Strikes My Fancy #7

Hello there! Lots of good music, funny tidbits, and some news that makes my heart incredibly heavy in store for you today. Stick around and enjoy! 

1. What You Know- Two Door Cinema Club

I came across an old playlist recently and this little gem was on it. I hadn't necessarily forgotten about it, but I definitely had not heard it in quite some time. So here it is. Enjoy it in all of its snazzy glorious-ness. 

2. Baby Vader

3. From Indian Lake's newest single. I need this album now. 

4. This lovely little print.

5. Oh Captain, my Captain. The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse... May you continue to bring laughter beyond this life. 

6. Every. Single. Day.

7. Watsky's newest album Whoa Whoa Whoa is now out and it is fantastic as normal. 

8. Is it August 23rd yet? 

9. Animals are just so darn cute and funny. This list of 30 cats and dogs losing the battle against human furniture is golden. 

10. All day every day.

Thanks for tuning in! 

Stay Golden,

xxCaitlin. 

Fly Fridays: 50's Flair

Top/ Skirt (similar): Modcloth
Wedges: Rue 21. Similar here and here.

I know, I know. Almost an ENTIRE outfit from Modcloth... I am not sure how I managed it either. Modcloth is by far my favourite clothing company, however I normally cannot afford to buy from there regularly. Overtime it looks as if I have acquired an arsenal of Modcloth gems though. These two probably being my favourite, well besides the pair of darling loafers I just purchased from there. Don't worry, I will share those soon. Anywho, the sheer polka dot top is simply fantastic and it looks great dressed up and down. It was worth every penny. Now the skirt, well the skirt just makes me feel foxy. That's right. FOXY. Any piece of clothing that makes a woman feel foxy, yet classy is a winner in my book. 

I've talked about so many Texas cities this summer, but I've neglected my little city of Waco. This place as terrifying as it seems at times, is beautiful. It is full of wonderful hidden gems, such as Watkins Furniture. Seriously, is that not the coolest sign ever? I've been wanting to do a shoot here for quite some time so when I finally had the outfit to match I just had to. Waco really is a wonderland you guys. You just have to know where to look. 

Stay Golden,

xxCaitlin. 

Strikes My Fancy #6

Hello and welcome to this week's Strikes My Fancy Post!

1. My Heart- Paramore

In honor of the fact that I am seeing/hearing Paramore for the second time this week tonight, here is my absolute favourite song by them. If I am being honest it is my all time favourite song ever. Has been since the 6th grade. The acoustic/live versions of this song are just beautiful and they just make my heart wanna sing. It is fantastic and I really do hope you all enjoy it. 

Fun Fact: My best friend Madison, Spencer, Adam, and myself all met up for the Houston date of the Monumentour only to be turned away at the gates for fake tickets. Quite a bit of money was spent on those tickets and apparently there were multiples of our tickets and we were unable to get in. Quite the bummer. However we sat outside of the arena and sang as loud as we possibly could. People were looking at us like we were crazy. I had every intention of singing till my lungs gave out that night and I wasn't going to let the fact that I wasn't at the actual concert stop me from doing so. It was a blast, and I had the best of times listening to P-more with my best friends. 

2. Let Your Heart Be Heard. Loving this print so much.

3. Spice up your swear words with these snazzy substitutes. 

4. Whatever this is. I'll never see Rick the same way again. 

5. This video of T-Swifty being a doll and making this angel's day. 

6. I can't handle the cuteness of this cozy little piggy.

7. This list of some iconic and inspiring photos. 

8. I am fairly certain I need this pizza shirt as well. 

9. Please somebody just make this appear in front of me so I can put it in my belly already. 

10. Last, but certainly not least... this bitter-sweet event. 

I am so so so blessed. This past weekend my best friend Madison and her incredible family made my year by providing a much more reliable car for me. They have such giving hearts. Although it is sad to say good bye to my dear friend Oliver, I am so excited to see what Frank and I will get into next. He has quite a history in the Anderson family, so I am excited to get a car with some character. Ollie was the same way, only with my family. He was originally my great grandfather's car, and then my fathers before he was entrusted to me. I am hoping my kid brother can get some use out of him before we either have to sell Oliver or he bites it. He will be missed, but if any car had to replace him I am glad it is Frank.

Stay Golden,

xxCaitlin.  

Fly Fridays: Watsky

This was incredibly painful to hang from those bars. This is the only one from those pictures that doesn't make me look like I'm in a tremendous amount of pain.

So this is obviously not your typical Fly Friday post. This is not intended to provide any amount of fashion advice or whatever it is you get out of these posts. It is meant to showcase one of my favourite artists: Watsky. 

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet this man recently when I was touring with Warped. It was a dream come true and I acted like a smallish child who just received a pony. This man is so incredibly talented and his words have helped me through a lot. Watsky's music just gets me. It is creative with a touch of crude humor, but it has a point. Very much like me. Of course there are a few songs that are just for fun, but most of his lyrics are getting at something bigger than the song. It amazes me how he can take sensitive subjects and make them light-hearted.

The song provided is probably one of my favourites by him. I know, I know it has some language and if that offends any of you then just don't listen to it. I will not apologize for it though because his music was made this way for a reason and to apologize for sharing it would just be... wrong.

If you can get around that part then you can witness some incredible music being made. The message in this song is one that is dear to me. "I don't care where you've been, how many miles I still love you." It just hits home you know? People are not defined by their past. Things happen and if people hold you to the standards of your past, then you might want to reevaluate your relationship with that person. You are who you are now, and if you're anything like me it is your past that made you into the person you are today. My past has made me strong. Was it a pretty journey? No, but I am so thankful for everything that has happened because it made me... me, and I like who I am now. Love others for how they are, not for how they used to be.

Feel free to enjoy other pieces of his work. I would suggest Letter to My 16-year-old Self, Wounded Healer, and Cardboard Castles. Just to name a few.

Stay Golden,

xxCaitlin. 

Strikes My Fancy #5

Hello there. I'm not sure what to say besides sit back and enjoy this week's Strikes My Fancy post!

1.  Mayday Parade- Your Song

I'm throwing it back to one of my favourites. This song, besides Three Cheers for Five Years, is my absolute favourite Mayday song. This acoustic version is just perfect. I've had my teenage angst playlist on repeat lately, so this song in all its brilliance was brought back to me this week. I've also been a sucker for love songs this past week. *ahem* I don't know maybe it's because Nicholas is finally coming back from California in 17 days... these 3 months have crawled my friends. Anywho, enough of the weirdly romantic talk. This song is just grand. Enjoy.

2.  I will follow you to the ends of the Earth.

3. We could all learn something from Sokka. He will always be one of my favourite animated characters.

4. Sorry Nicholas. But this list of why Theo James is basically perfect. He loves LotR and HP. Pretty sure it's meant to be. 

ughhhh. I can't.

5.  Buzzfeed. Need I say more?

6.  My reasoning for everything.

7. One day I will make this vegan bourbon salted caramel icecream, and it will be delicious.

8. This cape that gets me super excited for the cape I bought a couple months ago. C'mon cooler days... and friends. I mainly just want people back at Baylor. 

9. A little thought about music and the wonderful power that it has. Taste is entirely  subjective. Also if you haven't seen the video mentioned, watch it. It is incredibly moving.

10. Excuse me as I go cry happy tears. 

Thanks so much for reading. Until next time my friends.

Stay Golden,

xxCaitlin.

Fly Fridays: Pretty Flowers and Drill Towers

Not sure what's up with my face here.

I apparently have it out for that group of flowers. 

Dress: Forever 21. Similar here and here.
Denim Vest: Thrifted.
Bumble Bee Pin: Hendley Market.
Shoes: Old Navy.
Ring: Jewelmint.
Nail Polish: Butter London- Poole// Lipstick: NYX Matte in Hippie Chic.

Hello there! So I've decided something. I've decided I'm going to keep the talking about my outfit as a whole to a minimum because I feel awkward and oddly self-centered discussing what you can clearly see from the photos. I put clothes on and I want to share the different combinations with you all so that I may provide some sort of small spark of inspiration next time you go through your closet. End of story.

What I AM going to talk about is my super awesome bumble bee pin. Cuz guys, it is super awesome and I got it for a whopping 75 cents. I bought a few more that are not pictured, but rest assured they are just as wonderful. Hendley Market is this lovely little place located on the Strand in Galveston, TX that is basically me in store form. It has so many oddities and pretty trinkets. I honestly didn't want to leave, well not until I had purchased the entire store anyways. One of the other buttons I purchased pictures an adorable, blushing tooth that is wearing a top hat. I cannot stress enough how magical this place is. If you ever find yourself in Galveston, you must make a stop there. You will not regret it. 

Fun Fact: I used to despise anything denim that wasn't pants/ shorts. ESPECIALLY denim vests. However this one was three dollars and down right adorable, so I had to get it. Right? I think that is how shopping works anyways. 

Anywho, that is all for today's post. Thanks for stopping by!

Stay Golden,

xxCaitlin.

Talmidim (The Servants)

Hello everyone. This post is a little different from the normal ones on Oh My Bliss. It is much longer in length and it covers something dear to me. Regardless stick with me, and if I may make a suggestion, I recommend you listen to this song either before, while you're reading, or both. I think it helps me get my point across. Thank you.



This song randomly came on while I was getting ready this morning. This song in particular has a habit of doing that, just when I need it most. It catches me completely off guard nearly every time, for I often forget that I have this incredibly simple but powerful song tucked away in my iTunes library. But as I said it comes back to me every time I need it. Out of nowhere as if it was somehow placed there just for me; as if it was made just to remind me.

Regardless it got me thinking.

*I should throw in a disclaimer now. By no means am I seeking to offend anyone, or call people out. I am merely speaking from my own experiences, to share what has been on my heart lately.*

I recently had the opportunity to go on 'tour' with an animal rights group I regularly volunteer with. This 'tour' was the Van's Warped Tour, so it was basically a dream come true to be working behind the scenes of my favourite music festival while sharing something that I cared about. For Today, the artists of the song above just so happened to be playing the festival as they have done for several years. I remember the first time I saw them on the All Stars Tour, having no clue who they were or what they stand for... or rather WHO they stand for. I remember thinking "Man, these guys go hard!" just before hopping into the pit. (The rest of their music is much much heavier than the song I provided for you all). Once they were about half-way through their set they took the time to do something incredible. Something that I think I had only seen one other band do by that point in time. They, in the middle of a place that was sure to ridicule them for it, took the time to give glory to God. To share with us that it is by His graces they were on the stage in front of us that day.

And while some people, such as myself, marveled at what they had just done, others did in fact mock them for it. One comment that was made by a person I attended the show with stuck in my mind, and even to this day it still bothers me: "I wasn't aware it was Sunday. If I wanted to go to church, I would have."

And again, while I was working Warped this year it happened. They happened to be playing one of the stages right next the my booth one day, and I was not-so-casually jamming out to them in between offering flyers and selling merch. The people I was working with seemed to be enjoying them too, I suppose since they had no clue what their songs were really saying. Then the time came for them to give a shout out to the big man upstairs who made this all possible for them. I was grinning as they said it, not taking notice of the stares I was acquiring, when one of my fellow activists- a very blunt one at that- said "you actually like this stuff?" Then proceeded to laugh at both mine and For Today's expense.

I should let you know that I am well aware that speaking the Gospel in general is basically setting yourself up for at least a teeny bit of attack.

However this time I felt exposed. As if my personal beliefs had been ripped from myself and held up for all to mock. A little dramatic I know, but it is the truth. For the first time in my life I felt as if I had something to hide, which is so wrong. I spend too much time hiding behind my beliefs, using them as a safety blanket. Never daring to venture out from the cries of affirmation I send towards the stage when one of my favourite bands speaks about the God that I love as well... This is something I struggle with on a daily basis.

To be honest I hadn't really dealt with those feelings since they occurred, but then this song came on to remind me. To remind me that God is forgiving; that he will give me a new heart and put a new spirit in me. To bring me back to my roots. To remind me where I got my start.

See because it was with this music that I accepted God. Praise and worship can only reach so many. Preaching is not just for Sunday and it is not just for the church. It is for the stages of Warped Tour; it is for the bars that 'Christians' would never wander into. It is for all the places that could have a single or a hundred non-believers; it is for the places where you would least expect it because it is there that you will find someone willing to listen.

All my life I have had people say "why do you listen to this music, you can't even understand what they're saying! Are you sure they're talking about God?"

Yes. I am sure. And it is because of these bands and what God has done through them that I am saved today.

Stay Golden,

xxCaitlin.