Snazying Up a Boring Refrigerator

Like many people out there I have a boring, white, builder basic fridge.

I could replace it with a stainless steel pretty but honestly, I don't feel like shelling out cash for a new refrigerator when this one is basically new. 

A few dozen photos and some sticky tack later I had this instead.

I've been doing some major closet clean outs this month and I found dozens of extra prints from vacations and what not so I figured, why not put them somewhere I can see them.

Now my kitchen is happy! I love looking at them and reminiscing.

Even if you bought prints it would probably be the easiest, cheapest, and least damaging appliance upgrade out there. 

I've been feeling very motivated lately so things are actually getting done around here! Maybe it is this beautiful summer weather? 

Cheers!

Summer Chalkboard

With temps in the high 80's I figured it was time to change out the chalkboard on the front porch. I used this as my template.

I searched quite a bit for a quote or something but this one kept coming back.

Simple, just like summer should be.  Now if only it would get like 10 degrees cooler I might actually be able to enjoy it!

Cheers!

In My Heart

I've been wanting to do something like this ever since we moved in.

via

I've seen heart collages done so many ways but I never could quite decide on what I wanted or where. Now that the bedroom is finally coming together I had a nice big blank wall to work with I figured, what the heck.

What was once the spot for my mirror is now home to an ever changing art installation. 

Now every night I get to roll over and see the last ten years of my life in pictures. Everything from our first date in 2003 (the one with chopsticks) to our trip to Mexico this year. 

I'm still on the fence about putting them in frames (so far they are stuck to the wall with that sticky stuff you used to hang posters in college). I like that it is more informal and can change but frames might define it better. Things are always changing around here so we will see what happens. For now, it's perfect. 

Yay for free art! 

Cheers!

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The Shabby Nest

And Now For Something Completely Different

I wanted to take a break from our kitchen-palooza and share a little piece of art I recently acquired.

This pretty little flamingo watercolor was done by a wonderfully talented Etsy artist. You can see more of her work here. I'm particularly fond of this octopus but if they aren't your thing, I'm sure she has something you'd like (she also does custom work if you are in need of a special gift).

My little flamingo has earned a place on my growing wall of art in the Library.

I need to fill some of those frames with new art but I'm digging how the arrangement is coming together. On a totally random side note I was super jazzed when I got the package my art came in.

Not only is it from Italy (which was the first place Daniel and I vacationed as a couple).

It also was covered in Gorgonzola stamps (a nod to our wine and cheese).

Pair that with the fact that Flamingos were one of the only bits of wild life we saw on our honeymoon and you have the perfect random romantic moment trifecta.

I also wanted to share this little purchase from my most recent Ikea trip.

Gotta love the "as is" section. It is the side table piece of this set. I'm thinking I like it a a side table for the library, but for $15 I am sure it will find a happy home.

Anyone else finding good things? I love when something just speaks to you.
Cheers!

The Year at a Glance

Remember that cute calendar I got way back in January? Let me refresh your memory.

Well, after a few months I was getting sad of saying goodbye to each month. They were just too cute. So I thought about the original idea some more and decided I had at least one more wall that could use some life.

Big blank walls are always the worst. I never know what to put on them, so this large scale art installation seemed perfect.

What do you think?

I wanted to keep it feeling fun and light so I hung each picture with a mini clothespin.

I got the wire device from Ikea. It is supposed to be for hanging curtains but it works even better for art. I could totally see this in a kids room or office. As for the current month? I whipped together this handy pinterest inspired design and had it printed on photo-poster paper.

That way I can enjoy the current month upstairs and still be able to see all of the other months in the guest room. I'm really liking March right now.

Yes my friends, I am having my cake and eating it too. Ain't it grand? We need some brightness around here. For the first day of spring things are looking a little glum. Hope you all have some better weather!
Cheers!
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The Shabby Nest

Between Naps on the Porch

 

Happy Valentines Day!

We don't usually celebrate Valentines Day but when I saw this on Pinterest I couldn't resist.

You can choose from a variety of colors and even add a little date under your initials. This would be a great anniversary present or wedding present. Eventually it will go above a night stand in the bedroom but since the bedroom is still spread all over the house it is living on our mantel with my anniversary map from last year.
Cheers!

Not a Minute too Late

Who knew finding an 16x 20 frame with an 11x14 mat would be so difficult (ok, I didn't really look very many places but my go-to's let me down). With less than a day to spare I finally got my calendar on my wall (I know, anti-climactic right?). It was totally worth the wait though.

Isn't it just pretty enough to eat frame? And each month I get a new work of art. 

Norman wasn't too impressed though.

This calendar maker comes out with a different set of pictures each year and I have always loved them. They can be a little pricey, but if you are willing to gamble I've found that most calendars tend to go on sale a few weeks after the new year. I got mine half off.  They have some super cute posters too (their small prints are on sale for 2.50 right now!)

Linnea Design

I was inspired by this pin (go figure right?) but wasn't sure I wanted another gallery wall. 

I toyed with putting it in the guest bed but then I couldn't enjoy the art. Next month's is super cute and for $14.50 I love that I now have a rotating art collection. Now I just have to refurbish that desk... 

Anyone else have a cheap source of art? I really want more original pieces in my house but with the price tags they carry it will have to be prints for now. 

20X200

I don't know if you are familiar with 20X200 but if you aren't you should be. Their basic model is this:  (limited editions × low prices) + the internet = art for everyone. So for 20 bucks you can buy an original piece of art by a fairly unknown artist that is only 1 of 200 printed. The artist featured today caught my eye so I thought I'd share him with you.  Aaron Straup Cope has created these limited edition map prints using  prettymaps, an experimental map from Stamen Design. 

Amsterdam 

You can actually use the software yourself and see your own city through Prettymaps itself. It is fun to play with but unfortunately you can't save the image you create (which is a bit of a bummer) but it will definitely keep you busy for a while. 

Work is getting in the way of our kitchen but hopefully I'll have some real progress to show you soon. For now I just keep staring at my tile and trying to imagine the finished product. 

Cheers! 

P.S. 20X200 didn't pay me for this, I just like the art. 

Holiday Mantle

My mantle has been mostly finished for weeks now but I was waiting for one last thing to arrive. My Christmas poster! A few weeks ago I was at Ikea and spotted this neat poster in the art section.

I thought it was really fun and graphic but it was way too big for putting on my mantle. Instead, I used Microsoft publisher and came up with this (let me know if you want the file. I'm happy to email it to anyone).

Instead of the random numbers that the Ikea poster had I used ones that meant something to our family. It has the date we were married, our birthdays, and the date we closed on the house. I used the Fedex online picture processing to have it printed out as a poster and used a 50% off coupon I found online. It ended up costing about $10. So not free but I wanted a non standard size. If you wanted an 8x10 you could just print it out from your computer which would be much cheaper. Here's how it looks on my now full mantle.

I went colorful this year and am loving it! All the bright ornaments popping out of the fresh greens just make me happy.

This glass Santa was a gift from a dear friend. Doesn't he look festive tucked in with my poinsettia?

Of course no holiday mantle is finished without stockings. Daniel and I made ourss a few years back (yes he actually sewed his own). Can you guess which one is mine?

I love my bright cheery mantle. It smells great with all the greenery and glows at night when the candles are lit. Definitely a winner! Now I just have to finish my Christmas shopping and all will be well.

Cheers!

Real Estate Love

If you've been with me from the beginning you will remember that our house had been on the market almost a year before we bought it. It also came with a large stack of Realtor cards. Hundreds of Realtor cards.

I always wanted to do something artsy with them since they symbolized how special this house is. I've been sitting on them for the last seven months and finally I had my idea. It all started with the need to fill in a wall with some art. This wall to be precise.

Anyone who has stairs in their house knows the dilemma of ridiculously tall looming walls. They are a pain. Often they are way too tall for most people to reach but they take up huge amounts of visual space. I've seen some great fixes in the past though and have been through a few ideas of my own before I settled on this one. Now for the glorious after.

So it is not fine art but I think it is fun! It fills the space perfectly and every time I walk past the door I can see it. The most difficult thing about the project was hanging it. Luckily I have a very tall ladder and a very willing husband. 

The fun coincidence I learned while we hung it was that I actually used our Realtor's card in the "V". So the person responsible for introducing us to our house is represented in our love. 

This is all part of the grand stair case makeover (you can see part one here). Anyone else have big projects in the works? My kitchen just may be getting an update in the new year. I'll update you on that next week after I've gotten a few quotes.

Cheers!

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Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest