{Grad Gift Idea} DIY Monogram Chalkboard

It's that time of year when there's about a hundred different things happening, right? 

School is about to end for the year, graduations are all over the place, baby and wedding showers are pretty much every weekend...

It's hard to keep up sometimes :) 

I thought you might like a pretty simple DIY gift that anyone would love. 

It'd be fun for a wedding or baby shower too but mine was meant for a graduation gift. 

My best friend's little sister graduated last week which was a bit crazy for me. 

I remember when she was teeny tiny...her graduating is surreal. 

So I had to make her something fun to take with her to the dorms. 

I decided a personalized chalkboard would be just the ticket. 

Fun, modern & completely useful for a new grad to write notes to her room-mates and keep track of her busy schedule :)

Isn't it cute?? 

Supplies: 
*Wood Scrap/MDF for bottom shape (or use an already cut piece from Hobby Lobby) 

*Mongram Letter (Hobby Lobby) 

*Chalkboard Paint

*Desired paint colors for stripes

The longest/hardest step is getting that bottom layer cut out. 

You could skip this and just use an already cut piece from somewhere like Hobby Lobby if you'd like. 

I used a piece of thin wood we picked up at Lowes and traced the shape I wanted onto it with a sharpie.

Hubby was kind enough to use my jigsaw to cut it out for me. 

Sand the edges for a smooth finish and you're ready to go! 

The chipboard 'A' was only a few dollars at Hobby Lobby and I love the chunky size! 

I gave the monogram a couple coats of chalkboard paint. 

Make sure to 'prime' it after you paint it by rubbing a piece of chalk all over it and then wiping off.

This gets the chalkboard ready to use! 

I spraypainted the bottom layer with a glossy white then used painters tape to mark off stripes. 

I just used acrylic paint to add the stripes in an aqua blue color. 

Once you've added your stripes, peel back the painter's tape and smile at how easy it all was!!

All that's left is to hot-glue your monogram to the board and then step back and admire it!

I added a 'congrats' to mine just so they'd know it was a chalkboard. 

Plus it's just fun to write on, admit it :)

So fun & simple but it makes such an impact!
Wouldn't it be fun hanging in a dorm room or on a collage wall in the house? 

I'm kind of in love with it so my kiddos might be seeing a version of it popping up in their rooms :)

If you need to stay neutral, black & white is always a great go-to combo. 

Or you could use the grad's new school colors or if you're giving it as a baby gift, incorporate the nursery colors.

A new bride would love seeing her new initial too so branch out and have fun with colors & ways to make it special for whoever you're giving it to!

I think it'd even be cute in a smaller version tucked into a basket full of goodies. 

So how's that for cute & simple? 

Hope it helps you get inspired for the graduations & showers on your calendars!! 

Happy Monday!

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Salvaged Wood & Pinwheel Wreath

Are you guys not shocked that you haven't seen a wreath from me in ummm...like three months?? 

I think you should be. 

You know my obsession with them. 

But honestly, I haven't just been whipping them out lately. 

Maybe because I've built up such a good arsenal of them that I don't have the need to make one every month or so. 

Nahhhhhh. 

The last one I shared was for our wedding back in February and it's been incredibly special to have hanging up so it's stayed.

It serves as a great spring/summer wreath with it's neutral colors anyway. 

But I recently moved it to the foyer area (pictures to come) and I wanted something fresh to put up. 

So I made a new wreath :) 

Surprise!!!

But you can never have too many fun wreath ideas, right?

Here's what I gathered up: 

Supplies:
*Grapevine Wreath

*Salvaged piece of barn wood

*White paint

*Moss Sheet

*Pinwheels

*Burlap Flowers

*Chipboard Stencils

*Scrap Ribbon

First things first, 

I sanded down my piece of wood and painted it white. 

After it was dry enough, I sanded it up to give it a weathered look.

I'm loving my stash of barn wood right now, it's definitely come in handy :) 

I used chipboard letters to stencil our last name on the board and roughed it up with sandpaper too. 

Then I snipped tiny pennent banner pieces out of a moss sheet I had and hot-glued them onto the corner. 

Perfect for if you just have bits and pieces left over from a project.

The yellow pinwheel is resting on the back of one of the burlap flowers.

How cute did it turn out?? 

I'm in love with the bright summer-y colors together!! 

The pinwheels were leftover from little man's candyshop birthday- which I can't wait to get pictures up from!! 

You'll die :) 

I snipped the pinwheels off their bases and hotglued them onto the wreath form. 

I'm obsessed with pinwheels this spring. 

They're so fun & whimsical. 

I used a scrap piece of yellow ribbon (also from the party) to hang it from. 

I love that it's good for both spring & summer... not that I won't find an excuse to make another wreath for summer or anything :) 

I love all the elements together- the grapevine texture, the barn wood, the moss...

yummmm. 

I attached the wood to the wreath with my staple gun.
It was fun trying to dig it in there to get a good hold but I finally got it nice & secure! 

I'm loving putting our last name on everything...

but that's pretty normal around here :) 

I'm so excited to have a new spring wreath to add to my collection!

What do you think? 

Are you loving pinwheels & bright colors this spring? 

Been creating any fun spring wreaths that I might need to see?? 

Spill, please :) 

Happy monday, ya'll!!

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Origami Owl Giveaway WINNER

It's here!! It's here!!

Are you ready to find out if YOU were the winner of the living locket from Origami Owl??? 

Because today is the day :) 

Check it out below and see if it's you!!!

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Congrats to Cottage Gate Antiques and thank you to everyone who entered!!!

You can bet there will be more fun giveaways in the future :) 

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30 Minute Room Update: Striped Accent Wall

If you're anything like me, then letting anything in your house stay the same for too long drives you crazy.

I mean, there are certain things I'm not just going to up and change, but most things in my house are subject to be moved around, painted, stored away for a while or altered in some way to keep up with my ever changing DIY-ing mood. 

And I'm ever so lucky that my sweet hubby is ok with that. 

I'll prove it. 
Here's the convo that happened just a few weeks ago in our house: 

(And let's remember that this was supposed to be a 'lazy' day around the house-ha!) 
Me (sitting on the couch): "Honey, I think I'm over that wall right there"
Hubby: "Which wall??"
Me: "That one. The one I'm staring at. You know, behind the TV."
Hubby: "What do you mean over it? It's a wall."
Me: "Yea... but I think it could look a million times better. With stripes. I want to stripe it."
Hubby: "Like right now?"
Me: "Is that okay?"
Hubby: "Ummm.... sure. I guess. I didn't think there was anything wrong with it though." 

My poor, sweet hubby.
But let me tell you, our thirty minute project made a huge impact in our living room!!
And yep, I said THIRTY minutes.
It's that easy :) 

Here's the wall in question: 

It's fine. It's blue. 

So nothing horrible. 

But I thought it'd be the perfect accent wall for the living room. 

I love to jazz things up :) 

Hubby is a little OCD about getting things straight.

I'm more of an 'eyeball-er' when it comes to taping so he decided to take over this part. 

Literally the longest part of the whole project. 

...............Thirty minutes later.............

Isn't it gorgeous??!!?? 

We used Sherwin Williams 'Snowbound' which is my FAVORITE go-to white. 

We taped it off, rolled on the paint and then pulled the tape off. 

Easy peasy. 

Here's the quick before & after: 

I think it makes such a difference in this room. 

Adds a touch of glam & personality for sure. 

And since it was such a small wall, it didn't take any time at all to get it done. 

I'm kinda obsessed with stripes and I"m not going to lie,

I've been seriously judging all the other walls in my house to see if they'd benefit from some striping action too. 

But a little goes a long way and for now, they're safe :) 

Sooo...

what do you think of our thirty-minute project?? 

Do any of you get bit by the 'change it up' bug like I do? 

And does your hubby play along as well as mine? :) 

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My Thrifty Tips to Creating a Gorgeous Spring Mantle

Sooo...

did you guys get a chance to check out my spring mantle reveal I shared last week? 

If not... you'll definitely want to so that this post totally makes more sense :)

This is super exciting for me because it's my first ever 'tip-giving' post! 

I hope it helps provide some inspiration to you by giving a little insight into my own creative process!!

I wanted to share the 'behind the scenes' part of how it all came together. 

Because decorating my mantle is probably my favorite thing to decorate in the house.

Ok... so I KNOW it is my favorite. 

Here's the finished product in case you need a reminder...

But it definitely did NOT start out with all these pieces.
Most started as discarded junk... things that were plain & would be very easily overlooked at first glance. 

Here's my major tips when you're starting to decorate a mantle from scratch: 

1. Sketch it out. 

Does that sound weird? But it soo helps. I do it for almost every time I switch things up for the season. It gives me a jumping off point for my design. Sometimes it all centers around something I already know I want up there and sometimes I just start drawing and make what I have (or find!) work with the vision in my head. 

And trust me, I am NOT an artist. Most of my drawings are squares with arrows explaining what they're supposed to be. ha! So don't feel pressured to sketch a masterpiece :)

2. Look at what you already have. 

My first place to go when I start coming up with ideas is my junk pile. I walk out to the garage and just start looking around. I also keep an area where my 'seasonal' things are kept that could be used for other set-ups such as painted doors, shutters, frames & other various items that could easily be used as neutral pieces for every season. Shop your house if you need to and bring something from another room. It's an easy way to get a fresh look when you just switch what you already have around to new places.

Most of the pieces from my spring mantle were 'junk' pieces I had lying around waiting to be used for something awesome. 

Like these cabinet doors: 

3. Go 'treasure hunting' 

It could be your favorite thrift store, bargain area, yard sale or even curb-side shopping. 

Go looking and find something you love. Sometimes the most unexpected things pop out at you and it becomes the 'star' of the whole thing. 

Like the piece that became the star of my spring mantle. 

I found it on the side of the road and knew instantly that it would be gorgeous with some kind of lettering. I designed my whole mantle around it so it would shine! 

But at first it was just a blank piece of discarded wood: 

4. Think about what could be not what already is. 

That sounds like a sappy line from some movie but it's true for this!!

When you're out shopping, keep your eyes out for shapes that you love. Lines that are interesting. Things that catch your eye even if they may be painted in the most hideous shade of chartreuse ever. Which leads me to...

5. Ask yourself questions.

Can it be painted? Is it wood? Metal? Glass?  Then the answer is nearly always yes.

Just because it has a weird animal motif or bad paint job doesn't mean that an awesome chunky frame or curvy vase couldn't become something stunning. 

Try to be open-minded and let yourself think about what it could look like with a good sanding or a coat of paint. 

Check out these before and afters for some examples of what I mean: 

The before: 

2 cabinet doors from my 'junk pile

An unfinished frame from Michaels

The After: 

One of the cabinet doors was painted in a cheery yellow with a while vinyl 'you'

The other door was painted in a glossy white with the Michaels frame painted blue & attached with hot glue. 

I  also added my 'extraordinary' printable from Valentines Day. 

The Before: 

A cabinet door already painted from my 'seasonal' stash

A Goodwill frame (with a plain, ugly finish)

Dollar Store Mirror

The After: 

I recycled my cabinet door from my fall mantle 

 The goodwill frame got a fresh coat of blue & I added my 'He is mine' printable. 

The Dollar Store frame was painted in the same yellow as the cabinet door before. 

The little cork 'C' was a gift. 

I found a couple scrap pieces of 2x4s in the garage and stained them espresso brown for my chevron hanging. 

Then stenciled over the stain with a glossy white. 

The last (and I think most important) tip I can give you is...

6. Make it you. 

Add your favorite colors, some pieces that make you happy. Throw in some favorite family pictures or printables that tell your own story. 

Add a handmade sign that says something important to you. 

Or just plain makes you smile.

Because it's your house and it should make YOU happy. 

After all, you're the person who will be seeing it most of the time. 

Every time I walk into my living room, the first thing I see is my 'life is extraordinary' sign. 

And it makes my heart smile. 

Not only is it so reflective of the past year but it's a wonderful reminder even on my most grumpy days :) 

There is potential in so many, random things that most people would call junk. 

Start training your eyes to look past that and see what it could become! 

Things don't always start off perfect & beautiful. 

Personally, I love the thrill of finding pieces of junk and turning them into something I love and that other people can love too. 

Plus hubby appreciates it because it doesn't break the bank :) 

But look what a little junk can become: 

Full item list (from left to right) 

Yellow Sign: Painted cabinet door

Tiny aqua vase: Thrifted

White Sign: Painted cabinet door + Michaels unfinished frame

Yellow Planter: Dollar Store (and I didn't even paint it!!) 

"Life is Extraordinary" sign: Curbside rescue 

Chevron Painting: painted 2x4s from stash

Yellow Mirror: Painted Dollar Store Mirror

White Door: Painted Cabinet Door

Cork C: Hobby Lobby

Blue Frame: Painted Goodwill frame

Fleur de lis: Hobby Lobby

White Vase: Hobby Lobby

'Spring' Banner: DIY project (tutorial coming soon!) 

I hope these tips helped in giving you the inspiration to create your own mantle decor (or any home decor!) from thrifted and found treasures. 

I'm still constantly surprised by the power of paint & a little creativity. 

Don't be afraid to try out different things until you get what you like. 

I promise I usually end up with something quite different from my original sketch because I tweak here & there to make it just right. 

It really is so much fun & you'll have the option of making it completely YOU!!

Happy decorating :)

.....................................................................................

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for your own Origami Living Locket!! 

It's super easy to enter- click here for the giveaway!

........................................................................................

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Under 100$ @ Beyond the Picket Fence. Party Time @ The 36th Avenue. Live Laugh Linky @ Live Laugh Rowe

Origami Owl Living Locket Giveaway!!!

I have such an exciting giveaway going on for you guys today!!!

Promise not to freak out :) 

Have you heard of Origami Owl lately? 

Because if you haven't, you'll die over how beautiful and sweet these jewelry pieces are. 

They have what they call 'living lockets' which are such an amazing way of showing off your personality and what you hold closest to your heart :) 

I hooked up with a wonderful independent seller, Mariella Luna, and we worked together to bring this wonderful giveaway right to you!!!!

Are you excited?? 

Bet you're not nearly as excited as I was to receive my gorgeous locket that Mariella sent me: 

I'm absolutely in love with this beautiful necklace. 

It tells such a beautiful story and is my new 'go to' piece to wear all the time. 

And the fun thing about them is it's completely up to you  in how they look. 

There are tons of different gorgeous lockets to choose from and then you get to choose from charms, dangles and stamped plates to make it tell your own story. 

My story is a stamped 'love' plate, a 'C' charm, a mom heart charm, blue footprint charm and a tiny ring. 

Little man loves looking at it when I wear it and knowing that he's in there too :) 

He'll name off the different charms and why they're special.
I love that it tells the story of my family!

Origami Owl was founded in 2010 by a 14 year old girl (isn't that awesome?!) whose mission is to love, inspire, and motivate women of all ages to reach their dreams and empower them to make a difference in the lives of others. 

Personalize your heart out with the various charms, metal choices and gorgeous accessories they offer. 

Right down to the chain you want it to hang from.

You can browse Origami Owl here and build your own Living Locket and get information about becoming an Origami Owl Independent Seller. 

Buttttt.....

 We're making it easy on you today and are giving someone their very own Living Locket!! 

Here's what you'll win: 

*Large Silver Locket

*3 Charms of your choice

*A ball station chain

*The new Rascal Flatts 'Changed' tag

That's over a 60$ value!!!

To enter, use the Rafflecoptor Widget below and get those entries in!!! 

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Good luck everyone!!!
I can't wait to pick a winner for this one, I know you'll love your Living Locket as much as I love mine!!!

A HUGE thanks to Mariella Luna for hosting this giveaway!! Be sure to give her some love on her Facebook page!!

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