Happy Birthday, Robin!
The second is a little more personal to me and goes out to one of our loyal lurkers. Happy Anniversary (a day late) to my mom and dad. They celebrated 28 years yesterday. Today's post and creative idea come from the basement of their house.
Before we get into the story about my mom and dad and the creative idea I will share today, I must first give some background as to how I decided to post about this topic today. About a week ago, I was over at Claudia's house and she was trying to bribe Matthew to brush her hair (let's face it- doesn't it feel great when someone else brushes your hair?!). In order to keep him motivated to brush her hair, I told him that if he kept brushing, I would tell him stories about my childhood, about my mom, my dad, and their house (the house I grew up in).
I was explaining to him that my mom and dad moved into their house a few months before I was born almost 23 years ago. They have not moved since then. For this reason, there is a lot of history in that house and our childhood is built within the walls of that home. I told Matthew about one of my favorite parts of my house. In the basement, my parents have a ledge that goes around most of the room. For as long as I can remember, that ledge has been full of picture frames. The frames hold pictures of my brothers and me, family friends, family members, and my parents. While that ledge has now become walls full of shelves- it still holds years of photos. I was telling Matthew about some of the frames on the ledge and that if you were to open the back of the frame, you would discover years worth of pictures behind the one that is showing in the frame. For example, each of my brothers and I have an 8' x 10' frame that holds our school pictures from Kindergarten to senior year of high school. While our senior picture is the one that you currently see through the glass in the frame, if you were to open them up, you'd find years worth of school pictures.
Looking back on it now, this is one bargain of a scrapbook for me and my family. There are no fancy stickers or layout of photos. Instead, it is simple and nostalgic. It's nothing fancy, but I think that's what makes it so special. Part of me feels sad that some of the magic of printing and framing pictures is being lost through the new digital age. Now, don't get me wrong, I love technology just as much as the next person, but in the same way I think snail mail has a special feeling to it, I also think printed photographs in a frame have a special feeling.
I can't wait to take my children to my parents' home and look through all the photos around the house. I can't wait to point out my "favorite" photos to them. I think that wall of frames is one simple touch that makes my parents' home extra special and significant in my life. So, today, consider going out and having a photo printed. Then, buy a frame to put it in. Next year, replace it with a new photo but keep the old one behind it in the frame. Begin your own bargain of a scrapbook.
Do you already have framed pictures around your home? What's your favorite picture? If you were to choose one photo that you wanted to be framed and hanging in your home right now, what would it be?
Announcement:
Before we get into the story about my mom and dad and the creative idea I will share today, I must first give some background as to how I decided to post about this topic today. About a week ago, I was over at Claudia's house and she was trying to bribe Matthew to brush her hair (let's face it- doesn't it feel great when someone else brushes your hair?!). In order to keep him motivated to brush her hair, I told him that if he kept brushing, I would tell him stories about my childhood, about my mom, my dad, and their house (the house I grew up in).I was explaining to him that my mom and dad moved into their house a few months before I was born almost 23 years ago. They have not moved since then. For this reason, there is a lot of history in that house and our childhood is built within the walls of that home. I told Matthew about one of my favorite parts of my house. In the basement, my parents have a ledge that goes around most of the room. For as long as I can remember, that ledge has been full of picture frames. The frames hold pictures of my brothers and me, family friends, family members, and my parents. While that ledge has now become walls full of shelves- it still holds years of photos. I was telling Matthew about some of the frames on the ledge and that if you were to open the back of the frame, you would discover years worth of pictures behind the one that is showing in the frame. For example, each of my brothers and I have an 8' x 10' frame that holds our school pictures from Kindergarten to senior year of high school. While our senior picture is the one that you currently see through the glass in the frame, if you were to open them up, you'd find years worth of school pictures.
Looking back on it now, this is one bargain of a scrapbook for me and my family. There are no fancy stickers or layout of photos. Instead, it is simple and nostalgic. It's nothing fancy, but I think that's what makes it so special. Part of me feels sad that some of the magic of printing and framing pictures is being lost through the new digital age. Now, don't get me wrong, I love technology just as much as the next person, but in the same way I think snail mail has a special feeling to it, I also think printed photographs in a frame have a special feeling.
I can't wait to take my children to my parents' home and look through all the photos around the house. I can't wait to point out my "favorite" photos to them. I think that wall of frames is one simple touch that makes my parents' home extra special and significant in my life. So, today, consider going out and having a photo printed. Then, buy a frame to put it in. Next year, replace it with a new photo but keep the old one behind it in the frame. Begin your own bargain of a scrapbook.
Do you already have framed pictures around your home? What's your favorite picture? If you were to choose one photo that you wanted to be framed and hanging in your home right now, what would it be?
Announcement:
- After 'playing around' on Facebook for awhile last night, I discovered a feature on Robin's page where you can 'follow' blogs through a feature called 'Networked Blogs'. You can find a new widget on the right side of the blog, with a button that says 'Follow This Blog'. If you are on Facebook, please press this button and share the word about HLA with your Facebook friends!
7 comments:
I had that same bargain scrapbook and I know it was there for years and years and years. But! Last year when I went to go get all the photos behind the senior picture... THEY WERE GONE!!!
And of course my mom has no idea where they could have gotten off to. :(
I have those frames for my boys and I wanted to put my picture of me up when I was their age.
I love digital cameras and digital photography, but I will admit that since I made the switch to digital, i get very few photos actually developed. I wish I would go develop some photos more often.
I think I'm just picky about what photos are "frame-worthy."
Happy birthday to YOU!!!!
We actually got a lot of digital pictures printed when we got our wedding pics done. They are all about a year old now and could use some updating. I won't happen until after we move though.
Brian-even with the move to digital I still print print print... and uploading them is easy & cheap with snapfish (and certainly others, I would think). Some I use for my greeting cards, others I use as embellishments for other pieces of art (die cut them, etc) and I send some to others in my circles/family. And I scrpabook/photo-album a few as well. While computers are great, there is still nothing quite like the feeling I got when I sat between my son & his GF with a couple of scrap-albums on my lap, going form birth to 16 years of age. :-)
katie, i want to see these pictures when i come to visit in august!
my favorite framed pictures in my room are two in a double frame together. one is of my pappy holding baby me, and we're both fast asleep on his recliner. the other is of he and i on the day of my senior prom, i'm in my dress and he's kissing me on the cheek. i love having this set of photos to remember him by and show our special bond.
Late in the game, I know. But, I didn't want to let the weekend go by without checking in. I am the historian of my family and LOVE collecting and sorting photographs.
Recently I framed a series of family pictures to display in my family room. It's amazing how often I notice people looking at them. Photos have a way of making a house look "homier."
I too am the "record keeper", both of my family and of my Circle. I tend to do so by photos... not so much the journalling part but I AM working on that. I display pics of my son ON the wall. The rest are in albums (small ones, large ones, etc) that are laying around on tables JUST IN CASE someone wants to take a peek :-)
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