Our new, more modern, living room is coming along. I’m so excited about the latest addition to the room, this huge botanical print of a walnut tree! Walnuts and I go way back. When I brought this home, my husband asked me if I was ok with having a walnut in our living room, considering our history. When Dylan was just 3 months old and Denali was almost 2, I broke my foot on a walnut.  Yes, I had a cast up to my knee for 6 weeks because of a walnut. We had a tree and walnuts actually have a green skin around the hard shell we see. So, I stepped on one in the back yard and it is kind of like stepping on a banana peel. It was interesting getting around the house with a baby and me on crutches. I ended up putting Dyl in a stroller to move him around the house in order to feed him and change his diapers. But, back to the poster. Isn’t it fabulous?

There is one thing in particular that I am always on the look out for at flea markets. I love vintage maps and Science charts. I’m married to a geek (Lonnie is a High School Biology teacher). We even borrowed a cool frog chart to decorate with for Dylan’s science themed party from his classroom. I’ve wanted to find a cool oversized chart for our home, but they are almost always out of my budget. There is a vender at the Rose Bowl Flea that sells amazing vintage Science charts and maps from France.  I always stop and look through her stuff, but most of the pieces start at about $200. She even has a newsletter that she emails out with her new stuff, and I drool over it every month.

I got to go to the Rose Bowl Flea Market this last Sunday. It really is one of my most favorite things to do. I took my sister in law, who had never been, and my mother in law. I love taking someone for the first time. It’s so exciting to see their reaction and help them find a fabulous treasure at a steal. My sister in law walked away with the jack pot. We found a set of 4 paint by numbers that someone had done beautifully and each one was of a different Season. I really wanted them, but I wanted her to leave with something really great and have a good experience. So, she took them home. It was a really fun day and I only bought a cute jadite turkey dish for Thanksgiving and a vintage California felt pendant for Riley. I spent less then $20 and I had a blast!

And again, I keep heading off on tangents, back to the posters.  Here’s a couple botanicals in homes that I think look really great.

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I especially love the charts with the black backgrounds. They are bold and graphic and just the statement I want for my space.

Here’s a few more that I’ve found online. The two reproductions of the Male Fern and the Mushroom are both of from the same shop Nicole of Making it Lovely got her Dog Rose print. They are priced at $198 with the dowels on either end for hanging.

This pineapple reproduction makes my pretty happy and it’s priced reasonably at only $50.

And now I’ve saved the best for last.  Guess where I got my chart? And you’re not going to believe how reasonable it was. It’s not an original, but I’m ok with that. I got my walnut print at IKEA for $19.99!!!!!! How fantastic is that? I think this is a pretty fabulous fake, and I’m sure we’ll love it for many years to come. I love all the green in it, and when you see the whole room together, I think you’ll agree. And don’t you love the nice contrast of the black print on the white walls.  Can you tell I’m pleased with my purchase?