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Sunday, November 20, 2016

Gallery Wall

Hi everyone,


We're not going to talk about it.  November 2016: The Cubs won - made the boyfriend happy and Christmas shopping easy!  I got my grant in (another two to finish before the end of the month).  We got some new things to facilitate cat/human relations in the house.  Specifically - a very high gate for the stairs that the cats have been unable to jump over (keeps the cats from getting upstairs into my stuff and from whining at the bedroom door in the middle of the night) AND a wireless camera that monitors movement and allows voice communication ("Get off the table, BOB.  Last chance").  We are calling the camera "The eye of Mommy".  Life is Good (except for that thing we are not going to talk about).

I finally followed up on one of my original house visions - a gallery wall above the TV.  I was, of course, inspired by Pinterest.

gallery wall:
Pottery Barn: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/510314201500197121/


This was yet another project that the boyfriend had strong opinions about.  I am all about symmetry and he likes some angles and surprises and not too much uniformity.  Anyway, we picked up various frames from IKEA and Target.  The boyfriend had acquired the New Orleans pictures during a trip there long ago and we picked up the Seattle pictures during a recent trip there for my college roommate's wedding.  The science pictures we got from Etsy as an artistic nod to our backgrounds.

First, I did a few test runs of patterns on the kitchen table until the boyfriend and I could agree on one.




I preferred the top one.  He preferred the bottom one.  We compromised.  Sort of.  I began to like the asymmetry as long as it was still lined up.  Pinterest had so many layouts, but these two made the most sense based on the size and number of pictures we had.

I then did some not so careful measuring and nail hanging.  And then some more careful measuring and nail hanging.  I had to use a level and a straight edge and a marker.  I tried using some of those "How to hang pictures" tutorials, but honestly, nothing really worked for me, so I did it the long hard way.



Halfway there.



Finished product.  I think it looks great above the TV and there is plenty of room to expand the space there.

I've been getting some decorating confidence from "The Nesting Place: It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful" by Myquillyn Smith.  Check it out.  We may have to move soon as the boyfriend's commute it terrible (2.5 hours by shuttle/train/train/shuttle to Bethesday), but I will not be daunted if we do a rental rather than buying something this time around.  I will make our home great again.

I know.  I said we weren't going to talk about it.  We aren't.