Final reveal: Chalkboard paint coffee table

I finally finished the chalkboard coffee table!!! {Well actually, my dad finished painting it for me, mostly because he was sick of it taking up space in his pole barn. Though he'll say he was just trying to be helpful!!}

It turned out great! Better than I expected actually. Here are pictures of the finished project:

I think it will look great in my living room area, when that happens to come together eventually!
I put my feet on it the other day and it is the perfect height for me. I'm thrilled, as you can probably tell!

I also heard a tip that before writing on the chalkboard paint you should cover the entire area with chalk and wipe it off, that way whatever you write isn't ghosted on the paint forever! So I did that as well. Here is a picture of what I mean in case you can't get a visual:

I would love to see some pictures of any projects that you are doing with chalkboard paint! It is so popular right now, and for good reason!

My t-shirt upcycle scarf project

Do you have any old t-shirts that you loved once upon a time, but they don't fit anymore, have holes or stains in them, or just don't work in your wardrobe anymore? The color might be nice, but the shirt just doesn't work as a shirt anymore. I have a solution: make a fun scarf out of it. No sewing required, just some scissor skills! It's so easy that your kids could even do it.

Here is a photo tutorial of what to do:

Just a plain shirt that I  never wear anymore in a fun color

Cut the shirt across just under the arm holes. The line doesn't even have to be straight!

Make slits 1/2 to 2/3 of the way up from the bottom, leaving the fringe with a hem

Cut it all the way around. Precision is not necessary.

After cutting the fringe, pull gently on each to cause it to twist and slim down. Final product is a fun and unique scarf!

You could also use fabric paint to create a pattern on the scarf before you cut the fringe to make it even more personal.

Message board picture frame diy

I saw this project on Pinterest and thought "I could totally do that! It looks super easy." And it turned out I was right! I made a small message board out of a picture frame and burlap. This project could be great for dorm room message boards or kids rooms or even in your home to leave cute little messages around the house for your family! I will probably use mine to write inspirational quotes or Bible verses on to give me little reminders or pick me ups throughout the day!

All you need is a picture frame of any size, some kind of fabric (it's best if the fabric is light colored and not too much going on so you can read what is written easily), scissors and some decorations if you choose.

JoAnn's picture frames were all 60% off so I snagged these frames for $3 each! Such a great find!

My supplies

This spray paint is so tiny and perfect when you just need a little paint. It's about $4

Easiest way to cut fabric to the right size, take the glass out and cut around it. Works every time!

I left just a bit of fabric on each side of the glass just to be sure

Here is the first one completed! I left it black but I'm planning on adding some fun decor around the edge of some sort.

The other frame I am planning on giving to a friend, so to match her decor I wanted to paint it a more rustic looking color, so I scuffed the frame up a bit to make the paint stick better and to make it even more rustic looking

Up close. Looking a little beat up

NOTE TO SELF: Put newspaper or something under the frame next time and save the cement from the paint! There is now a nice square painted onto the cement... oops!

Final product!

And again!

The flower I made from scraps of burlap and some random scraps of lace I found around the house and a button I had. I cut some rough flowers out of the burlap and a rough circle of lace and sewed them all together. Nothing too fancy, but I like it!

I hope you enjoy making things as much as I do! Are there any projects you have seen on Pinterest or other sites that you would like me to try out? I would love some inspiration!

Frosted glass diy project

Hey everyone! Sorry I'm a bit later than usual this morning. It has definitely been one of those days! I must have turned my alarm off in my sleep so I woke up late and was almost late for work... not good! And things have just been crazy already! I can't wait for 3 p.m.! I'm making a quick trip to Home Goods after work to check out the newest inventory and see if I can't find some inspiration while I'm there!

This weekend I started a new project and I can't wait to finish it and show off the finished thing! I wanted to share it with you now though because I think it is pretty cool!

I went to JoAnn's after work and they were having an awesome sale! I got all kinds of stuff for pretty cheap, which is definitely a bonus since I'm not rich! I got enough stuff for 3 separate projects for less than $30!

My room is in the basement and has a large window and one of those tiny basement windows. I put curtains that I had over the large window, but wasn't sure what I should do for the tiny window. I thought about putting fabric over it, but I want as much natural light to my room as possible. While I was at JoAnn's I found this nifty spray paint that makes glass into frosted glass. I cleaned the window and dried it like the can said and sprayed a few layers of "frosting" (hehe) onto the window and let it dry. It worked really well! No one can see in any more, but it still lets some light into the room.

I also picked up a couple smooth glass mason jars for $1.99 each. I wanted to make frosted glass jars for candles or to give as gifts or something. I taped off some stripes and figured I would give it a try. Here are some pics of the beginning process:

From there I sat the jar upside down outside and sprayed the frosting around the glass. It turned out pretty cool so far, but I want to add a few more striped of different sizes and then I will reveal the final result!

House address numbers

There are some cool ideas for house numbers that I have seen lately! Here are some pictures of different ideas that I have found online and from driving around that I was really inspired by and I think you might like them too!

Wedding Decor just for me

.. In honor of wedding season, I wanted to do a blog (or series of blogs) of wedding ideas for decor. I love the trend of outdoor, rustic weddings that are all the rage right now. I hope that when I end up getting married this concept is either still in, or far enough out that it seems cool again! Either way, I don't really care! I have always liked what I like and don't care too much what other people think about it! So here are a few different ideas that I think are adorable and will hopefully be represented in some form at my wedding! I found all of them on Etsy {love that website!} and they are all relatively inexpensive.

I love Mason jars! They remind me of the days when I used to help my great-grandmother can tomatoes and seeing all of the canned foods in her basement fruit cellar that she kept stocked! I guess that's what happens when you live through the Great Depression and all the fear of wars. Mason jars are all the rage right now, so if they are your thing too, my suggestion is to stock up now while they are cheaper!! You can also find cool glass jars at antique stores and flea markets for cheap. I also think the blue color

 and the waves in the bottom picture are really cool!

I really like the looks of burlap, especially for a wedding decoration. Burlap is pretty cheap too. I think this idea of adding lace trim to the edges is a great way to add a bit of class and make it unique!

These baskets would be adorable for a little flower girl to carry down the aisle! It's not too big and bulky and they are unique! I've seen the typical flower girl baskets at wedding shops and I don't like that cookie-cutter feel. I want something like this for my niece to carry down the aisle on my day!

My faith is really important to me, and if I am not getting married in a church I want some representation of that faith and our commitment to God in the ceremony. This cross is really interesting with the rustic wood and lack of straight lines and beat up look. It would be perfect in the type of wedding that I want to have!

Here are the links to the Etsy sites for the things pictured aboveflower-girl-basket
burlap-runner
first-flower-girl-basket
rustic-wood-cross
wavy-blue-glass-lights
hanging-mason-jars
garden-stake-mason-jars

Little helpers

Renovation is hard work... just ask these little helpers!

 

A sprained ankle to show for all her efforts! Her first major injury at the new house! (I'm sure there are many more to come.)

This is a weird face, but I was trying to show the big paint splotch on his nose left over from last night's painting adventure! He was so tired, he fell asleep on the ride back to my parents' house and was out cold for the night, so no bath for him last night!!
Both kids were big helpers and so excited to do whatever we needed! Kids love to help and if you give them small projects you can keep them busy for hours!!

Got extra fabric you don't know what to do with?

If you are at all like me, you have random bits of fabric laying around the house that you aren't sure what to do with. I always have these grand ideas about craft projects that I want to do, but somehow, for one reason or another, they go undone many times. I'm usually too busy to get things done right away and then I get distracted. {Doing this blog has really helped me become better at that!}

So I had some scraps of pretty silky fabric that I was planning on making into a scarf or something, but I never got around to it. I also have an abundance of silver, antique looking frames that I collect and then I'm not sure what to do with! I saw this idea on some other blog or something and I was inspired! It's a pretty simple project. It took me about 5 minutes!

Here are the supplies I used:

I love this kind of frame. I probably have at least 5 like this! Sometimes I think I may use them as table numbers when I get married, but that's a long ways down the road, so we'll see when the time comes!

I fell in love with this fabric when I saw it at JoAnn's!! I love the vibrant colors on the dark background. I am a big fan of deep, rich, saturated color. Pastels just don't cut it like a deep gem tone does!

Double sided tape is great for this project because it's not permanent but will hold up well.

Here is how I put it together:

I took the glass out of the frame and used it as a template to cut a good size for the frame. I left about a half an inch extra fabric so you don't see the frayed edges in the frame.

This is what I did with the extra half an inch. I used the cardboard that was already in the frame and just wrapped the fabric around it to make a cleaner look in the glass.

And the final product!!!

I think this is to die for!! I didn't plan what section of the fabric would show in the frame, but it turned out perfectly!! I love the big blue flower in the bottom corner and that it is off-set by the smaller pink and green flowers around it!

This will be going in my new room somewhere for sure!!

Do you have leftover fabric and a picture frame that is lacking color and inspiration laying around your house? This is an easy and cheap way to dress it up!

The ugly and unlovable in design

My mom makes fun of me because she says I am a lover of the ugly and unlovable things in life! This mainly applies to used furniture and other home decor and sometimes plants, but doesn't extend much beyond that! When I see a discarded plate or coffee mug in my local Salvation Army, I'm always going to want to take it home with me. I recently spotted a mustard yellow armchair a few weeks ago from across the Salvation Army and knew it would be coming to live with me! I buy old kitchen chairs that don't match anything, sand them down and paint them up to look beautiful again. I do the same with shutters or desks or any other random thing that happens to catch my eye! Whenever I come home with something new my family just rolls their eyes and says "Oh Ashley, that is so you!" I'm not sure if I should take offense to that or not!!

Here are a few examples of my love of ugly and unlovable things:

I already have another chair that I stripped and repainted last summer. I am starting a little collection!

I spotted this and it was love at first sight! And when I sat in it I knew for sure!

An old mailbox for my mail so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle!

I bought these for $10 (total) at a community garage sale not long ago! It was like a jigsaw puzzle getting them to fit in my mom's tiny car, but my determination paid off!

The good ~ The bad ~ and The ugly in design

 I am a lover of all things forgotten and unwanted. It's the way I've always been. I don't know why. I haven't psycho-analyzed myself in order to figure out the reason behind this, but I'm sure it has something to do with my father or my mother... don't all psychological flaws come back to them in some way?? hahaha! So any way, I love the things that other people consider random, ugly crap!

Here is a collection of things that I have fallen in love with for this decorating project. I love old things because they have a history and a story behind them. I prefer history and likely American made craftsmanship over mass produced foreign items.

I saw this chair and fell head over heels, big time!! All you have to do is sit in it and you would be won over! It is the most comfortable chair and it was only $25 at the Salvation Army!

I found this clock on a random end cap shelf at the Salvation Army! It was $3.99 and it works! Can't beat that!

My wonderful parents bought this for me from some of their friends. The friends bought it new for some large amount of money and sold it to my parents for $100! I love a deal! I also like that we know the people and how they live. It's not my favorite color, but it was free for me so you won't hear this girl complaining!! (P.S. the blue and white bed rails sitting on the back are not part of it!!)