Bye-bye blank walls

I am always slow to hang things on the walls in a new house. Call me a hole-a-phobe or a commit-a-phobe, but I like to take my time when it comes to totally altering the landscape of a perfectly good blank wall. And, yet, I crave to have the emptiness filled. What can I say? I am a woman of contradictions. And, in our house, there is a sort of unspoken rule: Don't ask the husband to get out all his hanging gear--hammer, drill, wall anchors, level, ladder, etc--for just one item. (And whatever you do, don't go about hanging something without a wall anchor)! So, today, we took advantage of being trapped in the house by the weather to add a little pop of interest here and there. I love to surround myself with things that remind me of people, places and ideas that I love, which all of these things do perfectly.

This one we've actually had up for a while, and I absolutely LOVE it.
It is in the "kid wing" of the house, where everyone is sure to see it
everyday and be reminded what's expected of them.

This was a housewarming gift from my grandparents.
I love the way it exactly matches our woodwork.

On the left is an embroidered picture commemorating our wedding date,
made by Jeff's aunt and given to us just after we married. It's always been special.
And right above the bed is the amazing quilt my amazing mother-in-law made for me recently.
It's family heirloom hankies, hand-quilted together in absolute perfection. 

This was a gift from my parents for Christmas. It is hanging in a high-traffic area,
which must be passed on the way to the garage. I need this reminder daily, and especially
when I'm trying to get everyone out the door to go somewhere.