Deck progress is moving slowly, so we’ll share a fuller update on Monday. We wish we had more full days to devote to it, but this will likely become a weekly-update rhythm, similar to how we covered our first house’s bathroom renovation and our kitchen redo. In the meantime I couldn’t resist sharing an in-progress photo of John and his dad wrestling with the auger — proving once again who’s boss on the job site.
When I used the phrase “half a decade” in the title, I wasn’t referring to the deck (we really hope it won’t take us five years). I meant our five-year wedding anniversary, which is coming up on July 7th. It’s hard to believe it’s already been five years since our little backyard wedding. Our wedding date has a special place in our hearts because we chose 7/7/07 as our wedding day to honor the date we started dating, 7/7/05. Fun fact: we shared our first kiss on that first date — yes, we kissed on the first date.
Some moments from our wedding feel so vivid they could have happened last month. Time really flies. Over the years we’ve made a little tradition of taking a family photo on July 7th to mark the anniversary. We like to display these annual photos together, framed in a collection of small capiz frames we’ve collected from Target, thrift stores, Hobby Lobby, and other spots.
Our sink had become cluttered with four framed anniversary photos and an empty new frame we picked up for this year’s picture, so we decided to tackle a small photo-hanging project to move the frames off the counter and into a neat wall grouping beside the sink.
Hanging frames is one of the questions we get asked about most often, so we thought we’d walk through our process for arranging and mounting a small grouping without creating unnecessary holes in the wall. People are either nervous about hammering into a pristine wall or unsure how to choose a pleasing arrangement. The good news is there are usually many arrangements that look great, so we typically start by laying the frames on the floor and moving them around until we find a layout we like.
Once the layout is decided, we make paper templates for each frame to map out the placement precisely. We simply lay each frame on a sheet of white printer paper, trace the outline, cut the shapes out, and tape them to the wall. This lets us refine spacing and alignment visually without committing to drill or nail holes.
Before taping the templates, we mark the exact position of the hanging hardware on the back of each frame, then poke a small guide hole through the paper so we know the exact spot to place the nail. This step removes all the guesswork and prevents multiple stray holes in the wall.
Some of our capiz frames were designed to sit on a tabletop rather than hang, so we picked up inexpensive picture-hanging hardware and glued small hangers onto the backs of those frames. We also removed any fold-out stands so the frames sit flush against the wall.
With the paper templates in place and guide holes marked, we simply hammered nails through the hole in each template into the correct spot. After leaving the nails in and peeling away the paper, each frame hung perfectly in its intended spot. The whole process is quick and tidy — less than a minute between taking the templates down and having the finished grouping on the wall.
After everything was hung I ran outside to cut some flowers for a quick vase arrangement. The blooms were free clippings from our yard: hydrangea heads from the patio bushes and a few dramatic stems from a large butterfly bush in the backyard. I placed a small glass vase inside a large ceramic planter to lift the stems up without needing impossibly long cuttings.
The mix of pointy butterfly bush flowers and the soft, lace-like hydrangea balls looks lovely together. It’s a temporary arrangement, but it brightens up the area and complements the anniversary photos. I especially love how the capiz frames are more visible and distinct now that they aren’t stacked on the counter.
It’s sweet to see four anniversary photos displayed together with the empty fifth frame waiting for this year’s family picture. Will Clara and Burger cooperate for our photo this year? Probably not — and that’s half the fun. Do you have an anniversary tradition or a favorite method for hanging grouped frames? We love hearing other easy tips, especially simple tricks that keep walls neat and give a collection the right rhythm and balance.
Psst — we announced this week’s giveaway winner this week, so check our giveaway post to see if it’s you.