I need to practice (a lot) if I'm ever gonna figure this blogging thing out so I am going to post some old pics of stuff that I did a long time ago. My goal is to post this in a larger font than my first two posts! Meanwhile, this will fill in the gap until I can get my hubby to help me with the shabby shelf. I've got all the plans in my head and could probably whip it up on my own, but unless I'm okay with a large shelf piled with treasured possessions coming crashing down on top of a newly purchased slimline flat screen (someone I live with MIGHT have a thing for fancy T.V.'s), I'd better wait for the help.
First off - Little Cowgirl Room. A few years ago I did some decorating for a family at a lakehouse they purchased and remodeled. My task was to fill the rooms in a simple, low maintenance way (and on a budget). The space was to be used for family gatherings and occassional men's retreats. The brave wife gave her husband free reign on decor, so lucky for her (I think) he hired me to take care of the decorating. I really tried to decorate with his wife in mind... if it were up to him, every room would have had critters on all of the walls & bedding!!!
I don't have a picture of the empty room but here is a picture of early stages...
The room was a basic beige with neutral carpet & aspen ceilings (yes, aspen ceilings-not part of my design).
Below is a close up picture of the wall treatment that I did. It was easy, cheap & turned out kinda cute! I used chalk to write the words then started hammering away with tiny nails until all of the chalk was covered with rope. The star "dots" were rusty metal pieces that I purchased somewhere when I was "junkin'" once upon a time.
Not too shabby, maybe $8 to fill a large wall... Next is a picture of the final product. I think it's sweet.
Super simple with a femine touch. This particular little lady was 5 years old at the time so she may not have appreciated the simplicity. Just to win her over, I propped a cute stick horse, red cowgirl hat & lantern in a corner just for her. While she may have missed the pink & purple at the time, she probably appreciates the grown up feel a little more now PLUS I feel pretty certain that the men who were lucky enough to attend the overnight retreats would appreciate not feeling like they needed to check their boots for glitter when they left their sleeping quarters. I bought khaki bedskirts and the sweet quilts at Kohl's (they were not a set). The furniture is that Mexican Pine that you see for cheap at many import places but I had it whitewashed for a new look. I think the handmade (not by my hands) stars in the red gingham fabric make the room special. Surely I tweaked the quilt on the right side after I took this picture...
This view is from the doorway. Final picture - again, please excuse the messy bedmaking... I think by the time I got to this room I was officially DONE! You get the idea though...
