But that was not the point of my story. That was just a little anecdote for your reading pleasure.
Today’s topic is framing pictures. Up until we bought this house, we had always rented and I didn’t really give much thought to the artwork on my walls. We usually just hung posters to cover up the nail holes from previous tenants.
I was in love. I saved this painting, unframed for three years. It lived in a garbage bag between two pieces of cardboard behind the couch. I didn’t frame it because I didn’t want to mat it in a color that would not match my imaginary dining room in my make-believe house.
And then we bought our home and I needed to frame that picture like I need to eat a frozen brownie(s) from the back of the freezer after the kids go to bed.
Very annoyed, I thanked my new boyfriend (manners, ladies, manners) and off I went to the framing aisle. And there I found a white frame that was too big for my picture, but you know what, it was on sale and it was going into my shopping cart. Then I bought a piece of some sort of paper, not quite oaktag but not quite a picture mat either. They happened to have it in the same size as my frame and in the same gorgeous grey-blue color as one of the dominant colors in the painting. Into the cart it went as well.
After my “40% off coupon”, the whole thing cost me $23.69. I’m no math whiz, but that seems to be less than $178 plus tax.
Josh hung it up and I have to say that it looks totally professional. I tell people this story when they are in my dining room and they don’t believe me when I say that I did it myself. Like I always say to my kids, “Aren’t you proud of yourself?” You betcha.
p.s. I realize you really didn’t need a third picture of the painting, but the point of the picture above was to highlight my beloved (and child-friendly) cordless shades that I bought for my oddly-shaped dining room windows at (drum roll here) Target! And, wait for it, they were only $20 each. I know! That whole wall costs me less than 70 bucks.