{Printable} - Father's Day Card

Click here to download!

Father's Day is fast approaching, and if you're anything like me (in this case, so sorry!) you're a mega procrastinator.  Not one to be tied down by schedules and deadlines, all the good intentions in the world may sometimes be overpowered by...ooh pretty!

Or, in the words of Dug, "Squirrel!"

Distracted much?

So do yourself a favor and get crackin'.  Print this super fun card out NOW, put it in an envelope TODAY, and mail it by TOMORROW.

Besides, our dear friends at Farouche went to all the trouble to make this great card FREE to you and your daddies!  Wouldn't wanna disappoint them now would we?

Stick a Fork in It

 

First off, the pie was delicious.

Secondly, who else loves a good Ikea trip?

I'm always up for a good octopus chandelier/hat rack.

These lamps are awe-some!  For a mere $29.99 (down from $49.99) this fab work lamp is definitely a contender against more spendy counterparts.


Exhibit A

Cole Task Table Lamp | Pottery Barn $149

I luuuuurve Pottery Barn and Ballard Designs.  If I had known about Ballard in grade school I would have listed "him" as my No. 1 crush for MASH.  You know...MASH.  A truly genius game that determines what kind of home you'll have, car, kids, and your hubby.  I'm still waiting to have my Lamborghini, mansion and three kids.  Funny thing, I didn't even know what a Lamborghini was in elementary school.  But hey, all the boys wanted one, so that was good enough for me.  I mean, ten year old boys know what car I should drive, right?

Moving on.


Exhibit B

Katherine Task Floor Lamp | Ballard Designs $179, now $99.99

So yeah.  Ballard and PB are super awesome, and sometimes it's totally worth the splurge.  But sometimes it's really great to get a really great deal.

Thank you Ikea.

 

We all know and love these faux crystal mini chandeliers.  I plan on putting two in my new master closet/dressing room.  Eeee!  Plus, there's a slight chance I'll be spray painting them first.  Muahahahaha.

Aching for some bulb-y retro funky neon night light lamps for under $15?
BAM!
There ya go.

Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?

YOU are!  Oh yes you ARE!  Pretty mirror.  Such a good mirror...

*ahem*

Thinking of making this Chloë's princess mirror for her upcoming "big girl" room.  It's a princess themed room, like ya do when you're four.  A princess room that will, by request, apparently have "pink and blue with duckies".  That girl has no boundaries.  Doesn't she know she's messin' wid mah vision!

Can you believe these gorgeous black scroll-y pieces of goodness comes in both mirror and frame form?

Thank you again, Ikea.  Thank you.

Butterflies and splattered paint are apparently both darling and contemporary.  Definitely going to attempt a DIY version.

As far as metal folding chairs go, I have to tell you, these suckers are com...wait for it...FY!  Comfy!

And seriously, what's with all this perfect turquoise stuff they're pumping out lately?  I'm gonna go broke, Ikea.  Stop it!

If I knew then what I know now...
I totally would have bought this table.  Took a photo because I thought, "Dang, that looks like a surf board!  I would totally paint that sucker to look like a vintage board if I had someplace to put it."
Turns out, now I do.  Dang.

P.S.  This was in the clearance section.

Can't believe he was that small.  Awww!  Amazing what four months will do.  Now he's a tank!

Chloë begged for this white kitty.  I caved.  Glad I did on this one cause it's one of her favorites.

Former favorite,"Puppy", is not pleased.

And of course you can't spend less than five or six hours at Ikea in a single trip.  And it's imparative that you stuff your car to the brim and possibly make it impossible to see your car's shifter.

But that's okay, because you bought cinnamon rolls.  Six of them.  And they are divine...

Put a Heifer on It

Q: What's swirly and black and chalky all over?

A: This wall makeover by Furniture-ology!

I love that Steve & Meg added a decorative arch up top and chalk swirls around the light switch!  Carrying over the boxwood wreaths from the hall corner makes this space cohesive and a bit larger by allowing the eye to travel easily from space to space.

Make a template...trace onto wall.

Paint!

Three coats is good.

Accessorize.  Maybe with a baby cow head.

Draw pretty swirlies.

Voila!

Got a weekend afternoon?  I'd bet you could wrangle some swirls and a cow or two onto your wall too!

And don't forget to click on over to Furniture-ology to see the whole transformation and their original inspiration (Miss Mustard Seed, anyone?).

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Want me to feature your pretty chalkboard project?  Comment with a linky linky!

chalkboard, paint, decor, chalk, paint, diy, white, cottage, country

Hiatus + Ongoing Obsession

Some amazing readers may have noticed I've been MIA for a month (yikes!).  Sorry folks!  Totally unintentional.  I've got loads of projects to share with you but the whole we're-moving-and-have-no-lives-outside-building-a-house thing has really got me preoccupied.

We've finally got paint colors and finishes figured out (I think!), so now I can start dreaming of decorating (and packing! Ugh.)!

To ease my way back into the bloggin' thang, I thought I'd share a few of my latest inspirations.

SO excited!

Bright, cheery, yellow + teal, fab rug, pretty grey paint, thick white molding...an entryway doesn't get any happier!  (Is that a turquoise garden gnome on the shelf?)

Do I even have to say how cool this painted "runner" is?!

Tufted and nailed bed, aqua rug (love!), Moroccan mirror, trellis pillows, mirrored bedside dresser, swirly garden

In love with the ceiling, light fixture (capiz shells!), blue paint, and overall dreamy feel.

Love this bathroom! Perfect for the kiddos.  Ornate mirror, pale grey cabinets, and (of course) turquoise and yellow!

Hubba hubba!  Now this is a fabulous bathroom fit for the "master"!  And, I think I may have a mirror obsession.

Loving the moody greys and weathered wood finishes here.  Tufted bench, antique-style chairs and table, and mercury glass - yes, please!

Muted teal, dark wood, ornate mirror, modern crystal chandelier...prettiest breakfast nook I ever did see!

Ah, thick molding, built-in cabinets & shelves, gorgeous fireplace tile, and another pretty trellis rug!

I know this is technically a wedding salon, but - hello!  Everything about this space is fresh, flirty, and beautiful.  Think the hubby will let me add some pink the our bedroom?  *wink*

I've posted this picture before...it's just that gorgeous!  In LOVE with the rich purple velvet and aqua throw.  *sigh*

Dark floors and bright white again.  Love the subtle coastal feel in this entry space.  Looking forward to adding custom touches like paneled walls!

Wow.  Just, wow.  Love everything about this space!  Don't know if I have the guts to do a black ceiling, but I'm totally crushing on this stunning, glamorous work space.

Marble counters and beautiful details.  Check out the "upholstery" nails!

Huge sink, marble, dark floors (again), and I love how the added extra cabinet height with giant molding.  A little brighter aqua subway tile and this kitchen would be ideal!

Does this California girl miss the ocean?  Yes!  That's okay (for now - heehee), I'll try to bring home the feel of beach side living in my new home.  Happy daisies and grey shaker shingles will help get me there!

Greige board and batten and white farmhouse/craftsman garage doors make this girl happy!

Raise your hands...who else wants a pretty aqua door and planter?  Those checkerboard tiles don't hurt, neither!

Thanks for looking and letting me share with you my home inspiration!

Coming Soon!

{40 Days + 40 Bags Declutter Challenge}

{High-end Accessory Dup}

{Laundry Room Before & After}

New Digs + A Happy Dance

You guuuuys!  Our home plans and specs are finally in engineering and ready for permits...again!

We're building a fab new home (also our first) and have been working with a home builder since August of 2012.  It took us no time at all once we discovered a floor plan and builder we liked, but it's all in the details, isn't it?  A couple months worth of deposits, custom options, cabinets, flooring, meetings, paperwork, emails, more paperwork, and we were finally signed off and ready to go the first week of December.

Plans went into engineering, we were thrilled, and I started thinking about decorating, house parties, and...oh yeah, packing!

Thankfully, we had our plan and options sent to an appraiser before the builder sent plans for city approval and permits.  Bad News:  The house did not appraise for what we were paying for it!

*Cue the violins and tears*

UPDATE:  We broke ground!

So, after more sleepless nights, more meetings, and lots of chats with our real estate broker, appraiser, loan officer, and family, we finally pared-down our custom options *sad face* and have come to grips with the fact that we'll be doing a LOT of customizing and DIY projects once we're in.

There's a few things I'm bummed about (upgraded cabinets, BIG ol' master bath shower, pretty stair railing), but overall, I'm actually kinda glad we're going to have some projects for the house.  This is our chance to really make it ours and have some fun!  Besides, that just means more awesome projects to share with YOU!

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Follow me on Instagram @MyBellaStoria for all the latest updates on building our house plus fun decor and shopping finds!

{Mani Monday} Triple Stripe with Coral, Silver, & Teal

Oops, I didn't take pictures along the way for a tutorial!  Ack!  Hopefully, y'all are smarter than me and don't need photos to visualize what I did.  It was simply, really...

1. Paint Vernis Heavy Metal over entire nail

2. Stick thin piece of tape diagonally over middle of nail

3. Paint tips with Rue Teal 139

4. Paint crescent of nail with Sally Hansen Coral Reef

5. Use Q-tip and/or angled brush dipped in pure acetone for cuticle clean up

Okay, so that would've been the smart way to do it.  But I'm not smart.  At least not at a sleep deprived 2am.  Nope, I free-handed this mani.  Not bad, really, but it would've looked much better had I taped it off. *hint hint*

 
Wanna stay in touch with manis, nail art, and swatches?  Follow my Instagram feed @MyBellaStoria for good times and fun stuff!

     Pretties     
Sally Hansen / Coral Reef
Vernis / Heavy Metal
Rue / Teal 139