It seems that I have taken a little vacation from the Five for Friday thing and I honestly missed it. The past few weeks have been some busy ones but I've been preparing all week to share some of the things that made me smile the past few days. It’s really nice to take the time out of the rushed schedule each week to acknowledge the little moments and special things that make your weeks happy so I’m going to try my hardest to keep this up. Here we go…

1// the sweet little baby chickens that have joined our family recently. They are growing so fast and before you know it we will have some fresh eggs this summer. So exciting!

2// hosting the ladies for this weeks small group made me so happy! It was nice to sit with them and talk about the study we are doing and be able to serve them in our home.

find out more about this study here.

3// finally making the switch to black coffee. I’m so glad that I don’t have that processed creamer in my system anymore!!

4// the beautiful flowers on our tulip tree in the back yard. Praying this bipolar warm/cold weather doesn't ruin them!

5// preparing for the bonfire tonight with some friends and fighting the urge to rip open those peanut butter cups. Self. Control.

Hope you all have some fun weekend plans!

TGIF!!!

Goals // 3.14

& let's start with those February goals!

I'm pretty stoked that I completed all of the goals except for the last. Vegan meals. The only way I can explain my lack of making new vegan meals is the fact that we love meat. Five months ago when we got married we both agreed that we would have a vegan diet during the week and then enjoy meat on weekends because of health reasons. I would still like to make this change but it is really hard when I'm working on our meal plans for each week. It is a lot easier to throw some chicken in a pan and toss it with a salad. I'm still going to try and learn some new recipes so I can substitue a few meals next month.

We'll see how it goes and hopefully I can share some good feedback and recipes!

As for everything else on the list I have either shared the details with you already or I'm planning to this coming week so stay tuned!! Now on to March....

Yes, it is crazy that we are about to enter the month of March already. I really love this month and I'm excited about the fresh new Spring-like weather that will hopefully come with the weeks ahead. All of the goals for March are exciting and a few have been in the works for a while but I can't wait to finally execute them and share them with the world. I have high hopes that I can accomplish all of these but we'll see. Crossing my fingers!!

Any of you making some monthly goals? Comment below so I can check them out!!

A Bunch of Frames on a Wall.

One of the scariest endeavors with home decor so far has been the dreaded frame gallery. From the beginning of the house plans I knew the perfect spot for a bunch of framed pictures but I didn't know where to start. What frames do I use…? How do I decide on the pictures…? What design do I need to use for the frames…? Oh man, it was overwhelming.

After some researching on what type of feel and design I wanted I found a few styles I was hoping to recreate.

 Here are the steps I used to complete the wall:

1// select the number of frames and the different sizes needed

2// pick the pictures/prints for each frame while laying them out on the floor to position them in the design you like

3// outline the frames on newspapers and cut them out and then tape them to the wall to confirm the frame sizes and locations

4// once you are happy with the result nail the holes in the right areas and remove the newspaper

5// hang frames and enjoy

**Just a few tips to make the job a little easier... when I try to locate the right spot for the nails I always use a little dab of toothpaste on the back of the frame where the nail should go and then line up the bottom of the frame to the newspaper and press the top of the frame against the wall. This will make the perfect mark for the nail so you won't have to make any guesses. **

see the DIY prints I made here & here

and the frames were all purchased at Ikea and are the RIBBA series

Cleaning Schedule.

Ever since our wedding day and moving in together I have been trying to figure out the best cleaning schedule for our life and our home. I did a lot of research and tried different ones but I’m pretty big on following rules and guidelines so when a certain day came around and I didn’t have time to complete the tasks that day I felt so defeated and then my whole week was off track. I felt like I was always behind because we are very busy people and since we both love to entertain we always had a reason to keep the house in order which was very helpful. During the past several months I realized that as the schedules changed on the fridge I never stuck to what any of them said but our house was normally clean. I then started to realize what I was doing all along was a type of cleaning schedule already so I tried to keep track of the things I was doing on a daily and weekly basis. I also started to notice the things that were lacking so I could add them to the list I was creating and then before I knew it the list below was made.

I really think this type of cleaning schedule works best for our busy schedule because I know what little things need to be completed daily and then the more tedious ones are set to weekly so I can work on those Monday-Friday and then complete whatever was not done on the weekends. Like I said before, we both love to entertain so weekends are usually busy and the house is normally ready for some kind of dinner or party so the time leftover is spent straightening up from whatever we had at the house.

I know this schedule will change many times but that is what works for us

during this season of our life & I really enjoy it!

A Dream.

I had one of those extremely vivid dreams last week that I couldn't seem to shake. Gladly it wasn’t a sad or scary dream, it was wonderful and happy. Strange, but happy. Peter and I were in San Francisco and we found a house that we loved that was for sale and decided to move there. The house was beautiful with a view of the water and big wide open windows so you could see everything. There were people all around and everyone seemed so happy. The sun was always shining so everything was bright and we loved it. Oddly enough we were helping the former home owners move out and we were moving our things in. Nothing looked familiar to me because it was all new things but it felt like home. It felt comfortable.

I remember waking up and looking around the room and realizing I was in our real home. Here in Greenville in my normal bed and Peter was snoozing beside me. It surprised me how I was initially sad because the dream wasn’t true. It confused me because in my heart I don’t feel that way at all. I love our home and our life here. Our family is here. All of our friends are here. Our church and growing church family is here. Our life is here.

San Francisco will always have a special place in my heart. That is where we created our first memories as husband and wife on our honeymoon. Where I was so content and elated with this new married life together I could hardly contain it. I still feel that way today but that happiness has just grown deeper. I know that at my core I have a need and a want to be the best wife and helper I can be for my husband.

Since this dream I have been praying to understand the meaning of it. I believe that dreams are a part of you and can give you insight for your life. I also believe that bad dreams are a form of attack from the devil and that the good dreams are a blessing from God. Some kind of gift from Him to show you a deeper part of yourself. So I’ve been praying to understand that.

I now feel like that dream was a little peek at my heart. It is big and full of light and that is not because of a trip to San Francisco or even the man that I am blessed to call my husband; it is because of the Savior that I have inside my heart. He makes all things new and good. He shines that light on us and He wants to shine it out of us so we can share His love and grace with everyone. That is what He has called me to do. He makes everyday new like that new house in my dream. I can take out the old and replace it with His blessings, His favor and His goodness because I know that everything in this life is ultimately His. My heart, my life, my marriage, everything.

A new kind of and.

So far this month my goals have been going pretty well and I’m almost finished with that #2 item; completing the gallery wall in the front hallway. I finished my first DIY print a little while ago and I've had all the photos printed for the other frames but there was one frame that I was having some trouble with. All of the frames used for the front hallway are from IKEA and I've really liked them but the one I was having problems with is an odd shape. The frame is 9”x9” so it was a little difficult to find the right photo to fit. I finally realized that I should make another print to solve the problem. 

After some searching I decided I wanted to paint an ampersand but not your average ampersand. I found many examples on Pinterest and wanted to do a little tweaking to make it my own. It kind of looks like a letter E also which conveniently works for our home since our last name starts with an E. I also decided to make the print a little more personal and added our wedding date below the ampersand because that day was the official date that we became an AND. Peter & Cassie. I love the way that sounds!

**This post is not sponsored by IKEA.

Valentines at Home.

Just a few shots from our cozy Valentines date night at home. It was wonderful. Peter scored an amazing deal on the lobster and filet {& surprised me with some french macaroons}, I whipped up the salad and with our awesome rice cooker it was a pretty simple dinner but it was delicious. I also love the fact that I married a chef without even knowing it. His kitchen skills are an awesome bonus since I had no idea he had them before we got married. He had always been a grill master so I should have assumed he could hold his weight in the kitchen too but I definitely underestimated him. The steak was perfect since he cooked it in the cast iron skillet, it had a tasty crust and juicy center just like a restaurant and the lobster was so buttery and sweet! After dinner we moved to the living room and spent some time going through our wedding album for the first time since our super sweet wedding photographers surprised us with the book on Valentines day. It was a perfect way to end our first married Valentines for sure!! 

A Lot of Snow.

Greenville, SC got the most snow I can remember last week. Which of course meant we got to stay home for the entire time. I didn't mind at all. I can be a complete homebody if I'm given the chance so the snow days were spent with my sweet man and I was ecstatic about it. I made some homemade lime chicken soup in the crockpot to keep us warm and I watched the whole first season of House of Cards {oh my, good!} so I can enjoy the new season with Peter. Apparently the confinement of the home also gave me the cleaning bug since I spent a majority of one day doing laundry, organizing my closet and straightening up the rest of the house. I guess now would be the point where I hush and share just a few of the MANY photos I took with my Canon Rebel XTi camera. I'm still getting the hang of it but I really enjoyed capturing the beautiful snow around our home. 

he didn't hit me... don't worry.

our Tulip Tree has some cute little buds, we are hoping the snow didn't harm them.

fire pit begging to be used after the snow melts away!

frozen compost!!

Now that we officially had a GOOD snow I'm so ready for Spring 

so thank you, Winter... you can go now!

Love Day.

During this week while everyone prepared for the big day of love today {and tried to overcome the crazy amounts of snow everywhere} I was struggling a little bit with what to do for this Holiday. Last year I celebrated with my fiance and it was honestly my least favorite Valentines day with him. I decided that we should make reservations downtown and go to a very busy restaurant and sit in a very crowded room at a table set awkwardly where a walk way clearly should have been. Just ask my purse that was knocked off my chair multiple times. We were packed in a room like sardines. Being rushed through our meal so they could squeeze in the next couple. I remember thinking that we HAD to celebrate because that's what you do with your almost husband on Valentines day. You show them you love them out in public with everyone else and you buy them a watch that ends up not working very well at all. So silly.

a little Vday decorations on our mantle

I now look at Valentines day in a brand new light. I want to be at home with my husband. Cooking dinner together while sharing a bottle of wine. Not exchanging gifts at all because I don't want this holiday to be about material things. I want to curl up on the couch with a blanket and our cups of hot tea and watch a movie on Netflix. I might even let him pick a foreign film and force myself to read all those little subtitles because he loves it. And because I love him. I love the way he makes me feel and I really love being his wife. 

So tonight we will be doing that. Not fighting traffic and searching for a parking spot so we can be rushed through a meal while I'm wearing uncomfortable heels. No, we will not be doing that. 

Power to those of you that venture out into the world on Valentines Day.

This holiday is about sharing love with your loved ones so how ever you choose to do it
I hope it is absolutely perfect.
Happy Love Day!!!

Birthday Littles.

Since I took an unexpected hiatus from the blog world last week with all of the Birthday filled nights I thought I would jump back into things with some little moments that made turning 27 happy! I've always loved Birthdays and I really have loved each one even more than the last and that is something to be thankful for. Here are a few of the things that I loved about this one... 

a trip to Atlanta for the incredible Kings of Leon show. Enough said  // my mom's super yummy coconut cake that she somehow surprised me with again // ending the week with a little date night thanks to my sweet hubby // splurging on a LOT of food and thanking the pounds lost during that nasty flu // Having this handsome man be the first person to say Happy Birthday to me and then follow that up with a good morning kiss. Best gift ever. 

Turning 27.

You know how a lot of people like to ask you that question, where do you see yourself in ten years? I've never been a fan of that question to be honest. If someone would have asked me that ten years ago I'm sure my answer would be something like.... married with one or two kids. Funny how things worked out.

During the past ten years a lot has happened. I've learned that I need God more than anything else in this world. I met the three wonderful women that I call my best friends. I met the most amazing man I know and I even got to marry him! I found a church that teaches and equips my heart for Jesus and His kingdom. I became Auntie Cassie. I live in a house with my husband... and I have to clean it. Crazy things have happened the past ten years and they have turned out better than I could have imagined. Happiness is a word that I would use to describe my world and all of the things I mentioned above is the cause for this happy heart I have.

I'm so thankful for the past 27 years and I can't wait to see what the Lord has planned for this new year ahead of me. Regardless of the outcome I know that He is in control and has given me a man that will hold my hand and lead our life towards His will and that is the best gift I could ever receive.

**and thanks to my sweet brother-in-law and sister-in-law for the surprise cake yesterday!