So Fresh & So Clean

I love chalkboards if you have not noticed hehe! Ever since I discovered how to make chalkboard paint 2 years ago and then discovered they made it in spray paint and then actual paint, my life pretty much became complete, jk, but seriously -_- HOWEVER one thing I cannot stand about chalkboards is when they become foggy from all the chalk build up. And I feel no matter how much I prime my chalkboard I still freak out when I see even the slightest amount of chalk build up. (*how to prime your chalkboard* lay your chalk flat on the board and apply a coat of chalk all over and then erase, leaving a light white coating on the board. This will make erasing future chalk easier*) I guess it doesn't help that I draw something new on my chalkboard every week *whoops*. 

I have tried everything when it comes to cleaning our chalkboards throughout the house. I have done baby wipes, warm soapy water, a vinegar solution, the list could go on. But nothing seemed to truly get my chalkboards clean. I would get so excited when they became wet with whatever I was cleaning them with and for a minute or two the chalkboard looked nice and clean. THEN the board would dry and there was that nasty chalky, cloudy, annoying look that I hate so much. (If you own a chalkboard or went to school with chalkboards, you know what I am talking about). 

See what I mean? It just looks so ewwww!!! Looking at this photo is making me freak out a little inside!

SOOOOO, I did some research an I found a solution to my problem. COKE! Yes Coca Cola, cleans your chalkboard and makes it look brand new. I mean it makes sense right? When I needed to take rust off my bike I would use coke and steel wool. I mean it eats the paint off a car for goodness sake, that is sooo creepy/disgusting! I tried a sip, and not even joking, I wanted to throw up. I really don't understand why people like this stuff!

All you need is some Coke, a sponge, and a bowl to pour a little bit of the Coke into

The cleaning process is SO simple! All you have to do is wipe off your chalkboard with a paper towel or chalkboard eraser. Then pour some of the Coke into a bowl and dip your sponge in it and wipe your chalkboard down. After I wiped it down with the Coke sponge, I wiped the chalkboard down again with a paper towel and warm water just because I didn't want my dog licking the chalkboard cause he smelled something sweet on it AND I just imagined flies coming into our home because they smelled this God awful drink. *DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT use warm soapy water  on your chalkboard, it can leave a not so great film on the surface of the board!*

 BTW how disgusting is this?! The coke left a brown stain in my bowl after only 5 min of sitting in it. Can you imagine what it does to your body when it just sits in your stomach for hours?!

Once the chalkboard dries this is what it looks like! Oh my beautiful, gorgeous, sexy chalkboard how I love when you get all cleaned up for me ;) This looks like I just put a fresh coat of chalk paint on the wall! Who knew Coke could be so wonderful in this way?!

Then it was time to dress our chalkboard up! Rango is so amused by the falling chalk dust whenever I write or draw on our chalkboard. Silly puppy :P

VOILA

This sight makes my heart so happy! I swear it does not take much to please me. And seriously, how easy was that?! So go to Publix, Walmart, Food Town, Shop Rite, wherever you do your food shopping and pick up some Coke and get those chalkboard squeaky clean!

*UPDATE: Since doing this post, I have used soda besides Coke. I had Dr. Pepper in our fridge left over from yummy Dr. Pepper ribs and I gave it a shot and it worked just as well as the Coke*

happy decorating

Operation: Being Content

My plan for this apartment was to keep it simple. Well that started to change rather quickly and our living area started to become quite eclectic which I L-O-V-E! Most of the stuff in our living area was given to us, and then received a face lift! Our couch, coffee table, and end table were given to us by my husbands parents. I painted our couch grey, yes PAINTED (I will do a future blog post on that because it is AWESOME SAUCE) made the oak coffee table into a tufted ottoman, and painted the dark cherry end table antique white and stenciled our initials and wedding date on it. Then of course I bought a vintage filing cabinet, a green retro velvet chair, a 10$ tv stand (which is temporary, I am on a mission to find an old dresser and refurbish that!) and a 15$ book shelf that I dry brushed white. Everything in our living space was either free or cheap. In my mind however, that gave me the ok to keep buying things and switching things out. I would buy some type of wall decor and then a month later buy something else. Then a month later I would buy wall sconces and then decide I did not like them. I finally realized the other day that I had an issue with being content with what God has blessed us with! My husband and I were sitting at the Ford dealership getting my car looked at and as I sat there I was looking at the other cars and said, "oooh I want that one" *mind you my husband just got me a new car less than 8 months ago -_- *yes I have an issue with being content. So I repented and asked the Lord to help me because not being content is not only unhealthy spiritually but unhealthy financially in my case! I then apologized to my husband for not being content with not only what God had given us, but what he has worked so hard for to provide for us (which is really God too).  SOOOO to make this post short, my objective for this home project was to create something that could be changed around when I felt like it, but would not require spending money to buy something completely different!

So without any further ado here is my project to help me practice being content!

I went to one of my favorite thrift stores and picked up some frames. The majority of them were 80 cents (STEAL) and the nice big gold one was only $2.12 (not to shabby aye?)

Then I broke out my handy chalkboard paint. Yes I LOVE chalkboard paint, get over it! You will also need some painters tape, OR I used masking tape because it was $3 cheaper, and go get yourself a nice flat brush. You want to make sure the bristles are smooth and silky to the touch so your chalk paint goes on smoothly!

I then taped around the border of my frames so when painting the glass, the chalk paint would not get on the frame itself. *If you get frames that the backs pop off of then I recommend doing that, so you can take the glass out and paint it without having to use the tape method. I, however got super old frames that did not give me that luxury :(*

This was the hard part for me. After doing one coat I had to sit around and wait for it to dry before I could do another uggggggh the agony! So I guess this project has helped me be patient as well right? Hahaha well not really because after 10 minutes I started on the second coat, WHICH I DO NOT RECOMMEND! Be patient, and let the first coat fully dry! 

Once they were dry I started to write some sayings on them with a chalk pen! USE a chalk pen, it is a more permanent option that will not fade or erase as easily as the traditional chalk.

Once they were all dried, I figured out how I wanted to place them on the wall and hung them up! I am so happy with how they came out and will start adding more to the wall over time! The touches of gold add a certain vintage feel that I really adore! 

This project has allowed me to make something that I can keep for a LONG time. And when I am not content with what is in the frames, all I have to do is use what I have by simply erasing the writing and write or draw something new without having to go out and spend money on more decor (that I would probably end of changing AGAIN anyway heheh).

happy decorating

Industrial Rustic Shelves

This project has been one of my favorites thus far! I love adding metal accents to rustic pieces. There is something beautiful about the mixture of wood and metal. 

This DIY was super easy and very budget friendly! You can get everything you need right at Lowe's. 

They sell 8ft. long 2x4 for less that 3$ CHA-CHING! You can have someone there cut the wood for you at no charge, which is FABULOUSNESS. 

Next step? STAINING! They now have some super fun colored stains out there (grey, blue, pink, orange....etc), but I guess I am boring and stuck with Antique Walnut. Yup, that pretty much sounds like something my Granny would pick out :/ actually she would probably pick something more fun haha! I threw on 2 coats of stain (I could have probably gotten away with one coat but I do 2 to be safe). 

Then I bought some steel shelf brackets from Lowe's for between 3-4$ a piece. 

they have different sizes depending on the size of your shelf and depending on the look your are going for!

I broke out my handy hand drill and attached the wood to the brackets; then the brackets to the wall and THERE YOU GO! I decorated mine with some mason jars of course, a vintage flour and coffee container, and recycled apple juice and milk glasses. Our apartment does not have a ton of counter space or cabinet space so these nifty shelves were the absolute best addition to our kitchen walls!

happy decorating

Chalkboard Accent Wall

So, we have moved yet again. That makes it 3 moves in less than 1 year. Oh my stars that is a lot! Long story short, an apartment became available in a perfect location and we could not pass it up. Not to mention it has a spare room which is perfect for when family comes to visit and eventually a nursery when it is time for baby Vinson! So here we are in our new apartment. Tan walls, gorgeous laminate floors (which I love because it does not scratch like hard wood and is WAY easier to clean, hallelujah!) crown molding throughout, massive 7 foot windows, and lots and lots of closet space. 

I could not wait to start decorating and turning this apartment into a home for us. My first project that I wanted to tackle was adding a POP of something. I was happy that we had tan walls because it beats white walls, but all the tan was quickly getting boring so I decided to break out my can of chalkboard paint (you can get it at any home store. I got mine from Walmart for 8$ for a quart).

 I chose a long,vertical wall that greets you when you walk in our entry hallway and is right near the kitchen so you can appreciate it at different angles. I cleaned the wall of any dust or whatever other nasty stuff can get on a wall and started with one coat of chalk board paint. After that coat dried I did another and let that fully dry. After about 3 days I then wiped the chalkboard wall down with a wet paper towel and once dried I covered the chalkboard in chalk and erased it (this primes the chalkboard and makes erasing easier in the future!) And BOOM, a accent wall that is not only adores but productive too. We designated the top portion for our bills (boo) and the rest for scripture! Easy right? And quick too! Go out there beautiful people, pick up some chalkboard paint and make your home something fun AND useful!

happy decorating