So I guess I should start by introducing myself? That might help. I’m Casey.. a mom of one insane child, one insane dog, and now resident blogger for 100 North by ANTHEM style + gift.

I live in Oxford, NJ… yeah, I know...WHERE? Google it.. it’s out there. And now you’re probably wondering how I’m connected to Cori and her amazing store in Cranford…ANTHEM style + gift. Well, one magical night, down in beautiful Seaside Heights, NJ… she and my brother met and the rest is history.

I used to write in my own personal blog, but I mean, how many posts can you read about motherhood and babies without wanting to gag. I know writing them made me feel that way. So the writing ceased… until of course, ANTHEM opened. I’ve been shackled up in Oxford for 2 years, not writing, not feeling trendy, with the theme song to Thomas playing in my head 24/7. Something definitely needed to change. Including my wardrobe.

If the picture isn’t painted well enough for you all to envision my version of
motherhood, let me just add that I basically lived in yoga pants, t-shirts, and messy hair (not on purpose I might add). So that’s how this blog began. A major change needed to be made. I needed to write again, and I needed to be wearing something other than my mom uniform.

So with this shift in my life, I also decided to go on a vacation with my family. Why not, right? And um hi, excuse to go shopping. Yes, please. So, down to Cranford I headed, Amex in hand, and yoga pants in the garbage. Ok, maybe not in the garbage, but tucked far from sight, deep in a drawer with other mom clothes that I’ll probably never really be able to part with. Comfort is CLEARLY a priority in my life… and in my wardrobe. ANTHEM carries clothes that are the perfect combo of comfort and
chic.

Very long shopping trip short, I ended up with some prime essentials for our Florida vacation: A black and white palm tree romper by DO + BE, Brooklyn Beach Wave hair spray, a black beaded tassel bracelet, and some black, mirrored aviators. I know what you’re thinking… That’s a pretty extreme change from your prior mom apparel. I know, I felt the same way when I bought it. But I embraced the change and couldn’t have been happier.

So fast forward a little to our sun burn-infused trip, eager to put on my new
romper but also afraid I would DIE from the pain of the sun burn. Let me just say I felt naked in this romper (like in a good way… not the nightmare you had a few nights about where you were naked in your high school hallways looking for the room your final is held in). The material is AWESOME on this thing… super breezy, doesn’t cling anywhere unflattering, and hung very gently on my crisp shoulders. Topped off with my black tassel bracelet, I was ready to go.

As for my hair, which is always a mess, now became a mess on purpose. You guys know what I’m talking about- you spend 37 minutes curling each strand so that it casually looks like you didn’t just stress over how “perfect” it needed to be. Well this time, I sprayed the Brooklyn Beach Wave into my hair and BOOM… “perfect” messy hair. Let me also say that doing your hair with an impatient husband and a screaming toddler is never easy, so this spray is seriously a life saver…and a marriage saver. It also left my hair textured enough to leave unwashed for the next day and pliable enough to throw in a cute pony. WIN.

Now I’m home from vacation… tanned, rested, and ready to shop again. I just need to come up with another excuse to get down to Cranford to shop again...

Memorial day.

Yep. Done.

xo

Casey