Travel Photo Collage

My friend Dan collects license plates, he has some really cool vintage plates in his collection. When we went to the Brass Armadillo last month I saw a cool Colorado plate from 1975. I thought it would be neat to get a few vintage plates while we live in Wyoming. Dan surprised me and mailed me a vintage Wyoming and Colorado plate! After I got them I thought to myself,"Now what do I do with them?" I decided that I would use them as inspiration to make a photo frame collage wall in my staircase. (On the only wall that didn't have anything yet.) I decided to design these two travel related collages on Photoshop...
Collage 1 - Pictures Traveling to California / April 2011
I had two 12x12 picture frames to use in my photo collage. I designed these as 12x12 prints.

Collage 2 - Traveling back to Ohio - July 2011

Only problem with that was, I can't print them out on a 8x11 piece of paper. I knew 8x8 prints would be to small. I just printed the pictures from the collage individual and then cut them out. Why I never thought to do something like this sooner is beyond me. Duh....

Then I put them back together like a puzzle...Then you just place it in the frame and it looks like just like the 12x12 collage....

This picture should give you an idea of where my travel collage is in my hallway...

In the center of the collage, I decided to add two pictures of Cody and I from his graduation weekend. I figured the whole reason I had all the travel pictures is because of him joining the Air Force, so it seemed fitting. The large photos are Mt. Rushmore and The Arch in St. Louis.I may add a few more frames above/below the 12x12 frames. I like that I was able to do this in just a few hours. It's nice to feel like I accomplished a decorating project!!!

You can see the rest of the staircase {HERE}

My California Photo Collage Wall

Over the weekend I finally had some nice enough weather to bust out my spray paint. I couldn't wait to start working on my photo collage wall. When I started this project I didn't know what colors I wanted the frames to be or even what pictures were going to go in the frames! It all started when I designed a cute California print...

Then I decided I wanted to just frame pictures that I took in California....

I decided to just stick with white and silver frames. Most of the frames were black and I spray painted them glossy white. I used Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Primer, I highly recommend it! I decided to put scrapbook paper in the 12"x12" frames and just tape a photo printed out as a 8"x 8" on top of the paper.
I am pretty happy with how it looks. Cody even loves it! We really love California, so the pictures really trigger some happy memories! My other project over the weekend was my $4 Kmart Frame. It got a pretty in pink makeover!I decided to put some photos from our last Disney Vacation in the frame. We really had some funny pictures taken. I used my TJUSIG rack from IKEA to set my Vinylmations on. I just took the hooks off of it and it became the perfect shelf for my figurines. It is nice finally seeing some things on my blank walls...
This was a fun project! I may do another frame collage on the wall you can't see in the photos! We'll see....

LOVE THIS ROOM

I love all these rooms. They aren't my usual style, but they are beautiful to me...
Decor Pad
Decor Pad
Decor Pad

Making A Photo Collage Wall

I wanted to share what I have been doing lately around my house. I have to tell you I am going crazy looking at my blank off-white walls. This week something happened. I finally snapped. Yesterday I took a trip to Hobby Lobby for what I call,"Shopping Therapy". I purchased a few picture frames to form a collage wall in our stairway.
The cashier at Hobby Lobby says to me,"Got some photos to frame huh?"
I said,"Actually, I do things backwards. I buy the frames first, then pick out pictures to go in them." The cashier just laughed.
Then I thought to myself,"This guy has got to think I am weird. I need to think before I say things out loud."
I headed home with my frames and ended up with a pile at the buttom of my steps...
All these frames totaled up to around $30. I had some of them already. I purchased black 12x12 and 11x14 frames for $5 each at Hobby Lobby! I plan to spray paint a few of them bright colors and the rest white. I started with using wrapping paper cutouts on the wall to plan a layout...
This is my first attempt at a collage wall up a staircase. I am pretty excited about it! Cody on the other hand, not so much. LOL He knows he will be helping his SHORT wife hang them. Here is another layout that I love...
All the frames above, except the bigger silver frames are from the dollar store! They are perfect for filling in little gaps for a wall collage of frames! I also found this frame on clearance at KMART...
I love it! It cost me $4.00! Isn't is nice? I do plan to spray paint it HOT PINK! (Sorry Cody) I think once I paint it pink and put some pretty black and white photos in it, it will look beautiful! Lastly, I started to prime my Hexagon Table that I bought a few months ago...
I still haven't decided on a color yet. I am leaning towards a bright pink or turquoise. The weather is supposed to be nice this weekend, so I hope to get a lot of painting done. I am trying to stay motivated with my decorating around the house. It's hard now that I got a job and a schedule to live by. I am motivated though and can't wait to just push on with my projects!!! Hope everyone is having a great week!

P.S. It's also my goal to blog everyday this month! Hopefully I didn't just jinx myself!

Inspirtation: Display

I have been looking for inspiration for something to hang over my couch. I found these cool images and wanted to share them with you. I love this look...
Home Klondike
I love how the boxes are all different sizes. I think this would be a cool way for me to display my toy collection someday. Here is a photo frame collage wall which looks great in this room with its tall ceilings...
Beencie
This photo below shows a great use of a corner! Love all the photos sat on the shelves and they even used the floor...
Storage Systems
Then of course, I have always dreamed of having a wall of Warhol....
BeLigher