Thanks for reading.

And so today, I dragged myself and Son down to Lowe’s and signed up to have the house measured out. I also came home with the sample.

I have not picked a color yet, but it is sure to be warm and fuzzy. And, naturally, I reserve the right to freak out and change my mind.

- Your child will pick words that describe their teacher (funny, helpful, nice, pretty, good singer). Your child can choose as many words as they want. Might also want to include the name of school, year, your child’s name and the names of other kids in the class.

- Have your kids decorate the frame (I prefer clear glass document frames) with markers, stickers, brushes. In the above example, I used two different spray paints and just layered them with short strokes.

- If you are so inclined, pair with a batch of your favorite holiday treats and you’ll be sure to have a happy teacher. Maybe even a bit weepy! Enjoy.

p.s. Don’t be surprised if you see your gift hanging in your child’s classroom.

Earlier this week, I asked my daughter what she worked on in class that morning and she told me about an activity involving a pink box of cards. One set had words and the other set had pictures. Her work was to match the correct picture with the correct word.

Got it.

So this morning when she was at school, I came up with this idea for the house.

This project can be made much cuter by printing out labels and using clear tape or a bright pushpin. I used what I had – black sharpie, painter’s tape and a scrapbook paper block. I may change it up in the future.

And if you are not keen on labeling your entire house, how about just your child’s bedroom, bathroom and playroom/yard?

And a quote for today:

“Look not mournfully into the past, it comes not back again. Wisely improve the present, it is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future without fear and with a manly heart.”

And I came upon a modern trio of wood carvings from Dave Marcoullier ( so sweet + talented). You can see his work here and buy it here.

I’m thinking about going vertical on the side of the fireplace/room divider. Here’s a photoshop mock-up. Hanging these will require finding my masonry drill bit, but you get the idea. The proportions are pretty close too.