Oh for the love of Chalkboard paint

I'm a little bit obsessed with chalkboard paint at the moment. So much so that the husband has officially asked me to stop decorating with the stuff (yeah right).  But you see, I've only ever bought one little pint of the stuff, and let me tell you, it has lasted.  I love the unexpected look of the black chalkboard paint.  It just gets to me, ya know?

It all started about two years ago when Little Miss was interested in playing with chalk.  But we don't have a paved driveway, so there was no where easy for her to draw.  Buy an easel? Sure, but where would we put it? Those things are BIG and take up a lot of space, space we didn't have back then (the basement was a dumping ground, but is now enjoyable).  Solution?  Paint the side of our very old white fridge.  Instant easel!

It's fantastic to have that chalkboard there.  We draw on it all the time and it would even entertain her while I was cooking dinner! This year I cleaned it up and added another coat of paint to it since there are now two little people attacking drawing on the fridge.  It has held up very well for the abuse it receives.
*side note, if you want to do this, I suggest using a magnetic primer like we did, it just makes sure the fridge is still magnetic after all those paint coats, which we've put on only three total now.*

 Need decorations for birthday parties or holidays? What better way than to use chalkboard paint?  Did you like that little advertisement? It's how I sell these projects to the hubs.  He doesn't always find me as amusing as I know you guys do.  Seriously though? Finding a picture frame for a dollar at the thrift store and adding chalkboard paint to the glass, instant chalkboard.  I've used this little blue one numerous times at parties, actually I think I've used it at EVERY party! I'm kind of sad that I only made one.  This little blue guy sits on my kitchen counter year round with fun sayings like 'kiss the cook' (I'm original like that ya'll).

and yes, we also are obsessed with foxes :)

My latest project was a kids craft table.  So excited to share that one with ya'll! I imagine the kids using this table until, oh, their little legs don't fit under it any longer.  (I'm not 100% happy with the color of the chairs, but we decided to use what color spray paint we had on hand instead of investing ANY money on this project).  Seriously, this was a completely free project.  Table was a hand me down, Lowe's is awesome in that they give out free paint samples at the beginning of each season, and we have a ton of weird colored spray paint already! Score!

I have visions of using this table at the holidays with each kids name on the back of the chair.  But that would mean having said holidays at my house....so nevermind.  I made the table to sit in their playroom, but it takes up lots of space and the room is not that big.  So instead, its in the family part of the basement, near our "game table" (we don't play games yet, three year olds cheat) and my craft area, so it is a perfect craft area for the kids!

My newest and yet to be finished project also includes, drumroll please! Chalkboard paint!!! I cannot wait to show you! I am super excited about this project and it kind of kick starts another project that I've been too lazy to start yet! I'll show you the finished project on Friday so stay tuned!!

What all have you painted with chalkboard paint? Do you love it? Hate it? Tell me!

~Enjoy!

xo Stacie

Now that Halloween is over, Fall is back!

Well, I'm only about 15 years behind other bloggers in showing off my fall table.  And you'll have to excuse the Halloween decorations that snuck in there (they will hang around until Christmas, kinda like your in laws).  When I first asked the hubs to build me a console table, I had dreams of it going in the tiny foyer/hallway where our front door opens to the living room.  However, he likes to do things big (go big or go home, right?) and the table was too big for that spot.  People just wouldn't be able to walk around the table.  So its new home is in front of our stairs, kinda under our TV, but it houses the electrical equipment (cable box, dvd player, router, and a black box that I have no clue what it is or does) and little else.  SO I decorated it for FALL!!

Excuse the bad qualities of photos, like I've said before, I am 125% amateur and this table was hard to capture, maybe because it was so BIG!

I thrifted/ and or was given every single piece on this table except the lamp.  That baby came from Tarjay for a mere $14 (whaaaa? two separate pieces!) and I'm kicking myself for not buying more, but since I was just on a laundry detergent run, coming home with seven lamps might of been excessive.

Can't have fall without the foxes! My three year old is obsessed with that song and already knows all the words (trying to teach her the dance too but she's not going for it).  Every time we're out and see a fox she wants to bring it home, but even I have my limits.

How do YOU style a table that is not up against the wall? Send me some of your best work!!

Enjoy~
xo Stacie

A Console table even yo' momma would be proud of

Our living room is super odd shape, like there are some stairs just chilling, in the living room, sometimes they watch cartoons with us.  Decorating, and more importantly, furniture arrangement has been tough.  So much so, that we just didn't do it.  Don't get me wrong, we had some style in that room, but nothing like you see in a magazine (you know the ones, you sit there and drool over them and pin them and then pretend you can afford them).  Slowly, veeeerrrryyy slowly, we are upgrading the living room to be more of a family room.  

One new addition that we've put in is a new console table.  Most of these console tables will go behind your average couch, ours? Nope, it is chilling in front of those stairs that enjoy episodes of New Girl with me.  We needed something that would hold our DVD player and cable box and router and what not.  However, we couldn't have your average tv stand/media center due to the big hulking stairs and little ones whose goal in life is to scare the crap out of their parents.  Plus, nice tall tv stands were over $150 and well, that darn poor thing just keeps getting in our way.  

So finally, finally, I convinced the hubby to build me a tall table.  Ok, truthfully, I really wanted an old dresser there but the hubs doesn't care for that kind of style and this is what we compromised on (alright, I caved once he said, I'll build it myself, nothing is sexier than a man building you something).  

I just want to warn you, this sucker is built entirely out of 2x4's!! That's right, 2x4s!!! say whhaaaa?? 

Folks, this table is NICE.  I was playing researching on Craigslist and a very similar table was for sale for almost $200! This one cost us maybe $40 to make but we also had all the wood already.   We followed Ana White's tutorial a little but kudos to the hubs because he pretty much just looked at her design and went to town.  But then, again he is a carpenter for a living so he's got an eye for this stuff (but it also means he doesn't really want to come home and build things either, sad face for me).  Expect a tutorial on how he did this easy peasy in the coming days.  

You can see some of our Halloween decorations have already made the table.  I still need to find baskets to put on that shelf but can't decide on the look I want yet.  I am so excited to start decorating this for holidays (and don't you worry, Target is already getting rid of Halloween and putting out Christmas) and hang our stockings from it and love on it and give it a name and...... you get the point.  I love our new table, and the fact that the hubs hand built it, just means it's loved that much more.

the whole family got in on this thing! Sanding machine she was!

Hope you all have a great fall weekend! Go pick some apples or pumpkins! We are headed up north for that wedding I was telling you about here, and we are mighty excited for some family time!

What are your favorite baskets to decorate with, and where do you find them?

Enjoy~
xo Stacie

Get your Fall on

I look around on Pinterest and other blogs quite a bit for inspiration in my own home.  Then I quickly remember I'm low on funds poor and try to make decorations with what I have at hand already.  This year was no joke.  I spent about $4 total on my fall decorations so far (trust me, I'm never done).

Free acrons, handmade wooden pumpkins from leftover wood, and a thrift store pumpkin.  Yup, fall is in the house! We don't have a fireplace, so no mantle.  And my entryway is table-less due to said poorness so I instead use my kitchen table to house my fall decor.

You may have seen the glitter'd pumpkin on Instagram (I'm tellin ya, you need to follow! It's good times all around).  I found her at a thrift store for a little more than a dollar (people always price weird around here), and decided while she was perdy, she needed a little extra glamour in her life, like Cher, way past her prime, but still rockin that eye makeup.  All I did here folks was wrap painters tape around  in a semi (I eyeballed it, I'm professional like that) straight line.  Under the tape I sloshed tons of rubber craft glue (because that's all I had and the kids were in bed already) and then quickly tossed professionally shook gold glitter all over the glue.  Once I was done adding as much glam as I could (you can never "over do it" with glitter, unless you are on Toddlers and Tiaras, then just stop. just. stop.), and here's the trick to glitter--HAIRSPRAY it!!!  Yup, you read that right, hairspray that glitz on!

These guys over here, yeah SUPER easy!! And best part of all, free! Unless you don't have 2x4s laying around the basement like we do.  If you need some, just let me know...we have plenty, especially after our latest project that you will hopefully see next week on the blog (hint: it has to do with 2x4s).

All I used was some craft acrylic paint in orange and black (because I didn't have brown and once again the kids were in bed-see a pattern?), and I just painted until I got a color I liked.  The stems are seriously sticks from my yard!!! Yea, I know!! Green wire I found in the garage are my "vines" and twine just adds a little extra oomph.

These puppies were super easy to make and I hope everyone makes some.  The hubs exact words were "you made these? The look like something you'd pay money for!"  (Made my day!)

If you seriously do not have 2x4s lying around and want to make these pumpkins, Lowe's will cut down wood for you if you bat your eyelashes and ask nicely (or show a little leg, can't hurt).










Little extra touches were some free acorns that I forced pretended was a game and had the kids pick up out of the yard and threw in an old spaghetti sauce jar (I washed it first, for once).  And the little real pumpkins I picked up at Wal-Mart for about $3 (my biggest expense).

I plan on adding more decor as soon as the kids go to sleep and I can make more.  Look for a pinecone glitter'd garland.... oh yeah, the hubs is gonna enjoy that one I tell ya!

Enjoy~
xo Stacie