Thanksgiving is a holiday steeped in tradition- starting in 1621 when the Plymouth  pilgrims and the Wampanoag natives enjoyed a three-day harvest feast to celebrate the New World- America! Now days, I feel like most people skip right over Thanksgiving and jump into Christmas. But after surviving a pandemic last year, we all have plenty to be thankful for and should really take the time to make the most of the Thanksgiving holiday. A time to embrace the traditions of our past and create new memories for our families.  Since I'm a child of divorce, my mother has always held her banquet the Sunday before Thanksgiving. As we grew up and had families of our own, we are now required to bring a dish to relieve Mom from some of the cooking. My dish has forever and always been green bean casserole. And here's my green bean casserole recipe:  1 can (10 1/2 oz.) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup 3/4 cup milk 1/8 tsp. black pepper 4 cups cooked cut green beans or 2 cans (14.5oz each) any style Del Monte® Green Beans, drained 1 1/3 cups French's® Crispy Fried Onions, divided (Makes 6 Servings- double the recipe for larger portions) Step 1 Mix soup, milk, and pepper in a 1 1/2 -qt. baking dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup Crispy Fried Onions. Step 2 Bake at 350°F for 30 min. or until hot. Stir. Step 3 Top with remaining 2/3 cup onions. Bake 5 min. until onions are golden.   (Not going to lie- this is the same recipe on the back of the French's Crispy Fried Onion box) 😂   One Thanksgiving, I was hurrying to get ready, get the kids dressed, and prepare my casserole so it would be nice and warm when we arrived. In my haste, I misread the directions, and accidentally put in a 1/4 cup of black pepper instead of the 1/8 tsp the recipe called for. Of course, I didn't realize my mistake until we started eating, and everyone was like, "Dang! This casserole is very peppery!" And bless my sweet son's heart because he was the only one who ate seconds, and said, "Mama, I like your spicy green beans!" (He's precious!) Needless to say, it was the only year that I brought back home leftover casserole, and 10 years later, my family still asks every year if I put too much black pepper in. Hahahaha!  What are some your favorite Thanksgiving traditions? We would love to hear from you, so please comment below and let us know! CFB hopes you have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday! 

With our Black Friday and Christmas in Downtown Clayton quickly approaching, we have compiled a few of our favorite places in Clayton for you to be sure to visit the next time you are in town. From places to stay while you are here to where to eat and shop, CFB has you covered!  Eats... (Click on the title to go to their website)   White Birch Provisions   White Birch Provisions is a gourmet shop with a full-service espresso bar and bakery. Try one of their specialty coffee drinks or tea varieties.  Their talented baker makes fresh baked goods daily. In their "Wine Cave," you will find wines, cigars and accessories, whereas their "Farm room" showcases cheeses, charcuterie and other tasty treats. They try to source from as many regional vendors as possible and boast unique products you can't find anywhere else in Clayton.     Fromage & Other Fine Foods Fromage & Other Fine Foods opened August of 2007. The restaurant is a passion of the owner, Jenny Wilson, who loves food and coming up with new and creative menu items. She uses the freshest and finest products available to create delightful eclectic selections. The menu changes weekly, and everything is prepared in-house from delicious soups to delectable desserts. Universal Joint Nestled in an old gas station, the Universal Joint offers an abundant 17 rotating draft beers, including some of the finest craft beers from Georgia and the Carolinas. Their huge outdoor patio is family friendly, as well as great for dogs, and is the perfect venue to enjoy live music on the weekends. Take advantage of the outdoor fire pit and corn hole while exploring the menu.     Fortify/ Fortify Pi In 2014, Chef Jamie Allred opened Fortify Kitchen and Bar with Jack Nolan, where they have improved Clayton’s dining scene with great food, delicious cocktails and impeccable service in a comfortable environment. They support local farmers and give back to the great community they call home!   Given the popularity and success of Fortify Kitchen & Bar, Jack and Jamie decided to open another restaurant . . . something a little more casual in concept. Hence, Fortify Pi was born! Fortify Pi opened in June 2016, serving wood-fired brick-oven pizza, sandwiches, wings, salads, and regional and craft beers.   Treats... Here are a few of the amazing stores that line Main Street, where you can find a little something for everyone:  Lulu & Tully's Lulu & Tully's is filled with unique treasures, rare finds, art, and unconventional conversation starters. (I promise you won't leave there empty handed!) At the back of the store is Mercantile Studio, where Rabun Martin offers painting classes as well as craft classes such as floral design, soap and candle making classes, pottery, knitting, and jewelry making to name a few.    Blue Ridge Toy Company At Blue Ridge Toys, Sandra Glichowski takes great pride in carrying the most fun and unique products on the planet. Their carefully-curated selection of toys, board games, books, musical instruments, art supplies, RC vehicles, outdoor toys, and comic books. The toy selection is always changing- bringing you the best that the world of fun has to offer. And they test the items with their team of fun experts to ensure you're always getting the best of the best.       Wander North Georgia Wander offers a wide assortment of gifts, Chaco sandals and boots, hiking and camping gear, local-made items, packaged beer, and an awesome selection of books. They have dozens of the best outdoor brands to help you on your next hiking or camping trip. They have a kids play area where you can turn them loose while you wander around the store a bit. Ask them to share some recommendations on the best places to hike or camp in the area.    And, of course.... Cage-Free Boutique If. you. don't know. us byyyyy nooowwww.... Just kidding... Recap:  The CFB team is here and ready to help you find that perfect piece or outfit for your next adventure. Whether you've got a special occasion coming up, or just need to refresh your wardrobe, we're here for you. We offer classic, contemporary styles that have been thoughtfully selected to include sizes 00-18 and XS-3X to keep you on trend, comfy, classy and in front of the school pick up line. While our main focus is on YOU, we also offer girls sizes, a few baby items, and several kinds of books, games, and other fun gift ideas.    & a Place to Rest Your Feet There are several amazing places to stay in this beautiful county, but here are a couple of our faves:  Air BnBs: (Click on the title to link to their airbnb accounts) tinymountaincabin   "Enjoy your modern & cozy mountain cabin experience nestled in the spectacular Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia. Relax on the deck and fire up the grill! Light the fire pit for s'mores and stargazing on the hammock."     wandercabin This cozy, 1950's cabin was completely renovated with a very modern feel while keeping the vintage charm. It features two bedrooms with cozy queen beds and a spacious kitchen and modern living room. Creekside with a view of Black Rock Mountain State Park and right off the sidewalk/street that leads to downtown."   Bed & Breakfast Inns (Click on title to go to B&B's website) White Birch Inn    The White Birch Inn, housed in a 100-year-old two-story brick building, is an elegantly chic bed-and-breakfast nestled right in downtown Clayton. "The inn boasts six uniquely decorated guest rooms and suites, lovingly named after indigenous trees, and each with their own ensuite bathroom. Each guest room is equipped with either queen or king-size beds, an iron and ironing board, robes, a safe, hickory luggage racks, a hairdryer, and free WIFI."   Beechwood Inn   "Beechwood Inn offers affordable elegance in a rustic mountain setting with 7 luxurious guest rooms, 1 one-bedroom cabin rental, and 1 three-bedroom cabin. Enjoy the best in North Georgia hospitality with many complimentary amenities..." such as gourmet breakfast, fluffy robes, homemade cookies, and end the evening with a glass of wine and charcuterie tray.

Halloween is here.... well, on Sunday, but most will be trick-or-treating on Saturday. You have found the kids' costumes and repaired the multiple holes from over-wearing. You have bought bags of candy to hand out to the little ones. You have baked so many treats for all the Fall festivals. You have decorated the house in Halloween decor and carved the jack-o-lanterns. And... you've completely forgotten about your costume!! No worries... CFB has got your back! Here are 8 quick costume ideas with a little help from Dollar Tree (which is literally located right behind us).    Princess Mandy Cami/ Mini Satin Rose Skirt/ Rally Faux Fur Slides   Hippie Jade Meadows Dress/ Bimba Sandals   Alligator  Tanya Top/ Simone Utility Jogger/ Sorel Kinetic Strap Sneaker  (Jogger and sneaker sold in store)   Bunny Sylvia Sweater/ Cate Full Crop Pant/ Rally Faux Fur Slides   Pirate  Lindsey Duster/ Mandy Cami/ Cate 2.0 Crop Pant (in store)/ Falida Boots/ Steel Mist Scarf   Convict Marsh Waffle Knit Beanie/ Spectacular in Stripes Top/ Reese Straight Leg/Cate Pull On Boot (in store)   Ninja Lindsey Duster/ Olivia Mock Neck (in store)/ Reese Straight Leg/ Vivid & Vogue Scarf/ Matcha Booties    Cheetah Mini Cool Cat Sweater/ Rachel Mom Jean/ Cate Chelsea Bootie (in store)   Be sure to check out CFB on Halloween (Sunday)! We have a treat for you!! No tricks! Hope everyone has a spooky yet safe Halloween! Boo Bitches! 

As the chill of the Autumn wind brings hints of color in the landscape and a change of season, Cage-Free has decided to welcome the winds of change with a  revamping of the store.  We have given the store an updated look with a few, new accent walls and fabricated a fresh, creative take on a fun message board.   Then, we peppered in a dash of subtle, yet sexy Halloween decor as to usher in the spooky festivities at the end of the month, in addition to a couple of ghoulish shirts, mugs, and candles. (Check out our Evil Queen blog) Also, we have several modern mannequins (with arms and legs!) as well as a few little girl mannequins to model all the brand-new clothes that are arriving all the time!  So much so that CFB had to expand the Mini-me section to house all the adorable, new, Fall trends that have been hitting the floor weekly. Speaking of weekly, the women's styles have been flying off the rack as soon as we put them out, and our sizing generally runs extra small to 3X in ALL our women styles. So make sure you come in to check out our new renovations, and since you're here, you might as well buy that cozy sweater you've been stalking on our Instagram. You know you want to....  Not to frighten you, but as of today, there is 7 Fridays til Black Friday.  And there are 10 Saturdays til Christmas! But at CFB, we have got your back with new inventory coming in all the time to get you ready for the upcoming holidays. Also, be sure to check out "Christmas in Downtown Clayton" on November 26 to skip the hustle of the big city and support local shops that are open til 8 pm. Lined with luminaries, stores up and down Main Street will be offering special sales and door prizes; Cage-Free included! I know it's chilly in the mornings, but why not stock up on shorts for next summer? In order to make room for all these new items, we are offering 10% off of all our shorts with code: Boo-ty10 online only.  Click here to check out our shorts collection. Fly High, Witches!!  

The first day of Fall was September 22, and we are here for that cool, crisp weather; toasty bonfires; cozy sweaters; and everything pumpkin. To get you in the mood for Autumn, we have some "candles with attitude" that will fill your home with delicious aromas and laughter from the cute, quirky candle names and descriptions.    An amazing fact is that Evil Queen is a woman-ran business built from the ground up by the creative mind of Ida. It all started when she passed a flower shop named, "Basic Flowers,"  and thinking, "Basic flowers for the basic bitch in your life." (Hahaha!) After laughing at herself for a minute, the idea was formed to create something sassy like that. Never having made candles before, Ida put in a lot of "patience and practice" to make candles that you would love to give your friends and burn around your house.  Evil Queen started as a one woman show and has since grown to a small, supportive team based in Traverse, Michigan. And now, she has been in business for 5 years!   Other Cool Facts about Evil Queen Candles They're made with 100% soy wax and fragrance free of harmful chemicals They're handmade and poured in the USA They're vegan, eco-friendly, and will make you laugh The candles should also burn for 50+ hours if you follow the instructions (I'm looking at you, rule breakers) They use 100% cotton wicks      CFB loves Evil Queen candles, and we just got SO MANY new fragrant candles for the Fall as well as some of our faves from the past. Make sure you click  here to see all the new inventory of Evil Queen candles to gift to your friends, or keep to yourself.   

You have carefully cultivated your clothing game, but now, it feels a lil claustrophobic in your closet. We have a couple of tips to help de-clutter your wardrobe.  Worn it in a Year? As you began to tidy up your closet, ask yourself, "Have I worn this in the last year?" If the answer is yes, then put it back. If the answer is no, then it may be time to let it go.    Backwards Hangers If you are like me and can't remember if you've worn that shirt in the last year, then a simple trick is to turn all your hangers in your closet backwards. This way the open end of the hanger will face you. As you wear the item, put it back in the closet the regular way (open end facing the back of the closet). In six months, you can go back and see what you have been wearing and what you have not.   One In, One Out The theory behind this tip is that every time you buy a new item and bring it into your wardrobe, then you must take something old/ outdated/ no longer wear out.    Closet Clean Out Party Of course, you can choose to donate your clothing, or even sell them online or at a yard sale. But another alternative is to hold a little get-together with your friends, and everyone brings their clothes they no longer want. Then you can trade amongst yourselves, and whatever is left can then be donated to less fortunate.   If you have any tips you would like to share, please leave a comment below with your favorite ways to tidy up your closet.      

"No white after Labor Day"... We have all heard it the old fashion rule, and that is what it is...old and outdated! Click here to check out my past blog on the history of this adage and how it is no longer a rule we have to follow. For the upcoming Labor Day weekend, we are going to show you 3 ways to bring your summer white jeans into the Fall season. Below, we have matched one pair of white jeans with three different outfits.       Brunch with Girls Dawn Top / Connie High Rise (Optic White) / Blowfish Marley Sneaker / Day&Mood Kiana Hobo  Meet up with your girls for brunch by adding cheetah-print shoes, a tied-up, neutral, light-weight button-down, and low-key accessories.    Business Lady Attire Sezanna Top / Connie High Rise (Optic White) / Keep Up Boots / Circle Bag Bring your white jeans into the office by adding a short-sleeve sweater with ruffles at the elbow; some taupe, suede boots; and pop of color with your hand bag and accessories.   Date Night Look Mandy Cami / Connie High Rise (Optic White) / Amelia Denim Jacket / Freshest Mules / Baby Wow Hoops / Pippa Crossbody Serve up some sexiness in this monochromatic look with a silk tank top, silver mules, denim jacket (for that evening chill), and add a bit of flair with a scarf tied to your crossbody bag.    Just a few examples of how you can wear white into the Fall. The great thing about these jeans- they're on sale!!! And in honor of Labor Day, we are offering a 10% discount code on all white clothing Friday-Sunday (September 3-5), so make sure you check out "The White Album" collection (a nod to the Beatles) and use code "White10" at checkout for 10% off online only. (Just a little thank you for reading my blog ❤️ )  

A white tee is a timeless, traditional basic, and a wardrobe essential for any woman. You can wear it all year, and it can be paired with skirts, shorts, jeans or pants to compliment so many outfit combinations. You can go casual by adding it to joggers and sneakers or shorts and sandals, or dress it up with a skirt and some booties.  At CFB, we took some of the guesswork out for you by putting a classic white tee in 10 different ensembles.   Outfit #1: Summer Dress & Platforms    Lasting Allure Dress / Faby Platform Sandal    Outfit #2: Denim Jacket, Midi Skirt, & Mules    Amelia Denim Jacket / Mermaid Skirt / Freshest Mule    Outfit #3: Joggers & Strap Sneakers    Vintage Getaway Joggers / Sorel Kinetic Strap Sneakers (sold in store only)   Outfit #4: Blazer, Crop Pants, & Booties   Boss Babe Blazer / Cate Full Crop Pant / Matcha Bootie   Outfit #5: Jean Skirt, Strap Sneakers, & Oversized Bag   Vintage Quant Skirt / Sorel Kinetic Strap Sneakers (sold in store only) / Day & Mood Malou Hobo   Outfit #6: Denim Top, Suede Skirt & Booties    Vintage Linda Denim Top / Gotta Good Feeling Skirt / Matcha Booties   Outfit #7: Wide Leg Jeans, Braided Belt, & Casual Sneakers    Marty Drawstring Shorts / Blowfish Marley Sneakers  Outfit #8: Print Skirt, Cardigan & Booties Pop of Perdita Skirt / Mary Cardigan / Matcha Booties Outfit #9: Shorts & Casual Sneakers Kut's Meg Wide Leg Jeans / Twist & Shout Belt / Blowfish Marley Sneakers Outfit #10: Black Jeans, Denim Jacket & Mules Kut's Donna High Rise in Black / Amelia Denim Jacket / Freshest Mule

Summer has been amazing, but Fall is right around the corner. Are you ready for Autumn, but not ready to put up your summer wardrobe? Here are some simple ways to bring your favorite summer pieces into Fall:     Layer, Layer, Layer Once temps start to drop and weather is cooler in the mornings, the key is to layer, layer, layer!!! So you can shed them if it gets toasty in the afternoon, or add more layers the colder it gets.  Denim Jacket Ol' tried and true, blue jean jacket is one the main essentials for taking your summer clothes into Autumn. Just add this guy to any summer dress, and BAM! You're ready for Fall!     Chambray Shirt If you don't want to go full-on denim, you layer a chambray shirt over a tank or t-shirt. Same concept-different feel...   Mock Neck Tank A new twist on an old classic! By adding a mock neck tank to your thin-strapped dress or jumpsuit allows you to layer with a denim jacket on those chilly mornings while beating the afternoon heat.          Up Your Shoe Game Just by switching your sandals for booties or boots will instantly take your favorite summer dress into Autumn. The booties gives the outfit an uplift, where boots give off a more polished look. Check out our sale on both booties and boots here.       And To Top It All Off... While a hat looks great anytime of the year, Autumn is the time to shine for felt hats! Simply by putting on this effortless accessory will bring your summer attire right into those Fall days!   Be sure to check out our End of the Season Sale here  for 20% off all our clearance items!