DIY floral crown

Flower Crown

Supplies:
Thick Brown Floral Wire
Thin Green Floral Wire
Floral Tape
Pliers/ Wire Cutters
Scissors
A varied selection of fake or fresh flowers, twigs, grasses, berries, buds, etc.

Just a note: fresh flower crows stay in the fridge for about 2 days.

Instructions:
1. Measure your head and use the pliers to snip a piece of brown wire that is long enough to go around two or three times. then twist your wire around to secure it. You can do this a few different ways; either twist the two ends of wire and then fold to the side, or wrap the ends around the crown part of the wire. Your wire should be one big circle with nothing poking out. 2. Next, I suggest plotting your flowers out before you start taping, just to make sure you know what you want. You can put a few big flowers in first and then fill it in with grasses, buds, and smaller flowers. maybe even take a peek on Pintrest and find a design you like and make that your template. 3. When you're ready to secure the flowers, cut the stem to be about 1-2 inches. Hold it to where you want it to sit on your crown and start wrapping the tape around. You'll end up having to overlap the stems, so keep that in mind. Also, it's best to work from one side to the other, or from the center out. Keep going till you're happy with the way it looks. You can keep a little bit in the back uncovered, or you can do flowers around the entire thing.

One thing I love about this project is that you can make a crown to fit every season; for a Fall crown, you can use autumn colored flowers and leaves, and for a Winter/Christmas crown, you can use berries, evergreen branches, etc. Here's a few more pictures for reference, and cause they look super cool ;)

Self Care: Beat the Winter Blues

I've been having a rough couple of months lately, so I've been investing in a little more self care than usual (let it be noted that part of this self care is learning what my limits are and when/how to say no. This is an important lesson.) I've compiled a list of things that help me when I feel burnout:

Run a bath/spa day
How you feel physically can and will effect how you feel mentally. Personally, I find baths relaxing, especially if you make a little cocktail of bubbles and salts and bath bombs. Put your laptop in a safe spot and turn on some Netflix, or use your phone to play music. Lights some candles. Create a nice cozy space. If I don't have time for a full out bath then usually I'll just pull a face mask from my stash and use that. Or, if you want a double whammy of relaxation, use both together ;)

take a cozy day
This is along the same lines of the bath--surround yourself with your favorite things. Read a book, scroll through Pintrest for inspiration, make a cozy drink or snack. Wear some comfy clothes and take some time to really reconnect with yourself.

pray/meditate
Praying is honestly a no-fail way for me to feel relaxed. Just the feeling of pouring out my worries to the Lord is so therapeutic. Sometimes I feel so worried or overwhelmed that it's hard to explain how I feel. In that case, I find it helpful to utilize repetitious prayer, like the rosary, a chaplet, or a litany. Another way you can pray is to read the Bible or journal. All in all, getting in touch with your spirituality will do wonders at reducing stress.

exercise/yoga
Like I said, our physical health is directly connected to our mental health. Breaking a sweat can be great if you feel frustrated or just need a boost of motivation. Not everyone finds slowing down to be relaxing, and I totally get that! Another point about yoga: a lot of stretching involves proper breathing techniques, which can help calm you down as well.

look after yourself -- make sure you're drinking enough water and eating good meals often. Honestly, enough said. This is a great day to day tip, or a good start if you feel some negativity coming on but don't have time to full on stop what you're doing for an extended period of time.

Meet up with a friend
Human beings truly are made for community. Sometimes it's good to get out of the house, but other times you need the friend to come to you--both options are equally good. Similar to prayer, being able to have someone that will listen to your concerns and help you find a solution is super helpful for stress. If face to face doesn't work, a call or some facetime do the trick as well.

start a new hobby/book/tv show
When I started the show New Girl, it was honestly for stress relief reasons--and guess what? It worked. Finding a light hearted outlet is probably one of my most used self care tactics. I love watching Zoella vlogs on youtube; Zoe and I are very similar, so I really relate to her, and i feel like I get even amounts of catharsis and hilarity. I also started working on calligraphy/hand lettering as a way to relieve stress, and that's been amazing. It boosts my confidence which makes me feel better!

plan something to look forward to
I love this one because it can be done at any level. It could be a trip to Target or a tropical vacation-- just plan something to look forward to. Sometimes I tell myself if I get through a stressful day, I can go home and make cookies and watch a movie in bed. Even that small goal is helpful when pushing through a tiring situation. Just recently I grabbed tickets for an Ed Sheeran's show in September and that's one of the long term things that keeps me going, haha!

journal
I mentioned this in the tip about prayer, but you can journal even if it's not of a spiritual nature. Getting your thoughts out on paper can help you identify and understand them, making it easier to change whatever is needed. Doodles are useful too!

get a plant
There's something bout life, y'all. Having plants in my room makes me so happy, especially in the dead of winter when literally everything is cold and grey.

treat yo self 
Give yourself little (or big, I'm not judging) rewards. Buy that sweater you saw in the store the other day. Get yourself a large coffee instead of a medium. There's a reason why you get stickers and candy for doing a good job in preschool. That stuff works on adults too!

take a dance break
This one can be tough if you're not in the right frame of mind. But if you have a pet, or a sister down the hall, or even if it's just yourself, have a dance party. Blast a, upbeat song that you LOVE and forget everything just for those few minutes. Clear your mind and then get back to work.

I hope this was helpful for some of you! I know how difficult things can be sometimes, but YOU CAN DO THIS. Let's keep adding to the list--if you have any self care ideas/rituals, share em below! I'm always looking for new ideas.

Once I Was 20 Years Old

Fun fact: I actually can't stand that song. But unfortunately, there aren't many songs about being twenty. So here we are.

Yesterday I leveled up! Who has two thumbs and is no longer a teenager? This gal. Funny cause I still listen to the Jonas Brothers. Some things never change.

I had a great day...it started with Jesus at mass. Walking out of the church, Michael was standing in line to greet the priest and i tugged his arm saying "Let's get out of the way for these people" when he goes "Nuh uh, you gettin' a birthday blessing!" WOW. lots of heart eyes commenced, then I realized that meant getting special attention and i pulled his arm away even harder. LOL. Thank God he's much stronger than me, cause I got that birthday blessing and Jesus knows I need every blessing I can get, amirite?

(am I turning twenty or two? and is there a difference?)

Then Michael and I went to Taco Bell because when you're addicted, you're addicted. He proceeded to tell the guy at the drive through window that he's having a great day "Because it's my girlfriend's birthday." He's funny like that. I wanted to pop into Target to get some fun decor for later that night.

I also had my sister do a little birthday photo shoot with me (is that not the most Kate thing ever?!) I got an adorable Kingdom and State dress and some GIANT rose gold number balloons that were screeeaming to be instagrammed. The good people of Howell had a great time watching and laughing as I posed with forty inches of shiny helium. Cheap entertainment? Haha.

I also got a little confetti popper thing off Etsy that I thought would be adorable, but ended up low key failing. I think I was a bit too enthusiastic.

We had to stop at the store to get something for my cake (JUST WAIT till you see that one, guys) and that's when I experienced a birthday miracle:

On our way back from the store, I saw a couple walking their adorable and incredibly fluffy dog. I said, out loud, "Aww what a cute dog, wouldn't it be hilarious if-" when both my sister and I realized at the same time that THE DOG WAS A CORGI. So naturally we screamed, and Michael told me to turn the darn car around now so I could get out and pet that dog. I turned around (very very nervous mind you) but like what was I gonna do? pull up in my car and say "Hey can I pet your dog?"

That's exactly what we did.

After, a couple minutes of searching around in the car (by now I felt EXTREMELY creepy) we saw them in a subdivision. I pulled up, Elsa rolled her window down and said "Excuse me, this is going to sound really weird. But my sister and I love corgis--do you mind if we pet your dog?"

They were very very nice, so we hopped out of the car and I got to pet a corgi. ON MY BIRTHDAY.

His name was Benny, and he was the most perfect corgi I've ever seen.

Then we went home and had tacos with all the fixings and the tallest cake I've ever seen. Then I did a face mask, we watched She's The Man, and I got a Facetime call from my friends in Florida. I spent the whole time telling them about Benny. They lovingly listened.

(Me when I saw Benny.)

As I reflected on my day, I realized something really amazing and important: I am so blessed to have people in my life who constantly push me to be my best. Michael asked for a blessing for me, because he knew how special and beautiful it would be, and even more, he knew I'm to shy to ask for something like that for myself. He also knew it would absolutely make my day to pet that dog-- and Elsa, my little sister who is just as much (if not more) of an anxious introvert offered to ask complete strangers for permission because she wanted it THAT badly to see me happy. Even though it was my birthday, and everyone is automatically nicer to you, these people in my life are still like this on an average day--I just happened to catch it on my birthday.

(Funfetti cause who ever really grows up?)

I'm so excited to see what this year brings, to officially be in my twenties (which is crazy cause old people are the ones who use the words "In my twenties") and to hopefully keep growing and going, so to speak. There is so much to learn. I'm just gonna take in as much as I can. Thank you Jesus for my life. For loving me, over and over, even when I fail. Please take this next year of my life, use me as a source of Your grace and love, and let me bring Your light to others. Amen.

Little Sacrifices For Lent

1. Put a tiny rock or lego piece in one of your shoes
2. Give up makeup, your flat iron, or another beauty item you frequently use
3. Refrain from checking your phone during down time. Instead, pray a rosary while you wait
4. Don't eat the last bite of your food
5. If you don't already, get to mass 15 minutes early to pray--and stay 15 minutes after as well
6. Sleep on the floor
7. Give up secular music; Instead, listen to worship music or christian podcasts
8. If you don't already, veil during mass
9. Make daily prayer and/or scripture reading a priority. Get up early if need be.
10. If you live somewhere where this is possible, give up your car and walk everywhere
11. Give up a food that is a luxury, but not seen as one in the modern world (meat, dairy, etc)
12. Let others ahead of you in line
13. Refrain from fun spending (that cute new shirt, going out to eat, etc.)
14. Fasting is required on Fridays, but try fasting throughout the week as well (if your health permits of course)
15. Put away any extra or fancy clothes--only keep the absolute minimum you need in your closet. 
16. Take up an adoration hour
17. Make at least one small daily sacrifice (do your sibling's chores for them, pay for the person behind you, etc)
18.  Only take cold showers -- I know. This is not for the faint of heart. 
19. Give up complaining/gossiping. This is another difficult one, so when it gets hard, call on your Mama for backup ;)
20. Only drink water. No sugary drinks or alcohol
21. If you live or work on a higher floor, give up the elevator
22. Make a conscious effort to love those around you (call your mom, bring someone a meal, etc.)
23. Be the first to volunteer (As a kid, I would always wait to see if someone else would offer help first.)
24. Give to charity. If you already do, then give extra
25. Wash all your dishes by hand, right after you use them. 
26. Park at the very back of the lot

May you have a fruitful and contemplative lent.