One of our New Year’s Resolutions is to watch our spending and get the most value for every dollar that is spend. Every penny saved really makes a difference, especially when it comes to renovating, decorating, and freshening homes and rental units. We want them to be updated and to look nice but we don’t have the funds right now to spend a fortune on them. That said, I want to take a moment to highlight (and thank) Ebates for putting cash back in our pockets.
 
I started using the website about a month ago while buying items online that I was already planning on purchasing. It was an added bonus for Christmas shopping. Then, Drew started using it too to purchase items he needed for a rental unit he’s currently renovating. Just in the past month, we’ve earned over $75 in cash. Yes, really!

Ebates already mailed us a check for $20 and we’ll get another one in a few weeks for nearly $60. I’ve seen cash back deals on purchases ranging from 1% to 25% based on the store and the time of year.

​​One of my best friends told me about Ebates over three years ago, but for whatever reason I didn’t take it seriously. Yep. I was stupid. I could have been earning so much FREE MONEY! So, don’t be like Maria circa 2015. Take this opportunity to earn money through stores you already love and shop with regularly.

Here’s how it works and how it can work for you: 
 
Start by creating an Ebates account. Once you’ve done so, you can log on and see which brands/stores online are offering cash back deals. Each day is different but many of my favorite stores offer great cash back deals/percentages every day. Click the store you want to shop and then Ebates will take you to that website using its own special link. I love to shop with online coupons and get the very best deal and Ebates allows that too. Once you click the store link, you can log in to your own account at Kohl’s, Macy’s, Target, etc. and use whatever other coupons/discounts you have. The cash back from Ebates is just like a bonus! Drew and I have been using Ebates a lot this week for wedding purchases and home décor/necessities. Every cent adds up. I’ve generated the most cash back by booking a hotel through Ebates. We are traveling for a friend’s wedding soon and found the same hotel through Ebates with a better rate than the room block. PLUS, I also earned over $30 cash back just for booking the hotel through Ebates. Yes, please! 

Ebates is offering a great bonus deal right now. Use this link to register and create an account and you can earn $10 EXTRA cash back during your first shopping trip. Happy shopping!

Since we moved in, I've been using our kitchen's breakfast bar as a desk. It wasn't ideal and definitely not the most comfortable of spaces. And of course, it would end up with my MacBook, binders, notes, etc. being moved because we would have to clear off the space for dinner.

Drew offered to make me a desk in his office, but the designer in me knew that wouldn't look aesthetically pleasing. Plus, since he's and online college professor and property manager, he needs a much larger and quieter space than I do. I just want a place to work on volunteer projects, plan parties, blog, and browse Facebook and Pinterest. Truth.

Being the wonderful boyfriend that he is, he offered to build me whatever I wanted, wherever I wanted.

GAME ON.

I came up with the idea to create a wall desk of sorts... or at least that's what I'm calling it. It is perfect for this space! The stained wood top is 16 inches wide and 4 feet long, supported to the wall with industrial piping.

The wood, stain, and piping cost about $60.

Of course I wanted to glam it up a little bit too. I found the softest rug ever at Kohl's which was on sale for $35. I chose a cute teal chair from Target which was on sale for $55 at the time.

(Full disclosure: The chair isn't the comfiest thing in the world since it's not a desk chair, but it was in my price range and I only use it an hour a day, so it works great for me.)

Since I don't have any drawers to keep binders/notes, I repurposed large wire basket to hold the goods, which fits the design theme. You can find similar baskets at Michael's, Marshall's, or T.J. Maxx.

I added a small pencil/pen holder and candle on the top as functional decor. I wanted to keep it as simple as possible since this top very easily gets filled with papers, notes, and binders.

Yes, I organized and cleaned before these photos. You're welcome.

I'm so happy with how this turned out! It was low-budget, looks exactly how I imagined, and is so useful for my everyday life.

There are very few home features I love more than a gallery wall.
Especially one that makes a statement, tells a story, and combines personalities.

This is sometimes the hardest part. You need to realize that a gallery wall is a collection of decor, items, and memories. It takes time to build a collection and lay it out.

Be patient with the process. It will be worth it!

My first gallery wall took me six months from the time I started to choose items to the time it was actually hung on my wall. You'll also want to lay it out on the floor and figure out where you want to put things. This takes time too since you may end up adding and replacing pieces along the way.

This photo sketch of Yogi is a perfect example! I got this 5x7 frame on clearance at Michael's for only $3.50. Talk about a good deal! (I ended up buying all in stock because I liked it so much!) 

The sketch was done with an app on my phone called Sketch Guru. All I did was upload a cute photo of Yogi and used the app to turn the photo into a sketch! It saved in high quality so it was super easy to upload on Target Photo and print it to the store! It was $1.79 for a 5x7 print done at the store. It's  even cheaper... only $0.50... if you choose to ship it to your house!

I think the most important part of a gallery wall is to love every piece you choose. 

Ask yourself "why do I want to include this?" for every item you consider. If you can easily answer, then add it to the pile. We used this method for photos, custom home decor, and family keepsakes.

One of the items Drew really wanted to include was his great grandfather's piccolo.

We talked about several different ways to display this 100 year old instrument, while keeping it safe. We decided on a black shadowbox. The photo to the left is his great-grandfather and his band. He is photographed on the far right, holding the same piccolo. We love that the photo is there to support the instrument. People always ask questions about it and we're thrilled to share the story!

(The frame and the shadowbox were from Michael's - and were on sale!)

Some additional items we chose which were important to us include other family mementos, framed postcards, last name initials, and coordinates of special locations (explained in #4).

In our not-so-spare time, we also make custom wooden signs. The majority of our work is dedicated to locations and coordinates, hence the name of the company, Coordinated. This also means a lot of our gallery wall features our custom signs, which we made to reflect us and our story.

At the very top are the coordinates to Drew's childhood home.
Beneath it is the layout of Long Island, painted on a piece of reclaimed wood from our house.
The small sign features the coordinates of Greenville, NC, where we met and currently live.
The 27858 is our mailing Zip Code.
The bottom coordinates are for my hometown of Murrysville, PA.

As you can tell, most of the photos on our gallery wall are black and white. We each chose our top three favorite vintage family photos and the frames we wanted them in.

Then, we mixed in some newer, color photos.

I think it creates a nice balance of color, which leads me to guideline #6...

Our entire home is accented in teal.

While we stuck to neutral cream and gray tones throughout the house, we wanted a pop of color. From our shutters and planters outside to our custom bar and pillows inside - teal spoke to us.

Adding different textures was a little more challenging for me.

I'll explain my method for this in three parts:
- Metals
- Mirrors/Glass
- Frames

Metals:
I had this light up "S" on my gallery wall at my apartment. I just LOVE the marquee sign look so I wanted to incorporate it on this wall too... but I wasn't quite sure how it would look since Drew and I accented our house in gold and brass. Well, I liked this "S" so much that I said I didn't care and hung it anyway! I'm so glad I did. I think the look of mixed metals totally works for a gallery wall!

We also added cast iron items. I bought two really cool trivets at a yard sale years ago. I repurposed them from kitchen decor to gallery wall decor. We found several vintage skeleton key plates at Construction Junction in Pittsburgh. (Super cool place if you're in that area!) These, along with hanging hooks and large keys in iron tones, make great filler pieces.

Mirrors/Glass:

Mirrors and glass features are also great ways to add texture to your walls. Don't be afraid to mix-and-match and use what you already have! I bought a three pack of mirrors at Kirkland's years ago but didn't have a place for them in our new house. So, I used two of them on this gallery wall and I'm planning to use the third on a gallery wall in progress upstairs! You can also add glass by adding an old glass knob or choose a frame which has extra features in it like glass cuts or mirrored pieces.

Frames:
One of the easiest ways to add texture is, of course, through the frames you are already including. I love the frame above with the sepia photo of my beautiful grandma. The distressed frame is about two inches thick on each side and was such a different look from the rest of our frames. If you have the option to buy the same frame design in different sizes, that will help balance your wall too. I have several frames in 4x6 and 5x7 and others in 5x7 and 8x10. You'd never notice looking at the wall right away, but the similar designs help it flow together and look complete from a distance.

I'm not an interior designer but I think it's important to remember there are no rules when putting together your gallery wall. It's not supposed to be perfect. Heck, I don't even measure when hanging - I just guesstimate! As long as YOU like it and it's a reflection of YOU then you've succeeded!