Gallery Wall: In Progress

I had thought that I wouldn't share any of this until I had the entire thing D-O-N-E.  But I'm so excited...and I just can't hide it.  The thoughts of this gallery wall have been taunting me since I moved, back in April.  The framed pictures have been patiently hanging out underneath the sofa table just waiting for the day I get off my duff and grow a pair....I have been so nervous that I am going to "screw it up".  I had a vision in my mind and I was worried that it wasn't going to be Pinterest worthy....oh the pressure!!!

I couple of months ago there was an amazing frame sale at Michaels and I got enough frames to get me current with Zach's pictures.  Oh, did I mention that the bread and butter of this gallery wall is Zach's yearly birthday photos?  Anyway, that purchase just added to the pile and I was beyond frustrated.

I was told, on very good authority (yep Heather, I am talking about you) that the best thing to do was to make a paper template for each thing that would go on the wall:

Then the idea was to hang each template on the wall with painter's tape and kind of live with it to see how I liked it.  This way, I could be free to move things around if there was something that I didn't care for, and not have to worry about a ton of extra holes in the wall.

My friend Kristi and I wanted to get together this weekend and I suggested brunch and then hanging out at my house and helping me work on a DIY (yes, I was referring to the gallery wall albatross).  She quickly responded and said that sounded great without even hearing what the DIY was.  I WAS PUMPED!!!!!

Honestly, I was just hoping to get the templates cut out and on the wall....nothing more.  I  certainly had no idea the progress that would be made.  Whereas, I do most of my projects in stages, i.e. baby steps. - when Kristi gets going on something she is an animal!!!  And I mean that in the very kindest of ways....she is not messing around!  We went from templates to laying everything out on the floor to hammering away in a very short amount of time.  Oh, and I use the term "we" very loosely....she was on a mission and I just kind of stood back out of harm's way...lol!  I am teasing of course...I cannot tell you how grateful I am for her help. What I  have been fretting about for months....she knocked out in a matter of hours.  Once we had everything laid out on the floor, we made a few adjustments.

Yes, you do see Halloween prints in two of those frames...they are on my mantel through Halloween, but there are already nails ready for those frames....GO, KRISTI!!!!

She asked me if I liked it and then asked me if I LOVED it.  I truly did, and she asked if I has ready for it to go on the wall.  I must admit...I was shocked, but so excited at the same time!

Yep, she is a ROCK STAR!!!!!

I wish that there was an exciting AFTER photo to end this post, but unfortunately it will have to wait.  I have pictures to order, filler do-dads to ad and a couple of crafty things to complete.  All of Zach's photos are B&W, and I am going to order color family photos to add pops of color around the wall.  But trust me, I am beyond thrilled with the results so far!  Kristi is an angel and without her, those frames would still be hanging out under the sofa table...dreaming of their destiny!

First Mondays With Megan: June 2013

It is the first week of JUNE....what the what?!?!  You are in for a fun DIY treat today courtesy of Megan from The House of Martinez.  She has provided step by step, easy to follow instructions on how to create your very own Chevron lampshade.  It can be easily customized to whatever color would work with your decor.

DIY: Chevron Lamp Shade I have been obsessed with chevron for quite some time. And now I can add another decorative accessory to my collection with this DIY chevron lamp shade. MATERIALS: - white drum shade - paintbrushes - painters tape - acrylic paint (color(s) of your choice) The great thing about a chevron pattern, especially on a rounded surface, is that  the pattern is very forgiving, and doesn’t have to be lined up perfectly to look  like it’s lined up perfectly. Step 1: Decide how large you want your chevron pattern to be, I chose a little over 3″. Measure from the base of the shade, up to whatever height you’ve chosen for  your pattern, and place a strip of blue tape at that height, rotating and placing the  tape while measuring every few inches to make sure the height is consistent. Step 2: Place blue tape in chevron pattern, with the bottom points just touching the bottom of the lamp shade, and the top points just touching the bottom of the blue  line you placed above in step 1. You may have to adjust your lines a bit once you  get around the shade to make sure there is enough room for all of them. Again, don’t be too worried about each repeat being the exact same width. If it looks even  to the eye, it will look even when you’re done. Once you have finished placing the  first row, remove the line of tape we placed in step 1. Step 3: After you’ve removed the line, start repeating the pattern, being sure to leave approximately the same amount of space between each line. Use scissors to  trim the edges and make clean points. Repeat row after row until the entire  lampshade is covered. Don’t forget to place little corner pieces of tape along the bottom of the shade to fully complete the pattern. Step 4: Using a stencil paintbrush, paint in a dabbing motion to avoid paint leaking under the tape. Step 5: Remove the tape, and voila! You’re done!

Please stop by tomorrow, when I will be sharing the decorations I did for Zachary's 6th grade graduation party.  Have a wonderful Monday!

First Mondays With Megan: April 2013

Good morning!  April 1st already and a Monday at that.  That means we have the pleasure of hearing from Megan.  Megan has been remodeling her master bath and has finally reached the end. I can't wait for her to share the entire project on her blog, but there is a little teaser at the end of the post and trust me.....it just leaves you wanting more!  Wait till you see the awesome DIY project she did to add some finishing touches to her new bathroom....being a beach lover as well, I am in love!

DIY: Starfish Art

I was on a mission to find some nice seashell artwork for our master bathroom remodel. I found so many lovely prints and 3-d pieces online but the prices were more than I wanted to spend. I really liked these two examples from Joss and Main, each around $150. I knew I could recreate them so got to work last weekend and saved a couple hundreds bucks.

MATERIALS:
- Starfish (various sizes if you prefer)
- 20 x 20 frames
- 16 x 20 sheet of linen paper
- Paintbrushes
- White acrylic paint
- Blue acrylic paint
- Ruler
- Mats for the frames
- Exacto knife
- Tape
- Wax paper
- Hot glue gun

I bought the large white Ribba frames from IKEA months before and set them aside for a project like this. I bought the bag of starfish from Michael's craft store. Instead of using multiple small starfish like the example above, I opted for one large starfish in the middle of the frame.

I thought about leaving the starfish in their natural color, but there is so much white in our bathroom I did not want them to appear dirty or dingy. So I laid a sheet of wax paper down to paint them white. Paint both front and back of the starfish.


Next, get your large sheet of linen paper and paint your background color. I chose to paint the background of the frame the same color as the walls in the bathroom. The frame mat is square so I roughly painted an area for the background to show through. After the paint drys, trim the paper to fit the size of your frame mats and tape the paper to the under side of the mat.



Then, hot glue the starfish to your paper and let cool. Place everything in your frame and get ready to display!

 

First Mondays With Megan: March 2013 Edition

First Mondays mean it is time to hear from Megan from The House of Martinez.  She is going to share what looks like a quick and easy process for making your very own hoop earrings with a punch of color.  They are so easy and affordable you can make a pair for every color you can imagine....not to mention great gifts!

DIY: Beaded Hoop Earrings

It's no surprise I like color. And what better way to add color to any outfit than with accessories. Adorn your ears with these DIY beaded hoops that are super cheap and easy to make in an array of colors.

MATERIALS:

• Seed beads (any colors you prefer)


• Plain wire hoops (the size of the hoop earrings is up to you)


• Needle nose pliers

To make the earrings, thread beads onto the hoop. I found it fastest to cup the beads in my palm and pick them up with the wire hoop.

Then with a pliers, bend about 1/4" of the end of the wire back at a 90 degree angle. (Don't make the angle any sharper, or it will be too difficult to feed the corner through your earlobe.) Hook the bent end through the "loop" end of the earring to close it.

You can buy hoops in bulk, get a rainbow array of seed beads, and invite everyone to make zillions of pairs for themselves or to give as gifts. Happy beading!

Thank you, Megan for that fun DIY, making it quick and easy to add that finishing touch to any outfit.  

Stay tuned this week for a status update on the move as well as attending my first rugby match - it was the Mustache Match, no less....details coming soon!

First Mondays With Megan: January Edition

We have definitely jumped right into the new year!  It is once again time for First Mondays with Megan.  She is going to show you how to decorate your own canvas tote bag for travel or even for daily use back and forth to school or the office.   The designs and color choices are endless...if you decide to give it a try please comment here with a link, so that we can see what you have created.  You can also visit Megan at The House of Martinez.

DIY: Painted Canvas Tote Bags

This next weekend will be our first road trip in 2013 so I thought it would be fun to have a couple new tote bags to carry along with us. Here's a quick and easy way to turn plain canvas bags into something fun and full of color.

MATERIALS:
- Canvas tote bags (any size)
- Blue painters tape (any width)
- Acrylic craft paint
- Paintbrushes
- Paper bag

Triangles, stripes, chevron, or any geometric pattern is perfect for this project, the sky's the limit. These bags will definitely come in handy while we travel, carrying dog toys, towels, water, or toiletries. If you're feeling crafty this week or have plans to go out of town any time soon, this is a perfect DIY to accessorize your travels.

 

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I hope that you will stop by tomorrow. I will be sharing a few of the layouts from my latest scrapbook - Chicago Girl's Weekend. I am having a lot of fun with it and my "One Little Word" for 2013 - DOCUMENT is off to a great start!

The House of Martinez: October Edition

How is it possible that it is October 1st already? Where has this year gone? But with a new season also comes new changes around this little ole blog...my first contributor post from Megan at The House of Martinez. She is starting out "First Mondays With Megan" showcasing a quick, but so cute DIY project for a painted wooden necklace. It could be easily color coordinated for any holiday or occasion.

DIY: Painted Wooden Necklace     A simple project with unlimited possibilities in three easy steps! MATERIALS: - cording - jewelry clasps - ten wooden beads with pre-drilled holes ( I used 1" beads, but there are various options) - paint (I used Martha Stewart paints in these colors: Tartan Red, Beach Glass, Deep Sea) - paintbrush - painters tape STEP 1: Eyeball the center of your bead and use the painters tape to wrap the bead horizontally, making sure the ends meet to allow half of the bead to be exposed for painting.   STEP 2: Paint the exposed part of your bead. I did three coats to ensure coverage all the way around and let the beads dry dry thoroughly for 10 minutes before removing the tape.

STEP 3: Now it's time to string the beads. Line them up in the order you want them on your necklace and begin stringing, making sure the two colored ends meet each other. Add the clasps to the ends of the cording, clasp, and voila, a colorful necklace in less than half an hour!