Style Idol - Voters!

Happy Election Day! If you haven't made it out to vote yet, here is a list of when the polls open and close in every state (all times are local). Don't forget to check on your friends with kids to see if they need a babysitter so they can go vote, check in on people who don't/can't drive to see if they need a ride to the polls, and pester every one of your friends and family to make sure that every last one of them voted! Fingers crossed that tomorrow is a much happier day than November 9, 2016 was. See you on the flip side! 🤞🏻

Style Idol - Reese Witherspoon

One week until Election Day! Don't forget to vote! :)

DIY Halloween / Election Day mashup projects

What perfect serendipity is it for those of us who are obsessive about getting people to vote, that six days before Election Day everyone in this country goes door to door in their neighborhood collecting treats! Normally my front porch pumpkins would be obscured by shrubbery, but on All Hallows Eve they'll be seen by tons of parents and kiddos who come knocking at my door. And what better opportunity to remind moms and dads that Election Day is just around the corner than giving them their own candy bowl with some cute little notes reminding them to vote on November 6!

I have two DIYs in this post, so scroll down if you want the instructions and template for the pumpkin DIY! I'll start out first with the candy bowls and treat bags!

DIY Vote treat bags for parents



Even if you don't want to use these printables for handing out candy, they'd also be cute to put up on your office bulletin board so everyone at work gets a fun festive reminder to hit the polls. Or stick them up around your college campus, or community board at the grocery store. There are so many ways to use these, this Halloween treat bag idea is just one!

You'll need:

- Clear treat bags (ziploc baggies work fine too!)
- Candy
- Printables (Download here)
- Tape or baggy ties
- Two candy buckets
- Two chopsticks or popsicle sticks



Cut out the printable treat bag inserts and put them in the clear bags. Slide a piece of candy in the bag behind the insert, and then either tape the bag closed or use a baggy tie.

Next cut out your candy bowl signs, and attach them to the chopsticks or popsicle sticks with tape. Then tape the other end of the sticks to the back of the bowl, so your trick-or-treaters will be able to tell which bowl is which. In my house we leave the bowls outside so people can help themselves, and the signs make that super simple! If you're handing them out yourself, you can definitely leave off the signs.

ps. I also made the treat bag designs into buttons, right here!





DIY Vote pumpkins



These instructions are for a painted pumpkin, but I also included a template for making a jack-o-lantern version instead! Just follow these instructions for carving a pumpkin and make sure you use the "carve template" image in the download, since it has connecting pieces that will make sure your letters are cut correctly.

You'll need:

A large pumpkin
Acrylic paint
Vote template (Download here)
Carbon paper
Tape
Optional: carving knife (if you're making a jack-o-lantern)

Tape the carbon paper to the pumpkin, and then tape your template on top and trace the design. I used this stylus, but you can also use a pen with its cap on or the end of a paintbrush... anything with a pen-like tip that will apply enough pressure to transfer the design to your pumpkin.



This is what it will look like when you peel off the carbon paper. Now just fill it in with paint! I chose a bright blue color for the circle and white for the letters. It took two coats of each color for it to reach the opacity that I wanted, but it was so worth it! When I was done I also free-handed a heart on a smaller pumpkin and the election day date on another.



Look how cute they all look together!

I know that I've been going overboard on the whole voting thing (and I'm definitely worried that you guys are like "stop trying to make fetch voting happen, Kate") but it's so so so important! Be sure you check out Vote Save America to find your polling place, view your ballot, and check out candidates. You can even print out a sample ballot that you can fill out ahead of time and take with you into the voting booth so you know exactly who/what you want to vote for. Even if you vote straight down the ballot for one party, it's helpful to study the ballot questions and know your answer ahead of time. I always forget about those and then panic when I get in the booth and can't totally figure out which way I want to vote. So anyway, check out the website and make sure you've got your Election Day plans sorted out so you're good to go! :)

kiss me I voted

Happy Election Day! I feel kind of traumatized after last year's election, and I've felt uneasy all day as if I'm reliving the nightmare all over again... but it does feel really good to have performed a concrete action today, actively participating in the democracy and feeling some semblance of a normal functioning government in the midst of all this chaos.

If you haven't voted yet today, please go out and do it before the polls close! There are tons of local elections today (I just voted for town council, school board, and state assembly in NJ) and every single one of them matters. In addition, there are two governor's races today in my home state of New Jersey and in Virginia. These are SUPER important in a lot of ways. For one thing, if you cast your ballot for the democrats (Murphy in NJ and Northam in VA) it will send a very clear, decisive message that we are rejecting Trump and his agenda. If Republican senators and congressman see that the voters are going heavily Democratic in this election, they will be less likely to support Trump's outrageous policies like the Muslim ban, repealing access to affordable healthcare, increasing taxes on the middle class so that the rich can get a tax cut, or withdrawing from the Paris climate accord. If they think that their jobs are at stake, they won't be as quick to vote lockstep with Trump's heartless agenda.

But most importantly, who you elect as governor affects day-to-day life in your state. If you want a governor who will fight for the working class, for women's rights, for environmental safety, for better schools, for minorities' rights, for better access to health care, you want to elect a Democrat. It will also help to have these Democrats in office in 2020 when the next Congressional redistricting occurs. Every ten years, when the census is taken, Congress redraws the districts to reflect the changing population. But lately Republicans have been doing this thing called gerrymandering, where they unfairly draw the maps to favor Republicans. In 2014, Republicans won 52% of congressional votes but they ended up with 57% of the seats in the house. That's because of gerrymandering. If we want a fair electoral system, it begins with electing Democratic governors to oversee the redistricting and make sure that we nip this in the bud before it gets even worse.

If you're not sure where your polling place is, you can look it up right here. And if you're not sure how late the polls are open in your state, you can see a map of poll closing times right here. If you already voted, remind your friends and family to vote! If somebody you know needs a ride to the polls, offer to take them. If you have the rest of the afternoon free, drop by your local campaign headquarters and offer to volunteer. Post on social media and remind people to vote.

Every single little thing you do can make a difference --- but the most important thing is voting. So if you haven't yet, stop reading this and go vote! :)

shirt - rachel antonoff | skirt - lazy oaf | shoes - bait footwear

sweater - old navy | wig - keke wigs

primary colors

New Jersey is FINALLY getting to vote in the primaries today and I managed to cobble together a patriotic outfit using the only red white and blue pieces in my remix wardrobe. I'm not going to get political, but I am kind of bummed out that both parties are basically wrapped up at this point and my state (and a handful of others) don't really get a say in the process. I'm still going to vote but my vote doesn't feel as crucial and important as it did in 2008 when I voted in my first Presidential primary.

Even if my vote doesn't affect the outcome, I'm still pretty enthusiastic about it nonetheless. I couldn't WAIT to vote when I was younger. I missed voting in the 2004 election because I turned 18 two weeks after the election. It really bothered me! I actually wrote a letter to every single sitting US Senator at the time, suggesting that people turning 18 in the last few weeks of the year should be able to participate in elections. Especially considering the fact that Election Day is a kind of arbitrary date (the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November) it's really hit or miss each year who will be old enough to vote, and who will be slightly too young. It just makes more sense for it to be based on the calendar year.

I guess you could say I was kind of passionate about it, lol. But anyway, after wanting to vote for so long and being 2 weeks of shy of participating in 2004, I never miss an election. School board, primaries, special elections, I'm there. So even if I feel like this vote is for naught today, you bet your buttons I'll be pulling a lever anyway. And if you're in any of the states voting today -- New Jersey, California, New Mexico, Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota -- I hope you'll do the same :)

shirt - modcloth | skirt - francesca's closet
shoes - bait footwear | purple rug - amazon

we're clearly soldiers in petticoats

Well, I voted! Did you? I was raised in a pretty political family so we watch the news like mad and volunteer and get VERY stressed waiting for election results to come in. I don't like to discuss politics with friends (I'm of the mindset that talking about religion, money or politics is a surefire way to break up a friendship) or on this blog, but I think that talking about civic duties and suffragettes is safe territory ;)

It's so weird to think that not too long ago I wouldn't have been allowed to vote. My Aunt Annie (who is turning 101 next month!) is old enough to remember a time before women were allowed to cast a ballot... it's just unreal to think it was that recent, isn't it? Anyway... I just think that we owe it to our mother's mothers, who fought for us to have this opportunity, to take some time once a year and exercise our rights as American women. If you're on the fence about voting today, please consider going. If your elderly relatives have trouble making it to the polls, offer to take them. If you're too young to vote, consider volunteering. We can all make a difference!

We are so privileged to live in a country where our voices are heard, and so lucky to live in an age where being born female no longer disqualifies you from voting. No matter which candidate you are voting for or what party you're affiliated with -- if you haven't yet, please vote! :)

ps. I don't know if it's my whole state or just my particular polling place, but we don't get cute little "I voted" stickers like everyone else seems to. So I made my own! If you're similarly annoyed and want to show some civic pride, here's the sticker I made :)

Coat - asos | Tights - target | Shoes - c/o oasap | Purse - modcloth | Hat - f21

our daughters' daughters will adore us

They didn't fight so we could sit at home on Election Day. Go vote! :)