Family Photos: The Story on the Wall

           My parents always had a million pictures of my sister and I all over the house; baby photos, graduation photos and of course, many dance photos in hilarious costumes that seemed very cute at the time. While these pictures made up the majority of the décor around my family home I never really paid much attention to them, they were just a part of our home. It wasn’t until recently that I really acknowledged the beauty of family photos and how they can impact the overall feel of a home.

            A few weeks ago I attended a bridal shower for one of my life long friends. The mother of the groom and the groom’s sister hosted the shower in their family home. From the moment I stepped into the space there was a feeling of warmth and love. After a few minutes I realized what gave the space this feeling, photos. There were family photos all around the home taking up the majority of the wall space.  From an interior design perspective this might not be the best way to stage a home, but for me the pictures told the family’s story making the space a warm and welcoming place to live.

           

            My love for interior design began in my small childhood room and it has continued into my first home. Today there are so many television shows, websites and magazines that explain how to make your home beautiful, but with the birth of our son I have come to realize that while I love the details of design, what makes a home lovely is that it is alive and lived in. This realization came when I decided to trade clean wall space for yet another photo wall filled with pictures of our family. Thanks to the shower experience I learned that this is my home and that while I want to make it beautiful, I also want to tell a story in our space.

Spoiler alert: this is not your classic guide to home décor. Instead, these are two creative ways to tell a story on your walls.

1. The Family Photo Wall

a)    Start with a focal point and create the layout from there. I used  the Ung Drill Frame from IKEA with a heart-shaped  accent in the centre (this piece was something we found in England – giving it  sentimental value).

b)   Choose frames that fit in with your home’s colours and style, have fun with different shapes and sizes.

c)    Plan out your design before putting the frames on the wall. Do this on the floor and measure out the space. 

d)   Mount the frames before adding images (this will help you decide where you want each picture to be situated on the wall). You will need some tools for this ( a level, measuring tape, nails or screws, a screwdriver or a hammer). 

e)    Add your favourite photos! We had an amazing photographer for our family photos: check out Calluna Studios. 

2. The Photo Shelf (an easy alternative to the photo wall)

a)    Start by choosing your photo shelves: a good option is the PS 2014 Wall Rail from IKEA

b)   Based on the space you choose, decide how may shelves you would want and then stagger them on the wall.

c)    Select different size frames, they can overlap or be spaced out to create the look you want.

d)   Add accents to the space around the shelves to give the wall personality. I used stars (a great find from a country store in Peterborough).

e)    Add your favourite photos! The great thing about this option is that you can move the frames around and switch the frames at any time.


So the next time you are trying to find a way to brighten-up a space, consider using family photos and creating your own photo wall. If walls can talk why not let them tell your story. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day !

        A year ago today my husband and I were making our way home from a pub in Dublin at 3am to pack our bags and head home after an amazing trip to the England and Ireland. A trip that just happened to end with us celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin! Today we are rushing around the house getting Benjamin ready for his one-month check-up at the Doctor’s office. A lot can change in a year.

            Our trip last year was one of many adventures Scott and I went on before the birth of our son. We chose London, Stratford, Bath and Dublin as our major stops, taking a four-day detour on the Isle of Wight to visit my best friend who moved across the pond a few years ago. The trip was amazing! One of those trips that we are reminded of often; especially when we hear Irish music or while enjoying a hearty bowl of Guinness stew (a new favourite of ours). What I know for sure after a few years of travel is that we are so happy we did it.

            For Scott and I travelling has been a major part of our relationship, something that defines who we are as individuals and as a couple. I am so glad that we had the chance to do some travelling as a couple before the birth of our son. While I do not think it’s impossible to travel with children, I can say that I know it will be different. For example, the 3am walk home from the pub might not be on the itinerary.

            I don’t really like to offer too much advice on the blog, but after talking with my younger sister about her desire to travel through Europe, I feel like I need to say a few things about the importance of travel. If you have any desire to travel, do it! Travel while you are young if possible and travel as often as you can.  Try to travel with a loose itinerary, leaving room for curiosity. While I do plan out the majority of my home-life using lists, calendars and daytimers (yes I have a daytimer that might also be my bible) I love to venture off the beaten path when travelling. Lucky for me, Scott is amazing with maps and though I was convinced that we stumbled upon Big Ben while in London, he told me later that he planned our route there. With that said, if every part of the trip is carefully planned you might miss out on the adventure.

            As a result of our travel experiences Scott and I are able look back on these trips fondly, cultivating those memories often and enriching our present lives with the things we learned along the way. Travelling before children was something we both felt was important; however, I do not think our travel days our over, but that the trips will change with our growing family.

            Since Ben is only a month old, we have not made any solid plans for our next trip. Instead  we have a loose plan to go on at least one trip in the next year or so and hope that what we learned from our past adventures may give us the confidence to travel with our son. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself though, since our first trip to the grocery store was on Sunday and if the past month has taught me anything about parenting, that is to expect nothing and just go with the flow. So far Ben seems to love moving, taking walks in his stroller and of course, car rides. Maybe he will love travelling as much as we do. We will have to wait and see.

Welcome Home Baby Benjamin!

          So it’s been a month since baby Benjamin was born, about how long it’s been since I’ve updated my blog.  The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. Having a baby is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before, to put it lightly, nothing prepares you for this! The emotional roller-coaster is terrifying and amazing all at once. You experience this wide range of emotions that always come back to love, love like you’ve never understood or felt it before. Everything that mattered to you before; like the shelves I wanted for the nursery or the perfect diaper bag, doesn't matter anymore because all you want is for your baby to be happy and healthy.

            Benjamin had a few complications before we were able to leave the hospital, making our first days with him incredibly hard. All we wanted during that time was to help our baby get better.  I felt like I could and would do what ever it took to make him better. Overwhelmed with fear, combined with a lack of sleep, made those first days a blur. We just needed to hear that he was stable and ready to go home. 

            Now that Benjamin is home, our lives are completely different. We now run on what I like to call “baby time.” We don’t really need alarms anymore and our days are truly 24 hours long. Everything we do depends on his feeding and sleep schedules, squeezing in time for our own personal hygiene and meals. This was something I heard from other parents but never really believed until I experienced it.

            My husband has been so supportive and helpful the whole time, he truly is my partner in this. Now that he’s gone back to work, Benjamin and I are spending our days together. While we do not have any real routine yet, I am learning to embrace the fact that our days have no fixed schedule. I’m trying my best to ‘go-with-the-flow’, something that is a bit of a challenge for me.

            Benjamin has brought such love into our home and we are so excited to watch him learn and change with each new day.