DIY Chalkboard Tutorial

I've been wanting a chalkboard somewhere in my home for a while now, but haven't gotten around to buying one yet. I really like the look of the Restoration Hardware chalkboards, but didn't want to fork over that much $ for a chalkboard. So I decided - DIY it was.

We headed to Lowe's over the weekend to purchase our supplies:
- plywood (I bought a 2x4 pre-cut piece for $13)
- chalkboard paint in the can (not spray)
- stain
- steel wool (sandpaper will work as well)
- paint roller
- painters tape

The process was simple, but time consuming. I spent a total of two days working on my chalkboard, but it could be done in one day if desired. I am very happy with the result, and am debating on whether or not we will purchase a frame for it - I kind of like the industrial look it has with the 'raw' edge.

Picking up our supplies - my assistant fell asleep on the job.

Step One: Use painters tape to make a border (this is if you are staining a border). I simply lined up the edge of the tape with the edge of my wood.  

Step Two: Apply chalkboard paint using a roller. Apply a generous (but NOT thick) layer of paint, let it dry completely, then sand or steel wool the first coat. Paint second coat, let dry, sand. Paint third coat...etc. I ended up with four coats of paint because my wood grain was still showing through. (It would probably work best to sand your board BEFORE you start, but I didn't). 

Step Three: After the final coat is completely dry, carefully pull tape off exposing your border.

Step Four: Stain time! Carefully stain the border of your chalkboard - make sure to follow the directions according to the stain you choose. 

Step Five: Chalk it up - cover the entire chalkboard with chalk. This step is VERY important. 

Step Six: ENJOY! Decorate and hang/lean your chalkboard in its new home. Super simple tutorial - give it a shot! 

37 Weeks & My Baby Items

Happy Monday, hope you had a great weekend! 37 weeks...welcome to 'full term!' Can't believe I'm saying that - as there is so much more to do before the arrival of this little one! I have been feeling pretty well for the most part - my hands have started to swell a tiny bit (not much, but enough for me to remove my rings), and everything involving physical movement (stairs, getting out of bed, rolling over at night, hauling in groceries, etc) seems a bit more difficult these days! I am getting very excited to get fully moved (this upcoming weekend), and n-e-s-t! I have been craving more and more sweets (not out of the ordinary for me), and discovered my new, favorite treat - carrot cream cheese cupcakes...yum. If you live near a Native Foods, you must try it! It's vegan, and you would never know (I've never had a vegan dessert before this, and it is one of the best carrot cake/cupcakes I've ever had)! 

Much of my weekend was spent running errands and testing paint...see what I mean? 

It's amazing how different the color looks once you get it on the wall - some of them look NOTHING like the color on the paint swatch! We have decided on a color, and I'll be sharing more on that soon! 

This weekend, I also finished buying all of the 'newborn essentials' I will need - at least for the first few weeks...I would much rather figure out I need something and buy it after the baby is here, than stock up on 100 items I don't need/will never use. This isn't everything (obviously), and not all of these are among my 'essentials' list ... just a few items I am most excited about! 

Did you do anything fun this weekend? 

A House Update ((and a paint FAIL))

It's Friday! I am SO happy it's the weekend...how about you? As I mentioned earlier this week, we will most likely spend the majority of our weekend organizing and packing (one of my least favorite things in the world!), but it will be nice to have a bit of downtime as well. My husband will be heading to 'Daddy Boot Camp' tomorrow - can't wait to hear how it goes, I just laugh every time I think of it!

I will leave you today with a few updates on the house - some of the painting is complete, and I love it all most of it. The one epic fail occurred in the nursery - oh joy! But let's start off with something a little more pleasing to the eye...a sneak peek of the kitchen! I am very happy with the way the it's turning out...we're almost there!

Ok...back to the nursery. I ended up going with a Benjamin Moore color (instead of Valspar, which I originally wrote about) for quality and VOC reasons. Anyway, the color I chose looks absolutely hideous - like a pink highlighter! I know neon is 'in' and all, but somehow I just don't think it works for a wall color. I was so shocked when I walked into the room, and kept trying to talk myself into liking it, but it wasn't working (I was up for 3 hours in the middle of the night thinking about how much I hated it). It was simply NOT what I had in mind for the room. This morning, I caved. We are changing it (hallelujah!). I ordered three new samples to be tested in the room over the weekend, and will let the painters know the decision so they can 'fix' the room on Monday. Oops. Without further adieu, I present: the NEON PINK NURSERY.

*please note, these photos don't even do it justice

The color is Benjamin Moore's 'Mixed Fruit.' - don't. do. it. 

It almost glows in the dark - seriously. 

Let's move on to some of my better color choices, shall we? For the majority of the house, we chose BM's 'Revere Pewter,' and to say I love it is an understatement! I was having the most difficult time choosing a color, and couldn't be more thrilled with the way this gray looks on our walls - love! 

I wanted something a bit more dramatic in my office, and decided on BM's 'Stormy Monday.'

Do you like the colors I chose (besides the obvious neon nursery disaster)? 

In other exciting news, I am an auntie again to a beautiful baby boy - Graham Reid! This is my first nephew, and I am so happy for the (now) family of 4! Congratulations you guys! xo 

Have a great weekend! 

Go for the Bold

There's nothing more boring than a house full of 'builder beige' walls (yawn). There are just SO many options when it comes to color, and some of my favorite rooms feature bold or brightly painted walls. Many people are afraid of color, but it really can change the look of a room - in an amazing way. Wallpaper is another great option, but I chose to feature paint because it's easy to change and relatively inexpensive. Here are a few spaces that make my heart pitter patter...

Would you paint any of the walls in your home a bold color? 

all images via houzz and decorpad