Shattered

I learned a couple of things tonight:

1. If I decide to do something, I decide to do it. 
2. Sometimes the "easier" method is not the best method. 
3. Our house is kind of dark at night, and my quickie iPhone pictures aren't great.

Regarding number one, all I need is a little idea, a little inspiration, and I'm good to go. This afternoon, I mused to myself that it would be fun to finally hang art in the living room, even if it's only temporary art (who knows if we'll want to keep these old pictures up forever? what's forever, anyway, in terms of decor?). Will was going to work late, and I thought it would be a nice surprise for him when he came home. So hang I did! I hung five frames, actually. And I discovered a picture that I thought was missing (I seriously almost contacted family members to see if I had accidentally given it away). Win win win!

Check out that vintage French advertising!
So college!
But if I like 'em,  and Will doesn't mind, who cares, right?
Please ignore the fact that I didn't clean up.

That second lesson I learned tonight should be obvious, but I apparently sometimes need a reminder. See, I thought I had the brilliant idea to use these Command Picture Hanging Strips to hang my larger, long vertical frames. The frames that are currently filled with flower pictures, from my colorful-apartment, living-alone days. I was into flower pictures. Not that I don't love them now, but they're just not quite me/us anymore.

Anyway, I decided to hang them using hanging velcro strip things instead of nails, because one of them has lost its picture hanging wire, and the other's is kind of wonky, and there are no brackets or anything on these old frames from IKEA. I should have gone the fancier route, and either purchased more wire, or cemented a bracket onto the back, but I tried to go the lazy easy route. I didn't even wash the wall with alcohol beforehand, I ignored the fact that the strips weren't quite the right size, and I didn't do a great job of "pressing for 30 seconds and then waiting an hour before hanging". And one of the frames totally fell to the ground. 

Here's what they (briefly) looked like in all their glory:

Oh look, they frame the window nicely.
I actually don't LOOOVE them.
But it would have been nice if they had stayed up anyway.

At least it didn't fall before Will got home - he got to see it in all its glory and then hear it crash. The frame split into pieces, but miraculously the glass didn't totally shatter. A chunk broke off the corner, but I can't find it - no walking in that corner barefoot until I do! I immediately took its partner down, since now my faith in the 3M strips had been completely shattered (ok fine. not my faith in the strips. my faith in my ability to hang with these strips tonight.), just like the frame itself.

So now I'm left with two blank wall spaces again around the window. What do you think I should do with the space? Do you like the long, vertical frames? Should we go for more, smaller, eclectic frames instead, random-hodge podge style? Thoughts? Help? Encouragement?