From the Blog

Having the ability to travel to other countries is a rare and wonderful pleasure. It allows us to see more of the world, its cultures, food, and beauty.

Travel and experiencing cuisine are a passion for our Tualatin Beard’s customers Jennifer Pantages and her husband, Christian.

To commemorate the special times from their vacations, they collect menus from fine dining experiences from all over the world.

“We’ve been fortunate to visit France, Singapore, Spain, Italy, Bali, China, Australia, Mexico City, and all over the U.S. enjoying delicious food and wine,” Jennifer said.

“We had the idea to collect and frame our menus from our travels about six years ago. My husband found Tualatin Beard’s while out driving and had the best interaction with Carill, the store manager. We were impressed by her knowledge of art and framing and her kindness.”

“She’s everything you want in representing a frame shop. Quality is the reason we continue working with Beard’s Framing. Carill provides inspiration. I have been going to her for so long. I never feel pressured, and it keeps me going back.”

Christian always wanted a gallery wall in their home. They have beautiful natural light and a large wall that was calling for multiple pieces.

“At first, I was nervous about doing a gallery wall as it’s a big investment in time and coordination. Beard’s Framing started to frame our menus and I love it. The wall has been growing ever since,” Jennifer shared. “I have been going to Carill for so long, I know each new piece is going match and get framed well.”

“One of our menus we had framed is from the night we got engaged, so many great memories are attached to that piece.”

Jennifer and Christian treasure their menu from Paris vegetarian restaurant Arpege featuring three-star Michelin chef, Alain Passard.

“Our signed menu from Tuscan celebrity chef Dario Cecchini from famous Carne Diem, is also one of our favorites,” Jennifer added. “I got to meet Dario while I was there in Italy and dine with American chef Nancy Silverton.”

To make putting the gallery wall together a bit easier, Jennifer used craft paper and cut out outlines the same size as her art pieces and then arranged the papers on the wall, using a ruler to help with spacing. This allowed her to move them around until she got an arrangement they both liked.

“The wall has grown over time, and we have more pieces, so we swap them out sometimes, which is fun,” Jennifer said. “We have so many framed pieces we love, we started hanging them in our bathroom. I have 40 more items I still want framed.”

Recently Jennifer brought in an heirloom silver handheld mirror to Tualatin Beard’s that she wanted preserved and framed.

“Carill at Beard’s has made such an effort to get to know us and establish trust, she makes us feel listened to and cared for, so I knew I wanted her to frame my family mirror,” Jennifer shared.

“It was so dirty, and the mirror was cracked. When we cleaned it up and looked closely at the engraved initials, we got a lovely surprise. It was actually my great-grandmother’s and not my grandmother’s as my mother and I thought. Carill made a pocket on the back of the frame, which has their memorial cards inside. It’s very special to me.”

Jennifer and Christian have been framing at Beard’s since 2017.

“Tualatin Beard’s isn’t even near our home. We drive 30 minutes and it’s worth it. We get a good product for a good price, and we know our art will be handled with care,” Jennifer said.

“I also love catching up with Carill personally. She’s become my friend.”

“Everything in our house has been framed by Tualatin Beard’s.”