Get Inspired!

Rusty and I have been out of school all of this week.  We have spent so much time cuddling on the couch watching movies, but we have also put in some serious work in the cleaning/organizing department.  And know what we ran into?  An old binder full of torn out magazine sheets that we found almost 10 years ago when we began dreaming about our first house.  Let's just say I am SO glad we lost that binder since it was filled with authentic cabin looking decor!

In the days of Pinterest, we can get lost online pinning to our little organized boards, but what do we do with those magazine pages that we rip out? 

Apparently, I have a system.  I didn't really know I had a system until I ran into about 5 pages thrown around my house.  I tape them to the areas that I am planning on transforming!  I live by the mentality of putting those dreams/goals/desires out into the universe, lol!

Here is what I have done with some of those magazine pages:

Gallery Wall

 

Click here for my Gallery Wall post.

Guest Bedroom

I have had this taped to the back of the door.  My makeover is almost done, and I'm not too sure I stuck to any of the inspiration.  But, hey, it's still pretty!

Click here, here and here to read my guest bedroom posts.

And here are some projects that haven't come to fruition just yet:

Office Desk

This one is an easy transformation since it is basically just staging with things I have.

Click here to read about my office.

Open Kitchen Shelving

This is taped to the inside of my current cabinet that I plan to take down for transformation!

Christmas Decor

Here is what I had tucked under a pumpkin on my last mantlescape waiting to transfer it to Christmas!

Garden Tub 

I bought all of the supplies for this lighting project this week and hope to have it up soon!

So - as a tip from me to you - hang some inspiration around your home and be amazed at how much faster you will end up getting the projects done!

Isn't it so funny what you learn about yourself when you just step back and analyze a small pattern that emerged?!  Do you still find tangible inspiration outside of Pinterest? 



Ikea Pilgrimage, February 2011

I made the pilgrimage.  The one to Ikea.  I took a virgin with me, too.  We paid our respects, ate some Swedish meatballs and bought a $.59 shopping bag to trek our purchases back to The Promise Land.  It was a divinely inspiring experience.

Reginia and I stopped in for an hour or so before we headed over to the Breman Holocaust Museum to hear a wonderful survivor speak.  We had no list of items we needed, and we were armed with a camera.  We went for inspiration.  We left fulfilled (and full - those meatballs were good!)

Here are some things I just had to remember for inspiration.  Let's face it.  I don't need a reason to take a picture of something.  I just love looking at pretty things!

I love the texture of this basket as well as this size; however, I really love the $3.99 price of the drop wiring kit that I can use to change out my dining room lighting with a nice, big drum shade!

I just couldn't resist getting this picture of an awesome frame collage.  All of those white frames and mats make me swoon.

I had a moment when I saw this piece.  I was loving the size and all of the little open faced nooks for baskets and other storage.  This brown wash is everywhere around Ikea right now.  Oh, and the price....made me yell...$149.00

Here, I am inspired to hang double rod curtains.  My living room and dining room already have the white, Vivan curtains.  I love the idea of building visual interest for them by hanging another bar slightly above it and hanging a print or color fabric.  How fun!

After a few hours of seeing these prints, I have an itch to stencil some white sheets to make me a patterned curtain.  I am thinking a white, king, flat sheet, a stencil and some of the current wall color in my bedroom, Grey Matters by Sherwin Williams.  The print would blend perfectly and I could hang an accent curtain on the outside.  My new favorite color to pair with grey and white...yellow!  I'm about to break bad with some yellow in the master.

I am loving the print on this pillow.  Notice the birdies!

I seriously should have grabbed one of these.  It is a 4'x6' rug for...$19.00!  It was a beautiful grey with a print that would work anywhere.  Such a good deal!

I love this sketch so much.  Not for $15.99, though.  I am thinking a piece of card stock and a sharpie or dry brush with some black paint.  This will be much better for my guests.  They won't be embarrassed to use my bathroom as I was considering doing a little self portrait until I saw this!


With all of this inspiration, I am dying to get to work on starting up some projects around here.  I am seriously thinking some stenciled curtains with a tutorial like this.

Where do you go for inspiration?  Out of all of the projects floating around in your noggin, what is the one you are itching to tackle first?