we've had a little work done

So we've done some work around our house and i thought i'd share- so, here goes:

I really love when houses have a gallery wall, so i was determined to have one in our home.  we thought the wall at the middle landing of our stairs would be perfect!  i ordered some frames from etsy, selected the photos, picked up an oversized ampersand at target and had justin hang everything up, which looked like this:

i finally had my gallery wall... and i hated it!  things were too small, the colors weren't right and the spacing was really getting under my skin every time i walked by.  then the twins with their raucous behavior broke the glass on like all but two of the frames (and no they weren't within their grasp, be creative, you might figure out how they did it.)  after moping around i had justin take it all down.  i stewed over it all for a while- like a couple months, and finally, after i decided a new color palette, we shopped our house, picked up some spray paint and this was the new gallery wall:

i love it!  but it is a horrible picture.  obviously since the stairs split, i can't get a straight on pic, so this will have to do.  anyway, i love seeing the pictures on my way upstairs and thankfully, they twins haven't broken any glass yet (i'd say knock on wood, but i think i'd need more of a "sledgehammer on wood" to keep us safe.)

our next project was our backpack zone.  which consisted of jackets, backpacks, shoes and socks landing here (the side of our kitchen in the breakfast nook):

okay, i took the pic while everyone was at school.  and that little basket on the floor is for shoes and socks, its been zoo helpful!  anywho, i picked up some numbered hooks from hobby lobby (intended for the kids bathroom) and i thought they'd be more helpful here:

 it so much less chaotic now!!  i really don't enjoy the fighting over who gets to hang their backpack on number one, but at least it's clean, and it makes our school days run a little smoother.

 also, we were having a bit of a grumpy problem in the mornings before school (and after too, but the morning was more consistent) so i thought i'd make a couple signs to help subliminally encourage a better attitude, first up, enjoy the ride:

and across on the other wall is, it's a good day for a good day:

and i can't help but show the sign brody made.  he thinks the whole diurnal/nocturnal thing is really cool, so i simply told him that grumpy's were nocturnal, therefore he shouldn't be grumpy during daylight hours.  i kid you not, it totally worked!!  this sign is his reminder:

now from kitchen to dining room.  this has been our dining room since we moved in (about a year and a half ago)

 we've been saving to buy a formal table, ok a specific table i've had my eye on for at least four years.  so we ordered the table, and painted an accent wall.

 then we ordered a rug and i somehow convinced justin to stencil trees on our wall.  it was a true testament of his love!  those nimble dentist hands went to work and never looked back!  i love how it turned out- i tell you, my man's got some mad skills!

 we ordered a bench for our table and it sits in the little cove along the stairway.  you can also get maybe a better glance at the gallery wall up the stairs.

the trees were actually done using craft paint, which the stencil company said worked best.  i love walking by our dining room.  and as an added bonus, i don't have to hear anymore people mention my empty dining room whenever they enter the front door.

and as for some less dramatic projects, i made this wreath for our entry way (across from the table) for the month of november:

i totally stole the idea from here, but made colors to match our house.

and this was our halloween wreath:

(no spiders were hurt in the construction or display of this wreath.)

anywho, that's the work we've been doing at home.  i tell ya, having kids at preschool twice a week can really help a girl get some things done!