Decoupage Easter Eggs

We’re just a few days away from Easter, but there is still time to squeeze in an easy Easter craft! A few days ago I made these decoupage Easter eggs, which I plan to reuse in my Easter décor for years to come.

To get started you will need:

  • either plain papier mache or wooden eggs from the craft store.
  • a decorative napkin with a spring-like design
  • Mod Podge
  • white paint
  • foam brushes
  • paper plates
  • wax paper

First you will want to cover your work surface with wax paper. This will protect your surface from being damaged from glue and paint, but it will also give you a place to rest your eggs or brushes if you need – they won’t stick to the wax paper if they dry there.

Next, you will want to give all of your brown papier mache (or wooden) eggs a base coat of white paint. Be sure to let them dry completely before moving on. While your eggs are drying, separate your napkins. Mine were three layers, but I only need to use the top layer with the graphics on it. After you have separated your napkins, cut or tear them into smaller pieces. Don’t worry about what the edges look like. Once your eggs are completely finished you will not see the edges.

After your painted eggs have completely dried, begin applying Mod Podge to the egg. Place pieces of napkin on top of the Mod Podge, smoothing them down and pressing the wrinkles out as you go. Once your eggs are completely covered in pieces of napkin, apply a top coat layer of Mod Podge to seal everything in place. Once they are dried, you have Easter décor to enjoy for years to come!

Here’s a one minute video to show you how to create your decoupage Easter eggs!

I’d love to see your decoupage eggs! Be sure to tag me on Instagram @ BelleAntiquarian!

Abby Smolarsky2 Comments

Style It Saturdays March 27, 2021

Hi, Friends! I’d like to introduce you to a little programming change. 😉 You may remember that I did a series of blog posts last fall titled, Wear it Wednesdays. In an attempt to streamline my posts a little bit and organize them for you to find easier, I am planning to do just one weekly post instead. Style it Saturdays will be a round up where I feature all of the outfits from the week before. So today will be our very first weekly Style it Saturdays!

To begin, one of my favorite pieces in my own wardrobe is my chambray shirt dress. It’s a class wardrobe staple that won’t go out of style. In the photo below you can see some ways that I suggest styling a chambray dress. You could also style it wearing some leggings underneath it with ballet flats. The possibilities are endless. You can find all of the commissionable links for each of the pieces in the photo on my LiketoKnow.it. You can either click HERE or click on the photo to find them.

Click the photo to shop for these exact pieces.

The next dress that I want to show you is one that I consider to be the perfect traveling dress. It travels very well in a suitcase and can be mixed and matched to create multiple outfits. In addition to the ways that I’ve suggested to style it below, you could also add a button-up shirt over it, tied in a knot at the waist. Click HERE or click on the picture for commissionable links.

Click the photo to shop for these exact pieces.

The dress below is one that I think you could wear 3 seasons of the year. An army green field jacket over the top would allow you to wear it in spring or fall. Some leather knee boots would look great with it as well. Click on the photo below, or click HERE for commissionable links.

Click the photo to shop for these exact pieces.

I want to show you how versatile the jeans are below. You can create a sporty look with the sneaker and tank, or you can create more of a flirty, boho look with the pieces on the right. Click HERE or click the photo below for links.

Click the photo to shop for these exact pieces.

The outfit below is my favorite from this week. This dress is cut to perfectly flatter a woman’s figure. I love adding accessories in complementary colors, so this pop of orange works well here. It’s just a happy spring/summer outfit! Click HERE or click the photo below for the commissionable links.

Click the photo to shop for these exact pieces.

And finally, who isn’t ready for some warm weather to dine on a patio? Click HERE or click the photo below for the commissionable links.

Click the photo to shop for these exact pieces.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our first Style it Saturdays! Until next time!

Abby SmolarskyLeave a comment
Easter entry table decor

Spring and Easter Decor

Good Friday is one week from today, so I thought I would share a few ways that I’ve added some little touches of Spring and Easter around our home.

If you follow me on Instagram, you may recognize this oversized glass lantern from one of my Thrifty Thursday trips. It was $6, and I knew that it would be a perfect vase for oversized flowers like these Larkspur and Aster, as well as some Gladiolus later in the season.

I’m really trying to be intentional about not having bins and bins of seasonal decor. (I only have one bin for Easter!) Flowers can make your home feel special for Easter without adding a lot of clutter. This is true for any holiday, as long as you use flowers that are in season.

And, of course, my trusty sidekicks are never too far away when I am arranging flowers. 🙂

A few little touches on our mantel…

On our entry table I used some of my jadeite and white milk glass pieces. Using them together with the dried grass and eggs makes them feel very spring-like. Everything in the photo above has been linked on my LiketoKnow.it commissionable links. You can click HERE or click on the photo above to access the links.

Another view of my jadeite and milk glass Fire King pieces. Have you decorated your home for Easter?

Abby SmolarskyLeave a comment
Easter Basket Gift ideas for Teens

Teen Easter Basket Gift Guides

I’ve put together two teen Easter basket gift guides for you. Our 16 and 19 year olds gave me some great recommendations to share. Shopping for teens can be tricky, so we’ve taken all of the guess work out. You can find each of these gift guides over on my LiketoKnow.it page with commissionable links to everything you need for your favorite teen’s Easter basket.

Click HERE (or click on the picture below) to access our Teen Boy Easter Basket Gift Guide

Click HERE (or click on the picture below) to access our Teen Girl Easter Basket Gift Guide. Our daughter recommends the small kitchen appliance that you see. She thinks other teen girls would also enjoy using it!

I’d love to hear if you have any other teen Easter recommendations. Let me know in the comments below!

Abby SmolarskyLeave a comment

Blue and White Easter Decor

Blue and white remains a timeless color scheme for traditional interior design and decor. With today’s rising popularity of Chinoiserie Chic and Grandmillenial design styles, blue and white endures with younger and older generations alike.

Today I have rounded up some beautiful blue and white inspired items available for spaces at Easter, some even year-round. Each of these is available through my curated commissionable links on LiketoKnow.it. Please follow me there for more decor inspiration and ideas. You can find each of these curated items HERE.

Abby SmolarskyLeave a comment

Leather Pants Outfit Ideas

Did you see these vegan leather pants on my Valentine’s Date Night Outfit Ideas post? Today I want to show you three different ways you can style them. Below is the original outfit that I showed. You could even wear this to the office – maybe with a blazer, too!

What I love most about these vegan leather pants is that they are cut like a trouser. A lot of vegan leather pants I have seen in outfits lately are leggings. These take it up a notch and become appropriate for more situations. You can click on any picture in this post to go directly to my Like to Know.it where you can find commissionable links to every piece shown!

And here is how the outfit looks on me! This shirt is very flattering. It has little shoulder pads sewn in, and along with the cut of the fabric on the arms, it creates the most feminine little puff sleeve. And I can’t leave out these leopard pumps. Leopard is my favorite neutral! I don’t know what it is about this brand of shoes, but they fit my feet so well. The last time I checked there were only a few sizes left on the shoes. In fact, I had to try several times before I was able to get some in my online cart. But because I know the brand fits me so well, I kept trying! You can click HERE to find the commissionable links for this outfit. (I’m wearing a small in the shirt and a 4 in the pants. I’m 5’4 for length reference – these are 28″ inseam.)

Here’s another way to style these vegan leather pants! Don’t you love how the red just pops! Same brand of shoes that I love as the leopard ones above. This exact shirt is a few years old from H&M, but I have linked a similar one that would work perfectly, as well as the exact shoes and purse HERE.

Okay, this final look with the vegan leather pants is definitely reserved for date night! This shirt has a lacy, sweetheart neckline that is a little risqué for the office, but your honey would TOTALLY appreciate it on a night out. 😉 (I’m wearing a small in the shirt.) Find the links HERE.

Which one of these looks do you like best? I like them all – I’m trying to decide which one to wear on Valentine’s Day!

Abby SmolarskyLeave a comment

Pink Blazer Outfit ideas

Hi, friends!

As a follow up to my post last week with some outfit ideas for your Valentine’s Day, I want to show you several ways this adorable pink blazer can be styled. Below are the pieces as I put them together for a Valentine’s date, but this would work well for the office, too!

I’ve said multiple times that these are the most comfortable black pumps that I own. And the internet agrees too, because they’ve sold out multiple times. You can click on the picture above and it will take you to my Like to Know.it account where you can find the commissionable link to these shoes.

And here is what the outfit looks like on me. What I love most about this blazer is that it is cut and fitted to be flattering on women. The quality feels well-made, but it is less than $40. Don’t let the sizing reviews scare you. The store re-made the sizing. I went with my normal size Small, and it fits perfectly. Below are a few more outfit ideas with this same blazer.

Here is another way to style it that can work for both a date night and a day at the office – maybe on casual Friday since I’m wearing jeans. This is my favorite look with this blazer. All of the pieces I am wearing in this look can be found on my Like to Know. it commissionable links by either clicking on the picture, or by clicking HERE.

In this last look I am wearing a classic jean skirt with a white T. There aren’t many sizes left in the skirt, but if you are able to snag one I recommend sizing down one size. I went with a 26 instead of my normal 27. I love, love, LOVE this v-neck because it is not see-through. Does anyone else get tired of wearing 2 shirts because so many shirts are see-through? Click the picture or click HERE to find all of the pieces on my Like to Know.it.

So which look is your favorite? There are so many ways to style this blazer – it’s a must have!

Abby SmolarskyLeave a comment

Valentine’s Outfit Ideas

Ken has made us a Valentine’s reservation at our favorite Italian restaurant, and I can’t wait! I know with restrictions and lockdowns in place, you may not have the option to have a nice dinner out for Valentine’s Day. But one of the easiest ways to make your quiet dinner in more special is to find a special outfit to wear.

I’ve come up with four different outfit options over on my LIKEtoKNOW.it page. The thing I love most about the pieces in all 4 outfits is that they are classic and versatile. They can be mixed and matched with all kinds of outfits throughout the year. Take a look HERE!

This look above is the one I’m most excited about. There are raving reviews on all of these pieces, so I know you’re going to love them.

This look will take you from work and then out to dinner. I have to say these pumps are my favorite. They are the most comfortable heels I own.

Such a sweet outfit! It’s hard to tell from this picture, but this black top has the sweetest neckline detail. Be sure to click to see more pictures.

Again, hard to tell from the picture…but this dress has a sweetheart neckline that is flattering on all body types. The reviews for it say how nice the fabric quality is.

I can’t wait to show you which look I’m going with. But I really can’t wait to enjoy a nice dinner with my sweetie on Valentine’s Day!

All outfits linked (commissionable links) on my LIKEtoKNOW.it page!

Abby SmolarskyLeave a comment

Valentine’s Day Table Setting

Yes, I know. It’s still January. But let me explain!

Our high schooler’s school district decided to move to digital school only this week. They’ve said it’s for one week only, so we are hopeful that next week will be back to normal. Until this point she’s been going to school in-person (we had a choice at the beginning of the school year), so this is not something we were necessarily thrilled about. Digital is not the best fit for us, but I’ve decided to do some little things this week to make it more enjoyable.

Yesterday on my way home from the gym I stopped and got her Chick fil-A for lunch. We don’t eat fast food often, only a handful of times a year, so this was a big treat. And today I decided to make breakfast a little more special.

I mean, DONUTS…yum! The tablecloth I used is one that I bought when we were in Greece a few years ago. The little Pyrex dish is one that I found on a Thrifty Thursday. (Are you following my Thrifty Thursdays on Instagram yet?) The “vases” are recycled cold pressed juice bottles. I also used lots of other little Valentine’s touches to make it a special meal just for the two of us. Talk about elevating the average Wednesday breakfast!!

Most of the Valentine’s items I used are linked on my Like to Know.it page. These plates were only $2.39, and I think they were SO worth it. To find them and everything else I’ve linked for you, click HERE.

Influencers using Like to Know.it make a very tiny commission on anything you buy from their links. (Less than 19 cents from a placemat, for example.) It takes a bit of time to source, link, and photograph everything, so your support from shopping my links is GREATLY appreciated. 🙂

To follow me on Like to know.it, find me HERE.

Abby Smolarsky1 Comment

Valentine’s Gift Ideas

Hello, friends!

I recently took a poll on my Instagram page, and almost everyone said they give Valentine’s gifts to their family members. I’ve rounded up a few ideas over on my Like To Know It page, just in case you are struggling to think of the perfect gift. I’ve done Valentine’s gift guides for teen girls, teen guys, ladies, and men. I haven’t done a younger kids gift guide because we don’t have younger kids at the moment, and I only want to recommend things they’d actually want. (Our teens recommend these gifts, and so do we!)

To find links to all of these things, you can either click HERE to shop from my page on Like to Know It, or if you have downloaded the LTK.it app you can screenshot these pictures. LTK influencers receive a small commission if you buy through a link, but at no additional cost to you – prices stay the same.

Fun ideas for a teen girl’s Valentine’s Day – things she can use any day of the year!

Fun gift ideas for a teen boy, but if we’re being honest, lots of grown men would also like this stuff. Exploding Kittens is one of our favorite family card games. I promise no kittens are actually harmed.

Most of the items on the Valentine’s gift guide for men check off the want/need boxes. You can’t go wrong with these gifts!

Lots of things on the Valentine’s gift guide for ladies that will pamper her and make her feel special. If you haven’t slept under a weighted blanket, you don’t know the luxury you’re missing!

Links to all of these fabulous gifts can be found HERE!

Abby SmolarskyLeave a comment