This doesn’t have much to do with house stuff other than it was an attempt at learning how to use my new camera for shooting house stuff.  I asked Layne to pose for me a few times…okay, maybe more than a few times.  Poor guy.  I got some good tongue shots.  In fact, all I got were tongue-out-of-mouth shots.

The Straight-On Tongue

The Tired, Head to the Side Tongue

The Monkey Tongue

Must boys always act goofy when their Moms try to take pictures of them?  As luck would have it, my sister, Alina (a.k.a. Nanny Lina), showed up a day later to play with my camera and captured this after a dip in the pool…

Just like that, the tongue stays in his mouth.

A few days ago, I let you in on my wild and crazy Saturday night with Handy Hubby.  On something of a whim, Handy Hubby traced the outline of a cherry blossom branch onto our foyer wall.  Give that man a blank wall, a pencil and some paint and he can work wonders.

It only took him a few days (it’d take you much less time if you didn’t have to work, take care of kids or hold the fort down while your spouse worked) to draw, paint and touch up the graphic branch.  I’m not gonna lie…at one point I couldn’t watch because I was so sure he was going to fall off the ladder and spill paint everywhere.  But then I thought, “Heck, then we could just rip up the carpet on the steps and install a cool runner.”  I always try to look on the bright side.

Luckily (or unluckily, however you want to see it), Handy Hubby did NOT fall or spill any paint.  What he did do was make me very happy!  He sure knows the way to my heart…with a paintbrush.  Really, though, I think he likes the final product more than me.

It’s art.  It’s nature.  It’s something to look at while sitting on the living room couch besides an empty stairwell.  It’s a tree that I don’t have to water (i.e. kill).  And best of all, it was free.  We were able to borrow the projector and make a transparency for free because we know people.  Important people.  With projectors and transparencies.  We already had the paint on hand.  (Hint: You will see this paint color again in a future post.)  I guess now would be the time to mention it is Lowe’s Valspar Elkhorn Cactus.

So, wadda ya think?  It’s a pretty big statement for such a small price tag.  Right up our alley.  But maybe you disagree (like our 5-year-old) and ask, “Um, why is there a tree on that wall?”  And like most projects around here, this one has conjured up ideas for more projects.  As in painting the back of the front door and banister.  This modern wall art has our builder white door and orange-y oak railing looking a tad out of place. 

I like the green color of this door…

(courtesy of DesignMom)

I like the black and white of this railing…

(courtesy of Decorate and Renovate)

Totally DIYable.  Now, I just have to find the time.  Or stay up crazy late for a few nights.