Make It: Marble Tray

Go ahead and file this DIY under "smallest effort, biggest impact." For all DIY novices out there, this one is for you. Break out your gluing skills from elementary school because that's all this little wonder takes! Despite the fact that this DIY is foolproof, it's seriously a favorite because 1) it's marble 2) I love trays. Basically every room in your house should have a tray! They keep things looking neat and organized by keeping items "in place." Like, say, on your coffee table. Your stack of books, trinkets, TV remote, coasters, and other things are scattered across your coffee table looking a little messy. Just by arranging those items in a tray, your coffee table looks put together and intentional. 

If you want to see how I did it, read on for the full tutorial.

Supplies:
Kitchen knobs of your choosing - Home Depot, $16 for two
Marble tile - Home Depot, $4
Gorilla glue - Home Depot
Gold spray paint - Home Depot, $4
Total $24

Home Depot had a couple different options for marble tiles. I originally saw the Carrara Marble which was a little thinner slab and shaped as a rectangle instead of a square. The tile I chose is Calacatta Marble. Calacatta is known for having more dramatic veining, and when using just one slab, I wanted the marbling to be more noticeable. If you want to get technical and read up on the differences between Carrara and Calaccatta, Houzz did an entire article. It doesn't matter which you choose, just go with the one you like best!

Step 1
Spray paint your knobs! Gold makes me happy, and gold combined with marble makes me even happier. In store, Home Depot's knob selection was a little sparse. There were few knobs that were big enough for the size of tile I was using, and the gold options were even slimmer. I decided on the modern knobs because they were substantial enough to work with the thick marble tile. They were spendy, but definitely achieved the look I was going for. I gave my knobs 3 coats of paint, letting them completely dry in between coats. Always use thin layers of paint to avoid drips.

Step 2
Measure the placement for the knobs. I took an old fashioned ruler and measured the knobs so they were placed in the center of the tile. Mark the spot with a pencil.

Step 3
Glue your knobs in place. Drop enough glue to cover the bottom of the knob and press on the tile. Use your ruler to double check your placement is even.

Not too bad, right? I would also suggest gluing felt to the bottom of your tile so you don't scratch your furniture. After coming home from the craft store I realized I didn't have the felt on hand like I thought I did. That's the way the cookie crumbles.

Also, the newest issue of La Petite Fashionista Magazine came out yesterday and I love the story on a fun bridal shower and a cute lemonade bar with delicious recipes! You can read my article on how to build your dream closet (while doing a little spring cleaning) here. I hope you like it!

First House: Bedroom Inspiration

Biscuit Katie Duvet / Biscuit Blue Border Shams / Floral Print Pillow / West Elm Hanging Cord Lamp / Reclaimed Wood Vanity DIY / West Elm Mirrored Side Table / Floating Wood Shelf / Turkish Towel / Kate Spade Saturday Nesting Boxes

Hello again! I hope you all had a fab weekend. I was busy trying to get things finished before I leave for Go Blog Social this Thursday!! So excited it's finally almost here. The past couple weeks I have shared my inspiration for the kitchen and living room in the new house project I'll be working on. My boyfriend bought a house and I'm thrilled to have an entire house to play with and decorate! We can't move in until May, so until then, I'm brainstorming decor ideas and creating mood boards for each room in the house. If you'd like room updates or want to see more inspiration photos, follow along with me on Pinterest with my Bedroom, Kitchen, Upstairs Living Room, and Entryway boards. I'm constantly pinning new ideas!

The bedroom is super important to me because that is where my office will most likely be located. As you can imagine, I'll be spending lots of time in there writing blog posts and other fun projects so it needs to be inspiring, bright, and cheery. I'm sticking with the same blues, greens, and reds that are used in the living room and kitchen to keep things unified. My boyfriend likes rustic, so I'll add some natural wood pieces like the hanging light and floating wood shelf. I need to do some measuring to see how big the room is and what size of furniture will fit. The room is long and narrow so I may have to get creative when arranging. I love this DIY wood vanity (using IKEA legs and a slab of wood) with the TV mounted above, but if space is too tight I'll have to resort to something like the hanging wood shelf instead. I can't wait to get in the house to start making final decisions!

My bf has a nice headboard already, and we both have dressers so I'll need to figure out what space we have for those. We need major storage solutions, but I'm afraid two dressers won't fit. When you have a shortage of storage, use wall shelving! It gives you more space and doubles as both storage and decor. The floating wood shelf could display my jewelry and pretty perfume bottles, and colorful cute handbags or scarves could hang on the hooks.

Congrats to Cait on winning the Maddelyn bag from the Mishqua giveaway! Thanks everyone for participating!

Look for Less: Color Block

Neon skirt $59 / Old Navy tie front blouse $32 / Nine West heels $80

I'm having a major crush right now on everything Rach of Pink Peonies wears. Do you follow her? She has a pretty feminine style, wearing lots of color (pink and lime) so I love that obviously, but she looks so put together and pairs together pieces I would have never thought to do myself. That's one of my favorite things about following fashion bloggers. They are so talented and creative with their entire closet, and combine the most unique patterns, colors, and textures. It inspires me to think outside the box when I'm getting dressed in the morning.

However, being the well-established fashion blogger that she is, Rach has a tendency to wear designer items that are SUPER pricey. Valentino bag, Jimmy Choo shoes, Prada…things that are definitely not in the budget right now. So while I love Rach's outfits, I have to source my own pieces and recreate my favorite looks. But that's what makes it fun!

Today I recreated Rach's minty lime outfit she posted a couple weeks back. It's incredibly simple and unfussy yet totally chic. Now that's my cup of tea. In her version, she wore a J.Crew skirt and blouse (both of which are now on sale) and Jimmy Choo shoes, but I found lookalikes that are even more affordable. It's a win win!

This Sunday we're having our monthly Midwest Bloggers coffee date in Des Moines and I hope to see you Iowans there! :)

Today is the LAST day to enter the Mishqua giveaway for a chance to win the most fab little pink bag!

Blending His & Hers Home Decor Styles

One peek at my blog or Instagram and you notice my love for color, especially pink. Growing up my favorite color was always purple, but these days I'm constantly drawn to hot pink, whether it's a bag or a tray. In my own apartment I don't have any problem plastering my place in shades of pink, but since I will soon be sharing my home with my boyfriend in his house, I want a place that reflects both of us and that means taking the girly notch down a bit. It's kind of nice to have someone keep me in check from buying anything pink in sight. All of my current pink items will find their way into our place (spray paint is my best friend), but when it comes to new purchases, I am thinking about how they will fit both of our styles. My style leans toward mid-century modern with a touch of glam. His style is a little more traditional rustic.

His and hers decor can be tricky, but the it's all about finding balance. When you are decorating with two different styles, you want to incorporate different elements from each into your home. A good blend makes for a well-decorated space, instead of a mismatched mess with no clear direction. For me, I'm choosing to stick with more traditional textiles and colors, and simple and modern furniture lines. If you have your own separate office (or any other room) in the house, go ahead and lean towards your preferred aesthetic, just keep one or two elements that it tie it back to the rest of the home.

Take a look at this amazing home transformation combining his shabby chic style and her mid-century modern by Sabrina Soto. Sabrina, interior designer and host of HGTV's The High/Low Project, is one of my favorite designers. We share the same budget decorating mentality, so that pretty much makes us BFFs. The entire look is completely different but she only brought in a few different pieces! The before and after photos are seriously amazing!

Do you and your significant other have opposite tastes? How do you blend both?

If you haven't already, head on over to enter for your chance to win a Mishqua vegan leather handbag! It's one of my all-time favorites and retails at $70. Enter here.

All images via

Best Color Combinations

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

 Happy Monday! I'm feeling extra chipper and ready to work today! The past week I was on spring break and it was so nice to have a break from classes and get a little extra time to cross a few things off my to-do list. Although it would have been nice to be basking in the sun somewhere warm, I'm pretty happy I got to work on a few projects and just relax. I love a change in pace, but I'm ready to get back to my daily routine and in the swing of working out. A girl can only handle so much green beer and fried food!

The warmer temperatures may have something to do with my extra boost of motivation on a Monday, but these gorgeous photos don't hurt either. I'm ready to break out the lighter textures and colors in my closet and home decor and and bring on bold colors. I was browsing Pinterest and came across some of the most beautiful color combinations that made me even more excited for spring, so I decided to make an entire post out of it. Whether it's an outfit, home decor, or even a flower arrangement, these color combos are seriously inspiring.

What is your favorite color combination?

H&H has joined Facebook! Be sure to like our page to receive blog updates and more DIY tips and tricks :)

In other exciting news, my twin sister got engaged! I'm beyond excited to help with the planning and throw some amazing parties. Let me know if you want to see bridal shower decor, wedding decor, etc. on the blog.

The Perfect Spring Handbag + Mishqua Giveaway

When spring arrives, the first thing I do is trade the boots for flats and swap out my handbag for something more spring-y. I love switching handbags as the seasons change. During the winter months I usually carry a black bag, and for spring and summer I like to lighten it up a little, just like I do with the rest of my wardrobe. Come spring, I want something with color and a nice, convenient size for all the essentials, but nothing too big. Lucky for me, Mishqua seemed to read my mind and came up with the perfect spring bag! Meet the Maddelyn. The prettiest blush pink bag that also doubles as a clutch. Mishqua Handbags is one of my favorite lines for bags because she designs them all from scratch, and as a bag lover herself, she knows exactly what her customers are looking for. Mishqua (she shares her name with her handbag line!) truly understands her customer and always comes up with the freshest ideas for colors, patterns, sizes, and styles. I'm obsessed!

One of the things that makes a bag extra special is the pretty lining on the inside. The Maddelyn has the most colorful lining that just makes me burst with excitement every time I see it. I have carried my Maddelyn for a week now and received so many compliments on its cute design.

In celebration of spring, we partnered up to give away one Maddelyn handbag to a lucky winner! You have until next Friday, March 28th to enter the giveaway. Don't worry, if you can't wait to get your hands on the Maddelyn, you can get yours here! 

Good luck and happy Friday!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post was sponsored by Mishqua Handbags - thank you for supporting the sponsors that help make A Hammer & Heels possible! All opinions are always my own.

Shop Feathered

Wishbone / Balloon animal bookend / Pineapple antler jar / Stationery / Print

When I'm decorating my home, I'm always thinking how I can add personality to make it "mine." I use colors and patterns, select furniture styles I like, but it's the accessories that really make a home stand out and reflect who you are. How you style a shelf, coffee table, and what sits atop your dresser are all ways to display your style or tell a story through items with fond memories. I call it the art of layering. A home with lots of layers and accessories feels more cozy and overall lived-in -- which is exactly how it should be, right?

Insert Feathered. The cutest shop with the best home decor, pillows, and prints. Every single item is unique -- I want my home adorned in it all! I mean, who wouldn't want this sitting on their kitchen counter? Feathered is perfectly curated by Kelly of Fabulous K. I have been obsessed with her blog for a while and was thrilled when she opened up Feathered a few months ago. It truly is a reflection of her blog; full of inspiration and pastels. 

With spring right around the corner (tomorrow is the first official day!), what better time to decorate your home with a bunny cake (or jewelry) stand or wishbone wall hook.