NAIL FAIL: Spooky Spider Nails

So since Katie was over on Friday (She's actually over every Friday and she does help make some of the big decisions behind the blog, but she doesn't have that much time to do posts and such.  She is working on one now, though, that will be up soon!) I decided I would paint her nails.  It really did not go as planned, but I took pictures, so now you can laugh too!

Originally I was doing to do a gradient on four of her nails with spiders on them and just a solid color on her thumb with a spider web.  You can decide for yourself what you think it turned out looking like!

Don't worry though, we'll have some better tutorials up for you soon! :)

-Cassi

YouCaring: Bridget's Service Dog

Through boating, we met Rob and Moreen Karsten as well as their two daughters.  Bridget, their oldest daughter, had a stroke before she was born.  It affected how she copes with the world around her and she is constantly struggling with anxiety, depression, and coping with her environment.  Something that helps Bridget is being around animals.  They calm her down a lot and when in public areas can give her the space she needs to feel comfortable.

Getting a service dog is an opportunity she has been provided with.  They've gone to New Mexico a few times to meet dogs and see how they interact with Bridget.  It is very important for the dog and Bridget to get along.  Right now they are in the matching stage it could take 6 months or so because the dogs need to be trained.

Getting a service dog isn't anywhere near free.  They've had to fly to New Mexico multiple times and will have to go back a few more times yet.  Flights aren't cheap, and generally all 4 of them have to go!  On top of that, insurance doesn't cover the dog, all though donations to the program off set the cost.  They will have to pay around $5,500 for the dog, all by themselves.

Bridget (left), her mom, and her younger sister Gillian setting up for the harbor market!

So, they started making dog toys to sell to off set the cost.  I saw them making them while sitting on the dock and offered to help.  I only made about 20, they made around 300!  This weekend, they went to a farmers market with my family and had a booth.  They were able to sell quite a few, but no where near $5,500 worth!

They recently made a YouCaring site for Bridget, where people can send donations for the dog.  They also have an Etsy page where you can buy the dog toys!  Please check both out, if you have a little bit extra to give, it would be greatly appreciated and for every donation they donate a dog toy to an animal shelter. Buying the dog toys also directly benefits Bridget, and dogs love them!

Here's Bridget's Story:

Bridget is a wonderful young teen.  Unfortunately, before she was born, Bridget had a stroke.  We don’t know why and never will.  It is just something we need to deal with on a daily basis.  The stroke did not affect her intelligence; it did affect how she processes the world around her.  She has a constant struggle with anxiety, depression and coping with her environment. 

As her parents, we have gotten her to best medical care.  Sometimes, this has meant traveling to St. Louis or Minnesota.  We believe there is more that can be done for Bridget and we want to help her as much as we can to lead an independent life and become a productive member of society. 

After reading the wonderful things service dogs are doing for vets, we started looking into the possibility of a service dog for Bridget.  After a lot of research and searching, we located a very reputable training program in New Mexico called Assistance Dogs of the West.  After an extensive application and interview process, which included support from Bridget’s pediatrician and therapists, Assistance Dogs of the West has accepted Bridget into their program.  We are currently working on finding a dog that is a good “match” for Bridget. 

We have already incurred several expenses with multiple trips to New Mexico.  We will need to go back for two weeks of training when a dog is ready.  We will also owe $5,500 as our portion of the dog training.  The rest of the dog fees are covered by donations to the program, but the family is responsible for half of the cost of the dog.  I think this is fair, but still a large expense that insurance will not cover.  Bridget is doing her best to help earn the money watching the neighbors guinea pigs when they are on vacation and dog sitting.  We are all working hard and making fleece dog toys that we are going to sell at craft fairs.  At $4 each, we won’t make $5,500, but it is a start and it shows how committed we all are to helping Bridget.  Also, for every donation made, we are donating a dog toy to a dog in an animal shelter.  If you would like to purchase dog toys, please visit http://www.etsy.com/shop/PuppiesHelpingPeople?ref=search_shop_redirect  You may wonder what a service dog could do for Bridget.  Most importantly, the dog will be a constant emotional support and companion.   The dog can help Bridget in line at the grocery store by keeping the patron behind her in line from getting too close and making her panic.  The dog can do the same in a crowd of people by giving Bridget the space bubble she needs.  Bridget’s favorite command is squish.  That is when the dog lays on top of her, this calms Bridget down like nothing else can.  I could keep going, but you can see the general idea.  Independence is the primary goal for Bridget. 

In spite of her difficulties, Bridget has persevered to be a wonderful piano player and singer.  She takes tap dance and plays Buddy Baseball in the summer.  She loves rocks, sewing and playing Mincraft.  She is very caring and creative.

Bridget plans for the future is to become a graphic artist. 

Please help Bridget get her dog.  No amount is too small.

Thanks!

-Cassandra & Katie

Mail Monday #2

Okay, so barely any mail this week, I got my Letter From the Post Exchange and a Vegan Cookbook!  My letter came from Elizabeth over at Army Ever After.  She is amazing and extremely nice.  She was actually home schooled so we got to compare and contrast how that is.  If you get a chance, you should definitely follow her!

I have a VoxBox on the way, so that might be in next week's post!  I'm extremely excited.  My last one got lost in the mail, so this will only be the 3rd I'm receiving.

Next Monday, Raewyn, Paulina, and I will be starting a new link-up.  Make sure you're following up all on Bloglovin' so you know when it's up!

Have a beautiful Monday!

-Cassi

Hair

New here?

Three-stranded vortex (instead of my usual two)

My hair has gotten a lot longer since this and now my bun is even larger than this normally.  Crazy!

Made two tiny braids starting from the base of my neck and wrapped them to make a head band.  Pinned in place.  They each only reached to my ears, but you couldn't tell!

A horrid picture, but I put my hair half up, twisted it into a bun, then french braided what was left starting at the bottom right, then kept going and wrapped it clockwise starting from the left!

This is from recently so it is pretty accurate on how my hair regularly looks now!

My hair post straightening it for dance.  I'm not sure why I bother because I spent an hour and a half and it doesn't even hold it.  UGH D:

Not hair, but I found it on my phone from 2 years ago- dance team all carved pumpkins together for our Halloween party!

-Cassi

Learn about the end of the boating season and what that means to me here.  On Wednesday I talked about the hell-err- blessing of doing pointe work.  Tuesday I shared my September playlist with you!  Back on Monday I showed you what I got in the mail and a giveaway!

My 101 in 1001

Yesterday, I decided to start a 101 in 1001.  I'll be updating it on the page, but for now here's what I put!

The Challenge:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on your part).

Why 1001 Days? 
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple challenges such as New Year's resolutions or a 'Bucket List'. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips, study semesters, or outdoor activities.

Start Date: October 4th, 2013
End Date: July 1st, 2016

I've always wanted to do one of these, so here goes nothing!

1. Learn to drive
2. Learn how to use a sewing machine properly
3. Spend less than an hour sewing elastics and ribbons on my pointe shoes
4. Get up to watch the sunrise once a month
5. Get a 6-pack
6. Do thera-band foot stretches every day for a month
7. Learn to swim
8. Wear my hair down when I'm not at dance more often
9. Keep my room clean for at least a month
10. Be able to do a single fouette en pointe without winding up on my ass
11. Run a half marathon
12. Run a full marathon
13. Learn how to make gifs
14. Send at least one letter per month for a year
15. Finish reading Wiked
16. Read all of the books in my "To Read" list on GoodReads
17. Go to a blogger meet up
18. Go to New York City
19. Have a leading role in a dance performance
20. Get all 3 of my splits (0/3)
21. Go to a concert
22. Wear contacts
23. Sell an ad on here
24. Run an entire 5k without walking
25. Be able to plank for 5 minutes straight
26. Write at least 3 blog posts that are a minimum of 2000 words long (0/3)
27. Wear a different dress every day for a week
28. Make & use a light box
29. Actually donate all the clothes I don't wear
30. Donate blood
31. Organize my files on my computer
32. Make a pinterest-inspired meal
33. Make a pinterest-inspired craft
34. Send a secret to Post Secret
35. Get a job
36. Write notes about books on sticky notes and leave them in library books or books at B&N
37. Take over 100 photos on my phone in a month
38. Complete the 365 Project
39. Drink tea with less than 6 spoon-fulls of sugar for a month
40. Get my triple forward helix piercing
41. Go Zip-Lining
42. Answer the 50 Questions That Will Free You Mind
43. Be able to flip a pancake without ruining it
44. Get solid triples
45. Grow a garden without help
46. Renew my passport and use it
47. Meet a bloggy friend in real life
48. Go to a book signing
49. See a movie at midnight when it comes out
50. Go ice skating
51. Buy something off Etsy
52. Go without eating out for a month
53. Ride in a hot air balloon
54. Go on a scavenger hunt in a mall
55. Ride a horse
56. Become fluent in French
57. Send/ Receive 10 Postcards from postcrossing.com (0/10)
58. Go vegan for a week
59. Don't use my phone for 3 days in a row
60. Photograph each item completed to post on this blog
61. Be a tourist in my own town
62. Handmake everyone's Christmas presents one year
63. Go canoeing
64. Ride a motorcycle
65. Write a letter to myself to be opened after 1001 days
66. Attend a blog get together or conference
67. Go to the drive-in again
68. Watch 10 movies released before I was born (0/10)
69. Go on a road trip
70. Take a trip with no plans or intended destination
71. Average 1000 monthly views
72. Pass 500 followers
73. Go to fright fest
74. Go to a haunted house
75. Go sledding
76. Save every nickel I get through these 1001 days
77. Clear up my face
78. Start wearing minimal make up at least twice a week
79. Comment on every blog post I read one day
80. Throw someone a surprise party
81. Be able to do an aerial
82. Get a domain
83. Get my blog done professionally 
84. See a live performance of the Nutcracker
85. Keep a food journal for a week
86. Start taking vitamins daily
87. Hand sew hair bows and regularly wear them to dance
88. Stop buying envelopes & cards, and make them instead
89. Throw a party for an obscure holiday
90. Give 10 sincere compliments to strangers (0/10)
91. Take a train to Chicago, just because
92. Make a journal from scratch
93. Go to a dance
94. Hand write and mail thank you notes after Christmas and my birthday
95. Make a reusable bag from ironed plastic bags
96. Put away a lot of money for college
97. Write a guest blog post
98. Be more confident
99. Inspired someone to make their own 101 in 1001 list
100. Celebrate finishing 101 in 1001
101. Blog about each of the 101

Have a BEAUTIFUL weekend!

-Cassi

Check out my October Goals!

My Envelope Giveaway ends tomorrow so don't forget to enter while you can! :)

October Goals

New here?

This is my first time participating in a link up (Nail Art Challenges don't count right?)!  I don't usually set solid goals for each month, I might have some that I think about but it usually isn't do this by this date.  It's usually just get this completed  soon or eventually.  Hopefully this will help inspire me to reach some of them!

• Blog every day in October (I've never done this for any other month, but so far it is going surprisingly well!)
• Stay on track, if not ahead for school
• Finally break in my pointe shoes
• Actually paint my nails (or at least my toe nails)
• Wake up at 7:30-8ish regularly, if not earlier
• Start writing more
• Continue writing down my 'Top 5' for each day before I go to bed
• Send an awesome letter for this month's Post Exchange!
• Finally figure out a good layout for my blog

-Cassi

Book Reviews- Sarah Dessen YA Novels (Part I)

New here?

Sarah Dessen is an author I've recently found I like.  I went ahead and read all her books and there wasn't one I did not like.  Her books are interesting, realistic, entertaining, and pretty amazing overall!

Her novels have great lessons throughout and she touches on tough subjects such as abuse from parents or boyfriends, teen pregnancy, friendship, divorce, and body-image.

Rating System:

Loved it- ★★★★★

Liked it a lot- ★★★★

Enjoyed it- ★★★

It was okay- ★★

Didn't like it- ★

This was the first book of Dessen's that I read and tried to read them in chronological order for the most part. I really enjoyed this book.  The story line was strong, as were the characters.  I think it probably was best I read this one first- it was pretty good, but not amazing.  It made me want to continue to read her novels, but I wasn't let down when others weren't as good as this one!

Rating: ★★★

This one was quite different from a lot of the others in my opinion.  It focuses strongly on teen pregnancy and the importance of friendship.  I really enjoyed this book but I wish it was longer!

Rating: ★★★

This is definitely one of my favorites.  I loved the friendship between Morgan and Isabel.  It makes me wish I had one like that!  Of course, the main setting for this one is extremely important as it shows up continuously throughout her other novels!  The lesson on body image is extremely important as well as that on friendship.

Rating: ★★★★★

This book didn't progress very quickly or at all in my opinion.  I found it kind of boring at first to say the least.  Dessen was extremely brave to write a novel that has a message as huge as this one.  The huge message really made it better for me.  I think she incorporated it well.

Rating: ★★★★

-Cassi

Right now, we're trying to find what we want this blog to be about.  I've been experimenting and there have been a wide range of posts recently.  If you have a favorite type of post or a preference, please let us know by leaving a comment below and we'll work on incorporating more of that!

You can expect some Halloween nail tutorials, some product reviews, and Influenster posts in the near future!

In the meant time, follow us around!

September

New here?

Happy Thursday guys!  I can't believe it's already October.  But I also can't believe it is only Thursday!  I just need it to be Friday already.  Is that too much to ask?

The End of This Year's Boating Season (& Why I'm a Little More Upset than I Let On)

New here?

Six years ago, my dad was off from work for about 3 week and bored out of his mind.  Apparently buying a boat was the best way to cure this boredom.  (Uhh if I went shopping every time I got bored I would be broke.) It was a 23' jet boat and we kept it on the Chain of Lakes in Antioch, Illinois.  It was fun at first.  The Chain seemed so huge and we thought we'd be able to do stuff for a while.  This wasn't the case.  All the lakes were pretty small.  We couldn't even get the boat up to full speed in the short distance across.  There weren't many restaurants and the ones that we did go to were all the same anyways.

This inspired my parents to start looking for larger boats.  Maybe one we could sleep on.  It would be cool to get a boat we could put on Lake Michigan- "the big lake".  They started shopping around and we found one in Michigan they really liked.  So after just 2 short seasons on the Chain of Lakes we were on a new, bigger boat in a new, bigger lake.

Pointe

New here?

This year is my 4th year doing ballet "again".  I did it for 3 when I was little, but then I only did jazz for a while.  I only started doing ballet again because it was a requirement to be on the competition team at my old studio.  Competing sounded like fun (this was pre-Dance Moms), so I figured I'd give it a go.

Turns out, it probably would've been better had I been doing ballet for a lot longer.  That's probably the only thing I'd go back and change in all honesty.  But, after 2 years of throwing myself in and doing everything I could at the studio, we found out that it really wasn't professional enough and if I wanted to continue to grow I'd have to move to a new studio.

I honestly hate change.  It sucks.  I'm no good at talking to people I don't know.  Surprisingly, moving studios wasn't as bad as I thought.  I was horribly scared though and really didn't talk to anyone the first few months, but then people gradually started talking to me more and more.  I really, really, like it there now.

Anyways, one of the reasons we chose that studio was because they had an in house company- Ballet Theatre of Illinois.  Last year, my first year at the studio, I decided I would audition for it, and I actually made it.  I was pretty amazed as I didn't expect that at all!  But, it kept getting better.  The first day of classes, my teacher told me that she wanted me to take pointe 1.

Pointe is ballet where you stand on the tips of your toes.  Classes are by invitation only and a pretty huge deal, in my opinion.  It takes a crazy amount of strength as well as technique and you can easily hurt yourself if you're lacking in either of those.

Taking pointe now meant that I had to dance en pointe in our performance for Ballet Theatre of Illionis.  I was freaking out to say the least.  On Halloween, we got to go up and walk across the room for the first time without an aid.  I was in love.  I thought pointe was the best thing in the world!

Then, we started rehearsals for BTI.  Pretty much everything changed.  We had to do things in our dance that we hadn't yet learned in class.  It was a huge push and was also pretty scary.  I started coming home with bad blisters and bruised toe nails.  I couldn't wait until rehearsal was over!

This year, I'm taking 3 ballet classes a week.  These classes include 1.5 hours of ballet, then 45 minutes of pointe.  The first few weeks I was dying I just couldn't keep up with all the other girls!  They were easily doing double pirouettes and I was still scared to do singles!

I went back and got another fitting on the 7th of September.  I left with brand new shoes and determination. I've been working really hard outside of class as well as inside and trying things that I'm scared to do.  I realized that the worse that could happen is me falling.  I've already done that plenty of times in other classes, so there's no need to worry about it here. After that, things have gotten a lot better.  I haven't had any bruises since and I'm no longer scared of my shoes!

I think just doing pointe in general was a huge milestone for me and I'm extremely proud of how far I've come.  Even if this isn't something I wind up doing, it really helped me learn that I won't be perfect at everything I try, as much as I'd like to say I am.  But, if I work hard enough at it, I can do it and actually be half good.

-Cassi

Don't forget to check out Raewyn's guest post from Sunday, my mail haul from Monday, and my September playlist from yesterday!

What I Was Listening to in September

New here?

Each month, I make myself I playlist of songs I currently enjoy.  I listen to the playlist in the car, when I'm showering, waiting for dance to start, whenever I have free time really.  Throughout the month I add new songs when I buy them or when I find myself constantly wanting to hear them.  Here's the final result of my September playlist-

Mail Monday and a Giveaway

New here?

Since we get so much stuff in the mail, from gift exchanges, to post exchanges, pen pals, and we even order quite a few free samples, we thought we'd start a new weekly post where we show you what came in the mail this week!  Some weeks it will be more than others, some not at all.  We might even include a giveaway for you guys occasionally!  Plus, if you're interested in being pen pals with us, please shoot us an e-mail and let us know- we love snail mail! :)

What's a Warrior Queen?

New here?

Today I have a guest post from Raewyn for you!  It's all about what a warrior queen is and how you can join the movement.  Then, where you're done go ahead and follow her on Bloglovin' to keep up with her blog!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

What is a warrior queen?

The basis is Self Respect. I think any girl can have this, right?

From there, the definition gets a little more subjective. [You can read the whole definition here and you can read my re-definition here.]

It all began in high school with my group of friends and I. Technically, the idea was started by one of my friends after she read "The Rules",  "He's Just Not That Into You" and "Why Men Love Bitches."

She introduced it to me and I introduced it to the other girls and soon enough we were all living and breathing it and writing WQ on our hands and wrists to remind ourselves to STAY STRONG.

Originally, it revolved around boys. We weren't going to be manipulated; we weren't going to text boys constantly wondering why isn’t he talking to me!

No, that's because we read what we considered the WQ bible (Why Men Love Bitches by Sherry Argov).

Then without us realizing, it morphed into our whole lives. By acting strong and confident and in control of ourselves, the rest of our lives were changing for the better. We took a positive outlook.

Not only do we like ourselves better when we have confidence in what we do and say, but others were noticing and responding. When you show that you respect yourself, others are forced to respect you. You can’t accept anything less.

The movement has grown over the years - and every time I had my heart broken I seemed to throw more effort into it. My first big breakup resulted in the official naming of the movement and the magazine I want it to be. Day after day I came up with ideas only to come back to Warrior Queen – the original name.

Things were all behind the scenes back then and word of mouth. But come my next big break up, and the blog was born. A lot of my early posts are about relationships, if you ever wanted to dig through the archives.

Now it’s today. Big things are happening – people are coming together across the nation – and maybe, just maybe, we will be able to have a big get together someday.

If you’re interested in joining me, guest posting, want any swag, etc feel free to email me.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Summer is Officially Over!

New here?

I can't believe it's actually fall already!  Holy crap!  Where has this year gone?  I'm going to sum up my summer, it was short, but lovely!  Then, I have a giveaway and free ad spots.  What? It's okay, it's all after the jump.  (Picture Heavy)

Free Sponsorship Spots for October

New here?

Inspired by what Jacq did this month, in October I'm going to be offering free button spots on my blog if you put my button on yours!  I don't care where, it just has to be somewhere.  You don't have to have a button either, I'm totally willing to make one for you.  Then you get a free month of your button on my blog plus a free button!  This is only going to be a first come, first serve thing though.  So e-mail me saying you're interested as soon as possible!

Plus, if you haven't yet, go enter my giveaway and check out SewNauti!

-Cassi

Sew Nauti Etsy Shop and End of Summer Giveaway!

New here?

These products were provided to me by the store owner so I could give them away to you.

SewNauti is a new Etsy shop!  The shop is owned by Lynette who does custom embroidery.  She has a large variety of items in her shop right now, including Can Koozies, Wine Glass Coasters, Key Chains, and Ornaments.  You can also contact her to set up a completely custom project!  SewNauti is a store that mainly focuses on nautical items and most have a nautical theme that can be customized to add a boat name.  She has many sets as well, such as the His & Hers Can Koozies to make it easier when buying!

Want to win a set of His & Hers Can Koozies and a Flip-Flop key chain?  Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.  Must be 18 or older or have legal guardian's permission.  You must live in the US or have a US address to which the prize may be sent to (sorry international readers!).  Once the prize is sent I am in no way responsible for it or any damage that occurs to it.

Plus like the page on Facebook to hear about new products, deals, and more!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

-Cassi