engineering prints

i can't help but love all of the amazing ideas and solutions on that great reservoir of creativity that we call pinterest!

when i moved into the new place, i had a heck of a time trying to decide what to do with all of the wall space above the head of my bed.  i scoured said reservoir and there were some amazing ideas... a headboard made of open books (turned to personally relevant pages), lots of great vinyl art, string-light cutout confections, maps (i love maps). but even though i loved a LOT of these ideas, and they even seemed to represent me accurately, i simply couldn't decide.

enter pier 1 and their stinkin' good sales!  i happened along some faux window frames for 60% off, and i made the first decision.  i liked that these were imminently changeable.  i could use the lovely panes for just about anything... photos, miniaturized maps, book pages or quotes, etcetera. the flexibility was mind boggling.  so much so, that i put them up on the wall, and they remained empty window frames for about four months.  clearly, i have commitment issues.

then, after arriving home from vegas, and going through my usual unpacking, re-organizing routine, i looked at the empty frames and thought 'hey! those family photos we took at christmas might look pretty good up there!' so i took some measurements, but i knew i wanted one photo per frame (NOT pane) and i wasn't sure exactly how the faces and bodies would line up.  i was hesitant to spend $45 to have the two photos blown up and printed without being sure.

then, the magic happened.  i recalled a post (probably on pinterest) about engineering prints, and i googled. turns out, staples will print these over sized documents for a pittance.  they are black and only (which is exactly what i wanted) and not typically meant for photos, so the quality isn't the same as a photo print would be.  but i was kind of going for a 'shabbier' version anyway.  i placed my order online, was called 15 minutes later to be told i could pick them up, headed to staples where i paid my $4.57 and brought them home.  yes, $4.57 instead of $45, and they are exactly what i wanted.

i did run into some placement issues, but the way it worked out, family members
that are partially 'cut' in one frame are totally visible in the other, and vice versa.  and ultimately, it's exactly the feel i was going for.  now, i'm just trying to figure out what else i can have made into engineering prints!