Tuesday, June 9, 2015

This is the Start, of Something New

And there it is. 4 years. 2 schools. Endless memories.

Last month I graduated from the best school in the world, N.C. State. It's hard to imagine 4 years of college has already gone by. It felt like it was just yesterday I was a freshman looking forward to all that college life had to offer me. From joining a sorority, playing volleyball, making new friends, and having endless experiences; college was everything that I could have asked for and more.

But to those who say college is the 'best four years of your life', I understand where you're coming from. It's a time where you are tiptoeing into adulthood without any of the responsibilities. Your main job is going to school, and when you're not in class the world is your oyster. However, there is way more to life than 4 years of college.

Most of you are, what, 21 or 22 upon graduation? That means that 4/5th of your life is still left to be lived! That accounts for endless experiences and memories! The greatest things in life are still ahead: falling in love, getting married, starting a family, finding your passion, traveling the world. Many of these things that really weren't possible in college.

I am sad to leave this wonderful University, and I would be lying if I said I am happy to be leaving the college lifestyle. But I couldn't be more excited with what lies ahead. I know life will have its ups and downs but that is what will make it all worth while.

Our hearts ever hold you, N.C. State. But now it's time to figure out what the real world has to offer.



Until next time,

Casey Rose

Monday, June 8, 2015

Make Me Up, Buttercup

Today for Make Me Over Monday I wanted to talk about a few of my new favorite beauty products I've picked up recently.

Until recently, I have always been pretty 'safe' when it comes to my beauty products. I use what I have, and what I've been given by my friends and family, and I don't really venture very far beyond that. I think it always had to do with the fact that I felt more comfortable spending my money on things you can physically see - like clothing. Plus for me, it always seemed a little bit ridiculous that people would spend more than $10 on a lipstick. 

But boy was I wrong. I've realized that investing in quality beauty products can really pull together your entire look and give you a flawless application. Essentially the products I got are bae at the moment, and I'm going to let you all know why.

First and most importantly, the reason I walked into ULTA - The Naked Skin Concealer by Urban Decay.



I cannot say enough good things about this concealer. First and foremost, the difference between my old concealer and this one isn't even comparable. I was using a potted concealer and, for the most part, I've always had decent skin. Maybe a pimple here or there or even a scab from where I may have picked at it (yeah I know, I shouldn't do that, we're all human). So I really haven't had much to cover up so I always though my concealer does the trick. The issue I always had was with my under eye coverage. I would use this thick concealer under my eyes, that simply isn't made for that area. It would crease throughout the day and just feel so heavy under my lids.

The Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer is everything and more that I could have ever hoped for. It is light weight but still full coverage. Before I would have to load up the product to make sure it actually covered the problem area and even then it wouldn't stay. This product is long lasting, and looks so natural on your skin. I could go on for days but I would just recommend you go try it out for yourself.

The Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer comes in 8 different shades and retails for $28.

The second product I wanted to talk about is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz.


Now I was first introduced to this product because I am an avid Jaclyn Hill viewer on YouTube. She is Queen and everything she recommends I must buy. But really. She raved about this brow pencil and I wanted to try it, but I was hesitant at first. I had always filled my eyebrows in with powder, which I was completely satisfied with. Then I tried to fill in my brows with a pencil, which I felt like gave me a little more precise of a brow than the powder had.

After I got this product everything I knew about filling in my eyebrows had changed.  This is the most fool proof way of filling in your brows. On one end it has a spooly to tame the hair and on the other side is the twist up pencil. Depending on your strokes, you can be as light handed or bold as you want with you look. I love the color, it's perfect for my brows, but my favorite part has got to be the spooly. If i mess up along the way, when I brush my brows out at the end it softens the harsh line or mistake I made while applying and makes it as if it never happens. Leaving my brows looking natural and gorgeous. This is a great investment and I guarantee you will fall in love like I did.

The Anastasia Brow Wiz is offered in 9 different shades and retails for $21.

The last 'makeup' product I want to talk about is the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water.


Now this is something I originally didn't think I was going to buy. I went into ULTA originally just looking to buy the Urban Decay Chill Makeup Setting Spray, but once I asked one of the associates she steered me towards this product. She said the reason she likes it better is because it is both a primer and can be used to set your makeup (like I originally wanted). I also wasn't hesitant to buy this because Jaclyn Hill owns it, typical.

So when I went home I was eager to try it out. I sprayed some on my face and went to apply my foundation. My foundation has never applied so smoothly and with such ease. Now granted, I have never used a primer before, but this has definitely sold me on the general idea of primers. I also use it to set my makeup and I think it does a good job of hydrating and making my skin look dewy, but honestly I don't see much of a difference in how long my makeup lasts. Regardless, this is a 'primer' and is made for that reason, which they nailed and I couldn't be happier with the result.

The Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water retails for $32

Last product I want to talk about is the Living Proof Curl Enhancing Styling Mousse.


This product, I'm going to be honest, I'm not completely sold on yet. I originally bought it because I have naturally curly hair, but I wanted something that I could put in my hair while it is damp and when it dries it would have add more definition to my natural curl while also keeping them tame and not getting affected by humidity.

Overall I am not in love with this product. It definitely holds a curl, but my ends are the only issue and tend to get frizzy and lose their hold throughout the day. Now this may be for multiple reasons - I could just need a hair cut, I may need to add more product to those said areas, and maybe I need to try and diffuse it with a blow dryer instead of letting it dry on its own. There are many different methods I want to try to improve this product. I'm not saying it's a 'no' yet, because I really want to love it. I have other living proof products that I'm obsessed with, and the smell is to die for. But it is a mousse which I like, so it gives my hair hold while not leaving it 'crunchy'. The verdict is out on this product, but if you have any suggestions please leave me a comment letting me know!

The Living Proof Curl Enhancing Styling Mousse comes in 2 sizes with prices ranging from $15-$28.

So there you have it, my recent beauty purchases.  I am very pleased with all of the products I picked up and can't wait to try others and let you guys know what I think. I think this means I've officially become a 'make up' person. Can't say I'm mad about it ;)

Until next time,

Casey Rose

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Land of the Free, Home of the President

This President's/Valentines Day weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to spend it in none other then our nation's capital - Washington, D.C. I may or may not have mentioned this on this blog before, but I am a volleyball coach, and my team competed in the Capitol Hill Classic this weekend. I love away tournaments because they're like mini vacations that I am getting paid for - the best kinds. I also always invite a few friends to join me on these long weekends, because hey, it's basically a free trip. My friends Alex and Wilber decided to join me and I couldn't have asked for a better pair to spend the weekend with!

Friday: Travel Day


We left a little before 3 pm and hit the road to D.C. With bags packed, we jammed out to some T. Swift and other throw back tunes all the way there. It's about a 5 hour car ride, and with stops (including a detour to get some cupcakes at Georgetown Cupcakes for my teams) we got to the hotel at about 8:45. I had a meeting with both of the teams that I coach, with my Head Coach, at 9 pm to distribute wristbands that all you to enter the facility as well as just going over what to expect for the upcoming weekend. All of the girls were very excited to start playing and even more excited to meet both of my friends who I brought along on this trip. 

After introductions and all of the excitement died Alex, Wil and I realized we were starving so we ventured out into the city to find somewhere to eat. Given that it was February 13th, the day before Valentines Day, many couples were out that night and it was a bit hard to find a restaurant that was able to seat us without a reservation. We eventually found one though called Zaytinya. To say it was delicious would be an understatement, this meal was possibly the best meal that I have ever had. It features traditional Greek, Turkish, and Lebanese dishes that are served family style, you pick a few dishes and share it with the table, altogether everything was to die for. If you are in the DC area, I would highly recommend checking this restaurant out!


A few of our selections for the night - a Greek salad, shrimp, and brussel sprouts


Awaiting our delicious meal


Alex and I enjoying dinner

After dinner we decided to walk around DC and see the monuments since there wasn't going to be much time for the rest of the weekend to sightsee. After going about 8 blocks, the cold and wind caught up with us and we decided it would just be best to head back to the hotel and go to sleep. However we did catch some cute pictures of the Capitol building prior to heading back.


Alex and I


Wil and I


Saturday: First Day of Play

Saturday was the first day of the tournament but we didn't play until the afternoon wave. How this works, since there are many teams that participate in these larger travel tournaments, is there is an afternoon wave and a morning wave. Morning wave starts at 9 am and the afternoon wave starts at 3:30. My 13's team had the afternoon wave and my 14's had the morning wave. Given that I wanted to watch both teams play, my entire day consisted of volleyball. I went and watched them play at 9 am and then at 11, which my friends both decided to come watch, and at 11:30 we left to go get lunch with my 13's team at Panera.


Wil and I watching an 18's team during the morning wave

After Panera 13's were on. We went 2-1 in our pool that ended up lasting until 11 pm! Our court was behind from the morning wave and ended up getting even more behind because a couple of our games went to 3 sets. But given that we had a winning record, that meant we played in the morning. So it was immediately off to bed because we had to leave for the convention center at 7:45 to play at 9 am.

Sunday: Second Day of Play

This was the second day of pool play and the day that my friends had to head home because we didn't have school off on Monday. After we played in the morning we ended up 1-2 for the day, which was a bit disappointing because that meant we ended up in the Silver division, instead of Gold (which is the highest). After we played, I caught some lunch with my friends before they headed back to Raleigh at this restaurant about 2 blocks from our hotel called Cuba Libre. After bidding them farewell, I spent sometime with my team and then caught a game for one of my high schoolers that started at 8:30. After that it was time to pack up and head to bed for the last day of the tournament.

Monday: Last Day

Like the rest of the weekend, Monday we had a start time of 9 am. However unlike the rest of the weekend, this day was single elimination so if we were going to lose we were done for the day and had to go home. If we won, we kept playing. The first game was definitely our hardest by far, they took us to 3 games but we ended up winning the second and third games easily. After that we were on a roll, and won our next two games which meant we wont the silver division and 13th place overall for the weekend!

Overall I am very happy with how the girls played, and had so much fun with my trip to DC this weekend. I'm so glad my friends were able to come up and keep me company. Can't wait till the next trip! Next stop - Atlanta!

Till next time,

Casey Rose

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Resolving My Resolutions

At the beginning of this year I wrote out my resolutions for 2014. Now that this year is coming to a close and 2015 is approaching faster than any of us would like, it's time to look back on this year and see if we ended up accomplishing any of the goals we set for ourselves.

Completed:

To workout more.

This resolution may have taken me a little while to get started, but I believe I am currently on track. Earlier this year I began following Kayla Itsines, creator of the 12-week Bikini Body Guide, on Instagram. She posts many before and after photos of her clients who have followed her guide and I was inspired. At the beginning of this month I decided to purchase her guide and I have been doing my best to follow it thus far. Well into week 5 right now I am so excited with how far I have come and to see where the rest of this guide will take me.

Stop being so judgemental/Be happy for others successes/Be the person you'd want to meet.

At the beginning of this year I was pretty insecure with myself, I would judge others because I was not happy with where I was in my life. I believe I have done a better job at focusing on bettering myself, which in turn has removed the focus from judging others and allowed me to be happy for their successes and made me someone who I would 'want to meet'.

Say yes to things/Don't be so afraid of the new.

This summer I held two internships, accepted a coaching job at a local high school, have been on a couple dates throughout the year, needless to say I definitely said 'yes'. Many of the things I said yes to scared the crap out of me, but they definitely opened my eyes and allowed me to grow this year.

Be on time.

I have definitely made major strides with this one this year. I was constantly late and ran on 'my time' which was extremely inconsiderate. Am I always on time? No. But I definitely feel as though I am on time much more than I was in 2013.

Get on a normal sleep schedule.

I have come so far with this one. Yes there are times where I stay up all night for no good reason, but for the most part on school nights and nights that I have work in the morning I was in bed before 2 am, which is a major stride.

Get the grades you're capable of.

I am so happy with this resolution because it is the one resolution that has physical evidence that I have accomplished it. The spring semester wasn't the best when looking at my final grades, but this fall semester I didn't make below a B in any class and made the Deans List, an accomplishment that I honestly didn't think was going to happy in my time in college. It just goes to show what a little motivation and hard work do.

Look presentable for class.

This definitely could have been better but I am grading this resolution on the fact that for the most part I put on some kind of face makeup every single day, which to me means 'presentable'.

Spend more time with loved ones/Give time to those who love you/Stop repeating mistakes/Make someone else happy/Give yourself to someone who wants all of you, everyday, because you are perfect being you.

All of these kind of snowballed into one specific category when I was writing them a year ago. They had to do with dating an relationships. No, I didn't have a relationship this year but I think that's what made me accomplish these goals this year. I was perfectly happy being single and there wasn't someone who came along that I felt was up to my standards for dating. This has nothing to do with the people I may have gone on dates with this year, they were all fine people, but not right for me. Which allowed me more time to better myself for my perfect man who is out there somewhere.

No regrets/Do something outside of your comfort zone.

I've always been the type of person to never regret any of my decisions. I am a firm believer in everything happens for a reason. That being said I was terrified to do some of the things I did this year. Coaching high school kids was extremely out of my comfort zone, I have only coached middle school age so that was a big step for me. However it allowed me to grow and learn more about myself than I ever thought possible. I'm so happy I decided to take a leap and change for the better.

Needs some work:

Drink more water.

I could have definitely done a better job at this throughout the year. Instead of having a soda or milk I could have just reached for a glass of water, definitely something I need to work on more in 2015.

Read more and turn off Netflix.

Of course this hasn't changed, who's really surprised. I could absolutely watch less Netflix, but as a whole I feel like I did a good job of getting out in the world and not watching as much TV which is what I am most concerned about.

Stop procrastinating.

I feel like I wouldn't be me if I didn't procrastinate. Yes, procrastinating isn't the greatest way to get your work done, but I think I've manipulated my bad habit into working for me instead of against me.

Give more compliments.

I believe I could have done a better job a this. Everyone wants to be complimented and I think if that could come from me, that would make me feel even better.

Put down your phone.

We live in an age where we are so reliant on our hand held devices. This year was no different. This is one aspect of my life I feel as if I could drastically improve, and one of the details in my life that needs serious attention in 2015.

So there we have it, my 2014 resolutions. I feel as though for the most part they were completed to the best of my ability. Could all aspects of my life be improved? Absolutely. However, each day is a stepping stone leading us to the people we are destined to be. And how we spend those days shapes the person we are going to become. Choose wisely.

Until next time,

Casey Rose

Monday, December 29, 2014

Chi Me, Baby

I realize it's been what, practically a year?, since I posted about my way to achieve my silky smooth, straight locks, and the science behind it. However, since i'm attempting to make a return back into blogging I figured I'd just pick up where I left off.

The third and final step I take before I put my straightener to my hair is I add about a dime size amount of the Chi Silk Infusion to the ends of my hair and work my way up to about halfway between my ends and roots.

I know this product works wonders simply for the fact that every time I get a hair cut it is the one product they continually use on my hair. I've heard rave reviews from many hair dressers as well as the beauty guru community on YouTube who can't stop talking about this product. It keeps my hair even more silky smooth on top of the Moroccan oil that I used in my first step.


The great part about it also is that it can be found for a relatively inexpensive price. I've seen it at tons of beauty stores and also at discount stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls. However if you are looking to buy it online they can be found on Ulta.com, $25.50 for a 6 oz bottle which can last you for a very long time depending on how much you use.

So tell me, what is your favorite brand of hair products?

Until next time,

Casey Rose

Saturday, December 27, 2014

We Found Wonderland

For today's Serenade Me Saturday, I have decided to dedicate it to the woman who stole my heart this year - Taylor Swift.

But seriously guys, did anyone see her in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show? She absolutely stole the show. I was more concerned with watching her than what the models were wearing.

Any who, I have been obsessing over Taylor's new album 1989, and for good reason - it's flawless. Every single song on the album is wonderful, right down to all of the bonus tracks on her deluxe album. However I am here to talk about one song in particular, Wonderland.

Wonderland is one of the bonus tracks on 1989 and it has quickly become my favorite song on her entire album. Even more than Blank Space and Style which are hard to beat.

So check it out! I'd add a link to the music video but there are none that haven't either been tampered with or the audio has been pulled for copyright reasons. So I would do your own searching, or buy the album and check it out for yourself! You won't regret it.


Until next time,

Casey Rose

Friday, December 26, 2014

Sequins and Things

Today's post for Fashion Friday's displays my picks for New Years Dresses. Good news too, they're all under $50! So you can look good and not have to break the bank while doing it (which let's be honest, most of the money you would have spent on a dress will go towards drinks for the night).

Whenever I think of New Years I always imagine a lot of glitz, sparkles, and sequins. My dress choices are no different. I added some extreme examples as well as some 'tamer' pieces that you can dress up with accessories and jewelry so you can take your own spin on your New Years outfit choice. I hope you enjoy my picks!

Sequins and Things




Let me know what you think and what your New Years outfit will consist of!

I hope you all have a fabulous end to 2014 and I wish you all the best in 2015, I hope it's your best year yet!

Until next time,

Casey Rose