Wall Art on the cheap

 

This is the wall over our tiny little kitchen table (only big enough for 2 chairs)

and I thought I'd share with you what this array of random stuff is!

• The painting of the man and woman dancing is cut out of a magazine.  I just loved both the painting and the long vertical shape of it.  (free... not my magazine :)
• The silverware is drawn on black paper with white chalk.  don't touch it or it will smear. lol (cheap and easy!)
• The black square is electrical tape (cheap)
• The picture is my husband and I from our engagement pictures stuck inside of a card and taped to the wall. (cheap)
• The bird is cut out of a grey paint sample (free!)
• The chain of flowers is made out of toilet paper rolls!  (free!)
• The purple frame is also a cut up paint sample (free!)

Wall art for pennies!  

And.... it is all paper products and light weight because our walls are concrete so everything must be taped up.. or hot glued. which I have found works great! 

Hanging above is my $4 Ikea paper lantern light.  I brought this in my suitcase with me because I just knew the lighting in this apartment would be horrible.  and I was right. we basically have outdoor porch lights inside.
you can read about how I covered up one of those lights here.

My favorite thing about this wall is how it all came together from random scraps and the ascending flow.
note don't be afraid to play around with the placement of  your wall art.

Biggest Decorating Mistakes according to House Beautiful

I, along with probably millions of others, saw this headline on MSN yesterday.
MSN is my homepage.  Why?  It always was back when I used hotmail email... but it has remained because shamefully some days that it my only source of "news"
I like getting the headlines when I first get online.  My husband has tried to get me to switch to google's homepage (you can customize it blah blah blah) but I have remained faithful to MSN.
And yesterday I got decorating tips! awesome

I don't particularly agree with this list... I do agree that they are mistakes, but the biggest? nah?

1.  Overzealous decorative painting.
I remember in high school/early in college wanting to paint EVERYTHING I could get my hands on.  Anything wood in my room was painted... and not like solid colors...  flowers and stripes and polka dots. and. I'll admit it. pastels. yea...
I like painted furniture, in moderation, mostly because all my furniture is OLD (not vintagey cool old either) or thrift store bought. therefore.. it needs a nice paint job. 

2. Overhead lighting.
 yes.  I agree, unless it is on a dimmer or a super cool light fixture, in which case it is usually accompanied by a lamp or something, balancing out the lighting.

3. Candles Clustered Together.

 hmm biggest decorating mistake? nol. there is far worse... and who cares about the candles??

4. Furniture Pushed Up Against the Walls.
yes!  they got this one right! 


5. Out-of-Proportion Lamps.
another hm in my book.  I think scale is very important... but unless this is a showroom or the white house... give people a break on their lamps.

6. Karate-Chopped Pillows.
meaning - way over though pillow arrangement and you hit it on the top making a dent in the middle.  unnecessary and one of the least of my concerns in home decorating.

7. A Single Light Source.


couldn't this have been covered in the over head lighting category? 



So there you have it.  A decorating mistake list from House Beautiful via MSN.
Do you agree with this list?  Are most of these things even on your radar of concern? 

sea glass seahorse

I think that's the start of a fun tongue twister.

Yesterday I saw this print on pinterest (see I'm not really over it.  there is still good to be found)

Source: printshop.urbanoutfitters.com via Angela on Pinterest

I absolutely fell in love with this seahorse.  Isn't it beautiful??
I knew I wanted to try to re-create the print, but wasn't feel in the drawing mood just yet, so I got my sea glass and some wire and went to work.

As per usual, I don't have an awesome how to tutorial.  I didn't know what I was doing.  I just shaped some 20gauge wire into a seahorse and then attached sea glass to the frame with 24gauge wire.  Which were the only two types of wire I have here in Grenada.  So you could use different sizes.  I however wouldn't go any smaller than 24 gauge, it might break easily.

The only problem is, I made this way too big to be used as a pendant for a necklace, it just kept growing!
My husband had the genius idea that the sea glass seahorse would be a great centerpiece for a sea glass wind chime! He is so useful to have around.

But I still wanted a necklace so I made another one, a beaded one.

and I'm not convinced I love this one for a necklace either.  but with limited bead supply this is what I came up with.  I think I'd like it better in gold. 
but I'm sure I'll find something to do with the little guy.

size comparison.

So... I have seriously decided to step up my sea glass finding capabilities.  I need more sea glass creatures!!

linking up with:
http://www.katiesnestingspot.com/
http://alliemakes.blogspot.com/
Somewhat Simple,
Paisly Passions. 
http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/
http://itsahodgepodgelife.blogspot.com/
http://justagirlblog.com/
http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/2011/08/show-and-tell-saturday-080611.html

What I Wear Wednesday

I asked my husband to snap a couple of pictures of me on Sunday after church because I hadn't participated in a WIWW for a while... and I hadn't worn anything other than bathing suits and cover ups for a while AND we were eating lunch by the beach so I thought it'd be a nice backdrop.
Well. remind me to take my own pictures in the future. or have a proper training session.









but I was able to crop this one to display this necklace I made!
I don't know how to tell how I did it.  I just kept knotting beads in random ways and it came out like this. :/ and it's strung on fishing line
I love the colors though, reminds me of sherbert.

linking up with The Pleated Poppy .

Over / Not Over

Are you sitting down??

I have a confession.

I. Kelsey Coghill. am feeling OVER. pinterest.

ugh. I'm sorry.  I just feel so over-exposed to so many trends/themes/ideas that I begin to hate them.
and I feel as if none of us are ever going to have an original thought ever again. myself included.

don't get me wrong. it is most definitely an open tab right now on my browser.  I go there probably twice daily.

But it got me thinking about what things I am over and what I"m not over yet.
and where will these images come from?? pinterest duh. built in source citing.

OVER:

1. Keep calm & whatever

Source: etsy.com via Katherine on Pinterest

I never liked  this actually.  I think it was the crown.  I've never been a princess-y girl.  But this has been done so so many times and so many different ways with so many ridiculous phrases.

2. owls

Source: piccsy.com via Fay on Pinterest

I never liked the owl craze, I do think these owls are cute, but when they are every where... it ruins it for me.

3.  mustaches
 

Source: urbanoutfitters.com via Ryan on Pinterest

I just plain never understood this. and don't like it.


OVER : but wish that I wasn't but someone else ruined it for me.

1. Chevron Stripes

Source: labellabungalowblog.com via JoJo on Pinterest

and the faux animal heads (or real) thanks Candice Olson for that one. I normally would really like chevron stripes, but like everyone in the world has them in their home and it cheapens it for me.

2.  Sunburst mirrors

Source: hgtv.com via Allison on Pinterest

Isn't this pretty?  I do think it's pretty, but everyone and their brother has one!  I missed out on this one being out of the country.... maybe I'll find one at the goodwill after everyone has gotten rid of theirs and proudly hang it up :)

3. Silhouettes

Source: alifemorefabulous.blogspot.com via Kelsey on Pinterest

and by silhouettes I mean stuff like this. dogs. I like silhouettes of actual children or what not.


Not Over Yet :

1. Birds

Source: etsy.com via Kelsey on Pinterest

I'll probably never be over birds because I liked them way way before it was trendy. honest.  But you probably won't catch me painting them on my wall anytime soon.

2. Maps and globes

Source: tumblr.com via Kelsey on Pinterest

Source: thestir.cafemom.com via Kelsey on Pinterest

this one is lasting for me. I love maps and globes and travel and the world. period.

3. Gallery Walls

Source: tomkatstudio.blogspot.com via Kelsey on Pinterest

the more the merrier!!

4.  Painted floors

Source: designspongeonline.com via Kelsey on Pinterest

I have always loved and dreamed of having a floor just like this ever since my older sister painted the stairs in our old house. someday...

 5.  Letters and Ampersands

Source: thisnext.com via Kelsey on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Ali on Pinterest

so maybe I am over all the writing and letters directly on the walls (vinyl letters) but I am in no way over wood or metal letters. especially ampersands. &&&&& love them.


So there you have it.... my personal opinions.
If you have a house full of owls and chevron strips floor to ceiling I will not judge you. promise.  As long as you don't judge me for having every available walls space filled with frames and birds ;)

What do you think?? Anything you can't stand anymore and/or would never put in your house??

linking up with: Crafty Confesions , take a look Tuesday at Sugar Bee, Running with Glitter, New Nostalgia,
and Home Stories A-Z.