I am definitely looking for my craft mojo of late, or indeed mojo of any variety. I know I’m not the only one feeling sluggish right now and the temptation to blame it on the weather is a strong one but I think I need to try and snap out of it! Easier said than done admittedly but I have only a week until I discover whether I’ll have a job past the end of March so I’m trying to make the most of this time. Of course my priority as ever is to try and make this house a home!
Newer readers may not be aware of our home history. In 2006 whilst on maternity leave after having Nairn I became obsessed with looking for a new home after a series of events at our flat including a fire downstairs that trapped us. The very first house we looked at was this one and it was priced very cheaply for the locale – it needed a lot of work done but in my usual spirited manner I convinced Bob that we could totally renovate the house quickly while living in it with the kids. BIG mistake, because as it apparently the trend I fell pregnant with Erica the month we moved in and by 16 weeks I was on bed rest with her. Three years down the line and although we’ve done a lot of work, the only room in the house which has been properly decorated is the living room.
Of course with four children the living room almost always looks like the epicentre of a large earthquake but I am determined to make it more homely with a priority on freshening up the paint. But… But. We have a problem.
Since we moved in, we have regularly marked off the kids’ height* on the back of the living room door. It’s been the place we displayed the artworks sent home from nursery & school. It was where we pinned the sign language crib sheet that we needed to learn so that we could communicate with Nairn and subsequently Erica before they started speaking. It is filthy and really desperately needs cleaned up and repainted but what am I going to do with our markings? What would you do if you were us? If you have a young family and keep track in a similar way, how do you do it?
*Interesting (to me) points: Nairn at 3y11m is two inches taller than Findlay was at 5y10m. Erica at 18m was three inches shorter than Nairn at the same age. Greer at 9m is 1.5 inches taller than Erica was at 11m. I strongly suspect my children as adults in order of height will be Nairn, Findlay, Greer and Erica. All of whom I project to be 6ft+. Based on the premise that a child will have reached half their adult height by the age of three then they’re all going to tower over me!
Posted under interior decorating
This post was written by Vonnie on February 15, 2010
I don’t have any good ideas about what to do to keep the height markings, but you have to think of something! I was quietly upset when my height markings got painted over
Measure the markings onto a piece of paper and then once the door is painted, replace them. Ikea’s paper measuring rolls are perfect for this sort of thing. What one of my other friends did was buy a 6ft tall piece of wood from B&Q, sand it all nice and smooth, painted it to look nice, mounted it on her wall and puts the marks on that, that way it can come down when decorating is required.
If you have somewhere to store the door, you could replace it, and continue to use the present door to record the childre’s progress.
I like Daibhidh’s suggestions, I was going to say copy them down on a long sheet of paper as well.
I came up with a similar idea to Dave. I’m sure I found some skirting board width dado rails in B&Q which would give it a nice edge as well.
I’d copy the markings onto a piece of wood, paint over the door, then put the new bit of wood up somewhere else. Then if you do move, you can take yer bit of wood with you.
My parents did our heights on a door too but we weren’t greatly traumatised when they were painted over!
I was going to suggest copying the heights, but others got there first.
I’ll be watching with interest as it’s a decision I’m going to have to come to myself soon.
I will be different, maybe paint over the door with some transparent gloss so it looks new-ish and shiny but the original marks and different pens are still there…
I mean in a house with four children, there will be some mess and that door could be ‘the bit that could be written on’ while the rest remains lovely and tidy(er)
Paint the door leaving a border where the markings are? You might think it looks dirty but I’d think it was interesting, sweet and endearing if I was visiting
Mibbes not paint it proper white though and chose a completely different colour all together if you want to minimize how off coloured it is?
You could use something that will do a nice cut- maybe a lino tool? to cut a groove where the lines are, make a note of who each is, paint the door and then paint the names on? If you want to display artwork there, you could always paint a pinboard the same colour as the door and attach it.
Get a piece of thin dado rail or something similar, hold it against the door, take down the markings. Then you can paint your door, and nail/screw on the dado rail. That way, you ever move it can go with you from house to house.
Or do the whole hog and do a door veneer with a sheet of plywood?
Oh and re the craft mojo, I signed up for the mystery shawl knitalong on ravelry and never got round to doing it, but I quite like the idea of a mystery knit? (the MMario shawl on ravelry is beautiful, quite upset I didnt cast it on now)
That way you’re not sure what it is until you’re into it? Plus a clue a week means not intensive CRAFT CRAFT CRAFT until its done, just pick up and drop down?
I have no suggestions beyond what has been suggested. If you do copy the markings and re-do them after a nice paint job I like the idea of putting them on a piece of wood instead of the door (to avoid future issues) – and perhaps you could use a different colour for each child, or a different colour for each age.