4.14.2011

It's a Sickness I Tell You

Remember how I told you the other day in my vlog that I am a "picture frame fiend"?




I wasn't lying.

Or even exaggerating.

For the past several years we have been renting temporary places of residence. It's hard to want to nail a picture on a wall when you know you aren't going to be sticking around for long.

Plus, there just hasn't been any room. So all my pretty pretty frames and decorating items have been biding their time in dusty boxes in storage...

...Until we moved here and my family helped us unpack and settle in our new spacious home.

While I sat and held my week old newborn, my sisters, sister-in-law, and mom unpacked box after box of frames, stars, Americana, shelves, and assorted decorating paraphernalia that I have been hoarding collecting over the last almost eight years of marriage and moving.

They laid all of it out in that front room I was showing you the other day on the vlog and then called me in for an intervention.

Let me tell you...those pictures do no justice.

I may need a testimonial from my sister Camille. She'll tell you how bad it was/is. She was more than willing to tell me I had a problem that day. (In a loving, humorous, sisterly way of course.) And I began to wonder if I did when I saw it all laid out in one place.

It looked like an episode of Hoarders.

I almost started crying. Out of happiness at seeing all my pretty things again. Out of shock that I could possibly be one of those crazy people who collects stuff simply for the sake of collecting stuff.

My story is on its way to a happy ending.

I have not allowed myself buy a single frame since being faced with my frenzy of frames. I even went through the ones I already have and purged some of the less desirable.

I am on the road to recovery.

Now to get all the ones I have sitting in boxes in the corner up on that big white wall. (I keep saying I am going to wait until we get it painted, but I think my self-dictated therapy may require a sooner-rather-than-later approach.)

This episode of Hoarders is ready for HGTV.

16 comments:

Cannwin said...

Evelyn... dear. If you're going to hoard picture frames you need to get some that aren't square... and maybe some bigger ones.

That's my problem I have lots of big ones, but none the size that I need.

Macey said...

Oh girl. I love it.
Seriously? Once you get all that stuff on the walls where you want it? You'll need more, because you'll be surprised that it's not as many as you think!

Carrie said...

I don't think it is a sickness at all! As a photographer, I am the first to announce that it is simply ART--and that will only ever be good and glorious.

Psssssssssssssttt..I got rid of some kind of important stuff just so I could have more room in boxes for my frames/photos. Can't wait to bring them out once I have the place to hang them again.

Bethany said...

Wow, that's a lot of frames! I was just at Goodwill today looking for some, and I didn't find anything as cute as you surely have! Nice job!

Impulsive Addict said...

Girl...you weren't kidding! That's a LOT of picture frames! You can send me some. I'm always looking for new frames. lol

CB said...

There is alot you can do with picture frames - I think it's awesome! Just don't let them sit in a box, spray paint them and put them up with pride!!

shortmama said...

You and I have the same issue with frames...except most of my frames are empty for me to make things to put in them! But I probably have just as many as you lol!

Unknown said...

I think the same thing is going to happen to me when we settle in to a house! It already happened a little with all my craft supplies...going through that room trying to organize it, I found tons and tons of duplicate supplies I bought with different projects in mind. I keep telling myself that I'm not going to buy anymore until I get some of the old stuff used up!

The picture frames, though. I think they are beautiful. And one can never have too many pictures on display, right?

{leah} said...

Well, well.... I guess you weren't fibbing when you said you loved picture frames, but I really had no idea!

but I do understand about not wantign to put pictures up when you are renting. We have a whole box of pictures, just waiting for a home.

I may be posting some thing like this once we have bought a house :)

Pitterle Postings said...

I think it is totally art. You are amazing and I know that you are going to love it when it is finally completed.

Mamarazzi said...

before you hang these on the wall do this...

get some butcher paper and roll it out to the size of the space you want the pics to take up on the wall.

then lay your pictures out on the FLOOR on top of the paper. arrange them all and move them around until they are where you want them.

then trace them all and write a little note on the paper about who the picture is of or # the frames and traced squares.

then measure where the hanger is on the picture frame and mark it on the traced frame.

once you have all of that...put the butcher paper on the wall with painters tape making sure it is level...then hammer holes in the spots you have measured out on the traced frames, right through the paper...then carefully take the paper off the wall and have someone hand you the pictures in order and hang them in their place.

trust me this sounds like a crap load of work, but it really is FASTER and easier than any other way i have done picture walls...

i just did 4 long hallways at my folks...hanging 238 picture frames, not kidding...it took me 3 hours with my mom's help. we wrote #s on the backs of the frames after doing the first wall with names etc. #s went WAY faster.

anytipyoudidntaskfor

you are welcome.

Jeigh said...

Wow. Just...wow. But now you have brand new walls to hang them up on! They have purpose! (Hmmm, maybe it's good that Camille was there to intervene and not your faithful bloggie roadies, encouraging your "sickness"? haha)

jennykate77 said...

Holy crap! That's a lot of picture frames!

Myya said...

Holy frames Batman!

Holy AWESOME tip from Mamarazzi!

I wanna come over & help you paint those white walls & hang pictures. Not because I like to paint, because really I hate it, but because I ♥ you & want you to smile really big when you walk in that room & think... ahhhh this is my home!!! :)

Camille said...

People! people! You are handing an alcoholic a Margarita! I am telling you, she could frame every piece of paper her kids colored, folded, cut or blew their noses in and she would still have frames left over for the less important things like marriage certificates and birth pictures. I am glad to hear you got rid of a few but the fact that you kept calling them "pretty things" is a concern. you should start hoarding DI boxes of frames and share the love. I love you! Happy Birthday!

Sami said...

Oh WOW!!! Chicky, I think we may need to stage an intervention.
If there's a banner hanging in my house, and some guy in a suit when you come in May...you'll know what it's about.
<3 you!

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