Day 321

I like maxi skirts. I just never like them on me.

Still true. Although, I felt better about it in my bedroom mirror this morning than I do in this picture.

Day 320

Sooooo, does anyone know any good jokes?

Disclosure: I got a $20 gift card from Target for my birthday... this was $17.99.  It has a cool design on the back. You have my permission to buy it too.

Day 319

This is one of those pictures my husband took before I was ready, as I was still trying to get my dog to either sit down or get out of the way... I normally delete these pictures immediately, but consider yourself fortunate enough to get a glimpse of one today because it's the only one I didn't hate.

Was I on a boat today? No. No, I wasn't. This outfit looked entirely different in my mirror than it does in this picture. I swear.

Day 318

Here's what I wore on my first official day back to work.

Apparently, I am to be taken very seriously this year.

Sharp rocks at the bottom? Most likely. Bring it on.

Day 317

Here's what I wore on my last day of summer break.  I wish my photographer slash husband would have informed me of the fact that I had sunglasses on my head because I feel that makes me look even more ridiculous than usual... especially with a t-shirt like that. Here's an important fashion tip: overuse of "sun" related apparel makes you a jack-ass.

Sometimes, that's not entirely your fault. You can pick your husband, but you can't pick you photographer
...or something like that.

Day 316

Boom.

Day 315

I got this dress at the end of last summer, and this summer I've been holding out on it... Just waiting for the most worthy chance to wear it.  A swanky birthday party was the perfect opportunity. Here it is in standard blog form:




And here it is in action:

Day 314

I finally hung some frames on my walls this week, so the red wall has become one of my only solid color back drop options left in the house. I like taking pictures outside, but I feel like my neighbors might judge me. I'm not sure why I care. I also cannot think of a single reason why you would care, but consider yourself caught up.

Day 313

Okay, I have today's picture, but it's on my husband's camera and it needs to be charged. I don't know where the charger is, and I know I could have just asked him today, but I got a little too wrapped up in cleaning, laundry, and rit dyeing summer clothes to make them more fall-like in preparation for going back to work next week.

I'll get to it. Eventually.

In the mean time, I've been compiling a wish list of things I probably would have purchased if I hadn't sworn off shopping...

Alright people... here it is, outfit #313, sans the usual crop because I thought my dog in the background looking down was amaze.

Day 312

I feel like I need to explain the child proof gate behind me... No, I am not - and have not been - hiding a baby for the past 312 days. It's actually for my dog who has apparently sustained a knee injury as a result of his ball obsession in combination with his inability to go any other speed aside from mach .90

The gate limits his stair climbing, and I was told by Dr. Something-or-Other that rest, along with the anti-inflammatory medication he's on, should prevent the need for surgery.

Captivated yet? The Nugget saga continues...
Hey. If you followed me everywhere and listened to me vent whenever necessary, I'd [consider] blogging about you too. And, if you've ever hurt me, trust me... He knows. He'll probably punch you in the face.

Day 311

Fact: I had to go into work today.

Annnnnnd next Monday, I officially go back to work for the 2012-2013 school year. I know, I know. You cannot even contain yourself trying to predict what I'll wear for the first day of school. Calm down. That's a pretty stupid thing to waste your energy on. I'm guessing you could think of something else to be excited about... if not, then I have taken the liberty of providing you with the options below:

• It's shark week.
• The rit dyed denim to your right (I was going for lilac, but it came out more rasberry...)
• You made it through Monday.

Day 310

A summer version of Sweatpants Sunday...

I don't love how this skirt looks on me, but I'm a little attached to it just because it's comfortable.  Let's give it up for cotton. Let's not, however, give it up for whatever is going on with my face. Actually, let's go ahead and ignore my face.

Day 309

Hello again. Date night. Weekend-tastic.

Day 308

He's getting pretty good at this posing for a picture thing, and sincerely hopes you'll follow his new blog when it launches this fall.

Day 307

I'm pretty sure I haven't worn this dress on the blog yet, but I've worn it quite a bit in the past few years (I have it in other colors too), so Adam had me second guessing whether or not it has made an appearance here. I didn't see it when I looked back, but if I'm wrong, I guess I'll have to make up for it with two outfits another day. It's getting harder and harder to remember what has and hasn't been worn.

Oh, annnnnd if you're interested, you can actually still buy this dress at Victoria's Secret (I like the navy or the cobalt). I bought the one I'm wearing a few years ago, but they continually bring it back in new colors. It's on sale right now, and it's really comfortable. It's also perfect for hot days. You're welcome.

Day 306

Nugget is out of control with his rolling around and flaunting himself all over the place. He's a mess, and a bit of floozy.

The good news, though, is that even if there's only 1/4 of him in the picture, he still gives me something to say. I love that little Nugget.

Day 305

So here's the deal with the rit dyed blue denim... I love the color, but I always have a hard time finding something in my closet that looks good with them. The first time, I went with a boring white, and today, it's yellow (obvi).

I have made an executive decision.

They will likely not get worn again in this shade, so I'm going to try to "Rit Dye Color Removal" them. Then, I can try something new. I'm leaning toward either a dark eggplant or a burnt orange as fall is upon us... Your opinion is welcome, and I'm open to other fall-tastic colors as well... What do you think?

Day 304

The Olympics are bad for my blogging abilities... I love them.  They're captivating, and sometimes when I watch medal ceremonies, it's a freaking emotional disaster. I love the world.

Day 303

Hello Sunday.

The green gingham with the cobalt blue might be a little aggressive... Good thing I balanced it out with a yellow belt.  I think it's fun... just pretend I swore off shopping and had to get creative with what was in my closet.  It's color blocking + a pattern.

Can you do that?

I guess I just did.

For the win!

Day 302

Okay, for the past 20 minutes I've been sitting here trying to figure out what to write for today, but the Olympics are much more interesting right now.  You understand.

Day 301

My apologies. This one's a little dark and a little blurry.
I didn't get a chance to take it until after 10pm, and I didn't have the energy to care about how it turned out...

I sincerely hope you're having a lovely day.

Day 300

DAY 300!


You don't even realize.

Day 299

Okay, I'm going to admit something... just between you and me.  I bought this shirt last spring (2011) with the intention of creating this exact outfit.  The part I'm just a little embarrassed to admit though is the fact that it was inspired by an episode from Emily Maynard's first appearance on The Bachelor.

The most obvious differences between her outfit and mine? I'm not particularly fond of knee high boots in the summer, and I did not ride an elephant while wearing this today... Also, I would never even consider dating that guy.

Day 298

Nugget thinks that if he closes his eyes, you can't see him. He's only 2, so it's completely age appropriate.

Day 297

Monday.
I felt like wearing this.

... and he just wasn't in the mood for your judge-face today. Sorry.

Day 296

Nugget and I have mutually agreed to trade our standard poses today...

Day 295

Every dress has a story,

And this dress has one too.

I bought it for a wedding,

As a bridesmaid back in June.

But after it was purchased,

The bride, she thought it through.

She changed her mind, 

And instead decided to opt for J. Crew.

So in the end, I got lucky,

Because I ended up with two.

Day 294

Is it weird that I picked up paint samples from Home Depot earlier today in various shades of blue and green? I guess when you have color on your mind, it comes out in what you wear... at least if you're me, it does. It also means I look crabby. Apparently.

Day 293

These shorts were cut and rit dyed from their original form (khaki cords)...  my initial reason for the dyeing and cutting was because I was planning to wear them with the spray painted t-shirt I wore on the 4th of July.  It was too much red with the shirt, so I didn't end up wearing them (plus also, I cut them very crooked).

I thought I'd try them again today...
When I roll them up a little, you can't even tell they're crooked.

Except in this picture.

In real life, I promise they look straight.

Unless you're a tailor.

I hope there were none of those at the grocery store.

Stop it. It just looks that way because of how I'm standing.

Day 292

The following is a gchat conversation I had with my friend Alyssa yesterday... 

Me: 1:58 PM
Would you like a little insight into the marriage of Adam and Cassie?

Alyssa: 1:58 PM
yes please

Me: 1:58 PM
I just sent the following email to Adam:
I got scolded yesterday about DOLLAR BILLS and you... go out to lunch?!!
You are a real hooker.
Kidding, I hope you had fun with the boys :)
No seriously, you better have something in mind to make up for this one.
I'm watching you.

[Please note, this was an entirely sarcastic email, meant to be laughed at while simultaneously making a point... My husband is not actually a hooker, nor do I "watch him" while he's at work. He is entitled to go out to lunch whenever he wants, just as I am entitled to a venti anything from Starbucks to cope with the torture that is grading the papers of community college students.]

Alyssa: 1:58 PM
I love that

Me: 2:00 PM
haha.. I'll get no response because he won't know what to say right away. He needs time to be process witty, unlike you and I...
And then he'll forget while he takes that time, and he'll come home and start talking about his day and how bad his neck hurts.

Alyssa: 2:01 PM
That's amazing... haha

Later that evening, while enjoying dinner and great conversation with my husband, I had to pause briefly to engage in the following conversation via text message...

Me: hahahahahahahahahahaahaha it happened. Just like I said. 6:17pm

Alyssa: Tell Adam I hope his neck feels better. 6:18pm

Then, I shared all of the above with Adam, and basked in my awesomeness.

Day 291

This is a little bit Snow White and the Evil Queen...

Nugget is completely obsessed with that ball, which for our purposes today, will function as the apple.

I am playing the role of the Evil Queen, but only because I'm holding said ball like it's actually an apple. (The slightly evil part is that I'd sometimes like to throw it away because maybe it would stop him from constantly dropping it at my feet in an effort to remind me of the fact that he is a retriever.)

And Nugget, well he's obviously Snow White. I don't know why he continues to chose these female roles (e.g. the Morton Salt Girl), he just does.

Day 290

This might have to be my last workout apparel picture of the summer... I've just realized that I don't have many days left before I have to start dressing like a grown up again. Part of the agreement I made with Adam about this whole not shopping thing was that I have to get rid of anything I don't wear during the year... Time to stop being lazy about getting dressed on days I only leave my house to go to the yoga studio or gym... I have clothes that need me.

Day 289

Navy and denim sort of happened by mistake while I was being indecisive about what to wear today.  I kinda dig it, but I really should stop leaving the hair styling up to air drying.

Day 288

Summer Saturday.
Short and sweet.

Day 287

An outfit picture didn't feel like much of a priority today, so I hope you're okay with something a little different. I woke up at 4:00am this morning, wondering if my husband had texted me to tell me he had made it safely to the theater to see the new Batman movie. When I reached for my phone, the first thing I saw on my Twitter feed was, "Praying for the victims at the TDKR premiere in Colorado".  I immediately panicked and tried to recall what he had said to me the night before,
      "Colorado Boulevard and Aurora are both showing it in IMAX..."
I couldn't remember what he said after that, but I immediately shot out of bed and ran downstairs to look at the computer. Thankfully, I discovered his emailed ticket confirmation wasn't for the theater in Aurora, and thankfully he wasn't at the midnight showing. I only lived with that horrible thought for all of three minutes, and I cannot begin to imagine the feeling of loss and pain that all of those who have been impacted are feeling. My heart goes out to all of the victims and their families.

Tragedy always brings perspective. As anyone whose ever lost anyone knows, in times of loss, we try like hell to remember the good, and we reminisce about the things we loved the most to fight through the sadness. The only thing certain in this life is death, and we simply have no way of knowing. Today I realized the importance of listening and paying attention to every detail when my husband talks (even if he tends to be an overly detailed conversationalist). I was also reminded of the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity to laugh, and to enjoy every single moment I have with the ones I love. In the end, the only thing we really leave behind are the memories... give them plenty to talk about.

We can't prevent the inevitable, so we better enjoy life while we're here. Go see The Dark Knight Rises. From what my husband tells me, it's fantastic and Anne Hathaway looks particularly amazing in leather.

Day 286

Thanks for your feedback yesterday... I'll keep thinking about plans for blogging post "Swearing off  Shopping"...

Here I am wearing clothes. Again.

Day 285

Okay people, it's time to focus... today's post requires some group participation. I put on grown up shoes and accessorized just a little. You and I both know I wouldn't normally do that just to run errands.

Here we go...

When this year of not shopping is over, do I throw in the towel on this whole blogging thing or do I keep doing it?  What would I "blog" about? I have some ideas that need validation, and I'm also open to suggestions. Here's where you come in...

I don't care if you've never left a comment before, I don't care if you would rather not give me the satisfaction of knowing you read this on a regular basis. I do care, however, if your fingers are broken and you can't click or type - if that's the case then I'm so sorry to hear you're hurt... is there anything I can do for you?  If that's not the case, then you obviously have no valid excuse... leave a comment.

Day 284

Now that you've known the internet version of me for 284 days, there are some things you should know:

• I don't like cake.
• Frosting = gross
• I love anything lemon flavored (occasionally even small doses of lemon cake, and by small, I mean like a bite.)
• I really like the idea of cupcakes, but I usually can't get more than halfway through one before handing it off to the nearest "sweet" lover (usually my husband).
• The perfect dessert = Lemonade and a chocolate chip cookie.

Someone should really get that laundry basket out of my shot. The dog can stay. I need a Production Assistant for this outfit picture business.

Day 283

Things I did today:

1. Turned 29
2. Enjoyed breakfast with Adam.
3. Jet-skied on a pretend lake, more commonly known as a reservoir.
4. Shopped... but only because Adam took me Birthday shopping (under a clear set of guidelines). I got 2 tops and 1 dress for under $60 (nailed it).

Happy Birthday to Me.

Day 282

This concludes my 28th year of life.

Day 281

It was another Rockies game night, but I only have one Rockies t-shirt. Under normal circumstances, I usually just wear the same thing to every game. However, since we are under Swearing off Shopping circumstances... I had to get creative.

The frames are still empty behind me, along with several others in my house... I'm the worst.

Day 280

"Hey Mehr, did those use to be pants?"

                                   -Nick Deutsch

... and the answer?  Yes. Yes, they did "use to be pants".  I rit dye and I cut. This is who I am now.

To whom it may concern, I still have my left arm...
My husband's iphone simply failed to capture it. It appears the flash was more interested in the bottle of champagne (because inanimate objects have interests too, obviously). Happy Birthday, Deutsch's.

Day 279

Dear Direct TV and Viacom:

Figure your S#@% out beause I am missing Awkward tonight, and I am not thrilled. I miss Sadie.

Day 278

Here is a sequence of ridiculous pictures following a Yoga Sculpt class... just trying to keep things interesting (also, I didn't actually wear real clothes today).

Additionally, for months my Mom has been suggesting that I take a blog picture while standing on my head. I don't know why. She just has. It's probably not quite the headstand she was hoping for, but regardless... Mom, that one's for you.

Namaste

Day 277

I am at Red Rocks for a movie you may have heard of called, Bridesmaids. If you are unfamiliar with Red Rocks, then I suggest you plan a trip to Colorado. If you are unfamiliar with the movie Bridesmaids, where have you been living? Under a stupid rock?


Taking a blog picture when there are a large number of other people around, including your friends, is uncomfortable. But as a result, you get a glimpse of the real me, not the typical blog version where I pose like a jackass because I'm not sure what else to do with myself.


You smell like pine needles and you have a face like sunshine.


xoxo,
Cassie Jo

Day 276

I had to go into the office today... I don't really have anything to add on that topic.

Oh, look! There's champagne in my fridge. And the world says to me... "You're welcome."

Day 275

Here I am all alone in the back yard on a Sunday.

Nugget received a complimentary blueberry facial with his grooming at Petco today, and suddenly he's too cool to be in a blog picture with me.

Day 274

This shirt was purchased recently, but NOT with my own money...

Here's a little Kohl's lesson:

Lauren Conrad Mixed Media Top: $36.00

Sale Price: $27.00

Kohl's 30% off Coupon: $18.90

+ Sales Tax: $20.03

- $10 Kohl's Birthday Coupon: $10.03

- $10 Kohl's Cash: 3 cents

I literally found a dime in the parking lot.

BOOM!

I'd like to thank Nugget.
As well as Lauren Conrad, and the person who dropped the dime.

I would also like to add that this was a nerve racking checkout process because I kept thinking about how embarrassing it would be if my final total was more than ten cents. I would have had to say, "I'm sorry, I can't."  Adam was there as a witness, with an insidious look on his face, just hoping that would happen...

It didn't. Let's give it up for Kohl's (and also me).