It’s the first Friday of spring! I’ve been inspired by the daffodils peeking up through the cold ground and want to bring you some inspiration, too — literally. This week we’re giving you the chance to win a set of alphabet photography blocks from Everyday Art, which spell out “inspire.”
Each photo letter is available in both color and black and white, and there are four different photos for each letter. Check out a couple of options for A:
These 1/2″ blocks are made from composite material and are scratch resistant, moisture resistant and will not fade over time. What I love most about them is that the photo blocks come ready-to-mount and you can spell out anything you want, from your name to a favorite saying.
All you have to do to win is answer this week’s question before 12/11c, Monday, March 29. Be sure to provide a valid email address so we can contact you if you win.
This week we want to know: What item in your home truly inspires you? Is it a photo of a beloved family member? A statue of a religious icon? Maybe it’s a project you completed on your own that made you feel like a champion? You have until 12/11c on Monday to answer. Click here for the official rules.
I love my simple wood burning fireplace…. warm, cozy and sooo comfortable!
I'm inspired to redecorate my home office by the current wall color (dark green)! What was I thinking 4 years ago?? After the Easter holiday, I'm tearing this room apart, reorganizing, repainting & redecorating!! A thorough Spring Cleaning/Makeover!
The scratches on the wall, showing how tall my daughters got every few years, and the scratch on the floor where the rescued dog learned "not to scratch" the floor are like badges of our growth, and inspire me. The stain on the craft table, where my oldest spilled her india ink last year while creating artwork that took over a month, and will inspire many for many years to come, brings a glint of proud inspiration as well. Our potholders the girls made when they were young, now nearly in shreds, one with scorch mark, act as reminders of the many meals we made, shared with friends and family are far more inspirational then any new ones could buy. The fur dust bunnies, hiding under the sofa, inspire me to brush our rescues and thank god for sending them to us with all their unconditional love. The few plants that were my great grandmas, my grandma, my great aunt, or aunt, all remind me & inspire me to tend what I love with care as they did. But most of all, my grandma's rolling pin and my mom's wooden spoon, inspire me to do as they did, to do my best each day for those I love.
My family's art work. I have paintings on the wall that I have done, my siblings, my son, etc. I love to look at them and remember them fondly.
I am inspired by my children and the hope that I will preserve their memories so they can relive them over and over!
My 2nd bedroom because I've dedicated it to making it about my nieces and nephews. Each kid has their own bulletin board that they can add to.
I am inspired by my hallway of family photos. It reminds me of how truly blessed I am to have such a terrific family.
I am inspired each time a project is complete…my mother whom has passed was a Hard worker and I am proud to follow in her footsteps..willing to try anything new with an open mind. She inspires me ( single mom) to have a beautiful home for my daughter to be proud of as she grows up in this difficult economy and she learns that its ok for mom to do the work herself.
I am inspired by my Grandchildren – I helped them all make individual stepping stones for my garden – so even though they don't live close a part of them will always be close to me
Im most inspired by the curtains that I hung up in the dining room — I had a vision for what I wanted: white, crisp, clean, modern but cozy, and CHEAP!
I was blog searching one day and came across a gal who made curtains just like in my vision, and she made them out of flat bed sheets that cost less than $5.00 each at Walmart. Cha-Ching!
I hemmed up the sheets to the length that I wanted, so they were barely grazing the floor, added a few clip-on rings every few inches, and simply hammered in some nails to hang the rings on for a more "rustic" look than a curtain rod.
Im inspired because when I walk into my dining room and see my vision completed, AND I know that I spent less than $30.00 to "treat" four windows, I start going around the rest of my house planning and envisioning my next project to take on, so my house can continue on the journey to becoming a home!
My family room inspires me. From top to bottom this room was designed by our family on a budget. We reused a sofa and classic tables we had, but added new walls, paint, stripped the trim, and a new light fixture give this room such a relaxing Zen like feel. There's a bit of the old with a bit of the new that combine and make everything look inviting and new. Yet, we only spent a couple hundred dollars to redo the room. When people walk in and see this room, they are impressed with what we did. We love it and can't wait to continue on. This room inspires me because it gives my family and I a new gathering space with a welcoming feel. The best part is we didn't break the bank to do it either.
I am inspired by the one room i have painted. All the rest are white but seeing my one blue room makes my head full of ideas… I can daydream about remodeling for hours when I happen to see my blue room… and then my plain white walls.
what inspires me the most in my home is my dog. he's moved with me to 6 different places over the years and i've arranged furniture and bought new pieces that work for him as well as me. he has short legs and loves to look out of windows so i've bought low furniture and placed them under windows for him to climb up and peek out.
My wife and I turned a half closet into a glass display cabinet centering around everything from our wedding (cake topper, invitations, photos, tiara, favors, etc). So the cabinet kind of captures everything from our special day.
I'm going with my computer. It is with this item that I get to use show my creativity and produce things that I can continually be proud of.
I have a quilt that my great-grandmother started and my grand-mother finished that hangs in my bed room and every time I see it, I think about the hard work and love that it took to create something so beautiful and I can still feel their love with me every time I look at it.
At the first hint of spring, I am inspired to do my spring cleaning and my whole house smells fresh and clean, I love it!
I am inspired when I sit on my back patio and watch the humminbirds, doves, ducks, quails and looking at the orange trees that are now in bloom and have such a wonderful fragrance…mother nature at her finest
After being divorced for 5 years and finally having a house of my own I get inspired by how far I have come on my own. I have my craft room set up and I am now crafting again. Waking up everyday thinking what can I change now in "my" house inspires me too!!!
I'm inspired by my family…hubby and kids. Everything revolves around their ideas, their lives, their comfort. I've tried to create an open, light home where I can display pieces that are important to each and everyone of us. From my husband's interests in hunting and fishing, to displaying my children's artwork, and even trying to fit in my classic/contemporary/rustic tastes.
I tend to use my living room as the focal point of my entire home. It's warm colors feel soothing, so I try to make all the rooms sort of flow together with the same base, but with their own character.
I am inspired mostly by the artwork I have. It may be a painting one time a photograph the next or some of my own fibre art, but I have been know to creat a room around an individual piece.
I am inspired by the colors on my walls. I think we did a good job picking them out. I think it helps our house look good.
What inspires me? My three rambunctious dogs and one wool-addicted cat — they inspire me to remember to stick with pet-proof decorating ideas! For example, nothing fragile at dog-tail level, no wool rugs where the cat can get her claws into them, lots of open spaces for playing dogs to maneuver, comfy places for dogs and cat to sleep so they will stay off of the good furniture — I could go on and on (but I won't)!
I'm so inspired by my plants. They remind me to be patient, that good things grow!
Water damage was a great inspiratation for the make over in the kithchen. After the insurance adjusters and the crew that cleaned up the water damage removing everything from the floor and the bottom cabinets and even some of the sub flooring we found ourselves without a kitchen for 10 days. When the contractors came out and said it would be three to six months before we had a working kitchen again we decided to take on the project ourselves, my 68 year old mother and myself. It was great we managed to finish the project in from bottom to top in just 3 1/2 weeks and it we did a good job on a small budget.
I am inspired by a 3-D photo of Jesus on the cross. It hangs by my front door so wether comming or going I see and know all is possible through him. This is great for all aspects of my life.
I am inspired by the fabulous views of the mountains that I can see from the windows of my home. I have translated this inspiration by creating a comfortable and chic living style. It all started with the windows (wood blinds). This was intentional as I wanted to be able to bring the outdoors inside my home and see the beautiful vast mountains, sky and shadows of the trees in my yard. My great room is comprised of a comfortable velvet sofa, large coffee table and a two different chairs with ottomans. The accents are really want make it stand out. I have used pillows with various design elements in black and white, red and gold. The colors and patterns make it all come together but not have the appearance of manufactured design. Because of my love for color and design, my home is very different from when I bought it brand new in 1998. I have torn out a few walls which opened up the main living space and have added many design elements such as arched entry ways, built in shelving, tile floors and granite. Doing this has created the illusion of living in a larger space. I have also brought the outdoors in with paintings of mountains and various plants and flowers frolicking in the breeze.
we are currently redoing every room of our 1920's farmhouse and everything that we accomplish inspires me to keep going and finish.
I do have a wall of crosses with our family photo on it. When I look at it, especially when I am tired, I get inspired and think about all the memories we are making with our children in this house.
The colors on my walls inspire me. When I moved into my condo 3 years ago the walls and trim were all white. I feel at home when I look at the golds, greens, browns and blues that I have used to make my house a home. I'm often told my house is inviting, warm and cozy – just as I intended it to be!
NOTHING……………
nothing is inspiring to me right now,
I recently moved to a farm house with 7 acres, because we have 5 dogs and the city in which I lived put a limit on how many dogs a family could have.
Theres tons of remodeling to do, I downsized to one bathroom, no landscaping is done out here,,,,nothing,,,,,,
sorry was I venting
have a great w/knd
sooo nothing
A picture in my dining room called “The Singing Butler” by Jack Vettriano. I love the colors in this photo. I mimick the colors in the print to put splashes of color in my dining room.
I am inspired when I look around my house because I know that I have a place to live and a roof over my head and it saddens my heart to know that there are many who do not.
My dressers and night stand in my bedroom. I bought them from Ikea and put them together myself. It reminds me that I can do a lot by myself. It opens up possibilities of decorating rather inexpensively but without forgoing quality.
I love my grandmother's hand-pieced, hand-quilted pink-toned Texas Star quilt. It is filled with the fabric of my family's life, and she made it for me more than fifty years ago. I always find a way to show it off…
I'm inspired by a walk thru a store like Hobby Lobby/Michaels or Bed Bath and Beyond or even Wal-Marts home and garden section.. My brain goes into hyper drive! And oooh the smell of fresh cut wood like at Home Depot …. gives me shivers! Watching HGTV… gets me in the mood for sure. All of that shows me the potential for what could be and inspires me to try.
I'm inspired by my windows. It took us a long time to get here, but we've finally moved to a waterfront home. When I look out the window I see the serenity of the lake and the simply beauty that comes with it. Water has that therapeutic effect on me. I feel encouraged to continue unpacking, organizing, and decorating this house so it becomes our home.
I'm inspired by PINK! My bedroom is donein the most delicious shade of pink with orange and yellow highlights, it makes me happy everytime I wake up!
An interesting take on a simple but interiguing use of letters. It would definitely would be a conversation piece. Even more interesting if you use them to add a "quote" to your wall.
I am inspired by the different decorating shows on HGTV and my favorite magazine Country Sampler.
I'm inspired by my yarn stash and all the lovely colors handyed by various artisans. The skeins themselves look like pieces of art. Beautiful color everywhere!
My beloved father-in-law was an artist, and when he passed away 5 years ago, I hung his palette on the wall. I see it every day, it's my favorite piece of decor that I have.
The view from my home inspires me. As I look toward the east, I see the majestic beauty of Mt. Hood. In the morning as the sun rises the colors are breathtaking. All I want to do is grab my camera and take another shot. The beauty of nature is all around and I am so grateful to have this.
My "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster hanging above my desk. My rental house is really bland and are landlord won't let us make many changes, so it's the little details that remind me to keep working toward my goals.
I am inspired by my sewing machine. It allows me to follow my decorating ideas not matter what I want to do. I can whip up new drapes, roman shades, throw pillows, tablecloths, placemats, napkins and all the other things I need to be able to jazz up any room in just a couple of hours. It has allowed me to have seasonal changes in colors and fabrics that I want, not what might be available in a store.
My mother who is an artist and only has one eye, painted a beautiful river scape and I put it in my hallway. Everytime I walk by it, it brightens my day and makes me smile. She is truly an inspiration to me!
I am inspired by the photos and my collection of knick knacks that my parents and grandmother does not like. They think that they are "dust collectors". I also inspired by the cross stitiching that I have hanging on my wall that I did. They remind me that I can accomplish anything that I set my mind to.
my new garden inspires me. i've never been a good gardener and kind of gave up on it. but we have a new home this year and i thought i'd give it another shot. with about $30 and a few of my days off i trasformed a rock bed into a flower bed. i can't wait to start with the veggies in the back.
I live in a historic house. Although old and needs remodeling in so many areas, I an inspired by the fact that we are priviledged to be owners of such a wonderful house. The woodwork and old architecture found in so many places inspire me, as well as the light fixtures and beautiful etched doors we have on the side and front of our house.
My inspiration comes from just awakening each day healthy,able to fully enjoy life….That should be inspiring for everyone….