Gun of Choice

Look out 'cuz Karen put away the glue gun today and pulled out heavy artillery - the staple gun.

My children duck for cover when they see me blowing the layer of garage shelf dust off of my slightly-rusted, yet unassumingly-powerful staple gun. They know it's a serious home improvement week. Real Gil can hardly keep himself from putting a For Sale sign in the yard.

But unlike that last one, this post is of the true, legitimate I-Did-It-Myself department. Not one bit of encouragement was needed to get me through it. Call me domestic. I just might go put an apron on.

Anyways, here's what happened.

I found this frame at a garage sale. The price was right. (Because anything with the words Antique and $5 is just right. Even if it's an antique bottle of laxatives or something equally gross.)

There was a cartoonish portrait of a constipated child, perhaps being potty-trained, inside of it which I promptly ripped out. (Perhaps he needed the laxatives...) It was someone's great-great-great-grandfather and was probably worth a million dollars, but it now sits in our local landfill. Trust me though, even if it was your great-great-great-grandfather, I'm pretty sure you don't want his contorted cartoon image staring at you. Then, I painted the existing wood frame blue.


Now, up until a week ago, a white baby dress hung in the center of this salvaged beauty. You can see it in this picture of the girls' bedroom, pre-Karen's-DIY.

After I redid our master bedroom last week, the girls were feeling a bit left out and asked if we could move their furniture around. I agreed. While we were at it, Punkin asked-with a bit of a whine-if we could please get rid of the baby dress in the frame. Sugs chimed in and asked if I could take down the "baby socks" hanging in another scrounged-up and painted frame.


Yes, I know it's all a bit immature for my seven- and four-year olds. Wait until they are sixteen and I'm still trying to convince them that pigtails and hairy legs are acceptable. My babies are growing up!!! Before I know it, they're going to be asking if a tube top is appropriate apparel for a visit to Grandma's house. Perhaps that's why I only did a bit of my own whining and easily let them persuade me.

So, this is their room, pre-re-arrangement (funny word):


Considering how terrible I am with a camera, here are some too-dark after photos:




Now, personally, I don't think it looks all that different, but apparently, it does to the girls. I've never seen them skip to their bedroom at bedtime quite like they are these days. I'll take it. (And call it obedience.)

Somehow, somewhere deep inside of me, I found a teeny, tiny sliver of creativity after rearranging furniture. So, that frame got a $7 rearrangement too. It started with some old twine and a staple gun.


After tightly stretching the twine across the back of the frame and stapling it into place, I just clothespinned a few vintage handkerchiefs onto the twine.


For a total of $12, I'll stick with it. I know someday this frame is going to have Justin Bieber's face staring out of it, so I'm savoring the few more years I have to do the decorating.

That works for me!

Resting in Him,
Karen