A LITTLE INSTALOVE FRIDAY {Foxy Lil' Pom}

Happy Friday lovelies, from me and my little fox!

 I cannot help but love this little fox - with all my heart. One of the best decisions Joe and I ever made was making him a permanent addition to our family. There is just no way you can look at him and not fall in love with that foxy little face. It's a gorgeous Spring day - I'm out to walk this little guy and hold hands with my popo. Happy Friday!!

xoxo - C

A LITTLE LIFE LATELY {Married + Living Together}

Oh why; hello there! How wonderful it is to see your beautiful faces!  You didn't really think I had forgotten about you, did you? I thought tonight was a good night to have a late night post - and share a little of life lately. I took some time off, no wait - I took ALOT of time off. There has been so many changes in my life - good changes - soul searching and so many things that I want to share with you all. It has been a crazy time away from blogging and social media. Crazy busy, crazy love-filled, crazy, crazy, crazy. Instead of sharing every moment, I chose to focus on what was right in front of me and truly enjoy the moment and be present with my wonderful clients, our new home and my handsome husband who I absolutely adore. We've moved, brought in all our new appliances and some new electronic gadgets as well as a new straight from the showroom floor-vehicle. (I'll introduce our lovely addition to the family: Hemi: a 2014 Dodge Durango - who has been assigned to haul buckets of blooms to and from up-coming events-over on Instagram tomorrow, follow along here) Lots and lots of changes have been happening. Almost overwhelming - but very very much needed. All your emails, texts, calls, tags, kissey faces and comments with your love, encouragement and support over all these changes has overwhelmed this big Greek heart of mine. I just want to hug each and every one of you. For being happy for me, and us, for being supportive, and for understanding that social media is not my first priority. 

 What's on the other side? Is that picture above – of that sexy squad car sitting in our driveway. If anything were to sum up these last weeks away from the computer: it is just that. My popo is home for good. It's been a long time since we've lived together-try 2.5 years- and I really thought it would be tough getting into the swing of things; but it's like we just picked it right back up. Kind of like a bicycle right? I say love is worth it a lot. It has become my mantra, my motto and truly been my motivation for a while. If you are struggling with something, let me tell you; it is worth is. Looking back, I see it very clearly; all the struggles; the heartache; the tears; the missed birthdays and holidays; it was all worth it - love is worth it. 

I have some really great content planned for the end of April and things are really going to get exciting soon - but for now - I bid you farewell - because this Greek has an addiction to her bathtub; and it's singing my name. Oh wait - thats just the popo in the other room; "hey, it's almost bedtime" How annoying, yet loving & satisfying- that he is here and able to know when I've been in the studio too long - oh friends! My popo is home!! 

xoxo

A LITTLE INSTALOVE FRIDAY

Happy Friday all you sweets !!

A little corner of my desk from yesterday. I've been sending lots of Cassandra love to lots of fabulous vendors that I've met recently around my little area. I'm so excited about working with these talented folks. I'm working on my brand lots more this weekend while JD is home. We are hoping to get everything packed that we are not immediately using and with weather permitting organize and de clutter our mess of a garage. In other news - guess what! On visiting Chateau Dattoli yesterday I snapped lots of photos and to give you sweets a little peek into it's beauty.

Hello there Mr. Fireplace!! That chandelier, hangs beautifully in our foyer as you walk in through our front door. Gah! JD and I are exactly 3 weeks away from moving into our new home! We are literally so excited and just chomping at the bit to move. All cabinets have been delivered and are nearly all the way installed. The cabinet for the master bath came and was all busted up, so a new one has been ordered and is being rushed here. But the flooring is all in, minus the carpet. We are beyond thrilled with how it all is coming together. My design on this house is exactly how I thought it would be so far. I love every single square inch of our new abode. But my office .. I am just about to explode with joy and excitement over my very own studio and design space. I just can't wait to show you this amazing space I have designed.

With that, I will leave you; because frankly it's sunny and 50 degrees here in the Land of Lincoln and that foxy lil pom is begging for a walk in the sunshine and I just can't say no to that face. : )

xoxo, Cas

OUR FIRST HOME {Chateau Dattoli: Part II}

Oh friends! JD and I are just over 30 days from moving into our very first home! Every time I see our yard with the builders sign saying sold; it just makes my heart flutter. Today's Instalove Friday: a peek into our first home! I thought today would be a good day for the second part of Our First Home. Let's do this, shall we?

Just a sec – {happy dance!!} So many have asked about following along on this journey with us so here's the second part of hopefully a sort of "tour de Dattoli" as we go through this process. I have to admit that this has been sooo incredibly exciting for JD and I. We really, really just got so darn lucky in finding this lot and our builder. We hope you find a little excitement in this too : )  For the most part, here's what she's 'gonna look like!

And there she is! Isn't she just a beauty! We really wanted a 2-story, with lots of bedrooms – but we are super happy to have this, until we can afford our dream home with a full basement and 3 car garage and lots of yard. We can't have it all right to start with, so we compromised on the basement and extra garage for a gorgeous house and large yard.The exterior will be natural limestone in grays and whites all around the garage, front door and first set of windows. The rest will be horizontal, and vertical "siding". All of the trim will be a crisp bright white, and we are nixing shutters – we just aren't fans. Our front door is going to be beautiful! It will be a crisp white, with nearly all Tuscany glass – with matching Tuscany glass sidelites. Eeep! We are so incredibly blessed.

There's been quite a few changes to the plans and lots of little extras: like the sun room, moving the fireplace, changing the kitchen up, and changing the garage from a 3 car to a 2 car with an extra bay. It's technically classified as a 2 car garage, but we will be able to fit almost 4 in there – and JD will still have lots of room to tinker.

Because so many changes have been made; here is a simplified version of the above.

I know, I know… it's a lot of space. Everything is very open, spacious and there will be so much natural light from all the windows. The space is an open living concept, and is truly a big reason JD and I loved it so much. The garage is a little bit intense, but it gives us plenty of space to fit our cars and his squad car in; plus give JD plenty of room to tinker and organize all his manly stuff. As you walk in from the garage our laundry/mud room and little powder room is right off the garage. I just love having these close to the garage so JD can wash up before tracking oil or dirt into the rest of the house. Coming into our home from the front door is the foyer, you see the big open-living room, and the giant floor to ceiling stone fireplace in the corner; then to the left will be the kitchen, and dining room and lots of large windows. I truly love all the windows in our home, the sunlight streams in, bathing the whole house in sunny goodness. From the dining room will be (EEEEP!) 2 beautiful white, all-glass French doors that open to a very large, cathedral ceiling sun room. (I think I just fainted.) A sun room, me? I'm in heaven. I am planning to take over the sun-room as my Girl cave; and the all new Cassandra Dattoli Studio and Shop. A tour of which will go live as soon as it's all completed. The sun room leads off to our covered deck. The larger of the two extra bedrooms will be a guest bedroom for any visitors chancing a stay with us and they will have their own bathroom just across the hall, so they feel right at home. The smaller bedroom – will be the future home of a nursery, should God bless us with a little Baby D. Our walk-in closet is a little ridiculous – it's basically another bedroom. But we wanted a space to store all of our items in an organized fashion as well as have a little space for me to get ready and spread out my makeup and girly items. I am simply smitten with our master bed and bath. I am in heaven with the size of our bathroom and our tall ceilings. An oversized corner- jetted tub will sit snugly in the corner for me. JD has his oversized shower with custom seating and it will be completed with wrap ceramic tiling and custom clear-glass doors.

Our lot, with the foundation being laid. Not exactly the most exciting event in the world; but everyone and everything starts somewhere. : ) We have plans and have chatted with our landscaper about a nice path, adding in some trees and a design upfront with lots of plants and flowers. JD has already given me the go-ahead (thank you babe!) to plant my peonies in front along both sides of the driveway and of course lots of pretties next to our stone mailbox that goes up soon. We've met most of our neighbors and couldn't be more excited to live in this beautiful neighborhood. The house to the right of us, is a new build and the builder is looking for buyers. If your in the area and want a crazy Greek and Italian for neighbors – check us out!

As of today – all the inside walls are covered in primer and ready to be painted. The stone-masons are laying the stonework on the fireplace today. Oh sweet friends; we are just over 30 days from our close date – and we couldn't be more excited!

Read part I, here.

Happy Friday lovelies!!

OUR FIRST HOME {Part I}

Oh sweets! It is official! Joe and I will be living in our own home by April next year!

We are so super excited! I have always wanted to build. We have looked for so long and at so many houses a home that is truly for us. We really tried hard to fall in love with a home - and two came close. But when we really didn't want to invest the money up-front then tear into a house to change it to make it what we liked and our style. The longer we looked - the more it seemed like building was nearly our only option. Call us picky, call us anal (we passed a gorgeous home because the kitchen sink wasn't undermounted) call it whatever you want. I grew up in constant construction as a daughter of a builder - I don't want to live the rest of my life in it. No matter how comforting saw-dust still smells to me. So we are starting a new chapter in our life and a big new adventure!

Cheers! XOXO - Cas