I don't really remember seeing my papers and artwork on our fridge as a kid. Though with six of us, I am sure real estate was limited. In Pete and I's first house, we proudly displayed Alex's masterpieces on our fridge. It seemed to be the thing to do. Then the time came to put our house on the market and in the process of decluttering/depersonalizing our home, these treasures came down. I have to admit, I was shocked at house much better the kitchen looked with out the fridge collage. So at that point, I made the decision that I would no longer be a refrigerator mom.





I began looking for other solutions.





Being a graphic designer does not necessarily translate to interior design. I see things I like, but when it comes to purchasing or actually hanging things, I am so indecisive I end up leaving it bare. Of course, Pete prefers it this way anyway. So it just worked out that I use the kids' work to decorate our home.

I went to Target and bought some simple black frames. My original intention was to switch out the artwork as new ones came home, but add that to my pile of good intentions. These have been up for quite awhile.





At work I took a slightly different approach. I didn't want to spend money on frames and in my office we move around quite a bit. (I am in my third office in 2.5 years) I didn't want to drag big pictures and heavy frames around, let alone hang and rehang.





My office solution was to make a matte out of black foam core. I simply taped the artwork to the back of the matte and then I hang it with push pins. Very simple, inexpensive, easy to change out and my kids are thrilled to see their work showcased in my office when they pop in for a visit.