We had such a great time in Paris, and now we have little memento to remember it by, at home.

There are many bridges along the Seine River where couples from around the world add a lock to symbolize their love for each other. We got in on that action while visiting. It was fun, a little silly and sentimental, and a great memory.

Here we are decorating it with a special thick hardware paint (no luck finding an engraver). We included Olivia on the back… maybe she’ll go find it one day. It was a little arts-and-crafts, but it worked out.

And, we had some fun finding just the right spot. The Notre Dame is one of my favourite places on earth, and there was a lock bridge close by with a great view.

Right away we thought it would be a great idea to bring the keys home. Thankfully, they made it home safe and sound. And, after a quick visit to Michaels, I found this graduation shadow box frame.

The frame already had a very convenient hook (for a graduation tassel), that I could use for the keys. I thought hanging it with red thread was a nice contrast against the white background – and used a matching pencil to write “Paris 2013” onto the matting.

It took a little while to choose just the right photo. We can still pick out our lock in this image, and I like that we can see the river too. The red thread was a great match and the cut-out for the tassel was perfect for working with a small set of keys.

It was turning into a very nice keepsake, now to add it to our art wall in our living room.

This time around I used an E-Z Hang hook (I found mine at Canadian Tire). I’ve also seen them called Monkey Hooks. And, these things are fantastic! No hammer, and apparently it can hold a fair bit of weight with no anchor.

You just push it into the wall and twist, and it’s ready to go. I will definitely be using it again.

Done like dinner! We have a meaningful keepsake, that is easy to see, beautiful, a great memory, and something Olivia has noticed and will ask about.

The great thing about an art wall like this, is you can curate pieces and memories, and keep adding along the way, as much or as little as you like.