Bookcase Makeover with Photowall Wallpaper

As you may or may not know, we moved about a year ago. It was only about a mile move within the same community, but the new house is definitely in need of some love and paint to bring it out of the 1990's. There are so many things I love about this house but the paint colors and the 4-5 different woods tones throughout are not on that list. 

These gorgeous bookshelves in our family room had an orange tone that didn't sit well with me and didn't match any of the other woods around the house. So I knew I was going to paint it. I was super excited with Photowall reached out to me to see if I'd like to try their wallpaper. I knew I wanted to incorporate some into our house and I felt like these bookshelves (there is a matching one on the other side of the fireplace) were just the place to start for a first time wallpapering project!

Here is the before of the bookcase 

Photowall is a company based in Sweden that started in 2006. It was the ides of two brothers who realized the selection of personalized wall art of rather limited. So they decided to print their own! What's even better about Photowall is that they care about the environment! Each wallpaper or wall mural is printed to order so there isn't unsold inventory sitting around or discarded unnecessarily! They also use environmentally friendly ink and they work with other organizations to plant thousands of trees each year! 

I was so impressed with Photowall's product, but even before that I was blown away at the amount of choices!  Here is just a TINY snippet of some of their prints...

Click over to their site to check out more of their wall murals and wallpaper prints! They also have canvas prints and posters.

It was tough to narrow it down, but ultimately went with a print called 'Feathers - blue'.  So once I ordered I figured it would take a while since it was coming from Sweden and all, but it was fast! I think in total it only took a week for them to print the wallpaper and for it to arrive at my house!

The great thing about Photowall is that you measure your space or wall or whatever you're wallpapering and they print the paper to your dimensions. They recommend you add a few inches on each side to be safe but otherwise it's all exact. It comes in one big roll and you cut the strips apart and apply them in order - they're numbered to help with that!

For my first experience wallpapering, I would say it was pretty easy! I did like having my husband as a second pair of hands to hold the paper at the bottom, while I aligned and smoothed the paper starting at the top. I would definitely do this again, in fact, I'm thinking of all the other cool wallpapers I loved and where I can put them next!

 I love how it all turned out! I love the white that just totally transformed the bookcase, but the wall paper is that extra wow!

Now to paint the wall, and the trim, and the mantel...etc etc etc. Never ending. haha. #HomeTakesTime

Hop on over to Photowall's site and tell me some of your favorite prints! I'd love to hear what they are and where you would use them!

And get this, we've got a discount code! Use code alexharalson2021 to get 25% off for the next month! (end of Feb)

Greek Salad: A Family Favorite Recipe

I posted a picture of this dish on my personal Facebook page the other day and the requests for this recipe starting flowing in.

Greek salad is a special dish for me. It reminds me of my childhood. lol. Growing up we would spend our summers in a small country town in southern Utah where my parents own a Bed and Breakfast. My brother and I would help with cleaning the rooms (in hopes of getting the tip that guests left) and got to meet lots of wonderful people from around the world. Many of those guest became life long friends.

This recipe, if I remember correctly, came from a guest who had stayed with us and had shared some of the yummy dinner they had made.

Since then, it became one of my favorites so I would request it often for my birthday. Since growing up, getting married, and having kids, I haven't actually made it a ton. I just figured the kids would hate it because it has onions...BUT...they LOVE it!

I love that they love it, but at the same time, they eat seconds and thirds and don't leave me any leftovers :( haha

So here you go, I hope it becomes a favorite of yours as well.

Greek Salad
layer
chopped red onion (about 1 medium)
cucumber
tomatoes
feta cheese

dressing:
1/2 C olive oil
1/4 C vinegar
Italian Herbs (about a tsp)
salt (about 1/2 tsp)
pepper (about 1/4 tsp)
pinch of sugar

So the dressing should be tangy like a vinaigrette with the taste of the herbs but not too strong. lol  Play around with it and find with you enjoy. Amounts above are estimates,this is one of the few dishes that I don't have an exact recipe or amounts for.

After you get the dressing poured evenly over the salad, let it chill for a few hours before serving. Serve with some grilled chicken, hamburgers, meatloaf, or other favorite dish. We love this in the summer because it is light and requires no cooking, but it is great year round!

Enjoy!

Cleo Madison Review

I am not much of a girly girl. I really only wear dresses or skirts on Sundays for church and as soon as I'm home, that thing is off and I'm back in pj's or yoga pants. On top of that, I find it really hard to find dresses and skirts that are modest and are comfortable.

So when Cleo Madison asked if I'd be interested in collaborating I was intrigued. Cleo Madison is an online modest clothing company so knowing that they've already done some of the foot work for me to find modest dresses, I was super excited.

I loved pretty much everything I checked out on their site. When it came down to it, how could I pass up a dress with pockets? So I went with the Katherine dress in teal.

I love the color and got many compliments on it!

I wore it to church and since it's winter in Chicago, I put it with some (fleece lined) tights and some boots. The Katherine dress was super comfortable and easy to wear. I work with children at church so I was happy that I didn't have to worry about anything showing when I had to bend over to talk to the kids and didn't have to worry about the length. I also found that I wasn't in a hurry to change after church. It was cozy and the fabric is so soft!

 Go check out Cleo Madison and see what they've got to offer. I love my Katherine dress. It is the perfect color, great fit, stylish, and has pockets! Some of the other options I really loved were the

Finland Striped Dress

The Cameron Striped Pencil Skirt

and I also loved the Katherine dress in Plum!