Remember when we stopped at this place in Maryland on the way to our Labor Day beach weekend? We found something there that’s been on my mind ever since: gigantic sign letters, the kind that look vintage and make great statement pieces for a room.
At the sale we noticed a set of those cool letters priced for around twenty dollars each, even though they had originally been store signage. I was immediately smitten and seriously considered bringing home an E, R, or A just because. (Dollar Tree’s original palette didn’t include P, J, S, C or B, so those weren’t options.)
Well, the story has a happy ending: I finally have one. Meet our new letter L.
Why the L? It wasn’t just a random pick. Turn it upside down and it becomes a 7 — our favorite number. That number has special meaning for us: John and I had our first kiss on 7/7/05 and were married on 7/7/07. Even Clara’s birthday, the 14th, is a little bit of a 7+7 nod for us. So flipping the L felt like a simple, playful way to bring family meaning into the decor.
Okay, maybe I was a little overjoyed about it. Can you blame me? Seeing that number lean against the wall makes me oddly happy. Sherry, avert your eyes — but only kidding. She was part of the surprise, which made the whole thing even better.
There’s nothing strange here — just a husband cuddling a giant 7. Totally platonic, I promise.
The backstory is sweet. After I kept going on about regretting not buying the L, Sherry began scheming to surprise me with it. We hadn’t realized how much the letter resembled a 7 until we reviewed our road trip photos at home. Her plan came together faster than expected because Lesley happened to read the initial post where we mentioned the regret and volunteered to help as a secret courier. She lives near the Ole Sale Barn in Denton, Maryland, and frequently travels between there and Richmond, where her mom lives, so it was perfect timing.
Sherry had intended to wait and surprise me on my birthday next week, but Lesley ended up making an earlier trip. After a quick parking-lot handoff and a cash-for-giant-letter swap, the 7 was ours. I was genuinely surprised and thrilled — both by the thoughtful surprise and by the new piece itself. It’s already found a home in our office, brightening the corner and adding character.
We debated hanging it on the other wall behind the chair, but ultimately decided we preferred walking into the room and seeing it “smile” at us head-on. Placing it face-first gives it more presence than if it were turned on its side.
As for mounting it, that was straightforward. The letter still had wiring from its days as illuminated signage, but we’re not planning to wire it into the wall lighting just yet — that would require more work and expense. I carefully removed the two large protruding metal nubs on the back that would have kept it off the wall by about an inch, tucked the remaining wires inside the body of the letter for future use, and kept the option to retrieve them if we ever decide to light it.
Once those metal pieces were gone there were a couple of holes and a few additional openings at the top that made ideal hanging points. I installed anchors and screws where needed, hung the letter securely, and adjusted it until it sat perfectly. The result is a bold, character-filled focal point that fits right in with our office styling.
Huge thanks to Lesley for taking the time to deliver it to us and for fronting the $25. The seller had raised the price by five dollars since Labor Day, but it was still worth every penny. It’s the kind of vintage-style piece that instantly changes the vibe of a room and sparks conversation.
Psst — We also shared one of the most creative kids’ birthday parties we’ve seen over on BabyCenter, if you’re scouting ideas for imaginative celebrations.
Psssst — Stay tuned: we’ll be posting a kitchen update later today. No dust flying just yet, but changes are coming very soon.