DIY Personalized Graphic Sign

Happy Monday! I can't believe it's June already.  Nate, Ike and I are looking forward to a Summer full of fun.

I finally feel like I've broke out of the pregnancy fog I've been in.  I've had a good burst of energy the past couple of weeks and my creative juices are finally flowing again.

Over the weekend I completed a sign for our console table. This console table has sat empty since removing our holiday marquee and it's emptiness made our house feel a little blah.  I've had an idea for a sign for over a year but just never got around to it. Until now.

This sign was inspired by the back of a mail truck.  Totally normal.

I saw the back of this truck while riding one day.  I don't particularly have a special fondness for the USPS.  In fact, I dread having to go to the post office.  I always end up behind three 92 year old women that take 20 minutes each deciding between the Elvis stamps or the Mickey Mouse stamps.  I can't wait to get old. I will make sure to thoroughly enjoy my stamp decisions.  I did, however, like the graphic nature of the truck design and the ability to personalize it.

The top line is code for Nate and Michelle.  Our wedding anniversary is July 22nd.  Now I can't forget.  (Yes, me.  Not Nate.  He's much better with dates than I am.)  The middle line has "DSM" for Des Moines and "CHI" for Chicago.  We live between these two cities and they are both places we frequent often.

Nate helped me assemble the sign.  We used some left over tongue-and-groove boards from our living room built-ins.  We used the back side of these boards to resemble the grooves on the back of the truck.  We constructed the frame using 1x2s cut at 45 degree angles.  I painted them using chalk paint to give them a matte finish.  I used my Silhouette to cut vinyl for the lettering.  (You could also paint this as well.)

I added a couple of plants and a camera to fill the rest of the table.  I'm now obsessed with house plants.  Must be some subliminal need to nurture something.  I'm especially obsessed with shoving plants inside of vintage tins.  (I don't actually plant them because of drainage issues. I just place smaller pots inside. I let them drain in the sink after watering.)

Anyone else inspired by something totally random like mail truck?