A Cheap & Easy Collage

Want an easy way to display pictures that is quick and cheap and won't leave holes in the walls?  Well, I'll tell you to do what I did: copy my friend Kate.  She's a picture taking freak (she took Fern's newborn pictures) and displays pictures all over her house.  Don't you love going into people's homes and seeing pictures of real life and fun adventures sprinkled and displayed in every room?  Oolala, I just love me some pictures.  It's like little (or big) signs of life all over the place.  What kind of houses don't have pictures?  Show houses.  Model homes.  Homes where no one actually occupies.  Not only do I love seeing pictures, I love having pictures!  I'm trying to get creative on how I display them.  I love me a big chunky original frame as much as the next gal, but I just don't want to fork over the money for it.  Here's what I did.  

I used tape.  That's right.  I bought some double sided tape, taped the pictures to an open matte and taped the mattes to the wall.

(Disclaimer: a few of them have fallen, but I don't think I put enough tape on the first time.  I added more tape and slapped back up there and they stay.  For reals.)

Here's the sizing: Kate used 8x10 double mattes with 5x7 pictures.  I'm pushing myself to use bigger pictures, so I used 11x14 single mattes and 8x10 pictures.

The cheapest place with the most variety of mattes is Michael's.  I shopped around and they have a ton ready to go.  They also accept competitor's coupons, so I took in a bundle of Joann's, Hobby Lobby, and Michael's coupons.  I got them around $2 each.

I had the pictures printed at Sam's for $1.99 each.  

Originally, I was going to try to do all different shapes and sizes and do some random collage all to hide that hideous thermostat.  I started this project around midnight, when things click the best in my head, and my inner self yelled out loud and said, "why are you trying to be creative with the sizes?  You are an accounting major who loves clean lines and order.  Let's do this the old fashion way."  So, I did the three across, three up and that worked just fine.  

The running joke with people: they point to the thermostat and say, "this is by far my favorite picture."  To which I reply, "me too.  Something about it makes it really pop, wouldn't you agree?"

This project is part of my Home Goals 2012.  I wanted to display bigger pictures, and especially change out this display in my hallway.  When I was working on this, I was so proud for setting a goal and achieving it.  I mentally patted myself on the back and thought how aggressive I am to jump right on this project and take care of it before 2012 really got started.  Then I realized it's November and there are only two months left.  Better late than never.

Here is the BEFORE (pretty much copied straight from a Pottery Barn magazine circa 2001):

Here is the AFTER (chalkboard art brought to you buy Burl and his cousin):

With larger, matted pictures, the photographs are able to be seen and appreciated much more than when they were small and jumbled all over the wall.  Who knows, I might just have to add another row or two.  With the price tag and ease of this project, it's too perfect not to try it.  Thanks, Kate, for this idea and answering my texts even with your newborn twins.  It turned out great!

Burl's First Send

Well, it finally happened.  Burl hit 35 pounds, the minimum weight for the kid harness at the climbing gym.  John and I volunteer there a few times a month in exchange for a free membership.  We usually work the kiddie parties, so we've seen first hand the best ways to get a kid up a wall.  It usually starts with the parents being the least involved that they can, and a third party being the adult to supervise.  Joseph was the natural choice, being that he's the third parent, family climber, and Burl's almost-idol.  John had Fern, I had the camera, and Joseph had Burl.  

He had a little issue with his harness and didn't want shoes, so we rolled with the punches and let him go barefoot.  Now, Burl has been to the gym plenty of times and seen us in action, so he had some idea of what to do.  We had no idea he knew exactly what to do.  Without fear or hesitation, he jumped on the wall and started working his way up.  The only instruction he needed was the occasional "high feet" and "work your hands up."  Well, for a little bit until Joseph called me over to come show him where to move and what to do.  I gave gentle instructions and Burl replied calmly with an "o-tay."  He can't say "ok" but he can climb.  

He seemed to have fun and did really well until he realized if he let go of everything he just got to swing.  Climbing turned into climb three moves then let go and laugh as John lowered him down.  We let him do that several times, then called the brief little time a success and headed to dinner.  

He didn't make it to the top, but that wasn't the goal.  The goal was for us to try something fun as a family, get Burl in a harness and on the wall without any major meltdowns.  Being able to calmly instruct him was a total bonus.  If farming doesn't work out for Burl, climbing might just be another option.

This Week's Menu

I've been craving some really great apples since we're in apple season and all and I haven't had much luck.  I finally got by a favorite produce stand that usually has awesome apples this time of year.  I bought a basket for $7, got home and tore right into them.  They weren't good.  They were mushy and tasted like badly-flavored cotton balls.  I think I'm going to go return them.  Any advice?  I'm not a "send it back" kind of gal, so this feels wrong to me.  How do I kindly return produce back to a family stand that has been selling me produce since before I had kids?  I don't know I can.  

Besides bad apples, here's what we're eating this week:



Basil-tomato spaghetti, pineapple

Chicken mulligatawny

Dry rub ribs, sweet potato fries, brussels sprouts 

Salmon, sauteed spinach, butternut squash and cauliflower puree 

Playing, Sorting, & Dumping

Fern's down for her first nap, so it's just Burl and me.  I start a game with him and this is how it goes: stack all the same colored letters together -to- sort the letters into bowls -to- Burl dumping  piles of letters back and forth between bowls.  And I realize that it's starting.

My friend and I joke about how there are times that we need our kids (and it's good for them) to play on their own.  They pull at us, and we encourage them to go play with their blocks, their books, their animals, etc.  The funny part is that in a few years, they're going to be playing with their friends or by themselves and it's going to be us pulling at their clothes, trying to get them to play with us.  

Another one of my friends talks about missing her "big boys."  Her toddlers take more time and attention and she misses her older boys.  They buckle themselves into the car seats and she wishes they needed her help.  

As Burl took over our little Mama-Burl playtime and launched into his own rhythm, separate from me, I thought to myself that it's starting.  He's pulling away from his Mama, and I got a little dramatic about it in my head.  

I just sat there on the floor, watching my little baby turning into a kid.  I snapped pictures.  I praised.  I watched.  I adored it.  He might want to play on his own, but he loves having me there watching him.  I relish that.  And now, I relish even more the times that he asks me to "come Mama.  Watch me."  

Sometimes I'm changing Fern's diaper, cleaning, or just making the wrong decision to keep with what I'm working on at the moment, but hopefully, I'll start to remember that this little time is short and fleeting.  Playing with my kids is fun and special and my hope is that we will have sweet memories of these times together.