Spray Paint, Fishing Line And Oodles Of Staples...

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...scared yet? Okay, so to give a quick {yeah, right, this is me} history lesson, last year design students from Baker were assigned businesses in town to do their Christmas display windows for the holiday walk. {I think I said that right} It was a really cool concept, however, not really a fair one for Northland. Downtown is the retail district and we stick out like a sore thumb. The businesses each gave the designers a budget to make over the windows. Our budget was 100.00 and let me tell you, that doesn't go too far. The biggest negative for us was that we didn't have any of our own merchandise to supplement the design.

Fast forward...this year the businesses were each in charge of their own windows. Bingo. Kristin and I came up with a basic concept and went with it. We feel kind of like we have something to prove. When I say "went with it," it isn't quite the truth. Kristin was a bit freaked out by it. More on that in a bit. We had a mission. We hit a few Goodwill stores and came up with the above...for the frames. We hit Hob Lob for the fabric and had a 40% off coupon {it adds up fast} and hit Hunts many times for wire, hooks and spray paint. It is amazing what a can {or 4} of spray paint can do to almost anything. We recycled the boxes from last year and re wrapped them, as well as the silver trees from last year. {sprayed them, too}

We started with7 frames, found one here, I added 3 and Steve added one from home. Every day we didn't do the windows, Kristin got a little more freaked out. I work best under pressure. I kept telling her that. She kept reminding me of that all day on Thursday, the day before the walk, when we finally decorated the window. I thought we could do it over lunch but realistically figured it would take us maybe 3 hours...At 4pm we both panicked over the fact that HALF of the decorating was done and neither of us could or would stay after. We busted tail in that last hour.

The windows aren't exactly what we planned. Originally, all 12 frames were supposed to be suspended. Two problems with that...the wire ran out right away and Hunts was also out so we used Steve's fishing line, and the other problem was the ceiling...or lack thereof once we tried hanging too many! Oops! I like to refer to these windows as the Christmas Mullets. You know, where a mullet is business in the front and party in the back...well these windows are festive and fun in the front and totally white trash in the back!!! The scene is all jacked up with staples, cords, seams and scotch tape...but the holiday shoppers are none the wiser. {just the insureds have to endure the look}

I think our windows turned out fantastic! Kristin and I are both totally stoked, eh, Kris?? The only complaint I have is that there are only two frames in the right window. I know to do clusters of three but that was not possible because of the ceiling incident above.

This is the best I could get of a nighttime shot. The glare is super bad. I love the white armoir hologram in the right window. It adds a bit of flair, don't you think?

We are happy cats, that's for sure. We obviously didn't win but I think we did great with what we had to work with.