Deck the Walls

In case you're new around here, the brief update is that I recently turned a very office-like room into a whimsical, colorful craft room. We found some quirky Craigslist gems and completely furnished the room for under $200. The next step was to add even more personality to the walls. I really wanted the room to inspire me - to write, to sew, to create a bunch of crap even if I was the only one in the world who thought it was beautiful. This room was going to be my artistic outlet.

I started by painting one entire wall with chalkboard paint. I've had a couple of people mention to me that there's such a thing as a magnetic base coat to make it even more chalkboard-esque. I've also heard that white chalkboard paint exists (that is, you can blend it with any color to create a colorful chalkboard). I don't have any experience with either of these concepts, but I'd love to hear from you if you've dabbled in this area in your home! Either way, I wanted to pass along those ideas. Having a giant chalkboard in a craft room makes my whole life feel more organized (and it helps with my attention span if I get distracted and need to doodle); I highly recommend it.

Anyway, I added a clip garland that I got at Target to the wall above my sewing machine. I might use this in the future to display fabric swatches that I'm working with, but for now, it has some of my favorite pieces of inspiration. It's like a tangible Pinterest!

First, we have a photo of my dog when she was a puppy. She looks exactly the same now, but her corgi ears looked a little bigger back then; I suppose she grew into them a little.

Next, we have a UF button. I think that's pretty self-explanatory.

Next, I attached one of my favorite DIY projects of all time: the save the date from our wedding.

Next, I found a card that my aunt had given me in 1992. The front of the card has a pastel illustration that she drew of a beach that our family visits often.

After that, I have a button that my sister gave me when I got engaged. The bridesmaids all had "bridesmaid" buttons, and our moms had "mother of the bride" and "mother of the groom." It was a fun way to feel important during showers and such.

Next, I have my name tag from my trip to New Orleans with some Weddingbee girls. It reminds me of where my passion for blogging really began, and that makes me smile.

Finally, I have a birthday card that my sister gave me a few years ago. It's letterpress and it has a mermaid on it. It's pretty much one of my favorite pieces of paper ever, and that's saying something for me.

On the opposite wall, I decided to hang up some artwork. I'd had my eye on this one particular print for quite some time:

{image by wattsalot / via Etsy}
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I saw Sarah Watts of wattsalot when I first visited ICE Atlanta. And again at the next one. And again at the one after that. So why didn't I buy one of her prints at one of those events? Frankly, I was having trouble deciding.

{via wattsalot}

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I adore Sarah's style because she perfectly melds Southern tradition with modern, indie charm...which is exactly who Atlanta is.

{via wattsalot}

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I mean, how can you not love someone who comes up with something like this?!

{via wattsalot}

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So yes, I finally decided on the "Gritz" print. Then, I added a couple of accents on either side:

The photo on the left is by Pretty Petal Studio. I made the one on the right...any guesses what those numbers mean?

I'm saving the fourth and final wall for a separate post. I'm just that excited about it.

What do you put on your walls to help you draw inspiration?