Channeling my Inner Pottery Barn, and a GIVEAWAY

So what have I been up to this weekend. Well I broke out the long neglected paints, I've been channeling my inner pottery barn and I went to town, really making this house feel like home.

When we moved here, we left much of our furnishings in storage in the lower 48 and moved into a furnished house provided by Dh's work. So I have had to be especially creative in making it home.


Basically all this started when A and I sat down and did an art project that I found here. Ours are nowhere as near good, but they were fun to make, and A had a blast. It was quite messy to LOL. But that really got my creative juices going and my artistic side re awoken.






And then DH suggested I make a mobile with them and hand them from the hook in our dinning area, and then that inspired me to break out my long neglected paints!






I made this driftwood sunburst 2 weeks ago, but Dh just got around to hanging it for me. I LOVE it!
Well as I said I have been painting and channeling my inner pottery barn. I finally printed out pics, did some paintings, and created this arrangement down the hallway. I really like it.


This painting is done on a part of an amazon box LOL. I don't have any canvas here so I had to be creative.This one is on a small piece of driftwood.
Okay, now for my awesome finds. This is the bookshelf in the corner of our living room. I found some pottery barn esq glass vases at the grocery store here the other day and stocked up. This one is filled with coffee beans, placed in front of a piece of driftwood, and behind that I took and old coffee jug and filled it with dried grasses that I cut from the tundra. Next to the bookcase is a galvanized tub field with drift wood, which nicely hides all the cords and tv cables.



Then I headed into the guest bedroom. It is not done yet, but we turned an old barrel we found in the house on its side as a nightstand and then I filled another of those pottery barn esq vases with more dried grasses, and placed it on top of a stack of books.



And here is where I need help. Look at the picture below of the old dresses. Now I can not paint furniture here..so just the arrangement on the top. This is not done. It needs something else. I don't know...so HELP! There's a prize in it for y'all too! LOL. Okay so here are the rules. Come up with an idea of what I should do here. The best idea wins!!!!!


The number one thing to remember is I live on an island in the middle of the Bering Sea. We have NO stores. So the things you have seen me decorate with are what we have...Driftwood, some glass vases, I can paint, and I can order from Amazon anything that has free super saver shipping. So put on your creative thinking hats. Click follow to become a follower of my blog if you aren't already and leave your ideas in the comment section. Leave me a way to contact you, either via your own blog or an email address.


The best idea will win, and I will send you 3 8x10 photos of the amazing scenery of our island and the Bering Sea on Matte Photo paper!




Right now I have 2 of my driftwood signs hanging above it....a piece of drift wood, a glass cylinder with shells, and a piece of driftwood with tiny holes worn through. Also DH's cigar humidor is on there. So what does it need? Help please. I leaving the contest open for 2 weeks. Then I will pick the best idea :) And hopefully be able to implement it with our limited resources here :)
















Comments

Danielle said…
Love the artwork and your daughter is precious! Thanks for joining my blog and linking up at my blog hop. I'm following you now. Hope to see you next Sunday. Can't wait to read more about your adventures!!
Hello Amanda
Thanks for stopping by and following Welcome To My Kitchen. I would love to feature you on my Feature Me Fridays. You can learn more about it on my site by clicking the feature me fridays button. If interested let me know.
JessFinds said…
Hi there! Thanks for visiting me over at www.jessfinds.com. I look forward to reading about your adventure! I though my cross-country moves were a big deal...yikes!

Jess
I think one of your paintings as wide as the dresser should be propped on top of the dresser. Then lay a bundle of the grass in front.
Hi Amanda,

You left such a gorgeous comment on my blog that I couldn't help myself but dash over here and see yours! Thank you.

Here's my ideas for this speace. I think you need something tall on there to lift the space up...and it would echo the height of that chest of drawers. I think a lamp to cosy things up at night and look elegant during the day.

First of all I thought you could make one out of driftwood but actually I think it would clash with the lovely wood of the chest.

I'm pretty sure Amaon sell lamps. I think it needs a mediumish thin lamp. Or you could buy a lamp-making kit and turn one of your vases into a lamp (you could teach your amaing daughter about electrics too!).

Then I would put the two driftwood signs one over the other on the wall to one side of the lamp. The long one at the top, I think, which could overhang the lamp if necessary.

I'd move the driftwood that's on the chest to somewhere else but I'd keep the cigarcase and maybe out it on a stack of nice-looking books.

Anyway, there are my thoughts. I hope you like them

I'm TOTALLY your new follower! I love what your doing here.

Sarahx



I always think people's creativity com,es out most
my family said…
oh how creative...and I read your last post did you find out how she knew about reversible change? lol

Thanks for stopping by
Joyful Learner said…
I love your paintings! The colors tie nicely with the objects around it! When I read the words on the driftwood, I knew immediately what's missing - a sailboat! It would also go nicely with the collection of shells. Since you're creative, maybe you can build one out of found objects by the shore?
Holly said…
Hi there! Thanks for stopping by. I'm following you back! That is quite the move you've made! You're a very brave woman... not to mention resourceful. The painting that you did on the Amazon box is absolutely gorgeous. Can't wait to read more from you!

I think your dresser needs something tall-ish on it... like a vase full of pine cones or something. ;)

Holly
www.hollyatnaptime.com
Unknown said…
WOW! That turned out great. I love, love "quiet crafts"...Your daughter is beautiful! Thanks for following Plan My Dinner we're happy to have you. If you'd like, stop by our sister blog and add you link to our MIXED BAG MONDAY BLOG HOP. It's a great place to find other blogs and get followers too. Have a look around for crafts, links for children and more.
Have a great Monday
Melly
Anonymous said…
Such great inginuity! What great ideas. Good luck with yiur talented little girl:) Thanks for stopping by my blog and following. I am following back too. I can't wait to read more. It must be very fun to challenge your little one with such great intelligence. Sounds like an adventure:)

Big Foot Tribe
Ashley said…
Hi Amanda, thanks for finding my blog! Hmmm I will have to think about what to do for decorating and come back with a comment. But I wanted to say hi and nice to meet you first. BTW, your daughter is amazing! Oh and so are your paintings! I would say utilize that talent and put paintings everywhere. haha

p.s. Are there sea shells on the beach?
Jessica said…
Wow! I love those!!! I'm your newest follower from the blog hops! I hope that you will visit me back and check out my giveaway! You'r daughter would look adorable in one!
www.jessica62286.blogspot.com
Amanda said…
Hi everyone! And welcome to my new followers :) I love all the great ideas. I was just at a lost with that place. I have never lived in a place with so little resources for stores and well, it definitly makes things interesting....although we spend much less money LOL. I guess a sort of forced simplicity. I am going to have to think about all the ideas so far and play around. My brain is to tired from Ansley acting up to daqy to even begin to visualis them.

Hmmm to answer some questions....
Ashley- yep we have seashells. That is what is filling the cylinder in the picture of the dresser. Ansley loves to go collect them.

My Family- I still have absolutly no idea how she came up with reversible change. She had to have heard it or read it somewhere. Maybe I need to go through all the science and encyclopedia books she has in her room. She may have been reading something I don't know about LOL. That happens from time to time LOL.
tawna6988 said…
Found your blog via the bloggy moms november blog hop and am your newest follower. I hope to see you by mine too.

I have 4 blogs, you can follow all 4 or pick the one(s) that best suits you.

http://tawnasplan.blogspot.com
http://btrbb.blogspot.com
http://tawnassecret.blogspot.com
http://notaverageguru.blogspot.com
Twitter: tawna6988
FB: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Tawnas-thoughts-plans-and-journeys/110934798966532

Thanks
Tawna
Unknown said…
I am so glad I saw your blog on Nov. Blog hop. I am very interested in following your travels. I am not a crafty person at all so I will not be any help to you on that part.

How did you end up on the island? Is your husband working there? I am sure I will find my answer once I read futher into your blog.

Please feel free to stop by my blog too.
http://couponsavinginthesouth.blogspot.com/