The Great Gallery Wall Move

Last year, I made a gallery wall in my living room that I've enjoyed over the last year. But, you know...time passes, and I was ready for a change. During the same period, I was also a little tired of our bedroom and ready for something new.

Lucky for me (ha!), we've battled moisture and mildew this year, so we made the decision to flip-flop our bedroom with that of our boys', and I was forced to find a new home for everything on the walls and rethink a few things.

When I think of my bedroom, I aim for cozy. We honeymooned at a run0down family motel on the edge of the earth (the Outer Banks of North Carolina...it really is the edge of the earth!). The place had mis-matched sheets, curtains from the 70s, and the furniture was all different. In a word, it was cozy. You knew that that room had stories to tell. Stories to tell of vacationing families, of fishing trips, of hurricanes and nor'easters survived. And, so, when I decorate, sometimes I want my rooms to feel like they have the same stories to tell. Stories of life and love and history and hope of a great future.

In a word, gallery walls are just my thing.

A few things extended down onto the dresser.

As well as a bowl of buckeyes from a fun camping trip we took back in the days before kids.

And along with the room and gallery wall moves, I got new bedding. I'd had the same floral duvet for almost 11 years. It was a wedding present that I loved at the time and still do, but I was just ready for something lighter. So, I went with this off-white matelasse that I borrowed/stole from my mom. I found the comforter at the end of the bed thrifting. It's king size and very heavy, so just perfect for when the nights are cold.

And there you go. Cozy.

Fabulous consignment find!

Ever get something in your head that you just absolutely need? Yep, me, too. And the rational, cost-cutting portion of your brain just refuses to listen.

This quilt is for that part of my brain. When we moved, I was convinced that I needed a Pottery Barn Kids quilt for my big boy beds. Had to have them. Visited them in the store! But, something about that $130 price tag has held me back. Recently, I decided that I had waited long enough, and I started calling the outlet (a little more than an hour away) to stalk a quilt that I liked. Up there, they are $65, so much better price, but still not cheap.

And, then, I lucked up on this one at a consignment sale for only $15! I'm thrilled. It really works well in this room. Matchy, but not overly so, you know? That's the style I like, so I couldn't be more pleased.

I like this cool detail to go with the gingham bed skirt, found almost a year ago at Goodwill for only $3.23.

It also works well with the rug, another Craigslist bargain, at $25. We had to drive for-ever to get it, but, hey, I still love it. That's what matters, right?

As I look around, the whole room is mostly consignment/Goodwill/craigslist finds, along with a little table from the Store of Mom. This room makes me happy. As does that sweet baby!

So there you go. A little patience rewarded with sweet firetrucks. Nothing better!

I'm linked up to Southern Hospitality's Thrifty Treasures today, too. Check it out!

Bathroom redo

I've been lazy about posting pictures of our new house (it still feels new, even though we've been here 6 months, so I'll just count it as new) cause, well, each room still has *something* that needs finishing. But, spring is here, and I'm inspired to start finishing all those little projects. Ah, yard sales and sunny days to spray paint. What could be better? So, I'll start with the bathroom. Very exciting, I know. But, it's compact, which means it was finished first, and I like the way it turned out. Which is good. Cause it's the only one I've got. *smiles*

My bathroom has pink and gray tile. Very vintage. Very cool. Very hard to wrap my head around decorating with. So, I started with this fabric. It's a beloved piece from the master bedroom bedding. We bought this with wedding money, and I've yet to find something I like better (I'm on the lookout because my duvet is almost threadbare). So, 10 years later, and I still love it. Better for me, there are small bits of both pink and gray in there, so it really ties the bathroom together.

These hooks are from IKEA. I'm not a crazy contemporary girl, but I like the clean, traditional lines of the hooks, and they worked well for this awkward little spot as you enter the bathroom. The painting above it is from a high school friend. She's a wonderfully talented artist, and I love the piece.

My mom made hooded, monogrammed towels for my boys after I fainted when I saw the prices that they command in the store. As always, thank you, mom!

I'm most pleased with this rug. I debated and debated what to do about a bathroom rug. And, then, one day, I was perusing Young House Love, and I found my inspiration. This version is from IKEA, and it was a whopping $4.99. This is good, because one bathroom plus 3 muddy little boys, one muddy husband, and one muddy dog, well, that's going to equal frequent bath mat replacement. But for 5 bucks, I'm okay with that.

In a house long, long ago, I had this very boring shower curtain. It was "natural", tab topped, and seriously, I think I bought it at Target around 11 years ago. I'm sure it was Target, because 11 years ago, I had that store memorized. I think I had one of everything. Oh, how times will change on you. Next thing you know, you look up, and you haven't been to Target in 6 months. Crazy. Anyway. I dyed that sucker chocolate brown, then added some fringe to the bottom. I like the way it turned out. I'm debating having an initial monogrammed in the middle, but for right now, I like the way it looks.

The room IS pink, so I added some of my childhood pretties. They don't really fit anywhere else in my house, so I'm enjoying them in the bathroom. This is a cross-stitch my mom did for me that was in my room as a teenager. It says "make a joyful noise", and it's one of my favorites.

A little valence. We also have blinds, but we leave them open most of the time. This window is surprisingly well situated, and it is decently private.

This is the view when I want to see some girly-ness and remember that I am a grown-up. This is the rest of my pink pretties from my childhood.

And this is the scene when I remind myself that I share the bathroom with three little boys. These little metal baskets work well for the bath toys. They drain and dry quickly, and their small size keeps the toy numbers in check (cause sometimes I am cramming 3 boys and their toys into one bathtub--not a ton of room in there!).

This shot gives you a good look at what I had to start with--pink and gray, oh my. The little painted milk glass was picked up at a festival a million years ago. I love the happy flowers. Another girl touch in a house of boys.

And there you have it. Vintage 50s fun meets a traditional, use-what-you-have kind of girl. I hope you enjoyed the tour of the most popular room in our house!