GROWTH CHART

I don't mean to offend anyone when I ask this question, but seriously, why are most all the Growth Charts that are out there for sale, so babyish / cheesy / too colorful / tacky - whatever? You know what I mean, right?

I have been looking for one since my first son was born almost four years ago, but everything I'd seen made me want to puke. So early last summer (before I started my serious craft blog surfing obsession), I started to formulate this idea in my head. I went to a craft store and bought some wood numbers and some 1/8" balsa wood. I knew I wanted a board with numbers running up the middle and little tick marks every 2" using the balsa wood. But I had NO idea how I wanted to decorate the board, only that it couldn't be "babyish / cheese / too colorful or tacky".

Then a few months back, while visiting a Linky Party (sorry, I don't remember which one), I saw this sign someone had made for their potting shed... all it said was "grow" - so simple, so telling. I thought I had bookmarked that project, but I didn't, so I'm sorry that I can't link you to the original inspiration for this...

My Growth Chart.

One of our friends had given me the 1X10 pine board last summer when the plan was first starting to percolate. Even though this past holiday weekend should have been spent replenishing my stock for the Farmer's Market or preparing for my family's big visit next weekend (I have 16 people coming), but no, I whipped up this bad boy.

I painted the board using leftover white interior trim paint. Then using my Cricut, I printed out the letters on Freezer Paper. I know Freezer Paper is great for making stencils, but I used the actual letter shape to trace around. I painted the letters using orange craft paint. I taped off the 1/4" wide line up the middle, and used leftover grey paint from my husband's office to paint it, the numbers and the little tick marks, which are 2" long. I then made a little template to help me equally space the tick marks, and glued them down, along with the numbers, using E600 glue.

This morning, when I took the above pictures, I wasn't sure how I was going to hang it, but then I had an idea based on something I had seen once over at Tatertots & Jello.

I knew I didn't have any wire that would be strong enough, but I did have plenty of wire hangers from my husband's dry cleaning. So I took one apart, and straightened it out before I bent it at the center.

I then drilled two tiny holes in the board and threaded the wire through. Then I just bent the wire into an interesting shape.

I chose to hang the Growth Chart in my husband's office, not because it matches the decor, but because my boys don't go in there that often, so less chance for the numbers and tick marks to get "accidentally" knocked off.

I plan to record my oldest son's growth on the left and my youngest son's growth on the right.

I REALLY LOVE how it turned out!!! Definitely (at least in my eyes) not "babyish / cheesy / too colorful or tacky". What do you think?

I'm linking up at these Linky Parties, so be sure to go there to check out all the other fabulous ideas...

A Glimpse Inside

Tatertots & Jello

Under the Table & Dreaming

Flamingo Toes

C.R.A.F.T.

Embellishing Life

A LITTLE BIT OF AMERICANA

I was walking past my front door the other day, and this is what I saw...

... it stopped me in my tracks.

Something about the red of the tricycle and the green of the fern, with the warm morning sun shining down on them... all visible through my new screen door.

Talk about "The Magic of Ordinary Things".

A SEWING FIEND...

This is why I haven't been posting much lately. My first weekend at the Farmer's Market was quite successful, so I had to replenish my selection of Quilted Tote Bags.

TEACHER GIFTS

Well, I totally missed Teacher Appreciation Week - actually, I didn't even know it was Teacher Appreciation week, until the end of the week. At that point, it finally clicked after seeing all the cute projects while visiting linky parties... DUH!!

Anywhoo...

I knew I wanted to do something for Luke's teachers, and when I saw this project by Christian over at Tolen Family Fun, I knew I had found the perfect thing (I seem to be using that particular phrasing quite often - sorry)!

I just love thow they look like they're made out of sheets of paper.

They have a snappy top closure which is made possible by using 6" pieces of a 3/4" metal tape measure - totally ingenious.

I thought these were going to be Easy Peasy until I got to the very last step - closing up the ends at the top where the tape measure pieces have been slid in. What a PAIN IN THE PATUKIS!! If I'm ever going to make any more of these, I've. got. to. come. up. with a different way.

So to Miss Angie, Miss Irene, and Miss Susan - sorry I missed Teacher Appreciation Week, but I'm giving you these, on the last day of school next week, as a much deserved Thank You for being Luke's teachers.

FARMER'S MARKET

This past Saturday, I participated in my first Farmer's Market. Our little rural town holds a Farmer's Market every Saturday from 8:00 to 1:00 that runs from the beginning of May through the end of October.

This is my booth.

I took my St. Patrick's Day wreath, and modified it a little so it could be used as part of my display. I added the burlap bunting and the paper dragonfly.

All of the items I used for displaying purposes, I found at local thrift stores. This tray I found for $1.29. I spray painted it and added the little white vinyl scroll embellishments. I am using it to hold some wood bead / fabric bracelets and felt Dahlia brooches.

I'm selling Cookie Sheet Perpetual Calendars. They're lined up in a file organizer.

I'm also selling Mod Podge Frames and my Purses.

This green plastic tray was also found at the thrift store... I just added the white vinyl polka dots.

I spray painted this thrift store bowl.

Other than the wreath, I wanted to showcase my company's acronym one other way, so using black vinyl, I put it on a Target white melamine plate, and then added some rolled fabric flowers.

And of course, there's the White Paper Flower Bouquet that I had posted about previously.

So this is why, as of late, my posts have been so few and far between. I was getting everything ready for my Farmer's Market Debut.