Gift Question
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive June 2006:
Gift Question
Natalie's 2nd birthday is in a few weeks. She received a box from her aunt and uncle (DH's brother) yesterday. The aunt is a Disney FREAK and a major collector of Disney things, so Natalie often gets Disney stuff from them.
Among her "toy" gifts were a total of 5 Disney prints: 1 collectable Pooh lithograph and a set of 4 101 Dalmatians II prints. (They watched that movie with Natalie when they met her for the first time 2 weeks ago AND Nat is in love with dogs).
They are all really neat and I can see them framed beautifully but where would I put them?? We are about to re-arrange Nat's room for a big girl bed, but there's quite a bit of stenciling in there and I'm not sure how it will work. I would love to put at least one in her room, especially the Dalamatian ones because I know she would love them, but what about the others? They are all about 12x14-ish, unframed, so larger when I would get them framed.
I think they are nice gifts, and they will rarely be visiting our home (my BIL is military), but I don't know what my obligation is I guess. I hate to put them in a closet somewhere, although I guess that might be my only choice until a)Natalie has a Disney room (which may never happen) or b)we can put at least 2 in her room somewhere. I just feel badly having such beautiful pictures but not having a place for them.
At least for me, you don't just hang Disney prints in your living room (LOL), although that's fine for some people. Any thoughts???
Perhaps a Disney themed bathroom one day??? Decorate the inside of the garage? I agree, I wouldn't put them in my living room or anything. I know some people would and it would look great but it's not really my style.
I guess I would keep them around unframed for awhile (stored neatly and nicely) in case you move and she has a playroom. If that doesn't happen you could probably donate them or sell them one day. Does she have a room at Grandma's that has room for them?
I completely understand your dilema!
Well........if Natalie likes them, and it is *her* room, what's the harm in hanging one or two of them in there, at least for a while? I mean, she is not going to know if they *match* the decor.
Has she seen them yet? Another thought - if she has, and you hide them away, you may be teaching her a lesson you don't want to teach - and that is ungratefulness. AND - keep this in mind, if she talks to them, or sees them, and they ask about them, it may be very confusing to her.
Even if you don't want to actually hang them on the wall, can you prop one on a dresser or something, for a while?
I guess I just don't see it as that big a deal. Granted, much as I love Disney, it would not be *my* first choice in decor either, though I know people who WOULD use it as decor. But it's a small thing in the grand scheme of things. Especially the Dalmation one - if she likes dogs, liked watching the movie with them, I think it would actually help reinforce a positive relationship with them to let her have it where she can see it and relate to them in that way. Just my rambling thoughts..................
You could buy a poster-sized frame and make a collage with the lithographs. I'm thinking that since you don't want to display them all the time, this will serve two purposes: you can keep them safe and allow Nat to enjoy them when she wants and they can be put in closet or stored away until you decide exactly what you want to do. As long as you don't put tape or glue on the lithographs, they should keep inside the frame intact.
I have one Disney lithograph that was a "gift" from my credit card. LOL I did frame it but haven't hung it on the wall. I have it on a desk for now.
Karen-I'm all for hanging 2 of the Dalamatian prints in her room right now because they are really cute and she would like them, I'm just trying to figure out where they would physically "fit" on the walls, you know?
No, she really didn't see them. They weren't wrapped and when we realized they were something paper, we snatched them up to see what they were so she wouldn't inadvertently tear them.
I definitely can see 2 in her room, but 5 is A LOT!
Hang two and every few months swap them with ones that are stored.
Are you going to have room for her to have a play room? I think they would be great in a play room. I would also hang at least a couple of the dalmations in her room if she likes them.
My kids rooms have always been all mixed up, just all about what they like. For instance, my son has his walls painted green and yellow, his two favorite colors at the moment, which also happen to coincide with his favorite football team, the green bay packers. He has gb packers stuff up, Dale Jr. posters up, a comic racers poster we got from Bristol Motor Speedway hanging up, and batman curtains (though, he is wanting to replace those now). Oh and a fire engine shelf he got when he was younger with three dalmation pups sitting on it. Everything is all mixed up. Whatever they find that they like, that's what goes!
Ditto Melanie's idea!
We were in the same dielemma with Winnie the pooh prints.We hung 1 in her room and packed the rest away until she had a finished playroom.It took around 8mths before we framed and hung the rest up.I also like Melanie's idea
Do you have a basement? I decorated the play room in the basement with the kids posters (disney, kitty cats, dogs, ninja turtles) and special art projects they did in preschool etc. Does her closet door open or fold? If it opens you could hang one on the back of the door and she'll get a surprise each time she opens it.
Perhaps put them in some sort of photo album that she can look through and see them?
Or perhaps tape one or two to the inside (or outside) of her bedroom door.
I like Melanie's idea too.
Thanks for all of the great suggestions! You've all given me some workable ideas.
I use posters like that in the kiddos play room. I would frame them all, then alternate which ones go in her room. Eventually she will have a space that they may go in. Also framing will preserve them better, so if you are just going to store them, this will keep them in good shape, if you never use them you have protected an "investment" and you can sell them.
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