'Tis the Season

I know that I normally post about things that I want on Wish-list Wednesday's, however since today is Christmas and the world has just gotten finished with receiving a bunch of presents - I thought it wouldn't really make sense to post about things that I want when I was just given so much. So today I am going to post about some of the big gifts I received this holiday season.

The first and biggest gift this Christmas was the iPhone 5s Gold. This present was very highly anticipated. I wrote about this in my 'What I want for Christmas' post, and low and behold - Santa came through! And in the perfect color too.

The next biggest, and probably most surprising gift, were these riding boots from C Wonder. I have been asking for a new pair of boots for a while. I really wanted a brown pair as the only one's I own are falling apart. But these are too gorgeous and just my style that I really don't mind! Also, if you haven't heard of this store yet I would urge you to check the website out. They have great quality items for a better price than you will find at other retail stores.

The next pair of items pretty much sum up my Christmas into one word - Monograms. I'm in love. Both the hat and the vest come from Marley Lilly. I'm not sure where the necklace came from. Let me tell you I am overjoyed with all of these presents. I really wanted a monogram hat of some variation, I wanted a white monogram vest, and I've been asking for that necklace for the longest time now. Perfect Christmas gifts that I wouldn't change anything about! 

So tell me, what did you get for Christmas this year?

Until next time,

Casey Rose

Christmas Tradition

Tradition (noun): the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way. 

Holidays are all about tradition. Tradition is what makes everything you do special. It carries on throughout the years to make memories even more memorable and cherished.

Every family has their special holiday traditions, I am here to tell you mine.

Christmas is always a time to look forward to in my household. It is normally comprised of just my immediate family at my house in North Carolina. I know in years past we may have had other company from our extended family, but for the most part it has just been us at our house.

Every Christmas Eve is pretty much the same. Our family is Catholic and so it is tradition that we go to Christmas mass. We normally go to the 5:30 mass at our local high school (our parish is so big that they have overflow masses at this location). After this is over we help clean up the gym where mass is held because everything has to be taken down as it is the last service of the night.

We then like to go home and get dinner started. Because of how formal our Christmas Day dinner is, we like to keep Christmas Eve very casual. We normally order chicken fingers or wings of some kind from a local restaurant and we always have pigs in a blanket. If you are not aware of what these are you are seriously missing out, they're just mini hotdogs wrapped in crescent rolls - delicious. When we are eating our dinner it is not a 'sit down' style that we normally do. It is more of a buffet, where we grab what we want and go eat in the living room where our tree and television is kept.

After dinner we proceed with opening gifts. These are the gifts from family. As we have grown older our extended family hasn't sent us many presents; but normally presents from extended and immediate family members are opened tonight. The way we open gifts is from youngest to oldest, or vice a versa. One member of the family is chosen to be 'Santa', aka wear the Santa hat and distribute gifts to everyone...that person is almost always me.

Once we are finished opening all presents we proceed to watching our yearly movies. It is either all or a couple of the following three. First, SNL Christmas DVD (the one that was released in 1999). Secondly we have It's a Wonderful Life, I know that this is a very popular movie with a lot of families during Christmas time. And lastly we have Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, that is a hilarious movie that is entirely puppets directed by Jim Henson; it's not really meant to be hilarious but we find it to be pretty funny.

After all or a couple of the movies are watched we go to bed. At this time, and especially when we were younger, this is where Santa comes. The rule is, the first person to wake up wakes up the entire family and we all get our robes on and wait at the top of the stairs, in order from youngest to oldest, and we all walk down stairs together to see what Santa had brought us the night before.

Once Mom and Dad have fixed their cups of tea and everyone is settled in the living room around the tree, my mom becomes 'Santa' and hands out the gifts that Santa had brought us. Once all of the presents are open the day is filled with playing with our new toys. At the end of the day we have a more formal dinner to celebrate Christmas.

And that is it! The Salchert family's Christmas tradition. So tell me, what special traditions does your family have during holidays?

Merry Christmas!

Until next time,

Casey Rose

Smooth as Silk

About two weeks ago I started a segment called 'Make me over Monday's'. Last Monday I was finishing up exams and I really didn't have time to write a post, so we shall pick up where we left off.

This Monday I wanted to talk about my holy grail product for my straight hair - Moroccan Oil.

This product has been all the rage lately. It makes your hair super silky and smooth and it keeps my hair straight all day. It is a little on the expensive side...try $43 for a 3 oz. bottle. Yeah. But I am telling you, it is worth the money.

What I like to do is take one pump on my dry hair, either air dried or after blow drying, massage it throughout my hair making sure to focus on the ends. Then I proceed with styling. If I decide to curl it then that is it and I will just hair spray my hair afterwards. When I decide to straighten it, I take another pump after I am done styling and work it throughout my hair again. Doing this 'tames my flyaways and conditions my split ends'...or so it says on the bottle :) Either way, I swear by this product and recommend it to everyone who is looking to get silky, smooth, touchable hair.

You can find this at a lot of different salons, however I found this one on the Nordstroms website.

The 0.8 oz bottle goes for $16.50 and 3.4 oz goes for $43

So tell me, what is your favorite hair product?

Until next time,

Casey Rose

Dance the Night Away

A few weeks ago we had my sorority's semi formal. It depends on where you go, but for my chapter girls normally wear short, fancy dresses. That really can be up to your interpretation. It can be a cute $20 dress you found from Forever21 or a couple hundred dollar dress from Nordstroms (my little wore her Jimmy Choo's that night if that tells you anything...). Either way girls love dressing up.

Since I ended up going with my ex-boyfriend I decided to buy a dress instead of borrowing one from one of my sisters closet. You've always got to look your best whenever you see an ex right? ;) So I decided to go out and search for something to wear.

My first stop was Francesca's. This is always where I go to first because of two reasons. One, I used to work there and the staff still knows me and my style and can pick out things that I would like without having to sift through all of the racks. Secondly, the shopping center where the store is located has a bunch of other boutiques in it that sell the exact same items. I'm not kidding. I remember one time I was on shift and we had this dress for sale that a customer came in and said she saw at another boutique in the center for double the price. So it is safe to say that Francesca's is one of the more wallet-friendly boutiques in the area.

I walked through the door and my old boss was working that day. I explained to her the event I was looking to find a dress for and she picked this number:

To say I instantly fell in love would be an understatement. It was just the right amount of sexy. It was a body-con dress, but it had a sheer overlay that hid the tight bottom of the dress. The overlay also had a slit that went all the way up to the waist of the dress to show the tight dress underneath. It also accentuated my favorite part of my body - my shoulders and arms. I was sold!

You can find the Benevento Maxi Dress at Francesca's for only $39.99

I decided to pair the dress with these heels. I got these for Christmas two years ago, my mom thought I was crazy to ask for them and that I would never wear them. I won't deny that they do not leave my closet that often, but they are beautiful and they do see daylight from time to time. For example, this night! It was the perfect pump. I love the thick heel because it makes the shoe easier to walk in and I always love to add something that 'pops' to my outfit. Since the dress was simple black and red, I figured I could spice it up with the heel.

  

The only place I found these Sarina Pumps from Steve Madden was on this site called Rakuten. The only size they have available is a 7. However, they appear from time to time on eBay; so if you are really in love, like I was, I would be patient and keep looking.

This picture is before the night when I got home and decided to try on the entire outfit together. You can't really tell from any of these pictures, but I decided to get some black teardrop earrings from Francesca's. I contemplated doing a necklace but decided I wanted to keep my neck clear and just accent the outfit with statement earrings.

I ended up strutting up and down the hall of my house showing everyone who was there exactly what I was going to be wearing that night. The overwhelming amount of approving declarations I received assured me that I had picked the right dress.

Here is my little and I at the venue!

And here we have my friends and I at the house before we left for the venue!

I ended up having a great night and got so many compliments on my dress! It really was worth going out and buying a new dress just for this occasion. And the great thing about this dress is that since it is State colors, I can wear it to just about anything formal I have to go to for my school.

So tell me, what is your perfect outfit for a 'night to remember'?

Until next time,

Casey Rose

One Secret I'll Never Tell, XOXO

If you know me at all you know that I am not the kind of person to be found glued to the television, always watching a new show or movie. A lot of my friends actually make fun of me for how many movies I haven't seen. However, since the invention of Netflix this has took a turn for the worst. Now Netflix has a lot of different, and I might even go as far as to say weird, things on their site. But the one thing they are great about is having quality TV shows. 

It all started when I got hooked on Desperate Housewives last year. My suite-mate and I would spend most of our nights glued to her television, watching hours upon hours of episodes. I recently finished all of the seasons last spring and then came to discover Revenge. After I finished Revenge over the summer I was stuck. I wasn't sure what to watch and so I would try a bunch of different shows, never really getting into them as much as I had with the other two series.

That was until this semester. Living in a sorority house, although at first sounds a little overwhelming when you learn that it is 40 girls living under one roof, has its perks. Aside from having 40 closets to choose from and always having someone there willing to pick you up or drive you somewhere at 2 in the morning, girls seem have great suggestions for what should be next in your Netflix cue.

I walked into the house one day after class to find a couple of my sisters on the couch watching an episode of Gossip Girl. I had nothing else to do that day so I sat down to see what this was about. After engaging with everyone and trying to figure out what exactly was happening in this episode, the girls appeared to be confused by all of my questions. It wasn't until one girl asked "Wait, have you never seen this before?" The amount of gasps I received when I gave my answer was a sign that clearly I have been missing out on something. And so my expedition began.

The last episode of Gossip Girl aired almost a year ago to this date and I just moments ago finished the last episode. To say that I am in love with the series would be a serious understatement. The way they portrayed the characters and were able to make you fall in love with them, begin to hate them, and fall in love with them all over again is an experience I really never had before. They were able to take me into their world, be completely jealous of them, yet at the same time completely relate with them. 

I have learned so many life lessons from Gossip Girl that I have decided today I would share with you exactly what each of the main characters has taught me throughout my time watching this series. So sit back, relax, and reflect with me the end of an era (even if it might be a year late).

Nate - I learned from Nate that in order to be happy with yourself, you need to make things happen on your own accord. Taking advantage of the things you are entitled to may be the easy way to live life but it is also the most unsatisfying. In order to be happy with yourself, you need to make your own way in this world.

Blair - I learned from Blair to stick up for myself and work hard for what I want. Blair always got everything she wanted but it wasn't always because of where she came from. She worked hard for everything; whether it was in her work, her friendships, or even her relationship with Chuck, she was constantly working for them to succeed.

Serena - I learned from Serena to not worry about what other people think of you. The only persons opinion that matters is your own. If you live your life living up to the expectations that other people have of you, you will constantly be disappointed. Be who you want to be without any fear or objections and never look back.

Chuck - I learned from Chuck how to treat the person you love. Chuck was constantly giving everything he had to help Blair, even when she wasn't his. I also learned from him that it is okay to give yourself to that person. Love is a scary thing but once you fall you learn that it is the most amazing thing in the entire world.

Dan - What I learned from Dan is that it is okay to be yourself. The only way you can truly love yourself while having the people around you love you as well, is to be completely honest with who you are. If you are trying to be someone else at the end of the day you will fail. The people who love you will love you no matter what, so open up and show everyone the real you.

There you have it, my reflection of the lessons taught by the greatest show ever to be aired on television. Is that a stretch? Maybe, but I love it. After all...'you know you love me'

xoxo,

Casey Rose

Tory in the City

Today's OOTD might be a bit springy but I don't care.  I was inspired. Recently I have been looking at internships for over the summer. My mom works at IBM and has been pushing me to apply their for a while now. Finally, I did it. No, I haven't heard anything yet but some of the internships I applied to are in none other than New York City. Just thinking about getting the chance to spend a summer in the Big Apple has made me giddy. This outfit was inspired by possibly getting that chance of a lifetime. Plus, I've been fawning over that handbag and I just had to add it to a collection.

Tory in the City by caseyrosexo featuring fossil watches

I'll be sure to fill you in as more information unfolds!

Until next time,

Casey Rose

All I want for Christmas is...

Oh what to wish for this Holiday Season...who am I kidding, I've already sent my list in to the Big Guy weeks ago. Oh, you want to see what things made the list? Well if you insist...

Yes, the iPhone 5s Gold. I was hesitant at first to ask ole' Saint Nick for this particular color of the iPhone just because a lot of people said it was 'tacky' and 'ghetto'. With much deliberation I finally decided I didn't care and that I loved the gold iPhone. So hopefully, since my 2 year contract is up, that will be the big Christmas item this year :)

Next is this lovely watch. If you all don't know by now, I love watches. I already have two Michael Kors watches, one white one I got for my high school graduation, and the other a gold one that I bought with my own money from work. So of course the next obvious color choice would have to be silver! Duh! It's beautiful and I need it...no question.

Lastly, is this beauty. I have had my eye on this bag ever since it came out. To say that everyone in Pi Phi drools over this tote would be an understatement. With the price tag being around $100, it never  really seemed to be worth the price (especially for this poor college student). But Santa doesn't care about cost right?! Thought so :) Thanks Santa!

What are the items on your Christmas list this year?

Until next time,

Casey Rose

Be Straight With Me

I know you all are super surprised to hear this, but there's about to be another alliteration. But before I announce what that is going to be, let me tell you a little about my history and why I decided to start this blog.

When I was younger I got really into watching Youtube videos. The one's I really enjoyed watching the most were the Beauty Guru videos. This is what inspired me to make my own videos, yes I have made youtube videos before for any of my friends that may be reading this. It was never something I really told anyone about and I actually go back and watch them from time to time to give myself a good laugh. I'm so awkward. Anyways, that is part of the reason I decided to transition into Blogging. I tried the Vlogging thing and while it was fun, it was a TON of work to edit the videos and my camera quality isn't the greatest. So I thought Blogging would essentially be the same thing but with a little 'less' work than filming. Plus I don't have to get dressed up and put make up on to write a Blog, I can do it from the comfort of my PJ's and comfy bed.

Now that you know a little more about my background you can understand why I have such a love for Beauty and Fashion. Watching those women really made me fall in love with the Beauty community and made me want to pursue it for myself. So here goes, my Monday alliteration...

Make Me Over Mondays!

I'm such a cheese-ball, I can't even handle myself. The idea behind Monday's is that I will share with you some of my favorite beauty products. This can range anywhere from makeup to hair products to just cool tips or tricks that I may have learned throughout my years.

The first post for Make Me Over Mondays will be about my hair straightener.

I have a love-hate relationship with my hair. I love length, the color, how easily it styles, pretty much everything about it. But like any other girl, I hate my hair sometimes. It doesn't always do what I want it to, it turns into dreads after day 2 of not washing it...I wish I was kidding, and I haven't seem to have perfected the 'let your hair go naturally' look. I'm not sure if it is because I am not confident enough in the way it looks naturally or what but I haven't figured out how to wear it naturally.

A little bit more about my hair type before I go on. I have naturally curly hair. It is not tight ringlets but it also is not waves, I am probably somewhere in-between. I am not like a normal 'beauty guru' who has perfectly straight hair all the time and just 'wishes' it would hold a curl. No, my hair will hold a curl. The problem I have is keeping it straight. I had been struggling with this for the longest time, finding the right straightener and products so that my hair will stay straight throughout the day. Now granted there are some days where the humidity is just insane in North Carolina and those are the days, if I do end up straightening my hair, I will regret it forever (but I've gotten smart enough not to do so). However, for the most part I think I have perfect my straight hair!

The upcoming Mondays I will take you through my hair products and why they help me achieve my perfect head of hair (almost) every time.

My first product and my holy grail, seriously I swear by this, is my hair straightener.

If you click the picture above it will take you to the Folica Website where you can read more about this straightener and why people love it so much.

So this is the Sedu. I know many of you probably are thinking "What is this device, I've never heard of it." That doesn't surprise me. Not a lot of people have. When I was a freshman in High school I was using a Conair hair straightener from target that was probably $20. It would take me over an hour to straighten my hair and it didn't even work that well. Not trying to talk badly about Conair and their beauty products but it just did not work for my hair type. As soon as I stepped outside my hair would turn into one big frizzy mess. All of that time spent trying to get my hair stick straight went right out the window. 

This was around the time that I started getting into watching Beauty videos on Youtube. All of these women had really nice hair straighteners that they swore by. I also asked around to all of my friends, who mostly had Chi's. I wasn't completely impressed with the Chi hair straighteners, yes I do have one for travel because I don't care about it as much as my Sedu, but I don't believe it does as great of a job on my hair. So began my search for the perfect hair straightener. At the time, for what I can remember, my hair was a lot more curly than it is now. Now, this may have been exaggerated throughout the years in my memory, but I had in my mind that my hair was as thick and coarse as a black woman's. I'm not kidding. So when I was searching for straighteners and reading all of the reviews I came across the Sedu. Most of the reviews for this were black women who had very thick and coarse hair that got their hair pin straight because of this product! I was instantly sold.

I purchased my Sedu and haven't gone back since. In fact, I actually added a 'before' and 'after' picture to the website I purchased it off of. It's pretty hilarious. But it worked! It got my hair so straight. It has ceramic plates so it didn't pull on my hair at all, it was so smooth and it works so well for my hair. I'm telling you guys I swear by this straightener and if you have been searching for a straightener like I had and you have similar hair to mine, even way curlier, I would absolutely recommend you check out this product. It is my life saver, my baby, and I love it to death.

So tell me, what is your holy grail beauty item? I'd love to know!

Until next time,

Casey Rose

A Change, A Challenge

Now that we're back with our regular postings, I'm so glad to welcome back 'Sorority Sunday's' to the blog. This week will be more of an informational post more than a fun one, sorry guys.

As you may have seen from my Thanksgiving post, I talked about my heartbreak with not getting slated as Chapter President for this upcoming exec. While it was a shock and it took me a very long time to get over, I was still offered a position on exec. I was offered the position of Vice President of Member Development (VPMD for short). VPMD isn't exactly what VPM was, but in terms of the ability to be creative with the position they are very similar.

VPMD is essentially the first 'Vice President' to the chapter. If the Chapter President is ever absent for any reason, the VPMD steps in to fill her place. She deals mostly with the chapters grades, making sure they chapter is doing their weekly study hours, and is concerned with the overall wellness of the chapter. This includes mental, physical, and emotional health. VPMD is the person that makes sure everyone is doing alright, keeping up with their school work but not getting too stressed out during the process.

While this will be a big change from VPM I am excited to take on the challenge. We officially get sworn in tomorrow at chapter and I am anxious but excited to see how this year is about to unfold. Our executive team is very different than it was last year and I am interested to see how we all work together. While I will miss everyone, I am excited to work with the new girls and excited to see, first hand, our chapter flourish and grow.

PPL&M

Until next time,

Casey Rose