Updating our Kitchen Chalkboard, plus a Valentine's Craft

I just like to paint things.  Nothing is safe in our house.  When I updated our little desk to navy it was pretty obvious I needed to update the kitchen chalkboard that hangs out with it as well.

Way back when, I found a nice sized piece of framed wood in our shed.  I'm really not sure what it was originally intended for but it looked like the perfect thing to turn into a chalkboard for our kitchen - so I did.  We have loved it but once again it was time for a change with some paint.  When our little desk received its navy paint update, the teal frame on our chalkboard was just not working with mint green walls and a navy desk.

I really considered white for the frame but I wasn't sold.  I checked our stash of paints and found a little paint sample I picked up a while back.

I'm pretty sure it was a pre-made sample that was on sale for $.50.  It was one of those, you never know purchases.  I can't help but always peruse the oops paint section at the hardware stores.  Sometimes there are decent colors to be had and at crazy cheap prices.  Matter of fact, our mudroom floor paint was found in the oops section. I scored a whole gallon of gray paint for $5.00 and then the nice lady tinted it darker for me.  So moral of the story, it never hurts to check out the paint when out and about.

A little tape around the edge and a couple of coats of paint and I was done.  Free, simple and quick.  I used a little foam roller and a small brush for the cracks.

As you can tell this chalkboard gets a lot of use.

I love the new update and I am loving the calmer feeling that we have going on in this little area of the house now.

Over the weekend Justin was out of town taking our students on their Winter Retreat so I took the time to be crafty and have a dance party.  I'm not normally one to decorate for Valentine's day but I got into the mood and couldn't stop.  I have some more to share tomorrow, but for now here is a little scrappy banner I whipped up - anyone can do this.

If you can cut with scissors and tie a knot, you are a crafter - fist bump.  I used old t-shirts, an old lace tablecloth and some ribbon...all from my scrap fabric stash.  Just cut a bunch of strips - they can be jagged and uneven it doesn't matter at all, t-shirt material is especially forgiving.  Then find some yarn, string or ribbon and tie all of your little strips along it.  

That's it, you have a sweet little scrappy, vintage looking banner to hang up anywhere your heart desires.

You can make these for any occasion and I have and will.  Tomorrow I have a bunch more Valentine's crafts to share with you, they are all easy too!  

Thanks for visiting, I'm off to celebrate my 33rd year today!

Building a Patio - Part Three

Alright, so lets pick up where we left off with the patio.  It seems strange to be writing a blog post for something we completed so long ago (do a few months count as long ago? I guess it does in my mind.)  From the beginning this patio was a team effort.  We have had so many great people give us a hand or two in the building of this thing.  I was blown away that so many came by to help out and so thankful for amazing friends.  Its been so fun to be able to host lots of cook outs and hang out nights here with them on the patio this summer.  We almost feel like we have added an entire new room or living space to our house, we love it.

Ok, now lets get down to the technical - or not so technical things.  Way back when, we first talked about choosing pavers, then we began with our first step of digging out the area (and let me add in again that when I say we here - I'm really talking about everyone else...I made the food and finalized plans), and that was followed by the prep work of adding gravel, screening and tamping down the surface.  So we were all primed and ready to put in a patio.

Pavers - they must somehow find their way to the location you want them to lie.  Pavers - are not light. Pavers - it takes a long time to move from front yard to back.  Did you like my salute to Pavers?  We all took many trips back and forth.  I think I could do one paver at a time, maybe two if I channeled my inner hulk.

Ok, next thing was to determine our paver pattern.  We bought both square pavers and bricks and wanted to use the bricks to break up the plainness of the squares.  We settled with this and liked it.

Now it was just the tedious task of laying them all down, keeping them level, even and precise as possible.  The technical part of this includes the fancy tools we used.  Like a paint stirrer.  We used them to sweep across the screening layer a time or two just to make sure everything was as even as possible.  It worked like a charm.  Also a level is useful for a final check.

I need to add in here that early on we decided we needed a slight incline in the patio - mainly to help with drainage during heavy rain storms.  You can't even tell in its completeness that there is a slight slope at all and it has drained beautifully since its completion.  I think it was a smart move.  I would have hated to have puddles and mess to deal with every time it rained.

Oh, also for tools a rubber mallet came in handy for keeping the pavers tight and crisp.

Silas and Mike had the task of double checking for any loose or wobbly pavers.  We had a few that just didn't meet our standards of levelness so they walked and jumped around and smoothed out anything that felt wobbly or uneven.

And it seems Mark had to do some of that too.

This is a staged shot, I know seems so "real life" right?  This is the moment of the final paver placement - a wonderful feeling for everyone.

Victory run.

But wait, there is more!  Something has to hold all of this together and that's when Paver Set comes in. 

 According to its package Paver set is:

Polymeric Sand Paver Set is specially formulated for the filling of paver joints. It is specially mixed with polymers to harden yet remain flexible. It reduces weed growth but will not crack with weather-related ground movement.

We quickly began dumping it on, then felt like we didn't have enough and then ran to the store and bought way too much.  I guess its better to have too much then not enough?  Luckily it was returnable.  So we just used a broom to sweep and fill the paver set into all of the little cracks.  By the way, have you been to the hardware store to buy a broom lately?  I was totally on broom overload and had no idea which one to get.  Luckily Justin knew.

There was a lot of sweeping involved.

Final thing to do - lightly spray the surface to seal everything in.  It starting bubbling like crazy and we got a little nervous about the bubbles.  There was a warning on the label about the bubbles leaving a stain (that we of course noticed after we started) so this turned into a two person job of spraying and sweeping.  In the end, there was no way to get every little bubble thankfully and it did not stain or mark the pavers in any way that we could tell.  We were relieved.

Whew, we couldn't wait to get our furniture on the patio and start relaxing.

Its all old stuff we already had but I still like it. I feel like the new patio makes everything look pretty anyway.

Ok, so now we need a quick reminder of how this backyard used to look...

I can't end on that picture.  I think we have come a long way...

So final thoughts... It was a lot of work, took a lot of help, was a lot of fun to do and completely worth it.  We have enjoyed so many great hours out here already.  

Tomorrow I'll try to get in some detailed shots and also fill you in on some more backyard updates we have been working on plus some future plans.  Sometimes its the little things that really bring it all together.

Have a wonderful day!

No-Cost Frame Redos

Pausing from closet doors to share with you some frame redos.  Since I have all of the paint materials out and set up I thought I would take the time to update some of the frames I have laying around, waiting for some love.  For all of these updates I used paint that I had on hand already so nothing was purchased just for these projects.  Free updates = Happy Us.   First frame up is actually a mirror.

This frame needed an update and my first thought was to spray paint it white.  After I did, I just wasn't sold and decided to try a bolder color.   I have recently bought some really great teal paint that I haven't used yet but I thought would work perfect for this project.  So teal it was.  Oh, and I also got some spray paint on the mirror (whoops) - but some nail polish remover rubbed it right off - no biggie.

This project I subbed out to my lovely niece Mya.  She is up for hire - her current going rate is a Popsicle and a handful of cherry tomatoes.  Not to bad if you ask me.  She only does one coat though because anything longer than that gets boring.

All in all it was a great deal, it was fun and entertaining for her for the first coat and I worked on other things and she did an excellent job.

Here's our finished product, Mya was digging the new color and excited to see it finished.  I think I know the perfect place to hang it.

Next up, an old frame that houses my beloved NC light houses print.  

You know from days long before that I once went a little crazy with a themed light house bathroom and promised that never again.  But, it's just one little print and I happen to love it...and I got it on our honeymoon to the Outer banks so it has sentimental value.  I wanted a black frame and I just happen to have black chalkboard paint leftover - so a little splash of paint and now the frame really pops.

Lastly, Is a little different redo.  Instead of changing the frame I'm changing what's inside.  I have several frames I bought way back when we first got married, the frames aren't bad at all but it's the inside prints that are hideous. 

 Instead of replacing it with a picture or different print I opted to replace it with a fabric I have that I got on a trip to Ecuador.  I haven't decided where this one is going yet but I love the framed fabric.  It makes me happy.

So no money, new frames, new artwork and we're good to go.  Sometimes it doesn't take much to revamp and old item that you're not so keen on anymore into something that you love!