Have you ever had an idea of something in your head and you can envision it so perfectly, but when you try to execute that brilliant idea, nothing seems to work out? I’ve had plenty of those. I see all these perfectly organized pantries on Pinterest, but when I try to execute, I have mismeasured, or the silly little organizers don’t seem to fit and work well together so I end up scrapping the idea, shoving everything back into the pantry and saving that project for another time. Or have you ever pinned something on Pinterest thinking it should be easy to pull off, but just doesn’t seem up to par? Wasn’t there a TV show on that? My mom and I laugh and say “Pinterest fail” when one of our attempts at a recipe doesn’t quite work out. I spent the last 20 minutes searching for these pictures on my phone of these bunny cupcakes my mom and I attempted to make for one Easter dinner. They didn’t seem to be anything extra difficult. I think it was a cupcake with green frosting piped to look like grass, then you do a rounded mound of white frosting to make it look like a bunny’s rear with his head down in the grass. The frosting kept sliding off down the cupcake. It wasn’t unusually hot in her kitchen so we couldn’t figure out what was happening. We scraped it off, started over and added more powdered sugar to the frosting, stuck it in the fridge, but everything we tried failed. The bunny cupcakes looked pitiful. We were laughing so hard at our poor little bunnies. We had tears streaming down faces. We both are blessed with round faces and squinty eyes so we looked like a couple of bobbsey twins laughing hysterically at ourselves. I’m sure our family reading this can picture it perfectly! I know I took a few pictures to share with my foodie and baker friends for a good laugh, but now I cannot find them. So sometimes, even the simplest or most well thought out plans just don’t work out quite as well as you imagine. Or the items that you always see in the store when you don’t need them suddenly go missing or on backorder the second you decide to tackle a project that requires just those particular supplies. Well . . . are you ready for the point of this post? I had an idea work out perfectly. It came together so easily and can add personality and a little sentimental value to any space. If you know us personally or have read some of my blog posts, you know we are a dog loving family. We have lost a few dogs over the years. Some we had for years from puppyhood to grey muzzles and aching joints. Others we lost way too young and that’s always hard to grasp. I wanted a way to honor and remember the dogs that were such an important piece of our family. I thought about a shadow box or something I could display, but then the thought of a lamp popped into my head. That way it would be something useful in the house, but also a way to display and share those special momentoes. So my idea was to have a clear glass lamp filled with old collars, tags, toys, and things we saved from our beloved dogs. It sure didn’t take long to fill that lamp up! The beauty of this lamp is that you can fill it with whatever you want. You can customize it to fit a space, special memories or gifts for a loved one. Those shells that your kids collect year after year on vacation could have a home. Movie tickets, concert tickets, first date momentoes could make for a great little sweetheart gift. Old ribbons and awards could be displayed from horse showing days. I think you are getting the idea.
The clear lamp was easy to find at my local TJ Maxx. I’ve seen some great ones online and at Target as well.
I might do one for the girls’ bedroom so they can have a place to display little treasures. You know, all those little items that seem to collect on dressers and nightstands that they just don’t want to part with, like movie tickets, old friendship bracelets, really cool rocks they found.
The lamp was all I needed since I had all the doggie stuff tucked in drawers and saved back for a project. Actually, I could never part with some of these items. I’m lucky enough to even have some of my grandparents’ dog items and these mean so much to me.
It took me just a few minutes to fill and arrange the base of the lamp and we were in business. I think it’s lovely. It is in the perfect spot along with our Irish collage wall in our living room. I bought the wooden Irish blessing sign from Amazon. The message board is also from TJ Maxx. The vintage Notre Dame pennant was from Etsy. The framed Notre Dame pictures were taken by my talented husband! Most of the old books are passed down from family. The lovely gold chair was a curbside find that my sweet neighbor was throwing out. The area of the room came together and is one of my favorites in the house.
I wish we had more big walls for more collages. I love the idea of really displaying what you love. The message board is so fun and the girls like to change up the message. We’ve had welcome greetings for grandma and grandpa when they visit, cheers for the Cubs and Irish, birthday wishes, random song lyrics, movie quotes, and whatever else we throw up there.
I’ve seen message boards for sale at many stores. They are kind of trendy right now and easy to find. I recommend having at least one board of some sort in your house to post inspiring messages and love for your family to see every day.
I hope this inspired you on some level. Maybe it will motivate you to bring one of those rooms or decor ideas you’ve been eyeing on Pinterest or Instagram life. Put your own spin on it and add some personality. Make your home a place that brings you joy and showcases your creativity.
clickinmyheels 