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The following is a guest post written by Kelly

…it’s fabulous. Shades of gray need not apply.

I was extolling the virtues of this project as one of the easiest decorating affairs ever to adorn a wall, but after seeing the Nester’s fantastic framed fork (alliteration is pretty), I’m saluting it as such! Before I go nuts in my silverware drawer, which is on the to-do for the week, I’ll pull myself back to the task at hand…sharing how to create an art gallery that makes your eyes smile, your brain happy and your wall all the more dapper. Especially swanky on a wall doused in new construction cream, huh? (Wherefore art thou, Sherwin Williams?)

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I forgot to add, that this project is 100% recessionista fashionista approved. Every single frame was snatched up for a buck each at the dollar store, and the artwork was either printed on my home printer (and it’s rinky dink, so think how much better yours will look!) or hand-drawn.

Personalizing your gallery is easy when it’s so inexpensive to create, which also lets you change out pieces as you find new line drawings and other black and white art that you love (remember, it’s still art even if your printer spits it out – as long as it makes your heart happy, it’s art!).

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Inside of my frames, you’ll find an old-fashioned alphabet primer, a line drawing of a butterfly, a hand-drawn flower inspired by a Verona teapot, a Jane Austen silhouette, the opening lines of Pride and Prejudice scrolled out in the free Jane Austen font from dafont.com. a C.E. Brock line illustration from Persuasion (is my adoration of Miss Jane that obvious?), a Charles Spurgeon quote and a map of the London Botanic Gardens. Actually, glancing at photos of it right now, a simple black umbrella (a la Mary Poppins perhaps) would look especially smart as an addition to this lovely family.

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The World Wide Nest has lots of free domain images for you to print and use at your leisure that Google can sniff out for ya, and your local public library is a lovely resource for photocopying illustrations, sheet music, maps, recipes and vintage advertisements. Also, don’t neglect the beauty of what your little ones can do with a sheet of white paper and some black colored pencils. No matter how you ink it, black and white are an enchanting combination. Never have two such colorful characters been, well, you know. Pun totally intended. Now get to print in’!

By Kelly of The Barefoot Mama and Best Dressed Nest – Ideas, inspiration and fun as a mom of two little ones decorates her new home in real life with a nursing baby in one arm and more “Country Living” projects in mind than frazzled mama brain makes possible. Not best dressed yet, but it’s fun just entering the pageant. And, yes, I do promise to work for world peace.

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PERFECTLY BEAUTIFUL TASSEL SALE
STARTS TODAY!

{9 am est}

information is already posted at the shop
so make sure you read the welcome message about shipping and purchasing
UPDATE:
21 minutes into the sale and over half the tassels have sold.
insane.