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Don’t mind me. Just enjoying a fun little patriotic moment in my hallway. :)
I’ve been moving my little faux olive tree all around my house and when it landed in this spot I fell in love. I decided I needed something else to sit with my tree so I pulled my two woven ottomans together and of course they were calling for.. you guessed it.. one of my flag lumbar pillows! I can’t have that pillow without the coordinating banner so there you go. Instant patriotic decor in the hallway.
This year will definitely be a different 4th without fireworks, parades and parties, but I still wanted to make it feel special for my kids. I pulled up past pics of the 4th that we’ve spent with family and developed 15 8×10’s for my shiplap wall. So many good memories we get to be reminded of every time we pass through this hallway!
*I used painter’s tape to hold the pictures.. but you already knew that. :)
I’ve had this basket since the holidays (it’s the one I used for the trees on my Christmas porch!). It was all I could find that was a close fit, but it felt a little big for the olive tree so I ordered a few inexpensive options to try.
{woven planter baskets/natural seagrass basket/black & natural basket — family room sources HERE}
I love all of these cute baskets! I could tell the black and natural would be too small and the largest basket would be too big so I tried the middle two. I was feeling a bit like Goldilocks at this point. :)
I snapped this with my cell on a cloudy day so it’s bad lighting but this was option #1. I just didn’t love it as much.
Option #2! This basket is a favorite but I felt like the design would be too busy with the stars, stripes and pictures. (Keeping it for something else!)
So ultimately I ended up with the basket I started with! Ha. Still a little big, but the best basket overall for this spot. Sometimes you just have to try a few options to appreciate what you already have. ;)
I love how this fun decor brightens my hallway but what I love more than that is seeing my kids stopping to look at the pictures throughout the day. I see them laughing and remembering fun moments with their cousins and I see my husband stop and smile and get misty eyes looking at the picture of my girls with his grandma who passed away not long ago. This is the type of decor I love having in my home the most.
We all need to be reminded of fun memories right now. Remembering good times in the past gives us hope for more good times in the future.
I’m so grateful that this wall does exactly that. :)
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So special. Thanks for sharing this idea and for the examples of your family enjoying the space. It looks fun and festive for sure. My heart goes out to your husband having lost his grandmother. That’s hard. That’s when pictures do their best work. I know you used to scrapbook. Have you ever tried Project Life? There is a digital version where you can do the layouts on your phone and even print them from the app. They just came out with version 3 for iOS (I think you have an Apple phone). It just popped into my head as I was typing about pictures doing their best work. Writing down things about and from his grandma (and pairing with pictures) could make a special keepsake for him and your family. Just a thought. I hope you have a lovely holiday, Erin. Even if it’s a bit different than other years. :)
Thank you so much Jeanne! It was really hard when he lost his grandma.. she was like a mom to him. I was a HUGE project lifer back in the day when it was a new thing! You can see some of my PL posts/albums if you click on the link below. I never switched to digital because I’m already on my computer/phone so much for work.. I don’t enjoy scrapboooking that way. But I love your idea of doing something special like that for Kenny. :) So sweet of you to share that idea! xo
https://www.thesunnysideupblog.com/?s=project+life
How do you keep the photos stuck in the board?
Hi Dawn! I mentioned in the post I used painters tape. It’s my go to for stuff like this! :)
I love your board made for pictures! Im planning a way/ area for one too! You got me teary eyed reading this! Could be I woke up at 630am on a day off🤪 But seriously,
grandparents are truly the most special people on this earth. So sorry for your loss of your( husbands) grandmother.
The 4th looks different here too, We have each other & so far, staying healthy & that is what matters at this point. Tell our kids we will do take out for dinner, they are happy☺ Easy to please & momma gets to hang in her pj’s watching fireworks on tv…in air conditioning 😂 No complaints here.
Make the best of your 4th. You have an oasis of a backyard. I would never leave it in the summer😉
Thank you so much Jenn! That honestly means so much to me. Grandparents really are special and Kenny was especially close to his grandma because she helped raise him. It was like losing his mom. Hard for sure. Take out is a perfect way to celebrate! I feel the same way.. some things I miss and some I don’t! We are spending the day with my sister and her family and I’m excited to just make our own fun at home this year. :) Enjoy the holiday! Thank you again for your thoughtful comment! xo
Where’d you get the banner?
Hi Kristen! PB! It’s from a few years ago so I linked a very similar banner they have in stock this year at the bottom of my post. :)
Hi Erin!! I just LOVE your 4th of July decor, indoors & outdoors!! I’m sorry I haven’t been leaving comments as often, but wanted to let you know I’ve been reading every single blog post!! I wouldn’t miss it for the world! I also wanted to let you know that I hope your sister is doing well. Please send her my positive thoughts, prayers, and love!! Have a happy, safe 4th of July with your sweet family!! I can’t believe how quickly your three are growing up!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Jane!! Oh my word.. it made my day hearing from you! Thank you so much for your kind comment and love to my sister! I get to see her for the 4th and I’m so excited! She is doing much better. I think about you and your sweet family all the time. Your letter over the holidays meant so much to me.. I feel like I know you so much better now and I love that! You have such a beautiful outlook on life. I’m grateful to call you a friend. :) Enjoy your beautiful family for the 4th! xo
Love your photo walls, Erin! I think we all love to reminisce through photos – of happier times & those special moments. My thoughts & prayers to your husband & your family in the loss of his grandmother – it is never easy to lose those we love so much. I hope your sister is feeling good & healing. I think of her often & remember the photo of the two of you doubled over in laughter!! Photos & sweet memories :)
My nephew is getting married next week (small wedding, of course) to his sweetheart that he met when they were 11 years old – they are 29 now! So much sadness in our world now – a little (safe) celebrating will be so nice!
Hi Erin! Love your home and style as usual. Thanks for all the ideas! Quick question: I see that you’ve taped the pictures up using painters’ tape … but how? I don’t see the painters tape on the picture edges … and the pictures appear flush against the wall, (so not rolled up in the back?). What voodoo are you using?? Also, are you liking your olive tree? I’m considering getting one and I now have 3 of the faux fiddle dogs you recommended, so would love your thoughts. Thanks!
Thank you! No voodoo! Ha. I just rolled the tape up in the back! Two pieces for each picture.. one towards the top and one towards the bottom. I push the pics against the wall so the tape lays pretty flat. You’d probably be able to tell if you were looking really close. :) I love my little olive tree! I looked at quite a few and shared my favorites in this post if it’s helpful:
https://www.thesunnysideupblog.com/2020/05/friday-5/
I chose the Amazon tree and have been really happy with it! I hope that helps! :)
Question – how often do you have to clean the glass on your light fixtures? I’m considering purchasing something similar but they would be hung too high to clean conveniently and I am worried about them looking dusty all of the time.
Hi Patrice! Lights like this do get dusty looking after a while. I clean mine every few months. They are pretty easy to clean (I just dust them quickly with a cloth) aside from the fact that you have to pull out a ladder. :)
I was wondering what the dimensions were of the entire board. So very beautiful!
Hi Ann! Thank you! All details about my shiplap wall are in this post:
https://www.thesunnysideupblog.com/2018/05/shiplap-display-wall-through-the-seasons/
:)
I’m wondering what it looks like if you look down into the basket with your plant. I struggle with knowing how to do this in my own home. It feels like it needs some thing to kind of hide the little pot it comes in, which you would be able to see as you walk by, do you use seagrass or actual soil to make it look more like a real plant LOL, I don’t know! Would love to know what else is inside the basket when you plant an artificial plant or tree into one. Hope I’m making sense!
Hi Heather! I totally get what you’re saying! Sometimes I just leave it even though you can see the pot. Most of the time I use moss from the craft store! It’s an easy inexpensive way to fill a basket or pot and make the plant look more realistic. (A lot less messy than actual soil too!) :)