November 10, 2023

The Beginnings of Thankfulness

Ushered in by the winds and falling leaves, November evokes a desire to cozy up inside and look inward, which is a natural starting point to reflecting on thankfulness and blessings in our lives.

For years, I've wanted to create a photo wall with images not just of family, but of inspirational people.  I've finally carved an area out of a nook in our living room, which used to house what the neighbor kids called "ninja writing."
It's actually a Japanese scroll with what we think is the sentiment of "do your best."  At the time we were thinking of creating a Tokonoma of sorts (a Japanese home alcove used for flowers and scrolls). While we like the calligraphy, I was just ready to move it elsewhere in the house.

So one morning while Soren was at preschool, I pulled out all of our photos and a hodge-podge of picture frames I had on hand, ready to assemble a collage of pictures.
Some of the more obvious ones include our wedding photos and baby pictures, but I also added a silhouette of Soren I made a few years ago.
So I picked out some of my favorite photos, popped them in the frames, and arranged them on the floor until I found a design I liked.  Then I transferred it onto the wall.  One easy way is to lay down butcher paper, lay the frames on it and trace them, then tape the paper to the wall.  But I was lazy and just eyeballed it, enjoying the imperfection of not lining everything up perfectly.
This is just the beginnings of a thankfulness corner, which was suggested by Chris.  He even came up with the idea of making it sort of Mexican or Indian folk-artsy with the Christmas lights (actually clearance patio lights from Target).
I'd like to sew a banner that says "thankful" and add it to the wall, as well as do some sort of interactive thankfulness bowl or branch, where we could add items that we're grateful for on slips of paper or the like.  I'll keep you posted.
We're hoping it will be an easy and meaningful way for Soren and us to nourish a sense of gratitude in our lives, particularly in the weeks preceding Thanksgiving.

3 comments:

  1. See? This is what I'm talking about. You rock.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's beautiful!! Love the addition of lights too. Very nicely done :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love your wall...it is so warm and inviting. I also like how you hung the lights as well...very cool.

    ReplyDelete

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