The Remodeled Life: 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.