My Happy Wall

***Update 4/23/12: After several requests, I've added a sources list to the bottom of the post so that you can find all the prints I have in my gallery wall! Thanks for checking in!***


I have a love/hate relationship with blog giveaways.

I love them because it's amazing that all the bloggers out there take the time to arrange them because they love us, their faithful readers. It's awesome to get the chance to score a Silhouette machine or a pretty print from Etsy or a fabulous camera bag!

I hate them because I always enter them and never, ever win, and then I'm plagued by the desire to go and purchase the giveaway item. (Sometimes I cave. Sometimes I hope someone will buy me them if I hint enough. **coughcough custom Missouri art from CuriouslyWrought coughcough**).

But now my scale is tipped toward the LOVE side because I actually won a giveaway! Yeah! Amanda from Our Humble A{Bowe}d was cool enough to host a giveaway from Block Party Prints, and this girl, #11 (my lucky number, no less!) WON!

So once the hubby and I had agreed on a print (pretty easy--we have fairly similar tastes!) and it arrived in the mail (along with an adorable note, business card, and a free bookmark!)...

...I knew exactly where I wanted it to go--in our kitchen on what I like to call My Happy Wall. Basically, it's a collection of cheery prints that fills up the previously awkward blank space above our sink. Cheery prints in terms of color (sunny yellow and bright blue) and message. Because our dishwasher sucks and I have to hand wash everything, so a reminder to Be Happy is a complete necessity.

I took my winning the print as a sign that I should finally get on rearranging the frames--a task I'd put off for, you know, five months or so. Back when I started the wall, I only had 3 prints, and it slowly grew and grew as I accumulated more--and the wall started to look a little too chaotic for my tastes:

So down came the frames & up went the templates, all traced on scrap pieces of paper. I moved them around til I got an arrangement that tickled my fancybones (yes, that's a thing), then hammered through the templates, swapped em out for frames, and voilà! My Happy Wall was complete!

Here are a few different angles of Happy Wall hamming it up for y'all:

And why not? I'll throw in a few more of our kitchen...I think it's vastly improved since I cleared away some counter clutter and settled onto a more unified color scheme:

For more pictures of our place, check out the newly-updated Apartment Tour!

What do you think of blog giveaways? Have you ever been a lucky winner?

Linking up to Thrifty Decor Chick's "Show Us Your House," Kitchen Edition!

Gallery wall sources, starting at lower left corner and working up and down:

• "Don't Worry, Be Happy" print--created myself. Will post as a free download to my printables blog ASAP. (I added a little paint chip bunting to the frame, also DIYed).
• Yellow B--letter purchased at Joann's, yellow scrapbook paper from Michael's adhered with mod podge.
• "You are my Sunshine" sunflower print--Block Party Prints
• "I Love Us" print--FREE from Eighteen25. I mounted it on some blue scrapbook paper and the FREE gray chevron background from Sprik Space.
• Photo & striped mat--purchased the frame w/ mat at Target years ago (bet you could DIY it easy, though!); the picture is an engagement photo by Kristine Paulsen Photography.
• "Let the Beauty We Love Be What We Do" print--The Wheatfield
• "What I Love Most About My Home" print--FREE at Eighteen25
• "Keep Calm and M-I-Z Z-O-U"--found FREE on Google Images
• Blue & pink floral print--Raceytay
• Blue R--letter & scrapbook paper purchased at Joann's, paper adhered with mod podge.
• Yellow floral print--purchased at Target (at least 5 years ago)--I'm sure you could find similar options on Etsy.
• "Always Radiate Sunshine" print--Erin Jane Shop
• Ferris Wheel print--Raceytay
• "Think Happy, Be Happy" print--Kiki Creates (I cut it out and mounted it on yellow scrapbook paper)
• All other frames were purchased from Wal-Mart or Michael's.