Breaking out the ancestors

Sometimes you open up a can of worms for yourself. I initially created these illustrations for my talented photographer friend, Nadine Nasby so that she might showcase her photography packages, but it's become personal.  About a month ago, I checked out a book from the library about displaying things you love in your home. This art project, combined with reading that book, has left my head swirling. Now I'm longing to really fill my hallway with pics of extended family. 

I've done a good job framing and hanging pictures of my husband and kids, but I'm craving some ancestors up on the wall. With the exception of some fridge pics, our grandparents and great grandparents are poorly represented. I'm a firm believer that knowing where we come from helps our families to feel a part of something bigger than just ourselves. In turn, my hope is that this will help them to believe that they are representing not only Christ, but a long line of people who do (or would if they were still with us) love them greatly. 

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My husband's Grandpa Limberios who was a sign artist

I've always loved learning about my grandparents and great grandparents. I know my children love to ask questions about and spend time with their extended family as well. While I'm bad at making phone calls, I am good about telling stories and talking about family. Since we are a visual bunch, what a great way to support this by incorporating more photos. 

My problem is that my home is small. Very small. Really, if I choose my spot carefully I can plug in my vacuum and hit my entire house. This forces me to get creative and selective with what I hang up. It also forces me to use bathroom wall space for some interesting choices. So today I'm going to make a goal to hang some beautiful photographs that I've kept in hiding. Hopefully these illustrated groupings will help you to do the same.

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I'm told that it helps enormously to first stick pieces of paper to the wall the sizes of your frames. It's much easier to reposition paper and tape than fill your wall with holes. Feel free to comment or share your favorite hanging tactics.