The Pink is SLOWLY Spreading

I had hoped the second half of my living room would come together quickly, but it seems to have stalled out. I've decided to share it in its present condition, so you can get a feeling for my process and the reality of decoration stall-outs.  

Here's how it was before we swapped the bookcases for the piano.

Here's the piano in its undecorated state. We've always had that basket (made out of cool seat belt-like material) to keep library books in, but it needed to be relocated. The faux sheepskin (from Ikea at Christmas time) and the picture are new. A brilliant friend took the photo and shared her file with me so I could have a little piece of her genius right in my house. It's gorgeously out of focus, which relaxes me.  

Here it is, a little closer. I had it printed a while ago, but because it wasn't a typical size, I was trying to figure out an inexpensive framing option. I decided to go with this idea from Little Green Notebook (the best DIY projects are on this blog!) I missed the bit about the double thick foam and got regular foam from Hobby Lobby, which I cut in half and made double thick, but still, I don't think it's as thick as her's. Maybe I'll find some double-thick and add on...I do think it would look richer. But when I get a grouping going, it may not make a big difference. I painted the edges a taupe color.

On the other side, I put this pair of chairs and the pink pillow cover I also got at Ikea. In my art rearranging fiasco, the grouping over the radiator changed and I added the card art I was talking about way back here. 

Next to the pair of chairs, sits this dresser that makes our entryway functional. Or rather an entryway that isn't mistaken for one big mess. Here, I framed a pretty postcard the kids got from their cousins in California. It's a foggy looking shot of the Redwoods. 

I should've mentioned postcards when I did the greeting card post. It's a great way to remember special trips if you can find a postcard while you're there. Such an inexpensive souvenir that you can enjoy on a daily basis. I loved the curvy edges on this one, so I attached it to some brown paper and used a matte that would normally fit a 4x6 picture. A 3x5 matte would work if you don't want to showcase the edges. 

In this whole living room makeover, I was hard-core shopping my house. I kind of brought everything pink that I owned from other rooms. I pulled these candles from our guest room, which I thought would really kill that room, but then it started to speak to me of a fresh, new color scheme. (Which I'm having to try to chill out about because there's only so much time to devote to these things and spring time makes me ooze with ideas and ambition.) It doesn't even FEEL like spring here, and yet I'm chomping at the bit to do projects. When I took the kids to school this morning, it was 18 degrees warmer than the last couple days and I was shocked at how warm 14 degrees felt! So weird.

That's where we're at with the living room and since I'm being distracted by the five hundred other ideas that are bubbling up, I'll write down what I'd still like to do. For safe keeping...

• create grouping of art for over the piano (we've finally patched and painted the holes that anchored the bookshelves, so that's progress)
• find a lamp to sit atop the piano - possibly a large task lamp painted one of the soft browns in the photograph? Something like this one?
• add an interesting/wordy pillow 
• paint my water buffalo white and see if they belong here 
• add a fun dish to top of the stack of books
• I dream of a real umbrella holder next to the piano. The dream grows stronger the more my basket unravels...

For now, our music room is presentable. The only part that really bothers me is the top of the piano. I'd like that done yesterday, but I don't want meaninglessness up there either. So I'm going to be patient and gather things I love.