I’m so happy with my latest addiction purchase….I thought I’d share it with you. It’s my, wait for it….. letter board! I’m thrilled with the quality and how much fun it is. Letter boards take me back to the old days, growing up. I remember them in diners and mom and pop stores, listing everything from sodas to burgers and blue plate specials. They were standard for advertising the day’s menu or what was fresh and on sale at the market. They fell out of use and were replaced with white boards and later, flashy digital signs. But like all vintage goodies, they started showing up  in recent years at coffee houses and organic food markets where everything vintage is trendy again. I began seeing them in magazines and blogs in the last year or so. I knew I wanted one but wasn’t thrilled about the prices. They can be pretty spendy.

I finally found one at a price I could tolerate, in a size I liked, not too large so I could move it around the house if I wanted, (this one is about an 11 x 18, including the frame) and I wanted one already framed with wood. Some of the less expensive ones are framed with aluminum, and those are fine and actually look a bit more vintage….but you can certainly use reclaimed wood, or even new wood and make a new frame.  I wanted one already done.

I found mine on Amazon through the RIVI company. (Just search felt letter boards, there are a number of companies and price points.) It’s great quality. The frame is well made, the felt is smooth and tight and it comes with dozens of letters, including numerals and punctuation. The only down side was removing the letters from the plastic shipping frame. That was a pain. I finally got a single edged razor blade and a cutting board and separated them cleanly.

Of course I wasn’t organized enough to have any sort of plan for storing the letters, so I just threw them all in the vinyl storage bag that comes with the board. Duh. I had to spread them out all over again on the kitchen island to create my first message….. “Queen of my Domain.” Appropriate since I am Queen. Of my domain. Or at least that’s what I call myself. And there are hints that I am a queen….The nickname given to me at the office was, “Queenie.” I have a mason jar embossed with the words, “The Queen,” Mr B  calls me a royal…. pain, and I have a mug that says, “It’s Good to be Queen,” so I’m pretty sure I’m truly Queen. Whatever!  I finally separated the letters into a little plastic bin with compartments for storing beads and other bits and bobs. It works great, and bonus….it was cheap and I found it in the craft aisle at Walmart. Now I only have to look through 2 letters in each compartment. Easy peasy.

Queen of My Domain quickly gave way to, “I am not a Hoarder.” That got a Mr B chuckle and and his famous eye roll. I’m not a hoarder…..I’m a collector. A curator. A Keeper of History! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Of course I want to change the message from time to time and come up with slogans and quotes, seasonal greetings and family jokes, and inspirational phrases. I’m going to become the family philosopher of the letter board!  I feel like I did when I bought the first magnet letter set for my son to use on the fridge. A pile of letters gets my creative juices flowing. I played with those magnets more than he did. Of course I could read and spell and he was just a toddler. Let’s not quibble over details….. But it’s never too early to foster your childrens’ creativity right?? (Or take over their toys.)

My oldest Granddaughter, Shelby came for a quick visit before starting her summer job and we had a fun filled 5 days of shopping, LOLing, binge watching “The Last Kingdom,” swimming, and of course eating all her favorite foods. On her last day it was a flurry of packing, deciding what would be shipped to her home, a last minute hair cut and lots of hugs. Like her father and yes, her grandmother, she is a prankster. When she asked about the box of letters I didn’t think much of it. (I should have known better.) Later I noticed her picking through the letters and figured she was going to create a new message.

The Bigs (the two oldest Grands) have always written notes to me or drawn pictures. I’ll find one after a visit, tucked away somewhere to surprise me. I was touched by Shelby’s effort to take the time and sort through the letters to change up the letter board.  I knew she’d leave a message or quote to inspire, she has a big heart.

Every time I walk past the kitchen desk I smile. I know I am loved.

I highly recommend getting a letter board. It’s fun, it can be inspirational, reminding us of our dreams and goals or even a “To Do” list.  Maybe your family will leave you messages, and I don’t know…..be…. um…..sweet?? Or at least more traditional in their pronouncements of love for you. But I like my message just fine. It’s a reminder my Grands feel safe and loved, they can express their humor without fear of reprisal, (OK, that’s a lie. I am so gonna embarrass her at the first opportunity)  and that they’ve inherited my sense of humor. It could be worse.

It’s the little things that make a house a home. Add your personality.

No one does you better than YOU.

Create your sanctuary one room at a time. Create the home you see in your heart.