Welcome To The Jungle

Welcome to the jungle...we are ready for fall! One of the hottest trends for fall this year are animal prints. Jungle prints are a great addition to your fall wardrobe. Now I know what you all are thinking...animal prints. I am not trying to look like this...

But trust me when I tell you, animal prints can totally be a fun and trendy addition to your wardrobe without looking like Snooki (old Snooki, I love new Snooki!) I have created some easy ways to introduce this trend into your wardrobe. Keep reading below for all the great new looks!

Adding a leopard scarf, like this one from H&M is a great way to introduce animal prints into your wardrobe. Scarfs are a grew way to add a new trend into any outfit without it being overkill. I like this outfit because it is so comfy and casual. The great thing about comfy and casual is that you can still be trendy and pulled together. You do not have to sacrifice style for comfort. To keep the outfit from looking too dull I added a pop of color with these great red flats. 

Sometimes people think that animal print is only available in leopard. That couldn't be further from the truth. This Stella & Dot animal print bag is another perfect way to try out this trend. I like the darker colors of this animal print bag, allowing it to be used for work. Pairing the bag with leggings, a long tank, and a cobalt blue blazer (another big trend) allows this animal print to transition perfectly from play to work. Adding the silver jewelry allows us t pick up the silver undertones in the bag and pull the outfit together. I own this outfit and am SO excited to wear it once the weather gets cooler!

You can't always be subtle. Sometimes you have to stand out and say, "HELLO WORLD!" This is that outfit! Nothing says, "I am here," quite like red and leopard. I paired this red pencil shirt with a leopard print blouse and gold accessories. I wanted to do subtle jewelry and let the outfit speak for yourself. I like that you can use this bold print without it being cheesy or tacky. This outfit is stylish and trendy and something I would definitely wear and want in my closet.

I can't wait to hear from all of you on hear what you all are thinking of this fun trend? Will you be rocking the subtle animal prints or the more in your face outfits? I will definitely be rocking both! Until tomorrow...

Love Always,
Katie

White is the NEW Black

I hope everyone had a fantastic Labor Day. ours was filled with relaxation and plenty of college football! As ya'll know I have kicked off my training for the half marathon in November. I am in day 2 of training and REALLY hurting but I always forget how much I enjoy running when I am not doing it. It really is a high like no other. Make sure to keep checking back to see my progress.

I love this outfit so much! The nice thing about black is that it can be worn all year long...no questions asked.You could wear this with a blazer in the winter or simply as is in the summer. Why can't the same be said for white? The old adage goes...no white after Labor Day. I never really understood the saying. Why can't you wear white after Labor Day? Sure it gets chillier and linen and tank tops may not be the way to go but can't white be the new black and be worn all year long?

I believe it absolutely can. I think that the great thing about fashion is that there are no rules. It is really all up to you about to make your own rules. It is about expressing your individuality and deciding what works for you. With that being said...I do offer some guidelines to work within to keep you trendy and on point...

Pair your white skirt with a darker top to keep it looking fresh into fall. The navy top is the perfect transition color for fall because it brings a "darker" feel to this summery skirt. By adding a darker top it also allows you to play around with color in your accessories a little bit more for a more fun feel. Cobalt is a hot color this fall so I would suggest this navy chiffon top and navy shoes paired with these amazing Stella & Dot earrings, bracelet and clutch. Also as a side note, the bottoms of the earrings come off to make studs...its a 2 for 1! Who doesn't love that LOL! This is definitely a great look for fall!

I love white pants. To transition into fall change out those amazing linen pants for a thicker cream pant. These pants are gorgeous (although WAY out of my budget LOL) and they are also great for fall because they are a heavier material yet still allow us to play around with versatility in other areas of the outfit. Cream pants allow a blank canvas elsewhere so I always try and put a statement piece with them. Either by way of jewelry or in this case a statement blouse. Another big trend for fall are metallics so I paired this cream pant with a metallic blouse and nude ballet flats. By keeping everything else simple, the eye is drawn to the statement piece. What a great outfit for fall!

Trade your white t-shirts and tanks in for a comfy white/cream sweater. Nothing screams fall to me than corduroy pants, a comfy sweater, and boots. I am so in love with this crimson color for fall. It makes me want to sit by the fire drinking apple cider...or something like that LOL! Pairing this outfit with this Stella & Dot scarf adds a touch a extra color to the outfit. Sometimes simplicity is best and in this case this outfit is simple yet FABULOUS! Don't you see yourself wearing this on weekends, like me?

What do you ladies think? Will you be wearing your whites into fall and making white the new black? Let me know your favorites for fall and how you are styling the hottest fall trends! Until tomorrow...

Love Always,

Katie

P.S. Katie Dvorak was our wonderful winner of the Stella & Dot Pouf! She chose the fantastic elephant pouf. Look for it in the mail shortly Katie. We will be doing some fabulous giveaways over the next few months. if you haven't already make sure to like The Katie Diaries on Facebook to stay up to date on everything!!

XOXO

Fall Beauty Trends

Hello Lovelies! I hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day weekend. We are hanging out at the house and catching up on some much needed relaxation. Nothing says relaxation on a rainy day better than Starbucks and some great TV!

Now that Labor Day is upon us I finally feel like Fall is here. Fall is my favorite season! I love the chilly days and football filled nights. I love boots and sweaters. I love apple cider and pumpkin pie! Since fall is just around the corner, I wanted to focus on some of the biggest beauty trends for fall.

One of the biggest trends for fall is the bare face. When I say bare face I don't mean not wearing makeup all I mean is wearing makeup when it looks like you aren't. Here are some great tips for achieving this look!

• Apply a sheer foundation all over your face making sure to blend down onto your neck. Two of my favorites are NARS Sheer Glow Foundation and Fit Me by Maybelline
• Subtly contour your cheekbones. Draw attention to your cheeks by applying a color a couple shades darker than your skin tone under your cheekbones to really make then pop. I love L'Oreal True Match Powder for all my contouring needs!
• Mascara! You need to wear mascara when doing a natural look. It is a sure fire way to bring attention to your eyes while still looking natural. Couple that with a shimmery eyeshadow like this one from NYX and your eyes will be all set.
• Last but certainly not least you will want to use a pale pink matte lipstick to really pull the whole look together. one of my favorites is ModelCo lipstick in Kitty.

Using these techniques you are guaranteed to have people wondering...how is she so pretty not wearing any makeup!

Another big trend for fall is bold brows. I am a big fan of bold brows. These two girls rule the big brow phenomenon. It is such a great way to pull your look together. One of the musts when rocking big brows is that you have to fill them in. If you don't they are just going to look unkept. I prefer to fill my brows in with shadow, but a pencil works too. It is really about personal preference. I like shadow because I think it looks a little bit more natural. To begin filling in start at the end of your brow (the part closest to the temples) and work your way in. I do this so because the first place your brush/pencil hits will be the darkest, so working inwards allows a more natural look.

When I had long hair I wore my hair in some sort of braided look at least twice a week. I must be ahead of the curve because all over the runways for fall were braids. These three are some of my favorites styles I have seen lately. TheyBraids don't have to be tight and polished some of the best braids are messy and unstructured. These three looks can go from day to night and are easy to do.

What does everyone think of the big beauty trends for fall? Will you be trying them out? Can't wait to hear about your thoughts. Until tomorrow...

Love Always,

Katie