My motto is undoubtedly: "I'd rather be decorating." Indoor, outdoor, home, work, you name it, I'd prefer to be visualizing and executing the design ideas that are constantly running through my mind.

In this post, I'll share details about the wall decor I hung at our house during my Christmas break from work. I wanted to do something on the large feature wall in our dining room. As a person comes up the stairs from our mudroom, it's the first thing you see. We had some records hanging in frames which was a good place holder, but not very appealing. Thanks to some good after Christmas sales and imagination, I was able to pull together something that has impact and gives the type of first impression I want to leave when we have new visitors. I also like that this wall mixes pieces I already had with new items for a more modern look than I normally go for.

​I based everything around the deer head. I found this piece for 50% off at Target - final price of $15. Once I had the head centered and in place, I started holding various pieces up to the wall to see what would look best where. I knew I wanted the "Every Day I Love You" saying to be in position that it could be seen from the mudroom. I got this piece for 50% off at Hobby Lobby - final price of $20. After hanging the saying, I positioned the 'S' so it fell around the same general area on the other side of the deer head. The 'S' was gifted to me several years ago and is from Hobby Lobby. The photo of Joel and I is one of our favorites from a few years back. We look like real grown-ups in it! The finishing touch was the wooden garland. These were 50% off at Target - final price of $6 for 6 feet. I secured each end of the garland on nails hidden behind the saying and the 'S.' From there, I draped the garland as pictured. I felt like draping the garland across the decor pieces tied everything together.

For hanging I used a level, small nails and a hammer. Everything was light enough so I didn't have to use any heavy duty equipment.

Here's some food for thought before your next decorating project: What pieces do you already have that could be reimagined by mixing them together with other pieces you have or new items you purchase? What angles will your decor be seen from? Think about how you want your decor to be seen from every corner of your home.

My Christmas decor obsession continues! This time, I upcycled a sled from Stuff Store in Waterloo. 

Here's what I used on this piece:

• Green Matte Exterior Paint
• Pencil
• White Exterior Paint
• Jingle Bell Lights (from Target)

​Here's what I started with:

It's a great, solid piece that I got for $12.00. Quite a score in my eyes.

I used my green exterior paint to cover the blue paint that was on the sled.

Once I chose the saying I wanted to use, I wrote it out on the sled in pencil. I then traced the pencil lines with my white exterior paint using a fine brush.

When I finished the lettering (which I am still learning to do with paint, so be kind!) I had my husband take a look at it. He suggested I add some imagery. After some thought, I decided to add two "happy little trees" (Bob Ross was literally playing in the background) and some star/snowflake shapes.

To top it all off, I added a strand of $5 battery powered jingle bell lights from Target for a pop of color.

Here's the final product:

I think it turned out so cute! It only took a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon to complete and cost under $20 for a piece that is just what I wanted for this corner of our porch.

My challenge to you - when you are at the store, start looking at items for their potential. Just because the item isn't exactly what you want in that moment, think about how you can make it so!