DIY: Photo Collage

When my husband and I first moved into our apartment I was so excited about decorating; however, once I started shopping around and saw how expensive everything was I had to rethink my plans. If I were in a house I would not mind putting more money down on decorations but decorating an apartment that we plan to move out of within a couple of years seemed a little wasteful.

I stomached the boring, plain white walls for as long as I could. After a while I knew I had to get something up or I'd go crazy! So I did what every girl my age would do... I searched pinterest for a little inspiration! I knew two things, I love pictures and I love hearts! So I searched for heart photo collages. I found tons of variations. Collages made from frames, pictures all meshed together, spread out evenly, the options were endless.

Below is what I settled on:

Materials:
48 of my favorite pictures
1 large foam board from Hobby lobby
1 tube of Liquitex Basics Acrylic Paint, Naples Yellow Hue
Mod Podge
2 big foam paint brushes (one for paint and one for glue)
1 square coaster

Step-By-Step:
The first thing I did was paint my board. I painted two coats.
While my board was drying I cut each of my pictures into perfect squares, using the coaster as a guide.
Once the paint was dry and all 48 pictures were perfect squares, I began to create my collage. I started at the bottom and worked my way up.
Once I had a layout I was happy with I added Mod Poge to the back of every picture and glued them down.

Voila!!!

Super easy, really cheap, and lots of fun!!!

How I became Mrs. VanDeventer

Two years ago (June 2010) I traveled to Malawi Africa on a mission trip that would forever change my life. I'd been to Malawi once before and knew it was going to be an incredible trip but never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd meet my husband in Malawi; however, God had everything worked out perfectly and sent Rustyn Joe VanDeventer all the way from Oklahoma to Malawi to work with the same missionaries my team was working with.

 Me carrying a baby in a chitenje.

Rustyn and I in Africa.

 When we got back to the US we kept in contact. Rustyn was living in Tulsa, OK and I was living in Monroe, LA. Our relationship was slow moving but our friendship developed into a relationship and our like for each other developed into love for each other. Then in August 2011 I went on another mission trip. This time I went to El Salvador with Visiting Orphans. It was an incredible trip! When I got back Rustyn surprised me by picking me up from the airport. He took me on a picnic and popped the question with all of my family and friends there "hiding" and seeing the whole thing.

  

Rustyn's proposal Aug. 13, 2011 in Houston, Tx.

 We got married on March 17, 2012 at Shreveport Community Church infront of our wonderful family and friends.

Our Wedding March 17,2012

I moved to Tulsa and am working at a non-profit organization called Blessings International. We got a Chinese Crested, Yoshi. He is our little baby for now! Love that crazy puppy! While I enjoy being a Mrs. I know I have a lot to learn about being a wife. The purpose of this blog is to help others going through the same stuff as me. I am learning to cook and to spend wisely. I love trying new things and even though we are starting out small my goal is to have to most rewarding life possible!

 

Yoshi immitating Rustyn after a long day at work.