moving on.

I guess there comes a time in everyone's life where they feel this need to finally just pick it up and move on. From that person, that place, or that thing that has kept us from being the best version of ourselves. And it it scary and it isn't something we can just wake up one morning and decide. Heck, it isn't even easy to move on from something even months after it has happened. In my life I am finding myself trying to hold onto things that have hurt me in the past and I am coming to realize that this isn't helping me whatsoever. Holding onto the things that cause pain just causes more pain. Shocking right? I live in the past. I do and I hate admitting this out loud because it is a weakness of mine and who in their right mind enjoys sharing their weaknesses? I guess maybe I hold onto these things because they are so easy to be recovered. A song, a picture, a person, a laugh. All things that can bring us back to places we can't afford to be in any longer. I am making it my conscious goal to not let these things effect me anymore. Easier said than done and I understand that more than anything but God has a greater plan for us than to sit here and remind ourselves constantly of where we used to be. Job 17:9 says that "The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger, and stronger." HE has a plan for us and it isn't to sit here and remind ourselves of our lowest places but rather to to move on and only grow and learn from our past experiences. I find this comforting to know that there is something greater than myself out there that knows what I am going through and understands that this is all temporary and that whatever HE has planned is greater. I want to know and to feel like I am not alone and I am grateful that I am not. I never will be. And I leave this out to anyone who may have needed to hear this. It hurts, but we can only grow from it.


we can do anything through Him.
kait

trust|| why is it so hard.

For those of you who even read this blog it has ended up as a place for me to vent about my life and just become a bit more sane by getting my feelings out on words. Something has been bugging me lately and I really just can't seem to shake it. Trust. Something so fragile and at the same time also so so powerful. I have no trust in anyone anymore though. It has been something that I have realized the more I grow up and it honestly kills me more than anything because I want to be able to trust the people that I care about but how can you let those people in when letting people in means that you are vulnerable and they know more about you than you might have ever wanted. And then they can use that against you. It makes me sick to honestly think about some of the things that people have done to me when they have my trust and what is even worse is that I continue to care about them. I don't understand myself sometimes. Why do we let the people that have hurt us or misused our trust to remain in our beautiful worlds? It confuses me too, don't worry. I think that I guess we are afraid to not only lose the trust that we have in someone but to also lose that person as a whole. Kind of messed up if you think about it. Would you rather be hurt or alone? I guess for me I would rather be hurt.

where I stand|| religion

There is this reoccurring thing I see that says something along the lines of "just because you have a bible verse in your twitter bio doesn't mean you are religious" I would like to state that I disagree with that. Having a bible verse in my own Twitter bio, I am slightly offended with that situation because everyone is allowed to believe in what they want. And by reading the bible or by finding motivation through a verse shouldn't be seen as wrong. I would like to believe that I am a pretty religious person and that I feel as if yes I could probably go to church more and yes I could probably do some things that are seen as a bit more "Christian" than I am right now but at the same time isn't that the freedom of religion that we have? We are given the privilege to be able to worship and believe in what we want so why do we care so much if someone believes in or does something different from one another. I find myself thinking a lot more about religion lately possibly due to the times and the things going on around the country and even around the world. I just feel like maybe we are trying to find too many imperfections with others and will try and argue a point about anything that is different than what we may believe in. If that makes sense at all. I just really wanted to get that out there and I also wanted just to acknowledge that this is no longer a fashion blog. This is my blog. I will be doing the occasional outfit type post but I need this place to be somewhere I can talk about my own feelings and let it go from there.


until next time,
xoxo
kait

how I decided on a college|| mississippi state

Being a senior I can say that the majority of this year I have spent my time dwelling on the whole college decision process. Here I am in the first full week of December and I have a decision. To say that I have had a huge weight lifted off my chest would be an understatement because wow I am going to college and know where I am going to be for the next 4 years. And that choice was Mississippi State University. Growing up I was always a big SEC fan having both my mom and her brother attending Auburn University and my mom's sister attending the University of Mississippi. So naturally we decided to pack up the bags and start by looking down there.

When I first visited State last year as a junior I knew that I liked it but I wasn't sure if I could see myself down there. With how my life had been going recently though I decided that I had nothing to lose so why not go back down and look again. Thank goodness I went back down because I fell in love with the campus and the environment of Starkville, Mississippi. I would say that it is for sure a small college town and that was one of the things that I was looking for along with the college being highly active in community service or Relay for Life which are two things that I really enjoy currently. Well the good news was they had both, including a leadership program that involved community service and a stellar Relay organization. Choosing a college should just feel right. You should be able to see yourself there and think that you could be the most successful version of yourself by attending that school.

I think that next year is going to be a good year for me. While yes I am nervous to be moving almost 9 hours away from everything I am also excited to be exposed to new people and new opportunities! I would love to hear any advice or if you have recently made a college decision on my social media which you should totally be following!

Until next time, and HAIL STATE!
xxx-
kait

heartbreak|| it is OKAY to be selfish

While today is for sure supposed to be a happy day spent with family, it has also been a day of reflection for me and how far I have come the past few weeks. I wanted the chance to share my story with you all on this happy day and give you a little bit of insight as to why I haven't been writing.

I think that we can all agree that at one time or another we have all gone through this horrible thing known as heartbreak. It sucks and it physically hurts to a point where you feel like nothing good could ever come from the way you feel. Well. I am here to say that good does come from the bad.

It just takes time.

For those of you who don't know, I broke up with my boyfriend of over almost a year and a half about 4 weeks ago. It was harsh and messy but I have learned so much about myself. Looking back at myself the past year or so I have really seemed to struggle with myself and finding who I am and being genuinely happy, and that might not be his fault per say, but how can you give someone your all if you don't even give yourself that? Not even attempting to say the whole thing about "loving yourself before someone else" but I think that I have come to a point where I am comfortable with myself but I just wasn't happy and how can you try to make someone else happy when you yourself aren't happy.  I decided to cut things off and try and figure out what makes me happy.

Break-ups suck because the smallest thing can trigger you into wanting to just run back. And I did multiple times. But I finally had someone who shook me and said "This isn't you, can't you see that?" That really hit me. I realized that this was something that was no longer beneficial for myself and I was finding myself constantly questioning myself and how I felt, so I left for good this time.

It has been almost a month since we were together and right now I can say that I have never been happier. Yes, it hurts and there are for sure moments where I wonder if it was the right thing but the support system I have behind me has been nothing but the best. Sometimes you have to be selfish and that is okay.

It is okay to be selfish when it comes to your happiness. And if that means that you need to step back and feel some pain for awhile that is okay. It isn't going to feel good in the moment to lose something that you put so much energy into but it also isn't going to feel good when you have put so much in only to look back and realize that you have nothing left for yourself.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” I think this really just kind of sums it all up,that there is a greater plan than a relationship ending, it all happens for a reason.  

I think that this post is TREMENDOUSLY rambly- but I think that it made the point I wanted it to make. 

Enjoy this time with loved ones, and make the most out of every moment. 
XOXO-
Kait

the final homecoming

Well the time has come, I had my last homecoming this past weekend and it was everything I expected and more. There is something about everyone being together in the sweaty gym together for the last time that makes it all seem so real. Like wow, four years ago we had literally no idea how to dance or what to wear and now it is something we could do in our sleep. I am going to miss the cheesy music, the horrid slow dances, and of course those horrible posed pictures but don't worry my friends....senior prom is just six short months away but prom is for sure its' own monster!

xoxo
Kait

so here's what you missed....

I think that it's time that I sort of had the chance to catch everyone up on where in the world I have been and explain myself. By the way my title totally made me think of the introduction to a new episode of the TV show, Glee...but that is besides the point. So senior year is amongst myself and I have nothing but good things to say about it. I love my teachers, and my friends (which are totally different from last year) and life is just grand. I felt like since it has been a hot second since I had the time to sit down and write so I just wanted to catch everyone up on the past few weeks, I am working on getting a more organized system of blogging figured out so keep an eye out for another post next Sunday!


Cheerleading
Yes senior year of cheerleading has been awesome, I was actually selected to be a captain this year and as of right now our football team is undefeated and looking very strong! My squad this year is actual #squadgoals.


Friends
For anyone who has been with me since the Kaitlyn Pearls and Whales days, you would know that finding genuine people has been quite the challenge but I am so lucky to have found some of the greatest people I have ever met through my summer job as a lifeguard. We are always together and we are always sharing a laugh.


Homecoming
Actually, next weekend I will be heading on over to my boyfriend's high school for his homecoming and I am so excited! Going dress shopping this week. I always seem to be super last minute with dress shopping but I mean I always find what I am looking for!

College
So the topic that seems, well, unavoidable this year. Yes, I plan on heading to some college somewhere in America but as for right now I really have no idea where! I was recently accepted into Mississippi State University but I also just finished up the Common App and will be applying to a few more schools these next few weeks. No worries, I will for sure keep you all posted on this topic as the year progresses.

Family
My fam bam is just as happy as ever. My older of the two younger sisters I have just started her freshman year in high school and she loves it. She seems to be so much more of her own person recently, middle school was rather rough for her but she is living it up right now. My youngest sister, is starting 3rd grade and the sass is real people let me tell you!


I really am sorry for being so distant from blogging, but summer flew by and I was back in school with the blink of an eye and now here I am. So here is to senior year and actually writing more.

Enjoy this throwback of me visiting Mississippi State  last year

xoxo
Kait

newport ky|| date day

Hello there lovely readers! After a blogging break the past few weeks I am back with an outfit post for you all!! This past weekend I got the chance to go on a date with my boyfriend, Connor! He even volunteered to shoot to blog pictures for me {how sweet?!} I think I am going to be doing a back to school haul video too here in the near future! I am so excited to get back into blogging! I missed it, but I also really took advantage of everything this summer had to offer me! Everything I am wearing is linked below the last image too!!

Top: Dillards
Jeans [similar]: Gap
Necklace: Kendra Scott
Shoes: Jack Rogers

    

Xoxo-

Kait

Strollin' into Summer

Happy Friday my loves! By the time this post goes up I will be about mid-breakdown cramming for my AP Euro test....BUT finishing that test means I am even closer to summer. Today I am happy to share this look with yall that I think is perfect for this transition into summer! This dress I got at my local Gap Clearance Center so I am not sure where/if you will be able to find it so I linked some similar ones down below! The necklace was from JCrew Factory last summer but once again, I shall link some others! I really had fun shooting this and CANNOT wait to run around in this dress all summer long! 

Links to similar dresses:

Gap Fit and Flare

Vineyard Vines Fit and Flare

Link to similar necklace:

JCrew Fiesta 

Catch ya on the flipside
XOXO
Kait

I got Two PROMS!

Happy Tuesday to all my readers out there! Were rounding third and heading home for summer break which by the way is 32 days away from when I am posting this but who is counting? As you can tell from my last few instagram posts, I had both of my proms these past two weekends! So for my first prom I had probably one of the best nights of my high school years and wouldn't have changed a single thing about it! The night was everything that I had hoped for and more! I started my day by getting my hair blown out at a local blowout bar which was absolutely amazing and made my hair look exactly how I wanted it to! So for any local readers I really recommend checking out their website- Blowout Z Bar

As for my dress- which I absolutely loved and felt like a total princess in for the night. I got it at my local Dillard's and it's a Calvin Klein and I managed to get it for an amazing price. I paired it with a pair of Steve Madden Stecy Heels and also had a big pair of Kate Spade studs and I just felt like it all worked so well together. As for my boyfriend and date, Connor, he was just wearing the traditional black tux and he was able to (all by himself might I say!) pick out a complete match in bow tie and vest and they looked awesome together. We had so much fun in our group and the pictures we took turned out so nice. We took pictures for this prom at a local park in the downtown Cincinnati area and it was a beautiful day! We were fortunate to have a friend in our group who had a professional photographer who took some of our pictures and then we were also able to take our own photos of course, and with me being a blogger and sharing pretty much every moment of my life on social media I thought it would be fun to share my prom pictures with all of you.


As for my second prom we had a great time and it was just the two of us and we decided that we really had our big prom the weekend before so this one was a bit more toned down. I did my hair myself and just went for a simple teased half-up, half-down style and it ended up looking amazing! My dress for this prom was an Adrianna Papel and it fit perfectly and I loved the material. My shoes were actually from Payless and they were the Karmen Pump, they were shorter than last weekend and just comfortable! We took our pictures at where we met, which happens to be where we both work in the summer and they turned out awesome and very funny. I was so fortunate to be able to have two back to back proms with my best friend and I cannot wait to see what senior prom will be like. I had so much fun and these were definitely two weekends that made the long days in high school all worth it. I am so grateful for all my friends and family and I just don't think I could have asked for a better experience!

I hope you all enjoy the pictures and this post and make sure to follow all my social media accounts for more updates!
instagram: adashofkait
twitter: dash_ofkait
pinterest: adashofkait

XOXO
Kait

Becoming ONE Happy Soul

Hello there! I am SO happy that the weather is warming up and that its almost summer. I am so busy these last few weeks and I am stressed out but its all because I am doing what I love. Blogging has always been something I have been kind of shy about. I would fear people finding out about it and worry that they would think I am weird because I sit in front of a computer and interact with people that I have never met before and I guess maybe that seems weird. But these last few weeks I have realized something so important. WHY DOES IT MATTER WHAT THEY THINK. When you see someone doing something that they love. I have been through pretty much every possible road block through these last few years and I think it is because I tried so hard to just fit in and be like everyone else. I struggled with finding friends and now I have the greatest support system behind me. My friends believe in me 100%. And they support me and every decision that I make. Those are the people that you should worry about. You should only surround yourself with people who make you the best form of you.

These past few years I have faced people who have made fun of me for doing what I love and I want to show everyone that I am proud of who I am and I am proud that I have a passion for something that makes me oh so happy. Blogging has given me confidence and friends which is something that I have lacked in for many years and I feel that I have reached the point in my life where I am finally able to say, that I am SO happy. I know that people are going to laugh and make fun of me for this decision but at the end of the day, if I am happy then why does it matter what they think? You are you and that is all you have so why are we always so worried about what that boy who plays sports thinks, or that super popular girl with the long hair. Why do we care?! This idea is much easier said than done but I think you would be surprised. Once you realize that 4 or 5 years down the road the opinions that you care about so much right now will mean nothing, you can live up to your full potential. Do not be afraid to be yourself, do not be afraid of who you are. You hold all the power to your life and you should own that and be nothing be proud of it. You should never let anyone tell you how to be happy.

Keep your heart open to new opportunities and never second guess yourself, everything happens for a reason.


You are all amazing.

XOXO
Kait

Hi yall! I hope you enjoy my spring fashion haul that I filmed this past weekend! Let me know what you think!!

XOXO- Kait

Safe Tanning Tips|| a collab with Cinci Prep

Happy Spring break season my lovelies! I am super exciting to be collabing with my best friend over at Cinci Prep, Miss. Carly June! Carly is doing a spring break braid ideas post and that's live right now so go check it out! As for my post we're going to be going through some tips and tricks for save tanning this spring break and summer! Everyone loves having that gorgeous glowy skin that is perfectly bronzed but we have to make sure that we are taking to proper precautions to assure that we are not harming ourselves in the process. Skin Cancer is very serious but it is 100% preventable! Tanning is the process of your skin protecting itself, think of it like this you skin cells open tiny little umbrellas that protect you from the harmful UV! Now without further due let's get into some strategy to defend ourselves from those harmful UV rays while still gaining that glow this season!

 SUN SCREEN

I have been so stubborn my whole life about sunscreen until recently. My mom used to have to beg me to put on sun screen but now it's like second nature! I recommend the sports sunscreen because it stays on while you swim and also when you sweat! It's a very common misunderstanding that wearing sun screen will prevent you from gaining a tan but that is false! If you however do want to amp up your tanning you can add a tanning oil or accelerator on top of your sun screen!

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE

The duration you are out in the sun obviously has a say in your tan but how much time is too much time to just be sitting under the sun?  Usually a 30-45 minute period of direct sunlight is plenty for your body but we all know that going on vacation means that we are going to lay in the sun as long as possible. BUT you need to make sure that you are taking breaks indoors to give your skin a break, this is where sun burn comes into play. You literally are frying your own skin in the sun. YUCK!

ALTERNATIVES

Now, while you may be able to tan outside for a certain amount of time each day you can always build your tan with some healthier options such as tanning lotions or even the occasional spray tan. These alternatives are good to use because they cause no harm to your skin! But make sure that whatever you are doing it is the right shade because we all know the fear behind the self tanner and being the color of a carrot for the next two weeks.

I hope this gives everyone a little bit more knowledge about tanning and that you are all taking the proper precautions against the sun! I will talk to you guys later in the week with a new post all about Spring Break in Hilton Head and then this weekend keep and eye out for my Spring Break Haul video!!

XOXO-

Kait

I Call These My Big Girl Shoes|| how I style my new kicks

Happy Sunday to all you beautiful souls! You all know EXACTLY how I feel about Sunday mornings by now; I am in love with them. Recently I have been on Pinterest (wow shocking right, me on Pinterest?!) and I have seen these flats that I am head over heals over. They are the Steve Madden LECREW Flats. Now, I am all about making sure that I try something out before I invest in the name brand so I went ahead and purchased the Target dupe for them and I am so happy with them! I love how they instantly add this super chic, and just professional bad @$$ look to any outfit. I am saving up to buy another pair of the Steve one's probably in Red **insert heart eyes here** I have tagged a couple different dupes and the originals at the bottom of this post so I would for sure go and check them out. Today I am paring them with a cute graphic tee and some boyfriend jeans but I also know for a fact that they look good with a pair of cuffed skinnies and a cute, simple top. If you are looking for the perfect edgy addition to your wardrobe this spring I would head to your local mall/Target and pick yourself up a pair of these killer kicks!

I hope you are enjoying your Sunday!
xoxo

Kait

Steve Madden LECREW
Target (ones I am wearing)
Top Shop

Toxic Friendships- What do we do?

Its been awhile since I have had more of a personal post up so I thought that it was time! Recently I have just felt very thankful for my life. For those of you who have been following me for awhile you would know that last year I really struggled with finding friends and being happy with myself. At the start of this year I promised myself that I would never go back to the place that I was once in. I have realized a lot this year, the biggest thing being that I am so much  happier with two or three very close friends than a large group like I had always imagined. Being as I am still in high school girls are very catty and can just be downright rude. My mom has always told me that I am very mature for my age so you could guess that I really wouldn't react well with having people like that in my environment. There are these things known as a "toxic friendship" and I found myself in so many of those and looking back now I am just thinking, "why did I ever put up with that." Even now as we are getting older and older I am realizing that I still have a few toxic friendships. Everyone has their own definition of a toxic friendship but personally mine would be someone that is holding you from becoming the best version of yourself. I find that having a small group of amazing people in my life makes me so much happier than I could ever wish to be. It can be really hard to cut yourself off from these friendships because a lot of times it'll be friends that you have had for a long time or friends that you have been through a lot with. You don't need to quit them cold turkey, you need to remain cordial with them though. Everything happens for a reason and while it may be hard it will be so rewarding for yourself. Since I have been able to move myself away from the friends that were not the right person for me I am so much happier and I have realized how much the small group of amazing friends that I have mean to me, no matter what you are not alone. I know that it can be hard sometimes but life is so beautiful and oh so worth it.

Until next time,
XOXO
Kait

back in action!!

Hi loves! LONG TIME NO TALK! I am so happy to be back and blogging, I honestly missed it so much and I am so excited to be able to have the time to do what I love once again! To kick off the return I thought it would be a good way to ease back into everything with an outfit of the day post! Went shopping with my momma on our day off and got some great deals! I am wearing some Gap jeans, Gap shoes, Gap sweater and my earrings are Kendra Scott and my bag is Kate Spade!!

Talk to you real soon,

XOXO
Kait

Layers for the Season// flannels & cardigans

Tis the season...to bundle up! While we all are preparing ourselves for a cold winter I have been able to enjoy some very warm weather here in Ohio, but of course keeping in mind that its already dropped twenty degrees since this weekend. I was pairing two of my favorite winter pieces together and came up with an outfit perfect for work, school or a fun day out! Personally I feel like the hardest item in the closet to layer with is a flannel, I find it quite difficult because I am so particular with making sure that the colors fit well together and making sure that it doesnt look too bulky. So I paired this Old Navy flannel with a Gap cardigan and my J Crew Gigi pants for a fun shoot that I happened to do with my best friend Cinci Prep. I really like how simple this look is but it still looks very put together and very cute. So ready for a holiday break and to have plenty of posts. 3 more days of exams and I will be free! (for two weeks)

Hope you are all enjoying your week!

xoxo-
    kait

Goodbye Fall, Hello Winter!

Hello loves, today I will be showing you my last little post about fall which is what I wore for Thanksgiving. From now on all my posts will be winter/holiday until further notice (yay) For this lovely day of thanks I kept it simple but still a very Kait outfit. I am wearing my Gap super skinnies and I love them I wear them all the time and being 5'8 I buy my jeans from the Gap in the long style and the fit perfectly- there's just a little tip for my tall girls out there! I paired it with a JCrew top which I bought over the summer on clearance and then of course the shoes of the season my Target booties....of course. Accessories wise I just wore my aviators because it was a beautiful day and very sunny! Hope you are all having a wonderful week

xoxo-
Kait