about taking breaks: it’s not you, it’s me

hello, sweet friends! i feel as though all i am doing lately is apologizing for my absence on here, and i am truly sorry for not being more consistent and creating the content i so desperately want to create. however, i have really needed to prioritize over the past few weeks and so school and planning my big trip have become the two most important facets of my life. with that, i would like to announce a formal break for the majority of the summer as i am leaving for europe today (ahhhh!!!) and so i cannot promise new content while i’m gone. i am so excited and cannot wait to begin this adventure with some amazing friends.

when i return from europe i’d love to do a travel series on here that gives my take on the backpacking experience as well as experiencing studying abroad since my eight weeks on the continent will encapsulate both. although i should never be considered a travel expert, i’m excited at the prospect of addressing some questions that i seemed to never be able to find the answers to while planning my trip, and hopefully helping some other idealistic traveler out there like myself. until then, please feel free to follow along on my journey through instagram where i will be posting consistently.

see you in july! xx

*picture found via pinterest*

happy days

top: forever 21 // pants: old navy // shoes: asos // photos by cameron davis

i’ve always fancied myself a bit of an introvert. one of my ideal weekend nights is a really strong cup of tea and a really great read. i’m a big, big nerd; museums are my jam. i’ve always been more than happy to have my close circle, love them a little bit too hard for our own good, and enjoy everyone else as an acquaintance.

So it’s funny to me sometimes that i have a blog. a lot of times i ask myself what in the world gives me the ego to think that i have something special to add to the world of plus size fashion blogs, although i hate that since i’m not a size four i feel the need to label my space “plus size” – but that’s an entirely different can of worms for an entirely different post. anyway, when i really think about it i am nothing special, just a simple college girl from central florida trying to navigate my way through a history degree so that i can have a career in fashion… have a go to figure that one out. I’m probably a little too romantic to think that i can make that combo of my two loves work in my favor, but we’ll just have to see where it lands. for that reason, i am my mother’s worst nightmare.

so i find myself constantly asking the question: why do i even do this?

the answer came in a very unassuming email. this is a fairly new blog, and one that i’m terrible at keeping up with so it’s always the most exciting thing when i get mail pertaining to it. a sweet, sweet reader emailed me a while ago and gave me the greatest purpose for this blog that i could have never thought of. she said that she was a very normal plus size college girl who loved to read blogs, but she could never find *her* blog. no blog she found, whether plus size or not, reflected her way of dressing or her style. she said that in life after coffee, she had found her blog. so naturally, i lost it. tears pouring down my pathetic face on a monday afternoon because i realized that she was the very reason i began this blog, whether i knew it in december of last year or not. i began this blog because yes, i needed motivation. yes, i wanted to keep a portfolio for future projects. but also because i was that girl who couldn’t find her blog. the straight sized blogs i read everyday were unattainable for me, and the plus sized blogs wore clothes that were much too unrealistic for my lifestyle as a college student. stilettos and vintage midi skirts, however precious, are not something i wear onto campus everyday. i created this blog so that i could have *my* blog, the one my style and my personality was in sync with.

so thank you to those who have been reading (especially to those who made it to the end of this looong post). your views and your words are so encouraging that even though i began this blog to write for an audience of one, the possibility that i am helping someone else find their blog to identify their style with is the greatest motivator. i hope you all can feel the love i am sending through these computer screens, because it is coming in droves. happy friday, loves.

xx kayla

organic chemistry

top: Urban Outfitters // jeans: Old Navy // shoes: H&M // bag: Louis Vuitton // necklace: Nordstrom // earrings: Nordstrom

i would never describe my style as “organic”.

although i’ve always wanted to be able to achieve the looks staring out at me from the pages of my free people or urban outfitters catalogs, it just isn’t me. i think this look, though,  is where my style meets an organic style i have always felt was unattainable. there is just something about off white linen, and when put into a monochromatic look, it just seems even more organic to me. an all white ensemble is one of my favorite things. white is my favorite color! however, when you wear stark white all down your body it can be a bit polarizing. i knew this would be a perfect outfit to wear with my new camel suede slippers from h&m, which i think helps achieve the organic appeal even more!

i couldn’t keep this look all neutral, though, so i paired my new favorite lip color to add a pop (along with the crazy green wall). kat von d’s new everlasting liquid lipsticks are beautiful and are the perfect long lasting matte lip color to add to any outfit in need of a serious dose of fun. this lipstick is just one many that i have been adding to my collection for spring and summer, so i’ve been thinking about writing up a post about my favorite lip colors to wear with my new blonde hair. although i am definitely not a makeup artist in any way, i do love love love makeup and skincare, so i am seriously thinking about adding a beauty element to the blog. would that be something you guys are interested in? please let me know!

addictions are hard to kill

dress: ASOS // jacket: Forever 21 // bag: Forever 21 // shoes: Lane Bryant // necklace: H&M // sunnies: Free People

if you’ve been following along on life after coffee since the beginning (December 2014), you’ll recognize this dress because i wore it in my very first outfit post! and in that post i talked about how i wore it embarrassingly often last summer, and tried to wear it with tights when it was cool enough. so, the moment the air started to feel like spring and the temperatures hit 80 degrees, i pulled this babe out! and you know what? it felt like coming home after being away for a very long time. this t-shirt dress is the jelly to my peanut butter and the cheese to my macaroni. i don’t believe i will ever be able to stop wearing this little dress. some addictions are just too hard to kill!

playing pretend

top: Old Navy // pants: Forever 21 // shoes: Kate Spade Saturday // bag: target // necklace: Nordstrom // watch: Kate Spade // sunnies: Free People

the day i wore this monochromatic outfit out for a day of shopping, i had at least 4 people ask me if i was wearing a jumpsuit (or as i like to call it, a “long-pants romper”). as much as i would have liked to have told them that it was a jumpsuit, this is just a top and a pair of flowy pants playing pretend! i will say it was just as comfortable as a jumpsuit, and much easier to wear into public restrooms… ladies you know what i mean. but,  i do love myself some monochromatic outfits. seriously it is the most instantaneous way to make any outfit chic.

another piece of this look that is playing pretend would be my purse. can we please talk about this purse?? the moment i saw it all i could think was: céline’s micro luggage handbag. that classic piece of art which i have no business carrying and no budget to be able to do so even if i felt i could; and i find a cute little pretender in the middle of target. it resembles, but is obviously not a replica of the micro luggage bag. target has seriously updated their bag game for anyone who had lost faith in their bag department, as i had. but if my romp through the store the other day was any inclination, target is back!  i am so in love, and the greatest part is that i bought it for 50% off since target is currently having a buy one get one half off on all of their handbags and wallets. in addition to this pretty, i got a beige/blush faux leather backpack that i absolutely cannot wait to debut on here! happy shopping, fellow purse-oholics!

balancing act

top: Forever 21 // pants: Old Navy // shoes: Lucky // bag: H&M // watch: Kate Spade // sunnies: Free People // photos by Morgan Moody

hello friends!! it is *so nice* to be able to write up blog posts again. not that i haven’t been able to write up posts, i just chose to take a little break so that i could catch up on all things school related and try to keep my head above the water. i know everyone says that college is the best time of your life, but quite frankly, i’m finding it really challenging. we all have different journeys, i guess! i never intended for this hiatus of mine to last three whole weeks, but before i knew it all that time was past. i feel like i am in this constant struggle to balance what i need to do and what i like/love to do. i love writing on this blog! i love meeting so many beautiful and positive women from this hobby of mine. but i often find myself writing posts or perusing pinterest for outfit ideas when i really should be trying to write the two major research papers that i have due in the coming weeks. staying up until 5:15 in the morning writing papers is not okay. so if any fellow blogging babes have advice on how they keep up with school/work while they write their blog on the side, i would greatly appreciate some guidance!

now to this look! don’t you absolutely adore it?! i know i do. i bought this victorian-esque lace top at forever 21 last summer, and by the time i brought it home from the store i had decided that i actually hated it. i really wanted to love it, though, so i kept it in my closet awaiting the moment i would instantly see the light. thankfully i have, and this top has been on absolute repeat ever since. i think it is perfect for those hot and sticky days where i cannot even fathom doing my hair or putting thought into an outfit. i just like to throw my hair up, pop this top on, and boom! as a friend mine told me, it was “instant regal”.

also. if you can notice through the updo, i am now a blonde! I’ve kept my dark roots as some insurance since i’ll be in europe for 8 weeks without a chance to go to a hair salon to touch up my roots. if the past 3 weeks have been any indication, i’m thinking that blondes really do have more fun!

pretty in pink

shirt: ASOS // pants: Forever 21 // shoes: Target // bag: Kate Spade // watch: Kate Spade // bracelets: Versona Accessories // photos by Cameron Davis

strange things are happening to me. first, i start breaking all of my “seasonal dressing” rules. now i’m… craving pastels. pink, in particular. light pink, hot pink, neon pink, rose, blush, you name it. so i nearly fell over when i found this precious blush toned wall to take pictures with my hot pink kate spade bag (which has secretly always been a spring and summer favorite of mine, even in my darkest days). this coming from the girl who normally abhors any shade/form/variation of pastels.

what is happening?? 

and since spring break officially begins for me today, i am declaring it spring even though the real official first day is two weeks away! may all the spring things commence! so naturally i’m going up to north carolina for the week to spend time in 40 degree weather… sometimes my timing really hits the nail on the head.

happy friday and a happy weekend, friends!

a little weekend wear never hurt nobody

dress: Old Navy // shoes: Old Navy // bag: Zara // necklace: H&M // sunnies: Free People // photos by Kaylee Wells

i have a bit of a confession to make. these were not taken during the weekend. these were taken on a monday that seriously felt like the weekend. skip a class and hop around town taking pictures in all the cute nooks and crannies with friends… it’ll have you feeling like a whole new person! however, were i to pick out the perfect weekend outfit for a trip to the farmer’s market or brunch, this would be it. i’ve fallen completely in love with this dress and even bought it in navy blue so that i could wear it twice as much. add my iced coffee because it is officially hitting above 80 degrees around these parts, red lip, statement necklace, and sneakers to bring everything down to earth – you’ve got me in a nutshell on a saturday afternoon. i think it makes this wednesday a whole lot brighter to pretend saturday isn’t so far away, don’t you?

also, you may say “kayla, why would you ever pair a dress with navy stripes alongside black accessories” and i would reply with a “move out the way world, i’ve got my weekend wear on and i don’t give a hoot about fashion rules”. so there.

sunshine on a cloudy day

sweater: NYD // skirt: Sejour // shoes: Jessica Simpson // bag: old // photos by Cameron Davis

 friday! i nearly thought today would never come. since early this week i have had the worst fever bug, and to be honest i completely forgot how depressing it is to be ill. it so makes you appreciate the days where you’re feeling 100% and you can tackle any and all of the things you want to. thankfully, my fever broke this morning so i must be on the up & up! when i was feeling downright terrible, though, looking through this outfit shoot honestly brought me out of my slum every single time. when i was wearing the same flannel button up and yoga pants for two days in a row – yes that happened – this outfit brought the biggest smile to my face! it’s so lady like, right? i picked up this precious skirt and sweater combo over at nordstrom last weekend, and didn’t wait a single day to wear it! obviously i couldn’t pass up a polka dot skirt! I almost felt too lady like, though, so i paired my sky high jessica simpson leather sandals from a million years ago with this look. i thought they really gave the outfit the little edge it needed.

just like this fever has given me the edge i need to be totally willing for all of the small things. so my agenda this weekend? go to breakfast with my girls, hang out with my family for a weekend at home, and snuggle on the couch with some popcorn for what I’m sure will be a hilarious dakota johnson hosting saturday night live – all of the important things!

happy friday, friends!

rules are more like guidelines anyway…

dress: ASOS // shirt: Ava & Viv // jacket, shoes, purse, necklace: H&M // photos by Cameron Davis

living in florida has many advantages, but i find the most irritating disadvantage to be that we don’t get seasons. for me, that means i don’t get to dress for the seasons. so to make this burden (anyone reading this from any northern state is rolling their eyes hard at me right now) a little easier on myself, i’ve made up a few rules to go by when it comes to “seasonal dressing”. big terms for big dreams, people. for example, the day september 21st rolls around i refuse to wear sandals until march 21st. i refuse to start spring trends until march 21st – the first official day of spring. sundresses, shorts, pink nail polish, iced coffees, highlights, pastels and florals without a hint of black… those are my lifelines in the endless summer that is central florida. however, i seem to be increasingly antsy about the upcoming spring season, so i broke my rules. i did it! it doesn’t count as much if it’s your own rules, right?

so anyway, we had an absolutely beautiful weekend here and i just couldn’t stand it any longer. i also caved and bought that adorable salmon bucket bag at h&m which literally just sent me barreling straight ahead towards all the spring/summer feels. so for a day of picasso perusing at the salvador dali museum, i opted for my favorite t-shirt dress with floral sneakers. last minute i decided to add my navy bomber jacket and i am so glad because that museum was mighty chilly. i do believe, though,  that i have broken the tape that keeps me on track with my strict winter uniform. so I’m submitting to this very strange obsession with spring things, and seeing where it takes me!

here’s to breaking your own rules and putting a little spring in your step this monday! #doughnutsfordinneranyone