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summer lovin' {and a chalkboard tutorial}


it's summer. (which i assume you've noticed due to all the heat.)
we do a lot of couch time during the day.
and we're trying to make the best of the cooler evenings.
best $1 isle purchase at target. ever!
how did my baby become a boy? killing me. i tell ya.

we've been enjoying the traditional water fight.
last time they teamed up on me. totally unfair. especially since i don't run all that well, so i was soaked.

this time i think the fight was a little one sided again.
he would stand at the edge of the grass squeezing the squirt bottle over and over hoping to get daddy.
being the good daddy he is, the little man got to have at him with the squirt bottle.
30 weeks. and getting lower and lower. not that i was ever higher.

on a totally different note, you have been on pinterest right?
you haven't? we can't be friends.

okay. go. right now. pinterest.com then come back and we can be friends.

it's porn for women, kinda like pottery barn catalog porn.
(i love that i might have just made my mom super uncomfortable for using the word 'porn' twice in a post.)

anywho. all over pinterest and the blogging world are chalk boards. i couldn't even list all the different ideas i've seen. it'd take an entire post of it's own.

well. i decided to make one of my own last night.
you likey? me too. and sooo easy. here's how i did it.
you'll need:
canvas in any size. (i went big, 24x36, because that's what i had)
chalkboard paint
chipboard letters
ric rac or ribbon
a hot glue gun

steps: (didn't take pictures of this part, sorry. bad blogger.)
1. paint your canvas according to the directions on the paint can.
mine only took two coats and turned out great.
2. let dry overnight
3. add your ribbon, or ric rac (it would be cute to do a mini-bunting on the top, but i didn't).
4. figure out a fun phrase (i wanted to use 'create', but i only had one 'e.' so, 'inspire' it was.)
5. glue your letters. my chipboard letters had sticky backs because they were used for scrapbooking. so peel off the sticker part and put the hot glue right on the adhesive.
6. add something fun like a pinwheel like me, or rosettes, or nothing at all. it's your creation so make it unique to you!

7. hang it on the wall. :) and enjoy!

**note: there is a conditioning step to make the board more "erasable" that needs to be done 3 days after painting the board. you'll need to rub a stick of white chalk all over the area you'll be writing on. i decided to do this after i had glued my items, i didn't want them to not stick because of the chalk residue.

i hung it on a wall in my craft room and plan on using it for my to-do lists! I want to get those awesome chalk-ink pens and write an inspirational quote on the top, but everywhere i've gone has been out or doesn't have any.

if only we had a hobby lobby. if only. i don't wanna talk about it.

well, hope you enjoy the tutorial and i'd love to see any that you make! i'm going to be linking up to a few blogs later today so check back for the creations over there!


Chic on a Shoestring Decorating


have a wonderful weekend and enjoy your summer days and nights!

shout out

i have some talented friends.

i am constantly encouraged by their level of creativity.

so i just thought i'd throw a little shout out to them and let them inspire you.
check out their links to see all their amazing items!!

Taylor: scrapbooks

she's a long time friend and our boys are only 5 weeks apart. and, now our girls are going to be a few months apart!!! so fun having babies with friends.

she makes the cutest custom scrapbooks!! she does everything and they are adorable!
she also has a great blog here. i get a lot of my idea's for educational and fun activities with the little mister from hers.

Tiffany: photography

she's been a dear, dear friend for a long time now. we are practically the same person, except she's amazing with a camera. she took the picture below for me as a group gift for my mother-in-law.
it made her cry (my mil, not tiff. )...success in my book!
you should look at all the great stuff she's shot here.

Kelly: burp cloths, make-up rolls, and lots of other sewn goodies.
again, kelly and i have been friends for a long time. our hubbies are pretty much best friends, and we've grown super close over all the years.

she's got a great eye for pretty fabrics and her burp cloths are super durable (i'd know, my kid had GERD and they came in handy a lot!)
isn't that a beautiful way to carry around your make-up brushes when you travel, or when you don't travel for that matter. check out her etsy page here.

Katie: calligraphy

katie's husband and i grew up in the same church when we were kids, and she's one of the sweetest people i know! they currently live in tacoma, wa. and i am super jealous.

she is amazing at calligraphy. you really need to look at all her beautiful photos on her etsy page.
i don't think i'd throw away that card if i got it in the mail!! way to cute. i'd frame it.

Lara: custom tiles

lara lives next to my parents and my son is madly in love with her daughter! it's super cute. he stands in my folks back yard and shouts her name over the wall hoping she'll come out to play. she's going into 6th grade, i think.

he's going to be a lady killer i tell ya. :)

anywho... i received this a.m.a.z.i.n.g gift for mother's day from my dad and lara made it!!!

so cute!! i almost started crying. so cute.
wait, i already said that. well, it's super cute. (there that's different.)

she also has tons of regular tiles in stock, not just custom ones.
you should check out her website here.

well, thanks for letting me share a little bit of the wealth of creativity around me. i hope you have a creative weekend and enjoyed my talented friends.

getting crafty


we've been very busy working on this little girls nursery!

i've had major crafty-nesting-creative juices flowing thru me.

the color scheme is teal & watermelon, with a vintage feel to it. i'm in love.

the whole family has been pretty busy working on her room actually.
daddy being a super handyman.
big brother wishing he could go in and be super handyman's side kick.

i've been doing more of the decor & crafting than manual labor of course. here's a few things i've whipped up this week.
bird canvas' using fabric from her bedding. the original can be found here.
made by myself and miss molly.

you are getting a sneak peak at her bedding with this pillow. i pieced it together using some remnants of the fabric that is in her room.

my mom and i did make a bumper & railing cover, but you'll get to see that in the whole reveal of the nursery. you must be patient. all i'll say is, i couldn't stop touching it when it was done. :)

and lastly, a cute little button bouquet. i'm thinking of taking out the spanish moss and using regular moss. thoughts? either way i do LOVE it. original found here.

i'm linking up to tatertots & jello and you should totally check out all the craftiness that happens over there!



have a great weekend!!

blessings & labor & delivery

i've been having a tough few days. or few months i should say.

i'm going to blame it on my attitude and selfish heart hormones.

this little girl almost tried to come out on tuesday. i ended up in labor & delivery with contractions 2 mins apart! 2 mins apart is something you would like to see at 37 weeks on your monitor, but not at 27 weeks.

my little mountains (very important medical term for what contractions look like on the monitor) were bigger than some of the girls who were there to actually have their babies.

the hubster was at work, so my mom had to take me, and thankfully my dad was able to watch mr. mischief. he was able to finally get someone to take his shift and get to the hospital around 8:30 p.m. which made me feel much better right away.

it was super discouraging and super painful to be honest. they couldn't figure out why i was having them, but three i.v. bags, three rounds of meds and one very uncomfortable day later i was released.

all in all i was there for only 17 hours, but trust me i would have much rather spent them anywhere else.

we did find out that even though i'm technically 28 weeks, she is measuring closer to 30.
so that explains the big belly. not the peanut butter. definitely not the peanut butter.

i wasn't put on bed rest, but was told to take it easy and drink obscene amounts of water due to the heat.

just the idea of bed rest frustrates me. i'm such a goal oriented person that i couldn't imagine not getting stuff done.

then i got frustrated that i wouldn't accept help and wanted to do it all on my own. i know i need to be willing to accept help. especially when she really should come out!

so daddy stayed home and hung out with the little man for a few days so i could get stuff done rest. they went to get the car washed and came home with killer tattoos.
this is his "snake" and it makes a macho sound.
but in all my frustrations and lots of crying to my husband last night, i decided to change my attitude today.

i can, and will make a choice to be happy, and encouraged. i will count my blessings.
i have the amazing blessing of watching this little man grow.
he has been entrusted to me and it is such a gift.
and these two together always makes my heart warm. they are magic together. magic that feeds my soul.

hopefully the little girl stays put for a while longer, and i let myself take it easy.

one of my favorite people is heading into town on sunday and we have big plans for some serious crafting! so stay tuned for some great pics!! have a great holiday weekend.
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