergy season? Please do let me know in a comment!

Thanks for reading & check back to see what KatieDidd, xo

Spring Has Sprung | Haul

Realizing that spring is now upon us, it only made sense that I did a little bit of shopping for the upcoming change of seasons! I placed on order on SheInside which is one of my favourite online stores to shop. Everything is super cheap but still amazing quality! I've ordered from this site before and everything arrives really quickly and lasts for ages. (As I write this I'm wearing a t-shirt I ordered from SheInside last February and it still looks like new.)

This spring/summer I'm really feeling monochromes (as you will see as you go through this haul). I like the idea of adding pops of seasonal colours with shoes, jewelry, and bags/purses. 

ONLY tank - $6.99

I really like how simple this tank is. I also really like that Shein has a wide range of higher neck tanks and t-shirts. I'm not a prude or anything, but I really prefer to have my chest covered because whenever I get embarrassed or anxious my chest goes red, not my face. I hate the idea of people knowing how I feel without me telling them so I like shirts that cover my chest. 

Striped Tank - $7.90

Again with this tank, I love the high neck. This one is a mock neck with simple black horizontal stripes. I like that this can be dressed up or dressed down since I'm not 100% sure where I will be working this summer. 

Lace Bralette: $7.90

I love this. Oh my gosh it's SO pretty! I don't wear bras all that often if I'm honest, I much prefer bralettes. When I saw this one I just had to get it.

Morning Tee: $8.99

I'm really obsessed with this t-shirt. I can totally see it being my go-to Saturday errands or Sunday lounge shirt. I think it's so simple and cute and can be styled in quite a few different ways. I also really like the cuffed sleeve detail.  

Black Fringed Shorts: $13.99

Based on the online measurements from the site, these shorts will cover my bum! Woohoo! I like that they're fringed and high-waisted. I can totally imagine wearing these shorts with any of the shirts that I placed in this order. Plus for what these are, they're super cheap!

Kimono: $9.99

I have been on the hunt for a kimono that I love for about two or three summers now. When I saw this one I had that moment of "oh my gosh, that's it!" It's so simple and feminine and I love the crochet detail. I can see myself wearing this with the black shorts, the striped tank, a pair of converse, and a beanie. I think it would be the perfect girly, contrasting touch to an outfit like that.

I hope you enjoyed this little spring clothing haul! Unfortunately the mail box at my apartment is quite small so I had to get this shipped to my home address. Once my semester is finished and I'm back home I'll be able to try everything on and let you all know how it fit... Spring lookbook perhaps?  

Thanks for reading & check back again to see what KatieDidd, xo