Growth Chart Ruler

 I finally got a Pinterest idea off my board and into real life a few weeks ago!

 Unfortunately, this was the best picture....

We stained a 1x6 6 foot length of Poplar and then I marked off the lines with black Sharpie.  The numbers I did by printing off the size and font I wanted and then tracing them with a pencil overtop the wood so that it left an indent  in the wood.  I then filled it in with the Sharpie and finished it with some poly clear coat.  We marked it with the sharpie and let my daughter write her own name.  

This was so simple and so much prettier and more durable than a paper growth chart (and more portable than marks on the door casing!).

The original site I pinned from is here. I also had pinned from here, but apparently its not a tutorial; if you don't want to make your own, they sell them though I believe. 

Handmade Christmas 2012

So L's big gift this year was a new princess dress... I'd like to say NEVER AGAIN, but last time I said that I ended up making TWO more...!  It turned out great but took a lot of time.

Presenting... Princess Belle!

The bodice ended up a bit long, so I may tack it up for now.  All the ruffles make the skirt so pretty, and my favorite part is the shirring- the gold panel in the front. There is also one in the back, and this allows her to pull the dress right over her head.  No velcro or other closure needed!  It will grow with her as well! I did skip a few details, like the swoop accent on the skirt and the poof around the shoulders, but I think it's "Belle" enough for a play dress!

I used the tutorial from Homemade Toast. I definitely won't make a princess dress without the shirring again! It's definitely worth the time investment! I have fabric for a Rapunzel dress as well, but wanted her to try on Belle before sewing it up.  We'll see when I get to that one...