It’s time again for Second Tuesday Art Walk. The Art Walk is a relatively new feature to my blog, and it won’t always have a theme. But this month I realized that I developed a theme without even trying.

And it is . . .

Attainable Beauty

I love browsing home decor magazines to find inspiration and to dream. Everything looks so perfect – and so effortless.

But in the real world, most of us have to face a few challenges when we want to improve our homes. Budgets, time constraints, a lack of help, having to compromise with family members, or simply the fear of trying something new: These are all speed bumps that can slow down a great idea – or stop it in its tracks.

So here today are some gorgeous but realistic projects – and some inspiration – for those of us out here in the real world.

Let’s get started!

Weekend Bathroom Update

Do you have a room in your house that you’ve been meaning to remodel but the time has never been right? Meg got tired of waiting for a full remodel of her small bathroom so she decided to do a weekend update.

What a difference a weekend can make.

Be sure to check out the before photo.

Transforming an Old Kitchen Cabinet

Rachel spent $15 on a salvage shop cabinet and turned it into a darling little desk for her daughter.

Photo courtesy of Shades of Blue Interiors

The top opens for more storage space.

Board and Batten Mudroom Walls

Why make a project any harder than it has to be? Lindsey found an easy way to get the classic board-and-batten look she wanted for her mudroom walls – and she did it all herself.

Lindsey’s project reminds me of this beautiful dining room remodel.

Stunning Breakfast Nook Update

Kathryn transformed her average-looking breakfast nook into something that belongs in Better Homes & Gardens. It’s so fresh and elegant. And that high-end wallpaper? It’s actually stencilling!

Something New For Fall

Sometimes it’s fun to toss convention aside and try something new.

Kerryanne’s c harming new fall designs feature a soft pastel color palette. It’s a fresh take on fall decor – and so gorgeous!

These colors make for a graceful transition from summer to fall.

Kerryanne is also offering a lovely free printable from her fall collection!

Save Your Allium Seed Heads

Last Christmas, my friend Loralee gave me this sweet little bit of holiday cheer.

To make this, she used some things she had on hand: A small clay pot, foil wrap, and a dried allium seed head.

What a fun hostess gift! And it got me thinking about the endless possibilities for holiday decor using allium seed heads.

So this summer I looked for them. I only found one allium seed head in my own garden. But what a beauty it is – like a firework frozen in time.

And recently a very nice neighbor gave me all of her allium seed heads. She had a fun variety.

How would you use these in holiday decor? I’m just starting to come up with ideas, but I’ll be sharing my creations with you, successful or not, later in the fall.

Tips for Hanging Wall Art

My husband Chris is almost a foot taller than me, so we don’t always see eye to eye on where art should be placed on a wall.

Hanging art on a wall correctly is an art in itself. So here to help us today is invaluable’s “How to Hang a Picture” step-by-step guide.

About the Featured Photo

So about that clock in the featured photo: Don’t you just love it when you find the right thing by accident?

Recently Chris reorganized his basement workshop. He was getting rid of some things and brought a mid century clock upstairs to see if it was still working.

I didn’t even know he had this clock. He has very early memories of it from his childhood. I cleaned it up a bit and propped it in our laundry room, on the counter, just to get it out of the way.

Then I realized it looked great there.

You’ll see it for yourself, along with (finally!) our laundry room remodel before and after photos, in a post soon.

Posts on this website are for entertainment only.

Second Tuesday Art Walk #2