4 Days Equal 24 Hours and I'm Finally Done!

Here is the project I've been working on in my dining room---a little re-decorating. I've collected the vintage frames for about 8 months now. It took me 4 days to do this. I have to say, a day of work for me is 6 hours---except when it comes to decorating for Christmas and the dreaded "take-down"---then I work about 12 hours to do it all in one day and nearly kill myself doing it---what a job.

After 15 years in this house, I've just been in the mood to do some re-decorating. Luckily Butch is pretty laid back about it. I know he thinks I'm crazy---everything looks fine. But a girl just needs a change now and then.

Day one is when I took all the frames apart and cleaned them. Not an easy task as many were very fragile. Most had nails that had to be removed. Day 2 was scanning and printing pictures and figuring out which were going into which frames. I also started cropping the pictures. Day 3 was more cropping of pictures, putting them in the frames, creating new mats where necessary (thank God for all of my scrapbook supplies). I ended up not having enough frames, so had to buy new that looked old. Works for me. Ovals were a real challenge. In fact, I had several of those left over---just didn't have the right type of picture to put in them. Day 4 was laying out the design and hanging. Butch helped me a lot with that. The medicine I'm on causes dizziness---so every time I get on the step stool or ladder, I get dizzy. I nearly fell a couple of times and decided not to chance it. Getting them straight required a lot of adjustments and scotch tape. He really kept his cool (although I could tell he got frustrated a few times) as I had him re-doing some. I couldn't have done the hanging without his help.

Notice the first picture---what's up with those type of hangers---you can't hold it up, fit your hand behind it and find the nail all at the same time. See my solution below. Definitely for me---where there's a will, there's a way.
Here's the final results. I'm so happy with how it turned out. These are ALL real family members, not my adopted relatives. I must say, I get these hair-brained ideas---had I known how much work and how hard this would be, I wouldn't have done it. I had the hugest mess---I didn't know where to begin. I gave myself my usual pep talk when I take on an organizing job that seems to be too much for me. "Okay, Barb, just begin." Works every time to get me to focus. There are 55 pictures here.

Here are a few more pictures of the room. I couldn't get all the pictures on the one wall, so I spread them around. I love how you can see the reflection of my "portrait gallery" in the mirror.

I bought this

autographed picture of an opera singer from the 1890's for the swing frame. I thought I would sell the picture on Ebay, but then I just didn't have the heart to do it. I love how dramatic she looks.

I took down all of my needlework and replaced them with more pictures.

I've shown this picture of the $5.00 toaster I got at the flea market long ago. But what I wanted you to notice is the porcelain poinsettia that belonged to my mom. It will definitely be part of my Christmas decorations this year. I think I'll leave it out all year.

And finally, my latest autograph book find. Another gem from it:

"Remember me and don't forget,

You have an aunt in Iowa yet!"

And this:

"When you get married and your old woman gets cross, just stamp your foot and show her who's boss."

I just love thinking about those simpler times. I wonder what stories all this old stuff could tell. That's why I scrapbook the everyday.