OPAM: may ’08 (photo wall in living room)

okay for all of you following along with me, today is the day to post your before picture on your blog. if you dont have a blog, take a before picture and put it somewhere you can see it a lot. for motivation. for those with a blog, you can then post a link in the comments here if you want!

here are my before pictures:

untitled-1.jpg

the first one was taken obviously before the frames were even up. see them in the bottom right?

and the second was taken the night the frames were hung by my amazing brother in law jason. he did it for me since neither i nor jeff have the know how for such things like perfectly level photo frames in a perfectly spaced grid. or the laser level that jason has. or the patience. we just hand it all over to him with a smile and hope that our company and jokes are worth it.

since then, i have filled the frames with two photos. my project this month will be to finish the rest.

deets:

frames are from ikea
they are 19 3/4 X 19 3/4
i have my photos printed at my pro lab

idea to buy and hang these frames came from the lovely erin vey, a hugely talented doggie photographer in the pacific northwest.

now, go forth and OPAM!

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78 Comments

  1. These are awesome! I am wondering though? ALL black and white images or really awesome TARA colour or a mix of both?

    oh.. and if i work on my jokes.. could Jason please come to Aus and help? LOL I am trying to do a grid and remember the last time I did it.. Mmmmm wasn’t fun and took HOURS..LOL

    I am thinking of using the RAM frames from Ikea.. and the strips from Command/3M.. they give you a lil room to move… and we like that!

    Good luck on your project!

  2. OH MY GOODNESS I am looking for 15 x 15 frames with a 10 x 10 opening!! I cant find them anywhere…. I want them for the center of my long wall like 3 of them with my sons feet, a cute picture I got of his hands and tummy, and a close up of his face all in black and white but I CANT FIND WHAT I WANT!!! I am going to IKEA.com to see if they have what I want now?? you probably dont know me but I love your photography and follow your blog!!

  3. You are amazing. Your photograpy, persnality and even your decorating sense! What a beautifl and unique house! While you are at it… go ahead and put a picture in that GORGEOUS green picture from on your side table;)!

  4. lanne-i think this time, all black and white. i also have other ideas-like adding fabric or extra wide wide wide white digital matting to a teeny photo in the center. but for this first installment, all black and white.

    trina-color inc pro lab

    K8theriver-paint is “spanish olive” by benjamin moore

    loupy-they are just called clips!

  5. I love your idea and think your house looks so pretty. I have a couple of questions and sorry if someone already asked because I didn’t read other comments….anyway, do you print the photos as 19 3/4 x 19 3/4? Do labs do that? or only professional labs? Is it expensive? I live in OC, what lab do you use? How often will you change out the photos (every few years or never?)….just curious.

  6. annie-print at my lab in 20×20 and trim the pics a bit. its a pro lab, so if anyone else wants to do this, i guess the best way would be to google “20×20 photo enlargement lab”? and good luck. :) if anyone else knows of a place to do it, please post here and ill let everyone know.

    how often will i change? likely, um…never. hahahhahaa. but i have the best of intentions-thus: OPAM

    heidi-i couldnt post a comment to your blog but wow-your kitchen is GORGEOUS. i am a bit jealous! love the style of it so much.

  7. girl… i’ve had this idea. kind of like your closet. … for a long time. i bought chalkboard paint last year. LAST YEAR. i wanted to paint my basement door with chalkboard paint. shouldn’t take long. one YEAR! last night – i did it! i will have to post a link once i am done with the trim. it’s rocking. and the best part? i found out quite unexpectedly, my soon to be three year old knows how to write Momma. all on her own! ALL OVER THE DOOR! how friggin inspiring is that? love the new site!

  8. love ’em. can’t wait to see what they look like completed. i bought tons of the 5×7 IKEA ones and had planned to collage them on a wall-two years later they’re still packed up. way to go & loved the closet too, you must feel so great, getting all this stuff done. i really believe that things shouldn’t just function, they should look great doing it. keep inspiring!

  9. I love the closet project. I too have a “thing” for pretty closets though I wasn’t as daring as you with the hot pink paint.
    http://aqueenintraining.blogspot.com/2008/01/project-closet-reno-completed.
    html

    I would like to play along with the projects challenge and have posted some of my after photos http://aqueenintraining.blogspot.com/2008/05/what-i-did-finish.html

    Thanks for the big kick in the butt. I can’t wait to see what everyone else is doing.

  10. I could not decide on the many projects that need to be done around our house on which one to actually start with. I am going with my youngest step-daughter’s room. It has become a catch all for all. Although I am embarressed on just how bad of a catch all that it has become, I am posting pictures of it before I even touch it. That way I will know just how far it came in that one short month. If I know me, it will have paint wet on the 31st of this month! haha http://staceed1975.squarespace.com/blah-blah-blah/2008/5/2/opam-may-2008.html

  11. I have been wanting to do this too. Can’t wait to see the pictures. Are they gonna be of all your kids? Anyone not having Ikea, I noticed the other day at MIchaels that they had some pretty nice 12×12 frames. Now if I can get my act together, I have so many empty frames waiting for pictures.

  12. looking back at the pink closet I can see a corner of your wall and one of your sons photos framed. that looks so good and I cant wait to to see the final.

  13. I am one step ahead of you here…I noticed in your closet pictures the one of your son and was like “OH WOW…” because I just knew there were large fun prints!!! Gorgeous!!!!

  14. this is JUST the push I need to get my wall started!! THANKS!! I will take a before photo this weekend & put it on my blog! then it will be another week b4 my first frame comes to get started but I am ANXIOUS to get started! THANK YOU!!!

  15. I don’t have a photo, but I did make it my mission to put together a special container of craft supplies for each child to have at camp. We start camping this weekend, so maybe I’ll be successful in capturing an image of them using their crafts. They were really so very happy with the surprise box of crafts… it reminded me of how something so little feels so big, inside and out. Thanks for the inspiration!

  16. HI Tara
    LOVE your posts and your work. I can’t figure out how to subscribe to your blog- is that possible to do with your blog? thanks!
    Christie

  17. I looked online and they won’t ship those frames! Can you believe it? I noticed you have some extras in the floor. If you want to get rid of them, I will take them off your hands and pay for the s&h too.

  18. Wow! I feel a little star-struck getting blogged about from you Tara. Seriously you and Jeff are hilarious and you know how much I love to do projects for folks, especially the two of you. I can’t wait for the next opportunity to help with an OPAM.

  19. I don’t have a blog, so no before picture, but I want to play! I bought several big giant rub-on quotes three months ago that are still rolled up in their nice little bag, waiting to go up on the walls in my house. I *will* put them up this month so I can enjoy them!

    Thanks for the kick in the pants, Tara! I can’t wait to see your after photos!

  20. Your website is fabulous & fun :) From your photography to your adorable house,what an inspiration you are!! (I want your pink closet!!) Ok..so I’m loving your picture frames from Ikea,however my problem is that I don’t live near one so I’d have to order them and their now showing up on their website. Do you happen to have a UPC number (or any code) that I could give them to look it up?

  21. thanks for the inspiration. keep it coming! we just got a need place and need to about one million projects in one month.. my before prictures are such a sad sight…

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