Family Gallery my way

We have lived in this house for 20 months now.


 Almost 2 years. Still does not seem real. Life is easier, everything nicer, seems too good to be true. Like we are just visiting.  I wanted to do something to make it ours; show that we live here.

A family gallery wall seemed fitting. You aren't expecting a tutorial on the right way to do this, are you? Maybe if you are new to this blog and we've never met you may be. I need to warn you. Not how things are done around here. My version is a comforting: If SHE can pull that off I definitely can.

I wanted a family picture gallery. So I studied amazing ones. I found huge linkys and went through each one figuring out what I liked. I grew impatient.

I waited for sales and printed pictures. I waited for more sales and bought Command strips. Slowly. Very very slowly I prepared. I am so very impatient and this got REALLY old quickly.
There is this nice hallway in "our" house that had some holes in the wall. I found a sign at Ross for $4. that reads: "Family: The Lord has done great thing for our family  Psalm 126:3." I stuck nails in the holes and the sign fit. I KNOW that you are "supposed" to cut out newsprint or brown paper to the right sizes and play with your configuration. Really didn't have the time or the patience. I got sticky tack and started sticking

pictures up as they were printed. 
 I went to the 99 cents store and stocked up on frames.

Whenever I had a few minutes I would pull a picture off the wall, frame it, attach Command strips and press. Few days later another and another.....

Here it is now.

The walls are a deep taupe. I took this picture at night and then my batteries died. I just bought new ones but they all dissappeared. I will post now and hopefully add updated pictures later. but I think you get the idea ;)  I think the gallery wall  is done but there are no guarantees that I won't keep adding around the edges...

linking up ar Finger Prints on the Fridge, Saturday Spotlight, Saturday Swagger, Just Something I Whipped Up, More the Merrier Monday, One Project at a Time, Show Me What Ya Got, Craft and Tell, Tuesday Time Out, Making the World Cuter, Inspire me Monday

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Scarecrows Hybernating and Snowman are Coming out of Hiding!!

We had a little mantle makeover. A year ago we were in a tiny little house and I had snowmen EVERYHWERE. This year, we are in a HUMONGOUS house and there is room for so many more:)

Here is what we came up with the day after Thanksgiving. The leaves went to the greens container and the Snowmen arrived.

I'm sure it will slowly evolve from here:) I went to the Dollar Tree and got the really cool battery-operated-no flame candle. It looks really cool all lit up. Dont know why it doesnt show in the picture. I havent gotten the trick of taking pictures of this mantle yet. It is really high and we ahve to use a ladder to get up there. Which is very nice with two toddlers under foot ;)

Fall Mantle Fun OR Sharp Clippers at Nap Time

This is what happens at naptime when I can FINALLY find my sharp clippers:)

I have this bush in my front yard that really really needed pruning back. not sure if this is the time of year to do it--BUT it happened today and then this mantle happened out of it.

I *think* the topsy turvy off kilter feeling is only coming from the photograph. Although, honestly I'm not climbing back up on the ladder anytime soon to fix it:)

AND a little closer up....

AND closer still........

My photography skills are really lacking. I'm not sure I can blame my camera for this one:(


I made the banner last year from placements and curtains I got at Good Will...the framed verse is from HERE, and I made the Dollar Tree Hurricanes.

Not exactly magazine material but pretty decent for my decorating budget ;)

Linking up at: Weekend Wrap up, Thanksgiving Linky Party (somewhat simple,) Just Something I Whipped up, Making the World Cuter, Made by You Mondays

Freecycle!

I really enjoy finding just the right things to make our home feel like ours.We recently moved into this amazing home. Really amazing. It had been decorated by professionals. But I didn't get to see that:) I'm feeling very overwelmed finding just the right things.

There is a narrow front room with a high GEORGOUS fireplace. I really wanted two wing back chairs on either side of that fireplace. I set out looking on Craigslist and found two perfect ones! $100.00 each. They were sold. I kept looking and soon found other things to spend the money on (like food and transportation:)

Then I saw two wing back chairs offered on Freecycle! One was blue and one was pink. They belonged to an 84 year old woman and were used as decoration in her bedroom.
They are in immaculate condition. I found the perfect covers for $25.34 each on Amazon.I applied for the Amazon Chase card and recieved a $30.00 credit...so they REALLY only cost me $20.00 :)




I havent had a chance to REALLY tweak the room but here are the chairs all dressed and in their new home:


Picture them moved back after people have been reading and talking and playing and sliding them accross the floor. While we are at it, also picute the picture on the mantle centered and everything around it tweaked. Thanks.

A friend asked me today if I had used freecycle and what I had offered or received. I said "YES!" Then went blank. I blurted out things every few minutes over the next hour we visited. THEN I remembered this happening before and that I had started a list... It is in no way exhaustive and I somehow got more excited about the getting than the giving :(

I really did offer more than shown. I tend to want to hold on things and find just the right new home for them. I KNOW what joy I get from finding things at the thrift store..but sometimes Freecycle is just the right way to place your discards in loving hands.

things we received from Freecycle in 2008
baby clothes
johnny jump up
swing/bouncer (later sold)
nursing bras
trundle bed frame
baby seat/toys
crib
silicone baking dishes
baby clothes
maternity clothes
boy scout shirt
Breast Pump
toddler bed
2 cell phones
child's play rug
2 framed pictures to makeover

GIVEN
crib/toddler bed
cradle





Items from freecycle 2009-10

5 boxes Tassimo coffee
silk flowers, wicker cornucopia
G Diapers (4 packages--unused)
Diaper pail
Wine glasses



OFFERED:

CD cases
Queen bed frame
Toddler bicycle Helmet
magazines
leather chair
portable dish washer
Lane leather recliner
moving boxes
Danish modern dining chairs
2 bar stools
Ikea Armoire
dresser

I encourage to find and join the Freecycle in your area!

What have you recieved or given through Freecycle?

Linking Up at
Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

My Living Room

You may remember that I got a small inheritance recently. Our living room furniture was borrowed and really not cutting it.


I was searching and searching for dining room furniture...

THAT didn't fall into place: but these did:


Originally from Ashley Furniture, I scored big time at Big Lots....for $329.00 Each.

It was really really hard to hand the checker 7 $100 bills. REALLY HARD. he assured me that it was a really good deal and to check the prices at the Ashely furniture store.
WOW. Apparently, I really scored.
I also have an amazing amazing friend with what she calls her "little red wagon" This amazing trailer that folds up into almost nothing in her garage but held both couches. She had this magic elastic netting to hold the couches in and could maneuver her husband's truck and this trailer with both couches well enough to whip us into the parking lot of a Starbucks with what seemed like no effort. Wow again.

**Photos to follow:)

I shared this adventure with the ladies at:
www.lifeasmom.com


head over there to see all their frugal ideas:)

Book Case Treasures

First off, we have a few things to get out of the way:

Yes there are a lot of bookcases in here.

We have WAY outgrown our home. We have one room to live in. It has four walls: three have doorways or walkways, one has windows and three have bookcases. Bookcases are our friends.

The bookcases are cheap, dont match, need to be smooshed together in places and there are people everywhere. Even when Im trying to take pictures.

I dust, I decorate, I clean these babies way too often and there are ALWAYS treasures waiting for me, like these today:

WHY? How does it happen? How do things get behind books? On top of books? Where do all the "extra" books come from that appear in stacks?

Does this happen to anyone else?

Christmas Card Display?

Does anyone out there in the blogosphere have suggestions for how to display Christmas cards?

I bought a little black wire wreath to display them...we outgrew that. I have sticky tact them to our entry wall....Can't find the sticky tact.....

I have seen people display them on old shutters....don't have anywhere to put those though...

www.wearethatfamily.blogspot.com took it one step further and attached little cup hooks to her old shutters.....

I remember reading somewhere about someone punching holes in their cards and stringing them onto a pretty ribbon....I am liking that but cant find my ribbon or actually picture it.....

HELP???