Over 40 years ago, my mom brought home this chalkboard after pulling it out of an old, dilapidated one-room schoolhouse just a couple fields over from where I grew up in Washington state. 

The farthest back I remember playing with it was when I was in 1st grade and my mom telling me that one day my own kids could write on it. I also remember going into the schoolhouse some years later, before it was torn down and having to watch my step because cows had taken up residence. By then it was just a shell of a building. We just stood in the middle of the room and my mom told me how she would love to buy it to restore.

I don't know the age of the chalkboard but it has stayed in such good shape all these years even surviving 3 cross-country moves. It's now up in the kitchen and it makes me so happy to bring a tiny bit of history of my little valley right here in my home.

 

 

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*The school house was across the driveway from where my horses are standing. Mine was the one on the right, Midnight. His official show name was The Midnight Champion but I just called him Middy. My sister's horse was named Star and her show name was Star Countess. She was a big diva, being a 3/4 registered Arab.  That is my childhood home in the background on the side of the hill. It was the best place to grow and play. I was so lucky.

DIY Adventures

Everything was going along swimmingly. The first small wall of tile went up in no time. Well, after we cut a lot of tile. When I stood back to look I decided it was worth the extra effort to go with a herringbone pattern. And once the white grout is in and the cabinets are painted, it will all flow nicely and the pattern will peek through.

Then I went on to the next wall where the tile was going all the way to the ceiling. This is when I wanted to punch myself in the face for deciding to do this. You could blame my fatigue (it was 1:30 am) or my lack of good math skills (I'd go with that) but I miscalculated and a large gap, no, huge gap, stood out between two tiles. My eye kept going right to it and I couldn't get around it so down came the tile. It was like that guy I may have told you about with the hair plugs that looked like a row of bristles on a brush. The one who didn't hire me for a job but called and asked me for a date. Then I ran into him later and my eyes kept going to his hair plugs. Did I ever tell you about that? Funny story.

Anyway, it's back to recalculating now. And it's 1:30 am again as I take a blog break which is why I'm digressing. This could be bad. The first wall looks good at least!

Let's just scroll back on up to that...

Friday (the 13th) Finds were not unlucky

I scored a few deals on some things that I didn't even set out to find in my travels today. They seemed to all be kitchen related too, except for the sweet Craftsman jig saw I got at a garage sale...

But the kitchen stuff had me extra giddy when I saw a Polka dot Pyrex. I won't even tell you how much because you'd cry. It was that cheap.

...and the old bottle holder. I scooped it right up thinking it could house some of my big oil bottles for cooking or maybe some colorful bottles as vases or just hold some water bottles for now. It's a little delicate so I can't really cart it around. She'll just have to stay put and look pretty.

and then there were some other things but they'll have to wait until next time. Tomorrow I may even see if the lucky streak continues. Just looking of course.

Back to the cutting board - DIY

This summer has been amazingly busy so far. My day job is occupying so much of my time and mind. Truthfully, I am at a crossroads but I have no doubt that a solution will come.

So right now I am taking a little break from emails, info. packets, and talking with people on the phone to get to a few other things that I really like to do. I might die if I don't do that.

So...the other day I found an older wood cutting board. I have always noticed them in magazines and wanted a few of my own, like this.

Leaning against the window

via Elle Decor

under the shelves, next to the stove
Domino magazine

left side, leaning on wall

Domino magazine

I've seen them at antique malls and pass by, figuring I'd get them another day. But you know what happens when you think like that? Yep, you snooze you lose.

So I'm at the thrift shop (where else) and spot it, thinking, 'Hey that's got possibilites.' so I snatch it up, turn it to see the price (a whopping .99 cents!) and take it to the counter thus ending my self-imposed thrift store purchasing hiatus.

But I wanted a better patina and to make it food safe. So I pulled out my trusty mouse sander to smooth it and then wiped on just like Mr. Miyagi, using Tung oil that I use on my counter tops.

Now it has a nice, warm glow and is so safe you could lick food right off of it.

Have a great day!

Linking to Under the table and Dreaming

Southern Hospitality

Knick of Time

Kitchen progress

I was hoping to get to the pallet project that I had drawn up in my mind which is now sketched onto paper. But then we got to talking about the kitchen and how we have to finish it regardless of the cabinet situation.

We are putting in a mix of open shelving and cabinets but unfortunately we have to arrange them differently than originally planned. That now calls for a few more cabinets to install. Specifically, we need to create a surround for the refrigerator and put the open shelving in a new location.

That's where this project stalled. But a fresh perspective put us back on the right track.

So amidst the weekend's holiday fireworks, a sleep-over, play practice and a backyard marshmellow roasting event, we hauled home a pantry that I found on Craigslist for $40.00. I pulled out my trusty mouse sander and went to town sanding enough of the old finish so that the primer could adhere to the surface. Jon took care of the door crevices while I got the high spots.
And after a few coats of primer (Kilz) and paint, we brought it in to get an idea of what it will look like. We still need to finish the overhead cabinet and attach them but one step closer is better than no step.

These pictures serve as inspiration photos for the look we are trying to achieve. I call it fresh country modern but really, we call it "anything is better than the crappy way it was before."

Can you tell we're not perfectionists? Our DIY motto - "Done is better than perfect." (Scott Allen)

Have a great day!

via Country Living
via Traditional Home

source unknown

source unknown

A little kitchen demo and vintage ornaments

We interrupt this Christmas house to bring you an episode of this demo house.

Because Jon has taken a few days off, we decided to finish taking out the kitchen cupboards and install some backerboard. We're finishing up hanging the rest today.

But we're not done yet. We are going to find out if a wall we want to remove is load bearing. If it's not, it's outta here and then there will be no more demo. But we'll wait to do that after Friday night since I need it all cleaned up to make tamales. Oh yes, the Christmas Eve tradition lives!

But on to more Christmas-y things...Vintage ornaments.

Most of the ornaments dating to the 50's and 60's were brightly colored, hence their name Shiny Brights. They are more thin and delicate but the shapes and colors were always and still are rather appealing.

This is one of my favorite finds. He was in a huge box of vintage Christmas ornaments that I bought for $10.00 at a Thrift shop. I usually kept him separate from the tree and in a glass cloche, but this year I clipped him on and you'll never guess what?! His tail feathers pop out. I didn't know that before. This whole time I thought he had a broken tail. I was very excited - those little surprises really make my day.

The price tag fell off but it was originally .59 cents back in the day.

Shapes and colors of shiny brights denote the Sputnik era. I keep most of them in glass jars and up on the shelf because I know that Trae will test them to see if they bounce. There have been only 2 ornament casualties this year. Neither of them bounced...


Some vintage ornaments have interesting clues to their history. I'm not sure if this is homemade but these bells have Plaster of Paris on the underside, molded with Chinese newspaper and covered in aluminum foil which is half painted red. I think the beads are mercury glass. I found it in a little shop in Maryland and thought it was just right.

The quirky nature of the German and Japanese ornaments always catch my eye. They just remind me of a fun, colorful Christmas. I still need to repair Mrs. Snowman - she seems to have melted...

Look no further than your local thrift shop for these types of ornaments. I have seen bunches of them this year. If you can't find them there, go to your local antique mall. Dealers always have them individually priced in dishes and bowls. It depends on the area in which you live I guess but I have never paid over $2.00 for any of them individually. So hopefully you can find some in that range.

See you tomorrow and have a great day!

Progress and parks

I came home from camp and found that Trae had been potty-trained. Then I found out it was only for #1. But still, progress...

I also found that more of the old cabinets were gone and in their place were nice, new cabinets. Jon enlisted the help of our friend, Chris, and they tried to get this done before I got home. Even though it wasn't, I was so happy to see that a lot had been done.

Jon also installed the apron front sink that I have been dreaming of for 15 years. I literally hugged it when it went into place. The butcher block counter tops were also installed. Jon felt bad that he didn't let me say good-bye to the old, chipped Formica counters...

We have a few more cabinets to hang and I have to go to Baltimore for the tile back splash. Someday soon I'll be able to take off the blue protective film on the dishwasher. Progress...

Taking a much needed break from the mess in the kitchen, we hopped into the car and headed to an amusement park about an hour and a half away. It was a great evening and we ended it by going on the Skloosh water ride; sufficiently drenching ourselves for the ride home.

Jon and I love road trips. Even though it wasn't far, we enjoyed talking to each other over the soft hum of the engine and while the babies slept.

All of them...

After the Skloosh; ice cream hits the spot.

Trae

Reese and Blair in the last car. Watching their faces cracked us up.

Have a Seat

We are slow-ly gearing up for our kitchen make-over.
I almost have everything purchased. It's just the time I can't buy...

I have been wanting these bar stools for the island but at $179.99 a pop (on sale even) I thought maybe I should find an alternative. I have a vintage metal chair that pulls out into a step stool. It is very cool and I think it would look great but I need two of them. I actually had two but I let one go at my mom's estate sale. I figured I didn't need it. What was I thinking?? So now I have to go another route and these are it. Cute, yes?

Or these. But they are even more expensive.

But then, I stumbled upon this website. This chair has similar lines. And with its leather seat, it may just be more comfortable for those little fannies in my house. A fun color of spray paint will take these a long way. And the best part? $86.99 each - two are still less expensive than one of the others.

I will definately keep this in the style file until the time comes!

Oh, and I better get three. The little kids already argue over who's going to sit in the "King's chair" at the dining table - the name they've given to the armchair...I could just hear the arguements on this one..."I want the swively chair...you had it last time..." yaddi, yaddi, yadda...