Family picture wall

We have a great family picture wall in our house.  It contains a picture from every year that we have been married.  I got the idea from one of DH's aunts, who did this in their house.  It is always where you can find guests standing, because it's so fun to see the family change through the years.  With all those pictures, it can be tricky finding a good arrangement.  I decided years ago to do mostly 5 X 7's, and use all black frames.  I figured out a few years ago that in order to not have to completely re-arrange all the pictures every year, I just hang a few extra frames and then fill them as the yearly pictures come.  Well, I doubt we will be in this house that long, but I added 5 extra frames to my latest arrangement!  DH also reminded me that within this arrangement, we could have a SON-IN-LAW!!!!  What the ?!?!?!?  It's true.  But that doesn't mean I want to think about it.  :)

Here's how I decide on an arrangement:

 I lay all the frames on the floor and arrange them.

Then take a picture, because it helps to look at the arrangement as a picture, for some reason.  Then, tweak away.  Here is my first try: 

Hmmm.  It's ok, but I didn't like the three small frames at the bottom.  Just didn't look right.  Arrangement number 2:

 

 No, this wasn't right either.  I didn't like how it looks like one row of pictures down the middle.  Just not right.  I also realized that I wanted to go wider instead of longer to fill the space I had better, and to keep the pictures up higher away from little hands.  Try again, number 3:

 

So I went wider this time, but this didn't look good at all.    Try again, number 4:

 

I liked this one better, but I had a couple of frames that were bugging me.  I realized it was the actual frames I didn't like.  (the smallest ones)  I wanted to take them out, but also wanted to have several empty frames in there.  There was also the empty space on the bottom left to deal with.  Try number 5:

I like it!  I took some other frames that I had pictures in but weren't using in this house to replace the small ones I didn't like.  I planned to paint them black and they would be perfect!  Here it is on the wall:

There are five empty frames, so to hold the place for future pictures I am going to put a picture of all the girls, a picture of all the boys, a picture of all the kids, a wedding picture, and one more I can't decide.  Any suggestions?

THAT is how I decide on big arrangements.  :)

Menu Board

One thing I love about this house that we are living in, is that there is a perfect spot for my menu board.  Right next to the kitchen!  I posted this crafty makeover back a while ago:
 I turned this Goodwill find:

Into this:

I always wanted to use it as a menu board but didn't have a good place to put it in our old house.  Well, now I have a good place and get to use it!  It helps spur me to make a weekly menu on Monday so I can write it up on the board.  And the kids are used to it now, so the "What's for dinner?" question has been cut in at least half.  Which is good, because I hate answering the same question 400 times each day.  Here is last weeks menu:

I LOVE it! The only thing I have been wondering, is if I should paint it a different color, since it is hanging on a white wall...  What do you think?

Fall touches around the house

Here is some of the Fall decor I've put up.  It's the only "Fall" thing around here in AZ.  No leaves turning color; the weather is starting to cool off, but some days it shoots back up into the low 90's!  What is that all about?  Anyway, a little decorating helps get in the Fall mood, even if not much has changed outdoors.

The top of the TV armoire has some little zebra pumpkins on candlesticks.  The stripes start out green and they slowly turn orange as the pumpkins ripen.  I LOVE them!!

Here is my mantle sporting the fabric pumpkins I made a couple years ago.

What have you done to bring Fall to your house?