THE gallery wall

Y'all...I don't know if its more embarrassing how long I've gone without blogging or how long my pictures and frames sat around before I hung my gallery wall? Lets just say they were both overdue.

I don't think I'll be spending hours writing blog posts anymore trying to make them "pinterest-worthy".  I have more important things to do like spend time with my husband and work on my fitness :) but I do want to give you a glimpse into whats going on around the house. Be warned: these are all phone pictures.

So I'm going to start by showing you the progression of my gallery wall. It all started with this daunting 7' x 11' wall that I had no idea what to do with. I searched high and low for a console table long enough that wouldn't break the bank. And then World Market came to my rescue and created the Everett Foyer Table. It was perfect!! Its no wonder its so popular with other bloggers because there aren't many other offerings in this size and price. AND with their sales (which they have often) + my member discounts I basically got it for nothing!

So then it was time to determine the style for my gallery wall and what I wanted it to include. Uniform or organic? Matching frames or not? Frames only or add wall decor? So many decisions!! I knew I wanted to include our wedding canvas and a mirror I got while at the beach. I also love the look of the ikea ribba frames. Once I collected all of the frames, it was time to fill them. I wanted each piece to have a special meaning so that it becomes a conversation piece when we have people over. I want to tell the stories of how each thing landed in my home.

Here is the console shortly after we got it (this is 2014 fall decor)

This mirror now resides in the guest bedroom. It was temporary until I could find another mirror for the living room.

After Christmas blah...I knew it was time!!

Artie decided to help me with the layout. I wish he could've unwrapped all the ikea frames... (p.s. the pics below that didn't make it on the gallery wall are actually going to go in our master since they are more personal)

 If I'm being honest...I didn't really measure everything out. I mostly eyeballed it. It took about 2 hours to get everything hung. That is not including cutting out templates for each frame.

 Almost finished!!

 All done...just in time for the 3 gatherings that we hosted!!

I've got a few more tweaks to make. I am going to paint that crate. (Those are Tim's records by the way. He bought a record player!) I will also probably relocate the wire basket and books so that I can center the wicker basket. And I actually bought this lamp for the guest BR so I may be switching that out. 

Well it's been a long process but so worth it!! Is there a project you are procrastinating at your house??

Housewarming Ideas

Okay...I know I'm getting a little ahead of myself because we haven't bought a house yet but I was perusing Pinterest and stumbled upon some adorable housewarming ideas that I couldn't resist sharing. (wow that was a long sentence...whew..)

Moving Announcements/Invitations

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Party Ideas

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Guest Baskets

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Making Memories

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Have you ever hosted a housewarming party? I'd love to hear about it :)

If you've been following along, you'll remember that I shared a challenge Tim and I decided to take on in 2014. We are donating to a different charity each month and Charity: Water was our January selection. 
I first learned about Charity Water my senior year of college. We were to select an organization (from a list) to design an office space for. After watching one of Charity water's promotional videos, I knew this was the one! If that doesn't inspire you, I don't know what will. They are doing great things and I am happy to help in any way that I can.

You can keep up with them here:
website/blog/facebook/ twitter

Countertops: Get Over Granite

Part of my job as a designer is to help our clients make selections and if we are doing kitchens and baths then that means tile, countertops, cabinets, etc. You get the point. We are constantly striving to give the client the best product for their budget.

It seems as though everyone has an expectation that their kitchen should have granite and stainless steel appliances these days (probably because of HGTV). Well I hate to break it to you but that stuff costs lots of money. Most people want it but don't realize how much it could set them back. So now I'm gonna take the blindfold off and open your eyes to some other great options for countertops. That is not to say that granite isn't amazing but there might be a better choice for your budget or situation.

Marble (requires a lot of maintenance and can be very expensive)

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Butcher Block (beautiful, unique look, moderate maintenance)

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Laminate (affordable and fairly low maintenance)

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Concrete (requires a lot of maintenance but very customizable)

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Solid Surface (Consistent look, practical and easy to clean)

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Stainless Steel (Antibacterial and stain resistant, expect patina)

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Do you have any of these surfaces in your home???

When in doubt, paint it Gold

I have been so eager to find my next DIY project. So on my last trip to Michaels, I picked up some gold paint.  I bought Martha Stewart Crafts Multi-Surface Metallic Paint in Gold and Brushed Bronze. I didn't have anything specific in mind that I wanted to turn gold so I looked to Pinterest for some ideas.

Speaking of crafts, I am going to let out a little secret. I have been working on starting up an Etsy Shop. I am not going share my full plan yet but let's just say it involves watercolor and is going to be very customizable! Will hopefully be taking orders before the holidays!

Now onto some pretty things to start the weekend off!

Frames

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Dishes

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Mason Jars

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Pumpkins (for fall)- definitely doing this one!

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Furniture

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Napkins

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Food

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And if you really love gold...

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Hope you have a Happy Weekend :)

Have you painted anything gold?? What is your favorite brand of gold paint? Share your gold posts with me!

Apartment Updates- Bookcases, Shoe Storage & Dining Chairs

I keep telling you that I am so excited to get back to blogging and yet all week I couldn't think of anything to write about. Well, lucky for you I finally have an idea! 

How about I share some updates to our apartment? I am very happy with the state of our home right now but the designer in me will always find things to change. The majority of our furniture was given to us, brought from home or came from our college apartments.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with that but some of it just isn't my style.

We have finally found some bookcases to replace our basic 3 shelf ones that flank the tv. 

We are going to get 2 of these beauties tomorrow!

Crate and Barrel

Another piece that we need for the living room is shoe storage or organization for the entryway. I haven't found anything I really like yet. Who knows...maybe this will be my next DIY project?? :)

pebbles

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crates

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baskets/bins

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Now onto the "dining room". I say this in quotations because its more or less an area, not a room. The existing table and chairs were given to us from my Aunt Eva and I have used them for about 3 years now. Will probably replace the chairs first and worry about the table later because we might have a larger dining room when we move again. If we bought a table now it would probably end up being too small.

I have my eye on these!!

Target

Target has 2 of these for $99. World Market has 1 for $119.

Not everyone would want this for a dining room chair because it is informal and is probably not going to be super comfortable. I however adore this industrial look and you can't beat 4 dining chairs for $200, right?? Amazing!!

These inspiration images will probably change your mind if you are on the fence about them.

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Have a GREAT WEEKEND!!!