I'm so happy, I could spit.

Well, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, knowing how I detest body fluids. But I am very pleased with myself.

You can see in this picture that I have many blank, empty, LARGE walls in my living room. Actually, in my entire house, but that is not the point. The living room is where we hold our weekly vespers program, it's the first room you see when you walk into my house. And it's bare. I can't use the excuse that I'm still settling in, because we've lived here for 3 1/2 years. I'm just design-challenged.

But I finally decided to do something about it. It all started with this stack of frames:

Five of them I found at Goodwill for $.98 each. They had some 70s flower photos in them. Ugh. The bright orange and green ones used to hold alphabet cards that spelled the twins' names in their nursery. They've been sitting in my closet since the boys moved to their "big boy" room. So what am I going to do with all these odd frames? Spray paint them, of course! They turned out to be exactly the same size, even though the styles were slightly different.

So now I have a bunch of black frames. What do I do next? Wait for a few weeks for inspiration to strike, that's what. Finally I decided to do a patch of botanical prints. Problem was, I couldn't find any. I found a few free ones online, but our color printer got fried by some lightning the other night, and I didn't really want the hassle of printing them somewhere else. So I looked at Barnes & Noble for a botanical print book instead, you know, the coffee table kind.

No such luck. They didn't have anything to mention. Bummer. I looked around online for some books, but when you can't really look inside to see, I wans't going to risk not getting the full-size prints I needed for this project.

But today was my lucky day. I went out while Filipe was home on a conference call, and on my way to Borders, decided to stop by Half Price Books first. I went over to the Gardening section, and SCORE! found a reference book of wild flowers of America, with 400 full-color, full-page prints! Oh, I was in heaven. And better yet, the book was only $7.98!

The hard part was choosing which prints to use, although I suppose I can switch them out at will.

Anyways, I used a scalpel (yes, we have those around here) to cut out the pages I wanted, used one of the backings of the frame as a template to cut the picture to size, and got everyone lined up.

I took the pictures downstairs, got a big sheet of paper (really it was four sheets haphazardly taped together) and laid the frames out in their grid. I spaced the frames, measuring and squaring carefully, then traced around each frame. I then measured and marked where each of the hanging thingies goes. I found this method on this blog and it really worked well for me.

I then taped the paper grid to the wall, using a level to make sure it was all good.

That was the end of the hard part. Now I just tapped in my nails where I had marks, and hung my frames. They came out even! I was so excited.

And now I'm in the process of rearranging the furniture in the living room. I just can't leave well enough alone. But I am happy with this project because it was very difficult finding large art to go on this wall, and because this project was so awesomely cheap-- a grand total of $15.68. Can't beat that, folks.

And now I've finished rearranging the furniture, so here's a view of the room now:

looking from the dining room....

looking from the front door....

Yes, I think I'm one step closer to that homey living room I'm going for. Now I need some valances or something, maybe. And a few end tables. And maybe another soft chair. Yeah, that ought to do it.

 I'm also participating in Transformation Thursday on The Shabby Chic Cottage

Happy Anniversary,

My Love.

You know what I like ;)

Happy Half-Dozen.

An odd sensation....

So I happened to find a link of my Goodwill headboard rehab to a blog in Instanbul. Thanks for the link! But let me tell you, it is the strangest thing to see your projects featured in another language. I kind of wish I knew what they were saying.... anyone here translate whatever language they speak in Istanbul?

Honest Scrap Award!

Sarah over at Chickie Momma Crafts bestowed this honor on me this week! She does some great dresser makeovers--I'm always excited to see what she's done next! I'm a bit baffled that she would consider my blog inspirational, but thank you for this honor!

Here's how the Honest Scrap Award works:

1. Say thanks and give a link to the presenter of the award.
2. Share 10 "honest things" about myself.
3. Present this award to 7 others whose blogs I find brilliant in content or design, or those who have encouraged me.
4. Tell those 7 people they've been awarded Honest Scrap and inform them of these guidelines (consider yourself informed!).

Now, for the 10 honest things about myself.....

10. I love paying bills & balancing the checkbook (assuming there's enough money!)
9. I have moved ten times, not including between apartments to houses in the same city.
8. I'm not a very good long-distance friend.
7. I like to bake... muffins, quick-breads, brownies, fudge, pie, cake... you get the idea. But I rarely eat what I've baked (does that frighten anyone else but me?)
6. I have never tasted alcohol.
5. I have three small children, including a set of twin boys, and sometimes they really drive me nuts.
4. In heaven, I am going to have a beautiful singing voice. I just know it.
3. I married my first and only boyfriend (6 years next month!)
2. I have never had a career objective. Still don't.
1. I am very passive agressive... just ask my husband!

Thanks for muddling through all that! And now, difficult as it is to choose.... here are the 7 fellow bloggers I am inspired by!

The Nester at Nesting Place
Deanna at Just Deanna
Jessy at Mou, Ye, and Other Thilly Sings
Amanda at Imperfectly Beautiful
Serena at Nap Time Crafts
Dana at Made
Megs at She Wasn't Pretty

Thanks, ya'll!

My first feature!

Thanks to Someday Crafts for featuring my headboard laundry rack this week! She finds some of the cutest stuff to post on her blog... gives me lots of inspiration!

Goodwill rescue, Part II

Well, I finally decided the fate of my ugly Goodwill headboard.

I thought for a while to use it in my new guest room/sewing room as an actual headboard, but I just wasn't digging the idea. So, when I saw this post on Centsational Girl, I knew this was the answer. I have been needing something to hang the dress shirts and stuff that comes out the dryer before I take it upstair to hang in the closet. Perfect fit! And this solution also has enough hooks to put the kids coats on, too. I'm so pleased with how it turned out. For a recap, here's how it goes:

• Find cheap, ugly headboard at Goodwill.
• Avoid husband's glowering looks as to why you would buy a cheap, ugly headboard at Goodwill while trying to reassure yourself some good will come out of this (pun intended).
• Sand/prime (forgot this step, actually. Regret it)/paint the ugly sucker.
• Look at it in the garage for a couple of months, trying to figure out what to do about it.
• Saw the legs off.
• Attach coat hooks.
• Attach D-rings to the back.
• Hang (the rack, not yourself).
• Look confident when your husband notices.

So thanks to Centsational Girl for the idea.... Everything told, this project cost me less than $20! Unless you count the fact that I now feel the need to revamp my entire laundry room... That could add on a few $$.... Stay tuned :)






And Trash to Treasure Tuesday (a little late) at



And Transformation Thursday at *The Shabby Chic Cottage* 

Easy changeable wall decor

I got this idea originally from here. I got a shadow box from Hobby Lobby (50% off) and a medium paper punch from the scrapbook section. I raided the recycle box for some colorful paper, stuck on some 3D Zots (glue dot things) and voila! a fall wall art project. I will likely trade out the leaves for butterflies or something when the seasons change. I might also use scrapbook paper, with more of a  solid or very small design in order to really make the shapes pop. But this makes me happy for now!