Wall Decor Idea

While some people are on a Spring cleaning kick, I'm finding myself more on a Spring redecorating kick. I hung some new pics in the girls' rooms, I bought a little desk at a garage sale for the scrapbook/spare bedroom, and we've completely rearranged our bedroom.

Can I pause to say that I'm LOVING our newly rearranged bedroom? I'm waiting for a thing or two for the wall and then I'll post pics. It's worthy of a blog post all of it's own. Did I mention I'm loving it?

As with recipes, I tend to find a decorating idea or concept that I like, and think "what can I do to make that my own?" I'll read six different recipes and then pick and choose what parts of it I want to incorporate and make my own recipe.

Same thing goes with this wall decorating idea. I was at Abbe's house recently, and saw this seriously cute idea. She had a cafe rod hung above her desk with her kids' artwork hanging from it. LOVED it. So cute and simple.

But I already have a bulletin board in the kitchen for that stuff, and a lovely pile going on in the scrapbook room. Don't need to hang my kids' artwork.

However...this wall in my office has been needing a change:

First off, this little 12"x12" frame doesn't do much to fill out the space. Secondly, I made it long before we got pregnant with Hannah Banana so it's a little out of date.


Hmm. I'm a travel agent.

Hmm. This is my office I'm talking about.

Hmm. We have LOTS of vacation pictures.

Hmm. I should hang some pictures from our trips up there!

Ding ding ding!! Lightbulb moment!

THEN not a week later, I was at my friend Sam's house. She had this super duper cute thing in her son's room...it was really long...but a cute quote that was made up of painted wooden letters mounted on a stained board, and it stretched across one wall. LOVE IT. So going to use THAT idea in more than one location I immediately thought. I think her quote, if you're interested, said something like "Hunting with dad...an American tradition."

Hmmm. One idea, meets another idea, meets my little travel-pics; looks-like-pics-hanging-up-in-a-darkroom ideas. And thus, a new wall in my office is born.

I painted the letters in a slightly metallic bronze color and then accented them with some black. Mounted them on a thin piece of wood that I bought and painted black. (used acrylic paints) Wood stuff was on sale at Hobby Lobby that week, so I think I spent about $5 for the "TRAVEL" sign!

I bought the cafe rod at Target one day during retail therapy, when this idea was still trying to sprout some wings. All I knew when I bought it was that I wanted to use Abbe's concept somewhere in this house! Cafe rod was about $5. I bought it, checked out, and as I was leaving the store, noticed the package had been opened and all the hardware was missing. Don't you just know that the curtain rod section is about as far from customer service as possible! Note to readers: check your packaging before you leave the store!

I had the pictures sitting in the scrapbook room, and mounted them on some black cardstock.

And joila!

I'm loving it! Thanks Abs and Sam for inspiring the birth of this project :)