Cutting Board Made Anew!

     Honey and I were in Cajun Country recently and he spotted this old cutting board at the Lafayette Flea Market for only $2.00.  He plays "I Spy" so well because only a couple of days before I had mentioned that I wanted to find one.  We had been to an absolutely adorable shop in my home town of Crowley, La - called Serendipity - and had picked up a couple of drawer pulls for next to nothing.  I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them ~ and this cutting board was what was needed next!

     Once I got it painted with chalk paint, I headed over to www.thegraphicsfairy.com and found just the right graphic.  I used graphite paper to give it a quick trace, then filled it in with permanent marker.  After sanding it down, I gave it a heavy coat of my favorite home-made wax.

     I think that it's just perfect for laying out some cheese and peppered salami the next time that we have friends over!

Cheers!

My first attempt at "chalking"

     I've been wanting to try my hand at a chalk board for some time now.  I have seen these amazing ones all over the big P, but I have a terribly slanted handwriting, and for some reason my eyes also lead me astray - I always write crooked!  So I hesitated - until recently.  

     I had this great frame that I had already made into a chalkboard, but it didn't lend itself well to a calendar format which was what I needed....so, I decided to play around a bit, and this is what I came up with.  I don't think that it's too bad for a first time attempt!

     The frame was a $20 garage sale purchase - you know the kind!  Large, gold, ornate with a picture of a mother holding a baby?  The picture was destroyed, but the frame was inspirational!  I base coated it with Annie Sloan Versailles (my absolute favorite color) and topped it with AS Old White.  Then gave it a waxing with some homemade stuff - just paste wax with a smidgen of craft paint - antiquing.  

     I really like both the frame and the chalking.  I'll definitely try it again for the holidays! 

Cheers!  And Happy Crafting! 

Mirror, Mirror ~ Used to Be!

A few months ago the Honey Husband and I had a few days in New Orleans.  We visited one of my favorite "junque" shops - Conrad's - there is always a treasure or two or four to be found in this man's insane amount of clutter.
I fell in love with this piece - it was a dresser mirror - missing the mirror, of course!  I had to have it, and had a vision of exactly what I would do with it.
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to the rescue!
Of course, since it was chalk paint, I did absolutely nothing to it before painting it, except for wiping the layers of dust off of it.
I put the "Old White" directly onto the wood, and topped some areas with "Versailles" - I gave it a good sanding, scratched a bit of paint off in a couple of areas, and wiped it with a damp sponge in a few spots.  I then topped it off with my own mix of clear Johnson's Paste Wax, followed up a mix of Johnson's mixed with brown paint (no clue what kind or color) - I mixed it a while back and have used it several times - it's almost a sepia color, which works well in our home.
I can't wait to get the chalkboard insert put in sometime soon!
I'll post that when it's all done, but for now.........Cheers!

I'm a Registered Nurse!

It seems like a life time ago that I wrote anything.  I took a hiatus from life to fulfill a life-long dream ~ and to find my own joy in life ~ I went back to school, at the age of 52, to get my BSN.  On May 10, 2014 I graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Arlington, and on June 10, successfully completed my NCLEX, the licensing examination, on the first attempt.  I am living proof that dreams really can come true, in spite of obstacles, age, and anything negative that tries to come against you!!

So now, I'm on a short, much needed break before re-entering the workforce as a Registered Nurse! 

DIY Mirror

When I remodeled last year I wanted a large mirror in the living room - but I wanted one with character - one of those times where I had Champagne taste on a beer budget - after spending thousands on a nearly total renovation, I couldn't stand the thought of spending hundreds on a mirror ~ not only that, I just couldn't find what my mind saw.  After a conversation with my friend Lorrie, we decided to go for it!!  I absolutely LOVE this mirror - it is full of color and whimsy and it fits my home's character and personalilty perfectly!

 I looked for a large mirror - this one is 4 1/2' x 3 1/2 ' - what I really wanted was a WIDE, somewhat flat frame that I could decoupage on ~ I found this one at our local Garden Ridge for $89! It was a steal to me, and had the exact frame that I needed. It was a copperish gold color - which is perfect with my copper accents throughout my home.

Next I looked around for the paper that I wanted to use to decoupage ~ I found copper color and leopard print at Hobby Lobby, and a really cute vintage French print at Aaron Brothers.

We began tearing pieces of each paper, wadded up the pieces, unwadded them and literally stuck them all over the frame with Modge Podge - I cannot tell you how easy this was to do!  When we were done, and the paper had dried, I put a coat of thinned antiquing over it just to brown it up a bit and darken the white of the papers.  I absolutely LOVE my mirror!

What I learned was that if you can't find what you're looking for, don't give up ~ make it yourself! 

I wish that I had taken some pictures along the way, but trust me ~ you can do this!!!  Use ANY tissue paper or artists paper that you love, a bottle of Modge Podge, and BE BRAVE - if you hate it, it's only paper and glue - take it off!!  But if you go with the things that you love ~ you will love it and have a one-of-a-kind unique accent for your home!  ENJOY!

The Cardinal is Nesting!

Sweet Cardinal Nest


The beautiful little mother cardinal has been working so hard, and her nest is coming out beautifully.  Daddy stands guard in the trees above ~ they seem like a happy couple!
I can't wait to finally see little eggs, but for now, I enjoy watching her flittering in and out of the bushes, bringing little twigs and tid-bits to complete her nesting project.

Mac and Cheese - Pinterest success

My cheesey Pinterest success!!

It's just Honey and I at home, so the likelihood of us having a dinner that includes Mac & Cheese isn't real great - however, when I saw a picture on Pinterest, it just got me CRAVING the stuff!  The kids are long gone from home, so it was nice to have this glorious, cheesy, somewhat adult version ~ homemade - not out of the box.  I served it with Chicken Cordon Bleu and a side salad.

Just delicious - take a look around Pinterest ~ I bet you'll find something that you have a hankering for also!!

You can find this delicious recipe here:  http://elizabethsedibleexperience.blogspot.com/2008/11/turkey-day-troubles-installment-2.html