Search results for: chalkboard mantle

Mantle, mantle, on the wall…..

27 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by in fluffin' the nest

≈ 2 Comments

Okay friends.  Here it is.  The moment that you’ve been waiting for.  The little project that I keep mentioning. You see…I had this brainstorm.  Sometimes this is a good thing.  Sometimes…it’s sadly…um…not.  Never fear…this one was good.  It involves our mantle that I love, lovity, love!  It’s old and the paint is chipped and it has tons of character.  It just doesn’t have a fireplace underneath it.  That bothers some people.  It does not bother me.  I usually hang a wreath in the opening.

Enter: Original idea that got tossed.

First I thought that I wanted to have the Mr. cut a piece of plywood and then paint it black.  Then we would glue tons of round pieces of logs on it to make it look like a fireplace with logs stacked in it. (Thank you Pinterest.)  If you haven’t ever seen this you oughta check it out.  It is really very cool.  The only thing was…the lack of a tree that size to cut…which I was not giving up on, but then I had this other idea that was not only easy but awesome, if I do say so myself. (The Mr. probably prayed for a change of heart! lol!)

Enter: Idea that makes my little heart happy.

I am proud to say that I actually thought this one up before I even knew that people do this.  I thought…”Hey why not paint that board with black chalkboard paint and then I could write cute stuff  on it.?”  So…I peeked on Pinterest just to see if people even do this.  THEY DO.  I was really stoked then.  There is so much out there with chalkboards.  Have you guys ever checked out Miss Mustard Seed’s blog?  She is awesome with chalkboards.  Anyway…I hope that you like it.  I love it.  I am very pleased.

Have a wonderful Tuesday, Dirt Roaders.  Now go forth and do projects.

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Chores…galore!

01 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by in Gettin' all Crafty

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Okay…so not really.  There are not really chores galore.  Sometimes it feels like it though.  To be honest sometimes I just don’t want to keep reminding little people of the chores that have their names on them.  So…I had an idea.  (Words that cause the Mr. to look for an escape hatch!)  😉SONY DSC

I have had this window for years!  It used to hang above our mantle back in the days before we could even get Internet out here.  (Gasp!)  What did I do back then when I didn’t have inspiration from Blogland?  I subscribed to way too many magazines.  I still love my magazines.  I just don’t get twelve as many.  I’m keeding! Not twelve…but several.  Now I only get three…I think…and one is a food magazine.  You are thinking “Hey Kel…sidetracked much?”

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So the window had long since retired into our garage and then down to the basement.  I have painted lots of glass in picture frames for chalkboards and I have even painted a mirror.  The only difference is…I usually use spray chalkboard paint.  Well…Wally World (that is what Ozarkians call Wal-Mart. I don’t know.  Your guess is a good as mine.)  was out of my usual spray so the Mr. picked up some chalkboard paint in the can.  I do have to tell you that I am not super-pleased with the finish.  We did exactly what the instructions said..down to the knapp on the roller.  It was very grainy, like as in… too grainy.  It will work…but I LOVE…LOVITY…LOVE the results that I have with spray chalkboard paint.  That was just a word to the wise…for free!

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In case you are wondering…these are not my hairy arms and man hands.  I just thought that I would clear that up.  They belong to my sweet hubby that got roped into doing the trim work on my chalkboard.  He has a steady hand and when we paint, I am the “roller” and he is the “trimmer.”  I think that it has something to do with the level of patience in each person.  I will let you figure that one out.  Anyway…he is so precious.  He is so longsuffering during my projects.  When I get that wild look in my eye…he listens when the idea is finally birthed.  (I think that he enjoys the excitement too…way down deep.)  He is WONDERFUL!  (He also reads this blog.  Hi Babe!)  Hee hee!

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Okay…so while all of this painting and drying was going on…I decided that we needed a banner to brighten up the chore chart.  If we were gonna have chores galore…then we needed to have some pizzazz around it.  I got the kids busy on a project too.  If you read the blog you probably remember the mustaches that the kids came up with.  Aren’t my children precious?  Why…thank you. 😉

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I found those adorable little bags at TJMaxx.  I knew that I would need them for something.  I just didn’t know what.  Do you guys do that?  It just kinda jumps out and slaps ya and you have to take it home?  ME TOO!  How exciting!  No wonder that we are friends! (Yes…that is Dawn in a Mrs. Meyers bottle.  Have you smelled the Honeysuckle dish soap by Mrs. Meyers?  Wonderful!  So wonderful..it’s all gone!)  Okay…I have got to get back to the part about having chores galore.  I am ping-ponging today!

I have seen stuff like this all over blogland.  KariAnne over at Thistlewood Farms….has an AMAZING one!  It’s breathtaking.  Pinterest also has some fun ideas for stuff like this.  Does Pinterest make you giddy?  Isn’t it fun? Did you know…that I dreamed up my chalkboard mantle…and THEN looked on Pinterest and there they were?  THEN the BHG magazine for that month had one in it!  Talk about excited!

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Now it’s time to let it dry.  The hard part.  Is that the hard part for you?  Now can you guess who the impatient one is?  (Thank you God…for giving us balance in our home. I really appreciate it.  I love You for it too!)

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I really think that “Hug family” softens the chore chart a tad.  Mothers do things like that.  Mothers are funny creatures.

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Their new chalkboard chart hangs in the upstairs hallway, between their bedrooms and their bathroom.  I think that is a good place to remind you of what needs doing.  Our kids do other things besides this…but I thought that it would hurt to have a few basics “set in stone.” (Or paint and chalk.)

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I am a firm believer in adding fun to anything that you do.  I learned as a child that if…while I was carrying in wood and feeding the dog, singing to the top of my lungs made chores more enjoyable.  I really rock the house on cleaning day.  I’M KIDDING!  I do like to try to put a little “happy” in whatever we are doing though. I have parents with twinkly eyes…that love to have fun.  It’s genetic.

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So..that is our chalkboard chart for our chores.  We don’t really have chores galore…but it was catchy…don’tcha think?  btw:  You really do need a horse and a giraffe under your chart.  It doesn’t show…but under that digital frame is a whole bookshelf of Schleich animals.  Do your kids love those?  Our younger ones do.  (I think that their dad likes them too!…Hi Honey. ;)) They are sure to take their money when it’s time to hit the feed store.  (That’s where they sell them here.)

Have a wonderful weekend, Dirt Road Friends!  This post was a tad long and a tad scattered.  Maybe it will make you feel kinda crazy and your day will not only be work…but FUN work.  Now…go forth and ENJOY!

Sig