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

Flashbacks of February | Goals & Favourites

Favourites

1. Netflix

I'm so late to the party here. I just got Netflix this month. I've been loving the series that Netflix has to offer as well as the wide selection of movies! It's so convenient and really affordable. Love it. 

2. Prison Break

One of the series I've been watching on Netflix is Prison Break... like binge watching haha. I just love this show! Basically it's about this guy Michael who's brother was wrongfully convicted of murder and is on death row for it. Michael gets himself put into jail to try and break his brother out. I'm almost finished season one already! It's so gripping; every episode leaves you needing to watch the next.

3. Pillow Talk by Zayn

When I first listened to and watched the video for this song I was not a fan. Like at all. I gave it another listen just for good measure (because I mean, it's Zayn haha) and I loved it! I find that whenever I listen to the song whilst watching the video I hate it. The video is awful. But I have been obsessed with this song!

4. Flannel/Plaid Shirts

I'm a country girl through and through so I think my love for plaid is in my DNA. I think they're so easy to wear. They go with any colour of jeans, they can be buttoned up or open over another shirt, tied around your waist etc. I think they're definitely making come back for sure.

5. Essie's Devil's Advocate

I really like the look of dark nails but I'm not a fan of going for a straight black. This nail polish is an extremely dark purple and looks stunning!

6. Red Pepper Flakes

Love me a bit of heat in my food! These red pepper flakes are so convenient- just shake them on to eggs, rice, meat, veggies, etc- and kick up any meal!

7. Folgers Instant Coffee

I know what you're thinking... GROSS! But hear me out. I don't have time to wait for coffee to percolate in the morning, but coffee is a must for me. I went on the hunt for a good instant coffee and came up with Folgers as a winner. It honestly tastes like brewed coffee! No comparison to French Press or anything, but hey, it'll do.

8. Old Churches

We were given an assignment to photograph interior architecture for our portfolio which struck this new love of mine. I really like the way old churches look and the sort of eery vibe they possess. 

9. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

I can't put this book down. I'm not one for staying up late but there have been quite a few nights that I've been up past midnight reading this novel. It's such an honest and raw book which I really love. I'm about three quarters finished- I'm at that stage where I want to keep reading but I don't at the same time because I don't want the book to end!

Reviewing My February Goals

1. Strengthen my faith: Question my beliefs and ask myself why

I definitely did this throughout February. I think I have really compounded what I believe and what I don't believe. I've focused a lot on the why this past month- why do I believe what I believe? I think I've made so much progress.

2. Love my body: Make time for yoga 3+ times per week

I failed. I did yoga maybe once per week and even that was hard to squeeze in. The teaches of my program revealed that February is the busiest and hardest month in the entirety of my program. I felt it.

3. Explore new creative mediums: Paint something abstract

Not so abstract, but I felt the inspiration and I went with it. I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

4. Find more joy: Stop hiding my true self from others

My friendships have grown so much from my honesty this month. I feel so much closer to the friends I have here and I'm so thankful that they are able to accept me for who I am instead of who I was trying to be.

5. Have an open heart: Accept and love myself

Coming from a small town filled with small minded people, I spent a lot of my life pretending to want the things that I thought I should want. By revealing my true self and receiving nothing but positivity I have found a lot of comfort in who I am. Accepting myself and what I want from life has allowed me to make the decision to complete the second year of my photography studies at the college back home. Ottawa is amazing but I know that my heart lies back home, that's where I belong and I'm very much looking forward to moving back in April.

Setting my March Goals

1. Strengthen my faith: explore spirituality

2. Love my body: don't weigh myself all month

3. Explore new creative mediums: make a sculpture with clay

4. Find more joy: wake up and immediately smile

5. Have an open heart: write mom a thank you letter

I hope you all had a wonderful February and I wish you all well for March! If you're in college or uni... 6 more weeks baby!! :D What have you been loving through February? Do let me know in a comment! Also, always looking for TV series and book suggestions!

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

January in Review | Monthly Favourites & Goals

*Insert here: stereotypical and cliche statement about how I can't believe January passed so quickly and where has the time gone etc etc etc*. Haha. But in all seriousness, this month definitely has seemingly gone by in the blink of an eye! It was an amazing month for me and I'm so excited to be sharing my favourites, my progress report for my January goals, as well as my new goals for February!

Favourites
1. Mixing Cereals
I have recently taken to mixing three of my favourite cereals into one bowl instead of choosing which one I want to have on any given day and I have been LOVING it! So much flavour and texture in every bite, plus mixing cereals gives a wider variety of fibre sources. I've been mixing spoon size Post Shredded Wheat, Quaker Oatmeal Squares, and Multi-Grain Cheerios.

2. GoodReads
I love to read, that's not new at all. This month, however, I made a GoodReads account and I've been obsessed! I really like that it recommends new books for me to read, I can read reviews from other people with similar interests, and it keeps track of all the books I've read! If you have a GoodReads account, follow me here!

3. Portraiture
New year, new semester. With that comes portrait class. I really didn't expect to enjoy portraiture as much as I do. I'm finally beginning to feel comfortable in the studio working with the equiptment and the sets. I'm still working on posing models and using different lighting styles but I love everything I've learned so far and I'm excited to learn even more!

4. Pentatonix Album
This album has been everything for me this month music wise! My favourite tracks are Rose Gold, Misbehavin', Cracked, Light In The Hallway, and Take Me Home. If you haven't checked out Pentatonix (especially this album) do it asap!!!

5. Yoga With Adriene
I've been a fan of yoga for quite some time now. When I discovered Adriene's channel this month I immediately fell in love. She's a great instructor and her videos are really easy to follow. Adriene has videos for everyone, from beginners to pros! Check her out here!

Reviewing My January Goals

1. Strengthen my faith: Pray through anxious moments
I feel as though I was very successful in this particular goal! My anxiety levels are not near as high as they were in the past since praying trough my anxiety.

2. Love my body: Reduce added sugar
I can't believe I succeeded in reducing added sugar!! I still add a smidgen to my cup of tea- maybe half a teaspoon or so- but not near as much as a used to! It was surprisingly easy if I'm honest. I wanted to treat myself this past weekend by adding some sugar to my oatmeal as I hadn't all this month and it really tasted quite weird. I guess I didn't like sugar as much as I thought haha!

3. Explore new creative mediums: Knit a scarf
I started it guys! I really did haha! I'm no wear near to finished, however I'm proud of myself for getting good start on it. I'm not a fast knitter by any means but it's something I really enjoy doing!

4. Find more joy: Write down one happy thing per day
I've been quite successful in my journaling this month! I've succeeded in writing down one happy thing per day and furthermore I've also taken the time to journal extensively at least once per week.

5. Have an open heart: Form one new relationship
I have to be honest, when I set this goal I had full intentions of starting a relationship with a guy I had been talking to. That didn't happen... I learned that my family, my hometown, and my dream job are three things I can't sacrifice (no matter how cute and perfect the guy is). There are only so many sacrifices a person can make in this life and I feel like those three sacrifices on top of differing views when it comes to faith would leave me feeling resentful toward him in the long run. Although this relationship didn't form I learned a valuable lesson through the process and I'm proud of myself for going into the idea of a relationship with an open heart. I feel like I still found success in this goal as I rekindled a relationship with an old friend and I think that's just as important as starting new relationships.

Setting My February Goals
1. Strengthen my faith: question my beliefs and ask myself why
2. Love my body: make the time for yoga at least three times per week
3. Explore new creative mediums: paint something abstract
4. Find more joy: stop hiding my true self from others
5. Have an open heart: accept and love myself first

I hope you enjoyed reading through my January favourites! It really has been quite a quickly passing month. I'm so excited to see what the February (and the rest of twenty-sixteen) holds! 

What have you been loving this past month? 

Do you have any goals you've set to accomplish this month?

Please do let me know in a comment! I love reading what others love and dream of. I hope January was amazing to each and every one of you and I wish you the best for February.

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

Welcoming Twenty Sixteen | Favourites, Goals + More

I know everyone says this and it's completely cliche, however I have to say it too: WHERE DID TWENTY FIFTEEN GO? This past year has been an absolutely whirl-wind for me, full of new beginnings and a lot of personal growth. Twenty fifteen definitely has been the biggest year of my life thus far and I'm excited to see what twenty sixteen will bring about!

Milestones of Twenty Fifteen

April saw the birth of this blog and I honestly can't believe how much it has grown already! I started it out of boredom as I was taking a year off of school to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I'm so happy that I took the plunge and started writing this blog and I'm positive I'm going to stick with it for quite some time. September brought about my move to Ottawa; moving ten hours away from home was easily the scariest and most rewarding experience I have ever had. I have learned so much about myself, about life, and of course about photography as that's the program I'm taking in college. I know I have been a legal adult for almost three years now, but I feel like this year, after becoming independent, I am truly an adult mentally and emotionally. I'm not a completely different person by any means but my priorities have shifted and my maturity has definitely improved.

Favourites of Twenty Fifteen

From makeup and beauty to television and music, to books and so on, twenty fifteen brought a lot of new favourites into my life. When I say a lot I mean a lot, so I'll share twelve with you today- one to represent each month of the year!

1. Minimalistic Makeup

I went through a phase toward the beginning of the year wherein I wanted to be like all the YouTube beauty gurus and go the whole 9-yars when it came to makeup. I started experimenting with foundations and dramatic smokey eyes and I quickly realized that that's just not for me. I have discovered a quick, minimal go-to look that I wear everyday and I really love it. It's enough to allow me that extra little bit of self-confidence going out in to the world but I still look like me and I really appreciate that.

2. Greek Yogurt

Athentikos by Astro in Plain has become my go-to snack for the afternoon. I love adding a touch of cinnamon and raw cacao powder for flavouring. It's jam packed with protein, contains good fats and is relatively low cal- what more can you ask for? It's also amazing for cooking with. It adds protein to any meal and thickness for cream sauces like Alfredo without all the extra fat of heavy cream.

3. Journaling

I have kept a journal for as long as I can remember but it was a very passive way for me to express myself. This year I made it my mission to write in my journal at least twice every week, using it as a way to express myself and my emotions in a positive and effective way. Journaling has helped me to control my anxiety and keep track of my thoughts and emotions throughout the year. It has definitely become a daily task for me and I'm sure I'll be keeping it up well into the future.

4. Clinique
My skin has been something I've struggled with since about the tenth grade and I finally have found my holy grail skin care brand that works for me all the time! The Clinique products that I use on a daily basis are the extra mild bar facial soap, take the day off cleansing milk, and the dramatically different moisturizing gel. My skin has never looked and felt better. Finding my perfect combination of products has definitely been a huge blessing as my skin was one of my biggest insecurities.

5. Painting My Nails
I discovered, probably around May, just how much I enjoy painting my nails. Over this year I have tried almost every colour you could imagine as well as many different brands. Essie and Revlon have become my favourite brands without a doubt with my favourite shades being reds and blues. 

6. Cinnamon Everything
I'm not sure when exactly my love for cinnamon developed but I have become somewhat obsessed with the spice! I love mixing it in to greek yogurt, sprinkling it on cereals, and even brewing it on it's own to make a big cup of cinnamon tea!

7. Konjac Sponge
Along with Clinique products, this little guy has really helped my skin tremendously! When I don't exfoliate my skin it gets quite lumpy and spotty, however most exfoliants irritate my sensitive skin. Konjac sponges have been such a blessing for my skin and it's overall glow- it's such a gentle exfoliation but still so effective.

8. Curling with a Straightener
I've been a fan of curling my hair for ages but I tended to stay away from doing so due to my tendency to be an absolute putz and burn myself on a regular basis. Discovering that I can curl my hair with my flat iron has changed the game and I've been wearing my hair in soft, loose curls almost every day since said discovery.

9. Gum Flossers
Super random, I know haha. Oral hygiene is very important to me- I think it is for most people- and I'm a huge advocate of flossing and brushing at least twice a day. I have issues with traditional floss as the feeling of the string between my teeth makes me cringe like you wouldn't believe! These rubber flossers have made flossing an enjoyable experience and I'm happy to use them twice a day!

10. Social Media

I can't say I was too involved in social media before this year. I've had a Facebook account since ninth grade and I dabbled in Twitter, but this year I really grew to appreciate social media for blog promotion and for staying in contact with my friends and family back home. My favourite social media platforms are definitely Instagram and Pinterest.

11. The Saccone-Joly's
I'm a big fan of YouTube videos over TV any day. I love that you can learn to do anything and also see real people living their authentic lives. The Saccone-Joly's have definitely become my favourite channel to watch- the family is so entertaining and down to earth! I look forward to their videos everyday.

12. Cooking Shows
As far as television favourites for the year I honestly couldn't narrow it down so I lumped all cooking shows into one for the sake of the favourite. My favourite cooking shows have definitely included Chopped Canada, The Great British Bake Off and Jamie Oliver's SuperFood. It's awesome to get inspiration for new recipes as well as learn new techniques to apply in the kitchen! 

Goals for Twenty Sixteen

 I don't want to say I'm setting new years "resolutions" per-se, but I do have a few goals for twenty sixteen that I want to work at;

1. Strengthen my Faith

I feel that every time I become anxious (which is quite often) it is insulting to God because it means I don't trust Him. I really want to strengthen my faith and trust in Him so I can cast my anxieties upon Him and leave it all in His hands. He has a plan for me and I need to have faith in that plan.

2. Love my Body

I have always tried to be active and eat healthy for the benefit of my physique more so than my health. I want to learn to love my body the way it is instead of micromanaging my calories; EAT THE DANG COOKIE!

3. Explore New Mediums of Creativity

There are so many arts and craft actives I want to try and learn. Painting, knitting, and pottery are high up on that list. I think trying my hand at wood working and stained glass pieces would also be amazing!

4. Find More Joy

I tend to be one of those people who focuses on negatives instead of positives and I can be quite hyper-critical of myself. I also worry quite a lot about others when I really shouldn't- it isn't my business nor my problem. I want to focus on only helping when it is is needed or I'm asked, realizing that there are some things I just can't fix. I don't want to be bogged down by the problems of everyday life, especially those that aren't my own. Instead, I want to focus more on the positive aspects of my life and find more joy in every thing.

5. Have an Open Heart

I've been hurt, by men mostly, so many times that I tend to block off the possibility of new relationships and even friendships. I want to make it a goal of mine to put my past experiences and pain behind me and move into twenty sixteen with a clean slate and an open heart.

I think these goals are definitely going to take time and effort. I may not see total success in accomplishing said goals in this coming year, but progress will definitely be made. My specific steps I'm planning to take in January are not crystal clear yet, but I definitely want to devise a concrete month by month plan that will help me move forward in achieving these goals.

And to finish off welcoming the new year...

A Cheeky First OOTD of Twenty Sixteen
My entire outfit is from H&M and I'm obsessed with it! I love the colour of the pants and the sweater, especially together and I really like how soft the sweater is. My favourite part of the outfit though has to be that it cost a total of $14.00... Thank you Boxing Day sales!

I want to thank you all for joining me on this journey of life- the support I have received for and from this blog have been so overwhelmingly positive. I can't wait to see what twenty sixteen has in store for me and to share it all with you guys. I wish you all the best for the new year (hopefully the hangovers aren't too bad today haha).

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn