Sure, twist my arm!

three weeks ago today, our 12 year old daughter started Middle School.  Middle School brings a flood of emotions to all who think about it, either because of their own memories of it, or because of the realization that High School is knocking on the door.  the school our daughter is attending is amazing in many ways, one of which hits close to home, or in my case, HEART.  in a sea of schools that have cut fine arts from their curriculum, this school teaches it.  not as an elective, but as a REQUIREMENT.  so this weekend, when she asked for some help studying for her upcoming Studio Arts 1 exam, i had to make myself count to 5 before i jumped at the chance.  Sure, twist my arm!  now, where to start...... 

Elements of Art = the tools to make art.  I love this because it reminds me of the 70's.  

Principles of Design = how to use the tools to make art. 

Modern day versions!

Our daughter's first date with paint! She had just turned 2 and yes, I still have the paint handprints on our kitchen cabinets 10 years later!

Gallery Wall Refresh. Step Two: add the "gallery!"

the chalkboard wall is a HUGE hit! we love having the dramatic strip of black add graphic impact to our once just white wall.  now, adding back in the gallery wall frames. follow our photos below to see the fun transformation. 

adding a horizontal line helped us know the lowest point we wanted our gallery items to extend.  we used the height of the table determine this line.  hubby evenly taped it off so i could see it and help remind me of where to stop placing the templates.

our previous wall had all square and rectangle frames and one round, red plate we were given as a gift.  for the Refresh, we edited out some frames, removed the red plate, and starting looking around for some circular pieces to add some variety and dynamic space.  

after searching here and there, we found the circular shapes we were looking for.  two mirrors found on sale @ KOHL's.  we thought we would use just one, but the two complemented the geometric shapes so much better than just one.  using construction paper templates, we played with a variety of layouts.  making the frames work together was not easy! balancing out the frames shapes, the mats colors and the colors in the photographs was a welcomed challenge. 

placing the two mirrors first, we started adding in the frames.  the photographs on our gallery wall have three main themes:  our daughter, our wedding and my parents' wedding.  there are also three mat types: white mats, linen mats, or no mats.  3's in design always work well. 

pics of our daughter! such adorable pics of her from about 10 years ago.  

some of our treasured wedding pics.  and yes, my dress was made of a gorgeous red  dupioni silk. 

a shot  from the right side.

a shot from the left side. 

the start of the whole wall - a shadow box from Pottery Barn  filled with swatches of fabrics, feathers and our favor.  an anniversary gift from me to hubby to celebrate our first year of wedded bliss. 

love the shot of me and hubby during our first dance as mr. and mrs. 

VIOLA! the finished wall.... mirrors added to the gallery wall given it dynamic space and visual interest.  the best part? our beloved photographs seem refreshed and renewed!

Sources:

• Picture Frames = all but one from Pottery Barn http://www.potterybarn.com/shop/accessories-decor/picture-frames/?cm_type=lnav
• Mirrors = both from Kohl's http://www.kohls.com/search.jsp?search=round+mirrors&submit-search=web-regular
• Dining Table = Pottery Barn from about a decade ago
• Black Bench = Crate and Barrell, purchased about 16 years ago
• Grey Chairs = found in a dumpster and repainted grey
• Silver Wine Bucket = Walmart

Obsessing over Olive Green

Gallery Wall Refresh. Step One: add a CHALKBOARD WALL!

10+ years of designing children's spaces, and i still can't get over the charm of a chalkboard wall.  when it came time to refresh some spaces in our home, our eat-in-kitchen wall seemed like the perfect space for a slice of black chalkboard.  thank goodness the hubby is patient and meticulous.... he planned, prepped and painted a fun space for us all to use!

               the blank wall once all the frames were taken down and a fresh coat of paint  was added

so much measuring and planning for such a small area... worth it in the end! the 3 tape dots in the middle is where the 3 hooks we have will hang.

my hubby is the best.  the painting has started!

i was so excited i got up at 5 am to take a peak.

VIOLA!  the chalkboard + 3 hooks + 3 round porcelain tags = HEAVEN.  the paper templates to the right are designs we are playing with for the "new" gallery wall.  stay tuned for more creative fun!

BEAUTIFUL dahlias - a fave of mine ..... and one of my fave blogs - http://www.athomeinlove.com/

At Home in Love added 4 new photos.

Yesterday at 8:38am · 

Talking about dahlias today! I'm obsessed with the big cafe au lait ones. What's your favorite flower? http://www.athomeinlove.com/dazzling-dahlias/

A great local talent, Nikki @ https://www.facebook.com/Tikkido 
was featured in AllFreeDIYWeddings https://www.facebook.com/AllFreeDIYWeddings 
Her carved initials centerpiece tutorial even made the cover!

Today's all about exciting news! Their second free eBook was just released, and it's beautiful!

{Lee Master Bathroom}

woke up ready for part III - the master bedroom ideas for the home in VA of a friend.  gorgeous bones that are yelling for some warming up.  adding weathered woods and texture in a classic black, white and linen palette will make the marble sing! 

http://www.pinterest.com/swsdesignideas/lee-master-bathroom/

{Lee Master Bathroom}

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{Lee Dining Room}

love the Parisian Bistro Chairs this VA homeowner already has.  what a classic to build a dining room around.  botanicals and washed woods soften the look and a lovely rug anchors the room.  

http://www.pinterest.com/swsdesignideas/lee-dining-room/

{Lee Dining Room}

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{Lee Living Room}

here's the beginning of a living room in VA.  a gorgeous bungalow with amazing windows and intricate all white moldings.  so excited for new BEGINNING in new spaces!

http://www.pinterest.com/swsdesignideas/lee-living-room/

{Lee Living Room}

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