I take so many pictures during the week that I've decided to start a weekly roundup post sharing a handful of moments I've captured, essentially a giant #latergram hah. Here's my first Snapshot Sunday (until I come up with a possibly less cheesy name):


(This would belong in last week if this feature existed then but oops~~) I tried out one of P.S. & Co's cold-pressed juices (the Tulum, which has organic spinach, organic cilantro, and organic pineapple) the other day, because I was curious what the hype was about. They have the cutest little store, but frankly the prices are sky high. I should've known based on location and product alone. Good juice, but definitely only a sometimes treat.


A quick shot out the train window on the way to my nephew's birthday party in the suburbs. Have you ever let a 3 year old loose in a Dave & Buster's? All they mostly want to do is play skee-ball and jump up and down on the fake DDR machine. And run. A lot. (3 year olds are so much faster than you'd expect them to be.)


George enjoying my little bed oasis as well. He never lets me photograph him so I got lucky with this one.


Does anyone else lose their mind when they step in a store that sells gardening stuff? I swear, mine disappears and I go into a Supermarket Sweep sort of frenzy and want to shove as many things as possible into my cart. I only came to get fresh pots to size up the plants* I have, but damn if I didn't want to get another palm (or 3) for the house.


Said re-potting*. That's a lemon plant I grew from seed. I also re-potted an avocado plant I grew from seed but didn't snag a picture. Look at all those roots in the bottom! When a plant decides it doesn't fit in the pot anymore, you'll know, especially if you pay regular attention to them. Usually leaves will start drooping no matter how often you do or don't water the plant, and sometimes they'll even fall off completely.


I found some sneaky white concord grapes growing a few blocks from my house a few months ago and forgot about them until the other day. They were definitely ripe, and I definitely saved some seeds to attempt to grow my own. I wish they were the purple kind as those are my favorite, but I'm more than willing to snack on a handful of free grapes whenever I bike by.


I'm not sure why this caught my eye on the walk home from the subway, but I've fallen in love with this picture more and more every time I look at it. I've also decided I need to get myself one of those plants.


Hope you had a good week, and if not, I hope you turn the next one around!
x, K

(ps. Do y'all prefer this format better or would you rather see all the pictures together and then words after? Let me know!)

I've always had an affinity for jewelry, but until recently I generally stuck with rings and necklaces. Because I'm particular, I only rotate within maybe 10 basic pieces (despite the usual girl issue of having 30 items to choose from). The rings I wear the most I actually made myself! Can you guess which?

^{(the two all the way to the right, and the 4th simple band from the left!)} A few weeks ago I bought myself a pair of gold geometric hoop earrings from Urban Outfitters and was immediately bitten by the bug. It's such a simple design, but I'm infatuated.



I've never been a huge earring (or gold for that matter) person, but I can't help but find myself searching for more fun pieces to add to my stash. I've mainly been focusing on building an earring collection now that I know I don't hate them, but that necklace and ring were too cute to pass up. I decided it was worth sharing my current little jewelry wish list with you guys~:



1. Behind Closed Eyes Earrings from LAB by Laura Busony, $68
2. Moonphase Ear Jacket from Pamela Love NYC, $235
3. Delicate Geo Hoop Earring from Urban Outfitters, $12 (hellooo, no excuse)
4. Om Spiral Earring in Gold from Sticks + Stones, $68
5. Tiny But Mighty Gem Necklace from Concrete Polish Jewels, $45
6. Oval Boho Hoops from Free People, $34
7. Bright Eyes Ring from The Be a Line, $80 (their Bright Eyes Earrings are also stellar)
8. Mix-and-Match Bar Stud Earrings from Madewell, $32

I'm definitely feeling the "urban bohemian" vibe right now, that's for sure.
What's currently on your wishlist??

xx, K

Sometimes you end up in situations that are stressful, which can really take a toll on a person's psyche, especially if you live with that 24/7. That said, the energy of my living situation shifted for the positive at the beginning of this month, and like everyone else who experiences a major change, I was looking to commemorate it. Rather than cut off all my hair or dye it blonde (tho in all seriousness, I've been lightening it naturally~), I opted to do a bit of deep cleaning.

Despite living at my current home for a year already, I never really made my room my own, and felt that rearranging my central space would help give me a fresh outlook. I started by smudging my room to purify it, and even went so far as to invest in selenite to help maintain (if you believe in that sort of thing) the newly cleansed atmosphere. I also brightened up the space by switching from "soft glow" bulbs to "daylight" bulbs, which is a huge difference. Be warned, it really is as bright as day time, but I find that having blue light much better for me than the fluorescent yellow that used to be in here.



I decided to make my bed the focal point of my room, because there's a little corner that it fits perfectly in, and I made it a mini oasis. I found that one of those Target storage cubes were perfect as a bed footer, and also freed up wall space once moved! I even got a fresh comforter and sheet set, because clearly if you're gonna go all out on your bed, you really need to go all out (duh). I'll probably add a hanging plant on that side door once I can find an appropriate hanger for my pothos plants.

^{There's really no reason everyone shouldn't own a palm. Or aloe plant.} I found that just setting up the one corner, made it easier for everything else to start falling into place. I still have a bit of work to do in adding floating shelves (can anyone suggest a place to get them, or do I have to resort to making them??) but just wanting to be here now actually has me willing to clean! My clothes actually have homes now on hangers or shelves! It's absolutely still a work in progress, but I'm excited to see how my space takes shape. :) I'll try to share more pictures as it unfolds.

^{I know I know, almost the same photo as before, but now with multiple perfumes~ Oops.}


How do you deal with change? Are you one of those people that cuts off their dang hair?

You ever get caught up being busy but have no idea what you've actually accomplished? I'd say that's how my last week or so has gone; somehow I seemed to switched myself into autopilot mode. Hopefully this new month will bring me a bit of clarity and out of this one track brain fog.

That said, I figure now that July's over I'll do a little round-up of my faves~

^{Probably my favorite corner in my room right now. The light is always perfect here. / You can peep my saving jar there, oops.}

July Favorites:

Royal Apothic Eau de Parfum in "Botanical Blush" - I tried this fragrance on a whim when I first walked into Anthropologie the other day, and after walking around for a bit, decided I couldn't leave the store without it. It seems to no longer be available on the website, but I bought it less than a week ago so hopefully it's still on shelves! (I actually may stop at my store and stock up on more now)

"Pieces" by The Tanlines - I saw this band play live recently and they were phenomenal; they definitely knew how to play to the crowd and looked like they were having a killer time doing it. This song is the first single on their new album, which has a solid hypnotic surfy vibe.

The Melter Skelter grilled cheese from Reading Terminal's Meltkraft restaurant. I'm in looove with this sandwich. It has Raclette, watercress, pickled green tomatoes, jalapeños, and is topped with BBQ chips. MMM. I may have to do a little spotlight on this place because I like it so much.

LASplash Cosmetics Lip Couture Lipstains, especially in Ghoulish and Poison Apple. I found this company because I had wanted a dupe of LimeCrime's most popular color but refused to shell out the money to that brand because of their negative press, and I think I might like this one more! I've gotten so many compliments while wearing these lip stains, and I can swear that they won't budge a bit. Just a few days ago I fell asleep with the red on, and woke up with it still neatly applied on my lips (even tho the rest of my look was everywhere else).

^{Botanical Blush}
Has anyone else caught the travel bug real bad lately? Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's that we've past the halfway point in the year and I feel like time is flying by, or maybe it's my biological clock, but I can't stop myself from spending hours looking up flights and airbnbs, trying to decide where in the world I want to travel to next. Actually, it could be that I finally booked a flight (the first time I've ever done that!) to visit one of my favorite people in NOLA! FOR! HALLOWEEN!, and I'm so excited that I just want to keep booking flights, but ya know...maybe also just the biological clock.



How'd July treat you?

Don't forget to take a moment to appreciate the little things around you--





because even the tiniest, little, things can sometimes be big things.

Today while tending to my plants (more specifically, while using a paintbrush to attempt to pollinate some of my vegetables that bees and butterflies seem to be ignoring) I noted that to some, the lengths I go to care for my plants might be excessive. To me, it's just normal. I've never questioned what it takes to look after them all (I've got upwards of 50 now), just done it. Do they need a new pot for cramped roots? Buy a new one. Could they benefit from some fertilizer? Make some. Do I need to water them before work?? Make the time.

In looking at that, I started considering other areas of my life. How is it that I can take care of all these plants with no questions asked, but struggle to complete day-to-day goals like going to the gym or eating better, even tho I know it'd be good for me? Because I hold myself accountable for my plants; "If I don't look after them, who will?" Well frankly, that's a mindset I should be using for everything: "If I don't do this for myself, who will?" The problem is, how do I do it?

I think the only way to get there is to really set myself up for success. If I break down what my goals are (both short term and long term), I'll be able to figure out how I can work toward those. From there, it's really up to me to hold myself responsible until it becomes a habit (which apparently doesn't happen in just 21 days, but a girl can dream).


For the sake of discussion, here's my short term daily goals:

1. Live healthier:   

I think this is rather all encompassing, but I can help myself accomplish this by going to sleep earlier and ultimately ensuring I get enough sleep. If I'm well rested, it'll be easier to get myself out of bed to exercise more, even if it's just biking the long way to work or maybe walking to get coffee in the morning! I can also make a point to only buy whole produce when I grocery shop, because I'll be less likely to eat processed foods late at night.

2. Save more:   

I've started to get fairly anal about money lately, as one of my long term goals is to purchase a house. To help save more, I set up my checking account to auto-transfer a set amount every week. Even if I blow cash in hand (I'm a server, so until I make my weekly bank trip, it's always in hand), I'll at least put X amount away! I also started keeping a jar in my room to put money into after every shift. I'll put anywhere from $5-$20 a shift in the jar, depending how good it goes. So far I've saved $400 this way. Essentially I just need to maintain this goal at the moment.

3. Get out more:   

Strangely, after writing my last blog post, I fell into a little rut that I couldn't "hatelyn" my way out of. I didn't want to go for drinks, I didn't want to hang out with others, I just wanted to chill at home. I think I need to get back into the habit of putting myself out there, so I'd like to try checking out new spaces on a weekly basis, until I can get back into the swing of things!

4. Blog!   

I'm pretty good at taking pictures, and not the best at articulating them or anything else I do, which is something I'd really like to improve on. I think the best way I can battle this is by carrying a notebook around with me. I've always found it easier to write something by hand before typing it, so maybe that'll help me in blogging! It's worth a try~ I'm hoping that being able to feel more confident with my words as they're written out already will also help make it easier to update more often. Being in my little slump kind of halted everything on that front, so we'll see!




If you're up to sharing, what's a goal you'd like to work toward?

Table for one, please.

I think the best thing a person can do for themselves is learn to be comfortable in their own skin and alone. It's so important to feel OK in your own self, whether you're hanging out completely alone, or you're flying stag in public without buddies as back up.

I've always been more of a loner, but within the last few years I've been able to transform that hermit who squirreled themselves away from public outings into a confident, independent person. For that to happen, I really just had to overcome my social anxiety. I know that sounds easier said than done, and it took years of sweaty-handed panic attacks inside of crowded bars/non-crowded parties/malls/gyms to get myself to the headspace where I could do it, but it can be done! And guess how I did it?? I faked it.



It sounds silly, but the whole "fake it till you make it" idea actually works. It was hard at first, so I made up an alter-ego persona to fit my nickname "Hatelyn" (hah). Kate might have been shy and nervous in new places, but Hatelyn wasn't. Hatelyn walked into rooms and didn't look around to see if anyone noticed her. Where Kate's tongue caught, Hatelyn spoke her mind. Eventually, that independent, strong person wasn't just someone I pretended to be, I just was her; I am her.

I've found that the more confident I allow(ed) myself to be, the less I care(d) what others think, and the easier it is to let that old anxiety-ridden version of myself fade away. (And frankly, I've found that the only people who care enough to get invested in someone else's life are those who aren't happy in their own~ ;)) But ya know, good riddance.