Kitchen & Living Room: Crafting and Color Fun

So, it's hard to create without inspiration and motivation. My motivation is that I'm going to have a second kid soon and then what extra time will I have to do silly little things like I'm posting about that make me feel like I'm creative. (j/k...I'll still have/find time, but it will take more effort, that's for sure). Anyway...allow me to continue...

These are a few little things I've been doing for my kitchen and Living room...

INSPIRATION: the colors and the leaves above back sliding door...

I forgot to take a before picture, but this was a $5 shelf at a garage sale and I just stained it to match our carpet tack strip wood trim thing, so it's subtly black and matches our bamboo curtains (black and beige). Then I modpodged paper onto each shelf to match the three leaf colors (the inspiration photo).

The green paper is cool because it's design isn't all over, just on one side of the paper, so it's adds a fun flare, but I'm not sure if you can tell that from the photo.

LIVING ROOM INSPIRATION: No, not Ethan, although he is inspiration enough for other areas of my life. :) It was the colors and busy patterns of curtains... 

I just adore these crazily-busy patterned curtains. Don't ask me why, but I do. Such funk and logic combined into one hanging wall art (we don't need a tapestry on this large wall when we've got these curtains!) Though I admit, I know a lot of people probably don't care for them. Oh well. It's my living room and even Paul had to adjust a bit--not too much though. He rather likes them now. :)

I had scrap scavenged wood from the construction dumpster a few houses down. So I cut them, sanded and stained them to match the same shelf and carpet tack trim stuff (blackish-beige). Then I modpodged on colored paper that exactly match the curtain colors, plus the black of the mantel. All the patterns vary and I admit, I did spend money picking out the perfect paper. Each one was about $1. So I spent $6 for this. I know, it's not amazing, but it's small and simple and a way to tie in colors frugally and a good creative way to pass time. I was going to put a letter on each block, but I'm not sure what I want to emphasize. I was going to do FAITH in five blocks, but I had to add a sixth, and then thought FAMILY...but I kind of like it plain. so...who knows.

And by the way, I adore the teal block and pattern which goes so well with the vase! Now I want to paint a wall teal to match! But that will be next year I think. And also make teal pillows, but I might do a scrap pillow that includes all these colors to, that I can throw on our couch.

Ok, that's it...for now.