Oh the places you'll go...

Hey everyone!  Today I want to let you know about a fun project I completed more in the "arts & crafts" arena!  It seems like every relatively simple idea I think of turns into a long, dramatic, timely project that requires way more effort on my part compared to the average person!  Sometimes I wonder if I WANT things to be more difficult :)  I believe it's just that I have a certain vision in my head and so I go to great lengths to make it happen.  For example, when high school prom rolled around every year, it was always a huge family ordeal.  My dad would always say, after hours of shopping trips, "Natalie, your dream prom dress only exists in your head!  Not at any store!"  Anyways, my point is that I love so many attributes from different things that I often times want to blend them all together and make it my own.  This results in one project having way too many qualifications.  And that is what happened with a simple framed map I wanted to hang in our hallway...

Ahh yes...there she is all complete!  But there were many specifications I created along the way:

1. It had to be the right kind of map.  Do you have any idea how many kinds of maps you can purchase out there!?  Sometimes there are just TOO many options!  After much debate, I chose this United States map from allposters.com.  I believe it is from the 1930s but the colors were perfect for what I was envisioning.  Not too "elementary school" map but not too ancient looking aka- "I'm hanging in the office of an older business man close to retirement, right above the ginormous mahogany desk, circa 60 years ago" .  It's the perfect mix of aqua blue and vintage flair while still including all of the cities accurately.  I also wanted the "land" part of the map to be light enough so that the pins would show up well!

2. It had to be the right frame.  And boy do I love it!!  This frame beats any regular poster frame I've ever seen!  I've been eyeing the Cut It Out frames online for a while now amidst their growing popularity via Pinterest and I finally found a reason to buy a BIG one!  The size I ordered is 20x30 and then I trimmed the map down a little to fit.  Here is where I purchased the frame: http://www.cutitoutalready.com/index.php  I ordered the Balboa shape!  Sidenote: the man I spoke to on the phone about my order from their store in Utah was extremely nice and got my frame to my house right in time for a party we were having!  Great customer service!

The frame came in natural wood so you can paint them any color you like!  I knew white was my favorite look and would match the map the best so I used a free quart of white paint I picked up months ago at Ace Hardware when they had a free paint day!

It took 2 coats to get good solid coverage and then I went over the frame with a paint roller to remove all the paint brush strokes I could see.  Can't stand that!  Brush strokes make my eyes bleed!

Once the frame was all ready to go, I still needed to get the map ready.  The frame came with a cardboard insert so I decided to use this as my base for hot gluing the corkboard squares and map.  With the cork on the back, all of the push pins of "where we've been" will stay put!  The frames do not come with glass so the paper map needed to be attached to something sturdy to stay in the frame.  

**Insert photo of back of map

And there you have it!  I cannot tell you how much fun I had pinning all of our travels! (we clearly need to explore outside of the Midwest but hey!)  It's not even that many pins but it's so fun to reminisce about all the memories made in different places.  Dan and I just stand in the hallway sometimes and look at the map, haha!  It's also fun to walk by and dream about your next trip too! 

There were also 2 additional items I debated on with this project.  I know!  Can you even stand it!  Like...just buy a map and put some pins in...pick up a frame at Michael's and DONE!  But NOOO :)  

1. United States or World Map?  I decided to go with the United States map (obviously) because, honestly, I love the shape of our country and how it looks on the wall!  And secondly, we hadn't really been anywhere outside of the country (besides Mexico on our honeymoon) and didn't have big plans to do so.  But then, of course, after everything had been purchased for this project, Dan gets a new job that takes him to China, Aruba, possibly the UK, maybe France later on and we both take a trip to Canada!  Hahaha!  Go figure!  So if our international adventures become more frequent, I guess I'll need to make a little switcheroo with the map :)

2. What should we pin?  Right now, the map only reflects places Dan and I have traveled together.  Guess what?  I was picky about the push pins too!  Not too small, not too long, not too skinny, not a certain color, good grief!  I ended up finding the perfect ones at Target, if anyone is interested.  I think maybe I'll start to pin all of the places we've each been separately as well in different color codes.  We'll see!

 I just love maps!  Dan loves them for practical, useful reasons of getting from one place to another efficiently and safely.  I love them because they help me see the bigger picture of where we are and what else is out there!  Dreamer vs. Realist = The Story of Us :)

Anyone else have a project they thought would be simple but then took forever due to your own personal perfectionist demons!?  :)

Banff!

We made it to Banff and back!  Wow!  What a trip!  I still can't get over how gorgeous this part of the world is and I would recommend it as a vacation destination to anyone looking to take their breath away!  It was kind of a random idea to go here and then I convinced my family to all go together!  Dan and I classified it as our one year wedding anniversary trip as well :)

I'm not typically extremely outdoorsy but there were awesome activities to do in and around Banff. We all purchased a package that included: canoe rental, horseback ride, and gondola ride.  It was a great deal!  Everyone but my mom and I made it to all 3, oh the drama!  I have major issues with heights (so does my mom) and we just couldn't get on the gondola.  It was the steepest, most scariest thing I'd ever seen!  A panic attack waiting to happen.  So we waited for the others to go up and come back down and putzed around the gift shop, got coffee, etc. :)  But that was fine with me!  Literally, as you probably know, one of my most favorite past times is "browsing".  I could stroll around any town with a cup of tea in hand and be just dandy!

We visited many lakes including: Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.  We couldn't believe the color of the water, just unreal.  It only rained one day but we made the best of it that day by walking around the Chateau at Lake Louise and doing some shopping and eating.  Let me paint a picture for you:

Your senses are heightened in anticipation as you make your way closer and closer to the majestic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.  The tremendous views of the mountains as you approach the grand hotel is like nothing you've ever seen and then, before your eyes, stands an illustrated page from a story book.  A man dressed right out of the mid-century approaches your vehicle to welcome you and escort you to the entrance of this real-life fairy tale.  Once inside, the lobby takes you back in time and overwhelms you with a warm feeling of hospitality.  Although bustling with action, you still feel the calmness in the atmosphere created by the angelic melody of a harpist and the smell of  freshly baked bread and tea fills the air.  A little jingle that you realize you've been hearing pulls you out of your daydream as you see a spunky Yellow Lab frolicking about.  With no leash and a ball in his mouth, he stands by a hotel plaque on the wall introducing the dog as the "Manager of Pet Relations"!  Marcus is his name and his playful greeting of each and every guest is the cherry on top to this whimsical scene.

Ok I might have gotten a little carried away there, haha!!  

Everywhere I looked, I couldn't being to imagine how GORGEOUS a wedding would be here!  Part of the reason I wanted to come here was the sheer curiosity of the scenery due to all of the wedding blogs I read!  There are so many great photographers in the area but, seriously, how can you take a bad picture in a place like this?!  We did have a family photo session with a photographer named Kim Payant. She was nice, flexible and funny!  We absolutely adored her Quebec French accent!

 (here is a link to her blog: http://www.kimpayantphotography.com/apps/blog)

So, that's our trip in a nutshell!  So amazing!  Has anyone else been to Banff, Calgary, Canmore or that area?  If not, put it on your bucket list!

Thankful

I can't promise to post something I'm thankful for every day this November, but I would like to express my gratitude for my cooking husband today!!  It's not a secret that I'm not a good cook, nor do I particularly enjoy it most of the time, so having Dan around is a true blessing!  He claims to enjoy making meals and being in the kitchen so I say go for it!  Thank you so much for feeding your wife and anyone else who comes over :)  I am truly thankful!

Fall Fest

As most of you know, I LOVE creating a holiday festival in the little corner of our house by our mudroom/second entrance door!  It's so fun for me to bring in each holiday with decorations.  Since our house is on the corner, I guess you could say I feel a minor responsibility to spread cheer to everyone driving by!  Last year, I had made a little "fall corner" and this year I did the same thing...just with a few minor complications...

But first, let's start with a fun photo!  

When Dan and I went to Goodwill to look for some accessories to complete our Halloween costumes this year, I found this fall wreath for $9!  I thought about making a fall one myself similar to the hydrangea one I made in the spring but just ran out of time.  I was thrilled! 

But then they invaded.  The squirrels.

I mean, can you believe that?!?  Give me a break!  Our neighborhood is seriously overrun by squirrels.  I truly believe in my heart of hearts that they think this is their house.  Next year, I'm totally doing fake pumpkins. 

Before some of these pictures were taken, I wrapped one of the mums in burlap to give it a little more fall flair.  I tied it up with a cute yellow ribbon.

Photo from before the squirrels started terrorizing my pumpkins!  Someone told me to spray them with hairspray to keep them away.  I didn't try it because, frankly, it was too late but does anyone know any other tricks?

The marigolds were holding up pretty well until about a week ago!

 I hope my fall decorations bring more trick or treaters this year!  (another reason why I try to make our house cheery and welcoming!)  We only had 2 last year!  2!  Picture me sitting by the door with all the lights on and TONS of candy all by myself just waiting. SO sad!  Did anyone see the Halloween episode of Modern Family?  

Claire chasing kids into her house to get candy with her Bo Peep sheep hook just cracked me up and reminded me of my obsession with having more trick or treaters!  I even put up a sign up that says "Treats this way!"

Happy Fall Everyone!

Scraps!

While Dan was out of town for work (can't even remember where he was!), I decided to make a Pinterest idea come to life!  In addition to some cool gifts he really wanted, I gave him this frame for our one year anniversary.  :)  It's filled with a bunch of "scraps" from our years of dating, first year of marriage, etc!  I was so excited to come across this idea because I have all of this stuff in a big box.  It's so much more fun to display all the fun memories!

Dan had fun remembering all of the movies we went to, sporting events, hotels, and much more!  I would definitely say I enjoyed it much more than him, but hey! :)

Window Shopping

I had lots of fun browsing HomeGoods a few weeks ago and took some shots of my favorite things.  I only bought one thing from this trip AND last weekend I went again and left empty handed.  Can you believe it?  I don't know if I should be happy or sad!  

I loved these pillows!  I'm a sucker for both color combos actually.  They seemed to be made of pretty durable material so they could be a great POC for an outdoor bench or patio!

Mmmm!!  Love me some aqua and chartreuse...well, anything!  These geometric patterns are clean and modern too, which I love!  You could fill them with flowers, a tall candle or just set them on the floor or table as decor!  I had to peel myself away from them-a definite struggle within my brain to prove to myself that I had absolutely nowhere to put these!

Be still my heart.  I literally gasped out loud as I stumbled upon this aisle.  LOVE wire baskets.  And they had ALL shapes, sizes, and styles!  I did pick up 2 of these later on to put in my Ikea Expedit shelving unit downstairs...I'll take a picture soon!  These would also be great to put little gifts inside!

I just loved these little knick knacks!  I do already have an artificial camera from ZGallerie but this one was super cool with it's "old time" feel.  The ballerina was just so pretty and graceful!  It reminded me of one my mom has, she was a toe dancer!  This could even look cute in a little girl's room!

Wire basket obsession + labeling obsession = danger when I saw this item!  In my next laundry room, I will definitely have something like this!  I figured no one would see this cute basket in my current laundry room downstairs :(

I just kind of liked the medallion decor on the left.  Maybe on a dresser or a mantle?  And I did take home this little guy with me on the right!  He's now in the hall bath with the "yellow and gray" theme!  It reminded me of that Pier 1 commercial that's on TV right now-they say, "Find what speaks to you!"  This vase definitely whispered to me asking to be put in my hall bath :)

Seeing Stripes!

Did you think that our painting was finished?  Me too.  But then I convinced myself (and Dan) that we should paint the hallway.  To be honest, it did need some paint due to some scuffs and a Magic Eraser tragedy.  Warning: do not use a Magic Eraser on anything but white walls! So, we not only slapped a coat of paint on the hallway but did a detailed stripe pattern that required  time and technique.  Can I hear a "Waahoo!!"?  Good thing we had Labor Day Weekend to work on this but don't worry, we had time to hit up the State Fair, hang with friends and some other fun stuff too :)  So here it goes!

Dan's good friend Jon stopped over that night to say hello and, of course, got roped into the logistics of the stripes.  You were very helpful Jon!  Good thing you left before things got intense :)

Here is a before shot of the hallway and the wall that wraps around:

The paint color choice was definitely a process as we wanted to match the current color so that the entire living room would still match and flow.  As for the white...if only white were just that...WHITE!  But it is SO not!  I didn't want it too stark white but I didn't want it to clash and be darker than the baseboards.  The winners were Behr's Mesa Taupe and Behr's White Linen.

Some more before shots...

Unfortunately, due to the scuffs on the wall, we needed to re-paint the entire hallway white to make everything fresh and new.

As I kept on with the first white coat, Dan came behind me and taped off all the trim.  I'm so thankful he does this part!  I hate taping. 

           

After the trim was taped and the white coat of paint was on, we headed out to the Great Minnesota Get Together for some deep fried food on a stick!  We rode the state fair transit bus from a mall by our house and it worked out pretty slick!  Corn on the cob, deep fried pickles, Leinenkugel's beers, and a soft pretzel with cheese!

And then...Hi Ho!  Hi Ho!  It's back to work we go!  Next step was to measure off all of the stripes and tape them.  Yay.  (can you sense my enthusiasm?)  This portion of the project highlighted some of Dan's most valuable qualities:  accuracy, focus, patience.  :)  This is why I love having him around to help with this stuff! 

When it came to decide on the overall plan of how the stripes look on the wall, I was a little overhwhelmed.  But at the same time, I knew exactly what I wanted it to look like.  So after I explained it to Dan like, "I think each stripe should be about this wide (with a fluid, inaccurate hand gesture) and I think there should be an odd number of dark stripes.  Also, not that many stripes total, but not too little."   I was clear that I wanted the top stripe to be a dark one and the bottom stripe to be a dark one-mostly so the baseboards would be a nice contrast.  I think he got the idea!  Magically...

For anyone interested in doing a project like this, each of the stripes was 13 inches wide.  The bottom stripe might have been closer to 14 (just asked Dan for accuracy).  I had read that it was important to use Frog Tape instead of the standard blue tape and I would completely endorse this recommendation!  That stuff is amazing!  This was our first time using it but I can't imagine having crisp lines with anything else.

Another huge tip that I read from other bloggers, and then thankfully implemented, was the technique of sealing in the frog tape.  At first, I was very confused about this process but the idea is to prevent paint from seeping under the tape so that each stripe is close to perfect.  So, in simple terms, for the "insides" of each "taupe" stripe we would be painting, I went through and lightly painted the edges of the tape to seal it with the white paint.  After this dried and we went back and actually painted the taupe stripes, it was nearly impossible for any of that paint to sneak it's way through and onto a white stripe.  Does that make sense?  I sure hope so!

After all the "to be" taupe stripes were sealed in, the hallway looked like this:

Phew!  By now, we're honestly wanting to be finished.  I get really antsy!  But next was to paint the actually taupe colored stripes.  About midway through, we noticed we would run out of paint.  With 20 minutes to closing time, Dan raced to Home Depot as I called in the paint color to be mixed so it would be all ready when he ran into get it!  

Make sure to really concentrate and check each time that you're about to paint the right stripe!  I've seen sticky notes used on other blogs to label the color of each stripe so there's no oopsies!

As I was even still painting the stripes, Dan came behind me and started peeling off the Frog Tape.  Do not wait to peel off the tape or else it will not be the cleanest line!

Here's an in-progress pic before we hung everything back up!

We love it!!  Worth every second!  Dan is always amazed at what things look like when we finish, it is so hilarious!  I think because I spend so much time looking at pictures of ideas and he doesn't so it really is a surprise to him!  Good thing he trusts me!  (but kind of scary at the same time :) 

Yay!!