August Goals and Free Printable

Hey there! Happy August 1st! Happy August 2nd! Happy August 3rd!

Yes, it took me 3 days to finally get this post up. #lazysummer

Every month I like to make a list of goals that I plan to accomplish. Sometimes these are ongoing goals that remain constant (such as read two books) and sometimes they are goals that are super-specific to what I have going on in my life at this exact moment. Usually I keep these goals in my private thought journal or in a text document on my computer where only I can see them. However, since I started this blog I thought it would be a great idea to share my goals for August here. Not only does this keep me accountable since I know that other people will be reading them, but it gives me a chance to keep you updated on my life and the progress I'm making in becoming a better me. As far as I'm concerned, it's a win-win situation.

I think everyone should make a list of monthly goals, if not daily, weekly, and long-term goals as well. They help to keep you on track with whatever you are working towards in your life and it's nice to be able to cross a goal off of your list when you've completed it. I truly believe that a sense of accomplishment is one of life's greatest gems. It's a free way to feel better about yourself and boost your confidence in your own abilities.

One thing I try to keep in mind when setting my goals is to keep them simple and attainable, while making sure that they still force me to step a bit out of my comfort zone. In fact I found a quote the other day that sums this thought up perfectly. Unfortunately, I couldn't find who the quote was attributed to, but I decided to make a printable version of the quote to hang in my office/craft room. Then I thought, why not share it on my blog so anyone who wants to can print it out too? So I did. And you're welcome :)

Free Printable Download

Now on to my goals for the month of August...

1. Choose Grad Schools to Apply to (or at least narrow it down!) 

I have a pretty good idea of the schools I would like to attend (Buffalo, Albany, or Binghamton) but I 

haven't really had a chance to pick out a few safety schools as well...

2. Study for GRE 

Unfortunately, I've been TERRIBLE with this one. I really need to shape up and start studying for the GRE if I want to have ANY chance of getting into grad school. Ugh, can you tell I'm stressed? 

3. Get Tooth Taken Care of

So, for the last two months or so I've been having issues with one of my teeth that most likely needs to be pulled. I've had problems with this tooth since I was a young child and it's just now starting to catch up with me. However, I HATE going to the dentist, doctor, gyno, any health facility really. Still, it's something that I need to stop putting off and get taken care of. Wish me luck! 

4. Blog at Least 2X a Week

This is obviously the first time I've had this goal on my list. I've decided that if I'm going to give this blogging thing a shot, I might as well really dedicate myself. In order to grow my blog I need to make sure that I'm writing content regularly which shouldn't be hard, considering that I'm falling in love with blogging already :) 

5. Take More Pictures

This one goes along with blogging as well. I'm the worst at remembering to take pictures but now I need to get better if I want to have any photos to post on this blog. I've been carrying my camera around with me to remind me to take pictures, as well as selfies, because let's face it, who doesn't need more selfies in their life? (did you catch the sarcasm there?)

6. Read Two Books

This one is on my list every month. I love to educate myself outside of school and books are the perfect way to do it. However, this month I'm starting something new. I want to read one fiction and one non-fiction book a month. I'm a HUGE fan of reading fiction, and while it's a great way to pass a few hours, fiction isn't always the most educational. My goal is to better myself and I'm not going to do that by only re-reading Harry Potter over and over again. 

So those are my goals for August. I hope they inspired you to set your own goals this month as well. If they did, let me know in the comments below! Also, don't forget to download your FREE printable here.

Until next time! 

Blogmopolitan Link-up!

So, on a whim I decided to participate in my very first link-up! I came across this one from Erin at Two Thirds Hazel and it seemed like so much fun that I decided to give it a shot. I'm a long-term reader of Cosmoplitan, and I couldn't pass up an opportunity to feel like a celebrity :) Also, it goes along with my theme so far of sharing posts that let you all get to know me. I'm so excited to check out everyone else's too! Looks like it's going to be a long night...

$7.50 Glam Accent Table Makeover

Hi There!

Earlier today I shared a post that included a sneak peek of this little accent table makeover. I decided I couldn't wait to post it, so here it is! It's one of my favorite furniture makeovers so far. Surprisingly, it also happens to be one of the cheapest redo-s I've done so far as well. I was lucky enough to find this adorable pedestal accent table during a 50% off sale at one of my favorite thrift stores...

Ain't she a beaut?

Coming in at $7.50, she hardly broke the bank. As an added bonus, I didn't even have to spend much money on the supplies to refinish this fun piece. This is what I bought:

1. Accent Table: $7.50
2. Rustoleum White 2X Primer: $3.64
3. Rustoleum Bright Metallic in Gold: $3.64
4. Rustoleum Semi-Gloss in White: $3.64

Grand Total: $18.48

PLUS I didn't even use all of the spray paint. I still had about half a can of each left over for future projects... score!

So here's what I did...

First, I sanded the entire table with a medium grit sandpaper until it was perfectly smooth. Make sure to completely wipe off all of the dust when you are finished, I've learned this lesson the hard way in the past.

Next, I coated the whole thing with spray primer and waited for it to dry. Once dry, I sanded again, this time using a fine grit sand paper (again making sure that there was no sawdust residue).

Then it was time to paint. When I bought this table I was 99% sure that I was going to leave the top black and paint the stand part a glossy cream. Well, I change my mind more often than I change my undies, so that was not the final result. On a whim I decided to add the first pop of gold to my living room (I couldn't resist jumping on that bandwagon) and I grabbed a can of gold spray paint. I decided to go extra glam by pairing it with a glossy, white base.

I spray painted the base of the table white first. I didn't bother to cover the top during this step since I was painting it gold anyway.

After the base dried I wrapped it in a tall kitchen garbage bag and taped it off to prepare to spray the top gold. This was the only part of the project that was a bit time consuming for me.

Here's what this step looked like:

Still not very promising...

Once the top was covered in gold paint I allowed it to dry for 24 hours. Finally, I peeled off the tape and this was the result:

Pretty amazing, right?

Here's a closeup of the top:

And here's one with Keystone, because... well, just because.

Now I have the perfect accent table to go in my vintage glam living room, and I could not be more pleased...

 ***If you're thinking about redoing a table like this one, please read these mistakes I made first*** Hopefully it will save you from doing the same!

1. I used a white primer. HUGE mistake. When I was spraying the semi-gloss white paint on I couldn't tell what parts were already covered, which made it hard to get an even coat.

2. Fill in those holes! My table had a bunch of holes in the wood on the base (they're not noticeable at all in the pics, but they're there) but they weren't very noticeable, so I didn't bother with wood filler. I should have, I can see the holes much better on the white and they do bother me a bit. I plan on filling them sometime in the future, but until I do I'll just have to try to forget that they're there. #lazy #imperfectionrules

So that's my first furniture makeover post. What did you think? What pieces of furniture have you decided to refinish recently? Tell me in the comments below! I'm grateful for every comment and would love to hear your thoughts on my new blog in general! 

Until next time! 

It's Cass' Favorite Things!

Hey there!

So, last week I wrote my VERY FIRST BLOG POST. Yeah, kind of a big deal (to me at least). The truth is that the only reason why I published that post was to have an idea of how my posts will look as I was setting up the layout of my blog.

You see, I'm not typically a spontaneous person. I like to think ahead, plan, and plan some more. That's why I currently have six blog posts waiting in the wings until I finally decide that they are good enough to publish. Those are my "real" blog posts, the ones that show you all my super cool projects and share with you my favorite tips.

However, until those lovely posts are ready, I did want to publish another post in the the mean time. Any one who's reading this definitely doesn't know much about me based on just the one post I have published, so I want to share with you... CASS' FAVORITE THINGS!

Please tell me you get the HIMYM reference, if so, you'll enjoy this...

If we're going to get to know each other, you must know, I am a TINY bit obsessed with all things HIMYM (almost as much as Harry Potter... almost)

Unfortunately, I'm not Barney Stinson and I cannot give you all free velour track suits (or lap dances for that matter) but I can share with you a few of my favorite things, which is even more awesome than free stuff! Okay, maybe not quite, but close!

I'm so unpredictable, I'll probably hate all of these things by this time next week, but for now, here's what I'm lovin' up on...


The Walking Dead

When I'm not re-watching Harry Potter or HIMYM, I do enjoy a bit of the post-apocalypse action-filled drama. The fact that season 5 does not come out until October has me in shambles. I'm dying to find out what happened to Beth and I just watched a teaser trailer that seemed to imply that she's still alive... here's to hoping!

My Dog

Okay, so this is the only thing on the list that I can guarantee I will not hate by next week. Also, know now that I plan on taking every chance I get to share pictures of my boy, take it or leave it. I love him and it's not going to stop. I love him even more when he's swimming because, let's face it, he's 14 and the fact that he can still swim like a champ is a victory in and of itself...

Here's another... I'm obsessed. #sorrynotsorry

Sam Adams Summer Ale

Best. Beer. Ever. 'nough said.

This Teaser Trailer...

Mockingjay Part I comes out in NOVEMEBER. Guys, this is big, real big. Of course the movies are never as good as the books, but I was pleasantly surprised by the first two movies, so I have high hopes for this one. Please don't disappoint me J. Law!

Beyond IQ by Garth Sundem 

So I signed up on a website to get free books in exchange for blog reviews. This is the first book I chose to get and I am about half way through. It's a self-help book that teaches you to think outside of the box and train your mind to think more critically.  I won't talk too much about it since I'll be writing a full review later, but it did make my list of favorite things, so obviously it's awesome. I can't wait to tell you all about it!

Plus, there's a sneak preview of my latest project back there. Post coming soon! 

That was this week's edition of Cass' Favorite Things (who knows, maybe it will really be a weekly thing, no promises though). Thanks for watching! Let me know what your favorite things are in the comments below! Also, any advice or comments on my blog in general would be much appreciated!

Welcome!

Hi There!

Welcome to my brand-spanking-new blog! I'm oh so happy you're here!

(See how happy I am? It seemed like the time for a shameless selfie.)

First, let me introduce myself. I'm Cass (if you're feeling fancy, Cassandra). I'm just a fun-loving twenty-something in pursuit of finding my style and personality. I decided start a blog documenting my progress in that journey. It's a way to hold myself accountable and to be able to share all of the information that I learn along the way with others like myself.

I plan on talking about a little bit of everything on this blog, but mostly I want to focus on home decor, living a frugal college lifestyle, and a bit of fashion and style. I have a dog, his name is Keystone. He's my best friend and doggy-soulmate. So he's sure to make an appearance at some point. In fact, why wait?

Meet Keystone:

He's 14 now and the best dog that a girl could ask for. He loves to stick his tongue out at me, and when he does, it makes for a FABULOUS picture <3

I also love do a lot of crafting, so be sure to look forward to some tutorials and before-and-afters. Lately I've been refinishing a bunch of furniture to fill my rental house, so I can't wait to share that with all of you. I'm also an avid reader, so I'm pretty sure a few book reviews will pop up here and there as well. I actually happen to be the world's biggest Harry Potter fan (not official in the Guinness Book yet, but I'm working on it) so let me prepare you for some of that as well...

(I'm just going to keep the black and white theme going)

 Basically, be ready for anything and everything. I'm a girl who likes to wear  many different hats and I get bored easily, so I'm going to leave myself pretty open here.

As long as you're willing to listen, I'm willing to write. So come on! Follow me on my journey as I struggle to find myself through a bit of experimentation, trial-and-errors, and who knows what else! Hold on tight, you may be in for a bumpy ride, but I promise you it won't be a boring one. Let's pursue the best possible versions of ourselves together!

Until next time!

xoxo,
Cass