Imagine turning your second sunny bedroom into the most amazing walk in closet / girl boss office where the decor is as chic as your designer wardrobe. That is fashion and lifestyle blogger Kat Tanita’s home in a nutshell. Laid-back and welcoming with the cool California breeze coming in through the open windows in each room, we stopped by to see how the girl behind With Love From Kat spends her mornings in her perfectly decorated (but not too decorated) Venice bungalow.
Kat and her adorably energetic dog, Charlie, welcomed us at the door with a huge hug and a smile usually reserved for old friends. The mostly neutral living room connected via “sliding doors that never close” to her large yard decked out with colorful California foliage, chaise lounges, and a table for ten. Sunlight beamed across the room and into the sparkling white kitchen, leaving us taking it all in with major heart eyes. “Welcome to Southern California!” she laughed as she lit her favorite Le Labo Santal candle. Ahh. Soft smile sigh.
Read on for the full look into Kat’s healthy and grounding morning routine, her skincare secrets, lifestyle tips, and the recipe she can’t start her day without. Plus, we’ve got the inside scoop on a special project she’s been working on (that we can’t wait to get our hands on!)
How did you get started as a fashion and lifestyle blogger? Have you always worked in fashion?
I moved to New York City when I was 22 after having graduated college with a degree in design. Not sure what I wanted to do with my design degree, I landed a job working at a small jewelry company and was asked to do a bit of everything there — from PR, social media, sales, trunk shows, accounting, coffee runs — you name it! It was a three-person company, including myself, so I learned very quickly how every aspect of the business worked. That experience was invaluable and laid the foundation for me to start my own business.
Our office was right down the street from all the big fashion brands, and I started networking with others in the industry in my spare time. I was meeting the right people in the right places, (back then you could DM big brands on Facebook and they would actually get back to you!), and started learning more about the business from the top players. I knew I ultimately wanted to do something creative and be my own boss so, I took the leap of faith and after a year and a half, I quit my job and started consulting and blogging from my NYC apartment!
Tell us more about the blog. How has it evolved since you started?
With Love From Kat originally started as a design blog where I shared pictures of rooms that inspired me and quickly morphed into a more heavily fashion based blog as I became more engrossed in the industry. I love sharing pictures of my outfits and travels with my readers. I’ll share everything from my favorite beauty products to incredible hotels around the world… really anything I’m passionate about!
Having a successful blog led to the launch of an app! Tell us about your app — what can we expect to find on it?
As I started sharing more of my travel and adventures on the site, readers would always ask me about my favorite hotels, shops, restaurants, and sites. My travel app was then born as a tool help readers on their personal travels and offer them a curated, stylish travel guide like no other.
It makes me so happy to know that someone had a great time in NYC because of my restaurant recommendations, or found the bag of their dreams at a vintage shop I shared in Paris. The app now has 18 of my favorite cities and each city has my go-to hotels, shops, restaurants, bars, and sights to see as well as outfit recommendations.
From the blog, to your app, to your latest secret project, you’re juggling so much, yet remain so grounded and relaxed! We need to know how you do it all, starting with your morning routine. Go!
What time is your wake-up call?
I usually wake up around 7:30AM!
What wakes you up each day?
My alarm – and sometimes my little dog, Charlie!
Early bird or night owl?
I am a total night owl. I am a cranky morning person and would love to sleep in until 10AM or later everyday if I could haha!
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
I meditate for 20 minutes – I do Vedic meditation. With Vedic meditation, you have a personal mantra or word that you repeat over and over. I learned in NYC, and have been doing it everyday for 3 years. I took a class at Ziva Meditation where I got the ancient Sanskrit word I use in my daily practice.
Describe your getting ready routine from start to finish. How long does it usually take?
I wake up, meditate, make hot water with lemon, then I make a green juice and I drink it while I’m doing my hair or makeup. I never like to take longer than 30 minutes even if it’s a super important shoot day/event for hair and makeup – I don’t have a long attention span! I listen to a podcast while I do either of those. I always use a Clarisonic with a face oil to do lymphatic drainage on my face and de-puff. This really helps my makeup go on smooth too.
For my hair: if I don’t have a shoot or meeting, I just throw some dry shampoo in it and then put it in a bun.
For my makeup: I either just wear moisturizer and mascara if I don’t have somewhere to go, or I do my full makeup routine, which you can find on my blog!
Do you plan your outfits in advance, or create them on the fly?
If it’s a normal day, I just wear whatever I feel like – on the fly. But if I am traveling and need to get tons of shoots/outfits in for content for that month, I plan my outfits very specifically.
What do you eat for breakfast?
I make my signature green juice that will be in my cookbook out next year. It’s celery, cucumber, fennel, green apple, and broccoli. Can add swiss chard or parsley if you’re out of fennel (since it’s seasonal)
Get the full recipe for Kat’s ‘Get Glowing Green Juice’ here!
Any morning media rituals?
Meditation, hot lemon water, green juice, and either the Goop or Skinny Confidential podcasts.
What are your favorite podcast episodes from Goop and Skinny Confidential?
I loved Goop’s episode on Social Anxiety because it shines a light on the slight anxiety we all feel in social settings and how it’s perfectly normal to have some degree of that. I also loved listening to The Skinny Confidential His + Her podcast on Alison Brod. She’s an insanely hard worker and super talented and I work with her agency regularly. It was really neat to see where she came from, how she got started, and her philosophy and mindset about the PR industry.
What’s your favorite getting-ready soundtrack?
Anything by Kygo or the Lounge – Soft House playlist on Spotify.
Do you workout in the morning? if so, what do you do and for how long?
I’ve been terrible about working out lately! I don’t really love to workout (which is so bad to admit I know!) I have a personal trainer come when I’m in town, once a week to do circuit training. And sometimes I’ll do yoga with my boyfriend once a week at a spot in Venice. I used to be a workout junkie in NYC – and did Soul Cycle, Barry’s Bootcamp, boxing, — you name it. But I definitely like more low intensity workouts now that I’m in my 30s!
What are your favorite workouts to do in LA, specifically?
I love doing yoga at LOVE Yoga in Venice, Hot 8 in Santa Monica, and walking along the beach or riding my cruiser bike.
I never leave the house without _____________.
My phone! I’m glued to it. Having a job in social media, you can’t leave your phone at home!
If you could only put on one item of makeup, what would it be?
Mascara from Charlotte Tilbury
Do you stick to the same makeup and hair routine, or do you like to experiment?
Yes. I have been doing the same hair and makeup routine for the last 7 years. I am a creature of habit! I’ve added a few makeup tricks like highlighter on my cheekbones and nose – and using a good concealer over the years, but other than that it’s been the same!
Do you have a signature scent?
Diptyque Eau Duelle
Daily uniform:
L’Agence jeans and a Vince cashmere v-neck sweater, or a Reformation bodysuit and Hermes sandals.
Healthiest morning habit:
My green juice!
Worst morning habit:
Immediately checking my phone and scrolling through emails and Instagram
Shower: morning or night?
Night
If you had one extra hour every morning, how would you use it?
To play with my puppy! He’s a bundle of energy!
What’s your favorite product in your shower?
Dermalogica Microfoliant – it’s the best exfoliator – I’ve been using it for almost a decade!
Your skincare must have’s?
-Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant Exfoliator – daily microfoliant
-Mara Face Oil
-La Mer Eye Concentrate
-Sisley Cleansing Milk with sage
-Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum
-Goop Edition 1 Candle burning while getting ready, always.
One word to describe your mornings:
Very LA – lol. I’ve definitely adapted all of the cliche LA habits – that have really made me a more grounded, happy, centered person. I’m moving back to NYC next month because I miss it so much, but I’ll absolutely be bringing the healthy habits I adapted here in LA to keep me grounded 🙂
Why have you decided to move back to NYC?
2 years in LA was perfect for me. I needed a break from the grind and cold in NYC (winters are always rough for this Arizona gal.) I was craving sunshine and felt really drawn to Venice so I uprooted my life 2 years ago, and after I got my “LA” fix, I’m officially headed back to the city! I ultimately missed city life — being able to walk everywhere, the amazing restaurants, hotels, nightlife, culture, museums, parks – and the people. New Yorkers are real and badass. They’re hardworking and inspiring to be around. It’s the best city in the world.
What’s next for you? We heard rumors of a cookbook (and we can’t wait!) Can you talk more about it?
Yes, I wrote a cookbook! To be honest, I couldn’t cook AT ALL up until about a year ago, and I’m still not great, which is why I hired an incredible chef to create the recipes for my book. I told her how disappointed I was with all of the healthy cookbooks I bought on my journey to heal my digestive issues. They were full of sad salads, ugly photos, uninspiring flavors…they tasted too healthy!!! I saw a huge gap in the market, and knew we could do better. My book is full of colorful, healthy, delicious, savory goodies that I know you will love! It’s still a work in progress, but I can’t wait to share it with you soon!
