if you've been to my house, you know it's far from perfect. i am not a naturally organized person, and it's not easy keeping things picked up and lovely with up to four kids 2-years-old and younger here on any given day. at least not for me. i am ever working to find systems and decor that works for the state of craziness in which i live. these circumstances combined with the fact that purchasing fancy art and expensive furniture is not an option for our family, and i have the perfect chance to be creative with what i already own or can find for just a few dollars.
so...today's favorite things: inspiring decorating ideas and the fabulous blogs from whence they came.
prettifying inexpensive flowers. (idea from simple mom.) i LOVE fresh flowers. i used to spend a lot more on them when i didn't have diapers to buy. now i get garden bunches from sam's for $4 or so. pack them short and close together in jars and bottles decorated with pretty scrapbook paper and ribbon. even if my house is chaotic with mess and noise, fresh flowers make it feel cozy. fresh flowers actually inspire me to straighten and clean! i want them to displayed on a pretty surface free from clutter and crumbs.
canvas of happiness. (idea from mt. hope chronicles.) this...is...so...cool. the mom-of-3 behind this blog, heidi, had a list of things that make her happy from a creative writing class she took in college and decided to make it into art. she painted a plain canvas with colors to match her home and then wrote her "happy things" with a plain black sharpie in pretty handwriting. talk about inspiring! i am super pumped to try this. i have a big blank canvas on hand so i don't even have to leave the house to get started. she mentions in her post that this method would work with lots of different categories: "welcome" in different languages, names of family members, kitchen utensils, words related to specific seasons or holidays, etc. etc. heidi also mentions that canvases can be repainted and used for new art when you tire of your current piece.
decorating with plates. (idea from nesting place.) so lovely. for some reason this has never occured to me. i have lots of pretty decorative plates, platters, cups and condiment vessels. believe it or not, i don't use my gravy boat or my great-grandmother's china (or my grandmother's china. yes, i have two sets of AWESOME vintage china!) on daily basis. they sit in my cupboards gathering dust. why not put them out? my mind is seriously overwhelmed with the possibilities. the nester, as they call her, stacks dishes in the prettiest combinations and fills them with simple, every day or thrift store things that look genius and super decorator. her motto, which i have adopted, is "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful."
1 comment:
You've totally got me on a canvas-kick and I love the words on a canvas. Especially the favorite things. It'd be nice to pass by on a rough day and read a few phrases that make you smile. Too bad my handwriting doesn't make me or anyone else smile.
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