I'd like to talk about a lovely handcrafted photo frame that holds one of my all-time favourite pictures of my closest friends. It is made of reclaimed oak with a distressed, off-white finish, and it has these delicate little geometric patterns carved around the outer border. It has got a slightly rustic charm to it, which means it doesn't look overly formal, but rather warm and lived-in.
At the moment, it takes pride of place on the wooden bookshelf in my living room, right next to a small potted succulent. Because it sits at eye level near the window, the natural daylight catches the wood grain really nicely, making it one of the first things people notice when they walk into my flat.
The photograph inside was taken roughly three years ago during a weekend getaway to the Lake District. In the shot, there are four of us, my three best mates from university and me, perched on a hillside overlooking a lake, with the sun setting behind us. We were all bundled up in woolly jumpers, laughing hysterically at some silly private joke. It was a completely spontaneous snapshot taken by a passer-by on an old film camera, so the colours have this soft, nostalgic tint.
What makes this whole piece so meaningful to me is that it acts as a tangible keepsake of our friendship. Nowadays, we're all scattered across different cities due to work commitments, and we don't get to see each other as often as we'd like. Glancing at that frame after a long, stressful workday instantly lifts my mood and reminds me of how supportive and enduring those bonds are.