Squeezing in Some Small Stuff

Every relationship has it's dry spells. 
Giant gaps of time where excitement is at a halt, and nothing occurs except the very predictable and mundane. 

Every since wrapping up the kitchen bathroom makeover, our poor house has hit a major dry spell. It's not that we've run out of things to do, oh no, it's just finding the time to do it! Between Eric's sports schedule, weddings, trips, and the holidays; September through November have completely escaped me. And looking ahead, December will be quite the same.

But even though the big projects are still on the back burner, there HAVE been a few moments here and there to squeeze in a couple tiny improvements.  

First up is the demise of yet ANOTHER boob light. 

The upstairs hallway is where our latest victim resides, and I've been searching for the perfect replacement for a while now. It couldn't be too big, or hang too low, otherwise Eric would hit his head. It needed to be flush with the ceiling, but also interesting and attractive. 

A few weeks back, I found this beauty on Craiglist with an asking price of $35. I adored the clean lines and geometric shapes of the glass, and just knew it would be perfect. A few text messages, and a little visit with a BEYOND adorable couple and their two dogs later, and it was mine! 

When I first saw this light, it instantly reminded me of a similar version I had seen at Shades of Light...except without the smack-you-in-the-face price tag.

I have no clue where this original fixture came from, but I like to tell myself I found the deal of a lifetime. 
$35 is better than $169 any day.

A quick removal and installation via the husband, and our good friend Jared who stopped by, and we were in business! 

The lines and shadows casted on the ceiling just add to its visual presence, and I think it's magical. 
Chalk up another win for Craigslist! 

Another thing that's constantly being tweaked is our gallery wall. When I last mentioned this wall, it was back in August of 2014 (click HERE to see the post), and looked like this. 

Over the year, we've added quite a few pieces to the puzzle (thank you weddings!), and it now looks like this! 

I freaking love this wall. Finding new art, pictures, and funky treasures to fill in the blank spaces is a challenge I'm constantly working on. 

Moving outdoors, Eric has been determined to finish up the remaining details of the pergola before Winter. He added a few more thin beams to the top, covered the support beams with nicer planks, and stained everything to match. 

I still can't get over how great this looks. Once the weather warms up again in the Spring, we'll start planning the patio reconstruction. Fire pits and twinkle lights are definitely in our future, but for now I think we're at a pretty fantastic stopping point. 

In a few weeks we're hosting our Framily Christmas party, so getting the house to full on holiday-mode will be my next big task. 

But not until AFTER Thanksgiving, because well...I'm not insane.  

Gallery Walls = A Grownup's Version of a Sticker Book

One of the things I love most about our home is the ever growing gallery wall. I've always been a collector of things, and as a child I collected everything! I had dozens of sticker books, a mountain of Beanie Babies (which I cut the tags off of because they bothered me #FacePalm), and even a nice assemblage of swizzle sticks from Pier 1. There was just something about gathering together items I enjoyed, and displaying them I found extremely satisfying. 

Hanging said items on our wall feels like an acceptable way to continue that obsession...but in a more organized and adult fashion (read "grownup sticker book"). Plus it's kind of like a peak into our life right  when you walk in! Whether it's a print, picture, card, or drawing, everything that I hang on our gallery wall has some sort of special meaning to us. I talked about wanting to start the gallery back in this post as we finished up the painting on the first floor, and needless to say it has grown quite a bit. When people visit our home, I just love watching them examine each picture and ask us where it came from or what it is. So I figure "Why not share it with everyone?!", maybe it'll spark some inspiration to begin your own gallery wall, or even give you ideas for some easy art to decorate with. 

First up, the main wall in our foyer: 

1. I won this "Eve of Destruction" print by the artist Hannaha Damaszek  in a giveaway hosted by the blog Because It's Awesome. I talked about it in this post, and framed it in an IKEA Ribba Frame.

2. This little pineapple card, as well as the frame, was in the $1 bins at Michael's. 

3. I spray painted this frame from a thrift store silver, and filled it with a picture from our vacation last year. 

4. I picked some of my favorite sketches from my trip to Italy, and stuck them in a thrift frame spray painted silver. 

5. This is the key to our first apartment in an IKEA Ribba frame. 

6. "Embrace the current season of your life" print by my friend Michaela from Happy Apple in a thrift frame spray painted silver. 

7. Wedding photo collage in an IKEA Ribba Frame.

8. Pineapple watercolor print in a thrift frame spray painted silver (I printed off a small 

version, but you can buy the larger version HERE).

9. Hanging pedestal from TJ Maxx, with a small silver vase and silk flower from Walmart.

10. Photo of our wedding party in an IKEA Ribba Frame. 

11. "Break the monotony. Do Something strange and extravagant!" - Emerson. My mom sent me this card during collage, and I put it in a thrift frame spray painted silver. 

12. Wedding photo collage in an IKEA Ribba Frame.

13. Peacock broach I had on my wedding bouquet displayed with a JAGU-Prosperity fabric swatch. I then put everything in an IKEA Ribba Frame.

14. "Whiskey Soda Rock and Roll" print created by my friend Elyse Myers, in a thrift frame painted silver. 

15. Painted wooden "W" I found at a Goodwill. 

16. Wedding photo of my Grandmother taken in 1957 in an IKEA Sondrum Frame.

On the wall going up the stairs: 

17. Society 6 pineapple print.

18.  Wedding photo collage in an IKEA Ribba Frame.

19. DIY Friend's "She's your lobster" quote in an IKEA Sondrum Frame.

20. Abstract acrylic and watercolor painting I recently completed.

It may look a little goofy to some since it's not "complete", but to me that's part of the fun. Like a giant puzzle I get to keep adding the pieces to.

Decorations don't have to be expensive or extravagant. Pictures of your family, a greeting card that is extra special, fabric from a favorite old dress, notes you passed to each other in High School, or trinkets you brought home from vacation are all fair game. 

If you're going to pound a bunch of nails in your wall, make sure it's to hang something that is meaningful to you. The idea that one day we'll probably have to fill all these holes and paint over the walls is a bit daunting, but if it makes us extremely happy in the meantime, it's totally worth it.