a lifestyle blog about motherhood, intention, whimsical moments, and wellness
This is who we are.
Suddenly I felt the need to do another post like this one.
My no apologies post.
mostly for me. Somewhat of a pep talk!
Here I am.
Just me. and my girl.
I wear these green sweatpants about 98% of the time when I am at home. They are almost completely ripped at the bottom but I don’t care…I love them.
Usually a tank and glasses, messy hair.
I had this thought today… when I started blogging I would see other, beautiful, inspiration blogs and…. in moments would think, wow I really wish I had pictures like that, or this or that. And then I realized something.
I can offer me. I can offer us. The real us.
Ainsleigh in Aiden’s hand me down jammies paired with high heels.
Our house…with toys everywhere.
I can offer our stories.
I can offer my thoughts.
I can offer sweet little faces and tender hearts.
I can offer photos…pictures of me capturing our everyday.
I can offer our heartaches as they come.
And our joys as well.
I can let you journey with us through the various seasons.
I can bring you along as we live our day to day.
But what I can’t do,
what I won’t do
is try to give you something that we aren’t.
I can’t pretend that my kids wear ruffle collars or that my shelves are clean.
I am not going to run around and make the room look a certain way before I capture an image that I fall in love with.
I am not going to dress my kids in the morning in an outfit that I normally wouldn’t just in case I might want to snap pics throughout the day.
It’s just us. Who we are. The reality in our world.
Blogging already is an interesting thing because you see snippets of our lives. Not the whole picture. But hopefully here you can see who we are. You can feel it, taste it.
Our journey. Our story. Right now it’s past midnight and everyone in my little world over here is fast asleep. I have the soft hum of a Christmas song playing at my computer and just thinking about these little lives that I am sharing with you has me with teary eyes.
They don’t need to pretend to be anything other than who they are. They are perfect. And I don’t mean perfect in the “they wear perfect clothes and never get upset kind of way”.
I mean, capturing them as they are…who they truly are is enough..more than enough.
You know, I believe that we were each created for a purpose. A specific one.
We each have stories to tell and passions that were placed in our hearts for a reason.
A friend recently told me that she believes God literally gives us some of the desires of our hearts.
Like He planted the desire to start A Little Artsy in my heart so that we could bless all of the little kids that walk through those doors.
He put the desire there.
And I acted on it.
So did He give me the desire to write? To share?
maybe. I don’t know.
But if He did, I hope that I am honoring Him in sharing our story. Our life. Our world.
This is who we are.
They don’t need to pretend to be anything other than who they are. They are perfect. And I don’t mean perfect in the “they wear perfect clothes and never get upset kind of way”.
I mean, capturing them as they are…who they truly are is enough..more than enough.
You know, I believe that we were each created for a purpose. A specific one.
We each have stories to tell and passions that were placed in our hearts for a reason.
A friend recently told me that she believes God literally gives us some of the desires of our hearts.
Like He planted the desire to start A Little Artsy in my heart so that we could bless all of the little kids that walk through those doors.
He put the desire there.
And I acted on it.
So did He give me the desire to write? To share?
maybe. I don’t know.
But if He did, I hope that I am honoring Him in sharing our story. Our life. Our world.
This is who we are.
November 30, 2012
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You, your family, and this post are, in my eyes, a perfect family.
Not the perfect kind that never has anything out of place.
The kind that loves each other more than making everything perfect.
I love this, i love your kids, i love you.
Keep growing beautiful (because you do totally rock that outfit. 😉 )
xoxo,
Rachel Nicole
rachyracheshobbycorner.blogspot.com
Posts like this one are why I fell in love with your writing, with your blog. I love your honesty. I love your heart. I love your realness. Thank you for being you and sharing who you really are.
xo
perfection. your words. your wonderfully messy and beautifully poetic life.
Cheers Sweet Casey,
Nicole
localsugarhawaii.com
I completely agree and know how you feel! It can be hard to be truly you when you know people are watching. I totally admire you and love the real you!!!
http://www.myolsonfamily.blogspot.com
this post makes me so achy happy inside. i adore your heart girl.
xo
I love who you guys are! I love your honesty. I love that you give me (and lots of other women!) the courage to embrace the messiness and beauty of life, and to not try to hide the hard stuff.
beautiful post and beautiful family. thank you for being so honest and open and raw. I love you so much!!
Look at little Apple with her arms and legs out! Love the dinosaur peeking over Aiden's shoulder as he in turn leans over Apple. Is that a dino-photo-bomb??
I just wanted to say, THANK YOU!!! I ALWAYS blog my truth, including my full on nervous breakdowns. I always try to remain on a possitive note but honestly I have come to really dislike blogs that are not at least a little honest. We are FAR from perfect and I find it quiet refreshing to know others imperfections. Love you Casey. Apple is gorgeous. SHe's starting to get a little chub, how cute! xoxoxo Hanna
your posts are always so inspiring.
and i believe i can taste the beautiful reality in which you are.
so touched, daily.
I thank God for true realities.
& for time.
thank you.
Love who you are and following your dreams.
LOVE the green sweats Mamma. Friggin rock em girl!
I can tell you firsthand that your writing and being real on the internet blesses others! Sometimes I struggle with not having a spotless house like it seems others do, but I'm thankful to have a husband who's ok with that. And I love reading about life with lots of littles because we hope to someday have a big family of our own and you guys set a wonderful example. 🙂
and this is why I so love reading what you have to say… you put on no airs… you are real and I can feel that and love it! Thank you for being an example to me!
I think this just made me like you even more than I already did 🙂 I SO appreciate bloggers who show real, messy life! I feel like there isn't really a point to blogging if you pretend like everything is perfect. I appreciate your transparency, your realness & your openness with your emotions. Much love to your beautiful family!
So raw and so real. I feel like that is such a valuable gift you are offering. If only we loved and embraced each others brokenness as well as our own, we would probably experience less strife in our lives. Thank you for sharing your vulnerability. Your heart is beautiful, Casey! Your blog posts always inspires me and provides me so much encouragement… this is just my first time actually brave enough to comment on it.
This was the perfect post for me tonight, Casey … Thank you.
I just love your honesty Casey! It's so refreshing to read about people that are willing to stand up and say things that are real. I think God can use us in bigger ways than we could ever work ourselves when we are willing to submit to Him in this way. Your family is beautiful.
You offer more than you know. xo!
I think your world is absolutely beautiful. Your candor is such a blessing to me and my heart. You inspire me and plenty of others to embrace the beauty that is in our everyday lives, especially in the hearts and minds of our kiddos. I'm truly thankful I stumbled on to your blog long, long ago. It will always be my all time favorite and daily read. Your kindness comes across in everything you do, whether it be a blog post, an email reply or even a response to a comment. You bless many folks with your sweet and encouraging nature. Thank you 🙂
way to stay true to your self 🙂
p.s. I don't do " what i wore post " b/c what i wear 98% of the time are cozy clothes. lol.
honesty.
poise.
raw.
i like it. comparison is the thief of joy.
thanks for being you
love these REAL posts!! 🙂 you hsve such a beautiful family!
xo,
Sandy
Sandy a la Mode
oh, sister. press on, it's a beautiful life!
praise jesus xoxo
Your life makes me happy.
I'm a new reader but this. oh this—this is what I want to give too.
The real and the beautiful mess it all is anyway. no matter how we stage it.
Thank you for your heart and for everything you share.
Sara Sophia
What a sweet and powerful reminder to any of us that write a blog. I was feeling so much of these thoughts…"all I can give is what I really am"… as I was writing tonight, so it was a nice ending to the evening to read this. (CANNOT believe I'm up past midnight.)
Thank you for all your kind words and advice earlier!! Hope it's okay that I mentioned you in my post.
Love, Britney
After reading your post i believe to not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment and happiness.
Alvano
Hanes Sweatpants!
You guys are such an adorable Family! It brightens my heart when I read your Posts 🙂
xoxo
verenarice.blogspot.de
I love your honesty. That's why you are still on my blog roll. I love reading about the reality, not the fabrication of perfection. Beautiful words from a beautiful soul. Keep writing, your love shines through.
I adore this post! It seems all bloggers have perfectly styled lives and I know I for one can't keep up with that. I have kids that wear what THEY want and I spend 90% of my time in sweats in a toy filled, messy house. Thanks for the amazing photos and inspiration:)
Casey, are you going to share any posts on what it's been like to be able to breastfeed Apple? I'd love to hear if you're open to sharing! 🙂
So glad that you share the real you and your family. You guys are beautiful! Love these thoughts and pictures as always! Have a blessed weekend, friend! Hugs! 🙂
great post Casey! all the things you wrote are the reasons we all love you and read your blog everyday. thank you for being so real…and perfect at the same time in our eyes… 🙂
And what a beautiful family you have! Little Apple seems to be growing sooo much!
thank you for sharing your real with us. your heart. i love that about you!
Casey, I was just thinking yesterday how much I LOVE that you share your heart, your messiness, your home with us. I follow other blogs that do, indeed, have perfect photos with gorgeous clothes and I don't begrudge them that if it's really their lives. But they don't often open up and share the bad with the good. You do. And it's a scary, honorable, courageous thing. Thank you!
I really don't even have words for how much I admire you. I will admit that not a day goes by where I don't think or mention to somehow how much I hope to be the kind of mom you are some day. Sometimes I sit here and read and try to soak in everything you write hoping to be able to be the kind of mother you are in a few years when my time comes. You're a very wonderful person.
i love the simplicity of your blog, and how you share your every day. so real. so authentic!
on a complete sidebar, where did you find your rug? it is amazing!
These are posts that make blogging so important. A little reminder to snap back to reality and not have a pinterest worthy life. Thanks girl, your writing means more than you know.
-Amy
http://theblankpagesblog.blogspot.com/
I don't think I have ever put it into words, but I definitely believe that God does put desire in our hearts. Otherwise, we would just be going through the motions, ya know? We wouldn't have passion and that is absolutely necessary to soldier through the hard times.
i love this post, your vulnerability and honesty. this is why we love you.
What a beautiful post. You helped me realized its not about having a spotless house or looking perfect and put together all the time, its the time spent with your children that more important and meaningful!
As always thank you for sharing – I know that God has put the desire to write this specific post to help encourage me! The comparison trap is an ugly one, but the fact that things aren't always perfect – in your house, my house, anywhere – is what brings out the beauty that God designed for all of us.
LOVE 🙂
great post-LOVE it!!! have a great day! 🙂
This warmed my heart and I say AMEN to all of it.
http://www.domesticatedworkingwoman.blogspot.com
Casey – it's your imperfect self/family/life that I like about you. Quite honestly, I get a little bored/jealous/frustrated by some of the 'perfect' mom bloggers I follow…it doesn't seem as if anything in their lives ever doesn't go right. Besides becoming mundane, it also gives me that feeling I used to get on Facebook before I closed my account….that keeping up with the Jones's feeling of never quite wearing as good an outfit, having as nice a looking living room, or going on as nice a vacation. Your normal crazy weird artistic life is very refreshing thank you, so could I please ask you to keep skipping those apologies and keep showing us what a real life looks like? There's enough fake life on Facebook to go around! 🙂
ps. I love this post even more reading it through the second time. And I just realized, I get more out of a blog like this than I do from some others that leave me feeling inadequate. Thank you for not putting your children in clothes just in case you want to take pics…how is that fair to a child? Thank you for not cleaning your house or 'propping' it before snapping pics. I don't want to see fake life, I want to see real life….the kind of life I have. It helps validate me as a mom, a woman and a person.
perfectly beautiful…as always. you are always such an encouragement for this mama 🙂
LOVED this post. i really enjoy your blog. thank you for your genuine attitude. it is so refreshing!
You have a gorgeous family!
You have a gorgeous family!
I like very much the real you.
http://www.zadinblog.com
You are such a beautiful soul, imperfections and all, and your family is gorgeous beyond words. Truly <3
thank you for sharing!
love real, honest blogs – and this one always feels that way!
you have apple swaddled awesome! how do you do it? every time i do my baby he gets out or it is over his face. thanks!
I do agree that God puts desires in our hearts, and he wants us to pursue them and share them with others. Thank you for sharing your heart with us, as it a reflection of God.
I love reading and seeing about your everday life. The happy, the hard, the real.
I don't know of anyone who wishes to enter a blog and see a picture perfect setting (in the sense you described).
I follow you because I can relate to that imperfectness, that undescribable joy, that occasional deep thought process. We want to feel we can relate and perhaps support each other.
Hope you keep at this!
And that is why I can relate to you! You described my day to day. I think it's refreshing to be so real. To be that woman who is okay with walking around in sweat pants and messy hair but can also make herself look like a knockout beauty yet be completely un-phased by it because she genuinely knows what matters most.
Btw, congrats with the Today show! That is so awesome!