Mountain artwork!!

I went up to the mountains last week for a family reunion...and it was fabulous. Literally, AMAZING!!! My extended family is about as amazing as they come. They are kind, loving, hilarious, encouraging and just good at life!! And, it was a nice little creative escape. I came back feeling refreshed and full of good ideas! (my family is amazingly creative as well, so always good to be inspired by them).

Anyway, I just want to quickly show you the most amazing piece of artwork EVER!!! The great one (my mom) went up to this mountain oasis this last winter to help my uncle and aunt decorate their home. When she was up there, I talked to her on the phone and she was sharing with me this artwork that she created. I listened, but honestly, didn't 'get it.' It sounded like a big blob on the wall. As she described it more and more, the more confused I became. I completely forgot about this artwork until this weekend. I was looking around at my awesome auntie's mountain home and saw this art on the wall...complimented them and she informed me they were made by my mom. Am I surprised? No!!! Anyway, completely amazing!!!

She got pieces of plywood, covered them in faux-leather pieces. Put little mosaic pieces of tile and cut part of the sides away to make it look like natural ('riverish'), added grout...then went and chopped down trees (not kidding) and tied them to the artwork. Look below to see amazingness!!

And, if that weren't cool enough, look what is beyond the artwork (in the last picture). SERIOUSLY, could this get any cooler?!

This huge incredible artwork just make this hall-way something special.

AND...OH MY AMAZING!!!! Behind one of the pieces, is a hidden room. It's a door!! WOW!

Back to the Most Creative House in the World...

I have taken a few days off from sharing ideas from my parent's house. I didn't want to overwhelm you with all the good home-decorating ideas at once, so I am spreading the creativity out! Now, back to the home:

I am high-lighting something very small today, but it warms my heart like nothing else...it's seriously amazing! Please glance at the picture below and what catches your eye most?

Yes, you might say the coke bottle (I took a picture in the middle of us eating dinner when I was visiting, so pardon any mess you see...It's my fault!). Or you might say the tile wall that she helped design herself. Or you might say the fresh looking cabinets, which she redid and painted herself. You might even say the turquoise/aqua painted back splashes in the openings in the cabinets. But, my focus right now is of the rectangle art at the top of the wall. I am so mad at myself for not taking a picture of this same exact room when the lights were off, because it would just blow your mind...SERIOUSLY!

Here is a close-up:

You might be thinking, what does that say? It says "Love always protects." Around the top of my parent's kitchen on pieces of leather (left-over from the leather wall in the bedroom, I am sure) are embroidered verses from 1 Corinthians 13...and they are embroidered in GLOW IN THE DARK THREAD!! Oh my amazing! We always need reminders of what the Bible says...especially when it is the darkest. Even if these didn't glow in the dark, they would still be fabulous...but they DO, so wowzers!

Morals of this creative little lesson: 1. Put God's word everywhere. I mean, really, can you ever go wrong with that? 2. Save your left-overs from other projects, because you will find another use for them, I promise! 3. If there is a spot on the wall that is bare, even if it's small, you can put something creative and unique there!