Auer Gallery Walls

Owning a house has its ups and downs.  There is no calling a landlord when something is not working and needs to be fixed.  Just this week, we had a frozen hot water pipe.  Thankfully, my husband took care of it with a hairdryer.  Auer house is old, so anytime we do a home improvement project there are surprises.  However, I believe that the pros of home ownership outweigh the cons, at least for the current stage of our lives.  One of the pros is being able to decorate and put as many holes in the walls as you'd like.  Which leads me to the theme of today's post...Gallery Walls.  

I may have gone a bit overboard with gallery walls in my house.  I had lots of photos and signs that I wanted to hang.  So, I sought some "pinspiration" from Pinterest, and away I went.  Displaying things that make you happy help make a house a home.  I want each room to celebrate a piece of me and/or my family.  Welcome into Auer House:

This gallery wall is behind the couch in my living room.  My mom bought me the sign that reads, "My Goal in Life is to Become the Person My Dog Thinks I Am" from Kirkland's.  Many of the frames and metal decor are from Hobby Lobby.  All of the other stuff, I've had for so long, I can't recall where I got them from.  I personalized the big red square frames with a stencil and stickers.  I hardly had any pictures of my mini American Eskimo dog, so I met a photographer at the dog park for a photo session.  (Keep in mind, these dogs are my "kids".)  I laid out all the frames and decor out on my dining room table before lifting a hammer to help me visualize the final product.  The couch was pulled away for this project, which leads to what I would change about this display...I would center the photos above the couch and not center them on the wall.  However, looking at the photos of my fur babies makes me happy, which is the goal.  

Another wall in my living room-I found the sign at Hobby Lobby.  It reads, "If I had my life to do over again...I'd find you sooner so I could love you longer".  This inspired me to hang photos of my husband and me when we were in high school (not at the same time-he's 10 years older than me), a couple of us taken before we were married, and a wedding photo.  I plan on adding a couple more photos to the shelf as the years go on, hence some empty space.  

Yet another wall in my living room-I found the sign at Hobby Lobby with the quote, "To the world you may be just one person, but to one person, you may be the world".  Such a great daily reminder!  I centered it and placed photos on either side of it.  The bad thing about gallery walls, is that you can often tell when something is crooked.  :)  

My mother-in-law moved into assisted living in June, so we acquired a few items from her house.  Several of those items, were photos.  This wall celebrates my husband.  It includes photos of his parents, children, and photos of him as a kid.  

Here's a family portrait that we had taken about ten years ago and photos of my step-children when they were little.  Some of these photos used to be behind my couch.   

A couple of months ago, I hired a painter to paint over the outdated 1970's paneling that was in my stairway.  Once I had it painted, it seemed so bare.  I went on a mission to decorate it for very little money.  I searched clearance and sales at World Market, Hobby Lobby, Bed, Bath, & Beyond, Target, Gordman's, Michael's and Home Good's.  Here's how it turned out:

 Still not sure about the A in the open frame so close to the R in Auer.  I think of a pirate saying "Arrrrrrrrrrr" when I see it.  I had the frame empty, but I didn't like it.  I may need to search for something different.

    
In the rustic looking frames, I typed up song lyrics from songs that are special to me and my husband.  I printed them onto scrapbook paper.  Here's a few of them up close:

Can you identify the songs?  I hope that you enjoyed today's post and its photos.  Go ahead and decorate your house to make it a home where you celebrate you and your family!

H-APP-y New Year!

Whether or not you made getting more organized one of your New Year's resolutions, getting more organized can make your life more enjoyable.  Today I want to share with you my favorite 6 apps that assist me on a regular basis with my quest for organization.  All of these are available for iPhone and Android, and best of all they are all FREE.  Many of these apps I have been using for years, so you've probably already heard of some or all of them.      

1.  Wunderlist

If you like using "to do" lists, then you need this app.  You set up an account so you can log in and sync the lists on your PC and/or mobile devices.  You can even share your lists with others.  There is a paid version of the app, but I find the free version perfect for what I need it for.  I don't need to worry about forgetting my lists at home any more.  For more information visit www.wunderlist.com  

2.  Dropbox

I learned about Dropbox at a conference.  I started using it, because I was tired of emailing myself documents or carrying a flash drive so that I could update work documents at home.  Sometimes, I would send/save the wrong file or not save the updated file when I got back to work.  Dropbox allows you to access your files on your PC and mobile devices and syncs them.  You can even access previous versions of the file in case you change your mind about updates that you made.  I also save all of my photos from my phone on Dropbox.  No more needing to worry about losing all of your files, because you lose or damage a device.  Plus there is no clutter with DVD's, flash drives, or paper backups.  You can even share files and/or folders with others that you give permission to.    For more information visit www.dropbox.com  

3.  E-Reader Apps - Nook, Kindle, iBooks

I bought myself a Nook Simple Touch before a trip.  I wanted to bring a few books, but I didn't want to carry the weight of them.  I fell in love my Nook, and I even upgraded to the Simple Glow-light Touch.  I read more books now, since my next book is just a click away.  Barnes and Noble also offers a Free Friday Nook Book every week.  However, you do not need a special e-reader to read e-books; you just need an e-reader app.  This allows me to purchase or check out books, without them causing clutter in my house or having to pay library fines.  E-books are also cheaper than their paper version.  Having the Nook app also allows me to read from where I left off on my iPhone and pick up at the new spot on my Nook.  I am not as familiar with other e-readers or their apps, so I can't testify as to how good they are. I just know that I love the convenience of my e-reader.         

4.   TripIt - Travel Organizer

You know those confirmation emails that you get when booking hotels, cruises, flights, etc?  Forward them to plans@tripit.com and the details of your trip will be all in one place.  I love having the dates and times of the details of my trip all in one place.  Traveling with others or need to share your itinerary with your emergency contact?  You can sync and share it.  For more information visit www.tripit.com

5.   To-Do Checklist - Daily, Weekly, Monthly (Lite)

I just recently started using this app for my chore check list.  What I like about this app is that it is FREE and easy to use.  You can upgrade it, but I am content with free features.  I have entered in my daily chores, weekly chores, and monthly chores to help me keep up with my household.  I make the items all day events, so I don't need to select a specific time.  You can enter your chore checklist into your calendar, but I like keeping my chore check list separate.  

6.  Pinterest

This app needs no explanation.  I use it for "pinspiration" on organizing, decorating, recipes, etc.  I do make an effort to delete pins that I no longer need, such as recipes that I've tried and didn't like.  Try to check out the webpages that link to the pins to see if they are in fact useful.  If my boards get too full, I break them down in more specific ones.  For more information visit www.pinterest.com or follow me at www.pinterest.com/all50by30/

I hope that you found at least one thing on today's post helpful.  Please feel free to share any apps that have assisted you in your quest to become more organized.