March 18, 2013

there’s always a new project: our happy entryway!

my style is always evolving & i like that. there’s always something to find inspiration in & a good project speaks to my crafty soul. for now, i am inspired by bright spaces (i don’t think that will ever change!) with punches of color. i decided in late february to change up our entryway just a bit & made it one of my march goals. check! complete! & i love it.
i had big plans for this small space but a relatively small budget. we budget $50 a month for home & crafty projects. considering all of my sewing/knitting/painting/random home projects, i have to get really creative in making our dollar stretch. for this project, i spent $45. woo hoo!

i used leftover paint to paint the crate white & purchased inexpensive frames from target. i used small  frames (4×6 & 5×7) to keep the cost down. there was a special 50% off all prints discount at mpix so i printed our photos there. i purchased the new mirror from a thrift shop months ago & used random home decor to fill in the blank spots.
i wanted our entryway to be filled with memories that left that warm fuzzy feeling. i made a little label for our brazil vacation jar of shells & added some of our favorite family photographs.
it was incredibly hard choosing just 5 photos to add to our wall. the wall space is small so these photos needed to be really special. in the end, i went with photos from different seasons of our married life- a family photo, a snapshot from a favorite vacation to chicago, a photo of our first home, a fun moment from our honeymoon & a quiet moment at home. i wanted to balance the still life photos with photos of us while keeping the same warm mood.

i kept the party lanterns up for a fun, whimsical feel. i’m sure i’ll take them down eventually, but for now twinkle lights & lanterns make me smile.

of course, this project isn’t complete. i have a big white 8×10 frame just waiting for this favorite print, but it simply did not fit into our budget. for now, a sweet little reminder on a clipboard is in its place. 
happy monday! 
“if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely” – roald dahl
love,
natalie