Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Several Months in the Making

Are you ready for it?!?!  I’m talking about a project that took entirely too many months for me to complete!!
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No, no.  Don’t get all excited.  It’s only a teeny, tiny gallery wall took me way too long to cross off my to-do list.  {But hey, I’m all about full disclosure on this lil’ sliver of the web...even if it means embarrassing myself for all to see.}  Unfortunately, the wall ended up being one of those projects that didn’t keep my full attention.  I would get easily distracted by other stuff, and drop the gallery wall like a bad habit.  Here is how it all went down...

I started by collecting a bunch of interesting, but mis-matched frames from Home Goods in the spring.


I spray primed and painted them white.  I forgot to take a picture of this step, so instead I will include a gratuitous shot of my hubby’s backside to show our old patio-ish area that served as my spray painting spot until we demo’ed everything this summer.  All that white on the ground = proof I was spraying my heart out.


Then the poor frames sat in our guest bedroom for several weeks until I found the motivation to get to hanging.  I wasn’t sure how I wanted to arrange everything, so I played around with the frames on top of a piece of rosin paper {left over from covering our refinished hardwood floors}. 


I thought I’d trace the frames onto the paper, hang the paper, and easily transfer the arrangement from the floor to the wall, but I changed my mind midway through.  I decided to wing it, start from the “middle” {that I eyeballed} and work my way out instead.  


It wasn’t the most accurate method, and I may or may not have made a few too many holes in the wall, but it’s nothing a smidge of spackle and some paint couldn't fix. ;) 

Once everything was hung and I gave two thumbs up to the placement, the frames stayed as is...for wayyyy too many weeks.  Yup, I literally got used to seeing this...several price tag stickers and all.  Not cute.



So during our recent staycation, my Mom suggested we get busy filling the gallery wall with actual pictures.  Point taken.  The gallery wall had been 90% complete for long enough.  I started to hunt through all my photos.  My goal was to display pictures of our entire immediate family {me and hubby, our parents, my sister’s family and hubby’s sister’s family}.  Once I picked out all of the winners, it was time to turn them into B&W, and have them printed.

I also found a free fall printable online to fill up the center frame of the wall.  I wanted a pop in the middle of the black and white photos, and I love that I can switch out the 8x10 to coordinate with the seasons/holidays.


While this isn’t the most fantastic gallery wall, like say, YHL’s awesome hallway, it still warms my heart because IT’S DONE it represents our entire family.  I love having something sentimental to finally look at every day! :)

Anyone else take a crazy long time to complete the easiest projects???

26 comments:

  1. It looks really cute!! I love that it represents your whole family and is sentimental for you.

    I currently have 4 frames over our bed with the blank frame info in them and they have been there for a good month and a half. I have a photo ledge that looks the same and a gallery wall that I have been working on for a year and a half with half empty spaces and some random empty frames... I feel your pain!! I plan to get on these too- thanks for the inspiration!

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    1. Thanks Christine! I'm so happy to see I'm not the only one!! It's so funny how certain projects can just take foreverrrrrr.

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  2. Gallery walls are sooo much work?! They seem like they should be so simple, but I found it quite stress educing?! I did one in my nursery and need to do another one (just to put some pics up!!) but can't figure out where! It looks great though! I like how it balances that window!

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    1. Thanks so much! I swear...I am SUCH a procrastinator about hanging things on the wall! It's kind of ridiculous haha.

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  3. Congrats on finishing this project up! Feels good, doesn't it?? It looks great too! I bet the dining area feels much homier now!

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    1. Thanks Kate! It definitely feels so good to cross it off the list! Getting some things on the wall, especially meaningful ones, definitely makes a huge difference. :)

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  4. I love the frames and the layout! Good job for finally getting it finished!!
    My gallery wall still needs two of the frames spray painted to match plus I started hanging another "gallery" type cluster in the living room and never finished putting all the frames up. It's been about two months since I hung them. Sometimes it's so easy to procrastinate haha.

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    1. Thanks Debbie!! So glad it's d-o-n-e! I'm happy I'm not the only one who procrastinates with hanging things! I want to start another gallery wall too, but I'm afraid it won't be finished until NEXT fall hahahaha.

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  5. LOVE IT! & don't worry about it taking so long, I still have yet to finish my sunburst mirror that I started in February, yes February. :P

    But I seriously love your gallery wall, and I love how the pictures are all black & white, with the colored print in the middle - awesome job!

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    1. Haha...well thanks for making me feel better! :)

      Thanks so much, Melanie!!

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  6. Very nice! I started a Gallery going up our stairs a few weeks ago. I was considering spray painting the frames either white or black to make them uniform, but I actually like how each is a bit different and it blends better with our natural wood trim. White was definitely a good choice for you though.
    Love the black and white photos. Keeping it classy :)

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    1. Thanks Christine! :) Oooooh, I love gallery walls along a staircase! Yours is super cute! And I feel you on the BWS...I have some serious cases of it in my house! ;)

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  7. Eh, who cares how long it took. What matters is that it looks awesome now!

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  8. Looks great! I love that you used black and white pictures and put a colorful print in the middle.

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  9. Ha! This is totally the story of my life. I tend to put off the simplest projects. (Cough, cough, painting my door.) ;) Then I take on things that take far too long.

    It looks great! I love the pop of white.

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  10. I love the mix of frames you used! It looks awesome! And your pictures are super cute!

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  11. I've been collecting frames for about a year for our gallery wall. I keep stealing them for other projects, though, so I doubt if it'll ever get finished. Dang my ADD.

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    1. Hahaha...I definitely have another collection, just waiting to be hung. We'll see how long that ends up taking. I figure I'll be done by next fall. ;)

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  12. We've been hanging artwork and photos too. Almost so many that I'm running out of room! But it is nice to have around. I lost my brother last year so I made sure to include some of him and his girlfriend so that my daugter can hopefully remember him. She was only 2 when he passed away but still sees his girlfriend (basically fiancee and her "auntie") semi-regularly.

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    1. I'm so sorry to hear that you lost your brother!! What a wonderful idea to have photos of him around for your daughter. That will definitely help to keep his memory alive! :)

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  13. It looks great! I love your choice of frames =)

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