Sunny Days

Summertiiiiime and the LA weather is easy...except for when you want to hide your body and you can't because it's 100 degrees outside. 

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I’ve loved being cold my whole life because I could throw on big sweaters and pants and hide. When it's hot you can't do that. You're forced to show ya body.

The heat was a huge plus for LA after four Chicago winters (I.was.DONE!), but it also made me nervous. What would happen if I had a bad day and wanted to hide in a huge coat? I couldn’t. I could enjoy my damn life, though! I could stop letting insecurities hold me back. So the latter options are what I went with and look at me now. Backless sundress is out to play in all its glory baby!

I love my body all the time, but that doesn't mean that every single insecurity disappears forever. We're human! We're going to have doubts and fears. It's how we handle ourselves in the face of those fears that determines our character! Do we let fear stop us from getting or doing something that could make us really happy? Or do we say, "I'm scared but f*ck it! I want this and I will deal with the scary feelings when they come up. I will assess what the fear is stemming from, tell myself it'll be ok, and wait for it to pass. I'm not going to run from something I want". Let's keep picking the latter options! Hellyeah! 

I want to challenge you to not let insecurities keep you from something you want! From something as small as wearing a dress you want to wear to something as big as asking that cute person you like out, or moving, or whatever! If we believe in ourselves and have the courage to go for it we can do anything. I'm a broken record on this because I firmly believe it.

As Summer winds to a close, I hope you aren't letting yourself hide in thick baggy clothes all the time if you don't want to. I hope you're wearing beautiful backless sundresses and not letting the fear of showing your body keep you from joy. You don't owe anyone a slim summer body. Live your fashion truth and expose whatever you wanna. :)

How does Summer make you feel? Do you dread showing so much of your body or are you embracing it? Let me know on Instagram or Facebook!

Not apologizing for the basic song choice it was the vibe!!! Just let yourself feel joy please :)

My Skincare Routine

Hi! It's time to talk about skincare! I have super dry skin so my routine will not be for everyone, but if you have desert skin as well: welcome. Settle in. Let me tell you a tale of hydration, nourishment, and taking time to take care of ourselves.

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I have a four-step routine that I do in the morning before putting on makeup. It keeps my foundation looking more like skin and it's nice to take some time out for myself! As Jonathan of Queer Eye tells us: "it's not selfish it's self-care and there's a difference". 

Taking the time (and money) out to have a skincare routine is not practical for everyone, but no matter the time or budget constraints you may be faced with, it's still worth finding products that work for you!  

Five points if you spot me ;)

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I'm going to describe the steps in order going clockwise from the top left!

1. A delightfully delicate cleanser from Lancer. I used to use makeup remover wipes to clean my face but it was wasteful and using good ol' soap and water twice a day makes me feel like I'm in a commercial. A tiny spot of this stuff cleans my whole face. I feel fresh without my skin dying out which is monumental!

2. Next step is to clear away the dead skin! I don't use these facials every day, more like once or twice a week. The two-step process from Dr. Dennis Gross smooths and clears the skin to keep it fresh and healthy.

3. Moisturizer! The main event! Just like the cleanser a tiny bit of this Lancer moisturizer really does the damn thing. I'm left feelin' super moisturized without feeling greasy.

4. Lastly, I set and refresh with The Organic Pharmacy Rose Facial Spray. It's made with real-ass-roses and it smells. so. good! I'll spray this before and after foundation and also later in the day if my makeup feels a little stale and needs a hydrating boost.

Taking the time out of your day to spend a little while pampering yourself, even if it's just two minutes, will remind you of how important it is to take care of your needs! It reminds me every day that I care about myself and I am worthy of care. It helps me manifest that in other parts of my life as well. 10/10 would recommend :)

What's your skincare routine? Tell me on Facebook or Instagram! 

Tour My Home!

Hi! This is a post I am so so excited to share.

I have always been a huge fan of Home Tours, especially ones from The Everygirl, and now it's my time to share my own!

I have been living in this space for two years now, and while it is not finished and it is not as perfect as I would like for it to be, I am moving! So I'm sharing my space with you to commemorate what was my beautiful little apartment. RIP. 

I have lived in a studio in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. My biggest goals in this space were to have it be bright and colorful, to have it be pleasing and cozy, to have it look cohesive, to keep it not toooooo cluttered, and to keep everything organized. 

That exposed brick tho.

Let's start with the living room! I got these couches for my first apartment when I was in college. They serve as a great neutral base for whatever color-scheme I decide to go for. My tip is to keep your couch neutral so that you can change the vibe around it depending on your mood with quick switches of throw pillows or gallery art or any other accessories! If you keep the big/ most expensive things neutral you can keep them for a long time. The throw pillows are no longer sold but these Kate Spade beauties have a similar vibe to the Zebras; here's something similar to the black and pillow.

I started with a neutral base of white, black, and gold with pops of green for this room, but the older I got the more color I wanted. So pink, a little brown, and silver were added to freshen everything up. If you're just starting out with home decorating I would suggest the neutral base with a pop of color, but I also think there are no rules and your house gets to look like whatever you want it to. So do ya own thing b.

Another favorite part of this space is my gallery wall. I chose to keep everything in a black frame to make it feel cohesive, but I love when I've seen gallery walls with tons of different textures and colors too. It just depends on the vibe of your room! One other fav part of this wall is how flowers always look so good on top of my record player/in front of that flapper girl art print...I die for that lil moment it makes me feel like a true adult. 

Shoutout to Queer Eye on Netflix and to Carmex! I am addicted to both.

In a small space, I had to get creative with organization. My TV stand is also my dresser, the green poof next to is filled with miscellaneous things, I keep a basket of blankets in between the couches, and shelving organizers are key in keeping everything looking neat. My biggest tip for organization is that everything needs a container/home to be put back inside of at the end of the day. The basket for blankets keeps those organized, my craft basket is a great place to throw those supplies, my papers or office supplies are all kept in their own containers as well. The systems are all set up so that now I don't have to think about them.

Kitchen time!

It's tiny and there's not a lot of counter space but it's modern and nice! If you haven't guessed by now, flowers are very important to me! As soon as I saw these towels at Anthropologie I knew I needed the whole set. I have the pot holder and the apron to match. 

In the back corner, I have a mini little bar area, a little plant and a fruit bowl that I love, a little sponge holder that my Momma got me when we went to Paris. In the other corner is a succulent, my teapot, some sugar containers, a cake stand, and currently some flowers but that's only because I ran out of surfaces to put them on. 

My favorite part of my kitchen are all my Broadway Magnets! Whenever I go to a show I buy a magnet and it's a nice little reminder of those happy memories! We love Broadway!

Shoutout to my pals, my favorite Degas, and St. Dionysius.

Now it's time for the bedroom. While I truly love this little house, something it truly lacks is storage so I had to get creative. I travel a lot and I have quite a few pieces of luggage, plus some other misc. items, so the only solution my Momma and I could come up with was to get bed risers. My bed is high so that I can keep everything under there. It's a little too college but I feel like a princess with my bed this tall tbh. My headboard is something else that I've had forever, and the bedding is old too.

Shoutout to my lil flamingo friend! :)

The deer was a Christmas present from a best friend many years ago as well. (Sorry nothing in here is current but I found lookalikes!) 

One tip I do want to give though is that nothing on my bed matches too perfectly. I love that the white of the duvet is different from the cream of the pillows and it's a little different from the headboard. Not being too matchy-matchy makes it feel like a real person lives here instead of this being a showroom. 

Rebellions are built on hope.

My bathroom is a cute little closet! There are no windows but it's ok because I have a bathtub and a ton of counter space. This room is a little matchy-matchy because I couldn't resist. (I'm learning through writing this that even if my bed might not be, I am still definitely a very matchy-matchy girl. My Mom is so happy rn.) I love having all of my makeup displayed, I love my flower shower curtain hooks, I love my "peachy-keen Jellybean" cross stitch, I love it all! 

I'll do makup favs in a diff post! <3

That's all! I love my little space and I hope you loved lookin' at it! My last piece of advice is that you're the Room BossTM and your space gets to look exactly how you want it to! As long as it makes you feel good that's all that matters. Forget trends and rules and create a space that makes you happy to be in it! 

My little house is my favorite place to be and I'm sure I'm going to miss it very much when I move to LA at the end of this month. So many sweet sweet mems! Moments with friends, dates, laughs, lonely nights, parties, kisses. My little yoga studio, movie theater, spa, disco, refuge and so much more. I am lucky I got to live here. Now onto the next! 

Tell me your design thoughts below! What would you add or change? I want to know! 

Four Of The Most Instagrammable Spots In San Francisco

When in a new city it can be hard to know the best places to sightsee! It also can be difficult to find where to get that perfect tourist gram! Enter me! Your fav Insta-obsessed bb is here to help you see the best sights and take the best pics. Here are four (of the many, many, many) beautiful places I love in San Francisco. Enjoy and gram the crap out of them! 

1. Haight Street

First up is Haight Street! Full of history, this street is the prefect tourist destination in general. The center of the Summer of Love moment, home of the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Shop, and home to the most amazing taxidermy store I've ever experienced. The Haight is also full of beautiful murals and buildings to gram. These fnnch lips are my favs, but if you spend a day along Haight street walking from park to park you'll find everything you're looking for and then some!

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2. Palace of Fine Arts

The Palace of Fine Arts was originally built in 1915 for the World's Fair, but it was so pretty they decided it would be a crime to remove it after the fair was done. Thank Goodness! It is one of the prettiest places in San Francisco for sure. Any given day you can find prom parties, wedding parties, engaged couples, and Insta baddies taking pictures here. Don't let it's popularity detour you! You want these dreamy pics in your life and on your feed. 

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3. Mural Alley in the Mission

The Clarion Alley Mural Project was established in 1992 by local artists as a way to amplify the artistic voices of marginalized groups by giving them space to produce aesthetically diverse public art. This alley, and several others around the Mission, are filled with beautiful and moving pieces by a broad range of artists. Come for the pics, but stay for the beautiful art. 

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4. China Beach

Sadly China Beach is not the Princess Diaries beach, but not sadly you can't beat the view and privacy this beach provides! You can see the dang Golden Gate Bridge! Hike down to this beach with a packed lunch, your camera, and someone you love to have a truly delightful afternoon. 

If you try any of these grams be sure to tag me! I want to see! I hope you enjoy seeing these sights and taking these pics, but of course, in the end, I think we all learned that the only Instagrams that matter are the ones you post inside your heart. ;)

Recipes: Mom's Nice Greek Salad

Today I'm talking a little bit about food!

I am not the best chef in the world. Before recently I spent more money on takeout than groceries mostly because I've always had a really complicated relationship to food. 

I'm a much better chef now though, and I'm working to make my relationship with food better for me personally! I'm learning a lot about cooking and I'm getting better and better in the kitchen, but the thing I have always been the bomb at is making salads. I'm going to share my favorite go-to with you today: my Mom's Nice Greek Salad. 

A normal/traditional Greek Salad doesn't have lettuce and instead consists of cucumber, tomato, feta, and olive oil with oregano. The salad I'm showing you is totally different than that (lol) so while it's technically not a Greek salad, it's a Geek Salad in my heart. 

This is a salad I grew up with and I have a strong emotional attachment to. My mom makes this salad for us for everything from family dinners to huge parties, and now I make it all the time for myself and the special people in my life! When my Aunt used to come over before I was born, she would always ask my mom to make her "nice Greek salad" and my family has called it that ever since.

Here it is from my family to yours! It's easy, delish, and a sure-fire hit. Grab a ton of Feta and let's get tossin'.

Shoutout to the little bottle of Ouzo in the background. I'm so Greek. 

To make this Nice Greek Salad you'll need:

1. Lettuce
2. Feta (I'm loving the TJ's Crumbled Feta right now but the best feta, in general, is Velbreso)
3. Chicken
4. Avocado
5. Red Onion
6. Lemon
7. Red Wine Vinegar
8. Canola or Olive Oil
9. Greek Oregano
10. Other Vegtables of your Choice*

You'll want to start with chopping up all your veggies. It's called "misenplats" and means "setting up". When you cook you always want to prepare all your ingredients before you start so you're ready once it gets goin'! Chop whatever needs to be chopped, have every ingredient out in front of you that you'll need, and mentally/emtionally/spirituually prep so that everything flows mre easily.

*My mom always puts cucumber and tomato in the salad in addition to everything else, but I don't like cucumber or tomatoes. You do you though bb.

Next is getting the chicken ready! If you're a veggie skip this step. I usually rub with a little garlic powder and cook in a pan with a little butter. Cook until white all the way through and set aside. 

Then the dressing! One part red wine vinegar, two parts olive or canola oil, and lemon juice to taste. For me it's usually about half a lemon. You can add in a pinch or two of Greek oregano if you wish and then whisk! 

Final steps are throwing it all in a bowl and tossin' it up! Easy peasy.

Food is something that I often shy away from talking about. I have been on diet after diet after diet in my life so food was always either not to be enjoyed/just fuel or was a naughty secret indulgence. When I was younger there were many many times where I would starve myself all day and then binge at night. I was bigger than everyone else at school so I didn't want to have people look at me eat. In my mind sometimes I would think that if I didn't talk about food and wasn't seen eating, no one could point at me and say "well that's why you're fat" and make me wrong for the body that I have. It took me such a long time to come to grips with having an eating disorder because in my mind eating disorders only came with being thin. It has been a really long road and I'm sure that it will take time to change some deeply ingrained behavior surrounding eating and food, but it's getting better all the time. 

I'm learning as I get older that cooking and making something can be fun and rewarding! Cooking for me isn't to lose weight, it's not to punish myself, and it's not to fit into some mold society wants to push onto me. Cooking is a form of self-care! I always feel good after I've made and fed myself something delicious. I am a human being who needs food to live and I feel good after I cook that food myself! Sometimes too I order a pizza and feel good then also. Balance. 

Hopefully, by now you're chompin' on a delicious Nice Greek Salad! I love sharing family recipes and moments with you and I love when you share them with me so tell me about a favorite family dish of your own on Facebook! 

What's In My Bag?

Hey! Today I wanted to share the essentials I carry with me that help me get through the day! It's a "What's In My Bag Challenge" post. You ready? Leggo:  

Wallet. I have three wallets of various sizes that I circle through depending on the day and what I'll be doing. First is this giant Kate Spade with a zipper all the way around. The exact wallet I own is a few years old so the exact color isn't available now, but the style is called Cameron Street Lacey. There's tons of space for everything I would ever need and then some!

Next is another Kate Spade, the Cameron Street Stacy. It's open all the way around with just one snap to keep it closed. Stacey is a little sleeker and smaller, but still has more space than I need.

Then there's this little baby I picked up at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale last year. It's a small card holder that fits the few cards I need in a day, my ID, and some cash. Perf for going out or running to the store and slipping it in a pocket. 

Lippies. Carmex is my number one holy grail product. I have about eight floating around my house and bags at any given time. I like the Strawberry flavor in Carmex, but classic is always nice too. I love the two balms pictured above as well. The Burt's Bees Flavor Crystals and the Kiehl's Lip Balm #1. The Burt's Bees balm has sugar crystals so it's like a lip scrub in a tube! The Kiehl's is super moisturizing and smells amazing. My favorite lipstick if I want some true color is the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Amazing Grace. I'll dive deeper into lip products and makeup in general in a different post. :) Stay tuned! 

Keys. I got this keychain at a Toss store in San Francisco a million years ago and I LOVE it, but they don't offer it anymore. I couldn't find my cablecar design on the company's website either, but this heart is a cutie! 

Phone. For cases, I always go with a Sonix. Sonix cases have always done a great job of protecting my phone from any damage (knock on wood) and they're super cute. The rose-gold phone grip is by PopSockets.

Mints. Trader Joe's Ginger Mints. You're welcome. 

Notes. I always keep paper and a pen with me, you never know when you'll need them! I like to keep my Liberty London planner, but when my purse isn't big enough I keep tiny pretty notebooks at hand. My Liberty planner is actually from the Liberty store in London, but Anthropologie has a similar one! I couldn't find my exact current small notebook on the Paper Source website (it was from a local Paper Source store in Chicago), but here are some other cute ones! 

Mist. I was introduced to this Mario Badescu Facial Spray by Valeria Lipovetsky and it's honestly amazing. The spray is so refreshing and wonderful. I love to keep it in my bag as a refresher throughout the day. (Also I'm going to link Valeria's YouTube because she is inspiring and lovely.) I also love The Organic Pharmacy Rose Facial Spritz as mists go.

Clean. These Moist Towlettes by Herban Essentials are so insanely useful. Keep them around for your hands, your face, a dirty bus handle...anything. You never know when you will need one, they smell heavenly, and they're all natural. 

Sunnies. I always like to keep a pair of sunglasses handy. This pair is by Diff and I'm in love with the vibes. 

So what did you think? Let me know on Instagram or Facebook the essentials you loved and what you thinking I'm missing! I love to try what you all recommend for me.

First Blog Post: Eeek!

Hi! I am seriously, seriously, SO excited you're here and reading this. Welcome to the blog! Yay!

My poor bb bangs didn't stand a chance against the Chicago wind.

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Halfway through the shoot I had to take off the heels and switch to these tennies. I had to! Both are very me though. Gemini Things.

I have been thinking about starting a blog for forever (like the last ten years!) and it was finally time to stop waiting for everything to be perfect and to just go for it! So here it is. :)

I want to share everything in my life with you: fashion, beauty, home decorating, cooking, politics, feelings, self-esteem, body-image, self-empowerment, crafting, art, TV shows, family, musicals, auditions, flowers, friendship, new songs I've learned on the ukulele...everything! Hopefully you'll like it! Hopefully you'll also want to engage, discuss, be here, teach me things, and be best pals! 

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So hello, it's nice to meet you! I'm Katie Yeilding. I like fashion, body positivity, musicals, beauty, pizza, music, candles, flowers, lists apparently, and so much more. I'm an actress living in Chicago (for now!) and I run a clothing business with my Momma! I have an amazing boyfriend, an amazing family, and amazing friends who will all be featured here sometime. For now though, this blog will be about you getting to know me!

First things first: I always have music playing. Music makes more sense to me than anything else (that's why I love musicals because not expressing your emotions through song doesn't compute). Because of this, I will embed a song at the bottom of each post that sets the mood. The songs may have lyrics that are applicable or just have a vibe that I feel is right. No matter what though you can always scroll down and press play before you come back up to view the full post! 

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I so rarely see a body like mine in the media attached to a happy, strong, sexy, cute, fun, flirty, and confident girl. When big girls are portrayed it's someone crying in the corner talking about how hard it is to lose weight or they're just a punchline. So many of us are more the former girl than the latter and that's what I want to start putting out into the world! 

There's a lot I want to accomplish with this blog, but mostly I want to make you smile and feel bold and beautiful. 

So let the fun begin! I am so so so so so excited.