My Risk Taking with Decorating

Over at The Nesting Place, the Nester has talked about taking risk...especially when it comes to design or learning/doing something new. That's something that I really have been wanting to do. I'm always very hesitant when it comes to decorating because I have a hard time visualizing the final product in my mind. So, I took a leap and took some risks last week when it came to decorating. I figured I could try it out and if it didn't work...oh well, just take it down. What's a nail hole? I can repair that easily. I just want to have something on my walls and live in a house that I made into a home before I finally move on to the next one and start all over again. 

I went around the house and took pictures of some of the things I actually accomplished last week. It doesn't necessarily feel like much, but then I realized I did a lot of shopping at thrift stores and fabric stores...one of my favorite things to do. For this post I'll just show you the non-fabric things. The only thing I've done with the fabric is wash, fold, and stack it on top of the sewing cabinet. 

Here's a cute bag I found for like $2. I could tell just by looking at it that it was a gift bag from some make-up company and I was right...and old Estee Lauder bag. But I love it the colors. Very spring-ish.

Always trying to add to my silver collection. I found this guy marked 75% off and got him for $1.50, I think. Granted the dish that sits in it is missing, but I might could make something else work. 

These things I found at Habitat for Humanity ReStore. You just never know what you will find there. I took down the framed things I was using in the kitchen for my gallery wall that I will show you in a minute and needed something for the space. I think I paid $3 for all of it, if that, and spray painted the wooden things black. The kids think they are cool. And I think I like them. But I doubt that Blasen will like it. I can't please everyone....right? 

Here's the gallery wall. I originally thought I'd do this going up the stairwell, but then I realized there was nothing in the living room and I really had no idea what to put in there. (I know you are all thinking, "aren't you trying to move"? Well yes, but I'm tired of doing things for what someone else "might" want in their house. This is my home and I'm going to live in it until the day the movers come and we worked really hard on it, so we should enjoy it, right? Okay...I need to breathe.)  Now it must past the husband test. I have a feeling I may not past. Blasen and I don't exactly see eye-to-eye on decorating, so we'll see tonight when he gets home. It's hard to see exactly what is up there, but so far it's mainly family photos, a painting from a dear friend, a University of Alabama seal in cross-stitch done by same dear friend, and a Families are Forever print. I can add to it if I want. I really want to do some silhouettes of the kiddos sometime and I think they will look great up here. 

In the foyer, I put up some wedding related photos and finally framed our marriage certificate. All the frames, I were mismatched things I've collected over the years and painted black. That includes most of the photo frames in the gallery wall too. I didn't want to go out and get all matching frames, so I took what I had, sprayed them black and bought some photo mattes 1/2 off at Hobby Lobby. 

Here's the kids' reading corner in the play room. Same with these frames...I just painted them white. The chair is waiting to be recovered. It really needs it.

This is my favorite thing in the reading corner. I found this lamp a while back at the Salvation Army. I loved the shape, but not the color, nor the shade. I debated over what color to paint it and settled on red for now, since I already had red spray paint. The shade still needs to be recovered...I just have to decide on a fabric. 

I needed something for this wall and found this corkboard for $2 at Habitat. I painted the frame and I plan on covering the cork with a fabric. Again, I have to decide what fabric I want to use. The kids loved the idea of an interchangeable art display and quickly got some stuff up there. 

This is a corkboard I made for myself. I found this frame at Hobby Lobby in the clearance aisle. It appears to be a custom frame that no one came to pick-up and they removed the print from the frame and were trying to just sell the frame. It was originally marked near $100 and I got it for $13. It's more than I would normally spend on a frame (I know I'm cheap), but I really liked the design on the frame. I had a frameless corkboard at home that I thought would work in it. The fabric is linen remnant that I found marked down 90% at Hancocks. The cork, I had to cut down, then cover with the linen, secur it in the frame, and now it hangs over my desk as an idea board. It actually turned out better than I hoped. Sometimes that happens...you just luck out.

After posting this stuff, I actually do feel like a lot was done last week. Many of these things...frames, fabrics, art, etc...has all been collected over time. I randomly go to thrift stores to see what I can find. You can't really go hoping to find something specific, because more than likely you won't find it. For example, I went looking for a dresser/console table of some sort, and found nothing. I'll just have to keep looking. I've learned to take the risk it may work...but then again it may not, but oh well, I'll try something else.