Spring is here which means one thing… we are about to enter into wedding season! Whether it’s your high school girlfriend, your second cousin twice removed, or your co-worker who is tying the knot, people are always stumped for what to wear, and what to gift.
Which means that summer is on it’s way! Happy Spring Equinox!
Sunbathers on the Siene – Spring 1956, Getty Images
These were delivered to my front door on my birthday earlier this week… the card read: “Darling Becky, we fell in love with you the moment you were born.”
Thank you Mama and Daddy xoxo
Over the past few months, I’ve developed an unhealthy obsession with sunburst mirrors. I’ve been wanting one for our home for a while, but my biggest challenge was finding one that was affordable! Apparently I was not the only person having a love affair with these gorgeous mirrors because every store I went to was trying to sell these babies for several hundred dollars each…
After much hunting, I found one from Bed Bath & Beyond, and forty bucks later it was mine… all mine!
The problem?? The god awful fake patina finish. Unfortunately, I got a bit too excited in the moment, and I forgot to take a “before” picture, so it’s hard to see in this stock picture I pulled from their site. Trust me when I say that it had a cheesy “Olive Garden faux finish” – not that there is anything wrong with the Olive Garden… just saying.
The easy fix? Paint it! A quick trip to Michaels, and a few materials later, I was ready to refinish. Here is what you will need:
– Martha Stewart liquid gilding paint (I got both the brass gold and silver to mix)
– Small foam brush
– Newspaper (or in my case grocery bags)
– Small container to mix – use something you don’t mind throwing away; that way, keep clean up is easy
Keep in mind that the Martha Stewart liquid gilding paint dries fast… REALLY fast. It says it takes an hour to fully dry, but it’s definitely dry to the touch within 30 minutes or so.
Overall I’m really happy with how this quick mirror makeover turned out, and I’m so excited to hang it up!
It’s so funny how everyone has different birthday traditions. When we were little, there were things we’d do every single year that made that one day “special.” My sister and I would make a point to wake up earlier than the other, pounce on the birthday girl’s bed, and administer the birthday spankings. I laugh now – everyone I tell thinks it’s so weird, but that’s what we did! We’d bring cupcakes to our class, get special birthday privileges at school, and we got to choose whatever we wanted to have for dinner. Mine was always tacos. My sister would always choose lasagna.
As an adult, a lot of that fades, but my new birthday tradition is to be sure that I take the day off work to pamper myself. I want to be sure not to bring home the stress of the job, so that that one day doesn’t feel like any other work day. I’m pretty sure that telling my clients to stop complaining because it’s my birthday is not going to fly… so today, to kick 28 off right, I am treating myself to a full fat caramel latte, heading to Dry Bar for a fabulous birthday blow-out, and then navigating downtown for some retail therapy.
I can’t wait!
Oh me oh my, what a LONG week it’s been. I’ve been working late every night, and getting in early every morning. I am plum worn out my friends! To a bottle of wine, and a refreshing weekend!
xo
Since I was little, Napa and the surrounding towns in the wine country have absolutely blown up. When I was growing up, St. Helena was the halfway point between home and our summer escape in Clear Lake. We’d always stop at V. Sattui, and lunch on the grass with a picnic of cheese and charcuterie. Our parents would pop a bottle of rose, and the kids got a treat with a bottle of Martinelli’s.
As opposed to the sleepy little town we visited as kids, the wine country has become a total destination for weekenders and vacationers alike. Despite the inflated prices and hustle and bustle, I still think it’s one of the most enchanting places I’ve been, and if you do a little searching, you will find some untapped restaurants, wineries, and hotels hidden in the valley.
At the top of my wine country bucket list is the Indian Springs Resort and Spa. It sounds hoity toity, but the prices for treatments are comparable with what you’ll find anywhere else, and the price to stay there is astoundingly reasonable!
The mineral pool here was built in the early 1900’s, and is heated by local geysers to a toasty 102 degrees in the winter, and a more “refreshing” 92 degrees in the summer. For $20 per person, you can enjoy the pools (and the off pool steam room), and soak up some sun. Bring along some champagne and snacks, and make a day of it!
Treat yourself to a massage or mud bath – when in Rome right? Indian Springs is famous for the pure volcanic ash mud bath and for $85, who can resist! Massages are $125 for a full session, and facials start at $140.
Afterwards, sit out by the reflective pond for some quiet time to reflect or just mellow out.
For as little as $195/night, you can rent a cottage on the property – how sweet, and what a fabulous idea for a bachelorette party or big birthday.
My sister is turning 30, so maybe I’ll surprise her with a fun sister’s getaway here…
Hello readers. This is a guest post written by the masterminds behind Design Shuffle. Their site is a fabulous tool for interior designers (and wannabe interior designers like me), and I am so thrilled that they agreed to write a guest post for Cup Half Full. Enjoy! XOXO
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Hello, everyone! It’s Mari here from Design Shuffle, a social networking site for interior designers and design enthusiasts. With thousands of photos to look through, this website is a fabulous place to find interior décor inspiration! As a writer for Design Shuffle, I’m so fortunate to get to visit lovely blogs like Cup Half Full to share some of my favorite rooms. Today’s guest post is about decorating ideas for bedrooms.
Becky is in search of furnishings for her dream bedroom – one that will also work well for her significant other. That’s exactly the challenge that faces many of us as we aim to create inviting and comfortable homes for our families. I hope you will enjoy the eight inspiration rooms I’ve brought to share with Becky and you today.
Black and white stripes and brilliant green accessories bring this room to life. Since Becky’s pieces of artwork have a lot of red in them, these pops of green could be changed to that deep color for an appealing look.
A deeply tufted headboard is stunning even when glimpsed from another room. White bedding like this can be brightened up with just a touch or two of color. A gorgeous Juju hat with creamy feathers seems to be the perfect understated accessory for this space.
A monogrammed pillow is a lovely addition to this comfy bed. I love the clear glass lamps and tufted white bench with nailhead trim.
In a more casual eclectic bedroom, the decorative accessories are all done in black and white. The huge artwork turned headboard seems to be an exploded piece of lace—an intriguing creative choice.
Another white bedroom design is accented in black. Venetian mirrors add a touch of glamour. White painted chairs with black upholstery are an unexpected, but lovely choice.
This dramatic bedroom has an upholstered footboard as well as headboard. The bedding is similar to Becky’s chosen design. I love the white drapes with an intricate black pattern at the top and bottom of each panel.
We included this image because of the slim lamps, graphic black and white pillow and choice of landscape print as artwork.
This lovely interior design takes on a happy chic feel with pops of rich color and a slightly restrained use of zebra pattern on the stools. Happy bedroom décor hunting! I wish you splendid success.
Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
The possibilities with bedroom designs are unlimited! If you’re looking for more inspiration, don’t forget to head on over to Design Shuffle to find the best from Boston interior designers, Chicago interior designers and a ton of others!
Simply Styled 