SHE'S CRAFTY.....AGAIN?!

Since the two older boys are in school and I just have one little sweetie home with me I feel like I have a little more time to do things.  I have done lots of crafty projects and even cleaned out and organized my pantry.  I am NOT an organized person so this is a huge deal.  Everything has a place in that pantry.  It doesn't really feel like my pantry because it is so uber organized! 

One of my little crafty projects is made out of this really ugly picture below:

I really love to shop at thrift stores and find things that are cheap.  I am really a frugal type of gal and I don't like spending lots of money on home decorating.  I saw this picture and about ripped it out of another ladies hands.  Luckily she put it down first.  I swooped it up and noticed that the price on it was $4.98 and I was so excited.  After seeing a picture of my picture I know you are now wondering if I was high or drunk.  Well, I was neither!  I only wanted this for the frame.  I am not into white washed with gold accent frames but I knew that if I painted this it would be beautiful.  I hoped anyway..  Here is a closer look at the detail:

I have read alot about chalkboard paint and really wanted to turn this into a chalkboard to put on a very neked kitchen wall.  I wanted to have this chalkboard to use as a daily calender of sorts.  The kids have so many dang activities that this chalkboard will let me just quick reference it in the morning and I will know WTH is going on for the day.  Here it is after one coat of lime green paint.

It was a bit bright so I decided to "age" it a little with some glaze.  You just put it on and wipe off.  It all comes off except in all of the little cracks.  Can you see a difference?

Next step was to do the chalkboard part.  I just painted right over the existing picture.  I kind of felt bad because it was some sort of a religious painting that someone probably spent alot of time on.  But here it is all chalkboarded up.

And here it is on my neked kitchen wall.  I haven't turned it into a calender yet but at least when you walk into my house from the garage this greets you instead of a bare wall.

I totally found this idea with on my new favorite website http://www.pinterest.com/.  So many crafts, so little time.

Jules

CRAFTY TIME

  I have been OBSESSED with Pinterest lately.  If you don't know what pinterest.com is then now is the time you can thank me for introducing you.  It is like a virtual bulletin board for ANYTHING you can think of.  I started just looking at grey painted bedrooms because that is what I want to do with my bedroom and before you know it I was looking at pictures of anything and everything I could think of.  WARNING...it is a HUGE time suck.  You can follow people's "pinboards" and you can have "followers."  It is totally awesome.  I was looking at crafty ideas and came across a picture of the lovliest mason jar vases. I had to copy this idea so

 I went to my local salvation army and found these beauties for .99 cents a piece. 

The website for these little pretties are http://www.centsationalgirl.com/.  I'm always looking for cheap and different ways to decorate my house.  Here they are after one coat of the "paint" which was a little Elmer's glue, a little water and a little food coloring.

One coat was not enough as you can see.  They aren't really fully covered.  I figured out that the more glue you use the better the color sticks.  I know....common sense!  Here they are completely done.

I just tied a little Jute around the neck of the mason jar and cut some of my flowers from out back and viola a new mason jar vase!  My husband said they looked old ladyish!  He said it matched the apron that I was wearing because I was making dinner too.  The nerve!  I don't care though.  I like my apron AND my new vases.  Aren't they pretty on my mantel?

I think so.  Cheap and easy!  Whatcha think?