[Mr. Kate]

Hey Melissa! And Hey Buddy!!

If you watch my Snapchat ever, you know that I have a great big soft spot for fluffy white pets. If you don’t watch my snapchat, add me (mrkate) and you’ll see *exactly* the little fluffballs I’m talking about.

Onto DIYs!! I made a furry water bottle toy for dogs a little while back, and it’s a great option for some playtime!!

If you’re looking to make something for Buddy to wear, I am in love with these embroidered bandanas!

You can use the DIY Embroidery technique from this tie tutorial to make the letters! It would be so cute on a chambray with bright colorful letters!

I hope this is inspiring or helpful! Much love to you and Buddy!

XOXO,
Kate

[Mr. Kate]

Hi Isha!!

I know a lot of people see a white wall as a big question mark, but it’s really just a blank canvas!

Speaking of canvases, if you liked the watercolor mural I did for Maya’s place, you could recreate it on an oversized canvas or white sheet and make a tapestry to hang! It will have the same colorful, creative effect, but without the permanence!

Another idea to bring some boho loft color into those white walls is … washi tape!

Use a few rolls of this stuff (available in lots of colors and fun patterns!) to make your own design! Then hang some wall art, or maybe little lanterns, and you’ve got your very own boho pad!

Hope this helps!

XOXO,
Kate

[Mr. Kate]

Hey!!

This question is something I have a definite opinion on, and that is: WHAT IS AGE ANYWAYS? Seriously, most of us don’t look our age anyways, and after a certain point in life it’s such an arbitrary way to judge someone.

I’m over 30 and still wear chokers, short shorts, rompers, and overalls! I mean, my motto is #whynot?! and I live and dress by that every day.

If you’re a little hesitant to jump headfirst into the (at times daunting) territory of trends, try isolating one that really appeals to you and find a way to wear it that is still in your comfort zone. Ease yourself in. It may be a jumper with a cardigan today and a thin delicate choker next week, but soon you’ll be accustomed to wearing these items and be rocking them in your own way!

I hope this helps!

XOXO, Kate

[Mr. Kate]

The past few years have been unbelievably tough, but I’ve found a strength I never knew I possessed. So despite being a hot hospital mess at the moment, I’m already thinking about all the things I want to do when I get out. I don’t know if my body will let me do them all, but I’ll give it a good go!

Wow!!!!!!! Can I just say I’m so incredibly impressed with this entire thread so far! So many inspiring, complex, compelling and enlightening stories about all of you amazing humans!

Don’t stop! Keep sharing! I can’t get enough!!!!!!!!! Inspo on fleek!!!!!!

• This reply was modified 7 years ago by Mr. Kate.

[Mr. Kate]

Those all sound like great tips! Especially the pizza! I used to get bad cramps when I had an IUD. My doctor gave me a prescription for Naproxen (over the counter it’s the same thing that’s in Aleve) which really helped when I was in pain. Now I take one Aleve if I’m having painful cramps. I’m not a huge fan of taking pills but sometimes you need it to take the edge off so you can have a productive day. We’re not in the era of the red tent, unfortunately. Our culture expects us to act like normal when really our bodies want to rest and go through that monthly cycle.

I also use heating pads and lavender essential oil. Chamomile tea helps me too.

Be kind to yourself and relax! We feel you girl!

xo

kate

 

[Mr. Kate]

Hey Janice!!

I have so much planned for this summer!

Here’s the “short”list:

• Get our bathroom redone once and for all
• Do more spaces for OMG We’re Coming Over
• Read historical fiction books on a hammock somewhere, because I’ve been obsessssssed with Black Sails (a historical fiction pirate TV show) and Vikings (self explanatory 😉 ) Do you guys have any recommendations?
• Go to Tuscany and stay in a villa and roam the vineyards (probably won’t happen, but I can dream)
• Finish reading The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and actually follow her instructions to clean out my closet and tidy my LIFE!
• Finish the office decorating and organizing so it’s beeeeaaaaautiful
• See Hamilton
• Ride the new LA Expo line from downtown to the beach
• Work out and become a body builder

(JK on that last part of that last part!!)

What about everyone else?!

XOXO, Kate

[Mr. Kate]

Hi Elisa!!

My go to setting spray is by Makeup Forever — it’s sold at Sephora and comes in a smaller size for $14. But the setting powder I absolutely swear by is Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder, which is a bit of a splurge at $28.

But the awesome thing about setting spray is that you can DIY your own! There are awesome recipes that use rose water as a base, which is not only great for your skin, and all natural, but it smells heavenly too!

Let me know what you find or decide on!

XOXO,
Kate

[Mr. Kate]

Hey Denise!!!

Um, FUN!! Even though last minute changes can cause a little bit of a kerfuffle at times, there is nothing better than a big family get together … and in the summer to boot!!

Since your get together will be outside, take inspiration from other traditional summer outdoor activities — then transform it to a big scale! I loved making this big crystal checkers game to play outside (tic tac toe could be a similar option!), and just made a video about DIY lawn games that the whole team got together to play and had so much fun!!!

Since this is a family reunion, and you’ll all be excited to spend time with people you don’t get to see very often, you should definitely make a pretty photo booth backdrop that people can snap lots of pics in front of to take memories of the day home!!

I love this one (below), but you can make something by hanging streamers or lights from trees too!

You got this Denise!! I want to hear all about how the party comes out! And let me know if you have any more questions!

XOXO,
Kate

[Mr. Kate]

Hey Barbara!

This is so exciting! Internships are a great way to dip your toe into the professional world, and definitely the time to explore what your business style will be!

I agree with Denise that it’s all about balance and picking one piece to pop while the others play a little more by the rules. I actually demonstrated this advice in a blog post about styling quirky business outfits! We also made a moodboard a few months ago all about playing up nontraditional suit styles, like a shorts suit or a skirt suit (the latter of which is probably more appropriate for your internship!)

I think another cool idea to bring some you into the your office attire is to DIY a blazer!! I’ve upcycled blazers before using splatter paint, pretty patterned stencils, and, for an edgy twist, safety pins!!

I hope this can help inspire you!! Make sure to post some of your business OOTDs to the Style Forum!!

XOXO,
Kate

[Mr. Kate]

Hey Emily,

Thanks for reaching out! I’m glad your mom likes the necklace but it’s a bummer to hear it needs repair!

You can email Daisy@mrkate.com to chat about different repair options or ideas! She’s out of the country right now, but she’ll be back soon and will be able to help you!

Hope this helps!

XOXO,
Kate

[Mr. Kate]

Hey Grace!

WOW. That’s so exciting! A quick move can be stressful, but it will be great for your family to have a new home to welcome little Luna in!

I definitely agree with Janice that rugs, pillows, and blankets all create that homey atmosphere and make a room with even a little furniture seem cozy and inviting.

What about your art? I know first hand that you’re an incredible artist — hang some of your favorite pieces on the walls! Since the furniture isn’t in yet and you don’t know if the pieces will be staying there, use temporary hooks like the sticky-backed ones by Command!

Can’t wait to see what this new place turns out to look like!! Have you planned any of Luna’s new space yet? Post pictures!!

XOXO,
Kate

[Mr. Kate]

Hi Oana!

Great question! I did a post on a DIY Starter Kit a year or so ago with a list of essentials that I like to have on hand to tackle a variety of projects! So check that out to get some ideas for what to add to your kit along with the stuff you listed above.

As for a drippy glue gun, you can see if there’s an option to use it on Low or High setting because sometimes the high setting heats it up so hot it gets drippy. If not, I usually just use a scrap of cardboard to rest the glue gun on flat so it protects the surface I’m working on from glue and heat. You can also use an old piece of tile!

Hope that helps!

xo

– mr. kate

[Mr. Kate]

Yay Madeline look at those sewing skills! That dress is amazing! Iris is so cute and Bella sounds like an amazing tiny being!

Keeping up with a blog can be a challenge, but I say just try to blog every day about something. The posts on the Mr. Kate blog have gotten a lot more robust over the years but if you go back a few years, when I first started, you’ll see how random the posts were. Some days I’d just post one photo, or write about something that was on my mind. I think the exercise of blogging every day forces you to examine your life from an editorial stance, ‘what cool thing have I done or realized or made today that I can share with the world?’ and if the answer is, ‘I’m feeling uninspired!’ write about that! Being honest and in the moment is a great discovery process to see what you resonate with and what your readers want to see more of.

Best of luck and thanks for posting!

xp

– mr. kate

[Mr. Kate]

Wow you did such an amazing job pulling that room together Lori! Love what you did with the maps! And hi Taylor and Frankie!

[Mr. Kate]

I know Father’s Day is a tough one for DIYs! I always think something that involves photos of you two together or family items that can be displayed in an office or on a bedside table or something is good. The putting green is a really cute idea! What if you made like a putting green set of coasters or something? Like little bits of faux turf on round coasters? Or you could do the wood transfer technique we did in this post: http://mrkate.com/2015/06/02/wood-photo-transfer/ with photos in color of famous golf locations or something cute.

Or some kind of handwritten quote in a frame that says, “kick putt dad!” He could put it on his wall and it’s funny and handmade.

We have a DIY embroidered tie coming out this week which is cool and minimalist. I’ll update with the link when it comes out!

Let us know what you do!!! Can’t wait to see and YAY for posting on the forums! Thanks so much for sharing Sarah!

xo

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