Dressing the Walls

A couple of weeks, ago, I found myself sitting in the kitchen staring at a blank wall and going stir crazy. I realized I spend a LOT of time in the kitchen these days between our pre-dawn grownups breakfast, cooking and dishes, cleaning and prepping bottles, feeding the twins three meals and a snack each day, feeding the baby, and late night dinners with the Man after long work days. I wandered around the house during nap time, picked up half a dozen unused pictures, played with arrangements until I had a combination and number I liked, and hung them. Since everything is so very mismatched I think I can submit a claim for “eclectic” and get away with it.

Here’s the before, with a fully authentic mid-afternoon weekday mess of paperwork, baby gear, and picture hanging supplies. We do try to clean up by dinner every night to avoid a descent into total squalor.

Here’s the after (table now tidy except for one territorial dinosaur):

The pictures on the right are 1) an old print of hawks I found somewhere for a dollar or two in high school, 2) a print of the Statue of Liberty, also from my high school bedroom, and 3) a print of a castle from the Man’s old apartment. This is the twins’ usual highchair corner so everything needed to be attractive but replaceable. Food splatters happen.

The print on the left is a reproduction of a historic map of Vienna under siege by the Ottoman Empire. I bought it for a couple of euros when studying abroad in Vienna during college. I love maps. It’s also a nice reminder of our family’s beginnings since the Man and I met through his father, who was my professor in Vienna.

The light is from Ikea and replaced the old kitchen light that came with the house. I wanted something a bit warmer with a natural feel. My Dad kindly switched it out for me when my parents visited this fall. I enjoy doing electrical work, but not with small children hanging off of every limb. The light works well for us since we have plenty of alternate lighting to supplement it. It’s just what I was looking for. However, if you’re looking for more than a warm gentle glow this is not the fixture for you since it’s only a muted single bulb.

To close, a random baby picture because I know that’s why all the grandmothers read this blog :). This little one is starting to grin and coo, and weighed in at a whopping 13Lb 8oz today. Hard to believe she was a micro preemie!