Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mum's out there. I hope you all had fantastic days.

I, for the third year in a row, was unlucky and didn't get to spend it with my wonderful mother. Seeing as we live in different parts of the country. But I wanted to write a little appreciation post.

My beautiful mother when she was around my age.

I adore you to the moon and back and love you more than words can describe.

Thank you for always being there for me not matter what and putting up with me, even though sometimes I am the worst.

I wouldn't be who I am today without you and wouldn't be the person I am without you. And I can't think of anyone better that I would have wanted to learn all those things from.

We have had so many great moments and I am truly thankful for having you in my life.

I miss you and can't wait for when I get home in a few weeks time so that I can see you.

xxx Kat

May inspiration board.

Welcome to the small list of things that are making me happy and inspired in the month of May

1. Study and hard work. I have a ton of uni work to do, and working hard towards finishing my final year of uni is in full swing.

2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I was practically brought up on Star Wars and so the recent release of the newest one has me pumped for what is to come.

3. Polka dots. I just have something for this pattern at the moment.

4. Outdoor adventures. All the hard work and studying has made me crave being outdoors and exploring.

5. Getting cosy with tea. With the winter months coming up, I'm all too ready to snuggle up and get comfy.

6. Sweater weather. Once again winter is headed my way and I can't wait to pull out all my knitted sweaters and wear them 24/7.

xx Kat

Sometimes I wish life would just slow down.

Welcome to one of possibly many late night ramble posts from me this month. This going to be a stream of consciousness type of thing.

Right now I haven't had anytime today to plan a post, what with being sick and the mountain of uni work that constantly sits in the corner, nagging at me that it needs to be finished.

So this is what leads me to today ramble. How I wish that time would slow down.

I almost feel like there isn't enough hours in the day for me to finish all of the work that I have planned for the day. Like the list magically grows, without me adding anything to it. I feel like time just flies by, and then I realise that I have only put a tiny dent in any to-do list.

If time could slow down I would be able to enjoy the small moments and appreciate the little things. I would be able to finish any work I have to a satisfactory level and not have to stress out about running out of time.

If time could slow down I would be able to get over this flu, without making it worse by not resting and constantly being on the go.

I currently have no time to rest, and yet procrastination is my best form of avoiding any work I have to complete. Like time and my mind are battling for my sanity and the part of me that doesn't want to do any work at all is winning. Slowly.

Life is just a series of moments, and those moments slip away faster that you sometimes wish.

So that was just one late night ramble thought that has been on my mind lately.

Whilst blogging is currently a form of procrastination, it's not one I'm mad about.

xx Kat

Birthdays.

The milestone of every year that represents us getting one year older than we were. 

Today was mine.

Now I must admit, now that I am older I don't quite get excited about it like I did when I was a kid. I find that other people are more excited about it than I am personally, but I wouldn't be able to tell you why that is. Maybe the thought of growing up just frightens me, and I wish that I could be like Peter Pan and the lost boys, and never grow up.

That's not to say that I am truly appreciative of the people who made my day better and filled it with the extra sunshine that one deserves on their special day.

To my family for cheering me up all day and singing happy birthday to me on the phone multiple times.

To my roommate who went out of her way to make me and ice cream cake, of which she is the first person (Outside of my family) to ever make me a cake.

To the girls I work with back home for sending me pictures of the dogs from work with their messages, it cheered me up and made me feel a little bit homesick.

And to everyone who went out of their way to say Happy Birthday, I'm not sure I deserve it from some of you, but thank you anyway.

I hope you all had a wonderful Monday, and that someone puts that little bit of sunshine into your day, like you all deserve.

xx Kat 

Failure.

A word that has become one that is used a lot by myself, to myself, about myself. With me uncertainty being a major player in how my brain works, the word failure gets thrown around a lot, and somedays even gets the best of me.

That's what has been happening to me over the past two weeks, I started May Madness with a strong heart and plans of completion in perfect timing this year, but I was wrong. My doubts got the better of me, which is why there has been so few posts so far in May. 

But I want to say that failure shouldn't be getting you down, to be fair I probably shouldn't be preaching that, I am the biggest victim of the thought of failure. But that changes now. I will hopefully over the last week of May left this year, complete May Madness and by the 31st there should be 29-31 posts just like I promised.

I hope you are all feeling well.

xx Kat

Dance it out

With being a self confessed stress head , I have picked up a few ways of de-stressing over the years. One of my all time favourites is dancing it out.

I usually do this when I am home alone, so I can dance without anyone watching and like I don't care at all. I just find some songs on Itunes that I feel like dancing to at that particular point in time, and just go for it.

This seems to make the stress fade away and also builds up a bit of a sweat, creating the perfect relaxing moment and getting in a bit of a workout.

My tips for dancing it out:

- Drink water in between, helps replace whatever you have sweated out and keeps you hydrated.

- Keep it safe and try to avoid injury, something that I am not good at, but I do try.

- Find the music that really makes you want to dance, for me its mostly musicals.

- Dance like you don't have a care in the world.

- You don't have to be good at dancing, just go with the flow and what feels right.

What are some songs that you can't help but dance to?

xx Kat

Rainy day adventures.

One of the positive things about having moved away from home and to another state, is that I have had to find all new places to go to for basic things. One of those things was a mechanic to have a look at my car. This also meant that I needed to find my way around and away from the mechanics and finding a place to spend my time whilst I waited for my car to be finished.

I probably picked the best/worst day to get this done as it decided to hail and rain as I was making my way to the mechanics. It was also fun as I forgot my umbrella, so I had to walk in the rainy day drizzle, with a side of hail.

I eventually got myself into the safety and warmth of a local shopping centre and curled myself up with a hot coffee and a good book, to waste away the hours that I had to wait for them to finish working on my car.

The walk, even though it was cold, it was also quite refreshing, like I might have frozen half of my body off, but it made me feel refreshed and relaxed a little.

Just the joy of a Melbourne autumn.

xx Kat

My pick me up movie list.

Today was tough and like I said in regards to my, your own happiness blog post, I said that I would be doing these posts once a month. Or whenever I am in need of a pick me up.

So today I thought I would share with you my personal pick me up movies:

- 10 Things I Hate About You

- Tangled

- Mean Girls

- Fired up!

- Hercules

- Robin Hood (the disney version)

- Pitch Perfect

- John Tucker Must Die

- Any of the Harry Potter movies

- The Emperors New Groove

- Mamma Mia

- Hairspray

- When in Rome (Kristen Bell is my favourite person)

- She's the Man

- Easy A

As you can see many of them are musicals/disney films. I am a sucker for a good musical or disney film.

What are some of your cheer up movies?

xx Kat

I'm a self-confessed stress head.

Life is stressful, that is one lesson I learned quite early in life. Although I didn't realise how stressful it really could be until I left high school and had to live in the grown up world. Something I still struggle with now. 

But for as long as I can remember I always stressed out about things, it's just something I do. 

These past couple of weeks have been super stressful for me. Uni assignments need to be done. Things for my car need to be done. Money things need to be done. And they all just seem to add up.

To be fair I put an extra load of stress on myself by doing May Madness, but truth be told I find it relaxing. For example, this non planned post is making me feel a bit better because I am getting my mind, if only for a little while, of some of the things I actually need to do. It relieves my stress and just works.

Here are some of my tips for de-stressing:

 - Remove yourself from the stressful situation, even if it is just for a small amount of time.

- Exercise is a great way to relax and its good for you.

- Look at cute animals on the internet, our your own pet, I mean seriously it helps.

- Dance. It's as simple as that.

- Lie on the floor, one of my personal favourites.

- Or alternatively blanket burrito.

- Craft.

- Read a book or watch a movie.

- Find something funny to watch, this is a good way to feel better.

What are some of your relaxation techniques that help you de-stress?

xx Kat 

May Inspiration Board

This month is full of assignments and tons of uni related things, but after all the hard work is over I get to look forward to my winter holidays, and that excites me. There have been a few things that have been influencing me over the past week and I thought I would share them with you.

With the winter looming over me on this side of the world I have been inspired by lots of wintery clothes and also my need for wanderlust and adventure has me dreaming of an escape.

So here are six things that are inspiring me at the moment.

- Shoe Love: Jeffrey Campbell for Free people Joe Lace Up Boots, I have been in love with these boots for a while now and with winter coming they are the perfect style.

- Dreaming of Adventure: My mind has been dreaming of travel and one place I really want to visit is Denmark.

- Winter Warmer: This Sorted Food version of moussaka uses my favourite food, sweet potato and looks incredible 

- Mint colours: Mint green is a current colour obsession of mine.

- Autumn Colours: The best thing about this time of year is the colours of the trees and they are some of the most beautiful colours around.

- Knitted Love: This Shaggy Knit Pullover by Free People is perfect for the winter ahead and the plum colour is so lovely, I just want to snuggle up in it.

What are some things that are inspiring you this month?

xx Kat

My soundtrack to happiness.

Last month I wrote a blog post about happiness, Your own happiness, in which I stated that I would be starting a series based around the things that make me personally happy.

So today I thought I would start out with the songs that make me personally feel happy.

We'll Be the Star by Sabrina Carpenter

Our Own House by MisterWives

Ready or Not by Bridgit Mendler

Really Don't Care by Demi Lovato

March Into the Sun by Echosmith

Land of Opportunity by A Great Big World

Love Is On the Radio by McFly (or alternatively the Hopeful Live Mix)

Ready To Go (Get Me Out Of My Mind) by Panic! At the Disco

New Shoes by Paolo Nutini

Ain't It Fun by Paramore

Wonderland by Taylor Swift

New Romantic by Taylor Swift

Girls Do What They Want by The Maine

No Matter Where You Are by Us

I've Got a Dream from the Tangled Soundtrack

Those are some of the songs that make me happy, what are some of yours?

xx Kat

April Favourites 2015

So this is a new type of frequent blog post I would like to start doing. These are possibly on of my favourite blog posts to read and vlogs to watch. I can't exactly tell you why though because I don't even know myself.

So here are my favourites for the month of April.

Decor:

Back to the Future and 17th Century World Map

I instantly fell in love with these two poster when I saw them at a Blue Dog poster sale and couldn't help by buy them. I have been a huge fan of the Back to the Future series since I was a kid and I have a fascination with old worldly things, such as maps and cultures.

Beauty:

Breath of Fresh Air toner water from Lush

I have really been trying new products lately, trying to find what works well for my skin, and this product really works for me. I am a huge fan of Lush products, so it is nice that I have found one that I really like and that works well on y skin.

Kiehl's Lip Balm #1

I have been carrying this with me everywhere since the moment I first tried it. I love how it protects my lips and how soft it makes them feel.

Shoes:

Brown Lace up boots from Kmart

I need a cheep but comfy pair of boots, in preparation for winter and these ones are exactly what I was looking for.

TV:

iZombie 

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Rob Thomas (the producer) that I had to just give this show a go and like many other things that Rob Thomas has done, I have been loving it. Its a good solid mix of comedy and drama, with a cool supernatural element mixed, definitely one of my top shows that have come out this year.

Movie:

Cinderella

Lets be honest I am a huge Disney fan and this was done spectacularly.

Clothes:

Bonded Hoodie from Cotton On Body

One of the comfiest jumpers I own, this was an impulse by as I was out and it started to get cold, but I am actually glad I bought it.

Thats all for this months favourites, what are some of your favourite things from the month of April?

xx Kat

A letter to my 16 year old self.

With my official turning of 22 having happened I thought today I would write a letter to my 16 year old self. 

So here goes.

Dear 16 year old Kat,

Right now you are probably sitting in one of your 11th grade classes, daydreaming about getting out of the classroom and having grand adventure in the great big world, something that you still do to this day.

Hold onto that dream, it will lead you to trying new things and even making the biggest decision of your life so far, which is moving away from home to study at University, something you never thought you would do. 

There are so many things I wish I could tell you, things that you keep you safe and protected for some of the oncoming tough times that you are yet to experience. I wish I could tell you about the people who will eventually let you down and those who you no longer trust at all, even if you wouldn't believe me. Sometimes even I don't believe what some of things are, and they have already happened to me.

But let me tell you this is does get better, no matter how silly that sounds, it does.

Eventually we make the right choices, ones that are good for ourselves, even if it takes that one final push, we make some hard decisions, but they are the right ones.

Firstly don't let people push you around and tell you what to do, or how to act. Also don't let people tell you what to like/what not to like. These people aren't important in the long run and are not good for you. 

Eventually you do find the right people to hang out with, a certain few who you really get along with and that you feel completely comfortable around, even though it took you a bit longer than most, you have an amazing group of new and old friends now that you find comfort in.

Secondly don't give up on any of your dreams, you will and have found a way to further some of your dreams and thats the best thing that you could have possibly done. 

Finally, everything turns out pretty okay, whilst I can't speak for what the future will hold, for now everything is pretty good and you are finally doing something that makes you feel happy and is leading you towards on of your big dreams.

If I could meet you face to face now and tell you all this I would. Some of these things I wish I knew back then, being able to know that some of the worries I held back then are not important anymore would have been a big help.

Just hold on for a little longer

Love 22 year old you.

What are some things that you would tell you younger self?

xx Kat

21 things I learnt in my 21st year.

So today is the official last day of being 21. Tomorrow I grow yet another year older.

So for the first day of May Madness I thought I would list 21 things I learnt over this past year. These things have changed me. And I though I would share them with you.

1. Pulling an all nighter before a performance day is a horrible idea and is something that should never be done.

2. Essay are not as scary as I thought they were in high school, especially if you have a week or so to write them, with your own notes.

3. Living out of home for the first time teaches you many useful skills.

4. When food shopping, don't spend it all on snacks.

5. Also don't spend all your money on items that aren't food.

6. Organisation is the key to getting things done on time.

7. To-do lists are a life saver.

8. Whenever possible wear comfortable shoes/clothes.

9. Try not to get drunk for fun very often. This usually leads to injury and sadness.

10. Don't over highlight notes.

11. Craft is a good form of procrastination. So go crazy and paint the life out of, or into, as many things as possible.

12. Being sick sucks when there is work that needs to be done.

13. Take less 'sick' days, you are more productive when this doesn't happen.

14. Those people in your life that suck at being nice/a friend/ helpful, are not important enough to worry about. 

15. Worrying less is better for you.

16. But worrying seems to be a big thing these days, as well as stressing about everything.

17. Surrounding yourself with people who make you smile is the best thing ever.

18. Never let anyone question what makes you happy.

19. Find people that make you soul shine, they are the people who should be your friends.

20. Living with people you get along with is so much better than living with people you don't get along with.

21. Find the things that make you happy and use them when you are feeling sad or down.

What are some important lessons you learnt over the past year?

xx Kat