weekend projects, part 2

So with the spice racks nicely hung, I moved on to my next project - art for the powder room.

Almost as soon as the wallpaper was on the ceiling, I had an image of the walls covered in vintage postcards, pretty plates, little mirrors and random crap in shadow boxes.  Kind of a gallery wall on crack.

I knew my mom had old postcards so I asked her if I could use them, promising to not ruin them.  She agreed and we had a great time going through all of them.  Not only does she have postcards sent to our immediate family, but also ones to her aunts, uncles and parents.  The oldest one that I took with me (I left gobs back at her house) was from 1924.

Then there was this one my uncle sent to my dad:

Best part was the message on the back:

"Can you picture me doing this? Well I'm not."

How hysterical is that?  I almost wanted to frame it message-out, but then the embroidered (!) front is pretty darn awesome as well.

My mom sent her parents tons of postcards in college and afterwards.  My favorite was a HUGE one of the UN with basically a book on the back.  And it was just this rambling, meandering message full of a lot of nothing.  Think about the emails you send your parents.  Now think of your kids reading them 40 years later.  Part of me is glad that postcards and letters aren't as common now, but part of me is sad for the missed opportunities of hilarity!  My mom and I laughed so hard over this card that we cried.

I found the postcard I sent home while in Iowa for Odyssey of the Mind.  I love seeing my 6th grade handwriting! 

My dad didn't travel much for work after my sister and I were born, but he went to New York and Paris in 1982 and sent home lots of postcards.  I love that he would send separate cards to my mom and to us girls.  Just so cute.  This is one he sent to both me and my sister, but he would also send us our own.

And you know how you marry your father?  Well, my grandfather also sent my mom postcards.  I wonder which painting he was talking about here?  Maybe it's one that I have hanging on my walls.

I spread out all of the cards, picked my favorites and started arranging.  I had to replace some faves for others that fit better, but that's okay - I have so many that I could easily do a second collage.  Finally I came to an arrangement I really liked.

There were a few gaps and my 5th grade math teacher taught me that one should never, ever have blank space in a collage, so I filled in those gaps with leftover wallpaper.

what, you didn't do art projects in math class?

I decided to put it up above the toilet.  I thought about putting it next to the mirror - and still might  move it there later - but for now, this gives the most impact.  I just love it with both the rug and the wallpaper!

I still think the gallery-wall-on-crack idea would be better, but I already owned this frame and I like free!  And now I'm thinking about the idea of mini-collages instead of individual pictures.  I love a project that makes me think of other, better ones!