Wooden growth chart

My mom has always been crafty.  When I was growing up she would always make our Valentines or May Day baskets.  She would sew my Halloween costumes and everyone would rave about her craftiness. My mom has always worked full-time as she had to work.  My parents divorced when I was three years old and she needed to support two young daughters.  My mom built her financial planning business and in 2009 retired to become a full-time grandma and hand over the business to the rest of our family.

Since retiring she has taken her love for crafting and creating to a whole new level.  First up was my brother's wedding where she planned a beautiful rehearsal dinner at the Pabst tasting room in Milwaukee.  She made every table covering, every centerpiece and place card for the evening.  Not to mention welcomed here grand children in the same year.

Next up was my little sister's wedding this past October in Boston.
She made everything for the big day.  Seriously everything.
 After this event we dubbed her Martha Stewart.  

When our family got together to celebrate Christmas this year she wrote each of us girls a note in our stockings telling us there was a present for us in the basement.  We all headed to the basement and there was a handmade gift for each of us.  For my little sister was two shelves made from pallets for her bathroom.  She made my sister-in-law jewelry holders on wood planks with doorknobs and for my older sister and I, wooden growth charts.  I was over the moon.  I've wanted one for our home for a long time but the ones I've looked at have always been so expensive.  This piece is beautiful and will be in our home forever.  I also love that when we move we can take it with us.  

We brought it home and decided to hang it in our entry way.  We measured each of our kiddos and thankfully Kate made it on the chart!  My mom used a 1x10 piece of wood and free hand painted the numbers.  

I hung a frame next to the growth chart with a picture of each of the kids when they were just babes and a current picture.  My thought is to keep changing the current picture of the children.  I love having pieces in our home that are handmade by people that we love.  I still look back at my grandma's pictures frames and Santa's or the hall tree my grandpa built and smile just knowing that a part of them is in our home. 

I'm so envious of the gift of craftiness my mom was blessed with.  I would love to be able to create and sew as she can.  I am bound to one day learn to at least sew on a button.