Products I Use to the Last Drop

How often do we buy a new product hoping it will become a new favorite, yet, like clockwork, it ends up under the bathroom sink for guests to use? I can honestly say that happens quite often in our household but once in a while there is a rare gem of a product that continues to find itself in the medicine cabinet in the master bathroom instead of under the sink! 

I’ve tested a lot of different products over the years and decided to round up my favorite products that I continuously use to the last drop. Some are brands you may have already heard of, while others are not. One thing I cannot stress enough is that humans are all created differently – we have different skin, different hair, a different genetic makeup that can react differently to products. Take me for example: I am a fair skinned 25 year old woman whose skin has more sensitive, dryer tendencies and is prone to hormonal acne. My hair is thin, and damaged from heat tools, but trust me when I say there’s a lot of it! This round up of products are approved by dermatologist for my skincare needs, and these hair care products have worked wonders for my hair. I hope one product on this list, even if it is just the mascara or concealer, provides you guys the same results and happiness it provides me! 

Continue reading

Tips for Decorating a Small Entryway

From the moment we walked into our townhouse, I loved ALMOST everything about it. Nick will tell you that he was sold immediately. I remember he wanted to sign the lease the moment we got back in the car. I was hesitant on the size and space, and am now thankful that we pulled the trigger because we ended up getting an amazing deal for this area! All of that aside, there’s still a few things that I don’t love: the color of our cabinets, the folds in the upstairs carpet and our awkward little entryway.

In most townhomes, I don’t think there’s ever anything grand about an entryway. No flowing staircase or intricate light fixture. For us, it was narrow hallways and a small landing area right where you walk in. Not to mention an awkward ledge/bench area that really just takes away from open space. I wasn’t sure how I was going to decorate the space and make it feel welcoming, and it was the last room in our house that I put my “mark” on. But with a few small touches, I turned our entry way from blah and beige to welcoming with a classic Kate touch. Check out my tips for decorating your own small entryway and a few snapshots of our own entryway!

Continue reading

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, digital friends! It’s been a crazy few weeks but it feels great writing again. From traveling to Charlotte and Florida back to back weekends, and work and personal functions almost every night, I needed to step away from the computer and focus on what’s important to me in life – spending quality time with those I love.

Although crazy, these last few weeks have definitely been relaxing and family oriented. From seeing my grandmother, aunt, and uncle for a few days to celebrating my birthday with family and friends, (with a surprise party nonetheless!!) it was nice to step away from the blog for a week to live in the moment.

Continue reading

10 Full-Length Mirrors Under $100

I never realized how crucial a full-length mirror was until I didn’t have one… For over one year. But thanks to a generous birthday present from Nick’s mom, all of that has now changed and I can no longer question if my shoes match my outfit or if my shirt looks better tucked in or tucked out (yes those are real thoughts!)

This is the mirror Nick’s mom purchased for us and I LOVE the carved white dots in the wood! I can’t wait to “style” the area around it in our bedroom! (I’m also impressed that Nick managed to take this picture without being seen in the mirror!)

A few of you may be wondering why we went over a year without a full-length mirror when we could have just picked up a cheap dorm-style, over-the-door mirror from Walmart? Honestly, we could have. We also could have taken some hand-me-down mirrors from our family. But truthfully, I wanted my own mirror that didn’t just serve the purpose of looking at my self, but would also be a design feature in our bedroom and fill a void in the corner of the room. But let’s face it – detailed, full-length mirrors can get expensive. Like hundreds of dollars expensive. 

Continue reading

Friday Favorites

Where did this week go? Does anyone else feel like the week just flew by!? With my travel plans last weekend plus a few after work events this week, I don’t think I had the chance to sit down and catch my breath. No Law & Order SVU was watched and grocery shopping was skipped. That’s how you know it was a busy week! I’m not complaining though because this weekend starts my birthday celebration in Florida with my grandma and family!

This is my favorite picture of grandma and I from one of our last Florida dance weekends at the Polish Club

Continue reading

15 Recipes to Master by 25

It’s no secret I love spending time in our kitchen. Ever since I was a little girl, I was always fascinated by cooking. Like many children, I started with my play kitchen complete with frying pan and stocked plastic fridge and eventually moved on to the real deal, experimenting with recipes in the microwave, stovetop, oven – you name it!

Continue reading

Friday Favorites

Today’s ‘Friday Favorites’ are coming at you live at the airport! While my trip was off to a rainy start, I’m beyond excited to head to Charlotte for the weekend to see my best friend, Sarah, after 2 LONG years of being apart! I don’t know about you, but a majority of my friends are scattered across the US, making it difficult to get together as often as we would like for vacations, girls nights and even just the casual wine, face mask and Say Yes To The Dress TV Show binge night. But I’m fortunate that my friends and I have this bond where we can go months or years not seeing each other and still pick up right where we left off.

I’m going to share a Charlotte weekend recap on the blog once I’m back, but as a teaser to our weekend, it will be filled with brunch, booze, and basketball. For anyone else sitting at the airport or looking for a few fun weekend reads, here are my favorites from this week!

Continue reading

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! Has anyone else had a strange week? Half of this week I was playing catch up, feeling like my time was flying by yet the other half seemed to drag on FORever! Needless to say I am very excited for the weekend!

A lot has happened in the last week since I last jumped on the blog. With travel plans booked every single weekend in March and a very busy April already scheduled, I spent last weekend finally emptying my mom’s storage units, checking off one more thing related to her estate. 

Continue reading

Friday Favorites

H E L L O   M A R C H!!  Does anyone else love March and the beginning of springtime? For me, March has always been a favorite month, not only because it’s my birthday month, but because it is the start of many exciting events and seasons. Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, and the celebration of Easter are just a few gatherings to look forward to (and parties to host!!)

For me, this March is filled with adventure, travel and friendship. I already have three weekend getaways planned this month to visit friends and family, plus plenty of weeknight events to keep me busy. As a way to stay connected with my friends, family, and the random strangers who are reading about my life (hi new friends!), I wanted to start a new series every Friday that shares a few of my favorite things I’ve used, watched, or been coveting over the last seven days. I often share random Amazon Prime finds or YouTube videos with my friends and family, and I asked myself why I’m not sharing my finds, inspirations, or simply a good laugh with all of my digital friends and followers too.

Continue reading

Decorating our Half Bathroom with Command Strips

This past weekend, Nick and I celebrated one year living together in our townhouse! Over the last 365 days, we have had fun finding and curating pieces of furniture and decor to make our house a home, but like other millennial renters, we faced our share of challenges.

As renters, it’s great to have a landlord and handy man at your beckoned call to fix issues such as broken garbage disposals, running toilets and garage doors. In return though, we lose the creative freedom to decorate and transform the space how we may truly want to. With three years of renting under my belt plus four years of college housing decorating hacks, I’ve learned a few tricks of the trade on how to make your rented space a home.

Continue reading