Decorating with Portraits and Photography Series

Hey everyone!!

I shared this post last month on Kristen Duke Photography's great series, Decorating With Portraits. I love the challenge of sprinkling pictures of my loved ones throughout my home and enjoyed reading all of the entries - 30 days worth by 30 different bloggers! There were a lot of great ideas floating around, so check it out if you missed it!

Also, I wanted to share something new that I'm going to be doing with you on Mondays.

When we surveyed our readers a few months back and asked what you would like to see more of on Lemon Tree Creations, we were overwhelmed by the number of you who expressed interest in learning more about photography. So that is what I'm going to give you!

Every Monday I'll be sharing some of my favorite photography tips, tricks, gear and gadgets. I'm so excited to get started!!

Here is my post about decorating with portraits in my home. Enjoy!

Hi there!

My name is Erin and this is me most days! I'm a momma of two and enjoy juggling these gorgeous kids, a wonderful husband, and finding time to indulge my passions for creating and photography.

I love when I have the opportunity to get professional portraits taken with my family!! It is a rare treat to be able to see our interactions portrayed in such a beautiful way, and I am giddy in the days leading up to previewing the images, and the weeks leading up to the arrival of prints. Once they finally arrive I am just so excited...that I leave them in the box.

Okay, it's time for me to admit it. Deep breath. I am frame commitaphobe.

I live in a small town with an even smaller selection of stores. Thrift stores can provide some great options, but then I'm left with how to refinish them, and sometimes that lets me put off the framing decision even longer. But I'm committed to getting my photos out, even if that means they sometimes are displayed unframed.

I searched high and low for the perfect frame for my daughter's birth announcement to keep in her nursery, but in the end, decided that just leaning it on a shelf was my best option. The family blocks were a fun way to sneak in a family photo as well.

In addition to not committing to frames, I can't commit to a favorite snapshot. (Whew! It feels good to get this all out in the open!) I take photos on a daily basis, so I have new favorites every week. I made this clothesline photo display so that I can change them up regularly, and it's a great alternative to matting a bunch of the pictures in little frames and grouping them together.

I recently tried another option with some professional portraits that I had done and I whole-heartedly recommend it. If you have professional portraits taken, choose the photos that are your FAVORITES, you know, the ones that you immediately swear you will have blown up to near life-like proportions, you'll want to look on daily, and show off to ALL of your friends and family, you know the ones? Have them mounted.

I had my two favorite shots mounted and blown up to 8x10 and 11x14 sizes and I love them. There are several different mounting options available: matboard, styrene board, foam board, masonite, and some of them have varying thickness options as well. Talk to your photographer and see what options they have available or what they recommend.

Let me just tell you, as soon as these pictures arrived at my house, they were up. I popped one up above the fireplace and another at the entryway. (The 5x7s I left in the box until I could find some suitable frames.) The photo below of my son and I is my favorite!

I just love the versatility of my mounted photos. The stiffness allows me to "lean" them in my displays, much like you would a piece of framed art. Since I don't have to decide on a specific style of frame or commit to the holes that I have put in my walls, I've shifted the photos around several times to different locations throughout my home. Though the images themselves are timeless, this slight change up, much like I change up my seasonal decor, seems to keep them fresh. Plus, leaning them is so easy, requires no tools, and no commitment. Yessssss.

My other favorite thing about my mounted photos is that there is still the option to frame them. The board is sturdy enough to stand on it's own, but thin enough that I could still pop it in a frame behind glass if and when I find the perfect frame. But is it crazy that my favorite option for this photo is in this old barn window screen? I just love it.

Now that it's the end of October, you may already have a favorite fall photo. Is it of the kids at an apple orchard, in a pumpkin patch, or at the park with the leaves changing beautifully in the background? Or will you favorite photo not appear until next week once the Halloween costumes are out? Either way, remember that you can still get your FREE 8 x 10 canvas through Canvas People right now. It's an awesome deal with beautiful results.

No matter how you choose to display your family photos, be sure that you get your photos out somewhere in your home so that you, and everyone else around you, can enjoy them.

As always, Happy Monday!