Planning a needlepoint gallery wall

I finally got around to thrifting a bunch of random wood frames to hang up some of my needlepoints, gallery wall style. I figure I spent the time making them, why not display them somewhere I can see them each day? I have no experience with gallery wall layouts whatsoever, but I found some great tips whether you want to go the traditional route and hang on a grid or not, a la Kate Spade.  Hope to get these pictured below (and more) on the wall above my kitchen table sometime this week. Just have to trim and secure them all in the frames, and make a decision whether to paint all the frames white or leave them eclectic. (I originally planned to paint them white, even bought the paint, but realized I can’t paint the smaller ones and red ones in the bottom right. What to do!?)

Here’s the most recent needlepoint I’m working on, marigolds in front of a stained glass window. This is probably the most expensive kit I’ve bought–it cost $1.50. 😉

And yes, those are my sweatpants in the background. No shame.

July 9 2013 meal plan

• Pitas with roasted red pepper hummus, tomatoes, cucumbers
• BLTs on torta bread with avocado
• Chef’s salad with turkey, avocado, jack cheese
• Smoked salmon, creme fraiche, thinly sliced cucumber on baguette
• “Stuffed burgers” and a fingerling potato salad

I have no idea what stuffed burgers are, that is the husband’s request for a BBQ day. I have cheese, bacon, beef, avocado, lettuce, tomato, buns…so we will see what he comes up with. This week’s meal plan is dictated by not wanting to use the stove (again) and a plethora of avocados and red peppers from a recent Costco run. Also you can tell when I make my meal plans before eating lunch…that’s when there is meat all 5 meals instead of the normal twice/thrice a week. Oops!

July 2 2013 meal plan

• Caprese salad (1st tomatoes I’ve bought this year…yum!) and baguette with creme fraiche, herbs from garden
• Creamy garden pasta salad
• Creamy broccoli salad, and cantaloupe/mozzarella/proscuitto/mint salad
• BBQ chicken and coleslaw sandwiches
• Bagels with smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers and red onion

I bought a tub of creme fraiche from Trader Joe’s a couple weeks ago. Then took a couple tablespoons of it and put it in a mason jar with a cup of cream. Left it on the counter for 12 hours then stuck it in the fridge. Perpetual creme fraiche!

As you can tell it was waaay too hot to cook this week. The only time I turned the stove on was once (pasta) otherwise it was just microwaving canned chicken and toasting bagels. Sometimes you just need a lazy week.