According to magazines we are supposed to believe that is is beautiful. That this is how relationships are. That lying around in a bra on the carpet staring wistfully into your partners nipple with your pants undone is not only practical, but that THIS is how romance is done.
Pffbt. This is a relationship. This. This right here is a marriage and a story and love. This is happiness. This is romance. (This is also known as Mishi and her Mike.)
According to magazines this is how young beautiful people hang out after work. You know, in leopard print. At they gym. In heels.
This is friends hanging out. This is what real people do. And I’d much rather be here than up there. (Really, this is my friend Shireen. And I’d take her any day over just about any one in leopard print.)
Reality television and celebrities are showing a whole new generation that marriage is a joke. That it is old fashioned, a waste of time and will make you utterly miserable.
Tell her that. (Her is Katie.)
Best friend in Hollywood? Yeah. We’ve all seen how THAT works out.
This is a little better. (This is her and her.)
Having kids? What a waste of time. Look how miserable they are. (They are Becky and her baby.)
A long time ago I was told to stop reading beauty magazines. That they will just make me feel fat, ugly and utterly ordinary.
So I stopped reading beauty magazines and started reading your blogs.
And you guys? Are the epitome of beauty.
Thank you. To every single one of you.
(And thank you thank you for sharing your pictures with me.)
making unbreakable - formerly moosh in indy. 
You made me want to stand up in the middle of my living room, pump my fist and grunt like Tim-the-Tool-Man-Taylor!
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Not only do I now have a tear in my eye after reading this, but I have loads of new blogs to add to my feed reader.
As always, thank you Casey. And for the record, you are who I think of when I imagine beauty, laughter and motherhood. ?
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What a beautiful post. Real life if real, real life is beautiful, real life is worth it. Real life is what you get reading the blogs of fabulous ladies like yourself and the ladies you mentioned. Just say no to fashion mags and yes to the beautiful words and images found in blogs.
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I haven’t bought a magazine for years. The only time I ever read one now is at the hairdressers, and then usually wonder at the lives of those who are in them, how they can consider themselves happy. But then, maybe they don’t.
But, happiness/sorrow and reality is found here. In real life. In you sharing your ups and downs of life with us we can see true joy.
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Yes! Yes! Yes!!! Sometimes my husband will watch me slowly make my way through my Google Reader and ask me what I could possibly still be reading. And I tell him I’m feeding my soul.
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Weep.
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Fantastic post and the truth! Real life is when our husbands do the small things that make us smile, our best friends who are always there for us, and knowing that we make up the majority of the population!
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Yeah, well, if you think I can read this without getting misty, you’re wrong.
My mature comment to this wonderful (and dare I say it, life changing) compliment is… It takes one to know one!
You, m’love, are everything lovely and good. Thank you ❤
You have wonderful taste in friends, btw. How lucky I am to be included in such a mix.
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XOXOXOXOX
Great post, Casey! And it’s so true. Fashion and parenting magazines really have NOTHING on this community!
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Lovely post and a topic near and dear to my heart. I know a lot of it is marketing, but the amount of money and energy that goes into convincing people that life can be made perfect, if we just this or if we just that, blows me away.
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What an awesome post!!!!! I must share it with my husband because he thinks I’m wasting my time. I choose to read blogs too because I got tired of the television and all the junk that’s on there these days. If I could watch HGTV all day long with a mix photography tips and personal stories, I would be set, but I think the television, lost me long ago. As for magazines…..well, they discontinued my Country Home and I fell to pieces. Ha! Plus, have you ever felt like you got good reliable health tips from Glamour? 🙂 Nope, just ways to get a firmer rear and the new fad diet of the year. Once again, blogland does not disappoint. Thanks for this!
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This is beautiful. REAL people. LOVE seeing real people instead of too thin models prancing around in their underwear with a too ripped guy. Thats not real. Who walks around in full leopard anyway and half naked? NO ONE. Loved this post. absolutely brilliant and amazing
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This makes me happy. Thank you for that, Case.
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Same here. I find my beauty mentors right here (and you happen to be one of the people I aspire to be as beautiful as…)
Steph
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That picture of us always makes me smile. It was such a great day.
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Casey, you are brilliant! Yes, true beauty is found in real life, not in glossy magazine pages.
Love ya, beautiful you!
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The strategically placed index fingers in the first photos really lend credence to its portrayal of true romance.
Because I, for one, would NEVER be intimate with my husband of ten years unless I had first positioned my hands so my index fingers were placed in exactly the same manner.
Priorities.
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oh my my, that is the best thing i’ve read in a while. i am so happy to have found you. a special mwah! mwah! for you today.
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You are Da Bomb, you know that? And don’t you just love Mishi to pieces? I do.
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That was beautiful. Loved it!
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This is beautiful. And so very, very true.
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PERFECT.
xo
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What a great post!! This is the same reason I try not to read Better Homes & Gardens…it makes me think that what I have is not good enough. Thanks for the reminder that real life friendships are so good and so much fun, no matter what the media tries to tell us!
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This post is perfect, and the pictures are all beautiful.
Well…the pictures of actual non plastic people anyway!
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It’s sad that our society tries to impose these ideas on us, but here we are. We just have to keep fighting and keep reminding ourselves what is real.
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So, you’re saying I’m not supposed to dream of the hot guy in the animal print speedo coming to rescue me from my domestic bliss?
Besides that, I have the bestest friends on the internet.
The End.
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marvelous, simple, meaningful post, completely true!
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This is precisely the reason I read blogs. I want to read about “real” people. I love that you posted Mishi’s photo. I saw it on Facebook yesterday and smiled.
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It is so sad that the world has such warped vision of what true love, happiness & beauty are. Thank you for this post.
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So true. I completely agree.
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I LOVED this!
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This is so beautifully refreshing. Thank you.
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Reading this gives me a severe case of Teh Happy.
Also, shortly after that picture was taken we all changed into leopard print, strapped on our highest heels and hit the gym. 😉
LOVELOVE, darling.
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I love this Casey.
I too, stopped reading magazines a few years back. Just couldn’t take it anymore.
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Thanks for that reminder of misalignment. It’s dead on.
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Fabulous! Thank you!
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This is perfection. Adore you!
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This is such a brilliant post. Thank you for sharing. I was JUST flipping through my co-workers OK magazine and said “Why do I even LOOK at this when it only makes me angry?” And it’s true.
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Bless you for sharing the truth in this post! Real life is gritty, and joyous and hard and beautiful
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I think I’m sharing this with everyone I know! Thanks!
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This is beautiful!
Can Addie start a blog, or start making movies soon, so my 3 year old has a good alternative to kick her Disney princess obsession? “Mom, I don’t like this dress. It doesn’t show my bosom like Belle’s does”
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delurking to tell you i *love* this post.
(consider yourself stumbled!)
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Utterly fantastic post! Bravo!
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Casey, this is one of the best blog posts I’ve read in a while, and it has nothing to do with the fact that my wedding picture is in it. I’m glad I was able to help you illustrate such a profound, and lovely, point.
If possible, I love you even more now.
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I love you. More than words. My house smells like poo…it makes me wish I was spending the night with you…well, I feel that every day lately. xoxo
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This is BEAUTIFUL. If there was a way to stand up and cheer in a comment, I would.
Real life beats fake life any day.
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Standing ovation.
Thanks for this. I needed it today.
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Amen. Hallelujah. Preach it. Beautifully written.
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I’m here by way of Arianne’s post. And I’m feeling a feeling of LOVE and friendship even though I only see some of you in passing on Twitter and Facebook.
Remember: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Love the post!
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