When we first moved in I was so excited to start decorating...as is probably everyone. However, with wanting to decorate comes the inevitable needing money to do so. I had already started collecting things prior to moving out but sometimes I can look at a wall and imagine what I would like on it and yet I am so afraid to make that first move and just do it. Other times I get an idea and jump right on it because I am so excited to see it executed- this was one of those projects.
Let me back up. I am not afraid to paint on walls.
(enter short side story)
When I was about 13 or 14 years old I loved sea life. I had a sheet set with whales and dolphins, tons of photos on my walls with whales and dolphins- everything had whales and dolphins on it- clocks, rugs, blankets EVERYTHING. One day my mom was headed out the door to work and I asked her, "Can I paint a whale on my wall?" Because obviously I knew the answer was yes I asked it kinda like it was no big deal. She gave me a crazy look and said, "Uh-NO!"
I was pretty surprised actually that she said no, I am not going to lie. I was certain she was going to say yes. So, she went to work and figuring she was the crazy one for not letting me paint a whale on my wall I set to work on sketching it out on my wall. It took a few hours and then I was scared. I was scared because after all she had said I could not paint it on my wall...and there it was. A whale on my wall. About three feet high (so not too big) and a nearly perfect copy of the whales on my sheets. I waited for her return.
When she got home I said "hi" (heart beating 3,000mph) "how was your day?" "anything new?"...
Then I could not stand it anymore and said, "Want to see what I did?"
I dragged her downstairs to my room and assured her I could wash it off (because at this point I had only sketched it out in pencil). Then she saw it.
Then she said, "Do you want to go get paint?"
All was well and I painted it and a few days later she told me to paint a dolphin too- and maybe some waves. Then my mom hired me to draw a mural of Beauty and the Beast characters on my baby sisters wall- then Sylvester and Tweety on my other sisters wall. Then we moved and I was so sad I could not take them with me. All in all- it was a good run for only being 14 years old. I still have pictures of the whale & dolphin and Beauty and the Beast but I am totally bummed I don't have one of Sylvester- he was massive. My mom asked me to make him about 3 feet high and I filled up the entire wall. I ended up putting the photos in my portfolio for graduation.
Back to today.
I was sitting with Justin on the stairs looking down to our 'playrooms' (his poolroom and my scrapbook room). "What are we going to do with this wall?" I asked.
We threw around ideas and talked about how it led to a pool room and a scrapbook room. How he wanted it to go with his room- which has an antique sort of feel. My room is more of a eclectic type of room with antiques, junk and Target collections. Of course it is all about scrapbooking too.
Justin suggested to maybe paint something- like an old tree. That would be cool.
I suggested maybe hanging small photos on it- like antique photos of our families and newer ones of us (but all in black in white maybe). That would be cool.
photo: me as a child
A few days later I grabbed out the paint and painted the tree. He got home from wherever he was and said he liked it. Then I found some frames I had lying around and painted them and framed some photos to hang. I plan on collecting many types of frames eventually to hang on here- but I had to start somewhere so I used things I had on hand.
photo: my grandmother as a toddler ( I love this photo)
All in all it turned out really great, I think. It is something that ties together our families and the past and present. I guess you could say it is a family tree of sorts but loosely done. Overall, it took up a wall in our house (that we had no clue how to use since it was right at the end of our stairs) and turned it into something interesting. This is my favorite wall so far. I am so excited to add to it.
Here is the overall look heading down the steps. I think it will look even better once it starts being filled in. I thought about adding a quote- but I don't know if that is the overall look I am going for.
We will see as the tree starts filling up.
