Casual Not Homeless | OOTD: Exam Week Edit

"Decided to dress up tomorrow. I may fail my final but I'll be damned if I don't look fabulous doing it."

It's so tempting during exam week to become a full on bum, wearing jogging pants and oversized sweaters. Not wearing any makeup and letting your hair become a rats nest. I myself am SO tempted during this time of year to let everything fall to the way-side and devote every second to studying. However, I've found for myself that looking half decent can be a huge asset during exam time. There's something about looking good that makes me feel confident walking into an exam. 

Now I know what you're thinking, "but Katelyn, taking the time to get ready in the morning is time I could spend revising more!" Too true, girl. I know. When it comes to an outfit, I'm not talking anything crazy. Take off those jogging pants and wear your favourite, ass hugging, curve loving jeans. Pairing your favourite jeans with a plain shirt creates a casual, but still presentable outfit that you will feel comfortable and confident in. 

When it comes to makeup, I keep it really simple. I conceal my under eyes and my myriad of stress induced spots and powder to hide my nervous sweat shine. I always fill in my brows and apply mascara everyday. When I have a few extra minutes I'll add some liquid liner and blend a warm brown eyeshadow through my crease. With time (and patience) being short this time of year, I fore-go the lipstick and keep it simple with a glossy chapstick. 

For hair, I want it out of my face whilst writing a test. My go to hair style for an exam is a sleek but messy ballerina bun. It's effortlessly chic, keeps my hair out of my face, and takes very little time to pull off. 

Exam time doesn't mean we all have to take on the roll of homeless looking, junk food eating college kids. If you take the time to make yourself look and feel good it will do so much for your mental health. Overstudying can be just as bad as understudying and taking a few minutes to do something that makes you feel a little more relaxed can't do any harm in this very stressful time. 

Good luck to all of you writing exams! You're going to crush them! 

A Single Revelation | Personal

I've been single now for almost two full years and I'm okay with it.

Being single isn't easy. As humans we have an innate yearning for human companionship and romance. These desires are impossible to ignore and when unfulfilled can leave you with a crippling feeling of loneliness. 

I fell victim to these thoughts. 

Everything seemed to always come back to my singleness. Wether it was my own thoughts or conversations with others, the topic always circled back to the fact that I didn't have a boyfriend. 

I found myself finding refuge in my room to avoid discussing my romantic life- or lack there of. I found solace in writing (so was born this blog). 

I spent a lot of time alone, avoiding people and going out. Even co-workers would ask me about my love life! They would go so far as to point out attractive men that came through my checkout at Canadian Tire.

As a single woman I think it's so degrading to always be asked about when I will find a man for myself. As if I need a man in my life to be complete. 

I started to throw myself into fitness and becoming a better, healthier me. This wasn't driven entirely by intrinsic motivation. A lot of my desire to become fit came from my ex-boyfriend who made some pretty harsh comments about the weight I had gained. 

What began as revenge became self love.

I began to discover my passions and explore myself as an individual. I was finally taking care of my body and it only seemed right to start taking care of my mind as well. I was introduced to photography and I fell in love with it.

I realize that despite being a social butterfly, I am largely a very introverted person by nature. I began to make a conscious effort to tend to both those qualities of myself. If I needed alone time, I took it. Music and books have become my safe place. 

I surround myself with the best of the best! I had to go through the very heart breaking process of cutting out toxic friends. As hard as it was I feel as though it was the first step in healing my soul and becoming a whole person. The people you surround yourself with have a profound impact on how you view yourself and the world you live in. I couldn't ask for a better group of friends to walk through life with. 

Getting closer with my family- especially my mom- has really helped me over these past two years. I love them all so much and knowing that they always have my back no matter what is very reassuring. I'm never truly alone as long as I have family.

I came to Ottawa with the intention to run away. 

Run away from my previous life.

Run away from the questions about being single. 

Run away from my ex-boyfriend. 

Run away from the toxic friends.

I did run away from all those things, but along the way I ran into myself. I know who I am now and I love who I am. I feel so at peace with myself and my past and I'm very much looking forward to moving back and rebuilding my life in the place I call home. 

My revelation came late last night as I was day dreaming about my future whilst washing my face. I realized that all the plans I was dreaming up were for me. 

Just me.

There was no imaginary man by my side or thoughts of my wedding or marriage or honey moon or children. My future aspirations all belong to me and what I want as far as my career and house etc goes.

I have realized that I am at peace with being a single woman. Love may come or it may not and I'm okay with that. For the first time in my life I see a future for me not an imaginary us. 

I think all this time I've been trying to convince myself that I was okay with being single. That wasn't the true issue though. I didn't need to just be okay with being on my own, I needed to be okay with who I was on my own. I needed to be okay with me. 

It's very liberating to know that no matter what happens I am strong enough on my own to handle anything that comes my way. 

I have all I need.

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

20 Things I Learned Being 20 | Personal

So I turned twenty one two days ago. I'm officially legal drinking age across the entire globe... every birthday after this now is just aging haha. I had such a wonderful birthday! Relaxing, surrounded by the people I love. Yesterday my cousin invited me to go snow machining with him and his girlfriend and her dad on the trails around our city. During the four hours we were out sledding I had some time to really think and reflect on what being twenty taught me. I grew up a lot this past year with moving away and living on my own. I put together a list of the best lessons I've learned this past year; twenty things I learned whilst being twenty.

1. The healthy option is always the better option

2. You can never go wrong by humbling yourself

3. Overdressed isn't a real thing

4. Cooking isn't just a life skill

5. Loving yourself is more important than others loving you

6. Family is number one

7. Nothing beats speaking face to face

8. It's okay to break down

9. Self love is not selfish

10. Free is fabulous

11. Taking time for things you love is necessary

12. Mental health is everything

13. Planning your future isn't crazy

14. There is no such thing as "cool"

15. Live life with an open heart

16. People can surprise you if you let them

17. Be patient and stay the course

18. Your faith will be tested; remain steadfast in your beliefs

19. When you compare yourself to others you always lose

20. Life is beautiful

I'm so grateful to have learned these lessons over this year. I'm excited to see what this next year has in store for me! What is the greatest lesson you've ever learned? Please do let me know in a comment!

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

43. A Mentor/Teacher | 52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge

Between school, sports, and theatre I've had plenty of teachers and mentors in my life- some amazing, and some.... not so amazing haha. It would be impossible for me to pick just one person that has helped to shape my life; that I am grateful for. Instead, I'm going to choose based on the categories I've laid out. 

Primary School

Between kindergarten and eighth grade, there is definitely a standout teacher that I feel had a profound impact on my life. Mrs. Bouliane taught me both second and third grade. She is who I thank when it comes to my passion for writing. We began creative writing in second grade and Mrs. Bouliane realized that I had a knack for it. Even once the activities for creative writing were finished, she still allowed me to submit my short stories to her for review. She understood how important it was for me to get my thoughts on paper and how important it was for someone to care about those thoughts. I still keep in touch with her today; she's an amazing teacher and woman.

High School

A rough time for me, that's for sure. My family encountered a life altering tragedy whilst I was in the eleventh grade. My anthro/psych/soc teacher was the one I confided in. She was so understanding and never treated my like I was broken. Mrs. Battocchio was a true blessing during this awful time in my life. While I was floundering to stay on track with school she went to all my other teachers and advocated for me. I owe my eleventh grade success to her; without Mrs. Battocchio I probably would have failed grade eleven. 

College

I've only been at Algonquin College for five months and already I can say, with conviction, that Mr. Bowie has been having the most impact on me thus far. Not only do I think he's an amazing teacher and knowledgable man. But he also cares about his students as if they were his own children. There have been multiple occasions where he has asked me how I'm doing. Not in school, but in life. He genuinely wants us all to succeed and to be happy, healthy, successful people.

Theatre

In any stage production, there isn't just one mentor. You've got the director, choreographer, vocal coach, etc. My stand out theatre mentor that I'm very grateful for is Nicole, my vocal coach. I was never confident enough to play a lead, I was happy to be an extra in the back row. When Nicole heard me sing she latched onto me and forced me out of my insecurities. I eventually found the stage to be my home. I took on numerous leads and would often "steal" the show (it wasn't hard because I was usually a character that provides comic relief ie. Glinda in Wicked and Timon in The Lion King). Not only am I grateful for the knowledge she gave me and the vocal training she bestowed one me, but I also owe any shred of confidence I have to Nicole.

Synchronized Swimming

I swam for ages; 13 years or so. Throughout that time I had a few different coaches as I progressed through the team levels, eventually being on the advanced senior team. Don't get me wrong, the coaches were great. But my main influencer/mentor was an older girl on the team, Megan. She was an amazing swimmer who was always willing to help me out. She is also so smart (in law school now) and a genuinely great person to be around. 

Photography

I've mentioned Brandon before in this post so I'll keep it brief. He introduced me to my passion for photography and taught me the basics. I can't thank him enough! 

Have you had a teacher or mentor that has had an impact on your life? Please do let me know in a comment!

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

Life as a Photography Student | Personal

 My absence in the blogging world is really breaking my heart. I love this blog. I love writing this blog. I love reading other blogs. Making the time for a hobby is important, I know this. But life has just been so busy this past month that it has been hard to justify writing a blog post when I have so many assignments I should be working on instead. I know I could bulk write posts and schedule them to go up, but that's just not me. I enjoy the authenticity and spontaneity of sitting down every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday morning and writing my post for the day. I want to keep that. 

Schedule-wise I'm going to try posting on Mondays instead of Tuesdays for the rest of the semester. This should help with regularity as Tuesdays is a really long day for me- I just don't have the time to write. I think I can manage to keep Fridays and Sundays as they are. 

I thought today it would be fun to tell you about what life as a photography student is really like. I came into my program thinking it would be an absolute breeze- it couldn't be as hard as university psychology, right? I was sorely mistaken. This course is nothing but difficult. The content is challenging, the work load is intense, and the need to stay constantly inspired is intimidating. 

My schedule doesn't sound too bad on paper:

Monday: Photographic Theory 3-5

Tuesday: Portrait Workshop 9-1, Post Production 1-4

Wednesday: Commercial Workshop 9-12, Perception and Design 12-2

Thursday: Digital Imaging 9-11

Friday: Photographic Theory 3-5

Online: Media Communications

You have to keep in mind though, as a photography student, those are lecture times. During each of those lectures we are given an assignment that is due the following week's class; that's seven assignments per week that we have to do on our own time. 

Don't get me wrong, I am NOT complaining in the slightest. It's busy and overwhelming and stressful but I love it. I love every one of my classes and I love all the shoots I get to do. I feel very fulfilled doing photography and this course is making me very excited to be doing photography for my whole life. If you are seriously considering taking photography for post-secondary, I highly rate it. I'm at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Ontario. We have students coming to the program from as far as Kuwait and Libya and the Philippines  The teachers here are amazing. They really do care about your success, not only in the program but in life in general. They are so understanding when it comes to personal problems that may interfere with school work and they are so fair when it comes to marking and stuff like that. 

If you're thinking of taking photography in college or university (not to sound biased) but do it! Haha, just kidding. I would never try to convince someone to make such an important decision. What I will say is don't take photography because you think it will be easy. It won't be. It will be hard work, long hours, and high stress. But what I can say is that if you love it, it will be worth it.

If any of you are thinking of taking a photography program do let me know where you're going! If you have any questions about photography in college do leave it in a comment!

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

Chatty Tuesdays | July 7, 2015

Things I Wish Someone Told Me As A Teen

1. You're not getting fat, your body is changing

2. You don't need a boyfriend

3. If you want to eat it, then eat it

4. Acne is normal... so are weird smells

5. One bad grade won't ruin your life

6. Too many might ^

7. You're mom does love you, you just scare her

8. Don't pass up time with family

9. It's okay to cry for no reason

10. Everything will be alright

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn