I love gallery walls! In fact, I have several different types of gallery walls in my home. Some are photo walls that are nicely arranged images of the same size and color and others are perfectly imperfect like the one in our kitchen. This type of gallery wall intimidates a lot of people, but if you let yourself loosen up a bit, anyone can create a fun and original eclectic gallery wall. Here are my tips!

1. Gather: Round up a bunch of items you want to include in your gallery wall. You can include just pictures but I think it’s fun to add objects to give the gallery some dimension and variety. When finding items to put together I try to look for things with similar colors so that it looks like a curated assortment. In my example, I have some art, including a framed Boulevard Brewing poster from a friend and the 3 framed vegetable images that I found at a thrift store. I also have items I inherited from my Grandma; some antique kitchen tools and a few things she hand painted. Other items include; a candle sconce, captain’s mirror, a bottle opener, and some little birds made from seedpods that I got from uncommongoods.com. I love that everything on the wall has a story and sentimental value.
2. Think about size: You want to include things in a variety of sizes. If everything is really small it looks crowded and underwhelming and if everything is big it lacks variety. Try to find different sized items so that you can create a balanced, eclectic arrangement.
3. Think about shape: In addition to size, you should think about variety in shape to add interest. You’ll notice I have frames, as well as circle elements and oddly shaped items. This is what gives you a feel that looks random but still put together. This is not your perfectly aligned gallery wall of the same size images, which is a beautiful thing, but another tutorial for another day.
4. Arrange: One trick is to arrange things on the floor before hanging them. When you start placing items you should play around with different arrangements until you find what works. I like to think of it as a puzzle. You want to look at the shapes and balance them. You don’t want all of the smaller items on one side and the bigger items on the other; that would look unbalanced. You also don’t want all of the rounded items on one side and square items on the other. It’s all about trying different things until you find what works.
5. Don’t try to be perfect: You want this to look arranged but not perfectly aligned so don’t try to align things too much or you’ll end up frustrated. It’s ok for one item to hang a little lower than another and to have a little blank space here and there. This is where you get to break some design rules, so have fun with it!

These are my tips for creating an eclectic gallery wall. I hope you found some useful information and decide to tackle one of your own. It’s a great conversation piece and adds so much character to your home. If you liked this post, pin the image below and don’t forget to follow eddyandpine on social media to get updates on the latest posts.

If you know me, you know I am obsessed with miniatures. I especially love little Christmas villages. When I was little I had my own Christmas village that I loved setting up each year and thinking about the tiny features to add that would make it that much more realistic and awesome.

I also love the Target dollar spot and always get sucked in. I find so many things I want to buy. I have to ask myself exactly what I will do with the items before I buy them or I’d buy all the things.

I walked by these little white ceramic houses a few times before I actually purchased them. I bought two. One is taller and one is shorter and wider. They only had a few so I tried to think how I could use them without having a whole set.

I came up with this little winter wonderland scene. We have a bunch of thrifted trays that we used for our wedding centerpieces so I grabbed one to use as a base for the scene. I also bought two sparkly bottle brush trees and a spool of little garland that I’m going to use for something else. I used a tiny bit to make the little wreath that I stuck to the house. I spent around $13 in total to create this little vignette.

After I had an idea I needed something to use for snow and I also wanted some smaller trees. I ended up getting more bottle brush trees from hobby lobby and I found some white sand at dollar tree that I mixed with white glitter for snow. I love how it looks like freshly fallen snow pooling up around the house and trees.

I’m not sure where this will live for the holidays but I tested out a few spots including on the hearth. Looks so tiny and cute. I will have to find another use for the other house I bought since I decided one would be enough. Maybe I’ll do another scene like this and use them as part of my Christmas centerpiece.

Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to follow eddyandpine on Pinterest and Instagram and like us on Facebook to get updates on my latest adventures in blogging. Also, pin the images below if you liked this little winter wonderland.

I settled on a world explorer theme because all of those things make perfect sense in an explorer’s space. I’m also very fond of traveling and seeing the world so it was perfect.

I found a lot of items at thrift stores and online. I love the bedding from DwellStudio that I found during a black Friday sale last year. It’s from the safari collection. I ordered the following; changing pad cover, crib skirt, crib sheet, and this darling lion pillow

When we moved in this was our guest room and I had already painted one wall with a Sherwin Williams color called Naval. Find it here. I loved it and thought it would go well with the theme I’d chosen so I left it. I love how the little “Travel the world” images stand out against it. These little pictures came from a desk calendar by Rifle Paper Co. that I found on Amazon. You can find their new 2017 travel inspired calendar here. I just cut the calendar part off and hung them on twine with little mini clothespins. I love how it turned out. I think this little vignette is my favorite part of the room. I actually bought the calendar before we knew if it was a boy or girl and decided that either way I was going to use them. I think they work well for both.

I wanted to do a corner wall gallery after seeing some on pinterest. I found a bunch of frames at the Salvation Army store down the street. I filled them with printables I found online as well as a few things I designed or made myself. I think if I was going to do this again I would try to coordinate everything a little better and try to find frames of similar width and color but I still love it. It’s very eclectic which reflects my style.

I found this little map banner on etsy from a store called Linen and Lace. I love how cute it looks above the crib with the Lord of the Rings quote that I drew on with paint pen.

My friend Carrie gave us this giraffe poster that I framed with a dark blue mat to reflect the accent wall color. It fits into the room so well.

I just love sitting in this room and looking at all the cute little details and thinking of all the places my son will see as he grows up. I’m sure he’ll have the wanderlust bug like his momma. He already has it as he’s learning to crawl around every inch of this house with no fear.

I hope you enjoyed this little tour of B’s nursery. If you have any questions about where I got any particular item comment below.

Also, don’t forget to pin the image below if you liked this nursery reveal. Thanks for reading!

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I think it adds a little bit of fun to have place cards at the table and what better way than to show how thankful you are for your guests. I designed these two ways: one traditional folded place card and the other is a wrap that works well as a napkin ring. You can also wrap them around your glasses. You can download them here.

I designed these in lighter tones to go with lots of different colors of tableware and napkins. Not your traditional thanksgiving colors but still festive and unique.

I suggest printing on a heavier weight paper and then just cut them out and fold or wrap around your napkins, then tape. Super simple and adds a nice touch to your table settings. 

I have included an editable pdf and a blank pdf for both designs. If you’d like to just handwrite the names yourself you can use the blank pdf. For the editable pdf, you’ll need Adobe Acrobat to change the names. Download here.

I hope you enjoy these free thanksgiving printables and I hope you’ll check back often. I plan to share lots of free printables for your home!

If you use these, I’d love to see pics! Tag @eddyandpine on Instagram or share on our Facebook page. Also, be sure to pin the image below if you like these free thanksgiving printables.

Happy Gathering!

Our house was already very airy and bright when we bought it but the kitchen seemed dark and closed off from the rest of the space. This was something I wanted to tackle right away.

It was very outdated with sparkly formica countertops and upper cabinets that hung down low enough that you had to bend over to see through to the living room. There was also a breakfast bar that was lower than the countertops on the opposite side of the peninsula so regular chairs could scoot up to it. It all seemed very odd to me.

Here is the before with the existing cabinets and breakfast bar…

We debated whether to rip everything out and put a brand new kitchen in but the timing wasn’t right and we needed to save the money. I tried to think of ways I could improve things without spending a lot and the main thing was getting those cabinets down so that it was actually an open concept kitchen.

My dad was over and we were discussing ideas and he suggested taking them down and using them as the base for the side that had the lowered bar to extend the countertops. I loved the idea because we wouldn’t lose the storage and it would make the island bigger. He came over and helped me take them down and install them below as well as trim it all out and fix the corner by adding curved shelves.

We had some strange cubbies and holes that we needed to come up with creative solutions for. The space where the vent hood used to be created an empty space so we added a shelf and I now use it as a bookcase where I keep cookbooks. My dad helped trim things out so they looked like they belonged and the curved shelves covered the empty space where the old cabinets used to hang. We had to get creative to make these odd spots look like they belonged.

Next, we had to figure out what to do about the countertops. I really hated the formica and ideally we would have put new countertops in but that would require a lot more demo in the rest of the kitchen because the formica extended up the backsplash all the way around and we really wanted this to be as low budget as possible.

I started researching and found Giani countertop paints. They make kits that consist of a base coat, several colors to sponge on, and a topcoat to seal it. The more I looked at before and after pictures on their site, I knew this was our solution.

Since we put cabinets where the breakfast bar had been, we decided to try placing the counter from that on top of the cabinets and making it flush with the rest and filling the crack. I ended up using just regular old non-shrink putty and sanding it until it was smooth, and then the Giani paint. It worked great! I think we were pretty lucky because it seemed like a long shot but we didn’t really have a whole lot to lose.

The process of painting the Giani took quite a bit of time. Our counters were pretty unusable for about a week as I worked on it (we ate lots of takeout).

I used the white diamond kit and filled in the veins with a paintbrush. They have detailed instructions on their site as well as an instructional DVD they sent with the kit. It’s a great solution if you do not want to replace your countertops but want a marble look for a low price. The kits are $79.95. I love how it turned out and it has held up extremely well, even the filled in crack.

After the countertops were finished I looked up solutions for the backsplash. The existing formica was sticking out from the wall so I didn’t want to add any more thickness. I wanted an easy solution since this was our quick fix until we can afford to renovate the kitchen for real. I found these peel-and-stick faux tiles from wayfarer.com. It’s super easy to install and you have to look very closely to see that it’s fake. We love the ones we chose but they have lots of styles including these subway tiles and these marble looking tiles.

I also replaced the hardware with these modern pulls and we added this inexpensive vent hood that we ordered from Amazon that hangs from the ceiling.

Here are more after pics…

For just under $800, we completely transformed the kitchen into an open concept, more modern looking space that looks bright and airy. I still hate the old appliances but it looks so much better. Eventually we will put a new kitchen in but I can live with this for a lot longer than the previous look.

If you enjoyed this renovation, please pin the image below. Thanks for reading!

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As a work from home mom, I know it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the stresses of taking care of your family while also trying to help provide for your family. Some days you feel like you’re not doing your part or you may feel like you can’t handle all of the things on your plate. I am in no way an expert but I thought I’d share some of the ways I de-stress when times get tough.

Get outside

Go for a walk, drive around with the windows open, sit on your porch or a bench with a cup of tea, or even just sit by the window. Sunlight and fresh air are so important to our mental and physical health. I always feel better when I get out of the house. When I worked in an office full time I felt the same relief from just getting outside and getting some fresh air.

De-clutter

I feel so much happier when I have a clean house or work area. Having a pile of clutter can trigger stress and by tackling that one pile or mess you can feel a sense of control. This always gives me a burst of energy and I end up getting more done during the day. Extra bonus if you do this first thing in the morning so you have your entire day to be productive in a relaxing, clean, space.

Cook a delicious, healthy meal you can feel good about

When I eat badly, I feel unhappy. I’m in no way saying you shouldn’t indulge now and then but one thing that makes me feel proud is cooking a healthy meal that everyone enjoys. If you cook yourself a delicious, healthful meal, you’ll not only feel good about what you’re eating but you’ll be proud of the fact that you made something yourself instead of take-out and it’s tasty!

Take a bath or hot shower

Soaking in a hot bath is an obvious one but even just taking a long hot shower can release tension and give you some alone time to clear your mind and reflect on the good things in your life. Plus you feel clean and cozy afterward.

Check one item off of your to-do list

This is a big one. When I’m feeling the most stressed and overwhelmed, I look at the things I need to do because that’s probably what is creating the stress. Having things hanging over your head is a sure-fire way to cause a great amount of stress. So pick something easy that you’ve been putting off and just do it. You’ll feel a weight lift off of your shoulders and be able to look at the rest of the list with fresh eyes.

These are a few tips that I use when I feel overwhelmed or stressed and they work for me. I hope you find some of them useful and I hope you have a stress free day!

If you found this post helpful, please pin the image below.

Here’s what it looked like before…

And after…

With the help of my dad we continued the crown molding around the bookcases to give it a more finished look and tie it into the rest of the room. We also added the mantel that goes straight across under the tv. We pulled this from our basement fireplace, which we had another plan for. It is simple but pulls everything together and creates a visual separation from the fireplace and tv.

I also wanted to paint the cabinets white. The rest of the woodwork was white and I thought it would give it a more cohesive look. This process was a bit tedious but well worth it in the end.

I used liquid sander, which is meant to prepare varnished cabinets for paint without stripping and sanding. It worked pretty well but I think it caused me to have to do more coats of paint. I suppose it balances out since stripping and sanding would be a big job. I ended up doing 3 coats of the white semi gloss paint. I removed the doors and shelves and placed them on paper cups on the ground to prevent the edges from sticking to the drop cloth.

After I finished painting, I added these silver door pulls to the cabinets to match the ones I used in the kitchen.

We also painted the vertical wood paneling in the room with Rainy Afternoon from Behr. I love the color. It reminds me of a foggy day on the beach.

I love how it turned out and like the shelving it provides. With a little styling, they’ve added a lot of character to the living room. It’s a comfortable space that has little pieces of each of us in it.

Here are some more after pics…

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy the transformation as much as I do.

Pin the image below if you liked it. Cheers!

As a kid, I was always obsessed with décor and home improvement. I was caught on multiple occasions re-arranging the furniture in my room. I would come home from school to watch HGTV and I remember begging my parents to let me re-decorate a room in the house. They let me do it! It was a huge project but that’s another story for another day. I also had an affinity for arranging things and attempting to make things neat and tidy. My mom caught me (no joke) ironing my money one time. I wanted it to lay flat when I stacked it in my safe. Ha! What a weirdo kid.

I’m now married and have a 9-month-old son and a big fluffy great pyrenees and I find myself with the same love for making our home unique and special and finding ways to do it without spending a lot of money. So, I’ve decided to share my projects in a blog so maybe one of you will find some inspiration. Maybe I’ll even do a post on the best way to iron your money. Just kidding! I think that was a one-time experiment.

Thanks for joining me and I hope you find some good ideas and inspiration for your own home.