Father's Day Collages

The idea:
[Cue dream lighting and angels singing]
To take pictures of the kids (all dressed up of course) holding the letters D-A-D.  Let the kids pick their favorite pictures to make a card for father's day.  And then to use a 3 mat frame (3 5x7's) to create a collage for Kevin to take to work.

Reality check:
D-A-D is 3 letters, and there are 2 kids.  And let's be honest here - posing is not the boys' forte - unless of course it's their idea... Which in dress clothes it never is.   Not to mention that whole me finding the time to procure, and PAINT the letters in between eye infections, car thieves, stomach bugs, swim lessons, and oh, yeah, work.  Funny, huh?

What actually happened:
I picked up chipboard letters, but didn't get around to getting them painted made an executive design decision to go with a more natural rustic look.

The boys wore their Father's Day Shirts ("Like Father, Like Son") instead of their dress shirts because they violently object to polo shirts, anything that has buttons, or anything that isn't cotton I made an executive design decision to go with a more natural rustic look.

Connor cooperated and had several cute pictures to choose from.

Ryan chose several creative ways to hold the letter D (on top of his head, sideways, hanging off his nose, upside down and backwards). 

Ryan also fervently objected to holding the letter A recommended that I use a picture of him with Daddy as his "A" picture.

To be "fair" (3 letters, 2 kids) I decided the best thing to do for the framed art piece was to have BOTH boys hold the letter A.   Let's just say sharing and cooperating is not their forte either.  And some children approached this task with more excitement and vigor than others.

Despite everything we did eventually end up with an "A" picture we could use.

And I thought the whole thing turned out pretty darn cute!

With the pictures in hand it was time to start on the card(s).  The design was originally intended to be a bit more upscale blue and green.  When I didn't get around to painting the letters made the executive design decision to make it more natural and rustic I had to scramble to come up with a corresponding card design.

I think I succeeded.

So then it was time for the framed art...

At which time I discovered that the 3 picture vertical 5x7 frames were no longer anywhere to be found (and I do mean anywhere!) I looked. 

So I finally came up with a glass 3 picture (3x3) frame that I already had.  So I had to recrop & reprint the pictures as 3x3's.  Which is far more difficult than it should be.  Only to discover that the frames weren't exactly the 3x3 that they advertised.  More like 3 1/4 x 3 1/8.  Great.  Just Great.

I did eventually manage to get pictures in the frame.  And the boys and I excitedly admired our handiwork.  So much so that we totally scrapped the plan to wrap the frame (which is semi circular) in a brown paper bag (rustic theme carried though, see??) tied with brown twine and instead decided to just put it on the mantle and drag him in to admire it the second he came downstairs on Saturday.  :)   And yes, I meant Saturday... :)  Since school was hosting a Father's Day lunch on Friday we had already broken out the kids shirts and the shirts the kids and I picked out for Kevin.  So we figured why wait!?  :)

In our excitement we also forgot to take a picture of the finished product for everyone to admire.  An oversight I am sure we will have to rectify soon.  As soon as I remember.  Right after I finally remember to count my teaspoons, and look for the check I got at Christmas that hasn't been cashed.  :)

Update: And here's a picture.  :)