Giving our home personality

When I think of someone's personality, who they are, what they love, who they love, what is important to them, I think about the experiences they have had. Most people remember experiences by taking pictures, taking a video or even holding keepsakeswith them that remind them of that moment. Unfortunately, my home doesn't reflect any people or experiences at this point and that is something I am committed to improving on.

One of the most important moments in my life was my wedding, last year, which I have A TON of pictures of! I have been wanting to display them in my home, but hanging pictures has been SUCH a chore because I am a bit of a perfectionist. It has to be the perfect frame, the perfect color and the perfect size. Not to mention that it is a chore to go get my pictures printed. The best option is to send your pictures to be developed through a store's website.

Anyways! I finally got my giant wedding picture framed at Michael's. Their framing services are expensive, but offer warranty, security, and very professional services, so I would recommend them. After going through several options of frames, I chose a frame that was on sale. I then looked at options for an inside frame and noticed that it gave the picture more depth, so added a light beige colored internal frame and chose a custom, super awesome glass  (Conservation Masterpiece) where you can't even tell it is covering the photo.  With all of these upgrades, thankfully they had a sale and I ended up paying $250.

When they told me the price, I almost backed out! I thought the price was ridiculous. Favio and I were at Michael's staring at the picture and talked about possibly taking it elsewhere. We talked about the importance of displaying our special day in our home, what it meant to us, and what we wanted to share with those who walked in. We decided to make the jump and get it framed. A few weeks later, we had the picture back in our hands and it was worth every penny!

The tricky part was actually getting to hang the photo, yet another obstacle and decision in the process. I decided to share some tips with you on how to hang your pictures.

Hanging pictures 101

Step 1:  Decide where the picture goes

This is the most important piece of hanging your photo. Going back to the premise of this post, you want to make sure that you are giving the right impression of your personality, and what is important to you. In our case, our marriage represents commitment, love and eternal friendship and partnership. Our special day is something that we want very present and visible in our home, so we chose to hang it on the wall you see as soon as you open the front door. When choosing your frame, think about your house colors and location of the frame. Of course it needs to look good with the photo, but also needs to fit with your home.

Step 2: Get the right tools! 

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Step ladder, drill, stud finder, screws and measuring tape. Considering my wall is small, I chose not to use a level and judge level by eye's view.

Step 2: Measure your picture dimensions

In order to even know if your picture is going to fit on the designated wall, you need to measure it's dimensions.

Step 3: Measure the frame's dimensions in relationship to the spacing of the wall

When you have decided on the wall that you want to hang your photo, you need to decide the spacing on the wall. We decided that we wanted it centered on our small wall, so measured the length of it and marked the center spot.

Step 4: Mark your screws!

In order to get the frame centered both horizontally and vertically, measure where the string is in relationship to the frame. In my case, the string was 6 inches from the top, so I knew that I needed to get the screws in the wall horizontally, and vertically.

Step 5: Find a STUD! (my husband says I'm really good at this... since I found him)

In order to ensure that your picture is going to hang properly, you should use your stud finder to find a stud to support your photo. If your experience was like ours, and you weren't able to find a stud directly in the center of the picture, go to Plan B.

Step 5: Find a STUD! - Plan B

So, we were on a mission to find a stud in the middle of the wall but weren't successful, so we realized that our frame had a string in the back the length of the frame. We drilled the holes directly horizontal to each other so that the frame can hang from two spots, and also be secure on the stud.

Step 6: Photo Hanging Party!

Once you have your screws in, you can mount the photo and double check the spacing and level. Hopefully you have a successful looking photo and have added some personality to your home. 

I will continue to add some love, and personalization to our home and will keep you posted! :)