Merry Christmas Eve!

If you saw Jaime's blog post from yesterday, this backdrop may look a little familiar. Before heading out for a day of shopping, present swapping and a delicious lunch at Benihana, we snapped these holiday-inspired photos on my front porch and I have to say, the lighting was on point.

Now, I have a confession to make: this Express jumpsuit is from last year (*gasp*). The good news is, they have a brand spankin' new version available in this same color.

How do I define Christmas joy? If you would have asked me at the beginning of December, I probably would have had a completely different response. It's strange what curve balls life throws at you–and let me tell you, 2018 has tossed PLENTY my way–but I'm truly thankful for the season and the point I'm at in life. Christmas has always been my favorite time of year because it's the one time of year where you truly put everything aside to spend time with the people you care about most. My family isn't just composed of blood relatives though. It's the people who I have come into my life and continue to make everything around me shine each day. These people are a major bright spot to every situation, and have truly become family in so many ways.

Ahhh, Fall. My favorite season of the year. Why? Because I can wear all the dark colors and not feel bad about it. And then BAM! This look came along. Who would have thought that I'd actually throw some color into my Fall wardrobe?! Perhaps I have been taken over by some sort of supernatural fashion force. Now that I think about it, Jaime did refer to me as a "Mulberry Monster" when we were heading out to take these photos. She may be on to something...

Who else gravitates toward holiday-inspired looks this time of year? I mean, honestly, give me all the embellishment, sequins, satin, etc. because I'm totally living for it all! While it's fun to dress up in holiday outfits, they are not always super practical to have for everyday. BUT sometimes you have to splurge, right? This outfit totally seals the deal on both practicality and holiday. It is all of the my holiday loves, in snowy tones perfect for the whole winter.

There is some clothing in your closet that you wear a couple of times and then realize you don't love the fit or it's just okay and you can't remember why you had to have it. Other things, you wear constantly and absolutely love everything about it. This mustard Free People pullover is definitely the latter option, and it's perfect for this crisp weather and dropping temps.

Don't let those leaves on the ground and the Halloween decorations behind me fool you – it's STILL not 100% Fall here in Indy. I mean, look at the trees. All green. As a fan of all black looks, you won't often find me begging for color but when it comes to Fall, I like it as bright and colorful as it can get.

Know what else I love? Clearance finds!

It's fall y'all! Well, whatever fall/wintery mix Indiana wants to throw at us now. I mean honestly, mother nature needs to make up her mind on whether she wants it to be full-on winter or fall. Either way, I'm just excited to finally break out the pieces that I've been dying to wear–like this bodysuit from Elysian + Co and this amazing studded skirt from Sugar Threads Boutique.

Can I first just start by asking where this summer has gone?? It's nearly Labor Day and my Fall vacation seems so soon. I used to hate summer, but I have to say, it has definitely grown on me over the last year.

One of my great loves in life...traveling. Work, personal or a mix of the two always reinvigorate me and provide such cool experiences along the way. I've been able to travel for work a fair amount this year and I'm always thankful when I look back at the new experiences, stories and people I've encountered on my trips––and who can resist a good photo op? Especially in NOLA.

When life gives you lemons, they say you should make lemonade.

Unfortunately, due to strict dietary restrictions, I am unable to have such acidic citrus fruits. So, I enjoy lemons the only way I can – in the form of a lemon print dress.

Did I mention that lemon bars are one of my favorite desserts? Man, life is really handing me all the lemons right now! #Sour

I've always loved the idea of a matching, two-piece set, but I could never quite find one that I was completely sold on. Do I want something basic, or really trendy and patterned? Obviously, I'm more of a basics girl who enjoys buying long lasting pieces, but when a classic windowpane pattern and a two-piece set collide–this girl buys.

It's the most wonderful tiiiiiiime of the yeeeeeear!

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, duh! While I'm sure you're sick of hearing about it by now, you can rest assured that this post has nothing to do with the Nsale, aside from the fact that this is what I wore to shop it.

Now, let's talk about this ruffly little cutie. The romper, that is.

So, forever ago (yes, forever ago) a couple of my favorite local bloggers hosted a shopping party at Madewell. Jaime and I were super excited to meet with fellow blogger babes and well, shop! Before heading in to the mall we took a few minutes to do with bloggers do–take outfit photos! So, my gorgeous blogger friend Kelli of Big Hair and Foodie Fare snapped these shots of my crop top and denim skirt combo.

As much as I'd love to be sipping something stronger than water on a beach somewhere, I'm going to have to save those dreams for a few months when I travel to Curacao over the holidays with my family. Until then, I'll just enjoy this dreamy heat and humidity that Indiana is offering up. So instead of a beach, I've opted for some cabana girl vibes with this striped tunic from Madewell–it's basically the same right?

Eeeeeeveryone is loving the paperbag pants lately. I have to admit that I bought a pair last year and have yet to wear them, even though I think they're super cute. BUT, what about a paperbag dress?? 'Cause that's just what this is.

Oh, you thought this was a skirt and a top? You are wrong in the best kind of way.

I'll be the first person to admit that I shop A LOT, but when you find cute pieces you have to snatch them up while you can. I debated buying this top for quite a while because I wasn't sure where I'd wear it or if it would even look cute on me. I'd never been so indecisive over spending $29 in my entire life. I finally stopped window shopping, and seriously guys, it's the cutest summer top!

It's no secret that I love donuts. While I believe them to be delicious, that's not the reason I like them. They're just. so. cute.

SO, I tend to like items with donuts on them more than the baked goods themselves. Case in point: this adorable donut tee, which just happens to be one of many that I own.

If jeans are an option, they are my go-to at all times. I'm lucky enough to have a job that considers my wide array of jeans as acceptable work wear. So imagine my shock when I was drawn to these striped pants from Anthropologie during a recent shopping trip with my mom and sister. Don't get me wrong, I love clothing in general, but I typically stick with safer options that I can wear more frequently. Let's just say, you can't wear these striped pants on the regular–or can you?

A few years ago, I fell in love with kimonos. There's something about adding a long flowing layer to a basic outfit that adds a funky feel that is just very Kacie-like. Especially when it blows in the wind (see above) and makes me feel way cooler than I actually am. Throw in the classic black and white factor, a strappy top and heels and BAM! (sorry, I just got back from New Orleans and Emeril is heavy on the mind) – you've got yourself a fresh and fun look perfect for the office or date night (or in my case, a VIP preview party for Drybar - see our recap here)!

By now you've seen this dress on every blogger...and by every blogger, I mean every. single. one. The reason? It's literally one of the most flattering dresses and fits nearly every body type. Double bonus: it's completely affordable and needs to be in your closet, STAT!

A few weeks ago, we had the honor of attending the VIP preview party for the brand new Drybar that was opening here in Indianapolis. We were so excited to join some of our blogger friends for champagne, delicious yellow macarons and view the cute space!

Oh hey, look who has another outfit post?! After taking an extreme hiatus, I feel like I finally may be getting back into my blogging groove and I have my sweet boyfriend to thank for pushing me to not let go of something I love to do. In fact, after getting a blowout at the brand new Drybar here in Indy (Kacie with the good hair, woot woot!), he offered to take me to dinner and snap these photos on Friday night...and even suggested I wear this dress.

Be still my heart, eeeeek!

Winter weather always leaves me feeling uninspired with my style. I legit had an identity crisis back in February when I felt I had lost my ability to put an outfit together. The struggle is real, friends.

So, when the warmer weather finally started making an appearance (yeah, I remember you on April 1st, snow!) in Indy, I started to feel like myself again. This look is definitely very Kacie-black and white, check. Bralette, check. Pops of pink, check. Free People, check...

...and just like that we're in warm weather season, and I'll gladly take it. Recently Kacie and I had the opportunity to head to Colorado Springs, Colorado for work and we gladly took advantage of the beautiful scenery and the warm weather to snap a few pics–and let's just say this Free People dress came in handy!

Oh, hey! It's been a few months, yeah?

It's no secret that Jaime and I have been the worst bloggers ever for the last year or so. It's also no secret to any of you that blogging, although very rewarding, can also be very hard–especially when you work full-time.

Constantly buying new clothes, taking outfit photos, editing photos, writing posts, updating social media, managing brand relationships, establishing connections, attending local events, etc. can be very tiring. Add in the responsibilitie and ups & downs of life and it can be completely overwhelming. But, doing what you love is also worth the craziness! With that said, we hope to be back at it, with new posts on the regular, very soon.

Just like this top, I'm letting it floooooooow...

What gets me through the winter? Well, the past few years it’s been out long family trip to around Christmas to anywhere warm. St Thomas is our go-to vacation spot, but Hurricane Irma and Maria ruined our plans this year, and we ended up in Aruba. I can’t complain at all because the beaches were beautiful, the water was warm and the breeze kept you cool even on the hottest days–the makings of a perfect beach getaway! What I can complain about however is how quickly my tan faded upon returning to frigid temps. Seriously devastating for a girl with olive skin that always looks a little green in the winter.

Luckily this blush and white outfit helped to bring out the glow a bit!

In this post from last week, I promised to share some health and fitness tips that work for me. After some thought, and realizing that I'm no health expert, I've decided to share my thoughts, tricks and mindset rather than recommending tips for others to try. I do believe that finding what works for you involves trial and error, so feel free to try some of these for yourself and share some of your own in the comments!

Oh, hi! Remember me? Probably not–it's been a minute... or maybe three months.

But the New Year has me inspired to get back to doing some of the things I love and that includes blogging. You could say it's my 'New Year's Resolution'.

Speaking of New Year's Resolutions, I know many jump back on the fitness bandwagon this time of year. While fitness is something that is very important to me, I also understand the struggle of working it into your busy schedule and overcoming those "Nooooo, I don't wanna" days. So, I've compiled some cute activewear (don't worry, you won't find $110 leggings on my list, woof!) to get your butt in gear and next week I'll be sharing some easy health and fitness tips that work for me.