Can you pay my bills, can you pay my telephone bills...

So I have the Glee version of "Bills, Bills, Bills" stuck in my head (sorry Queen B!), but I am happy to report that I am not crying over the financial state of my bank account...just yet. I am moving into a new apartment a month early and sadly paying 2 rents at the same time starting June 1st. While I am freaking out (who likes seeing their bank account drained in such a huge way?) I am trying to stay positive and think how great this move is going to be for me. I'll have a huge beautiful bedroom I can decorate, a closer commute to work, a new area to explore, a quicker trip to my boyfriends apartment, and a change of pace. I am horrible with change but I am trying to remember to be grateful in all areas of my life. I am so lucky I can afford to live in this city at all!

Here's a recap of the weekend--it is really great to just see friends and remember how wonderful life is!

The Bohemian Lifestyle

I stumbled upon this image today while browsing Tumblr and let me tell you, everyone needs a little more of dreaming in their life. Recently it seems like all I do is imagine the possibilities...what's out there for me?

I have been going through so much lately: job applications, dating, plans to move into the city, and a huge trip to Spain (in 11 days!). I don't know where life is going to take me, but I know that if I keep a positive attitude and continue dreaming and hoping that things will work out, something truly amazing will happen.

Black Leather

So I have never been obsessed with leather...or Versace for that matter. While I love crazy out-there fashion, Versace just seemed a little too over the top for me. Not in the over the top way that makes Betsey Johnson cartwheel down the runway (that's just awesome) but in a way that just made me want to live in denim jeans, white tee's and a pair of relaxed combat boots--ya dig?

But something changed, guys...really! I saw the Versace for H&M collection and fell in love. Studded mini dress with a cinched leather belt...with a fitted leather jacket to top it all off? I don't know what I love more; the contrast between the gold jewelry, studs and black leather or the short mini-dress which makes me want to put on my tallest, most bad-ass heels and go dancing at Kiss and Fly until 4am. Tell me, do you love it?

My (Almost) Break-Up Letter

Dear friends,

Okay, this is kind of a break-up letter, but I don't want it to be. Life has been so crazy lately, in tons of amazing ways. I have a great job that I love however, it takes up a TON of my time. I have had hardly a second to see friends, relax or even breathe (well okay, breathe, eat, exercise, and sleep are still happening...homegirls gotta do the basics, especially eat!). I'm hoping to pick this blog back up soon but I don't know when I'll have a second to post. Right now I am sitting in my living room typing this post; I got back from work at 8pm on a FRIDAY, and I thought, "Cassie, you need to take a hiatus from blogging" and this is what I am going to do.

Just know...I still want to be friends, even when I am on my extended blogging vacation and I am still reading and commenting on as many posts as I can...I truly love you all and appreciate you taking the time to read and comment on my posts!

*****If any of you ladies are planning to come to NYC or are located in NYC let's meet up! It's about time us bloggy friends become meet-up friends :) Keep up with me on Twitter, I have a serious tweeting bug.

Love to love you all!

Xoxo,
Cassie

The Art of Appreciation

I've tweeted and posted so many times about my love of city living (well...city working/partying/adventuring/etc...the living in/moving in part I'm still working on). Working so much has left little time for blogging and while it bums me out, I hope everyone stays with me, even though I can't post as often. I have found a sense of community here, and while it seems strange to say that I have formed friendships with perfect strangers...I can't help but say it, because I have!

Back to the topic of the city...walking in the city today and seeing everything around me made me so appreciative of the things I have and the things I have overcome. I guess I experienced a type of epiphany. A huge part of this is body image. I would go on and on about it but I think that Natalie did such a great job posting about "body love" that you should just head to Cinnamon Bums and read her post for yourself. Appreciation is something I non-stop wondered about this morning. I have such a huge appreciation for my family and friends and everything they have given and provided me with, be it tangible or invisible. I should appreciate my body and not FREAK OUT over imagined flaws, I should love my personality because it truly displays who I am; goofy, motivated, opinionated, loving, caring, adventurous, friendly, and intelligent.

We all need to appreciate everything we have and not constantly think of how we need to improve, change, mold, grow. While all these things are great, sometimes it's also nice to stay in the moment and give yourself a nice pat on the back for being awesome...right now--not in an hour, or a week, or a year from now, but right now!

Via

Sweaty New Yorkers...did I get your attention?

Lately I've been so busy. SUPER BUSY. Wake up at 4:50am and home by 7:30pm kind of busy. Sadly, blogging has taken a backseat to so many new experiences and opportunities. It's hard to go from posting a ton to hardly posting at all, but hopefully everything finds balance soon. All I know is that if there were no 5am gym sessions then I would have no idea people actually wore "Rex Kwon Do" pants a la Napoleon Dynamite to work out. No 7:01am train would mean I would completely miss catch up time with one of my best friends and "seat-buddy" Kim. No 9am work schedules would mean I wouldn't know so many amazing people, laugh my head off, and absolutely LOVE making the 1+ hour commute. And if I missed the 6:08pm train home? Let's just say I'd miss a ton of sweaty, grouchy, loud-phone-talking New Yorkers, hoping to sit next to me on the train...because I always get a prime spot :) Hey, at least they give me something to laugh about! So here's to new beginnings--hard to get used to but worthwhile in the end!

East Coast Hoppin'

So due to my traveling from RI to NY yesterday I didn't take pictures of my food for WIAW..but it's still so much fun to play, so head over to Peas and Crayons and show the world what you're scarfing down lately :) For me, it's oatmeal, peanut butter, carrots, and veggie burgers!

So, I'm still exhausted from my weekend. It was so much fun seeing all of my friends and visiting new places (new restaurants/bars in NYC, Mohegan Sun Casino in CT and Block Island, RI). Instead of ranting and raving about what I did, I'll share some more pictures, since who doesn't love to look at pictures. And if you're as tired as me from this weekend, I'll make reading/viewing this post a little easier--haha, don't ya love me? Also, I'm attaching links to everything in case I peaked your interest!

Greek food at Kefi and drinks at the Blue Donkey (both on the Upper West Side)

Dinner at Big Bubba's BBQ and a concert at Mohegan Sun in CT (check here for concert schedules)

Day trip to Block Island, RI (ferry schedule here, and tourism site here)

It's Wednesday...how do you get through "hump" day?

Long Distance Friendship

Do any of you have a friend (maybe even a best friend) who you hardly see? Last summer I interned in NYC and met a fabulous group of ladies--there were 5 of us who did everything together. The only downside--we are all from different places. We kept in touch over the school year but when summer rolled around again and we still hadn't seen each other it felt...eerie. One of the fabulous ladies I am describing just flew into the city yesterday for an interview (fingers crossed) and we spent the afternoon catching up, getting lunch and shopping! Even though almost a year has passed since we actually saw each other, not counting hour-long conversations iChat and Skype, it felt like nothing had changed, like we never left each other. It really made me appreciate the true friends in my life. Whether they are here or miles away, true friends will always stick around.

I wore- Blazer: Target // Blouse: Marshalls // Tank-top: Target // Pants: GAP // Shoes: BCBGeneration (not pictured but tan wedges) // Watch: Michael Kors // Bag: Long Champ (not pictured)

A Ton of Skirt + A Ton of Carrots

There are two things I have been obsessing over lately. Wanna guess? Okay, I'll tell you--carrots and long skirts. Random combination? Yes but I'll go on. Today I went to meet a lovely friend and former coworker of mine in NYC. I knew it would be a hot evening in the city, so I decided to wear a skirt (I wore it as a dress here). I love multi-functional pieces. Remember how I talked about reducing, reusing, and recycling clothes? Well I think I can make an exception for buying new things if they work in numerous ways like this Forever21 skirt. I'm wearing:

Skirt: Forever21 // Tank-top: Hanes // Cardigan: Bass Outfitters // Belt: Gifted from Mom // Watch: Michael Kors // Sandals: Bass Outfitters

Let's not forget my lunch from today:

100 calorie Bagel Flat // Veggie Burger // Spinach Leaves // 1 slice white cheese // Carrots // Cherry Tomatoes // Trader Joe's Salsa // Spicy Mustard

See the carrot love?

See the skirt love?

Oh and my puppy says hi :) He was tanning today!

I promised NEW

Last night I went to New York City with a few of my friends and had an amazing time. Although I got home around 4(ish) I still woke up at 8:30am because of my darn internal alarm clock. I ended up eating breakfast and hitting the gym for some much needed cardio; I find that sweating out alcohol is the only way for me to feel 100% after I spend the night drinking. So without further ado: my lunch!

Whole Wheat Wrap // Dr. Pragers Veggie Burger // 1 Slice low-fat cheese // Trader Joes Spicy Salsa // Spinach leaves // Handful of carrots

Oh and my post-gym sweaty self!

I'll be back with an actual outfit post tomorrow :)

Dressed Down in Chambray

I'm keeping this post short & sweet. I went into NYC today for some meetings & I'm dreaming of living there soon. I wore:

Chambray Top: Bass Outfitters, Dress: Soprano, Tank-top: Target, Belt: Borrowed from Mom, Flats: Dexter via Payless, Watch: Michael Kors, Bracelet: Things Remembered

Sorry for the awkward facial expression! 

Snow Bunny

So it's snowing and I have been house trapped for a majority of the day. Despite the mediocre amount of cabin-fever I am feeling I'm happy because...

• I finished the book Seven Year Switch by Claire Cook--I recommend this to anyone who needs a little pick-me-up. This book made me realize that despite the challenges and setbacks that have happened/will happen to me in my life, it is possible to start fresh and be happy.
  
• I keep getting flashbacks to my afternoon/evening (yesterday) in New York City with my sister and mom. We really had so much fun and it makes me realize how blessed I really am.
• I organized my room and found some odds & ends I forgot about; it was like a treasure hunt in here!
• The giant snowflakes falling from the sky make me think about how big and full the world really is.
  

Is it snowing by you? How do you spend snowy days?

Snowy inspiration...Vogue Russia: December 2010

(images found here)

Shop-Happy

As I announced earlier, I went shopping in New York City with my mom and sister today. We literally had the BEST DAY EVER! My family has been hit with a lot this past year and it's a great feeling knowing that we can get though anything together...I couldn't be a happier girl right now!
We went shopping, walked around the east side and had some lunch. In regards to the shopping...WHAM BLAM! Best sales ever! I got 4 things in total and I love absolutely everything I bought. I am starting to adapt a more adult-style wardrobe. I don't know if it's my anticipation of entering the workforce or just loving more structured and classy pieces, but I have definitely been looking for QUALITY OVER QUANTITY!

Scores of the day include...
Zara Long Sleeve Blouse with Bow

Zara Pleated Corduroy Trousers


Zara Printed Blouse

What do you guys think about my clothing picks? Do you go for more trendy items or more classic pieces?

NYC is calling...

Going into the city today with my mom and sister! I'll be back later with a proper post, but for now...a little NYC SATC inspiration!

Bonvue Babes

Hi Guys! So this past Thursday I went to Bonvue for the first time (legally, I am now 21) with all my friends, to celebrate my birthday that was on Wednesday. We all wanted to dress up and look classy and edgy. When I think about ultimate class and rocker edge I channel my inner Taylor Momsen (however I try to keep it classier, although you got to admit it, the girl has a wild side!) and rock out, quite literally. We were fist-pumping the whole night and it was a great time. I wanted to wear something that I could dance comfortably in but still feel pretty, because hey, I was the birthday girl and I wanted everyone to know it.

Anyway, back to the outfit. In this post I am going to describe the elements of my style choices and where you can buy the same pieces. I don't know if this is a good way to go about fashion posts but I guess it is a "try it out and learn" type of thing, just like finding a unique style, see how clever I am? Okay, sorry no more random outbursts! I wore a tight black spaghetti strap tank top that I purchased at Forever21 for $6.00 (Yes, $6 dollars people.) Seriously invest in these tanks, even if just the black (basically all I wear is black anyway) because you can wear them with anything. I tuck them into skirts, pants, shorts, wear them under dresses and sweaters, I even sleep in them sometimes-fashion and function, I LOVE! Besides the tank I wore a black skirt that I just got at Target. It is the Marciano for Target brand and it is a cotton skirt with leather panels down the front and back of the skirt. The skirt cost only $30.00 which seems a bit stiff for Target, but I am a firm believer in the black skirt. I think I wear a black skirt at least once a week; so if you are anything like me and love little black skirts, invest in this piece, it is super comfortable too and pretty much stays in place (ladies, you do not want a skirt that rides up- not classy.) Lastly, I wore my favorite pair of BCBG wedges. They are black and tan leather peep toe wedges and I love them. They weren't comfortable at first (literally made my feet bleed walking the cobblestone streets of the West Village of New York City this summer) but now they are my go to shoes. They cost $50 and I got them at Marshalls. Marshalls is a very under-appreciated store. They have top brands, and I love the adrenaline rush I get when I find an amazing deal right off the racks, there is no better feeling! Wedges are so comfortable because the weight isn't just placed on the sole and heal of your foot. If you want to dance, pick wedges over stilettos.

Anyway, this was my first fashion post and I hope you all liked it. I assume I will change how I go about these things but did you like the price point and store information? I am trying to be as descriptive as possible. As always let me know what you are thinking and wearing; I would love to hear from my readers!