Gallery Wall of Mirrors

I'm so excited to show y'all what I've been working on--a gallery wall of mirrors in my bedroom.

Our master bedroom has been a work in progress for a long time.  I've been happy with part of the decor, but this wall had always stumped me.  One lonely mirror hung above the candle lamp, and that was it.



Finally I had an inspiration:  instead of taking away the mirror, I would add to it.  I searched through the attic and closets and came up with a couple more mirrors, but I knew I wanted more.  The ones on each end I found at Target.  That gave me five.  Then I went back to my attic and looked through all the wall decor pieces stashed there, including this clock:

I never really liked the clock very much, so I decided to experiment with it.  I used a hacksaw to cut off the crown at the top.  Much better!

Then I popped the clock works out of the back of the frame and used Krylon's Looking Glass spray paint to transform the glass into a mirror.  Presto!  Free round mirror!

Last, I wanted an antique mirror of some kind, but I couldn't find one that fit my price range.  Then I remembered the lovely old-looking frame of a piece of art I was no longer using.  I popped the art out of the frame and created an antique-looking mirror with the Looking Glass spray paint.  I simply gave the glass several ultra-light, uneven coats of paint, then drizzled a bit of white vinegar on the paint and wiped that away.  I added a few scratches for good measure, and voila!  An instant "antique"!

Armed with a collection of seven mirrors, I set out to arrange them on the wall.  For this step, I left the large oval mirror in the center of the wall and traced around the other mirrors onto brown paper.  Then I stuck painter's tape to the back of the brown-paper cutouts and moved the cutouts around until I found an arrangement that pleased me.



After that, I simply hung the mirrors right on top of the brown paper cutouts.  Once the mirrors were in place, I removed the paper from the wall.  I highly recommend making the paper cutouts.  So much easier than moving the real mirrors around!



Taken from the doorway:



Taken from our bed:



These photos give you a clear view of our "chandelier," better known as a ceiling fan.  It's too hot in North Carolina for me to surrender the ceiling fan in my bedroom!



I'm happy with the look of seven mirrors, but one of the wonderful things about gallery walls is that you can add to them or take away from them over time.  We'll see how long the wall lasts just like this!

A couple of other shots of our bedroom:

I made our bedding; you can read about it here and here.

Here's a before-and-after look at the space:

My husband really likes the new wall arrangement, which makes me happy.  It's his room, too!  And I'm so pleased with the change.  What do you think?

Note:  Bedroom wall color is Sherwin Williams "Mystery Green," a wonderful bluish-greyish-greenish color that looks different depending on the light.

Linking to these wonderful parties:

Tutorials and Tips at Home Stories A to Z
Fall Nesting Party at The Inspired Room

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Open House at No Minimalist Here
Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage

Inspiration Friday, At the Picket Fence

Show and Tell at Be Different, Act Normal

Weekend Wrap-Up at Tatertots and Jello

Saturday Seven at Positively Splendid
Before and After Party at Thrifty Decor Chick
Best DIY Projects of October at Beneath My Heart

Grace for Dinner: Cowboy Soup

A few weeks ago I began a weekly series called "Grace for Dinner."  Each of these posts will include a recipe for a simple, delicious dinner food and a  prayer of blessing for you. My hope is to impart grace to you body and soul with these posts.




Today's recipe is a treat for us from one of my oldest blogging buddies, Amanda from Serenity Now.  Not that Amanda's old--she's a beautiful young mom--but she's been a blogging friend of mine for a long time now.  We first got acquainted with one another in 2009 and have been friends ever since.  I'm so grateful to know Amanda.  She's fun and funny and kind and thoughtful, and those attributes show forth brightly in the way she writes, the way she runs her blog, and the way she interacts with readers.  

Amanda's daughters at the pumpkin patch

Take it away, Amanda!

Hi, Imparting Grace readers! Today's recipe for Cowboy Soup is one of those throw-it-together meals that makes dinnertime easy. I love that you can add extra spices to give it some more kick, or leave it as-is for family members who don't like hot food.

My Aunt Linda gave me this recipe several years ago. I'm not sure why it's called "Cowboy Soup," (it's more of a stew) but since she lives in Texas and Texans know everything there is to know about cowboys (right?!), I decided to go with it.

I love the simplicity of this recipe!

Cowboy Soup

Ingredients:

-1 can red beans
-1 can pinto beans
-1 can ranch style beans
-1 can corn
-1 can hominy
-1 can stewed tomatoes
-1 can rotel tomatoes
-1 pkg. taco seasoning
-1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix
-1 pound ground beef

(Note: Sometimes I have a hard time finding ranch style beans. I improvise with this soup and use whatever I think might taste good.)

Instructions:
Brown the ground beef. Drain and add all the ingredients to a large soup pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer until cooked through. (15 to 20 minutes)

I like to sprinkle some cheddar cheese on my soup after dishing it out. Served with a side of warm cornbread or biscuits, this is a great cold weather meal!

Thanks so much, Richella, for sharing your blog with me today. I hope Imparting Grace readers will come visit me at Serenity Now! You can also connect with me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Google+. I have some great stuff coming up for the holidays!

Thank you, Amanda!  This looks like the kind of hearty fare my guys would love!  And now, a blessing for the meal.

Dear Father in heaven, we are so grateful for hot food on a chilly day.  We ask that even as our food nourishes our bodies, You will nourish our hearts.  You know just what we need, and we thank You for providing for us in every way.  Thank You for allowing us to gather at this table, and thank You for always making us welcome at Your table.  Amen.

Blessings to you today!

What I need to hear today

Maybe it's what you need, too.

Every blessing to you,