What's on....Your Walls

Hmm, has it really been 3 weeks since I last posted?!  Where has the time gone?  We have been crazy busy enjoying the Spring weather, celebrating Memorial Day and of course, enjoying some much needed relaxation in Mexico!  Do you ever feel like you have so much to blog about that you don't know where to start....and therefore, do nothing?!  No, just me?  Ha! 

Well, anyway, today I am linking up with one of my very favorite bloggers, Andrea to share what is on our walls.  While taking pictures I definitely noticed I have some 'go to' decorating themes.  Oops!  We still have some bare walls and there are some current décor items that I am ready to change up so I can't wait to see what everyone has on their walls!

Here goes....

So apparently I LOVE hanging letters on my walls!  Ever since we got married I have loved my new last initial.  :)  Not so much the letter...P's are great and all but it isn't like they are that much cooler than H's.  (Though I do have to say that hanging a P is much easier!)  I just like what it symbolizes.  Our marriage and our family....we share a last name and I love that simple thing.  :)  That is a little too corny/cheesy for a Monday isn't it? 

I have a large distressed P in our living room.  I stumbled on this one at Hobby Lobby on clearance.  I originally thought I would paint it but it ended up fitting in perfectly. 

 

 

There is a P in our command center collage....

 

The other P is over a console table in our foyer.  The N, C, M and L are part of our gallery wall.  Our MASSIVE gallery wall.  :)  This wall is on the open staircase to our basement and is a huge space....I think we have about 35-40 pictures on that wall alone.  Eek!  However, it is the ONLY place in the house that I have family pictures hung (currently) so although we joke that it is 'a whole lot of us in one space', I love it.  I love going to that wall and seeing so many happy memories in one place.  We mixed professional pictures and candid shots.  We have wedding pictures from all my husband's brothers and sisters included.  We have pictures from when we were dating and pictures of our family of 4.  So much love on that wall....  :)

 

 

A few things about this wall....  First, I scoured Goodwill and our basement for frames.  It didn't matter what the color of the frame was because I was going to spray paint them all the same.  I was looking for different shapes, sizes and textures to add some interest.  The oval is my favorite frame of all!  I didn't just look for picture frames either.  Goodwill was fantastic for different frames with painting or décor pictures in them!  Not to mention I found some of the coolest textures on frames there. 

As for the pictures, it took me FOREVER to decide on pictures!  I wanted a good mix of the years together and I wanted to be sure our entire extended family was represented on the wall as well.  I love that we have Matt's brothers and sisters wedding pictures in the top corner (with ours) and that each one is similar in that we are looking at our new spouse.  So much love in that little corner of the big wall! 

 

Before hanging the pictures on the wall, I did two things that I believe made the whole process 10x's easier.  Plus it helped mix my OCD and my husband's tolerance for hanging 30+ picture frames (while using a ladder on stairs!).   First I laid out all the pictures on the floor.  I had measured the wall so I knew the layout and angles I needed to work within.  This step helped me ensure that I didn't have two similar pictures next to each other (2 honeymoon, 2 wedding, 2 of the kids, etc).  Yes, I was that particular about it.  Plus it helped me mix the shapes, sizes and layout of the pictures.  After getting a handle on the layout, I used craft paper and traced each picture and marked the paper with the hangers (where we would need to place the nails).  This step was HUGE for our sanity!  We taped up the paper in the layout, put the nails right thru the paper and then just traded out the paper for the pictures.  So easy!  Just be sure you know which paper goes with each picture.  ;)

 

Whew!  Okay, so I also love making my own canvases and utilizing my Cricut paper cutter.



The top left is in our main bathroom (the shower steam is starting to affect the stickiness on the vinyl....), the Cinderella quote is from Natalie's room (of course!) and the black and silver is currently hanging over our bed. 

 

One of my first DIY projects for our home was making these bad boys.  It was super simple and I love the uniqueness.  The frames and scrapbook paper were from Hobby Lobby and I cut the diagrams out in black paper using the From My Kitchen Cricut cartridge. 

These were inspired by Better Homes and Gardens. 

Chase's room has a sports them so I made these designs using the Team Spirit Cricut cartridge.

I also love mirrors....well, in my dining room, anyway.

 

Also in my dining room is one of my very favorite things currently hanging on our walls.

This is a pencil drawing of our first home.  The home where we lived when we got engaged, when we got married and the place we brought Natalie home.  I honestly could not love this picture any more!  It was a first anniversary gift to Matt and I am looking forward to adding a picture of our current home to the wall as well.  Now if only I could find the name of the company that did this picture!  Oops!

 

Continuing my apparent love for vinyl....

Part of the gallery wall.

In the kitchen...

In our bedroom...

This is a picture from our wedding that my Matron of Honor gave us.  During my wedding planning I found a beautiful blessing called the 'Blessing of the Hands'.  It made me tear up every (yes, EVERY and even to this day) I read it so I knew it had to be incorporated into our ceremony.  Our priest did an amazing job reading it and I love that we have the words and picture of the moment from the ceremony in our bedroom.

 

I couldn't find a link to the exact blessing we used though there are many versions online.  If you are curious here is the blessing as we used it....

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and vibrant with love, that are holding your on your wedding day as you pledge your commitment to each other and promise to love each other all the days of your life. 

These are the hands that will work long hours for you and your new family. 

These are the hands that will work along side yours, as together you build your future, as you laugh and cry, as you share your secrets and dreams. 

These are the hands that will hold each child in tender love, soothing them through illness and hurt, supporting and encouraging along the way, and knowing when it is time to let go. 

These are the hands that will countless times wipe tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times, they will comfort you when you are sick , and console you when you are grieving.

These are the hands that will give you support as you encourage each other to chase down your dreams, together as a team, everything you wished for can be realized.

These are the hands that will love and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.

And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

God, bless these hands that you see before you this day.  May they always be held by one another.  Give them the strength to hold on during the storms of stress and the dark of disillusionment.

Keep them tender and gentle as they nurture each other in their wondrous love.  Help these hands to continue building a relationship founded in your grace, rich in caring and devoted in reaching for your perfection.

May Lauren and Matt always see their four hands as healer, protector, shelter and guide.  We ask this in your name.  Amen

 

I also had another DIY project in Natalie's room.  I made the princess pictures using canvases (cause duh, apparently!), pictures from an old calendar, some purple paint and a whole lot of modge podge. 

 

A few other items in Chase's room.  My favorite saying to the kiddos and another DIY project.  A canvas (yes, again!), wood letters, wood glue and paint.  Perfect addition to his room!

I scored (pun intended!) these pictures for $13 at Kirkland's.  They are really large too - about 24"x24".

Lastly, I have an odd wall in our living room that is currently housing a very large metal thing.  This wall is my next project.  I am thinking another gallery wall but one sans pictures of us (because, well you know we have that aspect covered in the other gallery wall) and focused on sayings and other things.  Help!

Thanks for stopping by!  Can't wait to see what everyone has on their walls!