MY GIANT GALLERY WALL

The wall in our stairwell has been bothering me since we moved in to our home.

I initially hung a few of our travel prints there, but was never quite happy with the look.

A few months ago, I took them all down.

The wall sat naked for quite some time and every time I went up or down the stairs 

(about 50 times a day), I cringed. 

I recently ran into Pottery Barn and noticed these large, square, gold frames hiding in the corner.  

I picked them up and noticed they were on sale for $31.99.  Not too bad since they were 18"x18".

To make a long story short, I bought four that day (and they happened to be on clearance for $21.99)

I then proceeded to call all over the country to hunt down nine more (five for me and four for a client).

Where there's a will, there's a way!  

The smaller square frames came from Ikea and I'll tell you all about those at the end of the post.

Now for some pretty pictures....

 I risked my life on a ladder and hung everyone of these all by myself. 

The frames are filled with prints/postcards/artwork from places we have traveled to 

or hope to travel to someday.

I really wanted to fill up the wall, but keep some frames open for future adventures. 

So I printed out maps or artwork from destinations we hope to visit someday

and I added "Adventure Awaits" to the bottom.

I have two more small frames to add here, but my 5 foot 3 self couldn't quite reach.

I'll con my husband into doing it someday soon.

The frames came without mats.  I simply turned over the cover sheets 

to show the sheets and taped the art on top.

Someday I'll have mats cut for them.

I would love to eventually fill up the wall over the window and the wall to the left of the window.

I love that you can see them from the foyer.

I never could find the Pottery Barn frames on their website. 

But I found these 12x12 frames at Ikea.

Of course, I had to add some rub n buff to them.

Ten of them, in fact.

Now, instead of cringing, I get excited every time I walk up and down these stairs.

Each time I pass by, I think back on all the fun adventures we have taken over the years

or I dream about the adventures that await us.

I finally got my camera back.  It was in the repair shop for almost six weeks 

and it ended up costing more than a week's worth of groceries to have it repaired. 

I sure wasn't happy about that, but I am thrilled that I can stop using my Iphone as my camera. 

Have a fabulous weekend!

SUNBURST MIRROR MAKEOVER

A big perk of my job is having to shop.  I know, tortuous, right?  

Sometimes as I'm slipping out the door and the kids are asking where I'm going, 

I quickly reply, "Mommy's going to work."

And sometimes, that means, mommy's going to Homegoods or an antique store or a thrift store, 

all in the name of "WORK"!

A few weeks ago, while I was "working", I came upon this great sunburst mirror.

I originally bought it for a client.  

It didn't work out for the client's project, but it sure worked out in my living room.

I loved the rustic look of it and the size was perfect for a blank wall 

I have been living with for a couple of years now. 

It helps bring some light to this little corner of the living room.

However, the dark finish felt a little heavy with the dark piano and the dark frame.

So what do you think I did? 

Yep, you know me too well.  I broke out the good ole' Rub N' Buff!

I actually had to purchase my second tube of Rub N' Buff for this project.  

My first tube lasted for many, many, many projects.  

Seriously, when is Amaco going to contact me to do an infomercial for Rub N' Buff?

I'll have my cell phone on all day tomorrow just in case.

I am digging this corner now.  

And how about this view, 

my new favorite corner with a reflection of my other favorite corner. 

Wait until you see what else I Rub N' Buffed. 

I know no boundaries when it comes to that stuff.  

I'll share next week. 

In the meantime, I hope you all have a fabulous weekend.  

My daughter turns a decade old next week and I simply can't believe it.

I'll be spending the weekend resting up for her slumber party on Sunday night.

Sharing with:
Thistlewood Farms
Our Fifth House

JUMPING ON THE BANDWAGON

I first saw this done by Courtney.  

What a fabulous idea, I thought.  

I then saw Erin had taken notice too.  

Last Monday, I got started on a few projects I had been wanting to try, but putting off. 

On Tuesday, I checked out Carmel's blog and it looks like great minds thing alike! 

Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right?  

I have been eyeing these frames in our master bedroom for a while.

My husband has learned over the years, if I eye something for too long,

it will be removed, changed, replaced, improved, etc.  You get the idea, right?

Here's how I started.  I measured out two inches in each corner and added some painter's tape. 

Next, I broke out my go to paint, Rub N' Buff, and added it to the corners. 

I am loving the new look. How about you?

It makes the cheap K-Mart frames I have had for years look a little more elegant.  

Have you Rub N' Buffed anything lately?  By the way, I'm still using the tiny tube I bought last year and have used on this project, this project, and this project. A little goes a long way.

Sharing with:
The Delectable Home