get the picture

I'm still alive...in case you were wondering.  I've had a busy yet wonderful summer so far.  I've attended two beautiful weddings and worked six weeks at a youth camp.  I am gone all week at the camp and have been out of town a few of those weeks...my poor little apartment has been so empty!

However, I did manage to sneak in a little project last weekend while I was home.  I had forgotten my camera at camp, so the picture quality won't be so great.  You'll get the picture, though (pun COMPLETELY intended!)

I decided that I wanted to fill up the wall behind our sofa with pictures.  I have so many great pictures that I want to display...I just never did!

I knew that I didn't want a matchy-matchy look, I wanted something a little more eclectic with a dash of vintage.  I searched a few thrift stores and found some frames I couldn't live without.  I wanted to get the frames before the prints so I wouldn't be limited to size when choosing frames.  I found about four frames at the thrift stores.  They were worn and just perfect.  The rest of the frames I bought from Wal-Mart.  I got frames in different styles and sizes. All of the frames together cost me right around $30.

I knew that I would need some enlargements to complete this wall, I just didn't want to pay the hefty price tag for them.  I waited for CVS and Wagreens to put out special offers on their websites.  I would check back quite often to see if they were having a sale on enlargements.  I was able to get all three 11x14 enlargements for half price!  Sah-weet!  It took a little while to wait in the promotional codes to be released, but I was willing to wait to save a little money.  I got an 8x10 enlargement from Shutterfly for free using a promotional code they sent me in an email and the other pictures, some 5x7 and some 4x6 I had already printed out from right after our wedding.  I wound up spending less than $15 on all of the prints.

I put my prints in the frames and decided which I wanted to be the 'base', the one I worked around.  I hung that picture first them held up the frames around them until I loved it and hung the other frames around it.  A lot of people suggest laying out the frames on the floor and then transferring that layout to the wall.  however, I am WAY to impatient for all that mess.

I did come upon a few snags in the process, I'll tell you all about how I smoothed them out in a later post.  For now, just let me relish in the greatness of my new focal wall!