5 Wardrobe Essentials For Fall

Hey there! Today, I am posting my first fall post of the year!! Yay!

If you follow me on Instagram (@katiemayco) you know that I have been promising a fashion post for a few weeks now. Well, the post is finally here! Let me know if you enjoy this post and think I should do more fashion/beauty posts!

Today I'm writing about 5 pieces of clothing that are essential for fall. This post isn't my idea BTW - I got it from Pinterest. :) But everything on the list, I came up with and definitely think are essentials! ♥

1. Boots Weather you prefer ankle boots, riding boots, or cowboy boots, they're an essential for cold weather. Boots work well with jeans, leggings, and skirts, so they go with a majority of fall outfits. I have a pair of riding boots and ankle boots and I wear them all the time!

2. Denim Jacket I wear my denim jacket all. the. time. during the fall. It's a timeless piece of clothing that keeps you warm while wearing a dressier outfit. You can wear denim jackets with dresses, black skinny jeans, or a skirt. They're a great way to finish off an outfit + keep you warm.

3. Plaids Plaids are a fall classic. They never go out of style! And I'm happy about that because I LOVE them. Weather you're wearing a plaid buttoned, open over a tee, or tied around your waste, it's always sure to look great.

4. Sweater dress I personally like casual fall outfits, I have a hard time finding fancy outfits that are also warm. This sweater dress, which I got from Old Navy, is the perfect solution. It's long sleeve so you don't have to wear a jacket, and it's great with or without leggings. If it is a super cold day, it also looks great with a denim jacket!

5. Hoodie Granted, not everybody likes hoodies, but every teen I have met does! Hoodies are definitely a fall fashion staple. I wear my hoodie every day - and I don't think that's an exaggeration. At some time or another during the day I find myself pulling on a hoodie.

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There it is! My first fashion post! What do you consider essentials for fall? Let me know!

Also, update on the shop: Our name changed!! We are now KatieMayCo! We also released our first print this week! Here it is!

Check out this print here!

Find the rest of our products here!

Happy fall, y'all!

♥Katie

DIY School Supplies

This collage is so colorful- you know it's going to be a fun post ;)

Hey girl!

Today I'm excited to share 3 fun DIYs- back to school supplies! These are my favorite kind of DIYs because I use them everyday during school. They're all totally customizable, so make them with your favorite papers and colors! I hope you get good use out of these! ♥

DIY Scotch Tape Dispenser

Supplies:

- Scotch Tape with Dispenser

- Patterned Paper of your choice (I used plain white paper, and painted it pink- I explain more below)

- Scissor

- Pencil

Start by removing the roll of tape and the original paper liner that comes in the dispenser.
.

Now, trace the liner on the paper you've chosen.
I had a super cute pink paint that I wanted to use. So I cut on white paper so I'd be able to paint to the paper, and end up with a pink paper. I know that's confusing... sorry about that! Just use whatever patterned paper you want to!

 Now cut out the tracing.

 And the circle in the middle...

 Place your new lining and the roll of tape back in the dispenser.

Here's the finished product once I had painted the paper

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DIY Paper Clips/Bookmarks

 Supplies

• Paper clips
• Washi-tape 
• Scissors 

Start by cutting a piece of washi-tape about 2 inches long. Slip the tape through the paper clip like shown above.

Now fold the tape over so it sticks to itself.

It should look like this.

Now trim the tape to the length you like. I think it looks neat cut at an angle.

Ta-da! These are great as bookmarks for your planner or textbooks!

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DIY Pencils

Supplies:

• Pencils
• Washi-tape
• Scissors 

Measure out a strip of tape that is the same length as the pencil. You'll need to do this twice, so you will have two strips.

Take the first strip and carefully stick it to the pencil.

Now, wrap the tape around the pencil, like shown in the picture above.

Aren't they super cute?! So much funner than the plain ones you can buy from Walmart.

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DIYs are my favorite thing about back to school. Having bright and fun supplies makes me actually want to use them! I hope you try these out! Let me know if you do!

Vote below what I should post next! 
[-Recipe -DIY -Fashion]

♥Katie

8 Things You Can Do Outdoors

(This post was acidently deleted so I am re-posting it. That's why you're seeing it twice in your feed. :) Sorry about this! Thankfully, I was able to save everything except for comments. :/ )

Woo-hoo! A normal post! With school starting, I've been super busy recently, but I had a Saturday afternoon with NOTHING happening so I thought it'd be a great time to write a blog post! Hopefully I'll have more days like this in the future and posts will start coming more often. :) Hope you enjoy this post! If you do let me know in the comments, and be sure to leave any suggestions you have for posts in the future!

- 8  T H I N G S  Y O U  C A N  D O  O U T D O O R S -

1. Go biking - Biking is such a fun activity and is great exercise! If you live close to a gas station or grocery store, biking there for ice cream would be so much fun! This is something I've always wanted to do. :)
2. Have a picnic - This doesn't have to be a super fancy doubled eggs, picnic basket and blanket, on soft grass in a shady wood, picnic. (lol) Going to a park and eating pizza on a picnic table is just as good- actually better in my opinion! ;)
3. Play outdoor games with siblings or friends - A few game ideas are dare-base, capture the flag, ultimate tag, and elimination. If you don't know how to play any of these, google them! ;)
   
4. Go swimming!! - I know it's pretty late for this, but if you live somewhere where it's still warm this is a super fun activity and is also great exercise!
5. Read a book - If you're a book worm but don't want to stay inside all day, find a spot to read outside! On your porch, a bench, lawn chair, tree... (yes I used to read in trees xD)
6. Go running - Running is great exercise, and believe it or not some people actually enjoy it!! :P Download a good playlist, stick in your earbuds, and you're good to go.
   
7. Rollerblade, rip-stick, or skateboard - Have you ever heard of a rip-stick? They're not super common but SO MUCH FUN. You should look them up! They're like skateboards just way easier, in my opinion. But then again... I've never ridden a skateboard. xD
8. Practice/play a sport - This encases practicially everything I do outside. xD I LOVE sports! Since there are a ton of different sports you can play, here are a few ideas -

• Volleyball. Even if you don't have a new you can practice ball handling by bumping and setting the ball to yourself, against a wall, or a slanted side of your roof.
• Basketball. All you need is a hoop and a ball, or you can even practice dribbling with neither!
• Tennis, soccer, baseball, you can do any of these with just one friend and have a blast!

- - - - 

Have you every heard of a rip-stick? 

What are your favorite things to do outside?

Hope school is going great for all of you!

♥Katie

JaxandKatie // First Listings!

 Hey There!

Thank you all for reading my last post and for all the sweet comments and messages I got from it! I'm so excited for this new project and I'm excited that y'all are excited about it too! (Enough excitement in that paragraph?)

Things are moving right along and I already have three cards listed! Today I thought I'd share them with y'all! So here's a little about each card as well as links so you can visit the listings.

One last thing- I have a coupon for 25% off any of these cards! Anyone reading this post can use it! I'll put more details at the end of this post.

 

Set Of (10) Personalized, Volleyball, Folded Cards

$15.00

This is the card that inspired me to design other cards! My sister actually helped me come up with this design. Being a volleyball player I absolutely LOVE this one! If you play, coach, or simply enjoy volleyball this card is perfect for you! It's also a great gift for your volleyball-loving friends. :)

Set of (10) Personalized, Texas 4x6 Folded Cards

 $15.00

Obviously the card in this pictures is specific to my fellow Texans. But I'm definitely able to make this with any state! If you would love a card like this with your state just message me through Etsy and I'll make you a custom order for the same price! Hopefully I'll have listings for all 50 states soon.

Set of [10] Personalized, Cursive 4x6 Folded Cards

 $15.00

This is my favorite because it's not specific to a particular person. Anyone can use it! I love simple and you really can't get any more simple than this. What's fun about this card is that you can play around with colors! If you don't want your name in black you can choose from ten other colors. And you can the envelope color! This card is great for guys, girls, kids, teens, and adults. It'd also be great for minimalists.

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Well? What do you think of them? I'm anxious to here what y'all think. So please comment or message me if you have any ideas for changes or other card designs! If you like these cards please share them with your friends! You can also share the coupon below! It'd mean a ton to me. ;)

♥Katie

About the coupon: If you like any of these cards enough to purchase them, please use this coupon! For 25% off your order, simply enter this coupon code when you checkout - KITKATSTUDIO25 - The coupon is valid from Aug 28, 2017 to Sep 30, 2017.

Announcement // My Etsy Shop // JAXANDKATIE

This pic was taken by me BTW. ;) I love it!

Hey there, ❤️

I'd like to give y'all an update on what I've been working on recently! My latest project is a big one, and I'm super excited to share about it!

I've owned an Etsy shop for a while now, selling rubber jewelry (rainbow loom, if you've heard of it). I started my shop about three years ago when my sister suggested it because she'd had some experience on Etsy and thought I'd enjoy it. I definitely enjoyed making, photographing, and selling bracelets and I'm glad I gave it a try!

 (Here are a few examples of bracelets I sold)

But now, I'm ready to move on! This was something I enjoyed at one time, but I don't have the same love for it anymore. -I guess I've grown out of it. And that's OK! People change and their interests change. :)

I've been working the last few weeks trying to decide what I'd like to do next. I've decided to keep selling on Etsy- just different products! With help from my sister, I found something I totally love!

I've decided to sell personalized cards and printables!!

I've ALWAYS loved cards, stationary, planners, anything office supplies related really. So I fell in love with the idea my sister suggested to me, to design cards!

If you'd like to check out my (new and fresh) shop, click here- JaxandKatie ♥ Cards + Printables

I'll also be posting updates about my shop and new items, on this blog!

Which brings me to the next point- The Kitkat Studio. What's going to happen to it? To be honest, I haven't decided yet. With school about to start and other responsibilities I have this fall, I don't want to over commit and burn myself out. :) So we'll just have to wait and see how it plays out.

I'm sorry I left y'all with no explanation of why I wasn't posting (for 2 + 1/2 months!). I'm just making some changes and trying to decide what's best! :)

Hope y'all are having a great summer and are somewhat excited for the new school year! ;)

More coming soon!
♥Katie

25 (Non-Tech) Activites To Do This Summer

I'm on a summer roll, guys! S U M M E R, S U M M E R, S U M M E R! (and I absolutely love it)

Today, my summer themed post is 25 non tech activities to do this summer. Sometimes, during the summer with no school to keep us busy and all the extra free time, we can get...well, bored? I really hate to say it. Being bored isn't a great thing. But you know what? You can beat the boredom very easily. All you have to do is find something to keep you busy! (captain obvious here ;p)

Of course you don't want to just waste your time trying to "entertain" yourself. Try to find productive things to do, and of course be sure to still have fun!

This is pretty self explanatory. =) Here are 25 summer activity ideas.

1. Make a summer bucket list =)
2. Make popsicles
3. Go camping
4. Memorize scripture
5. Go swimming
6. Paint your nails
7. Try a new sport
8. Do a photo-shoot with a friend
9. Make s'mores
10. Start running =)
11. Learn a new hairstyle
12. Redecorate your room
13. Make a scrapbook
14. Snail mail friends
15. Have a bonfire
16. Learn a card trick
17. Bake something
18. Learn an instrument
19. Make ice cream
20. Tie dye something
21. Start an Etsy shop
22. Go to a library
23. Bike ride
24. Make friendship bracelets 

There are a TON more that aren't listed here. Would you like me to make a second list?

Happy summer!

♥Katie

SUMMER BUCKET LIST // 2017

H E Y  T H E R E! ♥
I ' M  I N  A  S U M M E R  M O O D.
A N D  W H E N  I ' M  I N  A  S U M M E R  M O O D  T H A T  M E A N S  T H I S  F O N T.
H O P E  Y O U  D O N ' T  M I N D. ♥

S U M M E R  B U C K E T  L I S T // 2 0 1 7

YAY!! SUMMER is HERE!! I can't tell you guys how excited I am. Summer is by far my favorite season and it seems like it took extra long to get here this year. ;) But today it's finally 90 degrees and sunny here in Texas and I couldn't be happier. :)

To kick off this wonderful season I decided to post my summer 2017 bucket list. I always have so much fun creating bucket list that I tend to make one every season. Sometimes I'll challenge friends to see who can complete the list first and it's always a blast!

How I'm gonna take on this bucket list

Every time I do something on this list I have to take a picture related to the activity and write a caption for that picture. At the end of the summer I'll compile all the pictures I've taken + the captions and hopefully create a blog post out of them!

Here's the list -

• Have a legit picnic
• Sleep outside/camp
• Rope swing into water
• Tie dye something
• Photo-shoot
• Make popsicles 
• Have a water fight
• Stargaze
• Read 10+ books
• Have a bonfire
• Go to a library
• Make root-beer floats
• Play four-square
• Make homemade ice cream
• Go kayaking
• Play in the sprinklers
• 100 days of summer photography challenge
• Go fishing
• Make + blow bubbles
• Make lemonade
• Make handmade cards + snail mail them to friends
• Learn a new hairstyle
• Grow something
• Make a summer playlist
• Build a blanket fort 

This was a little edit I made for my bucket list, I LOVE the ice cream cone background! So summer-y!

I've got a ton of questions for ya...

Are you out of school yet?

Whats on your summer bucket list?

What kind of summer posts would you like to see me do?

I'd love to hear!

I'm in my very last week of school, only four days left!! 🎊
♥Katie

6 Ways To Start Your Morning Off The Right Way

Let's be real. Mornings are hard.

I wish I could say that every morning I jump out of bed ready for a beautiful day, but the reality is that most people have to work hard to enjoy the getting up part of mornings and I'm in that majority.

Mornings are a great time to get things done and be productive. These are a few tips I've learned to help get me going in the morning. Hopefully these will help you too in starting your day off right.

Make Your Bed

Open The Blinds

Make A Yummy/Healthy breakfast

Get Outside

Plan Your Day

Read Your Bible + Pray

Make your bed <> I find making my bed in the morning helps me in two ways. 1) When I first jump roll out of bed making my bed gets me moving and wakes me up a little. 2) Once the bed is make it's way less temping to get bed in it and fell asleep.

Open the blinds or windows <> Getting natural light into the room while getting ready is a great way to boost your mood and wake you up. If the weathers nice out, open a window to let the fresh air flow through and hear the birds chirping.

Make a yummy/healthy breakfast <> This is something to look forward to and something to give you energy and keep you going all morning. Take the time to make pancakes or enjoy fresh fruit rather than skipping breakfast.

Get outside <> This could be simply eating your breakfast on your back porch, going on a walk, stretching outside, or doing a full blown workout. Whatever you do, being outside in the fresh air and sunlight will definitely boost your mood and energy.

Plan your day <> Take a few minutes to write out your to do list for the day, check your planner for appointments, and maybe write a bit in your journal. Get it all out on paper to make your mind less cluttered throughout the day.

Read your bible + pray <> There’s no better way to start the day than with the Word of God. Set aside a few minutes each morning to read the Bible and pray. Trust me, you’ll set yourself up for a better day ahead when you take the time.

What do you do in the mornings to start your day off right?

Should I post a 'Start Your Morning Off The Right Way 2' with my fav breakfast recipes?

♥Katie

March Photography Challenge // Recap

Here it is! A recap of my photography challenge for March, 2017. First, I need to give a little explanation. :) You're only going to find 16 pictures in this post because... I accidentally broke my SD card half way through the month and wasn't able to get another one until the end of the month. :/ (15 days without my camera was harder than I expected) I still think this challenge went great though. I'm super excited to share these few pictures with y'all!

I had the hardest time choosing between this and another cover!

Some days it was hard to pick just one picture and other days I was thinking "do I really have to post this?" but all in all I like every one of them. :) Warning: These pictures are all going to be pretty random. xD

03.01.17 Wednesday, March 1st

Haha, well er... to start off the challenge we have a very artistic picture of- an ice cream cone. Lol. I literately only took one picture this day and it was of my ice cream cone that we had for dessert for my brothers birthday. So... I guess this counts? xD

03.02.17 Thursday, March 2nd.

I just LOVE the colors in this picture!!

03.03.17. Sunday, March 3rd

Because it doesn't get this foggy very often I had to take a picture... I felt like I was in London. :) 

03.04.17 Saturday, March 4th.

These are the Christmas lights hung on my bedroom wall. I love how one light is focused but all the others are blurred!

03.05.17 Sunday, March 5th.

I was practicing my volleyball this afternoon when I realized the shadows looked pretty cool so of course I had to take a picture. ;)

03.06.17 Monday, March 6th

SUMMER!!

03.07.17 Tuesday, March 7th

03.08.17 Wednesday, March 8th

 Pretty but prickly! :)

03.09.17 Thursday, March 9th

A DIY in progress!

03.10.17 Friday, March 10th

Spring is definitely here, in Texas!

03.11.17 Saturday, March 11th

03.12.17 Sunday, March 12th

03.13.17 Monday, March 13th

This picture is super grainy because was taken with an iPhone, but it was the only one I had from today so it counts!

03.14.17 Tuesday, March 14th

Idk, I just snapped this picture of my little sis and thought it was pretty...

03.15.17 Wednesday, March 15th.

I love this picture SO much! Though it means more to a Texan... ;)

03.16.17 Thursday, March 16th.

Because food is always pretty- especially sweet food. (I edited this picture BTW.)

03.17.17 Friday March 17th... Ya know what happened. :)

I'm not doing a photography challenge in April just because it's going to be such a busy month. I'm hoping to do one in May though! I'll share it in my May Goals post. :)

So- which picture was your favorite? I really want to know!!

FYI guys, posts on The Kitkat Studio are going to change just a little bit coming up. I'm hoping to post more often- but not necessarily recipes + DIYs. (They'll still be posted every now and then!) I don't have an exact list of all the topics/things I'm going to post about, they'll still be pretty similar to what I'm posting now. Just a heads up that things are going to change a little bit. :) I'm really excited it!

Hope you had a great weekend and are super pumped about another week to live in God's awesome creation!

Remember not to take a single day for granted. :)

♥Katie