Yesterday, I was going through some of my favorite blogs when I came across a post on Patchwork Harmony, featuring Norwegian blogger Ingrid Aune Westrum's beautiful house. I recognized some of the rooms from Pinterest and I knew I had to see more, so I clicked over to Ingrid's blog, Fjeldborg. Oh my goodness, her house is amazing! So full of color and whimsical details. I love it, and I think you will too. Sometimes I find a photo I adore on Pinterest, but then I see it so many times I don't notice it anymore. Does that happen to you? It does to me all the time...but if I come across the context of that photo (like this darling house), I might just fall in love all over again!

Ingrid's house has white floorboards and white walls throughout it...it makes the space seem so airy and bright, and is the perfect backdrop for all the splashes of cheerful color!

I love all these graphic black & white pillows, but especially the one with the trees.

I'd seen the photo above and the dining room below on Pinterest...perhaps you have too. But aren't they even lovelier now that you see the rest of the home they belong in--and know that they are from a real person's house, not just photos from a catalog??

A cloud shaped cutting board! So cute.

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. I really like how Ingrid wrapped this candle with washi tape, and set it on a simple jar lid.

Long branches as curtain rods--I love this idea!

There is also a driftwood branch in the bedroom, used as an exposed closet...and what a pretty one!

All images via Fjeldborg

You guys may remember this post, where I talked about painting some bricks gold and making them into bookends. Well, I finally did it this weekend! I added my own twist by painting the bottoms robin's egg blue (you know how I love that dipped/half-painted trend). I really like how they turned out, and it was a cheap & easy project that could be finished in one afternoon.

For this project, you will need a couple of bricks, some gold spray paint, painter's tape, and acrylic paint in the color of your choice. I picked these bricks from my parent's backyard because I liked how the tops of them were jagged and uneven. Then I spray painted both bricks gold (do this outside, with some paper underneath). After they were fully dried, I used blue painter's tape to cover the area I was not going to paint blue, making sure this area was even on both bricks. Then I painted the uncovered area with the acrylic paint! I didn't take any in progress pictures because the process was pretty simple--but let me know if you have any questions!

On a side note, how pretty are these peonies from Ben's parent's backyard?? We've had them for a week and they're still going strong.

So, what do you guys think of this DIY project? If you're in need of some bookends, I definitely recommend making these--or your own version. I'd love to see a picture if you do!

Today I just wanted to wish my dad a happy Father's Day! I love my dad--he is a really smart guy, gives great advice, and is always there when I need someone to talk to. But my favorite memories are those where we're all having a good time as a family, playing games or laughing at something random. I'll always remember playing Quelf and seeing my dad stuff as many random objects down his shirt as possible, or riding an imaginary ostrich singing loudly. Downright hilarious. Dad, thanks for being willing to have fun with us, for being a great role model to me, and most of all, for being the best dad a girl could ask for. I love you!

This photo of my dad and I is from my wedding day!

Happy Friday!! We made it! I, for one, could not be more excited for the weekend. I have no big plans for this one, and I'm quite happy about that. Sometimes it's nice not to have everything all planned out, you know what I mean? The most definite thing on our schedule is that tonight we're having people over for dinner...my friend from high school who I haven't seen in a long time (and is pregnant!), and her husband. Other than that...we'll probably do some shopping one of the days (we both have things we desperately need for summer), Ben might go for a hike tomorrow morning, and I have a few projects I'd love to tackle around the house (what's new?). Oh, I also want to make waffles so I can eat them with speculoos. We just tried speculoos for the first time last weekend, and we went right out and bought a jar for ourselves. The stuff is amaaazing. I know, the name is a little off-putting, but give it a try--it's like ground up ginger cookies made into a spread with a peanut butter consistency...and Trader Joe's sells a version of it called cookie butter! Alright, now that I've gone off on a food tangent (what can I say, I love to eat), let's get started with today's post. This week, I found so many inspiring gems around the blogosphere, so I decided to share some of my favorites to make sure none of you missed out! Without further rambling...some lovely links to send you off on your weekends.

First off, this genius shelf that I am totally making myself. Leather straps, a wooden board, some gold paint, and drywall anchors...and you've got yourself an extremely easy and stylish ledge! I love it.

I'm sure everyone who has gotten married recently (or is in the wedding industry) knows of Style Me Pretty...but did you know they also have a lifestyle blog? Yep, they do--and it's chock full of the same pretty, feminine style that you'd expect! I especially loved the house tour of Danielle Moss from the Everygirl (see the full feature here). The mix of gold, black, and white is gorgeous, and I want pretty much everything in this photo. Isn't that gold phone just adorable?

I think I gasped audibly when I saw this feminine & whimsical bicycle shoot, originally spotted on Creature Comforts. The adorable outfit is actually a vintage prom dress (which belonged to the model's mother) with a cardigan on top. Cuuuute! And the pink cruiser? A Craigslist score. I'm jealous...and I'm totally trying to think of a viable reason why I should wear an outfit like this out and about.

For those of you getting married, I thought this ceremony backdrop made with strips of colorful washi tape was so smart. Inexpensive, and it looks amazing! This idea would also work great for behind the dessert table at a bridal shower or birthday party. Check out the full post for more fun geometric ideas, and some half-painted flatware too! I especially loved the faceted terrariums used as candy bowls, so I had to include a picture of those as well (below).

I thought this piece of artwork made with wire and wire cutters was really intriguing and lovely. It says: “all that now exists was once imagined”--a great quote, and a great idea for some budget-friendly art!

Last but not least, I've been eagerly following Smitten Studio's cabin renovation (see more here and here). When I saw this pretty dresser, I could hardly believe it was a $99 Ikea piece! Of course, Sarah made a few changes to it...she's kind of a genius at making Ikea pieces look high-end.

What are you lovely ladies (and gentlemen) up to this weekend? Don't forget, Sunday is Father's Day!!