Remembering China in my Guest Bedroom

A few years back, Brian and I went to China. It was pretty much the most awesome trip ever. If you get the chance to go to China, GO! Such rich history, intriguing culture, and incredible sights....and delicious food! The best meals we had were off the guided tour. We'd walk the streets of downtown Beijing looking for the restaurants with the best pictures in their menu, so that we could order by pointing to what we wanted. And don't even get me started on the dumplings in Shanghai.....heaven!

China will always have a special place in our hearts, for the wonderful memories and great friends we made along the way! 

One of the trip highlights was Great Wall day. There she is, folks....The Great Wall of China. 

So, we started climbing...

...and climbing. We paused for a dance party halfway up the wall with our new friends, Esther and Edwin, and eventually the four of us made it all the way to the top.

And then we realized what goes up, must come down. My quads ached for days. :)

Afterwards, our tour bus took us to a local factory where we were able to see local artisans creating goods...pottery, silk paintings, woven baskets, and watercolors on parchment.

We purchased several cherry blossom and bamboo watercolor paintings created by this lovely gal below. Quick side note, our tour guide explained that many "old school" Chinese have an aversion to cameras, and recommended we always ask someone if we could take their picture. He said don't be surprised if they don't look at the camera -- they believe by looking directly into the camera they will lose their soul. Interesting factoid.

Fast-forward to 2011. One of the first rooms we finished in our new home was our downstairs guest bedroom. The inspiration came from the curtain fabric (from my favorite fabric store, Home Fabrics), which reminded me of the cherry blossom paintings we purchased in Beijing.

Amazingly, I was able to find stock white mats at Michaels that fit our prints perfectly. Yay for not having to order custom mats! I found three matching black frames at Home Goods for $12 each.

And now, our guests can enjoy a wonderful memory from our trip when they stay with us.

Cheers!