DIY Ruler Growth Chart

You've probably all seen the cool giant ruler growth charts that are out there. Chad and I saw one for sale at Kirklands but at 39.99 (which is way cheaper than how much it is from pottery barn), we knew we could make it for much less. There are tons of tutorials on pinterest that I browsed through and then just did a combination of several of those when I made mine.

This is by no means a fancy tutorial, it's just the steps that I took to make mine =)

We started with a 1x8x6 board that we bought at Lowes. I think it was around $8.00. We used some stain (Minwax aged oak gel) that was leftover from another project. We gave the board two coats of stain on all sides.

Once it was dry I got to marking the lines. I used a yardstick, pencil and chisel tip sharpie marker. I went up the board and marked a little tick mark at every inch with a pencil. I originally printed out a template of the lines, but it was quicker just to mark with a pencil and yardstick.

I knew that the board would be hanging off the ground some so I started the marks at 6 inches. Then I used my ruler and a chisel tip sharpie to mark two 1" lines and then one 2" line (so the longer lines mark every quarter of a foot). Mini kit-kats to snack on are optional ;-)

For the numbers I printed out 1-6 in Century font (I think it was around 100pt). Then I cut  each number out (leave about a 1/2" around the number). I rubbed a pencil all along the back of the number, then laid it down on my board (pencil rubbed side down) and traced around the outline. That gave me a pencil outline on my board which I then went over with a fine point felt tip pen.

Then I used the chisel tip marker to color in each number. I know I could have made stencils, etc. but the pencil rubbing technique worked just fine and didn't take too much time.

And, here it is! I'm still trying to decide if I want to put our last name initial at the top of the board and then it needs to be hung! I love the way it turned out and I look forward to having a special place to mark Kinley and Emery's growth through the years!

Changes around the house

It seems like each year around this time I start getting the itch to make some changes around the house. After all the Christmas decor has come down I start looking around to see how I can mix things up.

Here are a few pics of little things I've been working on. I swapped out a few things on my mantel and then changed the chalkboard saying.

 

I texted Chad this morning to let him know that "baby it's cold inside" because our heater was acting up and it was 63 degrees in here. Brrr!!

Burlap wreaths have been all over Pinterest for a while but I finally gave it a go using this tutorial.

 

It was quick, easy and think it turned out pretty well!

20 Things About 2011

I did this recap last year, and thought it would be fun to do again!

1. What did you do in 2011 that you had never done before?
I watched my husband be ordained as a pastor. I found pinterest (love!). I went to a NHRA drag race (so random, but it was fun!)

2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions and will you make more for next year?
I don't really get into making resolutions.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Some dear friends of ours adopted a precious baby girl this year.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes. My Nanny (dad's mom) passed away in September. It was unexpected and there are times that I think about her and still can't believe she's gone. I'm so thankful to know that I will see her again one day! This is my brother, sister and I with our Poppa.

5. What places have you visited?

Savannah, Statesboro, Panama City Beach, Blowing Rock, and Gatlinburg

   
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Same thing as last year...and the five years before that...a sweet, precious baby to call my own and make me a mommy. But more than that, a true joy that comes only from the Lord and who He is, and has nothing to do with my circumstances.

7. What date from 2011 will remain etched in your memory and why?
April 2, 2011 - my sister's wedding day! August 31, 2011 - my last day at my old job. What a glorious day that was!

8. What was your biggest achievement this year?
God answering our prayers and providing a way for Chad to work full time and allowing me to be able to stay at home - hopefully preparing me to be a stay-at-home-mom. Only He knows....

9. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing major. I came back from youth camp with a cold that turned into an ear infection that lasted for about a month. Not fun at all.

10. What was the best thing you bought?
Our new closet organization system. It still makes me happy to walk in there and see it. =)

 

11. Where did most of your money go?

Bills. Blah.

12. What song will always remind you of 2011?
With Everything by Hillsong United. - we saw them live in concert two times this year and there is nothing that can describe what an amazing worship experience it was. Singing this song with thousands of other people will be something I will always remember.

13. What do you wish you would have done more of?
Same as last year...spent more in depth time in the Word and with my Jesus; prayed more; reached out more to others instead of being so self-absorbed; blogged more, ate healthier and did some form of exercise ;-)

14. What do you wish you would have done less of?
Been less connected to social media outlets and just "been still" a little more.

15. What was your favorite TV program?
Oh, so many...Up All Night, Once Upon a Time, M0dern Family, all of the Real H0usewives, The Batchel0r, The 0ffice, Ch0pped and I'm sure some others that I'm forgetting about right now.

16. What was the best book you read this year?
Again, I would like to do better about reading more books in the coming year. I did read Heaven Is For Real and I thought it was sweet.

17. What was your favorite film of the year?
Definitely The Help. I loved that movie!

18. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
This year I turned 31. I had lunch with sweet friends and then a lovely dinner with my husband. It was simple, but sweet!

19. What national/world event stirred you the most?
The Royal Wedding! I remember sitting at my desk at work and trying to watch bits and pieces of the ceremony. I was able to see the kiss on the balcony live. =)

20. Who was the best new person you met?
This year I met several more precious friends that I have made through blogging. If you had told me a couple of years ago that I would make such sweet friends on the Internet and then meet them in real life, I would never have believed you!

Heather and I met for the first time in Gatlinburg and then met up again when she visited where I live! Love this girl and I'm so thankful for her!

And, I met more sweet blogging friends at an ornament exchange. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2011 has been quite a year! Honestly, I cannot wait for it to be over. This year has been a year full of trials and hardships, and at times I've had a hard time seeing the Lord's hand in it all. There have also been some joyous moments and answers to prayers that I'm so thankful for. I know that He loves me and is in control of each and every thing, but that doesn't mean that life isn't still hard.

Once again, I pray with all of my heart that 2012 will hold answers to many prayers and that God would do exceedingly, abundantly, beyond BEYOND all that I could ever imagine.  He alone is able!

Friday Randoms

It's Friday! Holla! Today is my husband's day off and I look forward to Fridays every week. While I do love being at home, it can get rather lonely so I'm so excited to spend the day with my love. I don't care what we do, as long as we do it together =)

~If you want to treat yourself then run, do not walk, to your kitchen and pull out some milk and nutella. I saw a recipe for nutella hot chocolate here and knew that I had to try it. Trust me, you will not regret it! For one serving I whisked 1 cup of milk and 2 tbsp. of nutella in a saucepan over medium heat.

heaven in a michael scott cup

~Next week is the end of the twelve week Bible study that I've been a part of. We are having a time of "Taste and Testimony" where we will share snacks and a little something that God has done in our lives as a result of the study. I'm planning to bring this yummy looking snack mix. I can't wait to try it! 

Source: iheartnaptime.net via Faith on Pinterest

~I've been wanting to re-work my mantel display for a while. Since we've lived here my bridal portrait has hung above the mantel and I'm ready to change that up. I thought about a mirror but all it reflects is the ugly fluorescent light fixture in our kitchen, so that's not going to work. I think I'm now going to look for a large thrift store frame that I can do a big vinyl monogram on. This isn't a new idea, but I think I will love it. I may even add a piece of fabric or burlap behind it. I'll post when it's done!

Source: etsy.com via Faith on Pinterest

~My Christmas cards are in! This was the first year that I haven't designed the cards myself and I'm a little sad. But, because of discounts/promotions I was able to get the cards I'm using for free. And honestly, what's better than free? That's what I keep telling myself anyway. I just need to address them and get stamps and they will be on their way!

~Speaking of Christmas cards, mark your calendars and don't forget to stop by on December 14th for the annual Christmas Card Carousel! This will be the fourth year that I've done this and it's more fun each year. Please spread the word and join in the fun!

<br><center><a href="http://walkwithmebyfaith.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k54/adesignoffaith/christmascardbutton200.png"/></a></center><br>

Hope y'all have a great weekend!!

Party At The Patch!

Today we celebrated the most precious six year old there is! We had such a fun party at a local pumpkin patch. We scoured pinterest for ideas and recipes for the big day and found so many fun things to try.

Here are some of the party details. I love how it all came together!

The cupcakes were uh-mazing. And, that icing tasted like Cinab0n icing....oh my!

I love, love, love planning and creating but it sure is a lot of work. It was fun while it lasted, but I'm also glad that it's over with. Until next year... ;-)

Trash to Treasure

I've had more time lately to work on some craft projects, which I really enjoy doing. I love taking something cheap and not so cute, and turning it into something fun with just a little time and effort.

My latest project was this $3.00 picture frame from Goodwill that went from this:

To this photography prop with just a little chalkboard paint. Fun, fun!

I've become a little ub-sessed with chalkboard paint lately.  I have another project that I used it for and I've also been working on a new fall wreath inspired by pinterest. I can't wait to show you the finished products!

Wonderful Wreaths

I've found lots of fall inspiration lately on pinterest. I seriously love fall. It's got to be my favorite season. I'm itching to work on a fall wreath for our front door and found a few that I like...

How gorgeous is this?!?

Source: thehighheeledhostess.com via Faith on Pinterest

This one is super fun with the polka dot monogram.

Source: brightboldbeautiful.blogspot.com via Faith on Pinterest

Also fun is the ribbon wreath. I don't know that I would want this on my front door, but it would be a cute decoration indoors.

 Source: ldscraftproject.com via Faith on Pinterest

The fabric flowers would be a great way to use up some scraps.

Source: knewlywifed.blogspot.com via Faith on Pinterest

The simple burlap wreath is great and I love the pop of color with the flower and letter.

Source: etsy.com via Faith on Pinterest

Aren't these feathers fabulous?

                            Source: midwestliving.com via Faith on Pinterest

Are you as excited for fall as I am?!?

Hump Day Happenings

Happy Hump Day! I know that is so cheesy, but I honestly couldn't come up with any other title for this random brain dump.

It seems like this week is going by pretty quickly, which I'm so thankful for. It's a long, holiday weekend and I'm looking forward to it very much! This July 4th will be the 13th anniversary of when Chad and I started dating. What little youngin's we were =)

~This little munchkin will be spending the night with us and I can't wait! We've all been so busy lately that it's been several weeks since we've seen her and I've been having withdrawals.

I heart them!

~I shared my new obsession in my last post. One of the things I've been playing around with lately is different ways to do my hair. I saw this tutorial recently and gave it a try last night.

Source: None via Faith on Pinterest

 Here's my results...

I thought it turned out okay. Definitely better than the last curling technique I tried. Unfortunately, my hair just doesn't hold curl that well so it did fall and just ended up looking a little wavy. I may give it another try sometime because it was easy and quick. Anything to help me sleep a little bit longer each morning I will definitely try!

~My amazing husband (whocancookbetterthanIcouldeverhopeto) made this yummy meal for us tonight. We've tried a couple of things from SkinnyTaste and have loved them all!

~Lastly, my heart is anxious tonight because my sweet baby girl will tentatively be having surgery tomorrow.

We've had an eventful couple of weeks with our girl and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a nervous wreck. We noticed a small knot on her chest and took her to have it looked at. After some testing the vet recommended that we have the mass removed and biopsied. They did some bloodwork last week as a pre-screening for the anesthesia and there were some things that concerned them a little, so she will be going back tomorrow morning for them to do a little more testing before they decide to operate.

I know to some people this may seem trivial, but this dog has been my baby for the last 10 years and I cry just thinking about something happening to her. I would very much appreciate your prayers for Calie (and her momma) tomorrow, that she would do fine and that everything would go well.

Thank you so much!

*****Edited to add - When Chad took our girl to the vet this morning, they recommended putting her on an antibiotic for a week and then operating. The Dr. feels that she will do much better with the surgery that way, so that's what we'll do! I'm quite relieved....for now =)******

Pinnable Me

So, I'm sure you've all heard of this neat little site called Pinterest, right? I have completely fallen in love with it. I wish I got paid to sit and search it all day long! (wouldn't that be the best?!)

I've seen some other bloggers do a "Pinnable Me" post to share some of their favorite pins and I thought I would join in the fun!

Since I've gotten addicted to Pinterest, I've decided that I need to quit my job and become a party planner and throw all sorts of beautiful parties just. like. these.

Oh my word....love it all!

Source: hostessblog.com via Faith on Pinterest

This is quite the first birthday party.

Source: blog.amyatlas.com via Faith on Pinterest

Love the fabric scrap garland. So cute!

Source: hushedhours.blogspot.com via Faith on Pinterest

Along with quitting my job to become a party planner, I'd also love to build my dream home. This front door would be perfect.

Source: materialgirlsblog.com via Faith on Pinterest

And, I'd like this back porch please.

Source: merchantcircle.com via Faith on Pinterest

How about this for a dream kitchen? Wowza!

Source: fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com via Faith on Pinterest

I really like this office space built in.

Source: houzz.com via Faith on Pinterest

There's lots of inspiring DIY projects that I've filed away. I like this simple frame with moss monogram.

Source: theidearoom.net via Faith on Pinterest

And, I would like for all of these items to magically appear in my closet tomorrow. Please and thank you.

Source: polyvore.com via Faith on Pinterest

Chad, if you are looking for something to get me for our 20th (or 11th) wedding anniversary, this would do nicely ;-)

Source: sylviecollection.com via Faith on Pinterest

How beautiful is this antique iron crib? Swoon! One day....{sigh}

Source: poshtots.com via Faith on Pinterest

These linen curtains are dreamy!

Source: poshtots.com via Faith on Pinterest

If you haven't joined in the pinterest craze, I say go for it! Just make sure you don't have anything important on your to-do list because, trust me, you will not get anything else done!