Sometimes, you know right away how you want to custom frame and hang a new piece of art—and then you immediately get the job done. But, more often than not, the process takes a bit more time. You get sidetracked by other things, or become overwhelmed by the options—and before you know it, that new piece of art has been sitting in a drawer, unframed, for years.
If this sounds familiar, you’ll relate to Tiffany’s story about a cherished souvenir that took 13 years (!) to frame and hang. But don’t worry—this story now has a happy ending, complete with gorgeous photos.
Who: Tiffany of Pretty Real, an approachable “lifestyle with kids” blog filled with fashion inspiration, design tips, family-focused celebrations, and DIY projects.
What: An illustrated map of Venice, Italy, purchased on a dream vacation over a decade ago, now matted and framed in a Natural Gallery frame.
From Tiffany: “Years ago, long before we became a family of five, my husband and I had an international trip on our bucket list. We knew that traveling abroad would become more challenging once we had kids, so we took the plunge and planned a trip to Venice, Rome, and Sardinia, Italy.
The vacation was a dream come true—especially our time in Venice, which was as quaint and magical as I’d imagined. We were on a budget and shopping wasn’t on the agenda. But when my husband came across a little shop that felt like the right place to find a memento, he made an exception and bought an illustrated map of Venice that I still love more than a decade later.
Unfortunately, once we returned from our trip and realized the map was an irregular size so we couldn’t just grab a ready-made frame, we put it in a drawer—and there it sat for 13 years!
Ordering a custom frame for art can be overwhelming. You want to get it right, especially when the piece is not replaceable. But the Simply Framed team guided me through the process, and I found the website’s interactive Designer to be so helpful. I even shared the link to the mockup in the Designer with a couple friends to get their feedback before making my final decision. I considered whether I wanted something bold or neutral—and then I thought about the tone and color of the art itself. I also thought about other frames I own and love. In the end, the Natural Gallery frame checked all the boxes.
I absolutely love how this project turned out. Seeing it on my wall brings back so many happy memories of exploring and adventuring, and of a special time in our lives when it was just the two of us.”
Do you have a cherished keepsake sitting in a drawer? It might just be time to get it on your wall—and we can help! Start by browsing our frame collections at simplyframed.com.
