When you walk in the front door of our house, you walk right in to the
(not-so-formal-)living room.
For some reason, this room seems to get all the left-over furniture. It will be beautiful someday....and all that is beside the point. Getting back on track...You walk into our nice, big living room (and yes, you will undoubtedly be greeted by two photo-bombing dogs) and there is a big brass-tray-coffee-table right in the middle of the room.
In this large room there is no TV. But there is seating for plenty (plenty more out of sight too). On that brass table I have put a big tarnished silver tray and filled it with some of my Instagram pictures I have had printed.
It is the perfect place to put a tray full of pictures, because a lot of conversation goes on in this room. Since there is no TV, of course everyone is talking! ..............And rifling through my pictures.
Let it be noted before we move on, that yes indeed my parents have told me on more than one occasion that the silver tray needs to be polished. Duly noted. But you understand, I am sure. Anywayyyyyy, I have had my Instagram pictures printed off in four different sizes, three of which I have put on the (tarnished!!) tray.
The ones on the left are printed off with the large white border so that a person can write a note on the white part. I ordered them thinking that was a great idea, to write something about the picture, but as you can see, I have not done so yet. (I'll do that after I polish the tarnished tray!!) The size in the middle is a great size. A perfectly square picture. I love this size. Then the ones on the right are the original way that the company first printed Instagram pictures. I love those too. It is like getting a pixie picture.
The "big" pictures are 4 x 4. Such a great size to put on a tarnished tray for viewing.
The ones with the "note space" are 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 total, with the actual picture being 2 inches wide.
The pixie pictures are 2 1/2 x 2 1/2. But believe me, even with the diminutive size, they pack a punch.
I like the fact I have three different sizes on the (tarnished) tray. It makes going through them fun as we search around.
(If you are asking yourself if tarnished silver should be paired on a brass tray, I just wanted you to know that in my world it works great!!!!!!!!!!!!) At least for now!
All the pictures, no matter the size, are printed on a heavy card stock. The colors, as you can see are rich on that thick paper.
One thing I have noticed since I started the Tarnished Tray Pictures is that you can always tell which one of my children have been here visiting. Of the five of them, four of them always leave pictures of themselves (or their child) on top. So if Fielding had been here here visiting, I would find something like this (above).
Annie's would be something like this AND she would ask why Fielding had replaced hers on top with his.
Taylor's would be like this...and the next two or three layers would also be hers as well. She doesn't settle for just one layer.
Luke's would look like this....AND he would hide the pictures of his sisters and brothers.
Coulter is the only one of the five that does not care. If he did put pictures on top, it would probably be of the babies (his niece and nephew).
You know what I like about the pictures printed and laying out in the open? They are like a modern-day photo album. They are little glimpses into my family's year. They are reminders. They are memories. For instance, the pictures above are of (l to r:) one of the many graphics that were/are popular throughout Oklahoma after the two monster tornadoes hit our state in May; one of my students that came back to my classroom for the first time after missing weeks of school because of a horrific car wreck; and a screen shot from my phone of a Flood Warning in our town...in JULY!! Those pictures are just as important to me as the pictures of the kids and the babies and the dogs.
You know, absolutely any picture can become an Instagram. Save it to your phone camera roll and then open it again in Instagram. I know this works in both Androids and Iphones. I save pictures from my blog all the time.
I have also downloaded several apps to be able to write on my instagrams or make collages of my instagrams. I even have one that makes drawings of my photos. There is so much picture fun available for our phones.
In case you are wondering where I get my Instagram pictures printed, it is through a company called Printstagram (printstagram.com). I have had the picture sizes you have seen done, as well as the Memory Box and Tiny Book. I am going to do the poster some time soon, as well as stickers. I think the prices are very reasonable.
I ordered a bunch of gifts right before Christmas (for stocking stuffers) and they all arrived in time.
Funny story before I wind down from my long-windedness: A couple of years ago, one of my daughters had Instagram on her Iphone and I did not have it on my (then) Android. I loved her pictures and wanted the app so badly! I could not find it to download it, not realizing it was not available for Droids at the time. I gave my phone to the Hubster, asking him to find the app for me. A little while later he gave it back and I searched my phone looking for the icon so I could get started. I did not find the Instagram button. I questioned the Hubs on what he had been putting on my phone, if it was not Instagram. Well, in searching for Instagram he had found an app called "Identifying Trees". You could use it to peruse the hundreds of pictures of trees, trunks, stems and leaves to see what tree it was you were trying to identify. There was everything you ever wanted to know about every tree in the world. He said he thought since there was not Instagram for Droids yet, that I would enjoy the interesting tree app. True story. And he meant it!!!
You can bet the first day Instagram became available for Droids, I had it downloaded (right beside the TREE app)!!! One more thing, I have this pair of mini frames. The opening is only 1 1/2 x 1 1/2. My small Instagram pics fit right in!
You don't have to have a big (tarnished) silver tray to get started on your Instagram pictures. A small plate or bowl will work just as well.
Print some off and see if your family and friends enjoy them as much as we do. No matter where you have them printed, it is great having little capsules of your life right there in front of you. What are you waiting on?
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