The plans I have for you

This week I am needing some encouraging words, so I thought I would share this inspiring quote. It's actually from a card my grandmother gave me once, and I've never forgotten it.

"Live deep...never stop learning, playing, or finding wonder in the world around you. Live the length of your life, but live the depth of it as well.

Travel light...there is no use in carrying around worry and regret. Always keep yourself open to hope and love. They give us wings.

Forgive Imperfections...in yourself and others. Imperfections keep things interesting. They're the cracks where the light shines through.

Own beautiful things...surround yourself with things that make you happy, that remind you of the beauty all around us if we only keep our eyes open to it.

Take care of yourself...and sometimes that means you need the ice cream. Be good to your body, but also to your mind and spirit. You're the only one who can.

Make mistakes...follow detours. Sometimes it takes an unexpected turn to help us find the life that is waiting for us behind the bend. Trust yourself and the path that is meant for you."

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I don't have much words of my own this week, but wanted to end with a verse that has been on my heart lately.

Siggie Piggies

This last weekend was Sing Song at ACU, so I drove in with the family to watch Candice perform as a Siggie Piggie!

Their set was amazing, they looked so good :). I yelled my little Siggie heart out for them!

Can you spot Candice??

She was also in the Senior act as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles :).

Tyler performed as a Power Ranger in Frats, he's the tall red one on the back row :).

A shot of all the clubs after the they ran out into Moody Auditorium during the final number, screaming & yelling of course :).

All the Siggies together in Moody, they placed 2nd but I couldn't be prouder they were adorable!

Love seeing all the family :). All the Siggies in the family on the left (Aunt Lisa, me, Hannah a sophomore, & Candice a Senior), & the Kojies on the right (Mom, & Shayli a senior).

I can't believe this was Candice's senior year, crazy! I was just up on that stage as a bowling pin, right?? Well, I won't have a reason to come back for Sing Song for a while but I love all the memories, & I'll always root for Siggies whether I'm there or not!

- Cassie

Happy Birthday Kiah!

Today is Kiah's birthday! I can't believe it's already been 2 years since I got her as a little puppy. To celebrate Kiah's first years here are some of my favorite pictures of her growing up...

This is when I first took her home, she was so nervous and shy. She was such a precious puppy!

Getting bigger now, & more energetic :).

We found out Kiah loves to chase the water hose in the back yard :).

Going through the chewing stage...yep that used to be a duck toy!

Last year we had a BIG snow, so Kiah & I played all morning.

Kiah had her surgery last year & it was hilarious to watch her in the cone for a week, but she did great. She also became the Studio B Designs mascot in her own little t-shirt :).

She's been my best little friend for 2 years now, love her!

-Cassie

Goodbye Red

Well thanks to the snow day (& my mom) I finally got rid of all the red paint in my house! We tackled the bathroom on Saturday & turned those red walls into Martha Stewart's Driftwood Gray, it's a silvery gray color with a tint of blue.

Project #2: Bathroom Transformation

Before we painted...

All the dark red and black was very overwhelming in this small bathroom.

And after!

It's so much brighter and airy feeling now :). It's amazing how much of a difference it's made in the mornings already, I love it.

Of course I'm never done planning, so there's still a few things I would change in this bathroom. Here's my wishlist for the future:

I love this white shower curtain from Anthropologie, I think it would help with the light and airy look of the bathroom.

I also like this Anthropologie bath mat, I love the shape and flower design. It comes in several different colors, I think I like this black and white design.

I like using apothecary jars to put soaps and bath salts in the bathroom. I think it's very sophisticated looking.

I would also love to paint the cabinets in the bathroom a white or light color and add some sort of glass hardware like this pull.

-Cassie

Pottery Barn Inspiration

What's the best thing about bad winter weather? Snow days :). Last Friday we had the day off due to bad weather, so I was completely lazy & did absolutely nothing, lol. But I guess I had a lot of pinned up energy because Saturday, I got busy on the house again.

1st Project : Picture Collage

A couple of weekends ago I visited my parents in Louisiana, and we ended up visiting a Pottery Barn store in Baton Rouge. While we were there I fell in love with their staged photo collage wall, so I took a picture on my iphone for inspiration :).

This is my big empty wall I decided to tackle :).

The wall is right by my entry door as you walk into the living room. I just had a few large pictures propped up on top of the console, but it didn't fill this large wall very well.

So I went through my house & got all my extra picture frames I had laying around & moved & sorted A LOT until I found a layout I liked. A good way to use extra picture frames!

I used some large paper (mine is actually 2 sheets of wrapping paper taped together) & traced the frames with pencil onto the sheet.

Then I hung it on the wall where I wanted it to go.

This part was a little time consuming, but then I measured and punched a hole where each picture should hang.

Then all I had to do was take down the paper, put a nail where I had punched all the holes, and voila!

I love the way it's fun and eclectic and fills up my big wall. What do you think?

-Cassie

Goin' to the Bahamas!

I'm sitting in Tyler in the beginning of February in 20 degree weather with a windchill of 9...so I'm naturally dreaming about our family summer cruise to the bahamas! :)

We are going on a Norwegian cruise line in May that will have 3 stops, the 1st on Grand Bahama Island.

The 2nd on Great Stirrup Cay.

The 3rd at Nassau, look at those blue waters :).

So come May you could possibly find me doing any of the above activities, but also hopefully a lot of relaxing and working on my tan :).

Love my amazing parents who have decided to take my sister & I on a wonderful vacation, can't wait!!

New Year's in Cajun Country

We spent New Year's in La Place, Louisiana. This was our first holiday to spend there since the 'rents moved, and we definitely took in the new culture :). We ate lots of seafood, saw some alligators, and went to Christmas in the Park in New Orleans. Here's some pics, enjoy!

You can't escape the alligators!

Posing as we walk through the park :).

I'm so glad I got to spend the holiday with my family, and with Justin :). Basically, we had a great time relaxing, playing the wii, playing games, and eating good food...umm can't wait to go back.

Happy New Year!

Hello friends & happy 2011!

As part of my New Year's Resolutions I have decided to start a blog :). So this is for all family and friends to share pictures and give little updates on my life!

So my first post is going to be my New Year's Resolutions, so here we go:

1. Start a blog and update regularly with new pictures of any events, trips, etc, and have fun with it!

2. Get a gym membership and work out 3-5 times a week, plus run outside on the weekends when the weather is nice.

3. Find a time and read my devotional bible, and stick to it :).

4. Read Dave Ramsey's, Financial Peace University and set new goals money-wise.

5. Study for and try my best to pass my NCIDQ exam in April!

6. Drink less soft drinks! I keep saying this but never really doing it :(. So, I'm only going to keep water, tea, & lemonade at my house. Try to only order tea & water at restaurants. And only have a dr.pepper when I'm really craving one :).

7. Be better about making time for each of my girlfriends and really being there for them in their lives.

8. Figure out where I am in life and what I really want in the next several years (hard one).

9. Laugh more, worry less. (my motto for 2011!)

Luke 12:22-26 "Then Jesus said to his disciples: 'Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?"