Welcome Back, DIY Projects -- I've Missed You!

For the past week, Matt and I have been discussing two projects that we've wanted to tackle for a long time, but just haven't had the time to follow through with them.

1. Create something for the large blank wall above the sofa in the living room
2. Create a HUGE multifunctional box for the basement to store toys, old work clothes/shoes for Matt, and other random things that need a home

Our huge empty striped wall in the living was the backdrop for my parents' Christmas photo. It's a big wall, and I just haven't been able to come up with something big enough to fill the space that hasn't already been done somewhere else in our house.

While we were in the garage at Matt's parents' house, I looked up towards the beams and saw that they were storing some old (very old) windows. This piqued my curiosity. "Matt, can you get one of those down for me?" Up went the ladder and down came a 5-1/2' tall, 2-1/2' wide old, rustic window. Other than a spray with Windex, this puppy was ready to go. Mason and I took a trip to JoAnn Fabric this week and chose a fabric that brings in some colors from the other artwork in the living room and throughout the first floor of our house.

During Mason's nap this afternoon we managed to stretch the fabric across the back of the window and hung it in place. Way to go Mace, you slept through the noise of a staple gun and a drill. I couldn't be happier!

I love this window so much that I already have another project in mind that would use another one of them. I've always wanted to use the chalkboard paint somewhere in our house without being directly on a wall. I'd like to use another of these windows and paint the glass with the chalkboard paint and hang it in the basement for Mason to draw on when he gets older. I'll have to run that one by Matt, but I think it'd be fun!

Stay tuned for the HUGE (and yes, I mean ridiculously HUGE) multifunctional box! It's currently a work in progress. Literally -- I can hear Matt using the airnailer in the garage right now.