"Break-less"

So I accidentally took off two weeks instead of one... whoops.
The first week was finals week and the second one was fall break week. And one thing stood out to me from these last two weeks:
we really are a break-less people.

But this is no one's fault but our own. It's our own inability! I stayed on-campus during break so that I could get more done. When I ran into one of my few friends who had stayed, he made an interesting comment: "Casey, I don't know how to do nothing."
He went on to explain that his fall break week was not a break, but that was because he didn't know how to take one. And this is practically the norm! In talking with the other students, most of them worked double-time over that week, were slammed with homework (like yours truly) or crammed so many trips and activities in the week that they never had a chance to just sit and enjoy the break.


This generation doesn't know how to sit and enjoy. 

Not only this generation or teenagers and young adults, but adults as well! With cell phones, Netflix, and endless Twitter conversations to keep up with - not to mention the dumb, addictive games and endless gossip - it's no wonder we never rest. Because, for us, rest only comes when there's nothing else to do or text or keep up with or google. But, guess what... That place in life doesn't exist and never will.

We need to re-shape our thinking. Real rest does not happen there is nothing else to do; real rest happens when we make a conscious decision to let our brains and our souls take a break from the texts and the people and the homework and the ministry and the work and the Instagram-photo-taking.

The world will not fall apart if you take time to rest now and then. In fact, the world will be better off if you take the time to rest. Because, honestly, you're a better you when you rest. You're more productive, more successful, friendlier, and healthier....

Want to have a positive effect on this world? Want to give your family the best you possible? Want to be the most effective you can be in your work or your ministry? Take a break and make it count. Turn your phone off for the day, or the afternoon, and take a drive somewhere. Think about as little as possible; reconnect with God; go somewhere cool; lay on your bed and stare at the ceiling; read a couple of chapters in that novel, just because; do anything!

JUST TAKE A BREAK.

YAY MIDTERMS

Taking a break this week to focus on the midterms I have this weekend... But enjoy this awkward picture of me and my friend Nate, and have a fantastic week!!
And for you fellow Virginians who are experiencing this grand weather, make sure you get out there and enjoy it;)

Love, Case

I Am a Fashion Blogger (and this is why)

So this week marks two years ago that I started fashion blogging. And in those two years, I feel like I've tried every which way to describe myself as anything but a fashion blogger. But I'm starting to come around to the fact that if 80% of my viewers only view the fashion aspect of my blog, it's safe to say that's what I am. So what better time to talk about being/becoming a fashion blogger than two years after I started?

The reason I've avoided being called "the fashion blogger," is because I feel like it brings a negative reaction to folks, like, "oh, she must think she's so put together all the time," or "she's not that fabulous," and yadda yadda. And really, their skepticism would be well-deserved because there's nothing that makes me qualified to talk about it. Most of the time I'm in a T and sweats, anyways... I live the college life!

So why did I start posting fashion posts if I didn't want to be a fashion blogger? There are other bloggers out there. What made me different? What made me feel there was a need?

A few things...

One of my first fashion posts

1) I was tired of seeing girls shove their bodies into fashion trends that did not work for their body type.
We're all unique and we're all beautiful (like all of us haven't heard that 20 times...). The problem is, fashion industries and trends do not cater to different body types. That's why their trends: they're all the same. But who says we have to be trendy to be fabulous? Nobody. Fabulous comes from wearing what looks good on you and wearing it confidently.

2) I was tired of being discouraged that dressing with femininity and dignity was defined as "prudish" and "boring"
Every girl has faced the discouragement of seeing the overwhelming amounts of mini-skirts and see-through tops, and the sinking feeling that that's what you wear to be cool. What happens to the gals who don't want to dress that way? They feel the only way to not dress like that is to wear black ankle-length skirts and over-sized plaid button ups.
I've been there. And there wasn't anyone to show me that that didn't have to be the case.

3) I was tired of wearing the same things the same ways and I wanted a challenge to do something different
I already blogged, so why not bring ya'll along for the journey of trying to think a little bit outside of the box? Blogging is a really good way to stay motivated and accountable for things like this, and I figured something like this would be fun to share.

...and now.

4) I shopped at thrift stores and Target more than I shopped anywhere else, and typical fashion bloggers are high-end shoppers
If there were blogs I could find who inspired me in the way I looked, they were bloggers who spent $35 on a pair of socks and simply paired pumps with a $150 dress. These blogs were remarkably uncreative (anyone can pair an expensive dress with expensive shoes and look great) AND remarkably outside of my budget.

5) I knew I wasn't the only one
There was no way that I was the only girl discouraged by the poor amount of inspirational fashion bloggers who shopped economically, creatively, and modestly.
So instead of waiting around to find someone who fit the bill, why not challenge myself to fit it?

I'm very passionate about women feeling strong and confident and beautiful. What better way to do that than to encourage them to put their best foot forward and rock their personality through what they wear?

By posting my thoughts on how to look like the best YOU you can, and always bringing it back around to where your true value is, it is my goal that every woman who sees my posts will feel stronger, more valuable, and more beautiful.

As women, we're told over and over where we aren't good enough and how we don't measure up. But you know what? That doesn't matter. If you feel fabulous, you are fabulous. Why not feel fabulous more often?

So there you have it. I'm a fashion blogger. Why? Because I want you to know that you're the most beautiful you that there will ever be, and that's something to be proud of, not something you try and change. And these fashion posts are just a small way to try and remind you of that.

Style{in} Skirts: Ft. Kallie the Cupcake-Maker

This is Kallie.

She's a gymnast, a soccer player, a baker and a singer.  

She wants to open up her own cupcake shop... how cool is that?

Scarf: Charming Charlie's // Shirt: Kohl's // Vest: Charlotte Russe // 

Skirt/Maxi Dress: Papaya // Boots: Wet Seal

I really like Kallie's combination of color and pattern... and throwing in the denim vest was the cherry on top. I need her to show me how she got her scarf tied up so fabulously!

I like featuring new people because I find myself getting into the same rut of wearing similar pieces similar ways... Kallie makes me want to go buy some stripes!! And wear my denim vest way more.

If you want to be featured on Cattails, Rabbittrails, and Thistlefish, let me know!! Give me a holler on facebook or email me your look at caseyheardwhat@gmailDOTcom. Fresh faces are always fun, and I'm always looking for a good excuse to not be the one photographed;)

Yesterday was the first day of fall... And Virginia actually felt like it! What a shocker...

Hope ya'll are ready to break out the pumpkins and take hipster pictures of fall leaves and all that fun stuff:)

Love, Case

PS: Linking up @ The Pleated Poppy, Transatlantic Blonde, Because Shanna Said So, Pumps and PushUps, The Life of the Party, Vodka Infused Lemonade, Sequins and Style, Fry Sauce and Grits, Style Elixir, Penniless Socialite, All Things Chic, Musings of a Housewife, Mummy's Got Style, Watch Out for the Woestmans, The Foley Fam, Join the Gossip, Still Being Molly, DC in Style, Fizz and Frosting, Rhea Etcetera, Walking in Memphis in High Heels, Mama - and More, Style Elixir, Why I Do DeClaire, and My Girlish Whims:)