master bedroom remodel: the final reveal

Here it is, the moment you've all been anxiously waiting for!  Okay, okay, maybe only I've been anxiously waiting for it.  But regardless, that moment is here.  It is time to reveal my new master bedroom-on-a-budget.  If you've forgotten what I was starting with, you can check out the "before" pictures here.

So without further ado, here it is my new 5-star Caribbean beach resort themed room:

master bedroom remodel: DiY thrifty wall art

I am so excited to show you the "after" pictures of my master bedroom remodel.  I am still just waiting on one final little detail to be completed (it is out of my control--so frustrating!), and then I will do my big online reveal.  To tide you over, I thought I'd share my DiY tutorial for a thrifty wall art project.

In case you've forgotten, this was my inspiration board for my "5 star Caribbean beach resort" bedroom:

Photo credits:  potterybarn.com, housebeautiful.com, HGTV.com, kohls.com, AllPosters.com, evadesigns.com, realsimple.com, allthingslovely.typepad.com, florida-beach-photography.com.)

Our master bedroom is gigantic, with a super-high ceiling and LOTS of wall space.  And unfortunately for me (and my budget), original artwork is expensive.  I did find some cute frames and prints on clearance at Target & Marshall's a couple of months ago, but I still had one space left on the wall that I had to fill.

I don't really consider myself that creative or original.  I am good at finding inspiration from other people and places (or the Pottery Barn catalog), and then finding a way to copy or recreate a look.  I am in awe of people like Ashley Ann of Under the Sycamore or Meg of Whatever who come up with the most original, creative, and downright gorgeous ideas every single day, seemingly without even batting an eye.  That's just not me.  I bat frequently and tend to overthink everything.  So while I would like to say I'm crafty, the truth is that I'm just a wannabe crafter, a copycat.

halloween decorating

I had the best of intentions for my Halloween decorations this year.  The World Wide Web (does anyone even call it that anymore?) was teeming with adorable craft projects and ideas that I was just dying to try.  In fact, you may remember this inspiration board I created for myself last month:

(Photo credits:  potterybarn.com, potterybarnkids.com, goodhousekeeping.com, marthastewartliving.com, freekidscrafts.org, twigandthistle.com, amyatlas.com)

I've been collecting tin cans for a month to make those cute jack o' lantern luminaries and even managed to buy most of the other necessary craft supplies needed to put it all together.  But now there is less than 2 weeks left until Halloween, and I have to face the sad reality of the situation:  I am out of time.

This weekend I finally admitted to myself that there just aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish all the projects I want to do.  I reluctantly decided to put away my halloween craft supplies until next year, and climb into the attic to dig out some of our old fall decorations.   To be perfectly honest, I wasn't even sure what was up there, since the past five autumns have been spent in rentals in other cities.  There wasn't much, but I did find some autumn leaf garlands & a few autumn floral arrangements.  Combined with the free halloween decorations I scored from CVS a few weeks ago and a few other sale finds from Jo-Ann's yesterday, I had at least a few things to work with.

And I have to say, even if it wasn't the grand crafty plan I had envisioned, it does look very festive:

master bedroom remodel: beachy crafts

A few weeks ago I told you all about my plans for my fabulous new master-bedroom-on-a-budget.  My goal is to have my room completed by the end of the month.  It will be a push, but I've been trying to work on it a little at a time, and I'm really hoping to hit my deadline.  In case you've forgotten (or in case you're new to my blog, in which case, welcome!), the look I'm going for is what I like to call "5 Star Caribbean Beach Resort," and in case you missed it, here is my inspiration:

halloween decorating inspiration

I just love holidays.  Luckily for me, my 4 year-old has inherited my enthusiasm for all things holiday, and between the two of us, we could spend hours planning all the fun we will have on all our special days.  She  literally has been talking about Halloween for months now, since before the Fourth of July.  So while it may still seem a little early to most sane people, M. and I are chomping at the bits to make this house festive from top to bottom.

On a budget, of course.

People sometimes think I have a lot of ideas, but I honestly don't think I'm very original.  I'm not so much creative as I am determined.  If I see a look I like, I will figure out a way to imitate it at a price I can afford.

So it will be with our Halloween decorations this year.  I have found so many great ideas, I hardly know where to begin!

Here is my inspiration:

(Photo credits:  potterybarn.com, potterybarnkids.com, goodhousekeeping.com, marthastewartliving.com, freekidscrafts.org, twigandthistle.com, amyatlas.com)

And here are my ideas:

• Make decorated sugar cookies (which I do every holiday.)  I was thinking of splurging on a new set of Halloween cookie cutters until I saw these adorable round black & white cookies.  Classy and cost-effective--now that's what I call a project!  (Click here to read my sugar cookie tutorial.)
• Yard signs made from scrap pieces of wood and painted with Halloween themes.  I'm pretty sure I can find some basic shapes online (cats, bats, haunted house, etc.) to make homemade stencils.  Hopefully I can enlist my husband to gather the scrap wood and make my signs....
• Lots and lots of homemade snakes (made from ribbon) and spiders (made from pom-poms & pipe cleaners.)  It will be a double bonus because I'm always looking for kid-friendly craft projects!
• Homemade "pumpkin" luminaries made from tin-cans spray painted orange and then punched with jack o' lantern faces using a hammer & nail.
• I love the idea of bat, cat, & rat sillouhettes cut from black paper.  Again, the shapes shouldn't be too hard to find, and I have plenty of black construction paper lying around, since my daughter only likes "nice" colors.  Paper bat chains will also be fun!  We don't have a mantel to decorate (much to my chagrin, but really, who needs a fireplace in Florida?), but I could use them on my bookshelves.
• I also love the idea of covering existing mirrors and picture frames with foil, then painting scary eyes on the foil.  And now that I'm thinking about it, I'm pretty sure Walgreens had a good deal on foil this week with an in-ad coupons.   Hmmmm....I may have to stock up!
• I am convinced that now that I have unburied my sewing machine from the garage, where it has been hibernating for the past 3 years, I can re-create that adorable "Trick or Treat" pennant banner.  I also LOVE the wooden letters spelling "Boo."  So simple, and yet so effective.
• I like hanging wreaths on my double front doors for each season, and I'm pretty sure I can make this candy one shown above.  However, I'll have to price out the candy before I can commit. 
• What would Halloween be without pumpkins?  I like the idea of grouping multiple pumpkins together and then carving out leaf designs instead of traditional faces.
• A "Halloween Tree" is a cute idea, and super cheap if you don't live in Florida and have trees that actually produce branches instead of palm fronds.  Just spray paint it black, stick it in a pot or can of rocks, and then make little ornaments out of paper.  Once again, I may have to recruit my husband for help in finding a real tree.

Stay tuned for Halloween craft project progress.....

Tell me, what are your Halloween decorating plans?