An Amazing Modern Farmhouse, A Simple Summer Centerpiece, & Quick Ship Father’s Day Gift Ideas!

I have so much good stuff to share with you guys today for my latest “View It, Do It, You It!” post! I’m kicking things off with a peek into a modern farmhouse kitchen that I’ve been totally drooling over (“View It”), following it up with a 15 minute how-to for a simple but stunningly beautiful summer centerpiece (“Do It”), and then I’m wrapping things up with some last-minute quick-ship Father’s Day gifts for my fellow procrastinators (“You It”). Hmm… ok, that last one is more of a “Dad It” this week but I’ll throw in a few things that you’ll love too 🙂 Let’s go…    (post includes some affiliate links)

I’m all about checking out kitchen designs lately as I plot and plan my own remodel and there’s little inspiring bits and pieces I take away from each kitchen that I see but {this modern farmhouse kitchen and dining nook} designed by Sita Montgomery is a little bit different. I love EVERY thing about it! Take this whole kitchen and plop it into my house and I’d be one happy girl! From the combination shiplap/wood range hood to the gorgeous open shelving, brick backsplash, and those swing arm sconces, I’m just totally dying over it! (images by Sara Boulter)

Sita Montgomery Interiors

And the dining nook is equally gorgeous – love everything from the gorgeous pendant lighting to the pedestal table and modern spindle back chairs. And those tall black-framed windows with that fabulous view aren’t too shabby either!

Sita Montgomery Interiors

You can only see a peek of it in this pic, but the wood design element added to the ends of the island is another favorite part. Love the little desk area too! You can see lots more pics showing both of those kitchen features and more over on Sita’s blog {here}. I also love, love, love this home’s stunning entry:

Sita Montgomery Interiors

and beautiful family room:

Sita Montgomery Interiors

Check out more pictures of the entry and family room and several sources for these gorgeous spaces {here} (that rug is actually on killer sale – wish I had a spot for it!). And if you want to see the rest of this I-could-totally-move-right-in-today home, check out the little girl’s room {here} and the master bedroom and bathroom {here}. Thanks to Sita Montgomery for allowing me to share her amazing work!

If you’re looking for a simple summer centerpiece that’s stunningly beautiful but super quick and easy to put together, a lemon-lined vase of flowers is one of my favorites! For this tablescape that I put together last spring (you can see more of it plus get my favorite salad recipe {here}), the centerpiece took no more than 15 minutes to put together:

What’s the trick? Well you definitely don’t want to just throw some lemon slices into the same vase as your flowers – they’ll be dead by the end of the day! The trick is to take a plain cylindrical vase that’s a little shorter and smaller in diameter than your main vase and put one inside the other. My main vase is {this medium hurricane vase} that can also be used as a candle holder – it’s not cheap but as those of you who have followed my blog for a while have seen, I use it ALL the time. The simple cylinder glass vase on the inside is one you could find at craft stores, florists, or online {here} (mine measures just under 4″ in diameter and 8″ in height). Once you’ve put the one vase inside the other, simply slice up some lemons (you could also use limes, oranges, or a combination of fruits) to a thickness where they fit snugly between the two vases and, starting from the bottom of the vase, stack them around the perimeter until you reach the top:

Once the gap between the two vases is filled with lemon slices, add water to cover them (it keeps them from drying out so they last longer). Then simply add water and flowers to the inner vase and you’re done! Super easy and always a crowd pleaser!

I’m doing a little lot of tweaking on the “You it!” section of my post this time around to help my fellow procrastinators out with some gift ideas for Father’s Day (which always sneaks up on me!). All of these gifts are ones that ship quick so you still have time to order! Most of them are things that my husband either loves or has on his gift wish list plus I did some gift hunting on my own and added in a few more that have rave reviews!

1. The Best Grill Brush – if the dad in your life is a griller, this baby is a must-have. My husband says it does a better job of cleaning the grill than any other brush he’s had and several people who bought it after I talked about it at Christmas time have emailed me about their love for it too! Who knew a grill brush could make so many people happy 🙂

2. A Go-to Travel Backpack – my husband uses this backpack whenever he travels because it’s TSA friendly – he simply unzips and spreads it open to go through security rather than having to take his laptop fully out. It also has felt pockets for storing smaller electronics like cell phones and iPads. 

3. The Yeti Knock-off – whether it’s keeping drinks cold in the summer or your coffee hot in the morning, this cheaper version of the double-wall insulated tumbler is a winner (I love mine!)

4. Firestick – This little guy can do lots of stuff that my husband is pretty excited about but I know very little about – lol! I do know that you can use it to get Amazon, YouTube, or Netflix videos on any TV – even in a hotel when you’re traveling. 

5. A Must-have for Cocktails – if the dad you’re shopping for likes an occasional bourbon or scotch, this ice ball mold makes four large round ice balls that will keep his cocktail cold without watering it down like traditional ice. You can also use it for non-alcoholic drinks like iced tea and I give you full permission to steal it from your husband/dad if you’re ever hosting a party with a punch bowl – round ice in a punch bowl is super pretty!   

10. Amazon Tap – a highly rated portable bluetooth speaker (perfect for the beach!) that allows you to stream music from your phone or tablet or, when connected to Wi-Fi, you can stream from Amazon Music or iHeartRadio or use Alexa Voice Service to get the weather, hear the news, or even order a pizza or request a ride from Uber! Kinda scary how much this little guy can do! It used to be more expensive but the cost is now under $100. 

11. Portable USB Charger – perfect for when he’s on the go, especially if he has a phone that loses it’s charge quickly. There are a lot of portable USB chargers out there but this one is smaller (about the size of a lipstick tube) and charges more quickly than most.  

 

12. Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate + Fitness Wristband – my husband has this and loves it! It tracks heart rate, all-day activity, and sleep to get a good idea of the fitness and health of your daily routine. There’s also a bunch of stat tracking, alerts, and other goodies that make it a winner for any fitness buff! 

 

13. Cast Iron Grill Pan – Did you know that cast iron pans are making a comeback? I love this one that’s specially made for use on the grill because that means all the less cooking that I have to do in the kitchen!

 

14. Echo Dot – Another gadget that has tons (over 25,000!) of rave reviews! It has many similar capabilities to Amazon Tap, including the ability to connect to Alexa Voice Service but with only a small built-in speaker versus the highly rated built-in one with Amazon Tap. I can’t even begin to summarize all of the crazy stuff it does but I’m totally intrigued by the integration with smart home devices such as lights, fans, and thermostats. 

 

Hope that helps to give you a few Father’s Day gift ideas! If you’re looking to shop for yourself or your home, I recently added a bunch of favorite new finds to my Shop page that you can find {HERE} – these are just a small sampling of my Shop page faves:

Thanks as always for stopping by!