Since the plank wall with the built-in shelving is the focal point of the room, I wanted to create a focal point of the focal point. I thought it would be cool to do a big, dramatic letter "M" for her name. Since we don't exactly have the tools (yet) to cut an "M" out of wood, I thought I would use the next best thing - foam core poster board. I felt like an almost 30 year old getting ready for a science fair project when I bought it.
The first thing I did was cut a large "M" out using a straight edge and a box cutter. Honestly, to make the measurements I used a baby shower envelope. Pretty scientific, huh?
Next, I cut one inch strips to make the M 3D.
Then, using a hot glue gun, I glued the strips on the edge of of the M to make it flush.
Progress:
(You can see the seam on the M which ended up driving me NUTS. I later found a huge piece of foam board the could accommodate the entire letter. I traced the M on the larger piece, cut it out, then glued it on top. Now it's seamless and doesn't make my skin crawl.)
I later painted it the same color as her room which I'll show in the next post.
Then, after hitting up Goodwill, TJ Maxx, Kohl's, Ross, my grandparent's house, and our front yard, I had all of my decor gathered. I like to accessorize rooms gradually. If I see something I like (as in an animal figurine) I get it and then kind of go from there. Next thing you know, I have the whole animal kingdom represented in McCauley's room.
This was an owl candle holder that sat on my grandparents' back patio for years... and I mean years. I cleaned it up and painted it silver.
I found this dish at Goodwill for 49 cents.
The elephant is from Ross, the whale from Kohl's, the horse bookends from Goodwill, and the pear is from some random furniture store in Springfield, MO for $2.00. And the bananas are from Checkers. And we ate them.
These bad boys were $1.00. You can see the painted whale tail and the painted pear in the background.
These butterflies were in my grandparents' bathroom. I painted them the accent color for the room, coral/peach.
Then I went to the front yard and found some sticks to paint. I figured they kind of go with the animal/outdoors theme, so why not?
I found this awesome mirror at TJ Maxx and of course thought, "Oh, I could paint this!" And so I did. Cozy hadn't ever seen a mirror on the floor so he was pretty interested.
I figured the rough, natural texture of the mirror frame would complement the cedar plank wall and tie things together. If you look carefully, you can see my giant, pregnant belly in the bottom of the picture.
I used my trusty Martha Stewart paint for the frame. It took a long time to paint due to the texture of the frame but it looked great when it was done!
I used a razor blade to get the excess paint off the mirror.
I found this deer in my grandma's basement and as soon as I saw it I got very excited. When I was little (like 6ish?) my grandma was in the hospital because of breast cancer. I remember my aunt taking us to the gift shop to pick out some flowers for her. I picked out this flower-filled deer and she kept it after all those years (20 plus years!). It was originally painted to look like a real deer but of course I painted it. I always think of my grandma when I look at it.
You can also see the base of a table lamp behind the deer. I found these at TJ Maxx and they were painted to look like real tree branches. I'm not really into the "lodge" look so I painted them.
Are you getting my vision that is finally coming together?! A contemporary spin on the "woodland creatures" theme that fills many nurseries. Next up, the finished project.
*P.S. No actual, live animals were hurt or painted in the process of this decorating.
