Fav Find {New York Public Library Digital Gallery}

Remember how I shared my love for simple and inexpensive printed art as an easy way to decorate a space? Well, I just stumbled upon the coolest resource for finding free images: The New York Public Library's Digital Gallery

Seriously, check it out. And prepare to lose at least an hour of your day I was drawn to the Nature & Science section (no surprise there).

 Here's just a teeny tiny sampling of the goodies I found:

I haven't even scratched the surface of the other categories yet but I highly recommend you go see what you can find. And then come back to tell me. Have fun!

Master Bedroom Art {You win some, you lose some}

I aim to be honest with my decorating highs and lows on this blog. And sometimes, things just don't work out as I planned. See, we have this HUGE wall in our master bedroom and the Ansel Adams we've had since college just wasn't cutting it for me. I think that little piece just couldn't make a big enough statement on that giant wall.

Don't get me wrong, I love Ansel Adams as much as the next guy. In fact, I have a different print on another wall. This one's frame is more substantial and it fits great in that nook.

I really love having black and white pieces in our bedroom since the walls are such a strong color. Like my favorite elephants...

But anyway, back to the big wall with the little Ansel Adams. I cast around for something LARGE for that wall. I toyed with the idea of fun geometric stencils but wanted something easier and less time intensive.

Then I found this wall decal at Pier 1.

I thought it had a lot of potential. It's 6 feet tall and definitely makes an impression. Done right? Not so fast...  MY version ended up looking like the saddest little tree you've ever seen.

Up close it's a big ol' mess too. The decal looks like electrical tape and reflects light. Plus every bump and imperfection sticks out like a sore thumb. Doh.

Ok then. Back to the drawing board. Maybe we'll blow up a black and white phases of the moon photo?

Or how about one of these cool constellation maps?

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Does anyone have any tips for printing large photos? Or favorite places to buy big frames?

Decorating Addiction {The Itch to Switch}

Lately I've been feeling like I have a little bit {ok, a lot} of a design/decorating/updating addiction. The paint is barely dry on our new bathroom {and in reality it still needs another coat} and I'm on to the next project.

If you've been reading for a while you know that there are still are a few painting jobs that have been looming over my head for the past 2.5 years. I cannot stand the mid-brown, 70s trim that is still in our front entry and a few other rooms of the house. So, the entry is due for a facelift soon. I'm thinking of extending the wall color from the kitchen and dining room and doing a board and batten treatment in the front hall, like this.

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Plus, I've been wanting to paint our living room with the same color and say so long to the accent wall {check out this post}. Which then snowballs into wanting to change a few other things in that room as well. First, our couch. It looks great but it's not snuggly and Freckle Man and I can't lounge on it together.

Same with the chaise lounge. It's a one person piece and you can't really sit on it in more than one position. I've never really liked the cover either.

Next up...I'm kinda done with this ornate rug. It's just not the look I'm envisioning in this room.

I've been trying to be REALLY good about my decor spending lately {read here for my problem with Target} and I definitely cannot justify running out and buying new furniture when these pieces are in great shape and are less than 3 years old.

So, what to do?  Before anything new can be purchased and brought home, I'm selling my living room furniture. Freckle Man thinks I have officially gone off the deep end. But I should be able to make enough money to buy some new pieces I've been keeping my eye on.

Of course, the couch was the first item to go so I guess we'll be sitting on the floor for a while! But, hey, having a nice empty room will make it so much easier to paint. I also have an exciting new development on that front that I'll share with you soon. Stay tuned!

Mother's Day

Happy Monday.  Berry Freckles isn't really a "mommy blog", but hey, I'm a mom, and my kids are a big part of my life. The center of my universe, if you will. So Mother's Day cannot go by without some recognition.

First of all, I love Mother's Day. It is the ONE day of the year where I get to spend time with my family without being in charge. If the kids need help with something or have a question, I am completely fine with answering, "Go ask Daddy." Sleeping in and having a nice brunch don't hurt either.

Before Mother's Day even arrived, Freckle Girl came home from preschool with a present for me that she could not wait for me to open. Her wee little hand print...

Little did she know that I was expecting this gift!  The two older kids have each made me this Mother's Day present in preschool and setting hers on the shelf with theirs got me all kinds of verklemped.  How adorable are those all lined up next to each other?

Freckle Girl also gave me a card that she wrote herself. Now this kid has insisted for the past year that she can only write the first letter in her name. While spending the afternoon with our friend, who happens to be a teacher too, she wrote out her whole name and the "Happy Mother's Day".  This card's a keeper for sure.

We spend Mother's Day weekend on Cape Cod for an Irish step dance competition for Freckle Diva. She loves loves LOVES dancing and it's a nice break for all of us. Plus, this weekend she performed her first ceili team dance and was just over the moon when they won first place. Seriously...could she be any cuter?

She also gave me a lovely card, complete with stickers galore and the way she signed the card as "your peanut"? Too much. 

And of course, I do actually have another child. Freckle Boy is entering the tween "I'm too cool to write cards" stage. But he did give me some extra hugs, and considering I usually have to chase him down and force him to give me a hug, that's enough for me.  Freckle Man also did a great job giving me a break and making my day special.

And last but not least, we finished off the day with my Mom. AKA "mamacita". My mom is my rock...always there for me, cheering me on, listening, supporting me. How great is it to know that someone loves you THAT much? Pretty great. Thanks Mom. I love you.

Spring has Sprung {Views from Berry Lane}

Hi folks. As much as I try to post pretty frequently, sometimes life gets in the way. I've been traveling quite a bit for work, the kids all have end-of-year activities, and last but not least, Freckle Man got in an accident and totaled his car. Luckily, he is a-ok, and that's all that really matters. So as much as I love my little blog and it is my favorite hobby, sometimes it's the first thing to get cut from the To Do list.

Also, after completing two bathroom renovations back-to-back, plus all of the other major{and expensive} jobs we've tackled over the past year or so {kitchen/dining room, roof/gutters, windows, painting, etc.}, I'm fried. I have a long list of fun, quick, and inexpensive projects I'd like to do around the house this summer. But just not yet.

The past week or so I've mostly just been trying to take it all in. I LOVE spring time...how everything comes back to life and we're suddenly surrounded by colors and smells. I feel more awake and alive too. Check out the view from my bedroom...our cool two-trees-in-one that's blooming right now.

It looks awesome from the front door too.

So I have a total black thumb but a whole bunch of flowering shrubs have survived our two years on Berry Lane. Love these pink guys...

...and some lilac {or is it lavender?}

 

We have a huge garden bed between the front walk and the house that is chock-full of color.

The purple azaleas and Japanese maple look great together. Plus Freckle Man transplanted some lilies from the back that will add some nice blooms later in the summer.

Love the purple!

 The tree across the street has another awesome view for us with these hot pink flowers.

And of course one of my all-time favorite parts of spring and summer? Eating out on the porch!

I'm going to take the rest of the week and Mother's Day to chill before I get back to more DIY projects. More to come next week!

Printed Art {Simple & Inexpensive DIY}

Howdy. Now that our latest giant remodel is done, I'm changing gears and trying to be more thrifty. And one of the ways you can get a big bang for your buck is decorating with free {or virtually free} printed art.

First, little Freckle Girl is an animal lover, especially farm animals. I bought a stock art image with tons and tons of animals for less than a dollar. We zoomed and cropped and printed a bunch out and she picked out her three favorites...a pig, horse and cow. Pop them in some IKEA frames and you've got an adorable vignette for about $10.

I hung this piece over her bed. It was a free printable and I already had a frame on hand so this was free. I sing You Are My Sunshine to her every night before we say good night. When I showed it to her, she said "Now I'll feel ok when you leave me and know that you're still with me." Seriously? Heart melted. 

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 For our little hallway gallery wall, I snagged a free pink herringbone background and added text with the date Freckle Man and I got married. Using picmonkey.com to edit pictures and add text is also super easy.

Another print I'm toying with the idea of making is based on this type of piece. Maybe with all of the places that Freckle Man and I have lived together, where we got engaged and married, and our favorite vacation spots.

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 The laundry room, still awaiting it's face lift, also recently got a little laundry printable. Both cute and full of information!

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I love science. I am a science geek and there are tons of ways to merge science and art, like with a print of a tree, antique animal drawings, constellations, or the phases of the moon. Maybe for the master bedroom?

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For the kids bathroom, I made these two pieces to help keep them on track when they're getting ready in the morning and at bedtime. I wouldn't necessarily call this "art" but I was kinda proud of myself for putting in little icons for my not-yet-a-reader.

Something like this print, available for sale on Etsy for $26, would look really cute in my kitchen and spruce up my blah backsplash. Perhaps I can tackle a DIY and create my own?

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Do you have any fun, free art ideas? Do tell!

Master Bathroom Reveal!

The day has come! The master bathroom renovation is done enough to share! This bathroom is tiny...about 5x7 and most of it was taken up by a walled in shower stall that was directly in front of you when you walked in the door.

The combination of golden wall tiles and tiny beige floor tiles was oh so lovely.

Are you ready? Ta-da...

We went with a Swanstone base in "granite gray" and a seamless glass enclosure. Even though we didn't increase the square footage of the room, the glass shower really opens up the space.

I chose simple white subway tiles with gray grout for the wall tile. Originally we had this Delta In2ition hand-held shower but I ended up feeling that it cluttered the space a bit too much. Luckily we had another shower head left over from the kids bathroom remodel and it was easy to switch them out.

I love the modern vanity with built-in porcelain sink, sleek faucet and light.

I chose hooks for the towels like we used in the kids bathroom. So much easier to use! And, believe it or not, I ended up painting the walls white, which I have never ever done in my life. Simple Decorators white by Benjamin Moore.

Ok, now for my absolute favorite part of the room...the floor.

The dark gray tile is beautiful and I am so SO glad we went with the herringbone pattern.

So there you have it! There are still a few loose ends to take care of, but it's up and running. What do you think?