From the time I was 10 years old, I had a keepsake box.
It started out with little things- movie ticket stubs, notes from friends, a few pictures of my family, and even a piece of confetti I’d pocketed from my first concert to see N’Sync. (Maybe Justin Timberlake had touched it!)
As I got older, that box grew. Letters from high school boyfriends were added (and later removed once that phase of life ended).
To this day, it is where I stash my favorite fingerpaint artwork by my daughter and favorite photos of our family. But the world needed to see them. What good did they do hidden in a box only to be seen by me once in a blue moon?
So I framed them on the most visible wall in our house.
It’s hard to believe it looked like this six months ago. I’m really glad I didn’t do that pallet wall I’d originally planned.
I catch myself staring at it all the time, and I can’t help but smile. It’s our entire past together: our engagement pictures, photos from our wedding ceremony, Olivia sleeping at just a few days old, a few beach vacations, moments with our parents and siblings, and I wouldn’t change a single square inch of it.
I added a map of Ireland a few weeks ago as a nod to our Irish heritage.
And yesterday, I made a silhouette of Olivia on burlap. I whipped up a family definition printable to go along with it. Once these babies were hung up, it was like the cherry on the sundae. It’s done!
So now, you can probably guess, I’m staring at it even more. It certainly makes our suburban house feel less like a builder grade shoebox.
The printable I made completely sums up what our little family of three is all about.
If you have a wall needing some lovin’ in your house, feel free to snag the download below. For one like mine, you can run a burlap sheet from your local craft store through your computer printer, frame it, and voila!
Cheap but sentimental. The best things in life are free anyways. 🙂
What do you think of it now that it’s all done? Am I getting anywhere with this crazy quest for an eclectic cottage?
If you liked this post, be sure to check out tips for the most efficient way to create a gallery wall.
Blessings,
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Absolutely gorgeous!! Love the printable!
Thank you, Anele!
amazing…truly amazing …I don;t even know where to start for my gallery wall in our stairway!!! xoxoxo Christine from Little Brags
oh and Lauren, how did you get all he grey frames to match? Did you paint them???
Thanks Christine! I found a bunch of frames at a few thrift stores and painted them and distressed them. Here’s the tutorial: http://blesserhouse.blogspot.com/2014/06/4-thrifted-frames-1-easy-distress.html?m=1 Hope that helps! 🙂
Your gallery wall is so lovely! What a great way to personalize your space!
Thanks, Lisa! It’s definitely very us.
I love your gallery wall, Lauren. What a great way to display your collection of memories! Thanks for sharing at my Creative Ways Link Party!
Blessings,
Nici
Thank you, Nici!
I think it’s the best gallery wall I’ve seen yet! Beautiful!
That’s a huge compliment! Thank you, Lucy!!!
That is seriously one of the most beautiful gallery walls I have ever seen Lauren! I love it! Thanks so much for sharing with us! Have a great weekend!
Kendra @ http://www.joyinourhome.com
You just totally made my day! Thank you, Kendra! And thank you for hosting.
Fabulous! And thanks for the free printable. Can’t wait to frame it!
Yay! So glad you like it!
Love the silhouette of Olivia. So cute!
Thank you, Sue!
I love the wall!
And wall color is a smash-loving it 🙂
xx
Mila
milaslittlethings.com
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It’s lovely…made me smile remembering a similar set up that I’d done going up our stairs when my boys were growing up! 🙂 Then I started in on the living room…another area…couldn’t have enough ! 🙂
You have a wonderful display !
Love it…
hope you’ll come by and see a gallery wall I did…it really makes me smile, too.
I love the gallery wall, but can’t see where the two new additions are on it.
It’s the family definition printable and face silhouette along with the big map on the lower wall. I guess I should have clarified. 🙂 Sorry.
We have the same curtains! Gotta love Kirklands! 😉
What is the color on your walls? gorgeous! and great job on the gallery wall love!
xo Wendy
Ohhh yes love me some Kirkland’s. 🙂 The wall color is Sherwin Williams Perfect Greige. In hindsight, I wish I’d gone a shade lighter though. Thanks for the love, Wendy!
It looks like some of your frames didn’t have glass. Did you put the picture directly on the wall? What did you get it to stick with? It’s beautiful. Come do mine.
Thank you, Kristi! You’re right. I chose to take the glass out of my frames since some didn’t have glass to begin with from the thrift store. I just attached the pictures directly to the wall using Command strips.
Thank you for all of the lovely inspiration! I’m so glad to have found your site. Your affordable ideas have got my “wheels a spinnin’!” Where did you find the lovely bookcase and chair pictured in front of the gallery wall? Your decorating course has been so inspirational and doable! Thank you!
Thank you, Heather! We have since switched things up a bit on this wall, but I found the chair at the thrift store for $60 and I found the bookcase/cabinet on Craigslist for $50 and painted it with milk paint. 🙂 So glad the course has been helpful!
Love all of your ideas! Now I just need your help on showing the laminate floating floor. 🙂 I think I can do it myself. At least I pray I can. Just need that extra boost. Wanting to do it in my kitchen.