Wish List

Let's just get this out there; I have expensive taste.  I can walk into any store and instantly be drawn to the most expensive item in the joint.  It's a screwed up talent I tell you. Now, it wouldn't be such a pain if I had the cha-ching to back it up but alas, I don't.  Instead I keep mental and now blogal (new word, like it, love it, feel free to use it) lists of things I'll buy the instant I win the lotto.  Here are a few of the things on my list.

The current number one spot goes to the factory cart table at Restoration Hardware.  For a measly $895.00 this baby can be mine, mine, MINE.   Ain't she loverly?

I happened to find one on Etsy but alas, she's pricey as well and weighing in at 175 pounds I can only imagine the shipping costs.

Perhaps along with my grand taste I have grand ideas as I'm pretty sure I could make this table.  All I need is some wood and some great cast iron wheels and taaaaaaaa-daaaaaaaaaaaaa I'd have a factory cart table.  Sounds so easy doesn't it?

I'll let you know how it goes if I can ever come across the supplies.  If any of you darlings have any ideas where to find such wheels and such please share!

I stumbled upon these lights on The Old Painted Cottage and fell in LURVE.

(The Old Painted Cottage also have the above coffee table, envy them I know I do.)

These were made for our den. The price was not made for my budget coming in at a jaw dropping $78.19, each. They are outdoor lights but I just love the warmth of the coppery finish and the vintage bubbly glass globes give it so much character. I think these would be adorable flanking a

chunky framed mirror or a great painting. 

Speaking of lights I have been looking for a chandelier for the upcoming laundry room renovation and so far, I have realized that I will need to really start saving or sell an organ on the black market to ever afford the kind of chandy I would like to see in that room.  Such as this beauty ringing in at $229.00.

I could easily write a years worth of posts just about the things I would someday like to own from Pottery Barn. Today I'll just drool over one thing, OK maybe two.  My ultimate purchase with my someday newly won lottery money will be the following sofa. It is the thing that dreams are made of.

Can you imagine coming home to that handsome wonder everyday?

Hello lover, momma's home.

Gets me all a dither just thinking about it!

The $2, 199.00 price tag, that doesn't get me a dither. At all.

For my last wish I again turn to Pottery Barn.  I am CONVINCED I can replicate this dreamy item, and I do plan on at least trying. I cannot justify spending $49.99 on it.

I need this pillow.  I won't be able to go on without it.

Ok, maybe I can. If I got that coffee table I could go on for sure.

Anyone need a kidney?

Linker dinker!

Check it out, I liked up with Life in the Fun Lane's new Fresh Coat Fridays. 

It's pretty much blog crack for those of us with an unhealthy attraction to paint.

Look cute and help at the same time!

I stumbled across a blog the other day that broke my heart. In This Wonderful Life is the story of the short life of Cohen Marshall.  Cohen was born with a laundry list of heart defects and while he fought a brave fight the Lord called him home just weeks after being born.  In my job I see the injustice that children must endure and it changes you.  Sadly, at times it makes you feel less, do less, care less. 

Cohen's story awoke a fire in me that I thought had long been extinguished.  A fire that now burns brightly and hopefully will be a beacon to others.  While I cannot stop the pain that some children and parents must endure I will do what I can to help ease that pain in any way.

The way I chose to ease Brent and Megan, Cohen's parents pain was to donate through a purchase at Stella and Dot.  It was actually very selfish of me.  I had been admiring some items for a time now but when I found out that my purchase would benefit the Marshall family I grabbed my debit card there was no looking back.

A consultant for Stella and Dot has agreed to donate a proceed of all purchases made in Cohen's name until July 6th so if you'd like to order (once you see their products, you'll want to, trust me) follow the instructions found here to make sure your purchase goes towards Cohen's account.

I just checked my tracking number for my order and it should be here in the next day or two and once it's here I'll be sure to show you I cannot wait to get it! My purchase while something I've been wanting represents much more to me than just being cute jewelry, perhaps I'll share that one day. 

Until then, go shop and maybe you'll change someones world.

And, remember what Ghandi said; "we must be the change we want to see in the world."

My worst fear

For some, their worst fear are;

Not so scary when they're posed all cute and cuddly, eh?

But take a gander at this beast, not so cute is it? That's a massive rat in case you wondered. 

Got a new phobia now dontcha? What's that behind you? I kid, I kid.

Then there are some whose knickers get all soggy at the thought of one of these guys. 

I have to admit for a time I was PETRIFIED of this guy, Pennywise from the movie It, he's the thing that nightmares are made of.

Then there are some (of us) who are morbidly afraid of public humiliation.

 Fergie is not one of those people, obviously.

(She pee's her pants on stage in case you weren't in the know.)

Then there are some of us who have fears of things people may consider irrational. One of mine is the fear of:

What, you think they don't exist? You've obviously never spent any time on the OSU campus.  When the zombie apocalypse occurs you'll wish you had listened to me.

Start storing water, food, back issues of Martha Stewart mags and flame throwers now.

But seriously, we all have fears, some worse than others.  My worst fear is one of the most hideous, frightening, gut wrenching, pants peeing, nightmare inducing, "I want my mommy" experience ever.  I had to face my greatest fear this weekend.  It was awful, I'm still recovering. In fact, it's so awful I can't even type it, so here's a picture for you.  Be brave.  Call for an adult if you must.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I'm sorry, I thought I was more prepared for that than I was.  Ok, I'll be strong.  Yes, I'm petrified of buying furniture.  It only took 3 days, 10 stores, 2 fights, a few tears, 2 dinners at Chipotle and a pair of big girl panties but yes, I finally made a choice and we bought a couch for the den.  It won't be here until Tuesday and I hate it already.  Ok, I don't hate it.  I just worry I made the wrong choice and in a month we'll hate it, our house will begin to crumble around it, the dogs will ask to live at Memaw's house and our families will disown us. While we paid a decent chunk of cha-ching for it, it's not like we have to own it forever. I had already planned on making a slipcover for it, so even if the color is awful I'll live. It's just so scary to buy such a big item and know there is no going back. 

When I buy a table or a lamp or a do-dad I never pay much and usually have a back up plan for it in case my initial idea for it's use isn't all it's cracked up to be. This, this my dears, there's no do overs.  You're stuck, s.o.l, up the creek, in knee deep, married to it, matching burial plots kind of stuff.

Not to mention that EVERY set of furniture I've ever purchased, I've hated. The color, the style, the comfort level, the fabric the list can go on and on.  The above couch is the actual couch we bought.  Sort of actually, the one we got has 3 cushions but there wasn't a picture of it online. It's a bit more modern that I wanted but everything that has arms was also double our price range and came in hideous fabrics.  This is a nice grey brown tweed that I think will look great in the den AND it's easy lines will be of great help when I go to making a white slipcover for it. Yep, I bought a new couch just to one day in the near future slipcover it.

Do you have any idea how expensive a white couch is to buy? It was much more affordable to buy a couch we liked "naked" and if I get around to making a slip for it, great, until then we can enjoy it in it's original form.

I hope.

I want my mom.

And a cookie. 

Goodwill GOLD

I attended a Christian college so I vividly remember this Bible verse;

"The Lord speaketh to thee, He said, go thee, thrify shopper and shopest at thy Goodwill. Thee will findeth good deals, odd people, and while thee may smell oddly upon thee's return to your abode thy travels will be worth it."


Blasphemy, ain't it?

"I'm sorry Lord and thank you for blessing me and please continue to supply me with inspiration, perspiration (check) and good deals at Goodwill. Amen. Oh, if you could also please help me find a cheap, working fridge for the garage, I'd be mighty appreciative. Ok, amen."

Still with me? Good!

Here's a little buildup to my Goodwill gold.

Hmmmm, where to start....cloche, that's a good place. I'm glad I can spell that word because I can never pronounce it. If you're wondering, they are glass domes and I lurve them! Here's one I have in the kitchen with a little robin's nest under it

Let me tell you, these things are CHA-CHING-CHA-CHING! I'm always shocked at how expensive they are. I found the above at The Olde Shoe Factory in Lancaster (you MUST go if you haven't been) for $5.00 I believe. Killer dealio my darlings, killer!
Another thing I love, stuff on pedestals.

                                                            photo Country Living
Don't you just love that? Makes you want it to be fall doesn't it? Thought so. It's the power of the pedestal.

So, what happens when a cloche and a pedestal get all lovey dovey and have a baby?

What did you say? Did you ask what that is? Well my loves, it's Goodwill GOLD! The above is made from a cheese plate and a candle stick. Really? You don't believe me? Look for yourself.

Yep, just a little Gorilla glue and weighted down with a can of veggies a coat of primer and paint and you get a sweet little cloche pedestal. What is under the glass? Well that's an oddity that I just adore, a weathered turtle shell. While I'm sad that a turtle met his maker I appreciate it happened in our backyard and that I got to keep the shell! Granted I had to pick it up and clean it off since E was afraid to touch it. He can't be all tough and manly all the time.

The even better part? Minus spray paint and primer (which I already had) this little baby only cost me $5.00 for both the cheese dome and the candle stick. Wanna know an even better deal?? I just found another dome and a taller candle stick on a return visit to Goodwill and they both together only cost me $3.00!!! I can't wait to make a white pedestal for the kitchen!!! Yes, yes I'll show you when I'm done!

You have to start somewhere

While I have no grand ideas of our home ever being featured in Country Living or Romantic Homes it's worth a try right? I saw on The Lettered Cottage today that Matthew Mead is holding a contest that he, yes, he, not his flunkies, will come to your home and decorate it for Christmas and complete a 2-3 page layout for his magazine.

Did you hear that? It was my jaw hitting the floor.

Can you even begin to imagine how amazing that would be??????

I have been in blogdom long enough to see the competition and trust me, Bellom House ain't livin' up to the level. BUT just like Miss America has to start by winning fair titles and working her way up so goes it for the winners of such contests.

So Bellom House will be entering this contest, maybe, just maybe this will be my first "title." Then again, we might just have to resign ourselves to being Little Miss Furball or Queen of Dust Bunnies and Goodwill Finds. Either way, it's worth a try. Ain't it?

Also, I will tell you now that I will be green with envy towards the winner and cannot be held responsible for any catty remarks I may make, do know they are made out of pure, unadulterated envy and deep down I just wanna be you.

(Odd) Ideas for Creation

I was checking out Etsy again and found some interesting vintage industrial medical items.

Now, I'm odd. Shocking ain't it?

I have a weird fondness towards old medical themed decorating. I think the sterility of it can be really exciting when used appropriately, say in a bathroom.

I found this great enameled tray and while it would also work in a kitchen I thought using it as a tray in a bathroom would be really cute. I am not a fan of personal hygiene "stuff" on the counter. I hate the idea of people seeing my toothbrush. Remember I said I'm odd. We are lucky to have enough drawers in our bathroom to hide things like deodorant, toothbrushes, hemorrhoid cream (it's E's, really.) Not everyone has this luxury. So, if you do have to display your lotions and potions, why not do it in a cute way?

This great enameled tray is only $16.99 to begin with and considering it was made to be used for medical instruments it can stand up to bleaching, moisture and heat, three things that are definitely happening in our bathroom.

While I still wouldn't want my toothbrush just laying on the tray stashing it in a science beaker? SURE! Such as these. How about storing cotton balls and q-tips in one? Maybe even filling one with bath salts.

What will I do with my mouthwash you ask? How about decanting it into one of these adorable-and lidded-beakers? You could even store lotion in one. How about some aloe in one to give a pop or gooey, sciency green color to the bathroom?

Too modern? I just love this one with the glass stopper. Wouldn't even Listerine look amazing in that?!?!Need somewhere to hide floss? I thought this old Sucrets tin would be a cute addition. Wanting some art for the bathroom? I just adore these old medical charts and this one even has the urinary system on it.

Too far? Maybe a little.

Stair way to heaven. They really are, they lead to the kitchen!

While most of the "stuff" in our house is there because I love it or it "went" with the house there are times I do something and wonder if I'm way off base. For example the den steps. I recently painted all the knotty pine in the den as well as painting the steps. The steps needed something. I toyed with doing a decorative paint treatment such as;

Yeah, that's a bit more than I could ever do but it looks amazing doesn't it? Even better that it's simple black and white but yet so much to look at!

I also stayed away from decorative painting due to the dogs, I knew I'd be touching it up all the time. I ended up painting the risers the wall color and the treads a rich chocolate brown. While it looked SO much better than before it was rather boring.

Here's my assistant Lilly Bean on the steps before paint. Actually I'm in the process of painting them here, she was making sure I did it right.

Here are the steps after painting them. SO much better but yet so..... BORING!

Wanna see Lilly's reaction to the boring steps?

Here it is...herumpfh that's puppy talk for "eh."

Lilly's opinion mattered and she was right, something had to be done to the risers, just way too much white. I came up with numbers, simple, rustic character, cheap. I hit up my Uppercase Living hook up Nancy and set to ordering the numbers. (If you haven't heard of or used Uppercase Living your life is suffering and you need to order something. Also, if you're at all OCD like I am you'll really love the application process, picking, peeling, centering, it's an OCD dream come true!)

Here are the steps after the addition of the numbers. I wasn't sure. I mean really do you need to know how many steps there are? I just kept thinking "this is odd," "people are really going to wonder about this one." Oh well, I like it and that's what matters right? You're supposed to say "right" here. Thank you. You also want me to stop talking so you can see the picture with the numbers don't you? Yeah, I thought so.

While it's not a HUGE difference, it's something and it gives the steps character.

I will admit to sitting and staring at the stairs wondering if I was crazy, if I wasted $17.00 on numbers, if people would think I was insane in the membrane. Then I saw this!

Those my darlings are the steps in Sarah Richardson's most current reno. Did I just hear you say Sarah who? Don't make me smack you around and make you watch HGTV, I'll do it. Sarah is the host of Sarah's House. Go. Watch. NOW.

I felt vindication. My idea wasn't so outrageous afterall! Yeah, yeah, her's ROCK and mine are still a bit "eh" but my idea wasn't that crazy afterall! See I could have an HGTV show too! Maybe. Ok. Fine. Maybe not.

I'm glad I have at least one fan, Lilly Bean had the following to say about momma's numbered steps.

That's puppy speak for "those are awesome!" She did patoot right after this, so maybe she wasn't so impressed afterall.

I already broke a promise to you.

Well ain't this blog thing going just great? I've already disappointed you. I said I would provide you with ball pictures and in all the dither and excitement I forgot to take some!

Are you thinking, did she say ball pictures? Uh what?

You see I volunteered, actually got roped into, making cake balls and cinnamon rolls for a bake sale to benefit local children with Down Syndrome. Really, how could I say no? Considering the bake sale fell during finals week, saying no would have been smart, not easy, but smart.

It all worked out though, and the buckets of rain that followed us to the drop off thankfully dried up as we were getting out of the car with balls in tow.

Here are some past cake ball pictures for you to enjoy though.

Are you wondering what cake balls are yet? Well they are DELICIOUS! While they can be time consuming they are very easy. If you want to know more check out where I stole the idea from; Bakerella.

WHAT? You haven't met Bakerella??? I have a serious blog crush on her. I'm a little embarassed about how much I enjoy just looking at her blog......cakes and cookies oh my!

Check out her work, have a snack first, you'll need it.

I have a linky!

Actually I have an inny, but hey, who's keeping track?

I'm not sure if it's proper blog etiquette or not, but I linked my locker basket light to The Shabby Nest which is a marvtaculous blog by the way!

A plea to the more experienced bloggers, if doing this linky dinky thing-a-ma-jig is rude or presuming please let me know. I promise to always tell you if you have a bat in the cave or your under-roos are showing. Many thanks!

You did what? With what? Ideas for Creation

There are few things that thrill me as much as creating something out of something else. Take for example my recent locker basket into pendant lamp project. How do I come up with those ideas, I dunno, it just hits me. Sometimes these ideas end up like I was hit with a bad burrito, but then other times it ends up being MAH-VALOUS!

If you haven't found Etsy.com yet, then you need to go check it out. Wait, not yet, after you finish reading this post though please. I love going through the items on Etsy and trying to think of things to do with them. Which gave me an idea!

Sadly my accountant (E) frowns upon me being EVERYTHING I find exciting and full of potential so to avoid stifling my creativity like telling a 3 year old not to color outside of the lines I thought I would show you, my dear 10 readers what you could do with the many treasures available on Etsy. So today begins a series here on Everyday Life of Bellom; Ideas for Creation.

Take these fantabulous hooks for example.

Would these not be amazing as coat hooks? What about as towel hooks in an all white bathroom?

My first thought was they would be awesome curtain brackets!! Use a dowel painted black with some wispy white curtains, and just plop that dowel on those hooks, amazing!

How about using them as hooks for outside hanging baskets, SO much better than boring wrought iron scroll ones you grab at Home Depot.

OR, attach the hook to the ceiling and use it to hang a chandelier. This would be especially helpful for the plug in "lamp" chandeliers that I've seen a lot of lately.

The Etsy seller suggested using them as shelf brackets (love it) or just as visual candy as decorations on a shelf or as part of a mantle tableau.

Are you in love with these yet? You wanna buy them? You love them and wanna marry them? If you do, here, go for it baby! One condition. If you buy them, you MUST send me pictures of how you used them! Oh, and please, don't paint them. Please. Thank you for your cooperation.

Balls, balls, balls, everywhere balls!

I'm up to my elbows in balls right now, it's not pretty. I'll explain more later and provide pictures.

How do I get myself into these situations?

I'm FAMOUS!

I'm wearing sunglasses and a hoodie trying to stay incognito, the paparazzi must be hiding somewhere because my piddly blog has been featured on another blog that actually has readers! This must be what it's like to be famous, right?

This is as close to fame as I'll get. This is the only time in my life someone might say "yeah, I know her." Well, besides when that "what, I didn't tell you I'm a crossdresser," first date incident went public. That's another story for another time though.

I sent Lisa, owner of Urban Farmhouse my blog link so she could see the new kitchen pendant and she posted it on her blog. Dudes, she has 212 followers that means that 424 eyeballs might gaze upon my ramblings. That would be 422 more than ususal (I'm referring to the fact that I'm the only person who reads this, for those who struggle with math or my odd sense of humor.)

So, without further ado, my first blog to blog encounter...

Urban Farmhouse