29. Your Favourite Memory | 52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge

It's really hard to pinpoint one single memory within the 20 years I've been alive to call my favourite. After giving this weeks topic much consideration and deep thought, I can narrow it down to basically any time my entire extended family came to our camp. It was always such a joy to spend the day in the lake, have a big potluck barbecue cookout for dinner, and end the night sitting around the bonfire until the wee hours of the morning. The memories I have from camp are ones I will cherish for my entire life. I really hope that one day I can be in a position both financially and time-wise to be able to have a camp to take my own children to. I want them to have those beautiful experiences and memories like I do.

What is your favourite memory? Please do let me know- reminiscing is always so fun and special!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

November Goals | Monthly Bucket List

1. Maintain my GPA at 3.8+ for the second half of the semester

2. Get back on track with my fitness routine

3. Enroll in a Crafting Session at Michael's

4. Attend the Weekend Craft Exposé

5. Decorate the apartment for Christmas

6. Donate to the food bank

7. Only spend money on things I NEED
8. Make sure I have a meat free day every week
9. Complete all assignments at least a day in advance
10. Relax and try not to feel anxious 

I hope to accomplish all of these things within the month of November. Do you have any goals for November? Do let me know!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

10 Favs in Month 10 | October Favourites

Another month has flown by, which means another favourites post (woo!) October was such an amazing month for me! Everything in September felt overwhelmingly new, but throughout October, everything felt refreshingly new. I pulled myself out of my shell and let myself enjoy Ottawa and experience the new life that I'm making for myself. 

Here are 10 things I loved throughout October; the 10th month:

1. Kindle Unlimited

I'm a huge book worm, but when you get through as many books as I do in a month the cost really does add up. I downloaded the Kindle Unlimited app at the beginning of the month and I've really been enjoying it. It's only $9.99/month and you get unlimited access to tonnes of books. You can access your library on any device that supports the Kindle app just by logging in. I recently just finished re-reading MockingJay in preparation for the upcoming movie!

2. Hot Cocoa

As the weather gets cold, I'm all about feeling as cozy as possible. Making homemade cocoa is one of those things that instantly puts me in a good mood (and the little caffeine boost has been helpful during midterms haha). To make my cocoa I bring 1 cup of milk to a boil in small pot. I then add in 3 heaped teaspoons of raw cacao powder, 2 level teaspoons of sugar, a pinch of cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract. I let it simmer over a low heat for about 8 minutes, stirring quite frequently. It's so delicious and warms not only the body, but the soul as well!

3. Body Fantasies

I won't go into too much detail about these two body mists because I did a whole review on them that you can read here. I've been wearing one of these two scents everyday this past month and absolutely loving them! 

4. Astoria by Mariana's Trench

I've been waiting for 4 years for Mariana's Trench to finally come out with a new album, and let me say: it was worth the wait! Their new album, Astoria, is absolute perfection! I especially love the songs This Means War, Dearly Departed, Who Do You Love, Wildfire, and End of an Era!

5. Personal Writing

I took a little break from writing when I first moved to Ottawa. I was so busy and uncomfortable in my surroundings that writing didn't seem like a priority. I'm still busy, but now that I'm really getting settled in and loving living here, I feel that my mind is in a good place to be writing again. I picked up this book of 300 writing prompts from Chapters to get my creative juices flowing again and it's really helped me get back in to writing. I've been whacking out short stories and poems like crazy and I feel great about it! Writing is such a release for me. 

6. Down Town/Byward Market

Coming from a small town, I've never experienced a real downtown aura. Being in downtown Ottawa from the Byward Market, to Parliament Hill, to Bank Street... I love it all! It's always busy and so full of life; there's always something going on. It's such a vibrant and energizing place to be that I can't imagine myself ever getting sick of it.

7. Bras Across The Bridge

I was lucky enough to be able to make it to the Bras Across The Bridge fundraising event on October 30th at Mackenzie King Bridge in Downtown Ottawa. This was an event to raise funds and awareness for Breast Cancer. Over 3000 bras were donated- for every donated bra, $1 was given to Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation in support of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It was such a beautiful experience to see just how many people were passionate about raising money and awareness for a cause that affects so many women (and men) around the world!

8. Thanksgiving Weekend

I was able to make the 10 hour drive home with a few friends for Thanksgiving weekend! It was so great to be able to see my friends and family since I hadn't in over a month. Being home was wonderful and I enjoyed every second of it. Can't wait for Christmas break to be able to go home for a longer period of time- 3 days just didn't cut it!

9. Once Upon a Time

I've fallen into the Once Upon a Time vortex and at such a bad time too! Midterms are getting in the way of my Rumple time! I'm still only on the first season but I'm absolutely hooked and loving every second of the show!

10. My Friends!

I've met a bunch of great people here in Ottawa, but these 3 are definitely my core group! I absolutely adore each of them- they have been such a blessing to have as friends. I feel like we're all on the same sort of wavelength for a lot of things, but different enough to keep things interesting. Definitely my favourite people that I've met so far!

What did you love throughout October? Please do let me know- if you wrote an October Favourites post, leave a link below so I can check it out!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

27. Favourite Spot in Your City & 28. Your Past | 52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge

When I decided to take on this challenge back in April, I told myself that I would never pre-write the posts because I wanted the gratitude to come across raw and in the moment. I didn't want the posts to be super thought out or edited to perfection. Unfortunately, last Sunday I wasn't able to get on to my laptop to write the post, so this week I am combining weeks 27 and 28 so I can keep on track and end exactly one year from the time I started.

27. Favourite Spot in Your City

My favourite spot in Ottawa, definitely has to be down town. From the Byward Market to the Parliament buildings, there's no shortage of life and activity in downtown Ottawa!

28. Your Past

I have to start off by saying that I am ridiculously blessed; I have had an above average, good life. That being said, I've been through my fair share of heart ache. I have felt pain and loss and hopelessness. But I have also felt joy and love and happiness. I'm so grateful for everything that has happened to me and for me, good and bad, because it has gotten me to where I am today and allowed me to learn and grow into a person I'm very proud to be now.

What are you grateful for this week?

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

Liebster Award pt.2 | Tag

I was nominated for my second Liebster Award by the lovely Ally from Ally Adores - go check her out!!

1. If you could only use one brand of makeup, which would it be?

Probably Revlon for a drugstore pick, I really love almost all their products and they don't break me out. If I'm going high end I would choose Smashbox- love their shadows!

2. Where is your dream holiday/vacation?

Definitely any sort of trip with just myself and my mom. I've always loved the idea of taking a mother-daughter trip. I'd really love to travel England and Ireland as well as the Canadian East Coast.

3. Tell us 3 great things about your life?

1. My family and friends 2. I'm incredibly blessed and I don't have to worry about much 3. I'm living in Canada's capital city, studying to be a photographer!

4. What is your favourite movie?

It totally depends on my mood. If I'm in the mood to just laugh, then anything with Adam Sandler. If I'm in a mood for action I'd go with any Mission Impossible or James Bond. The two movies I can watch anytime, no matter what my mood are Breakfast At Tiffany's and The Breakfast Club.

5. What got you into blogging?

Quite honestly, boredom. I was doing a gap year after realizing that my uni program wasn't for me. I've always loved writing and photography so it seemed like a good idea and it just turned out that I really loved it. 

6. You can only wear three makeup products on your face, what are they?

I'd have to go with concealer, brow pencil, and mascara. They're the three things I feel naked without haha.

7. What is your biggest goal in life?

Probably to have a gallery of my own prints. I think it would be so cool to have a space dedicated to my work that people would come to just to celebrate my photographs.

8. What is your favourite childhood memory?

It's hard to choose just one. I could narrow it down to any time my entire extended family came out to our camp for a celebration. We would always barbecue burgers and hot dogs, have a bonfire, and roast marshmallows for s'mores. The laughs we had and the genuinely great times we had there as a family is unforgettable.

9. What is your pet peeve?

I get really annoyed when people say that humanity is crap or that the world is going down the tubes. I believe that humanity is only as good as we make it and instead of complaining about how crappy our world is, we should do something to change it for the better.

10. If you could only buy clothes from one place on the high street, which would it be?

I'd have to say H&M. They've got such good quality clothes for really reasonable prices and I find that they always have something to suit my taste.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm going to nominate 

1. Lor

 2. Rainbow-Rose 

3. Jen

4. Bethany 

1. What is your holy grail skin care product?

2. What is your favourite food for a pick me up meal?

3. What is your go-to-hair style?

4. What is your signature scent?

5. Chocolate or vanilla?

6. If you could be any animal, what would it be?

7. What is your favourite makeup brush brand?

8. What is your favourite way to accessorize any outfit?

9. What is your favourite quote?

10. What is your favourite breakfast cereal?

Make sure you guys let me know if/when you post so I can read your answers!! :)

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

Photography Equiptment and Accessories | Wish List

Now that I've been in the Photography program at Algonquin college for 2 months (where is the time going!?) I have come across a lot of new equiptment and tools that I have really fallen in love with. Some are things I would consider necessities, some are for aesthetics, some I just really want. I've created this wish list of my top 10 photography related wants. As part of the blogging community, I feel we are all at least a little bit interested in photography, so I thought I'd share the list with everyone!

I organized this list from least-most expensive. By the end the prices are really quite high and things I can't afford at this point in my life. I do plan to cross every one of these items off my list eventually as I do feel that they will really help me in my profession. 

Enjoy drooling with me over amazing photography gear!

1. Polarizer: $17.50

I have fallen in love with the magic that is a polarizer. I love the way it condenses the light, gets rid of those nasty glares on water and windows, and I especially love the way it allows the sky to look truly blue instead of washed out. 

2. Cute Strap: $24.98

It's definitely not necessary, but there's something about seeing people with camera straps, reflecting their personality and style that makes me really happy. As artists, shouldn't everything reflect ourselves? That's my justification to spend $25.00 on something that I don't need anyways haha.

3. Hot Shoe Bubble Level: $24.99

As much as I love freelance work and doing creative shoots, I also really enjoy precise and calculated photography as well; architecture, commercial still life etc. These little bubble levels are so handy to make sure that everything is lining up perfectly. Of course most tripods do have levels however, when it comes to uneven terrain these little bubble levels ensure that your focal plane is level with your subject- genius!

4. Flash Wire Trigger: $119.99

I really love the idea of doing natural habitat wildlife photography, especially at night. A flash wire trigger set is pretty well a must to get the shots!

5. Minolta VF Light Meter: $195.00

We use these at school all the time and they're so freakin' handy! Using a light meter takes the guess work out of judging proper exposures. Did you know that James Nachtwey always brings this exact light meter with him for all the work he does?

6. External Flash: $269.99

We discussed the whole idea of trip wires and flash photography in class and I fell in love with the idea of external flashes. I really really want one!!

7. Battery Grip: $299.99

An external battery grip is one of those things that I don't necessarily want as much as know I should purchase. I know it will benefit me in the long run, but to spend $300.00 on something so boring kinda sucks haha... Oh well, life of a photographer!

8. More Prime Lenses: varied prices

I'm a prime girl through and through. I understand zoom lenses have their purpose and I can appreciate a good zoom lens. That being said, prime lenses will always be my first choice- the image quality is incomparable. 

9. Mirrorless Camera: $1096.95

Now that mirrorless cameras quality has improved ten-fold, they're becoming increasingly popular in the professional realm of photography. This little guy has an 18.4MP CMOS sensor with a maximum ISO setting of 12800! It's photo output is virtually indistinguishable from DSLR, and in such a little, portable, light weight, and convenient shell- what more can you ask for?

10. Mac Desktop: $2999.00

I love my MacBook Pro, I do. But now that we've been doing photo editing dual screen with the 27" iMac, I know it's something I definitely want to invest in before I open my own photography business. Having a larger screen makes using photoshop infinitely easier and faster. I think a large desktop is a must have for anyone serious about photography.

I hope you enjoyed looking through my photography wish list! Is there anything you think I should add to it? Please do let me know!!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

Body Fantasies | Product Review

I'm usually quite fussy with scents, typically preferring ones that are more high end as opposed to cheaper perfumes and body mists. That being said, I'm also a massive bargain hunter so I'm quite adventurous with trying cheaper alternatives.

I came across the Body Fantasies line in Wal-Mart and was intrigued by the packaging, the array of scents, and the low low price tag of ONLY ONE DOLLAR!! I started sniffing through the range and picked up the two I enjoyed the most; Cotton Candy and Sweet Pea. 

I must say that my personal preference for perfumes is sweet scents, so if you're more of a fan of sexy, sultry, or spicy scents then you may not like these ones!

When I first smelled Cotton Candy, I was immediately transported to a carnival. It really does smell like cotton candy! What I love most about this scent is that I expected it to smell like pure sugar, which it doesn't. It has really sexy under tones to it that make it quite a sophisticated scent.

Sweet Pea is also quite a sweet scent, but instead of smelling like dessert sweets, it is a floral scent. It's a really beautiful, fresh garden scent with a touch of brown sugar (in my mind). I've been wearing it everyday!

As far as the quality of the products go, for $1.00, they can't be beat. The smells are gorgeous, and the stay power is really good as well! I spritzed Sweet Pea on this morning before class at 7:00am and I can still smell it on myself now at 3:40pm! I really didn't expect the scent to wear so long. Beyond that it wears well too; the scent doesn't get muddy throughout the day.

All in all, I think the Body Fantasy line is fantastic! The packaging is cute, the quality of the product is really impressive, and the price tag just can't be beat!

Have you tried any scents from the Body Fantasy line? If so, let me know how you got on with them! Are there any scents you think I should try out- I'm always up for a good perfume!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn