Off my phone & into my home

I’m one of those weirdos who rarely changes photos out of frames. I don’t know if I’m afraid of offending a photo or a memory or if I’m just stuck on idea that only that photo belongs in that frame, but it’s a tired problem. It could also be that I’m lazy about editing, ordering and picking up photos. Who knows?

I’ve always been a photo-snapping fool with the majority of my images being admired then forgotten on my hard drive. Owning an iPhone only stepped up the sad ratio of digital images to physical images. I’ve taken so many photos, but I’ve done hardly anything with prints.

A number of things have happened lately that just made all that change. Christmas gift cards, new year goals, IKEA and the Mpix iPhone app are the major players.

I started with a plan to make a four by four photo-block collage in our entry way. I wanted to do it inexpensively and easy to change out so I could continually rotate current photos for older ones. That idea got pushed out of the way by the idea to use magnetic strips for Stickygrams. But while I was searching for not-industrial-looking magnetic strips, I found curtain wire at IKEA for $6.99, and it included 12 clips. Stickygrams were out, and I set out on the hunt for the best deal for prints. Enter Mpix, the site I prefer to order all my photo prints from, regardless of size or amateur/professional status.

I’ve had the app on my phone since the recent release of 4×4 inch prints, but I hadn’t yet pulled the trigger. While other Instagram-printing sites are selling their 4×4 inch prints for prices like 24 for $12, Mpix sells their prints for $0.29 each, and you can upload and order directly from your phone using the app. I ordered 42 prints for $16 (including shipping) on Friday and hung them up today, Monday.

I decided on three rows, our wall studs set the wire length at 32(ish) inches, then Rob’s practiced eye took over for the spacing (and hanging), setting each row about 8 inches apart. Because the clips rotate a bit, I decided to double up on the photos, placing them back to back on 12 clips per row. That also lets me hang twice as many without overcrowding the wire – win!

I couldn’t be happier with my new display and am so happy I was able to spend less than $40 to bring my idea to life.