DIY Gold Splatter Paint Glass Plates

I can't deny that I, Kara, am obsessed with the current splatter paint trend. Not only does it add an interesting dimension to most home decor pieces, but it is seriously addictive to DIY. I mean what's better than splattering paint everywhere? Nothing, I tell you.

These gold splatter painted glass plates are my most recent splatter paint DIY and not only are they fun to make, but these plates are food and dishwasher safe.

Supplies:
-clear glass plates
-gold multi surface craft paint
-paint brush
-paper plate

Begin by adding a bit of paint to your paper plate and add a few drops of water to thin down the paint a bit. This will help it fling off the paint brush more easily and create the perfect splatter effect.

Once your paint is thinned out a bit, take your plate outside and place it upside down on a piece of cardboard or a tarp. You want to make sure that you are only adding paint to the under side of the plate so that the top remains paint free and food safe.

Dip your brush into the paint and tap the paint brush against your finger over the plate. As you do, the paint will splatter onto your plate. Continue until your plate is fully covered. Let the plate dry overnight, and then bake at 250°F for 30 minutes to set the paint. Your plate is now ready for you to eat on and even wash in the dishwasher, although I wouldn't recommend microwaving it.

I love the way the splatter painted glass plate looks layered against a colorful plate like this blush pink one, but if you want to take your DIY splatter painted plates to the next level, try spray painting the backs of them. Once you have cured the gold paint in the oven, spray paint the back of the plate on top of the splatters. Then, when the spray paint is dry, add a layer or two of clear shellac to seal in the spray paint. This step will negate the dishwasher safe feature, but when your plates look this pretty, hand washing them is totally worth it!

I could not be happier with how these plates turned out! It's amazing what a $2 bottle of craft paint and a few $1 glass plates can turn into, isn't it? By the way, if gold is not your thing, you can use this same technique with any color of multi-surface craft paint for your own custom splatter painted plates. Now go get your splatter on! xo. Kara

Credits // Author and Photography: Kara Whitten. Photos edited with the NEW A Beautiful Mess Presets for Lightroom.

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10 Things I Love Sunday

Hello, my friends. It's time for another 10 Things I Love Sunday.

1. Attended the opening of Magnolia Goods in Nashville, TN (my IG husband got a pretty good pic, no?). It's just gorgeous in there. I bought a blanket for our nursery and plan to go back and buy all the clothes as soon as we know our baby's sizes. I recognized dozens of independent brands walking through... made my heart so happy!

On that note! I just realized I am finally really ready to write a Nashville shopping guide, so keep an eye out for that!

2. I want to try this breakfast pizza recipe from Pinch of Yum.

3. Ever fallen head over heels in love with a bag?

Me too.

4. This is the next book on my reading list.

5. Loved this kitchen renovation reveal from Almost Makes Perfect. So inspiring!

6. Been working on a list of weekend road trips we can do as a family of three. First on my list is this adorable hotel in Chattanooga, TN. Please leave me links in the comments of any special places you know of where we could do a little weekend stay (that are baby friendly). I'm thinking mostly short drives and direct flights for the first few trips.

(BTW—I see now that this hotel doesn't allow little kids, which is so weird. So I guess we'll go there pre-baby. Is that common to not allow children under 12 in a hotel??)

While it's still just the two of us, we are going to make the most of it and travel as much as we can to places that aren't so baby friendly... still trying to decide a beachy babymoon location as well! I'm not sure whether to choose one we know and love or branch out and go someplace new.

7. Just ordered these (found out about them from Taylor Sterling) and so excited because I LOVE art supplies and pretty office supplies of any kind.

8. You can pre-order my husband's PINK record here. It's only $17. We were lucky enough to get a few pressings this past week, and wow—it's just beautiful. It comes out April 28th and my favorite song is Awake and Pretty Much Sober.

9. Still slowly decorating our nursery and planning to reveal it here on the blog in May. It's by FAR my favorite room I've ever decorated. There is something so warm and fuzzy about preparing a room for your child before they arrive. I swear I get choked up every time I walk in there. It has helped make our waiting period more manageable, more than I can even express. I am going to try not to share any more spoilers because I don't want to ruin the surprise (like I always do! I am the worst at keeping secrets...), but if you follow me on Instagram, you know this mirror was one of the first pieces that inspired the whole design.

It's been really fun to work on a nursery alongside Laura. And even though we have a lot of similar tastes, our rooms are turning out so, so different. Can't wait for you to see!

10. Watched Moonlight last weekend... it was incredible.

Happy Sunday! Elsie

ps. Did you see we have a job opening? Resumes are coming in fast, so don't delay if you are interested.

Make Your Own Relaxing Massage Oil!

I'm just going to come right out and say it, this massage oil smells like every good thing on earth and is changing my life! I'm definitely being a little dramatic, but I can't get over how yummy and relaxing this oil smells. After I made it, I would walk by it in our bathroom and just put a little on my hands and arms to smell throughout the day. It's that good!

So not only is this massage oil great for a back and neck rub, but it's also VERY moisturizing and non-greasy. If your skin is feeling dry, I definitely recommend using it as an after-shower body moisturizer. You will smell incredible and feel so so soft!

Supplies:
-fractionated coconut oil
-sweet almond oil
-jojoba oil
-ylang ylang essential oil
-vanilla essential oil
-lavender essential oil
-peppermint essential oil
-tangerine essential oil
-glass container for storage

Step One: For this DIY I used a 12oz glass container, so cut the recipe as needed for your container size. Using a funnel start by adding in 1 cup of fractionated coconut oil, 1/2 cup sweet almond oil and 1/4 cup of jojoba oil to your glass container.

Step Two: Add in your essential oils! I put in 10 drops of ylang ylang, 10 drops of lavender, 5 drops of peppermint, 5 drops of vanilla and 5 drops of tangerine. Secure the top of your container and gently swirl to mix everything together.


I used a glass marker to label my massage oil, and I kinda love how it looks in this copper dispenser! This DIY takes seriously no time at all and just might be your new favorite thing ever. Anyone else love a good relaxing massage?? Get ready to smell like a mythical creature. ;) Lots of love, Sav.

Credits//Author and Photography: Savannah Wallace. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.

Vanilla Latte Coffee Scrub DIY

If you haven't tried a sugar scrub yet, let me tell you, you don't know what you are missing! I tried one for the first time last year, and I've been hooked ever since. The fine grains from the sugar exfoliate while the oils keep your skin feeling soft and supple long after the shower is over. I bought a shower scrub last year that had coffee in it, and it was SO good that I was super bummed to hear the brand had stopped making that flavor shortly after I bought it. Rather than cry over it, I decided to just make my own and then I could have it whenever I wanted! It's super easy and just takes a few ingredients to make...

Vanilla Latte Coffee Scrub, makes 16 oz.

Supplies:*
-1/2 cup coconut oil
-1 1/4 cups sugar
-3/4 cup finely ground coffee
-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

*When making beauty products, I like to buy all organic ingredients when I can.

Measure out your coconut oil, and if it's not already melted, melt it over low heat in a pot until liquid. Let it cool a bit.

While the coconut oil is melting, mix your sugar and coffee grounds together in a bowl. Pour in your melted oil and vanilla and stir to combine. Go a little easy on the oil until you know you need it all. You want the mixture to be wet but not soupy or liquid at all. If it does get too wet, just add a little more sugar and coffee until you are happy. Seal in an airtight container between uses.

This scrub smells delicious as you mix it up and will definitely have you making a cup of coffee after if you haven't had yours yet for the day. The recipe makes 16 oz. so it all fit perfectly into these short mason jars (how pretty are those bamboo jar tops?), but you can also put them into 8 oz. jars, and they make a great gift for your fellow coffee-lovin' friends (the bamboo tops look really pretty with a simple gifting label made with marble paper or vinyl, white stickers, and a circle punch). I've read that homemade sugar scrubs are good for a few weeks, but I've definitely had ones a lot longer than that that didn't seem to have gone bad (they may have lost some of their moisture, but they weren't moldy or anything and still smelled great). One of my favorite uses for sugar scrubs is to use it before I shave my legs since the sugar exfoliates and the oil makes the razor slide more smoothly on my skin for a super close shave. What's your favorite use for sugar scrubs? xo. Laura

Credits // Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with the NEW A Beautiful Mess actions.

Happy Mail & Messy Box Reveal: March

Hey, guys!! The Happy Mail and Messy Box unboxing is one of our favorite days of the month. Friday's are pretty great too, so it's a win-win. :)

This month's Happy Mail includes the cutest celebratory cards and a heart punch (yay!). Extras are always fun.

Subscribe to Happy Mail here.

With spring right around the corner, we're embracing our inner plant lady in this month's Messy Box kit. And you'll receive a free ink pad to use, too!

Subscribe to Messy Box here.

And here's the March unboxing video!