The Beginning of our Family Gallery Wall

Ever since we bought our first house almost six years ago, we wanted to create a family gallery wall. The wall never materialized at our first house, but it was at the top of our to-do list when we moved into our new house at the end of August.

This gallery wall is in our downstairs hallway, right in the center of our house. We're still on the hunt for photos and frames for it, but I wanted to share it as a work in progress. In time, we plan to add two more gallery walls going up our staircase and in our upstairs hallway.

Jonathan's side of the family isn't well represented on the wall, but we'll have some of his family photos (and the stories that go along with them) to hang and share very soon. Once we have those photos, I'll take down most of the photos that are less than 30 years old. While the photos are definitely the stars of the show, the frames are pretty fun as well. Some of them have been in my family for decades, and others came from the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore for a dollar or two each. I think the mix of intricate and plain strikes a nice balance. There are also some empty spaces for additional frames because I like the idea of adding to the wall as we find interesting frames and/or locate photos that are special to us.

Some of the photos shown here will be familiar to you. Several of them were scanned from film slides and printed by me. We love having these precious memories (and people) around us everyday.

Our First Christmas Card Collection

We are very proud to introduce our first-ever Christmas card collection. Christmas has always been our favorite time of the year (we love it so much that our wedding date was December 15, 2007), and when I first started dreaming of Gerald and Joan, I knew Christmas would be an integral part of our business.

Fast forward several months, and our family slides came into my possession. As soon as I saw these images, I knew they were supposed to be our 2013 Christmas card collection. Our mission statement -- preserving history through design -- comes alive through this collection. These images and the cards themselves are completely timeless, yet nostalgic, and they effortlessly blend the past with the present and future.

Here's a little bit more about the collection from our look book:

The first Christmas collection from Gerald and Joan features five Kodachrome photographs from our personal archives. The images were taken at Joan's family home of Gates Mills, Ohio in the 1940s. Scanned from slides discovered after decades in storage, these vintage images transport us back to a simpler time when a white Christmas felt truly magical. To ensure each photograph shines, they are printed on heavy bright white cover stock. Inside each folded card the cover image is repeated and joined by a whimsical holiday greeting. The Christmas magic is then brought to life with a light dusting of crystal glitter and snow and embossed snowflakes dancing across each envelope flap.*

The collection features two options, plus our "little extras" -

5 x 7 Folded Card Set: A basic package of 10 cards includes two copies of our five classic designs. The cards are two-sided, and they are accompanied by 10 high quality A7 metallic silver envelopes.

4.5 x 6.25 Postcard Set: A basic package of 10 cards includes two copies of our five classic designs.

Little Extras* Three Snowflakes Embossed on Envelopes Dusting of crystal glitter and snow on cards Handwritten signatures printed inside each card (you send us your signatures and we digitize and add them to the cards)

The basic packages of 10 cards are now available in our Etsy shop. If you would like to purchase a larger quantity or a custom order with any or all of our little extras, contact us below:

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View the entire Gerald and Joan Christmas Look Book here or click on the image below.

We are so proud to be able to share this collection with you today! Ironically, November 15 happens to be our day to decorate our house for Christmas (a tradition we started in 2006), and it also marks the tenth anniversary of our first real date. :)

Family Stories: The Childhood of Lucy de Forcade Cannon

My paternal grandmother, Lucy de Forcade Cannon, was born in Arona, Italy on Lago Maggiore in 1923.

She attended a private school throughout her childhood, where she was required to wear a uniform -- it was a black and white checked pinafore with blouse. She was accompanied to and from school by her German governess. All of her teachers were Marcelline Sisters. She liked those who taught French and Italian (she speaks Italian, English, French and German). She disliked her math teacher (I shared this dislike of math). My grandmother was an external student in a boarding school. To discourage vanity, the internal students did not have mirrors in their rooms.

Lucy on Capri. 

At home, her father was strict, and her mother was lenient. Her favorite toy was her doll, Rosalda, who she loved to place in her baby bed. She often entertained friends on Saturdays. She loved playing store with friends.

Her favorite colors have always been green and turquoise, because they remind her of Capri. Her favorite flowers are freesia and bougainvillea, and she loves music of all kinds, especially jazz.

In 1945, she met my American grandfather on the tennis court on the Isle of Capri. They played doubles and won. They were married a short time later.

After the war, she was reunited with her father. He was an officer and had gone into hiding from the Germans.

In 1949, my grandparents welcomed my father. They named him Ernest Fred to honor her grandmother's wishes. On Halloween 1955, my aunt, Tina Jennie, was born. They named for her after her mother and my grandfather's late mother respectively.

My grandmother with my father in the 1950s.

My grandmother and father at Christmastime, 1966.

Family Stories: Lucy de Forcade Cannon

When my grandfather died in February 2002, my grandmother wrote the following poem. At the time I was 18 and knew little about love. As naive as I was, I realized how devastating it would be to lose the love of your life after 56 years of marriage.

In August of that year, shortly before she left Mississippi to move back to Naples, Italy, she wrote this poem commemorating their life together:

Bill and I

He came from the clouds On the Isle of Capri And his blue eyes Matched our beautiful sea. We played tennis, swam, danced Looked at the stars and the moon above And to our own surprise We soon were in love.

 It was 1945 when I walked down the aisle And to the amazement of friends I became a war bride. We spent our honeymoon on the Isle of Capri And that was a real treat to me. Then there was Foggia in south Italy Where Bill was stationed And where we lived.

Six month flew by fast Bill was first to return to the U.S. I followed shortly And in 1946 it was Corinth, Mississippi also for me Later Meridian was our home For almost nine years And there we rejoiced For the birth of our son, Fred Blonde curls and blue eyed And of course the joy of our life. The years went by fast And when he was five We went back to Italy And without knowing it To start a new life.

 There in Naples Our little girl was born To join our darling son. Tina Jennie was so pretty Sweet and blonde A real bundle of joy And our dreams were filled With a girl and a boy. In Naples we stayed For 36 years Spending our summers on Capri The children were loving it And so did we.

Time was flying by With incredible speed The children were growing so fast And soon were to leave The family’s nest With a husband and a wife Each couple starting a new life.

Our hair was now graying But we hoped for the best And with Bill’s retirement It was back to the U.S. Our 12 years in Booneville Were nice and quiet Some trips, much golf And good friends were our pastimes. My life is now changed There is a great void For my loved one is gone After 56 years.

It is hard to be alone But my children are near me With much love and affection For this I am so grateful But I am aware still That a chapter is closed And another begins So I pray the good Lord That wherever we go He will bless us from above And keep us all three always united With our strong bond of love.

When she wrote this, she had no idea that she would ever see her adopted Mississippi home again, but she was able to return for our wedding in December 2007. She turned 90 earlier this year and is still in excellent health. I believe much of that is due to the wonderful Capri air and delicious Italian food. Both are exceptionally good for the soul.