Our Entry Way

My friend Cindy came over yesterday with her two kiddos. It was so much fun and made the morning go by so much faster! Cindy is a great conversationalist. She has become a welcome phone call to have in the middle of the week. Always chipper and always ready with a little sarcastic banter to brighten my day! Hopefully, her and her kiddos can become a great play-date in the middle of the week since she moved so close to me!

While she was here, she commented on my chalkboard frame and asked if I had posted about it yet and that if I hadn't, I should. So, Cindy...here you go.

The large oval is what we're lookin' at here, peeps!
Again, I painted the frame black (98cents at Walmart for the black spray paint) and gave the glass portion several coats of spray chalkboard paint. (At this point in my explanation to Cindy she gasped and said..."Spray chalkboard paint??" and then....I opened up a whole new world to her! LOL!)

Yes, my friends....spray chalkboard paint. Don't believe me? It's at Lowe's. Or Michaels. Or Joanns. (are Joann and Michael friends??) or Home Depot. Or Wallymart! Looksie:
AGH! I know!!!! It's inspiring!

So...I waited for the paint to dry, put the glass back in and the picture because it holds the glass steady...and wrote about five hundred messages on it until I finally settled on "Welcome Home, Daddy!" because by that time, it was time for the hubs to be home. (I've changed it since then...obviously!) I used a plate easel to hold it up and wha-la!
There you have it! Another frame turned chalkboard. OH. And in case you're wondering how addictive that chalkboard business is...I have it in my kitchen, entry way, planning on something for the kiddo's rooms and want one in my breakfast nook. So the answer is very. VERY. addicting.

Here is our whole entry way table. I have the candles (vanilla and baked cookie..yummy!!!) ready for Autumn (it can't come soon enough!) and I swear I have checked that mirror a hundred times. It's level. But apparently, it takes pictures crooked. Hmm...just like me....hhmmm...


See the reflection in the mirror? Apparently, you should have a nice reflection for your mirrors...like a beautiful vignette to look at. Who knew? Well...just about everyone but me, I guess. And you, if this is news to you. You're supposed to be making another picture. So...you know those mirrors I had in my old house that just reflected the blinds. Yeah, not pretty. This is soooo pretty and still reflects indirect light. My flowers are a sorry sort, I know. They are left overs from storage and will just have to do until Autumn comes (and then....oh the pretties I have for there! swooon!). What I'd really like there is some sunflowers. Bright and cheery for the summer. But that will have to wait until they go on clearance...which will be right about when I decide my Autumn decor needs to come out. What can ya do?

So...welcome to our home. This is what you'll see when you walk in....

oh...and toys. Pretty much everywhere. Don't laugh. I'm not kidding. Some day, I'll be out of the toy stage, until then...

Making a cozy home with memories...and keys

Linkin' up to A Soft Place to Land's DIY day!

I've been blog hopping and ran across a good idea. Keep skeleton keys to remember homes you have lived in...I think it was on the Nester, but now I'm not sure!

Well....remember this ol' lock and key my mom gave me?

Well, I hop, hop, hippity-hopped to Lowe's and bought two more skeleton keys so I could create....this:

I took three frames (painted the two smaller ones black) and wrapped the matting in burlap. Then I used black and white plaid ribbon to frame around the paper with writing. What is written on there are the memories of previous houses/apartment we lived at. The white lines you see are where I erased the addresses. The top small one is our apartment and says:

"Our first apartment shared its space with the rental office. Because of that we did not have to pay for PG&E. We had way too much furniture in such a small space but we were happy to go home to it every day after work. We can remember the adjustment to living together that wasn’t always fun, chicken pot pie, and playing video games that brought out the competitor in us. Despite this, it wasn’t long before the desire to have a house began to take form and the search for something that was all ours took shape."

The lower small frame says:

"Our first real home. Renovations brought life back into a house that had been neglected and made it, once again, a home. Wedding memories turned to home repair and pregnancy memories. We brought all four of our babies back to this home after delivery. First time parents, first steps, first words, and first potty training all happened here. There is a fond memory, a thought, a warm reminder written invisibly on every wall. But seven years later, it was time to say good-bye, at least in part, to our cozy sanctuary."

And the BIG one with the big lock and key says:

"The house that we are hoping to make the memories in that will last us the rest of our lives. We are blessed by God with our four, beautiful children and room to put them all. Family and friends, but mostly faith is our prayer to reside here. May the happiness here be permanent fixtures in our memories and may our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, be at the center of them all. He is the head of our home, the unseen guest at the dinner table, and the silent listener to every conversation. May we bring Him glory and honor in all we do. Amen."

I spaced it so that you could read all of it even though that huge lock is sitting there. I don't think it's any big surprise to any of you that I've had a really hard time letting go of our old house. I think part of it is because there are just sooooo many good memories there. I even am holding on to the bad ones because they all ended up working out for us in the end. God is good. Don't get me wrong, I love our new house and can't wait to make memories here, but it's not the same...yet.

And yes, I realize I didn't finish putting the ribbon border on one of the smaller frames. I ran out. Time to take a shopping trip. Darn. I hate when that happens. :)

Silver-WHERE?

I had these two shelves, sheeee? (I'm talkin' like Humphry Bogart here, people, work with me.)

And I had a decorative tea pot, sheeeee?

And a green glass....something, sheee?

And some decorative candle holders, sheee?

And it needed to come together, sheeee?

But when it came together, it was missing something 'kitchen-y', sheeee?

So, here's what I did, shweeetharrt.

I took this picture, sheee? (Ok, I'm done with that.)

(hmmm....upside down, but you get the picture...)

and painted it black. (aaaahhhh......) 97 cent spray paint from Wallymart, of course.

Then, I cut two different sized ovals. Thank you, Creative Memories cutting system.

I stuck 'em together with a glue stick, put them back in the frame-without the glass and then rounded up a spoon, knife and fork and used these little puppies to stick them to the paper.
Can't see 'em? GLUE DOTS! They are soooooo cool and come in very handy! Just pull the glue dots off the roll and stick them to the points on the silverware that will touch the paper and carefully, shove them on there. Be sure you have them right where you want them 'cause them glue dots are so awesome, you'll probably rip your paper trying to re-position them. Just sayin'.

Put it all together and what do you got? Bibbidy, bobbity, BOO! (I think I watch too much tv)
I don't have to tell you to overlook the sippies, do I?

That's it! and I love it. If only I can find something else other than that picture there. What do you say?

Here's lookin' at you, kid.

(I couldn't resist)

Check out A Soft Place to Land for other do-it-yourself projects!

All for $20

It's that time again! Hop on over to Rhoda's over at Southern Hospitality for thrifty finds!

My friend's mom was having a yard sale, so of course I went! I got some stuff that I love and that I can use! (Always a good thing!)

These pots will be so cute at Christmas! 30 cents!!!! And they are BIG. Much bigger than what you are thinking they are. That's my sewing machine RIGHT behind them. No camera tricks here!

This massive "teacup" is so big, you could really use it for chips and fruit! See how small that tape measure is next to it? $3!!!
And this...Oh, be still my heart! This piano seat is just dying to be transformed and used at our breakfast nook table!!! $5!!!
And this lamp...$5!! That beats Goodwill's prices!!
I also bought some books and it brought my total up to $20...and then I headed off to do my moms manicure (and make back the money I just spent).

Top the day off with a night out with girl-friends to celebrate one of them passing her test and becoming a certified RN, and you've got a really good day!

My blog mooo-ved

Well, I figured since we moved, my blog might as well move, too! My posts have become more decorating and craft oriented and this blog name is a little safer for me and the family (because you can never be too safe!). But don't you worry! There will still be plenty of kids and craziness to post about!

My old blog is either going to be private or just deleted...not sure yet...

But thanks for moving with me!!!!

Carrie

The Writing on the Wall

I've got lettering on my walls in three places.

Here:

and here:

and here:


..and more to come (obsessed much?)....but all my faithful friends (all two of you) want to know "How the heck do you do that???" Never fear...I'm here...and here's a tutorial! It's super easy!

Here's what you need:
a computer
PATIENCE
a printer
an exact-o knife
PATIENCE
cardboard or cutting board
PATIENCE
paint (acrylic or wall paint-both are forgiving if you wipe up mistakes when they happen)
paint brush or sponge brush
a leveler (for real! You don't want to paint a crooked saying-unless you mean for it to be crooked)

Did I mention that you'll need patience? A steady hand doesn't hurt either. Neither does having children that are napping while you do this.

1. Find the saying you want..."bon appetit!" or "Merci!" or any saying like "the family that plays together, stays together" for a game room, a monogram...but my favorites are Bible verses.

2. Spend hours fiddling with it in Word, searching for just the right font and sizes. Keep in mind here that you will be cutting it out, so the more intricate the lettering...the more time it takes to cut it out.You can download free fonts from dafont.com. Mine are 250 and 200 and 100 sized...just to give you an idea. This will mean that your saying will be printed over a number of pages. No biggie, but if you have words you want next to each other, tape the pages together before you cut any excess paper off so you can make sure they are even.

If you have excess paper on the back side (like I did) turn it over and cut it off. It's much easier to cut through one sheet of paper. If it is a stencil you'd like to use over and over again, use card stock when you print it. Regular paper is definitely a one-time job! Front side:
Back side:


3. Once you have your saying cut and pasted together how you want it, I recommend putting it up on your wall and living with it for a while before you do it. That way, you can tweak it and try it in many ways BEFORE you paint it and realize you wished you would have done something different.

4. Now that you know you love it just the way it is, take it down and carefully cut the lettering out. Pay special attention to letters with complete circles in them like "O" and lowercase '"g." You'll need to keep a piece of that letter still attached so that you don't lose it. You can fill in the empty line later by freehand. I stick tape underneath those circles when they are on the wall so that they don't flop down on me.See how it's attached? That's what you'll need to add some tape to so it doesn't fall off the wall while you're painting:

When you put it up on your wall, please, please, please! level the letters! This looked level to me on the wall, but when I put the leveler up on the lettering, it was way off and I bet I would have noticed it as soon as the paper came off. Once it's level, tape it up there. QUICK! Before it's slips and you have to level it all over again!


5. Choose your paint...and then get to painting! Make sure you are painting with the brush or sponge by dabbing straight on the letter. Your brush should be perpindicular or somewhat close. Don't do brush strokes and don't load your brush with tooooo much paint or it will bleed underneath the paper.

6. Once you're done, peel it off. See where the "O" needs to be completed?

I just freehand that little area.

I recommend peeling it off right after you're done because there could be paint that has bled and you'll want to scratch or wipe it off while it's still somewhat wet. I always have to touch up my lettering because I have textured walls, but remember that no one is going to notice a small blemish in the lettering from where they will be looking at it.

See???? Bet you didn't even notice!!!


Wah-La! Beautiful lettering for WAY less than you would have paid for vinyl!

The possibilities really are endless with this! Imagine plates, memo boards, headboards, wall art, windows for holidays....even window treatments like my burlap kitchen valance!

Happy painting!!! And don't forget to show me what you've done!

Burlap???

(Pssst. It's DIY day at ASPTL! Click on the link to see some crafty goodness!)

Yup. Burlap. Yup, that stuff people wrap around their trees. Why do they do that?

Ok, so I know I got the green and black and white fabric for my curtains but then this happened in my kitchen:


...and all of the sudden, I'm thinkin'...I like the inclusion of of the outdoorsy, brownish, natural stuff. And then it hit me. Ton. Of. Bricks.

Burlap. What would burlap look like as curtains? Would I love it? Would I hate it? How much is burlap? Will hubs kill me if I buy it?

A quick joanns.com search told me that burlap was waaaaaay within our budget. Score. But how would I do it? And more importantly, would I like it?

No sewing. No curtain rod. Just some fabric glue and quilt binding.

Oh, and velcro.

You HEARD ME RIGHT! I used velcro to stick it to my wall. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! Hehe.

Did I like it?

Well.....at first, no. There was too much brown and frankly, it looked masculine. But I had plans...oh...the plans...

Fleur de lis. Do you love that saying? I say it: Flur deh leeeeeeee with a really thick french accent. Do you love that shape? It means 'flower of the lily." It's French. (Don't tell the hubs)

Well...let's just say that with all the damask fabric and black and white things I have been looking up online...a fleur de lis was bound to pop up.

And now, one has popped up on my burlap kitchen window mistreatment.

It's hard to see it in this picture, but it gives you the feel...see how clean my kitchen is? It never looks like that....'cept for when I was taking this picture...


I {heart} it. Hubs {hearts} that it was only $7 to do. SEVEN DOLLARS! You don't have to gasp...I'll gasp for you!


And then...I think I'm going with this fabric for the back of my cabinets...although, I have yet to try out a harlequin pattern....


And just for good measure:

Ooohhhh.....SQUEEZ-A YOU FACE! (That's what my aunt says!)

I {heart} him too!

You know what I've learned from all of this? I {heart} French Country. And I didn't even know it. And that I {heart} too much. I gotta learn how to really heart a {heart}, you know?

The Mother Load...

at my mother's house!

I love when my mom does a little bit of cleaning...and then calls me over to pick through the things she is tired of. Thanks to the blog world and new found appreciation for spray paint, I look at things in a much different light. And there's no greater thrifty find when it's FREE.

Cute Southern Living Candle holder. Don't think I'll be painting this one....yet.


I'm planning on a healthy dose of black for this platter:

(Blogger picture up-loader-thingy, why is this cross on its side?) This is staying as is...and going in my guest bathroom.
And some things, you want just because they old sentimental value. Like this miniatures shelf thingy. Mom has all the miniatures that go in it and I remember it as a staple in my childhood home. And since Dad bought them for Mom...well, I'll probably display it just as I remember it.
Not sure what these things are...but I'm sure I can find a purpose for them! (and paint for that gold platter thingy.)
This picture is another memory for me. I always thought it was my Mom. It's not. But I can remember staring at that picture trying to figure out what she was thinking about. The trivet is getting painted...some color....not sure what yet. I loved the grooves in it, though. Eh, we'll see.
This mirror is about 5x5" but the frame is about six inches around it. Interesting. I think I can see my whole nose in the reflection, but that's about it.
This shelf I'm stalking for my laundry room....
Another memory here...but these, I have no problem changing. I just wanted the ovals around my house to soften the harsh lines I have all over of shelves and square or rectangular mirrors.
Love this wire tea pot. It's a candle holder...who knew?? Thinkin' of painting it green....
But my favorite find of the day is this lock. Yes, the lock. The other great thing about shopping at Mom's house is that you find little treasures like this and even though you have missing pieces, you take it anyway because, hey, it's Mom's house and she just. might. find. it.
And she did.
That lock has a small hook on the bottom to house a skeleton key. And she found the key.
I love that woman.

And here's something that I did have to buy, but it was in the $1.50 bin at Walmart. I'm thinkin' of these fabrics to make curtains for my kitchen. At two yards of fabric for under $5...hubby was proud. I even paid with cash....hehe. The color swatch (named Apple Green) is the color I'm going for in the kitchen and I didn't think this fabric was too far off.



Ok...I'm done...finally!

Head on over to Rhoda's place at Southern Hospitality to see what great things other people dug up!

I'm home. But not for long.

If you are reading my blog today...can you go visit my favorite blogger? Today is his birthday!!

Happy Birthday, Honey!!!!!!

I'm back from a four day stay at my parents house. You know, you never want to over-stay your welcome...and since we'll be back there at least by Saturday...gotta have a couple days of a break. Air conditioner is still broken. 101 today says the weatherman who is not always right but tends to be at least within a five degree marker. Hmph.

But we have a lot to be thankful for! We found renters, we are alive, well, and making do in heat that could DEFINITELY be worse in the Valley. I got married when it was 107, I'm sure I can handle this. At least, that's what I've been telling myself.

So, my day has consisted of:

Ice cream.

Water.

Ice.

Cold showers.

And a PROJECT! (You knew if I was back at home I was doing something, right?)

So, I'm sure if you have your nose ANYWHERE in blogworld, you've seen Uppercase Living or something like it. L.O.V.E. I.T. The great thing is, you can go on their website and get samples of quotes they sell...and then do.it.yourself. (With the help of a computer, printer, and exacto knife, of course.) And save yourself quite a bit of money!

The hubs has me on "spending lockdown" so this has forced my creative hand a bit. And with at least likeable results, I think:

How much do I love those windows next to my door? Go on, ask me how much...'cause I really, really love them. As in: XOXOXOXOXO love.

Here's a closer picture:



Anybody have wording around their house that they just love? I'm trying to think of something creative for the kitchen...that is in a language I can understand! :)

UPDATE: Pssst.....today(as in Thursday) is DIY day at A Soft Place to Land...go check her out!