Dear Santa...

Happy Black Friday! To all of you going out shopping, good luck! Fortunately I got
ALL of my Christmas shopping done before Thanksgiving this year, so I was able
to relax and have fun today!

Every year, I send my mom {as well as other people who ask what I would like for Christmas} my list of wishes. My mom & I still joke around and say that it comes
from santa...she actually still writes "from santa" on the tags of many gifts under
the tree. This year, I am keeping my future college in mind, as I need to begin to
prepare my wardrobe to be reorganized downsized immensely and adapted for
winter conditions!

So without further adieu, the Christmas wish list of moi...

           

I would explain each individual thing, but I think it's pretty obvious why I'm
obsessed. But I will chat more about the 3 items I am most excited for!

1. David Yurman Cable Bracelet: 

This is my first Yurman piece ever! I completely adore it but at the same time I fear
this may be the beginning of an obsession. Oh well!

2. Patagonia Vest: 

I know that I will be going to college in either Alabama, South Carolina, North
Carolina, or Tennessee so I will need cold weather clothing {a foreign concept to a
FL girl like myself!} This patagonia vest is so versatile, I can already tell that it will
be a fall and winter staple.

3. Lululemon Wunder Under Leggings: 

Once again, I'm adjusting to the idea that in December I'm not going to be able to
walk around campus in my nike shorts when I am at college. So, I thought it was a
good idea to invest in some great leggings. I have lots of regular cotton leggings at
home, but I have heard such good things about the Lululemon version! After trying
them on in the store, I fell in love...

What is on y'alls Christmas lists? I hope some very cute {and preppy} things make
their way under your tree this December!
XO,

Turkey Time Adventures, Part One

Happy Hump Day!

I am having such a wonderful, relaxing, and much needed Thanksgiving Break. So nine days of no school, I am amazed I'm not already going through withdrawals... yeah right! Anywho, here is the official recap of all the excitement that ensued!

Day One: Saturday

I headed to my friend's house and we had lunch at a local place on Palm Beach, The Bath and Tennis Club, then headed to Jupiter to go to Blowing Rocks Nature Preserve. That was just far too fab! If any of y'all are Florida natives and have never been, you must go! If you are planning a trip, you can thank me later for sending you there. Just make sure it is a windy day and it is high tide, and you're good to go!

Afterwards, we went home and cleaned up to head out to her aunt's house for dinner. Afterwards, we went to the Melting Pot for fondue dessert. I know that you're jealous, but that's ok, it's a normal reaction. Then of course we had a sleepover, because we are high school girls what else did you expect? Although I'm pretty sure I'm still going to have sleepovers as a 90-year-old woman, because they're too fun not to!

Day Two: Sunday

Two words: French Macarons. I headed over to Publix, picked up ingredients for some macarons and my favorite French lemonade, Lorina. Once home, I embarked on my journey. Let's just say my macarons didn't look like the ones on the Kate Spade ads or the ones that are sold in French bakeries. Oh well, I'm a first timer!

Day Three: Monday

What a much needed shopping day! My momma and I tackled the mall and target. I've been really freaking out lately because I know that I will be going to college somewhere above Georgia, so as a Florida girl sweaters are kind of a foreign concept. "You mean I can't wear Lilly shorts in December?" As you can tell, I needed some help. So I have slowly begun getting used to the whole cold-weather thing. Pants, sweaters, vests, oh my! Although I'm not used to it, I'm having a blast shopping for it! So in my shopping travels I managed to snag several more sweaters. Now I think I only have three others on my wish list and I will have enough sweaters for college {or at least I think so...} This is the sweater collection as it stands, I'm getting there. Florida girl is learning.

I also finally got one of those adorable Alice & Olivia for Starbucks coffee mugs. Tutu and bow tie... what can I say? It was made for me.

Day Four: Tuesday

It was finally a little chilly outside, so of course I had to go for a "fall in Florida" outfit.

Sweater: Jennifer Lopez for Khols
Boots: Hunter
Jewelry: Michael Kors watch & Kate Spade bangle

Today was all about Christmas shopping! I had a list of people to shop for, and honestly no clue what to get any of them. A friend of mine was stuck in the same problem, so we decided to tackle the issue together. 6 hours later... we actually found something for EVERYONE on our lists! I am so proud. So then we returned home to wrap presents while eating Godiva truffles and listening to the Michael Buble Christmas cd. What a fab afternoon it was! Then, we grabbed dinner at one of my favorite local restaurants, Ke'e Grille in Juno Beach. Here I am gift wrapping, the holidays are so fun!

Stay tuned for the rest of the happenings on my break! What are y'all up to this week?
XO,

This is the first part in my Thanksgiving break recap, the continuation is "Thanksgiving Break, Part 2."

Start Today

Hello lovelies!
It's almost turkey time and my tummy is SO ready! Thanksgiving is one of my fav holidays because you can always expect a wonderful day full of time spent with family and friends. Although some may be surprised by this, I am not a fan of holidays that center around gift-giving. I think that retailers have transformed the holidays into something purely materialistic and I think that is practically a crime! Holidays are about family, enjoying the little things, and taking time to appreciate all that is good about life. But enough with that rant! Ha!

Today I am talking about something which I believe in VERY strongly. As Larry the Cable Guy would say, "Git 'R Done!" So now that y'all are sufficiently confused... I shall explain!

This quote is a perfect place to start.

2 reasons why this quote is one of my favorites:

1. I am an admitted Gossip Girl addict. I'm in stage 5 of GG obsessors anonymous so don't mess with my progress! {Just kidding, I'm not even on stage one}.

2. I feel that it truly sums up the way I feel about life!

Too often people act like if they just sit at home thinking about how badly they'd like to be successful, they will be. Or if someone has a dream, of any sort really, that the path to their dream will just land on their front door step. No, no, no. Wrong, so wrong. That will happen 1% of the time. Life is short, why would you go around waiting for something?

Want to be a famous singer? Stop singing in your shower. What do all grammy award winners have in common? Yeah, that's right...they sing somewhere other than in their shower.
Want to become a highly successful entrepreneur? Stop sitting around thinking about all of your ideas. Go out there in the world and make things happen.
Even on a smaller scale, are you tired of how your life is right now? Don't like your friends or how they treat you? Unhappy with your weight, or with your style, or with your reputation? I can tell you one thing for sure, sitting there being unhappy about it will ensure that it never gets fixed. Go and do something.

At one point in my life, I had some friends that were less than "friendly." They hurt me, I cried, I forgave them, they hurt me again, I cried again, and forgave them again. Then I woke up one morning and said "Casey, what is wrong with you?" Obviously me forgiving them and just doing what I was already doing was NOT solving my problem, so why on earth was I doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results? So I told those people that I was going to go somewhere in life, and if they wanted to be part of it they were either going to have to start acting like a friend or I was going to just move on. I doubt anyone has ever said anything like that to them before. Some of those people weren't going to be there in 5 years, and I knew it, so I decided that I'd let them exit the show early. So they aren't in my life anymore. Others were true friends who just didn't know they were hurting me, and now we are closer than ever. Oh wait... did you catch that? My problem got solved. Want your problem solved? Start today. Start right now.

If you want anything, yes I mean anything, it's possible. I'm not saying you're gonna have it in two hours, two days, two months, or even two years, but I'm telling you that if you wake up every morning and just get things done that put you in that direction, you'll scare yourself with how well things turn out. Enough with my pep talk. Make a to-do list, call that person you need to talk to, schedule a meeting, write your novel, do whatever it is that you need to do.

I always look to this quote when I'm trying to do something. "I didn't set out to be unusual or different. I just wanted to do things my way." -Lilly Pulitzer
So what do you think? How do you want things to be done? Start doing them that way.

I know what you're thinking... can you thank me in your acceptance speech? Duh.
XO,

This post is the second in a series about my view on life. View the other posts here:
1. Be Blessed, Not Busy

A New Addition

Happy happy Thursday!

Just one more day until I'm on Thanksgiving break and CANNOT wait! I'm so excited for a little R & R... but who am I kidding? I'll probably be running around doing who knows what the whole time and return back to school even more exhausted than I left! Ha!

Today I am sharing something very exciting {for me at least!} The past few weeks we have been doing "Eco-Column" projects in my AP Environmental Science class, and when we finished them on Monday, the teacher offered to let people take home the 4 leftover fish! So... I got a new pet! Ha! It's a fancy little Beta fish. Of course I couldn't name it just any typical fish name... so the naming process began! I got the best suggestions from all my sweet Instagram friends for names, and my friends at school also had some hilarious ideas! Some of my fav suggestions were "Empress Wu," "Sir Archibald," "Lilly" {after Lilly Pulitzer}, "Kate" {after Kate Spade}, and lastly "Mr. Nibbles"! It was a tough choice with so many great options, but I finally decided on Ophelia! It's such a pretty name, and I will always remember when I got the fish because I just finished reading Hamlet in school {where I got the idea for the name}. 

So I know y'all are probably wondering...what does the fancy fish look like? Here are some photos! The tank makes a great addition to my nightstand! Isn't Ophelia just so darling? The tank lights up different LED colors... it is SO fun! 

I am so excited about having Opehlia as part of my home, and I hope she has a wonderful life in her new little fish bowl! 

That's all for now!

XO, 

Be Blessed, Not Busy

Happy happy Thursday (or should I say... happy almost Friday?!)

This week has been so crazy for me but I love it! I really wouldn't have it any other way. I know I typically post about simple things like clothing, accessories, or my life in general, but I am going to begin to get "deeper." Ha! In all seriousness though, I truly have a lot of things which I feel God has been putting on my heart lately and I want to share them with y'all! The first of these things is the topic of today's post!

My life is busy. I know, you are probably thinking, "my life is more busy than yours." We all think that. But I really can't begin to explain how crazy my schedule is... while going over my resume with my college counselor last month, she asked me in completely seriousness, "Do you have time to sleep?" While I typically just run though life and check things off of my to-do list, my parents have been saying to me lately, "Casey, you need to slow down" or "Casey, do you really need to be doing ALL of these things?" Usually when I am at a point like that, I completely agree with them. But this time is different. I confess that I am without a doubt the busiest I've ever been (and I actually think it's perhaps the busiest I'll ever be - or at least I hope). The thing that is really crazy about it all though, is that unless I sit down to think about all the things I accomplished that day I don't quite notice.

In past stages of my life (like last year, for example) I was exhausted. I dreaded 90% of the activities I was dedicating time to, and it really wore on me. I was busy. The reason I point this out, is because I am beginning to notice that there is a huge difference between being busy and being busy. No, that wasn't a typo! Ha! The first type of busy is when you have that endless checklist of things you don't want to do... wash the car, clean the room, do the homework, go to that class you dread. That type of busy wears you down. You don't enjoy it much at all and most of the time you are there all you can think about is when you can leave. I have been there and done that, and I think I should get award for how many times I did it (and did it well, if I do say so myself! Ha!) Overall though, that type of busy is just NOT the place you want to be, and NOT how you want to live your precious life!

But then there's that other kind of busy... when you are just totally immersed in things you have a passion and a love for. That's where I am now. And I think that shouldn't even be considered as being busy, that's just being flat-out blessed! Because if you are lucky enough to be filling your hours with things that bring you joy, YOU ARE BLESSED! For me, that's things like this blog, my hostessing job, baking, being the editor of my school's newspaper, and going out to eat with friends. I could do any of those things for hours, and yes I would be tired, but no, I definitely wouldn't complain. God puts all the opportunities for the blessings, we just have to choose to prioritize the things that bring us joy, rather than the things that simply bring us success in the eyes of the world around us.

I saw this quote on pinterest the other night (follow me here!) and it really got me thinking about this whole thing. I realized that there have been many times in my life that I was busy, and I totally hated it. But I also realized that right now, I am living a life that appears "busy" to everyone around me, when really it doesn't feel that way to me at all... yep, that's just because I am soooo blessed! I think that having experienced & realized this difference, I am going to live differently.

When people ask me, "Hey Casey... will you help us with this?" or "Hey Casey, join this club!" instead of just doing it like I usually would, I instead will ask myself "will this make me more busy, or more blessed?" I think that anyone who begins to reevaluate the things they have going on through that lens will find themselves much happier in a few months. Clear out the bad, bring in the good!

So repeat after me... "I am not busy, I am blessed" (and if you are "busy," work on getting "blessed" instead!)

That's all for now, have a fab rest of your week!
XO,

This post is the first in a series about my view on life. View the other posts here:
2. Start Today

Arm Candy Obsessions

Hello lovelies! TGIF!

Lately, I have become a bit of a bracelet hoarder! I used to be fairly conservative with the jewelry stacking, but now I can usually be found with 2-5 bracelets on each arm. I love the look of stacking various styles and colors and I love how it adds some personality to my appearance at school {because there's only so much you can do when you wear a school uni! Ha!} Anywho, I adore all of these fab and fancy styles of arm bling, and I hope y'all do too!

 

1. Cathryn Ann Alyssa Tassel Bracelet - $21

How fancy pants are these little gems? I love all the fab colors and they are so great for stacking with a watch! These will look so snazzy alone or paired with other things. Grab yours here!

2. Reece Blaire Bracelets - $24-38

Ok. These are without a doubt my total favorite of anything on this list. These bracelets are so great because they really appeal to all styles, and can be causal or dressy. This is possibly the most versatile line of gems I have seen in a while! I really wish I could buy them all, but I especially love the "Audrey" which has three adorable little pearls!

Photo via Instagram (@pinkbeewestend)

3. Keil James Patrick Tallulah Finn Bracelet - $58

I have always obsessed over this brand, and this line of nautical bracelets has come out especially for the holidays! Aren't they just so fab? I am always a fan of anything relating to the ocean, so I am a definite fan of these lovelies! Find this great style here!

4. C Wonder Screw Stud Bangle - $48

The cartier love bracelets have always been timeless and sought-after, but I really adore this C.Wonder adaptation of it! The leopard print is so great for fall & winter, and adds some extra glam to this already great style! C. Wonder also offers this style in various colors, so definitely check them all out! Find this fab bracelet here!

That's all for now, have a fab-u-lous weekend!

XO,

 

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

Hello, happiest of Mondays to you! I hope that y'all had a fantastic weekend! 

Today I am sharing a few of my favorite things that make being at home all the more lovely, and that just make me happy overall. I love to embrace the little things that can bring joy. So without further adieu, here are some of my most fabulous and favorite things...

1. Victoria's Secret Kimono

When I tell you that this is one of my aboslute favorite things, I am 100% serious. My mom is always making fun of me because I will literally walk around the house in it for two hours after a shower. It is also so great to throw on while getting ready because you can do your hair & makeup and you won't mess it up after {like when you have a tshirt on and have to pull it off}. Comfy doesn't begin to describe it, and honestly it is one of the best purchases I've ever made. While the current color is slightly different than what I have {pink stripe}, it is still just as fab! I also LOVE the cheetah print option as well. You can purchase it here.

2. Essie Good To Go Topcoat

I have a love-hate realtionship with paying to get my nails done. I love being pampered, but paying $20-$30 and seeing it start chipping two days later is just so frustrating. And gel is no better, because you have to pay to get it taken off later when some nails start chipping but others do not. So really for me, I think painting my nails at home is ideal. The major issue with it though is that I always seem to mess up my nails before they are dry. I have even tried setting a timer for 20 minutes and sitting still to let them dry, but they somehow get messed up despite my efforts. So to say the least I get frustrated while doing my nails myself. Recently though, I've found a solution. With this Essie topcoat my nails are perfectly dry in like 5 minutes. I'm not kidding. I just love the way it also makes the polish last longer too. It seems to chip less quickly and just look so great on! 

3. Patagonia & Vineyard Vines Pullovers

Patagonia Re-Tool Snap-T Pullover in "Raw Linen"

Vineyard Vines Shep Shirt in "Vineyard Navy"

Ok. When I tell you that I am obsessed, I can't say it enough. They are so comfy and cozy and I adore them. Pullovers are definitely my favorite things to wear around the house if I'm ever chilly. The Patagonia is great for around the house or for when it is chilly, but the vineyard vines pullover is comfy for almost all the time. The Patagonia pullover I have is the Re-Tool Snap-T Pullover, and the Vineyard Vines style is the shep shirt.

4. Lilly Pulitzer Tumbler

These really are THE BEST! Versatile is an understatement. I take one to school in the morning with my breakfast smoothie in it, around the house I always have one with me full of sweet tea or water, and at the gym it is perfect for when I'm on the elliptical because I can just sip out of the straw and I don't have to keep unscrewing a water bottle. I love it to have in the car too because I try to avoid using plastic water bottles, due to the fact that in the Florida heat, they can release toxic chemicals when left in the car. These water bottles are constructed well, so I can leave my water in the car without having to worry about drinking it later. When it comes to these, one is definitely not enough.

On a side note, I tend to have an issue with the straws breaking in half {don't ask me how it happens...it just does}. I always used to stress about it and I'd have to use the one straw I had left on all of my tumblers. Luckily, I found that you can buy the straws in bulk on ebay! My mom and I bought a pack of 8 {it comes with all different colors, so that's a fun plus!} and now I don't have to worry about breaking straws anymore! If you share in this struggle with me, I would defintely suggest buying extra straws from ebay!

5. I'm Told They're Called "Emijays"

So I have no idea what I'm supposed to call these fab little hair ties. I typically end up calling them "hair tie thingys"! Ha! But some people have told me that they are supposed to be called Emijays? Anyways, I have developed a serious love for these. I like that they look much cuter on your wrist than traditonal hair ties, and I love that they don't dent your hair either! Its just fantastic. So I would highly suggest trying these if you haven't yet!

I hope y'all have loved my favorites list! What are your favorites?

XO,

October Recap

Hello lovelies! It's Friday AND the first day of November, do days get any better?! Also, happy first day of NOVEMBER! It is so hard to believe that October is already over, and I hope you had loads of halloween fun last night, I know that I did!

I thought that an October activities recap was necessary, and being the 10th month, I thought that choosing 10 fabulous favorites to share was beyond appropriate!

1. Lunch Party!

One of my lunch table girls, Emory, turned 18 and we threw her a party at school during lunch! We all wore fun hats, ate cake, and sang happy birthday! Since we were at school there is only so much that we could do, but I think that we made the most out of it! While the rest of the lunchroom stared {out of jealousy, obviously!} we just enjoyed the festivities of our little fiesta. It was such a fab way to celebrate her special day and I think we will have lunch table parties for all of our future birthdays!

2. My Return to Blogging

After a two month absence, I finally started blogging again! I have really enjoyed starting up the blog again and I hope that I will be able to keep it up all year through school {things can get pretty busy!} I just love being able to share my thoughts with y'all and it really is one of my favorite things to do in my free time.

3. My Best Friend's Sweet 16!

She is two years below me in school, but she is without a doubt one of my best and closest friends! She turned the sweetest of all ages, sixteen, and had the most fab party to go with it! Her family rented out a local nightclub and she had a Lebanese-themed soiree complete with food, belly dancers, a palm reader, a henna tattoo artist, a DJ, dancing, and so much more! It was such an amazing evening to spend with friends and get dressed up! This photo of is me and one of my best friends, Atlanta.

4. College Touring

I toured my last round of colleges this month, and it was such a fun time with my parents! I toured Elon, went to an open house event at Furman, and drove through High Point {mostly just for fun though}. My aunt lives in Charlotte so we also got to spend some time with her while we were on our trip. I also went to a Furman football game against Appalachian State which was a total blast, and they won! {Go Paladins!}

5. Luke Bryan Concert

Luke Bryan is by far my favorite country singer, and his concert was nothing short of perfection! The night was opened by Florida Georgia line, who I also love, so it was such a great time! I went with several friends from school and it was a fantastic night of amazing music and wonderful friends.

6. Rebuild Groups

As a senior prefect at school, I have the amazing privilege of mentoring a group of 7th grade girls! The basis of the program is for the senior leaders to teach the younger students to build their lives on the rock, Jesus! Thus the name, Rebuild! Our leader Mrs. K is so adorable that she even ordered us yellow hard hats to decorate and wear for our first meeting with our groups. How cute is she? It was really such a sweet time and I am looking forward to becoming closer with the girls throughout this year. This photo is of me and all the other lovely senior prefects that I get to work with!

7. Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness!

My cheerleading team has been wearing pink uniforms at all the home football games this month in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. It should not come as a surprise to anyone that knows me, but I ADORE this uniforms! The pink is so cute and I love that we are wearing them for a good cause. Some football players were even sporting their pink socks on the field!

8. Speaking at Honor Society Inductions

As the President of my school's Science National Honor Society, and Vice President of the National English Honor Society, I had the wonderful opportunity to speak at the Induction Ceremony {and get dressed up too!} I was really so proud to be speaking as a senior because I really feel that I have accomplished so much during my four years of high school.

9. PayDay Cupcakes

My school has a Boutique and Trunk Show every year where local and nationwide vendors come to our gym, set up displays, and sell all day long! 10% of the sales are donated back to the school, so it is really just an all-around great event! The vendors are always so cute and consist of everything from hair bows, to designer handbags, to jewelry, and more. But as an added plus, there is a bake shoppe at the trunk show which is stocked with delicious goodies made by parents and students. The treats are sold for a small price, and all profits go back to the school. I was invited to bake for the shop for the third year in a row {I was so truly thrilled!} and I believe the cupcakes were a hit! The cupcakes were "PayDay," which was salted carmel and peanuts. They were soo yummy!

10. Trick or Treat!

I know, I know, as a seventeen-year-old I probably should not be trick-or-treating! My mother thinks I am crazy, but I don't care, I am a child at heart! I decided that this is my last year for sure, so I figured I would go out with a bang! Since I was probably too old for actual trick-or-treating, I decided to participate in a local church's trunk-or-treat event. I handed out candy and also played with some adorable little children. Of course, I was dressed up! I was a pink fairy princess, complete with a tutu, tiara, and wings. It was so much fun and was a great last halloween of high school.

Hope y'all had an October that was as fab as mine! That's all for now!

XO,