love laugh and PAINT.

It seems lately I have slacked off on my blogging, but even in the last trail of blog posts I have failed to include the "Paint" aspect as the title suggests: Love Laugh and Paint. Lots of love and laughing have been happening, but little painting has happened. I was not okay with that fact when I sat down to realize how much I missed the crafty side of my heart. So I went on painting and crafting overload this week to compensate!

First, I am interning at Shades for the entire summer, working with high school girls and investing in those who feel called to ministry. I'm loving the relational time I get to have with the girls, as well as the fun I have being around the office and the people I look up to so much. Last week Kevin Johnson came on staff as the high school boys ministry associate. It's been a party from the second he got here! And first on his to-do list was to decorate his office. Well it was more than decorating really, it was a fullout HGTV-style makeover complete with paint, built-in shelves, a table desk, and a Buzz Lightyear figurine. Oh and also a tree lamp, au natural.

So the HGTV lover in me was eager to contribute and suggest, just like I learned from years of faithfully watching Trading Spaces, Color Splash, Designed to Sell, Dear Genevieve, and the list goes on and on. We painted three walls a charcoal grey, with one red accent wall that matches the other paint in the building. The desk and shelves are a lighter grey, and the accents are bright green and yellow. Very modern, very awesome, and incredibly typical of such a creative guy like Kevy.

This makeover combined with my new interest in a blog called YoungHouseLove inspired me to update my own room at home. After rearranging and cleaning out, I had a lot of pictures and art and little pieces of life that I wanted to display. But I wanted something exciting to match the awesome spree of creativity I found myself in the last week. This particular post from YoungHouseLove about a wall of frames was my inspiration for the arrangement and layout.

First step: paint everything in sight white. Leave nothing behind.

Second step: find things to fill in the frames. I had some pictures that I have just stuck in random places around my room the last year or so, so they were my first choice for filling out the frames. I also have a box of cheesy sentimental things that I sifted through for a few options.

Step three: Once I had everything filled and was feeling pretty content, I started to play around with the layout. I let a small framed picture of my mom and her massive awesome red glasses holding me as a baby be the centerpiece with a shadow box underneath. I just kind of worked my way out from there. I wanted there to be lines within the arrangement but liked the idea of an asymmetrical assortment for the rest of the objects.

Step four: I measured the height and width of the arrangement to figure out where the center should go on the wall above my desk table. From there I just put up the first frame and worked my way around in small portions.

Step five: lots of smiling and a happy heart. I was most pleased with this frame. Ethan and I went on a trip to Idaho with our high school church choir just a week or so after we started dating. As our first trip together, I really loved that memory. I found an atlas in our house and used the page of Idaho as the background for this frame. I put a picture inside from our trip, and just smiled at the memories of the beginning of our relationship (three years ago next week! woop!)

I also liked the idea from YoungHouseLove to interchange some of the pictures and objects in the frames. This way its a working, moveable piece of artwork that is special to me. I can add or take away, replace but keep the things I really love. I have a feeling the atlas/picture frame isn't going away ever! I also love the picture of me and Ethan at Homecoming my senior year before we were even dating. Who knew what potential would come from such good friends!