I have a chalkboard problem

I do.

Seriously.

I'm addicted.

Admitting you have a problem is the first step - right?

I have a problem.

Just look.

There are 3 in my kitchen alone. 

Here's one. (please excuse the tools on my Chambers - my husband thinks of it as a catch-all spot - don't get me started - I digress - just look at the chalkboard!)

Here's a better shot of it 

Here's another on the back of my newly re-done island

And these little dollar store gems.

I took this during the painting of the chalkboard paint. 

There is one in the kitchen next to the coffee maker - it has the word "smile" on it.

Although I am generally smiling if I am getting coffee.

Here is another one of the silver trays

Out on my front porch. 

(Oh and I just bought a new door mat today. The fall leaves mat will go away until this autumn.)

This one is in my dining room.

I haven't done my reveal post for the dining room yet because I need one more thing. Consider this a teaser.

This is how that chalkboard started.

*BLEK*

 But - it was $5 at a junk store. 

SCORE!

I sanded it down first

  then I Heirloom'd it

Then sanded it a bit again to rough it up and

then painted on the chalkboard paint

And now I have this in my newly re-done dining room

My son has 4 chalkboard surfaces in his room

This little blue chalkboard that sits by his bed

This sign on his crate is a chalkboard 

This is the other one.

And he has an art easel that is a chalkboard on 1 side. (I didn't make that one though)

I heart chalkboard paint. 

It makes me happy. 

I change the sayings out on the ones in my kitchen every week.

AND I love having that large one in my dining room. I decide on the menu for the week and put it on there and then everyone knows what we are having and when. 

It makes me smile. I'm going to try and find some chalkboard markers tomorrow - they are supposed to be FABULOUS. Here's hoping they have them at Micheal's.

So how about ya'll? Is there any one thing craft wise that you just LURVE?

I'm linking up!
Hodgepodge Friday over at It's a Hodgepodge Life
 

Trash to Treasure Friday Blog Hop at Trash to Treasure Decorating (my favorite kind!)




It's Follow Friday!

I love this blog hop - great way to find new blogs and make new friends!

And remember - I'm going to be doing a giveaway of some GORGEOUS hand-stamped jewelry as soon as I hit 50 followers! Keep checking back!

I am alive

I know I dropped off the face of the Earth for the last week - sorry about that. Last week was a rough one from a mom perspective - then we had a garage sale and Mother's day (which was wonderful, btw).

And then a zillion tornadoes yesterday afternoon/evening. Cuh-razy.
This was 24 miles north of us.

*shudder*
The next two are pictures from a totally different tornado yesterday - this one was further away - north and west of us - maybe 50 miles away.

And some pictures of the hail that fell yesterday.

We had power on and off yesterday evening but we were lucky. Everything missed us. They are telling us we are in for another bumpy afternoon and evening today though.

In happier news -

I ordered new curtain panels and a rug for the dining room. Both have arrived and are in place. 

I'm thrilled. It looks nice. I finally feel like I have a real, true, grown-up room! I have almost everything in place for a *reveal* post! Almost. 

Now I am fixated on mirrored candle sconces. *sigh* It's what I want to go on either side of a large window in my dining room. I want them to be substantial - maybe close to 24" long - mirrored - and I want them to hold tapers. I know what I want. Now the trick is actually finding it. Well, finding it for a reasonable amount of money. I can find it for upwards of $150 EACH. Uh, no. So I'm looking for those. Once I get them I'll do a "reveal" shot. I just want it p.e.r.f.e.c.t. first. 

In other news I ordered the BEST and CUTEST Father's Day gift for the husband yesterday. I'm going to gush about that more later today. This is just a teaser - but you MUST visit this girl's ETSY shop. Seriously. And once you see what I ordered and what she is CUSTOM making for me - you will want one too. I promise!

So I'll post again in a bit. Right now I have to get my crockpot Lasagna going and this dirty house CLEANED.

I have some chalkboard projects I need to post as well! Stay tuned....

Kitchen Island re-do

It's all done and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. 

This is what I started with - it was fine white but my cabinets are a glazed cream color and the white just wasn't doing it for me. And it just seemed...a bit too...old school maybe. But you know - for something I bought at a garage sale 10 years ago - it's been great. It just needed a make-over!

I wanted a very dark brown - almost black - but I couldn't find that exact color. SO what's a girl to do? Improvise!

Here's what I did. I lightly sanded it down to "rough" it up a bit. 

After that I went over it in spots with a brick red color so that later when I sanded the edges I would get a hint of the red and the white. I like layers!

so then I went over the whole thing in a flat black

And then I went over all of it in a dark, chocolate brown - and got this.

It is the exact color I wanted. I also sprayed some brushed nickel on the knobs and voila - new, old kitchen island that cost me NADA. I already owned everything I used. 

I like that it is a darker color compared to my cabinets. And I feel like it grounds the space more too.

To review - front side

before

and

after

from the side - before

before

and

after

From behind 

before

and

after - I added a chalkboard :) 

I love that too. And so does the 3 yr old!

Thanks for looking!

I'm linkin up!

AND