Happy and Proud to Make More Than Just a Craft Project

Very easy question to answer today…

What was the last thing you fixed or built?

In the midst of starting this blogging challenge, I was planning a surprise party for my husband’s 35th birthday and helping to coordinate a Ladies’ Retreat with the ladies at my church. I’m glad that I could rely on his bestie to get him out of the house, because I had so much to get done! The biggest thing that I made for his party were these 3′ tall chalkboard food signs that went with each station. The menu was all about his favorite foods, so the boards alternated between pilsner glasses and beer mugs.

In making these, I had my local Home Depot cut the boards into 3′ x 2′ pieces and I went from there. I sketched on the designs I wanted, broke out the jig saw and cut! Cutting the handles on the mugs turned out to be a pain in my arm but I got it done 🙂 After cutting, I sketched the lines on and used a wood burning pen to burn the details into the wood. I then, following the directions, painted on the chalkboard paint in the area that I wanted to use as the actual sign. Next steps included staining the wood and painting the “foam.”

I remember the days when I wanted nothing to do with tools, let alone POWER tools. Now, I can’t imagine my life without them. A few years ago, my dad asked me what I wanted for Christmas. When I responded that I wanted my own tool set, he was taken aback. On Christmas Day, that was the one gift that I couldn’t find under the tree and I was so upset. When he brought it out, I threw everything else aside and commenced to examining everything that was in there.

As today is Veteran’s Day, I think that it’s more than fitting that where I am and where I’m going in my craft business is due largely to my dad and his insistence that I know how to repair things. He taught me how to change the oil in my car, how to replace a battery, how to change the tires. He let me help him in his workshop and just watch when I was too nervous that I’d mess something up. A lot of the basic skills and survival tips that he learned in the military, he passed along to me. No joke, I can pack everything for a party with 100 guests into a Jeep Patriot… I discovered through all of these tasks that I loved working with my hands.

My family is a large military family and through those experiences, I learned a lot about many cultures around the world. I cherished our similarities and explored our differences. I developed a love for travel…that I share with my amazing husband. Dad is retired Navy, brother is retired Marine, Grandfather was retired Army and served in WWII. I have DOZENS of uncles, aunts, cousins and friends who serve with our armed forces and I’m more than thankful for their sacrifices. Being in a military family, I know that the family members serve alongside them, no matter where their stations take them.

I can’t even begin to talk about the skills and love I have for crafting without acknowledging the person who instilled the drive in me. And he is not who he is without the skills that the military instilled in him.

Support our vets. They have made more of an impact on our lives than we may ever know. And it’s all been done at a cost to someone. Freedom is not free at all. I thank my dad for helping to make me into the person I am today. I am happy and proud to make more than just a craft project. His guidance helps me to make memories.

What was the last thing you fixed or built? Tell me in the comments below!