#and talked about getting some ikea kallax shelves

[aliosne]

Nothing makes me want to light all my belongings on fire and walk into the sea like trying to tidy up

[tabbycasto]

Nail Tech Talk : Top Tips For Setting Up In An Unconventional Space

Setting up can be a little daunting when you first start out, but it doesn’t take long to start building your collection & creating a space that you're happy with. When I started to set up my treatment room, I began by creating a mood board to figure out the aesthetics & practicality of the room. I love to use Pinterest to get my visual ideas out and have mood boards for things like Storage Ideas, Pedicure Set Up and design inspo.

Once you’ve figured out the style you're after you can start to figure out how to make it come to life. Everything takes time and you’ll find sometimes it’s not until you’ve actively worked in a space that you can truly see what you need to change & adjust to make the space really work best for you. It's a work in progress that grows with you as you develop new skills. Don't feel that everything has to be done at once.

My Treatment Room aesthetic is kitsch, plant adorned & bright. I try to keep things fun, but tidy and cozy for clients. I’m not a "normal salon space", but that’s one of the reasons my clients like to come to me. I don’t try to make the room do something it can’t do, I just work with what I can.

Storage

Storage is really important, especially as it can actually save you time if you keep yourself well organized. I really love easy access storage so that I can grab things quickly and not waste time looking around for products.

Nail Polish/ Gel Polish Storage 

I originally started out with both the long and short Ikea Alex drawers. These are great if you are just starting out and don't have too much product as they provide a lot of storage space, but if you are like me and tend to have a lot of product (I do makeup as well as nails), I’d recommend going for better quality drawers with more side supports than Ikea. My Alex drawers lasted about 3 years before I had to replace them with a similar Tallboy Style Drawer which I found on sale at La Redoute. My advice would be to spend a little extra on furniture if you can so that you don't have to replace it in future.

Ikea Picture Shelves are also a great way to display polish/gel colours on your walls, but they will need dusting regularly which is why I prefer to use the tallboy style drawers. I tend to use the Picture Shelves to create a "gallery wall" where I display framed art and photos, but these would be great for displaying certifications and awards as well.

Glitter/Diamonte/Dried Flower Storage

I invested some time decanting all my glitters, diamantés and dried nail art flowers into clear acrylic lidded jars which sit in clear boxes (labelled on the bottom) so I can showcase colours more easily to clients rather than rummaging through boxes. Clear Acrylic storage is great as you can see when things are running low and need topping up. I tend to separate these into colour sections keeping like colours together. Ebay, Amazon, Hobby Craft & Muji are great for finding these kind of clear acrylic storage solutions.

Wire Storage

I keep wires under control with a wire tidy box also from Ikea to reduce tripping hazards and keep the room looking tidy. As I do a lot of filming in the room, I do have quite a few different wires for various things, anything that doesn't fit into the Ikea Wire Tidy, when not in use, gets stored in Ikea Rattan/Wicker Storage Boxes and slotted away in my Ikea Kallax. I label the different plugs with a Dymo Label Machine so I don't get things confused. 

How To Display Your Nail Art Professionally

I love nail art and have a lot of nail tips left over from content creating and old Pop Up Nail Bar menus. I was looking for a way to showcase these to clients and discovered a really cool Nail Art Display Box on Ebay which looks very professional. You can change the display every season or theme each clear pull out frame to your liking. With so many ideas and options available this is a great way to break it down visually for customers. Here is a break down on how to start yours (links to where to find it are in the description box) :

https://youtu.be/F5Yzousncqg

Pedicure Set Up

I recently started offering pedicures again and needed to create a cozy pedicure space that could easily be put away when not in use.  As I don’t have laminate flooring, I had a custom size floor matte made to protect my rug and carpet area from splashes and mess  by https://www.floormats.co.uk . When not in use, this slots away under a sofa and easily pulls out when I need it again. It's also easy to wipe down and keep disinfected.

Instead of using a storage trolly to display Pedicure Products (as my room is carpeted which wouldn’t be practical), I keep my bottles and sprays on trays on top of a wooden stool. I have 2 different trays which I alternate with the two systems I use, Footlogix & Famous Names Releaf. * Nail techs use my discount code TABBY10 for 10% off these brands and more on the Louella Belle site.

I purchased  my concrete pink/white tray to display my Footlogix products from Etsy Seller JustSoDesignbyRachel (https://etsy.me/37c1csl ) who had to adapt when first lockdown hit & set up a shop selling hand made beautiful concrete items. Where I can, I love to shop with and support smaller businesses & fellow nail artists.

To display my Famous Names Releaf I went for a more rustic looking tray from Dunelm which suits the natural ethos of the system : https://www.dunelm.com/product/wooden-tray-craftland-1000167605?defaultSkuId=30696657

For a leg rest/foot rest, I use a foldable stool from Amazon with customised vinyl material that can be disinfected. I found out about the stool from a fellow nail tech on the Footlogix Facebook Group ! The vinyl I reupholstered the stool with came from Etsy Shop HomeTexStudio (https://etsy.me/2JJlRsb). The height is just right for my set up, not for everyone I’m sure , but for the space I work with it’s perfect. Here’s a video of the DIY stool transformation :

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CHGFgx6D6EY/?utm_medium=copy_link

I use Belava Pedi Bowls with recyclable disposable liners for my pedicures as I love glitter & they really go with my room's aesthetic! I think customers also feel much better knowing each time they visit they get a fresh pedi liner. The Belava Glitter bowls do come with a disinfectable insert, but I prefer to use the disposables as I feel it reassures customers that my hygiene standards go above and beyond, especially in these times.

I use an IKEA rattan stool to sit on when doing pedicures and my clients sit on a large sofa chair which allows them to really relax and decompress. After each client, I disinfected the soft furnishing with Sursol Fabric Disinfecting Spray as removing all soft furnishings was not an option for me.

Retail Items

As my set up has less surface space than a traditional salon space, I show off the products I retail on my shorter Ikea Alex Drawers & Ikea Kallax shelves. I try to keep displays and clutter to a minimum as every surface gets wiped down and disinfected before/after each client. In keeping with the aesthetics of my room, I display my products in small wooden boxes and clear acrylic shelves.

The Work Table

My work table is the area of my room that gets the most use. I use it as a work space for not just my nail clients, but also to film and create nail tutorials and content. Unlike many techs, my work table is a little wider than usual which is not for everyone, but works well for me. I have the Ikea Nordan Gateleg Table which has 6 storage drawers down the middle and two sides which can fold down. I use the Clear Ikea Skvallra Desk Protector to keep it free of any accidents and spills. To add a little personality to the space I alternate Paperchase Wrapping Paper which I find very fun and colourful under the Desk Protector, these make great backdrops for nail art photos as well. To get the best out of my nail art photos I use the Ikea Tertial Lamp with a Day Light bulb which I find works well as a work lamp and for photography purposes.

I keep my tools tidy with a custom made Jesmonite tray which I had commissioned by a fellow nail tech ( @bylaurajayne_jesmonitedesigns). It matches my room aesthetic and keeps things nice and tidy when I'm working. I tend to sterilize my tools in my Enbio Auto Clave and then place them on my tray ready for use! If you haven't seen her trays do check them out ! They are the perfect size for nail techs as she makes both rectangle long trays and smaller square trays so there is plenty of room for everything. I think displaying nail tools on the work table like this also gives the tools a bit of respect and helps you to look after them, after all they are probably your most used items and I think it's nice to look after them well so it's just fitting to display them proudly and with a bit of care and thought!

I recently purchased a new hand rest from @gb.wrist.rests. This has been a real game changer as it definitely improves the posture for both myself and my clients when working. Previous to this I had been using an Ikea Wooden laptop holder, which worked well for a couple of years, but over time the disinfectant began to wear down the varnish and I felt it was time to invest in something better. It was also great to support another fellow nail tech who started the GB Wrist Rests business up with her partner during lockdown.

Dust Control

To control dust, I have the Zephyros Dust Collection from Tafs. I find this works really well for keeping the space tidy and protecting mine and my clients lungs. I tend to work more with soak off systems and don't currently e-file so this works well for me. I would recommend getting a more powerful Air Purifier for busier salons working more regularly with enhancements.

Sterilisation

In the corner of my room I store my Enbio S Auto Clave which is used to sterilize tools after they have been washed, then disinfected. I store this on an Ikea Alex Cupboard which doubles up as a storage space for all my cleaning products and spare nail files etc. The Auto Claves are not cheap, but one of the best investments in my Treatment Room. I think customers feel more reassured and I certainly feel better using one. Nail techs can use my code TABBY to get money off their purchases at https://www.enbio.com/uk/

My greatest advice for anyone new to the industry or just starting to set up would be take it a bit at a time. We all have to work within budgets and as you gain clients and get busier you will be able to afford to work your way up towards a space that suits you. I spent many years working as a mobile freelancer before building up a client base that comes to me. It's also worth noting that your own health and client health is so important. Consider the comfort of both of you when creating your space - make sure you are looking after skin and lungs. Protect your hands with gloves when you work to avoid over exposure and make sure you  protecting your lungs from dust particles, but most of all have fun creating a space that suits you!

[dickspeightjrs]

The IKEA Curse (college au / 3k words / fluff / angst)

ao3 link

“We’re getting nowhere, Cas.” Dean grumbled. “Let’s just hurry up and pick something so we can move on.” 

Castiel sent an exasperated look to his best friend. “You’re the one who found an apartment for us that doesn’t come with furniture.” 

“I already told you, it was a good deal!” Dean insisted. 

Dean and Castiel had been best friends since they’d been assigned as roommates in freshman year of college. Despite Dean’s initial impression of Cas being that the guy was a little weird and didn’t always understand Dean’s references, they ended up becoming fast friends. 

They carried on rooming together through college but now they’d graduated they’d decided it would be easier to carry on living together in their own place. They knew they could live together and neither of them would ever be able to afford their own place with their mountain of student debt.

So that’s how they found themselves in Ikea on a busy Saturday afternoon, bickering over what they should get to furnish their new apartment. 

“Fine,” Castiel relented, “but you can’t complain about my furniture choices.”

“I can when you’re trying to convince me that a JONAXEL is better than a KALLAX!” Dean exclaimed. Castiel could be a little out there with his taste and Dean could dig it most of the time but he had to put his foot down now.

“But a KALLAX is so generic, Dean, everyone has one!” Castiel responded in earnest. 

“I don’t give a crap about anyone else, we’re the only ones living in our apartment. You think Sam is gonna care about what shelves we have when he comes to stay?”

Castiel sighed but didn’t answer. 

They continued walking around the showroom, reluctantly pointing out other items of furniture that they thought the other might like in an attempt to actually agree on something. 

It was not going well. 

Eventually, Castiel spotted the toilets and pulled Dean to the side. “I need to go to the bathroom. Wait here, then we’ll go and try to pick out a couch.” He walked off, not waiting for Dean to answer. 

Dean rolled his eyes and groaned to himself, leaning his head against the wall behind him. This day was never ending. Their friendship may have withstood a lot over the past few years of living together but who knew it would be a trip to Ikea that really tested it. 

An amused chuckle came from next to Dean. He looked to his left to find a middle-aged woman with a small smirk on her face. She seemed to be waiting for someone in the bathroom too. 

“You two remind me of my husband and I. That’s exactly what we were like with our first home after we got married.” She smiled and then gave Dean a thoughtful look. “But it soon settles and you realise being with each other is more important than what shelves you have in the living room.” 

Dean spluttered. “W-we’re not married. We’re not even together.” He quickly explained. “We’re just friends.” 

The woman gave Dean a knowing look. “That’s exactly what me and my husband used to say to people before we got together.” 

Dean felt his heart rate increase in panic. He’d accepted his true feelings for Castiel a long time ago but that didn’t mean he wanted to do anything about them. There was no way he’d risk his friendship with Cas over some stupid feelings. 

A delicate hand touched Dean on the arm, pulling him out of his thoughts. The woman regarded him with a concerned look. “Don’t worry yourself, sweetheart, it’ll happen.” She reassured him. 

Dean was saved from answering by Castiel coming out of the bathroom. He looked between Dean and the woman but didn’t say anything, just asking Dean if he was ready to carry on.

As they left, Dean gave one last glance to the woman who only gave him an encouraging look in return. 

Dean tried to clear his head as they moved through the store to the couches. He let himself be distracted by the various options on display but all he really wanted now was to lie down on one of them and never get up. 

“Which one do you like the look of Dean?” Castiel asked kindly, oblivious to Dean’s internal turmoil. 

“I don’t know, man. Let’s just choose one and get out of here.” Dean mumbled. He didn’t like the turn this day has taken. Suddenly everything felt entirely too domestic and it showed Dean everything that he could never have. 

Castiel finally sensed the change in Dean. With a frown he asked, “Is everything okay, Dean? I know we’ve been at odds today but it feels like there’s something else going on.” 

“I’m fine, dude. Just feeling tired, I guess.” Dean shrugged off Cas’ concern. 

“Okay..” Castiel squinted in disbelief, clearly he knew Dean wasn’t telling the truth but he didn’t press him on the issue. “We could ask someone who works here what they recommend? It might get us out of here faster.” He suggested.

And that’s one of the things Dean loved about Cas. His ability to sense when Dean didn’t want to talk about whatever was bothering him, but instead he gave Dean support in other ways. If he’d had an argument with Sam, Cas would be there silently putting on one of Dean’s favourite movies. When Dean had failed a test he’d studied really hard for, Cas had been there wordlessly putting together Dean’s favourite pie. 

Despite his awkwardness around other people, and his tendency to miss social cues, Castiel could always read Dean, and he knew when to get Dean to talk and when to just be present for him. Castiel knew him like no one else did.

Dean loved him so much. 

Taking a small steadying breath through his nose, Dean nodded silently at Castiel’s suggestion. He just wanted to go out, get drunk and forget all about this day. Maybe Castiel could come back by himself to finish choosing their furniture. Dean knew he’d end up loving whatever Cas chose because it would just be wholly and completely Cas. Cas who had strange quirks and questionable taste but who Dean admired with every fibre of his being. Cas wasn’t stupid, he knew he was different to other people and Dean loved that about him. 

“Excuse me?” Castiel got the attention of a girl wearing a vest with ‘Ikea’ written across the back, and ushered her over. 

As she approached, Dean’s mood rose slightly spotting her Baby Yoda pin tacked to her uniform. Charlie, as her name badge read, clearly had an awesome taste in movies. 

“Hi!” Charlie greeted enthusiastically, red hair jostling with the energy buzzing through her. “How can I help you?” 

“We’re looking for a couch,” Castiel supplied, “and we were wondering if you could recommend one? Our apartment isn’t the biggest but we’d need something that would be large enough to seat us both.” 

“I know exactly the one!” Charlie beamed. “It’s just over here,” she said, gesturing towards a collection of couches on the other side of the room. She guided them through the maze of different fabrics and colours to a rather understated looking, dark-coloured, two seat couch. “It doesn’t look like much but it’s super comfy - give it a try!” She encouraged. 

Dean and Castiel looked briefly at each other before seating themselves on the couch. Dean had to admit, she was right. The couch was certainly comfier than it looked. “I like it.” He stated. Castiel nodded in agreement. 

“I’m glad!” Charlie smiled. “I thought you guys would. My girlfriend and I actually have this couch and it’s perfect for movie nights.”

Blood started rushing in Dean’s ears. 

“Really? Dean has been trying to get me to watch more of his favourite movies recently. We’ve just started watching the ones with the Avengers.” Castiel stated. He turned to Dean to include him in the conversation but Dean had closed in on himself again. He knew exactly where this conversation was heading. 

“Ah they’re awesome, especially Black Widow. Scarlett Johansson is a goddess.” Charlie chattered, completely unaware of Dean not joining in with the conversation. “And if you guys are anything like me and my girlfriend, it’s great for when you fall asleep together during said movie nights. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love a trip to The Shire as much as the next person but those movies are super long. But, this couch is deep enough that it can easily fit two adults lying together. And possibly moving together if you catch my drift..” Charlie wiggled her eyebrows with a playful smirk.

And Dean’s brain just snapped. 

“We’re not together!” He insisted sharply. 

Charlie went quiet. “My mistake. I apologise, I shouldn’t have assumed. Let me know if you guys need anything else.” And with that, she slinked off. Which was probably best considering the look Castiel was now giving Dean. 

“I know there’s something wrong and I was trying to give you space but now you’re being rude to complete strangers. What is going on?” Castiel demanded in a harsh whisper as he rose from where they’d been seated.  

Dean cringed internally at Castiel’s tone. Cas was one of the happiest, most cheerful people he’d ever met, Dean hated that he was the one who made him sound like that.

“It’s just, everyone seems to think we’re married, or at least together.” Dean tried to explain, looking up to Castiel from the couch. 

Castiel interrupted before Dean could continue. “What do you mean ‘everyone’?” He questioned. 

“Uh,” Dean stumbled. “While you were in the bathroom, this lady started talking to me and, well, she thought we were married.” Castiel just gave Dean a look that told him to elaborate. “Well, don’t you think it’s super crazy that people think we’re together? I mean come on, man.” Dean scoffed, trying to cover his nervous anticipation of Castiel’s answer. He really didn’t want to hear Castiel laugh off the idea of them dating but he also couldn’t face letting Castiel know his true feelings. 

“Wow,” Castiel breathed, “is the idea of being with me really that awful?” 

Wait. What? 

Dean’s brain screeched to a halt. That was not where he was expecting Castiel to take this. 

“I know I’m a little weird,” Castiel continued, “and people don’t always get me. But I thought you did.” 

Dean couldn’t speak. He just stood there stunned with the way Castiel had responded. 

Realising he wasn’t going to get a response from his friend, Castiel sighed and turned away from Dean. He turned back to give Dean a dejected look. “You can choose the furniture, whatever you want will be fine. I’m going home,” he said. 

Castiel’s retreating back made Dean finally spring into action and he jumped to his feet. ‘Woah, Cas, wait a second.” He gripped the top of Castiel’s arm, forcing the other man to turn and face him. He was met with the saddest blue eyes Dean had ever seen. 

Dean moved them into a more secluded area of the showroom, away from prying ears and eyes. They’d already been getting looks from some of their fellow customers. 

“Where the hell did that come from, Cas?” Dean begged for an answer. 

“It’s just been a long day, ignore me.” Castiel said as he tried to move past Dean. “Everyone else does,” he whispered.

But Dean stopped him with a hand to his chest. “Bullshit. What’s happening?” 

Castiel locked his eyes and held Dean’s gaze with a completely defeated look. “What’s happening is that I’m in love with you.” He answered in an unaffected monotone. “Is that what you wanted to hear? I’m in love with you, so it hurts to hear you be so against even the notion of us being together.” He remained standing in place, just watching and waiting for Dean’s reaction. 

Dean couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe that this wasn’t a dream that he’d wake up from any second. He’d never let himself hope that Castiel would ever feel the same as he did. 

“H-how long have you felt this way?” Dean stuttered. 

“Since freshman year.” Castiel answered. 

All this time Castiel had felt the same?

“Damnit, Cas.” Dean said with an exasperated tone, shaking his head in disbelief.

It was clearly the wrong thing to say. Castiel cringed, screwing his face up at Dean’s words and he looked heartbroken once again. God, Dean hated it. 

“It’s fine, Dean. I understand. I’ll leave and find somewhere else to live. I apologise for making things awkward between us.”

“Cas, you ain’t going anywhere.” Dean commanded as he moved to block Castiel’s path. 

“Dean, just drop it.” Castiel said through gritted teeth, heartbreak being replaced with anger. He stepped around Dean to leave but Dean stopped him once again only this time it was with a simple light touch to his hand. He couldn’t let Castiel leave.

Dean couldn’t believe what a mess this had all turned into. His heart was all over the place. First, he was elated that Castiel felt the same but seeing the downtrodden look on his best friend’s face broke his heart too. He’d do anything not to see that expression again.

“Please, wait.” Dean whispered. 

“Why, Dean? So I can stand here in the middle of Ikea and be rejected and humiliated?” Castiel bit out. 

“No,” Dean said firmly, irritated at Castiel’s reluctance to hear him out, “so you can shut up and listen for one goddamn second.” 

“Why should I?” Castiel demanded. 

“Because I love you too, you moron!” Dean shouted. Though, he internally cringed at his choice of words. Castiel was in no way a moron. He was actually much smarter than Dean. But sometimes he got so wrapped up in himself that he couldn’t see what was right in front of him. (Though Dean was minutely aware of his own tendency to be like that too.) 

Now it was Castiel’s turn to be shocked into a stunned silence. Dean took it as his cue to continue. 

“You’re so constantly blinded by thinking badly about yourself because of what other people say that you couldn’t see that I’ve been here waiting for you all this time.” Dean explained. 

“B-but you’ve been with other people.” Castiel stammers, eyes darting in confusion. 

Fuck. Castiel would never believe Dean was interested in him too. He wasn’t like Dean, he didn’t believe in casual sex. He only wanted meaningful relationships. Knowing Dean had been with other people probably made Cas think it would never happen between them. God, he was the fucking moron. 

Dean was quick to reassure Castiel of the truth. “Yeah, but they were only ever one night stands. When I was completely drunk and stupid. Why d’ya think I never brought anyone home for you to meet?” Dean asked.

Castiel looked bashfully down at his feet. “I suppose I thought you just didn’t want them to meet me. That I’d embarrass you or something.” 

“Oh, man, Cas. What have we been doing?” Dean shook his head and finally let out a chuckle. 

Castiel lifted his gaze to meet Dean’s eyes, a small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “Wasting time?” 

Dean let out a happy bark of laughter and nodded before finally pulling his best friend into a long overdue kiss. They both smiled against each other’s lips, pleased to, at long last, be on the same page. 

“Ahh! I knew it!” The two men were separated by the sound of Charlie’s voice. They turned away from each other to send her identical questioning looks. “The FÄRLÖV always works.” She explained and pointed a knowing finger at them both. “But, if you go back to try it again, you will have to buy it if you go any further in your shenanigans.” 

Both men flushed red. “I think we’re just gonna go.” Dean said, slipping his hand into Castiel’s and walking him towards the exit. “But, thanks for your help.” He threw over his shoulder back to her as they rounded the corner. 

Honestly, furniture shopping could wait. Right now they each had a ratty old bed waiting in their apartment and, frankly, that was all they needed. 

They stopped at the elevator, waiting for the doors to open. Dean chanced a glance at Castiel and saw the beaming, shy smile across his best friend’s - boyfriend’s? - face. He knew then that he’d do anything to keep it there. Dean squeezed Castiel’s hand, letting him know that he felt the same way. 

The elevator arrived and they stepped in, it was blissfully empty and Dean thought for a second that he might suggest that they carry on where they left off in their few seconds of privacy. 

But, as the doors began to close a hand shot in to stop them closing. They opened to reveal the same lady from earlier with a man who must be the husband she talked about. Her eyes flashed with recognition when she saw Dean. He blushed at being caught holding Castiel’s hand less than an hour after he’d assured her they weren’t together. That they’d never be together.

After taking in their joined hands, the lady looked up and smiled brightly at Dean. “I see you got married in the last hour. Congratulations.” She smirked teasingly, triumphant that she had been right earlier. Dean just murmured a small ‘thank you’ while Castiel and the woman’s husband gave each other confused looks. 

The rest of the short journey to the ground floor was completed in silence. 

Dean knew they’d reached the bottom when he felt the soft thud of the carrier settling on the ground. 

As the doors opened and Castiel gestured for the woman and her husband to go ahead of them, the woman turned back to Dean with an amused glint in her eye. “Just be careful not to get divorced when it comes to putting together your new furniture.”

Dean couldn’t help but laugh out loud at that. There was no chance of that happening. No matter what, he had Castiel now and there was no way he was ever letting him go. 

-

A/N: I really love this one so I hope you did too! 

-

TAGS: @eccentriccas @starrynightdeancas @credentiast @imbiowaresbitch @starclaire @cockleslovesdestiel @bend-me-shape-me @destielfactory @dea-stiel @wendeano @wingsandimpalas @aggressivedean @flowersforcas @chill-legilimens @pancakesofthelord @caslikescoffeeandfreckles @assbuttboyfriends @breathingdestiel @simplymisha @thekingslover @aelysianmuse @2musiclover2 @cas-you-assbutt-dean-needs-you @50shadesofsubtext @destielle @carryoncastiel @winchester-novak @angelwithashotguun @misha-moose-dean-burger-lover @chaoticdean @jensenacklesruinedmylife @huckleberryhusbands 

(added a few people, let me know if you want to be removed - or if you enjoyed and want to be added, also let me know)

[allegedlyanandroid]

Pairing: Allen60 Prompt: Cold Types: Found Family, Fluff AU: Angels and Demons, Sixty as the little devil he is, and Allen just being human.

I am so late 😅 I wrote an entire thing before realising I hated every word of it and started over from scratch. Anyway... excuses aside, I hope you like it @yayen-chan <3 `(‾◡◝)´ 

“Okay, bookshelves first,” Allen mutters, following the intricate maze of arrows and concrete as he tries to navigate the local IKEA. “Or rugs. That works too,” he sighs when he glances up and finds himself in the wrong part of the store. Looking through the copious amounts of different rugs Allen rapidly finds himself overwhelmed. He tries reading a few of the ridiculously complicated names, stuttering over them when trying to read them out loud. “Ra- raskmol- mölle?”  

Giving up on the fifth time trying to pronounce it correctly Allen rolls the grey-and-black striped fabric up and tosses it on the cart, already dreading trying to find the rest of the items on his list. There’s only one really but when passing through the plant-section he stops to pick up a potted plant. The other one is beyond salvaging from lack of water. “Ilex, foreeneling? För-enlig. What are these names?”  

After another dead-end and some frustrated grumbling, he does find the bookshelf he needs. Honestly… this trip alone solidifies why he’s never getting a puppy. The one he took in to foster was a sweet thing but very demanding and unaware that he weighed quite a lot for a pup. He’d knocked Allen’s bookshelf over, thus breaking it, and also had an accident on his rug. If being petless meant never having to go here again then that’s a price he’s willing to pay. At least the shelter had found a family for him quickly and, while he did miss the little rascal, the puppy was undoubtedly in better hands.  

“Kallax, hemnes... gersby?”

Too caught up in his own head he doesn't notice the strange scent of warm brimstone and ash filtering through the air nor does he notice the young “man” standing behind him, a man who seemingly appeared out of thin air, until he hears the sound of a throat clearing. Allen jerks his head up from wrestling with the cardboard box and offers an apologetic smile over his shoulder. “I’ll be done in a minute.”

“Or, you could tell me why I’m here and spare me the mundane small talk you humans seem so obnoxiously fond of.”

“I’m sorry?”

The man squints. “You summoned me.”

Allen pauses to take a good look at the man. He’s tall with black, artistically tousled hair and endless amounts of freckles. A few moles are scattered across his skin and his brown eyes are filled with irritation. Dark jeans with a long-sleeved shirt tucked into it, a black overcoat ending at about mid-thigh and a purple scarf hanging unknotted around his neck. Allen thinks long and hard yet finds no recollection of ever seeing this man before in his life let alone speaking to him. “I have no idea who you are.”

“You-” the man pinches the bridge of his nose, inhales deeply and slowly let it out before starting again. “You read the incantation to evoke me and you what… didn’t even realise it?” he asks and receives nothing but a blank stare from Allen in return. “Ugh, humans.”

In the blink of an eye the man transforms. Horns curve with the shape of his skull, producing from close to his temples, before ending in sharp tips that blend in with his raven hair. A black tail is wrapped around his leg which ends with a jagged spear-like point. The tips of his fingers look like they’ve been dipped in charcoal, fading into dark grey about halfway up his fingers, with claw-like black nails top it all off. They tap against the metal shelf next to them as the demon slowly advances.  

Too shocked to move, Allen’s jaw is taken in a firm grip and when the demon smiles his teeth are pointed blades. “So… are you going to tell me what it is you want?”

“You can let go of my face for a start,” Allen says, adding a quick “thank you,” when the demon does as he’s told. “What’s your name?”

“You may call me Sixty.”

“Sixty,” Allen repeats. “No offence but I quite like having my soul intact. I’m sorry for dragging you from… whatever circle of hell you reside in, but I’m not interested in making any sort of deal with you.”

“Sucks to be you then because I’m not leaving until you do,” Sixty says and from his tone of voice alone Allen knows he’s a hundred percent serious.  

‘Fucking IKEA.’

-

“Really? You couldn’t have chosen to live somewhere a bit warmer?” Sixty asks with disdain, thankfully back to looking human. His feet sink into the four inches worth of snow dusting the ground and he can already feel the cold seeping in through the gaps in his clothing. “Or somewhere nicer in general.”

“No one’s forcing you to stay.”

“No one’s forcing you to live here.” A pause. “Or if they are, I am more than willing to kill them for you free of charge.”  

Allen sighs.

-

Having a demon for a housemate isn’t as bad as he thought it would be. Sixty mostly keeps to himself whenever he isn’t trying to get a rise out of him or complaining about the cold or putting things on tall shelves like the little shit he is. Until Sixty gets bored that is.

Because when Sixty gets bored trouble ensues.  

-

Emerging from his office after a long day of meetings to see his demonic housemate casually chatting with parts of his team in the breakroom is a bit out of left field and the sight of Sixty’s mischievous eyes boring into his own is enough to quicken his pace. “What are you doing here, Si- Silas?” he asks, forcing a smile on his face.

He hates how no one else can look past the innocent brown eyes and syrupy grin to see the smugness beneath. “I thought we were supposed to eat lunch together? Did you forget?”

“No, of course not,” Allen hastens to say, ignoring Willis and Clark’s knowing grins, as he wracks his brain for a response. “Though I distinctly remember asking you to wait outside.”

“It would have been rude of me to decline Julie’s offer of getting coffee,” Sixty replies and raises his mug as if to show it off.

“No need to be jealous, boss. We just wanted to get to know the guy better,” Julie says.

“Yeah, it’s not like we’ve ever seen you hang out with anyone outside of work apart from Reed,” Clark pipes up. “We got curious.”

“I’m not jealous!” Allen tries to defend himself, latching on to the word, but the agitated tone does nothing to help his case. Sixty smirking behind the rim of the coffee cup like a cat who got the cream isn’t helping to improve his mood either.

“You are the pettiest asshole I’ve ever had the unfortunate luck of meeting,” Allen says when they’re safely away from prying eyes.

Sixty snickers, knowing full well the amount of endless curiosity and ceaseless questions he’s unleashed on the human. “There’s an easy way to get rid of me.”

The fistful of snow he gets shoved in his face shouldn’t have come as a surprise.

By the time he manages to blink the melting snow out of his eyes Allen is too far away to retaliate, though that doesn’t stop Sixty from trying.  

-

Despite his best efforts Sixty’s irritation with being unceremoniously dragged into the mortal plane dissipates after the third week of staying with Allen. By the time he’s been there for a month and a half, Allen’s team have adopted him as one of their own and he would be lying if he said he wasn’t flattered. They genuinely care about his well-being and often invite him along on outings. As someone whose family is… overbearing, their light-hearted ribbing is a nice change of pace. Their easy dynamic is the very opposite of stifling. No one ever pries when he declines to answer a question. No one touches him after he made it clear he dislikes physical contact. No one quizzes him about his every movement.

It’s… nice.

The next team building exercise and subsequent photo op, proudly displayed on the communal fridge, includes him and Sixty doesn’t cry even a little bit upon seeing that.  

Not at all.

-

In the end, the shift in their relationship is near seamless ‒ from reluctant roommates to friends to something more.  

What hits him first is the metallic scent of fresh blood and Sixty is halfway across the room before he can even process rising to his feet. He gathers Allen up in his arms and leads him to sit down on one of the kitchen chairs. Part of his dark shirt is tacky with blood and Sixty feels no remorse when he shreds it to get it off as quickly as possible. Something, a bullet or knife, must have grazed his side. It’s bleeding sluggishly though it thankfully isn’t deep. Sixty takes the ruined shirt and presses it against the wound. “Keep putting pressure on it.”

Allen doesn’t answer and in the end he’s the one who has to move Allen’s hand to take over while he dashes to the bathroom for the medkit. Sixty plunks it down on the floor and fills a bowl of lukewarm water to put down beside it before fetching a clean towel. He kneels down between Allen’s legs and cleans meticulously around the area, noting the patches of skin where bruises are slowly forming. Swiping over the wound with antiseptic earns him a bitten-off hiss and Sixty puts a hand on Allen’s sternum to steady him after the first involuntary flinch.  

He keeps it there, soothed by feeling the steady thrum of Allen’s heartbeat beneath his fingertips, until he needs the use of both his hands. In its absence, Sixty’s tail comes up to wrap loosely around his thigh for comfort.  

Butterfly bandages instead of sutures, his tail instead of his hand. Allen doesn’t say a word about either choice though he is smiling down where they’re connected once Sixty chances a quick peek.

There’s nothing left for him to do after covering the wound with gauze, taping the edges down, yet Sixty finds himself lingering there regardless.  

It’s easy to trace around the gauze with the very tip of a claw and when he catches Allen’s dark eyes the urge to lean down to place a gentle kiss over it wins out. Allen sighs quietly and coaxes Sixty up to kiss him properly ‒ a chaste press of lips against lips followed by a sincere thank you.  

Sixty blushes and knocks his forehead against Allen’s, mindful of his horns, in a silent show of affection.

-

“Why haven’t you kissed me yet?”

“Because I literally stepped in the door a second ago?” Allen laughs and pulls Sixty in for a quick kiss.

“Excuses,” Sixty sniffs and steals another kiss, one that quickly devolves into a dozen pecks being pressed all over his face until Allen plants a last lingering one to his lips.

“I love you,” Allen says when they break apart for real.  

The shy smile spreading over Sixty’s lips is one he’ll never tire of seeing.

[pisati]

I don’t remember too much about my birthday last year, besides having to work and mom taking me out to the cat cafe and the brewery. but despite having a pandemic birthday it was actually pretty nice.

I finally got 3 days off in a row. I did tell my friend Cassidy that I’d help them take their stuff to the UPS store to ship it back to CA, but I honestly thought it would only take part of the day. I didn’t mind grabbing lunch and also staying for dinner, but I didn’t really want to have to be driving all over that part of the DC area all day. which was what happened. I didn’t end up getting home til 1am, and while I DID tell them I could help, it kind of felt like a wasted day. wasn’t really an off-day. BUT Cassidy did cover all my food, got me a lovely birthday cake, and gave me some coloring book-style postcards and a little stuffed brain cell. plus a literal fuckton of crafting supplies they didn’t feel like hauling back to CA. I asked how much they’d want for it; they did say I could just have it but seriously that haul has got to be worth at least $150. there were 6 bottles of resin/hardener and those ALONE have got to be worth $80 at a minimum. they said they’d just ask $40 and like... shit, sure. that’s a goddamn steal.

they also sold me their 4x4 ikea kallax shelf; I remember helping them put it together when they first moved to MD. we took it apart and I had my brother come over sunday to help me carry the pieces upstairs. then put it together entirely by myself, which... I probably shouldn’t have done? I made it work, but that shit is Heavy and also very difficult to put together on your own. even the manual says you should have two people. every muscle in my upper body is incredibly sore now, and I managed to bruise both arms in multiple places (not even doing anything seriously injurious, I’m just an overripe banana). but in making room for it in my living room I rearranged the couches, relocated all my yarn to the new shelf from my old craft shelves (and it took up 12/16 of the cubes 🙃), re-sorted and organized the remaining craft shelves, took the two 1x3 shelves up to the rats’ room (and now they’re being used as towel storage), and actually cleaned up my living room area. my dining room table is sewing-machine-free for the first time since march. I just moved it to the craft shelves, and now I actually have the room there for the machine to just sit. the accessories have their own shelf bin. 

mom wanted to do dinner sunday night instead of today, and I guess that was okay. but it didn’t leave me much down time since I spent all day cleaning and organizing. but it was nice anyway. I got home and mom had blown up some balloons, and she had RHCP playing all evening. I’d requested homemade mac & cheese rather than noodles & co this year, and she found a pretty good recipe. she also made a cinnamon sugar doughnut bundt cake, which was good, though maybe a little dry. but served with ice cream it was better. mom told me she had another piece today and it was more moist today somehow.

mom and my brother had ordered me a bunch of things off my crafting wishlist on amazon, and those had come in during the week. my brother ordered the animal keychain molds, a mica powder dye set, black/white alcohol inks, and a silicone mold kit. mom got me a coaster mold set, another resin/hardener set, and a bunch of the sandpaper with the different grits that I really needed. I was kind of surprised she’d ordered me more things, since she already got me the huge rat cage. and she even told me today I should be getting another coaster set tomorrow, this one with 4 of the same size; the other one she ordered had 4 or 5 round molds but they were all different sizes. I can still make coasters with them, but the biggest one is small-tray sized and the smallest one is like... coin-sized, honestly. it’s tiny. and I can only make one at a time, so a set of 4 of the same size would take 4 days at a bare minimum; longer than that possibly if I were doing layers that needed to cure first. so with a set of 4 I can whip up a whole set at once. 

mom’s boyfriend got me things too, which was super nice of him. they saved it for the dinner night, so I got to open it there. he got me a geode coaster mold, the set of animal butt shaker molds I put on my wishlist kind of as a joke, but also I thought they were silly and adorable. I’m so excited to make those little shakers. also got a set of 3 trinket box molds with molds for the lids, and a little bag of snake charms I’d added so I could use the charms for mold-making; I could make my own little snake charm earrings!

so yesterday was a long day. and then I slept like garbage and woke up early this morning, but I at least got a few things done before Charlotte came over. we planned on a lazy day but since I’d wanted to make yesterday my craft day and never got around to it, I wanted to do that today. Charlotte I guess didn’t have the same idea, but she’d brought her laptop so she could play this video game she and her brother and husband and so on had played together. we ordered five guys for lunch, which is always nice. she brought me homemade cinnamon sugar cupcakes, and gave me a hand mixer, a few bath bombs, and some face masks as a birthday gift. she was right, I really do need my own hand mixer, ha. 

I finally got to work on my silicone molds, and it was super messy. I didn’t realize how much worse it would be than resin. but I tried my best to mix it well. I’d accidentally bought a $25 kit at michael’s a few weeks ago, because I’d picked it up from a clearance section and wanted to price check but forgot and forgot it was in my basket when I checked out; didn’t even realize I’d bought it until I was already back in my car looking into the bag. oops. but I ended up using the whole thing. and I had planned to make a crochet hook mold, so I was excited to try it. mom gave me an old tennis ball can that I cut up, and I used hot glue to seal it and position the hooks. I felt SO bad that it used up almost all of the silicone kit my brother got me; that shit is NOT cheap. and I was terrified I didn’t stir it well enough or mix the parts well enough because that would’ve been such a waste. but I demolded it after the few hours’ cure time and it came out beautifully. I cut slits in it with an xacto knife, so that way I can at least coax the hooks out more easily when I go to demold. it did seem like kind of a waste of a lot of the silicone, since I didn’t use up all the space, but hopefully I can sell enough crochet hook sets that I can maybe buy myself more. I’m nervous about those pours, because they’re not going to be easy, but I’m also excited bc I have a gorgeous, usable mold, and I got a ton of resin for [almost] free that I can experiment with. 

after that I finally got around to some of the resin I’ve been meaning to do. my friend in PA requested some resin earrings; she’s bought so many masks off my etsy for herself and family that after this last order I offered her a resin or crochet thing at no charge. so I’ve got to do some moon earrings; too bad I don’t have more than one moon mold. also my brother babysat some kids the last few weeks of summer and he’d taken them out to gather wildflowers for me to put into resin, so I offered to make them little resin keychains. I got little transparent letter stickers, and I’m super glad they worked as well as they did; the transparent stickers don’t show their borders in the resin so it almost looks like the letters are printed in it. I decided to make letter keychains with each of their initials, and I spelled their names with stickers in the letters. for the girl’s keychain, I added some of the flowers. I’m not sure what to put in the boys’ keychains quite yet. I’m told they’re harry potter fans, so maybe I’ll do some kind of transparent blue with gold glitter or maybe star glitter or something. I also had leftover colored resin from the moon mold so I added them to the J for my mom. nothing like the scramble for appropriately-sized molds when you’ve got extra resin. I also made another set of cat earrings, and I’ll see how those end up. I tried a drop of gold alcohol ink, and hopefully the white helped it sink. otherwise I’ve just got some weird looking cat earrings. 

(update, they turned out weird. gold doesn’t sink :/)

---

I wasn’t quite ready to go back to work today. I had a pretty good weekend, all said. don’t get me wrong, I enjoy what I do. but I feel like I need another gap year. I just want to stop existing for a while. stop having to go out and be around other people. having to talk to other people, all day almost every day. I’m tired. my brain is tired. my last gap year didn’t help with that, so I’m not sure how much good another one would do me. but I just... I need a damn break. 

I have another therapy appointment tomorrow. it may end up being my last one for a while. I already can’t really afford the copay, and I’m switching insurance to one she doesn’t take. my credit card bill this month is incredibly painful. not going to be too upset at not having to spend almost $100 a week to just ramble to someone I barely know. she’s pointed out a few things to me that I didn’t really notice I do, which is nice. but is it worth $400 a month? not right now. not when I’m about to lose my insurance and have to pay for my own. my rent is already half my pay, and now I’m going take a pay cut of somewhere around $100 a month for fucking health insurance. I hate this. I fucking hate the concept of health insurance. insurance in and of itself isn’t bad; property insurance is helpful. but having to pay money for other people to pay money for your healthcare? and you still have to hit a deductible somewhere in the thousands before insurance will even start covering your shit. and even then they can decline coverage or only cover parts of your expenses. literally what is the point

 back to worrying I guess. 

I’ve started a kind of ridiculous undertaking at work as a side project, now that I’m done scanning all the files that were up front. I printed out the list of all the clients in our system that had physical folders, and I’m going through the scanned records and making sure the active ones have new client paperwork and the hours disclosure attached. the head receptionist asked me to start with the ones my former coworker had scanned in, and there are a lot of disclosures missing. some are missing both. I don’t know if he just didn’t scan them or if they didn’t have them at all or what. but I’ve been putting alerts in charts so people know that they need to give the forms to the clients when they come in. we had one client get kind of mad that he’s been coming to us for 10-some years and didn’t want to fill out the paperwork again, even after we clarified it was for our records and for legal reasons. but whatever. 

I don’t know how many physical folders there were, but the list is very long. the folders go from 0 to somewhere in the 8000s I believe, but thankfully a lot are missing. missing as in possibly inactive, so there might only actually be 1000-2000 or so. but I’m going through every single one of them. I made myself a little system with highlighter colors: yellow means the client is active and they need something filled out (and I mark on the sheet what they need), purple means they’ve been seen within 3 years but more than 1 year ago, and they need to fill out something, pink mens inactive, and orange is kind of a catch-all for things like active clients who have recently moved (not sure whether to mark those as inactive). so far, since starting this a week or so ago, I’ve managed to get through 4 pages and a little bit on a 5th. many, many more to go.

the head vet wants to turn the back room into a little employee lounge area of some sort, but we want to get rid of those shelves first too. which means I have 2 big shelves of folders left before I’m officially done. thankfully the files in the back should *mostly* be clients that are inactive, but I still have to go through all of them to make sure. I know I’ve gone back there a number of times to find a folder for an active client because I wasn’t sure whose phone number was whose and I knew it would be in the record. 

---

I’ve been writing this post over the last two nights but I keep falling asleep while I’m writing. I did a lot more resin stuff last night, so I ended up going to bed pretty late. I wanted to finish up those keychains but I’m bad at gauging how much resin I’ll need for things so I ended up with a lot of random extra pours. I’m excited about a few of them; I poured a few into the new molds I made so I’m looking forward to seeing how those turn out. 

not really sure where I was going with this. not really sure where I’m going in general. I’m just going. trying to keep up with work, trying to remember doctor appointments. trying to keep the rats happy and as healthy as I can get them, trying not to let the cat get on my nerves too much. trying to do crafts. trying to remember to talk to people, but I don’t know. I feel lonely sometimes but since I’ve been working so much I kind of just want to be alone. I don’t have the energy for conversations a lot of the time. 

---

hm. maybe another post for therapy thoughts. I was asked to think about a few things.

[morrisbrokaw]

12 Stylish IKEA Hacks That’ll Make You Feel Like a Pro

If you’ve been following Wit & Delight for any amount of time you probably know that myself and the entire W&D team has quite the love affair (or more appropriately, obsession) with IKEA. It seems we are always there buying new items for the studio, preparing for our latest photo shoot, or taking a stab at the hottest IKEA hack. I’ve gotten so good at putting IKEA furniture together, in fact, that I’ve come to actually enjoy the process. You’ve got to power through a lot of hours of furniture assembly to reach that level of crazy, trust me.

If you’re as crazy as we are for IKEA, you might be interested in trying your hand at any of our favorite recent projects. Our team put together 12 of the most stylish IKEA DIY upgrades for you to try. These are all so easy that upon completion, you will feel like a pro. What home decor projects are you tackling at your house lately, I would love to hear!

1. (above) Retro cabinet // Perhaps our favorite IKEA upgrade is this retro-inspired cabinet from Domino. The stunning color palette and style make it easy to integrate into any room. Switch up the paint colors to suit your taste and you’re good to go!

2. A fresh coat of paint // There’s really nothing a good paint color can’t fix! Give a simplistic bed frame a makeover with a pretty shade of green.

3. Cardboard play sets // Furniture isn’t the only thing that can be upgraded from IKEA. Ever have a pile of their cardboard boxes in your home after a weekend of putting everything together? Try turning some of those into fun cardboard toys.

4. Midcentury modern shelving // This is one you can do in an afternoon! The classic Kallax gets a mid-century modern update with the easy addition of some legs.

5. Dresser-drawer combo // Think outside the IKEA box when considering a renovation. This upgrade combines pieces to create the perfect combo for a little girl’s room. The leather pulls make it even more chic.

6. Splattered plates // Remember that coat of paint? Splatter it! These food-safe party plates are the perfect mix of style and fun.

7. Floating credenza // Extra storage always comes at the price of floor space– not in this one! This floating credenza adds space for extra linens or reading materials and also looks great.

8. Office desk with the prettiest legs // Desk legs can make all the difference on an IKEA desk. They can make a $50 desk look like a million bucks. The best part? This IKEA upgrade will take you less than an hour.

9. Leather-handled dresser // Little leather details are some of the most eye-catching additions to simple pieces. This dresser is an easy upgrade that can go anywhere in your home.

10. Toddler learning tower // Tiny hands always wanting to help around the kitchen? Let them! And give them their very own space. This learning tower keeps them safe and at eye-level with their workspace.

11. Hanging entryway baskets // Looking for a 5 minute IKEA upgrade? Move your usual storage baskets from the floor to some hooks. Add some chalk labels and you’ll be the most organized house on the block.

12. New cabinet fronts // We can’t talk enough about our Reform cabinet fronts in the studio! They’re easy enough to install and are a total game-changer. No one would ever guess they were from IKEA.

–

Images courtesy of linked sources

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[statusreview]

#48: The Not-So-Peachy Parts Of Our Beach House Renovation

Making over our beach house isn’t all rainbows and unicorns and pink siding. So this week we’re diving into a few tasks that have been especially stressful – and we’re sharing one thing we did to calm our nerves (and remind ourselves why we’re doing all of this in the first place). We also get some pro tips from the Clean Mama herself for keeping a house more tidy and organized (including the best tools and tricks that she uses on her own home). Plus we’re sharing the Instagram account that surprised John, the outdoor updates Sherry has been eyeing, and we test our expertise in all things Ikea. 

You can download this episode from iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos that we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you might have to click through to the post to see the player.

What’s New

The pic above is from our day trip to Cape Charles, VA where we got to relieve some of our recent beach house renovation stress. One of the reasons we fell in love with this beach is how calm and shallow it is (you can see how far out those other people are and it’s still just shin-height). And when the water goes out, the kids love finding snails and sand crabs in the little tide pools.

Since we promised a sneak peek at some of the items we had to finalize recently for the beach house, here ya go. We’re trying to be mindful about where we save and where we splurge, and the upstairs hall bath is getting a couple of splurges that we’re psyched about. It can accommodate the largest vanity of all of the bathrooms, so we got this stunner (that includes the marble top) which will pair nicely with this blue wall tile for the shower.

shower image source

Meanwhile, we’re saving in the master by going with an old school classic floor to complement the clawfoot tub that we’re restoring in there. We’re going to use this standard hex pattern, but swap the black tiles out for light blue hexes as we lay each square. We think it’ll look playful and beachy yet also kinda classic with a nod to the age of the house (penny tile is always a good bet in a house that’s 100 years old).

Update (Sort Of)

If you need some backstory on our whole “Family Yearbook” tradition, you can find it in this post

And if you want to read more of the feedback we got about a MyPublisher replacement, here’s the Instagram post and the Facebook post that we mentioned – thanks to the 600+ people who weighed in with preferences and suggestions!

Here are what seemed to be the two top recommendations: Blurb and Mixbook (Shutterfly was also mentioned a ton, but also garnered a lot of negative feedback, so it was definitely polarizing). Our final choice is still TBD!

What’s Not

Here’s Apartment Therapy’s list of IKEA’s 10 Best-Selling Items

And here are some of the Ikea items in our house that we mentioned (and some we forgot to mention):

Wood-wrapped Expedit in our son’s room (now called the Kallax)

White planters that we love for real (and not-so-real) plants

White duvet in our bedroom

The big metal shelves in our office (also seen above in that Family Yearbook photo)

The mega-sofa and cabinets in our bonus room (as well as the now-discontinued sofa in our living room)

The cabinets in our laundry room and the built-ins in our bonus room 

Clean Mama

You can check out Becky’s website at CleanMama.net  – including these free cleaning printables and recipes for DIY cleaners. You can also pick up her new book, Simply Clean.

Here are more of her tips on picking the right vacuum for you, including her personal favorite: the Miele Dynamic U1 Cat & Dog Upright

And here’s one of those microfiber dusters she swears by (goodbye feather duster!) and she even sells her own microfiber cleaning accessories

This is her blog post about cleaning your mattress with baking soda

And if you missed our previous cleaning episode with Melissa Maker that we referenced a few times, you can catch it below (Episode #39)

We’re Digging

Above are some of the items we’re eyeing to get the kids outside more this summer: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

Amazon even sells straps like these to help secure these items over a large tree branch.

And behold, Sky Island

We talked more about that book we mentioned again (Simplicity Parenting) in Episode #45 in case you missed it

Here’s our neighbor’s fast-growing Instagram slime account if you want to jump on the bandwagon like me. The video below is the one that has wracked up over 1.6 million views!

And here are some other good accounts / hashtags to find more #satisfying #soothing #calming videos (FYI, watch enough of these and your explore page will suddenly be overrun with more options!)

@sam_cik and #printmaking

@sand.tagious and #kineticsand

@seblester and #calligraphy

@annettelabedski and #mixingpaint

A post shared by ??Surfslimeco?? (@surfslimeco) on Apr 26, 2017 at 4:41am PDT

Also, if you’re looking for something we’ve dug in a past episode, but don’t remember which show notes to click into, here’s a master list of everything we’ve been digging from all of our past episodes.

And lastly, a big thank you to Modsy for sponsoring this episode. Visit Modsy.com/YHL to see our home office reimagined as a modern living room (their computer renderings are crazy realistic – and it’s so helpful to see everything to scale). And don’t forget to use code YHL20 to get 20% off your first Modsy room.

Thanks for listening, guys!

*This post contains affiliate links*

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#48: The Not-So-Peachy Parts Of Our Beach House Renovation http://ift.tt/2qhldXk

Making over our beach house isn’t all rainbows and unicorns and pink siding. So this week we’re diving into a few tasks that have been especially stressful – and we’re sharing one thing we did to calm our nerves (and remind ourselves why we’re doing all of this in the first place). We also get some pro tips from the Clean Mama herself for keeping a house more tidy and organized (including the best tools and tricks that she uses on her own home). Plus we’re sharing the Instagram account that surprised John, the outdoor updates Sherry has been eyeing, and we test our expertise in all things Ikea. 

You can download this episode from iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos that we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you might have to click through to the post to see the player.

What’s New

The pic above is from our day trip to Cape Charles, VA where we got to relieve some of our recent beach house renovation stress. One of the reasons we fell in love with this beach is how calm and shallow it is (you can see how far out those other people are and it’s still just shin-height). And when the water goes out, the kids love finding snails and sand crabs in the little tide pools.

Since we promised a sneak peek at some of the items we had to finalize recently for the beach house, here ya go. We’re trying to be mindful about where we save and where we splurge, and the upstairs hall bath is getting a couple of splurges that we’re psyched about. It can accommodate the largest vanity of all of the bathrooms, so we got this stunner (that includes the marble top) which will pair nicely with this blue wall tile for the shower.

shower image source

Meanwhile, we’re saving in the master by going with an old school classic floor to complement the clawfoot tub that we’re restoring in there. We’re going to use this standard hex pattern, but swap the black tiles out for light blue hexes as we lay each square. We think it’ll look playful and beachy yet also kinda classic with a nod to the age of the house (penny tile is always a good bet in a house that’s 100 years old).

Update (Sort Of)

If you need some backstory on our whole “Family Yearbook” tradition, you can find it in this post

And if you want to read more of the feedback we got about a MyPublisher replacement, here’s the Instagram post and the Facebook post that we mentioned – thanks to the 600+ people who weighed in with preferences and suggestions!

Here are what seemed to be the two top recommendations: Blurb and Mixbook (Shutterfly was also mentioned a ton, but also garnered a lot of negative feedback, so it was definitely polarizing). Our final choice is still TBD!

What’s Not

Here’s Apartment Therapy’s list of IKEA’s 10 Best-Selling Items

And here are some of the Ikea items in our house that we mentioned (and some we forgot to mention):

Wood-wrapped Expedit in our son’s room (now called the Kallax)

White planters that we love for real (and not-so-real) plants

White duvet in our bedroom

The big metal shelves in our office (also seen above in that Family Yearbook photo)

The mega-sofa and cabinets in our bonus room (as well as the now-discontinued sofa in our living room)

The cabinets in our laundry room and the built-ins in our bonus room 

Clean Mama

You can check out Becky’s website at CleanMama.net  – including these free cleaning printables and recipes for DIY cleaners. You can also pick up her new book, Simply Clean.

Here are more of her tips on picking the right vacuum for you, including her personal favorite: the Miele Dynamic U1 Cat & Dog Upright

And here’s one of those microfiber dusters she swears by (goodbye feather duster!) and she even sells her own microfiber cleaning accessories

This is her blog post about cleaning your mattress with baking soda

And if you missed our previous cleaning episode with Melissa Maker that we referenced a few times, you can catch it below (Episode #39)

We’re Digging

Above are some of the items we’re eyeing to get the kids outside more this summer: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

Amazon even sells straps like these to help secure these items over a large tree branch.

And behold, Sky Island

We talked more about that book we mentioned again (Simplicity Parenting) in Episode #45 in case you missed it

Here’s our neighbor’s fast-growing Instagram slime account if you want to jump on the bandwagon like me. The video below is the one that has wracked up over 1.6 million views!

And here are some other good accounts / hashtags to find more #satisfying #soothing #calming videos (FYI, watch enough of these and your explore page will suddenly be overrun with more options!)

@sam_cik and #printmaking

@sand.tagious and #kineticsand

@seblester and #calligraphy

@annettelabedski and #mixingpaint

A post shared by ??Surfslimeco?? (@surfslimeco) on Apr 26, 2017 at 4:41am PDT

Also, if you’re looking for something we’ve dug in a past episode, but don’t remember which show notes to click into, here’s a master list of everything we’ve been digging from all of our past episodes.

And lastly, a big thank you to Modsy for sponsoring this episode. Visit Modsy.com/YHL to see our home office reimagined as a modern living room (their computer renderings are crazy realistic – and it’s so helpful to see everything to scale). And don’t forget to use code YHL20 to get 20% off your first Modsy room.

Thanks for listening, guys!

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post #48: The Not-So-Peachy Parts Of Our Beach House Renovation appeared first on Young House Love.

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#48: The Not-So-Peachy Parts Of Our Beach House Renovation

Making over our beach house isn’t all rainbows and unicorns and pink siding. So this week we’re diving into a few tasks that have been especially stressful – and we’re sharing one thing we did to calm our nerves (and remind ourselves why we’re doing all of this in the first place). We also get some pro tips from the Clean Mama herself for keeping a house more tidy and organized (including the best tools and tricks that she uses on her own home). Plus we’re sharing the Instagram account that surprised John, the outdoor updates Sherry has been eyeing, and we test our expertise in all things Ikea. 

You can download this episode from iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos that we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you might have to click through to the post to see the player.

What’s New

The pic above is from our day trip to Cape Charles, VA where we got to relieve some of our recent beach house renovation stress. One of the reasons we fell in love with this beach is how calm and shallow it is (you can see how far out those other people are and it’s still just shin-height). And when the water goes out, the kids love finding snails and sand crabs in the little tide pools.

Since we promised a sneak peek at some of the items we had to finalize recently for the beach house, here ya go. We’re trying to be mindful about where we save and where we splurge, and the upstairs hall bath is getting a couple of splurges that we’re psyched about. It can accommodate the largest vanity of all of the bathrooms, so we got this stunner (that includes the marble top) which will pair nicely with this blue wall tile for the shower.

shower image source

Meanwhile, we’re saving in the master by going with an old school classic floor to complement the clawfoot tub that we’re restoring in there. We’re going to use this standard hex pattern, but swap the black tiles out for light blue hexes as we lay each square. We think it’ll look playful and beachy yet also kinda classic with a nod to the age of the house (penny tile is always a good bet in a house that’s 100 years old).

Update (Sort Of)

If you need some backstory on our whole “Family Yearbook” tradition, you can find it in this post

And if you want to read more of the feedback we got about a MyPublisher replacement, here’s the Instagram post and the Facebook post that we mentioned – thanks to the 600+ people who weighed in with preferences and suggestions!

Here are what seemed to be the two top recommendations: Blurb and Mixbook (Shutterfly was also mentioned a ton, but also garnered a lot of negative feedback, so it was definitely polarizing). Our final choice is still TBD!

What’s Not

Here’s Apartment Therapy’s list of IKEA’s 10 Best-Selling Items

And here are some of the Ikea items in our house that we mentioned (and some we forgot to mention):

Wood-wrapped Expedit in our son’s room (now called the Kallax)

White planters that we love for real (and not-so-real) plants

White duvet in our bedroom

The big metal shelves in our office (also seen above in that Family Yearbook photo)

The mega-sofa and cabinets in our bonus room (as well as the now-discontinued sofa in our living room)

The cabinets in our laundry room and the built-ins in our bonus room 

Clean Mama

You can check out Becky’s website at CleanMama.net  – including these free cleaning printables and recipes for DIY cleaners. You can also pick up her new book, Simply Clean.

Here are more of her tips on picking the right vacuum for you, including her personal favorite: the Miele Dynamic U1 Cat & Dog Upright

And here’s one of those microfiber dusters she swears by (goodbye feather duster!) and she even sells her own microfiber cleaning accessories

This is her blog post about cleaning your mattress with baking soda

And if you missed our previous cleaning episode with Melissa Maker that we referenced a few times, you can catch it below (Episode #39)

We’re Digging

Above are some of the items we’re eyeing to get the kids outside more this summer: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

Amazon even sells straps like these to help secure these items over a large tree branch.

And behold, Sky Island

We talked more about that book we mentioned again (Simplicity Parenting) in Episode #45 in case you missed it

Here’s our neighbor’s fast-growing Instagram slime account if you want to jump on the bandwagon like me. The video below is the one that has wracked up over 1.6 million views!

And here are some other good accounts / hashtags to find more #satisfying #soothing #calming videos (FYI, watch enough of these and your explore page will suddenly be overrun with more options!)

@sam_cik and #printmaking

@sand.tagious and #kineticsand

@seblester and #calligraphy

@annettelabedski and #mixingpaint

A post shared by ??Surfslimeco?? (@surfslimeco) on Apr 26, 2017 at 4:41am PDT

Also, if you’re looking for something we’ve dug in a past episode, but don’t remember which show notes to click into, here’s a master list of everything we’ve been digging from all of our past episodes.

And lastly, a big thank you to Modsy for sponsoring this episode. Visit Modsy.com/YHL to see our home office reimagined as a modern living room (their computer renderings are crazy realistic – and it’s so helpful to see everything to scale). And don’t forget to use code YHL20 to get 20% off your first Modsy room.

Thanks for listening, guys!

*This post contains affiliate links*

The post #48: The Not-So-Peachy Parts Of Our Beach House Renovation appeared first on Young House Love.

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