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

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

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

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 by caseyrosexo featuring a purple tube dress

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

Fall Shoe Picks

On today's comeback of Fashion Friday I am going to talk about my shoe choices for this upcoming fall season.

Below you will see a set that I made on Polyvore, a website I have talked about a lot before where you are able to make collages of different clothing, accessories, and even home furnishings. The site allows you to browse other sites and add pictures of products onto a canvas where your imagination is set loose.

Fall Shoe Picks by caseyrosexo featuring black high heel boots

The outfit I have chosen is a classic fall outfit. Starting off with a chunky cable knit sweater paired with faux leather leggings with zipper pocket details. The accessories chosen with this outfit is a quilted Chanel bag and to top it all of a classic wine colored nails.

The shoe choices I have decided to pair with this outfit are as follows, starting at the top left:

First we have an open toed black leather bootie with zip up details on the side. This compliments the outfit as the zipper detailing ties in perfectly to the leather leggings. The open toed detail is the perfect flirty aspect to complete a date night look.

Secondly is the leopard print loafers. They bring something different to this look as it is the only print in the entire outfit which allows it to become a central piece in this outfit. The loafers are a classic fall staple that have been in style for a couple of seasons now. I love these because they are the only shoe without a heel, which is the most comfortable and practical option. These are perfect for a shopping day with your girlfriends, something more casual that can be paired with many other outfits in your closet.

Third we have the silver, gold and black strappy pumps. These are definitely the most 'fun' shoe in the collection. They aren't as practical for when it gets into the colder months, but these are perfect for these early fall months when you go out on the town with your girlfriends for a 'girls night out'.

Lastly, we have the suede heeled booties. These, again, are a staple for fall and have been for a while. These are perfect for when the months start to get a little colder, and can be paired beautifully when you switch out the leggings for tights and a bandage skirt.

There you have it! My overall picks for shoes this fall! Now we didn't even touch on the subject of riding boots, which are my personal favorite for fall and winter, but don't worry those will come at a later date!

Until next time,

Casey Rose

Take The Challenge

Today I came across this video and it really struck me...please take a moment to watch it and continue reading this post if you so please.

Think about how often we use our phones and computers every day. I mean, for me, I am currently writing this blog post on my laptop with my phone right next to me and Grey's Anatomy currently  playing on Netflix on my TV. We as a society are so consumed with our technological devices that we rarely take a moment to appreciate the world around us. We feel as though we won't be connected to our friends if we don't have our phone on us every second of every day. The other day my friend's phone broke and she had a panic attack because she felt so lost without that technology.

It's so sad to think that we have become that dependent on a device. Many young adults today probably can't even remember back to a time when we played outside instead of sat in front of our televisions or computers and played video games for recreation. It's no wonder obesity has become the problem that it is today. We don't set aside time to just focus on ourselves, without technology.

One of my most memorable times this year was during spring break when a friend and I decided we were going to go 'phone-less' for the entire duration of spring break. I spent the week with bunch of my close friends in a beach house together, and really anyone I wanted to talk to was there with me. Now, it wasn't everyone on the trip that decided to take the challenge, just myself and one other. Everyone else on the trip was 'impressed' and asked us 'how we got through the week', to be honest - it wasn't that bad. Now we did give ourselves one 'cheat' a day, where we could turn on our phones for 10(ish) minutes just to check and make sure our parents didn't need to talk to us or to make sure nothing major happened, but after that it was phones off.

Was it difficult? Maybe a little at first. But I was really able to enjoy my spring break trip with the people that I care about. At the end of the week, I almost didn't want to turn my phone back on.

Now I encourage all of you to take the challenge. It doesn't have to be a weeks worth of time, but maybe just for a day - or even just during your work day or classes, turn off your phone. Sure it will be hard at first, but I bet you will be amazed with how much more you are able to get done and the amount of information you are able to retain by just staying fully focused during a professor's lecture.

Because the best memories you have will not be from what you read on a computer screen, but from the experiences you have with the ones you love.

Until next time,

Casey Rose

It's A Wrap

Today's post is in honor of my newest Instagram account! 

I've decided I want to do more fashion and OOTD posts and I thought, what better platform to post on than Instagram! Aside from it being my favorite form of social media, I also love it because you can be creative in the form of pictures which is right up my alley.

Today's post is the outfit I wore this Sunday to church on Mother's Day.

The dress is a plain cotton black maxi dress and sunglasses are from Francesca's Collections, the cardigan is old from gap, scarf is old from Lands End, sandals are Gold Jack Rogers, and the watch is from Micheal Kors.

So what do you guys think? Like these kind of posts? I will keep them up if you all want to see them, I thought that this was a fun thing to start and I actually enjoyed shooting these photos (with the help of my lovely brother, of course)

Also, check out my new Instagram - @bowsandarrowsx3

Until next time,

Casey Rose