[Tuesday Top 10: My Favorite Blog Posts]

Since I've seen so many of you post about your "Top 10 of 2010", I figured I'd hop on the bandwagon and post about my favorite posts this past year.

1. Numbered Jars - I still use these daily to hold all of my laundry needs: detergent, stain remover, and fabric softener. Of course everyone always asks me if I bought them at Pottery Barn. Umm...nope!
2. Elizabeth's Sweet Shoppe Party - This was so much fun to plan & create! People are still buzzing about it! And I am so glad it was fun 2nd birthday for my little girl. I can't wait to plan her 3rd birthday party! :0)
3. Master Bathroom Renovation - I am so pleased with how our master bathroom turned out. And it still looks exactly the same today. I would love to rip up the linoleum & put tile on the floor, but it's not exactly high up on my to-do list.
4. Frames, Frames, Frames - Where would this little blog be without this work of art? Every time I look at it hanging on my wall, it always makes me smile. :0)
5. My Little Creation - This is actually my very first craft I ever posted about. And it's still hanging up in our master bedroom. Who knew what an old frame and a chipboard letter could do?
6. Chalkboard Table - This was the perfect solution for covering up a hideous stain on my dining table. And my daughter (and myself as well) love to draw all over it with chalk. It's become a fun daily activity.
7. Windowsill to Cozy Reading Nook - My most recent project. But it's still unfinished. After taking down the wreath and the "naughty/nice" pillow, it looks very bare. I'm working on crafting up some pillows and window treatments to cozy it up a bit. So stay tuned!
8. The EAT Sign - Yes, it's still hanging in the dining room. Really adds a splash of color to the place. :0)
9. Card-making - I really couldn't decide on a favorite card to put in my Top 10. I made so many cards this past year and enjoyed making every single one of them!

And my all-time FAVORITE blog post is....

10. My Laundry/Craft Room - a.k.a. my second home. This is where I spend all of my time blogging, doing crafts, and of course, laundry. But I still love being in this room! It's so inviting and organized (yes, it really looks like this all the time, I promise!), and I am so happy that I finally have a "mom-cave"! :0)

[Jen]

[Transformation Thursday: Windowsill Reading Nook]

A couple of months ago, my husband and I decided to turn an odd windowsill into a little reading nook. We are hoping that this will someday encourage our children to read books. But until then, it is just a comfy place to sit with some added storage as bonus. :0)

So here is what the windowsill looked like when we first bought our house:

Looked a little odd to me. The small wall next to the window was being completely under-utilized. I think the only thing I had were a couple of framed art (shocking, I know) on that wall. Plus, I needed a cushion for the bench, but it was a little deeper than a standard size bench cushion. Such a dilemma!

So we (a.k.a. my hubby) decided to build this built-in bookshelf:

It has potential! Now all I needed to do was paint it white, make a cushion, and decorate. Such fun!

And here is what it looks like today:

Ahh...much better! It's still a work-in-progress though. I am still trying to decide on what color/pattern fabric I should use to make curtains and coordinating pillow(s). But thankfully the major part is finished.

[I bought this black & white fabric at Walmart (it was on sale!) and covered some foam pads, that I cut out, stacked, and glued to some scrap wood we had. Then I stapled the fabric to the bottom of the wood to make it nice & taut.]

[A little Christmas pillow to add to the holiday decor. It says 'naughty' on the other side, but I was feeling in more of a "nice" mood.]

[I bought these baskets from Walmart for $10 each. They are fabric lined so that anything you put inside it won't get scratched. I also attached a little chalkboard name tag with some white satin ribbon. You can find out how to make the tags HERE.]

[Yes, even Snickers the dog has his very own basket!]

[Just some magazines that I enjoy reading from time to time. I also bought these magazine holders from Walmart for $5 each and used my handy dandy label maker for the labels. Better Homes & Gardens for inspiration & recipes, and Parents magazine for keeping this mommy sane!]

Here's another look at the transformation:

Thanks for stopping by! I'll be linking this project up here.

Happy Holidays! :0)

[Jen]

[How-To Tuesday]: Chalkboard Table

Do any of you have a dining table that looks like it's been through a lot? Hot plates, food spills, crayon marks, scratches, dents...or all of the above? Well that pretty much describes my table. Before I had my 2-year old daughter, the table was in great condition. We bought it a few years ago at Garden Ridge for about $150 (including the chairs) after we purchased our house. But recently, our poor table has been attacked by our dog, written/scratched on by our daughter, and, most recently, got an ugly heat stain from my husband who put a paper plate with hot food on it (apparently paper plates trap the heat in). And I am sure I am guilty of slamming the chair into the table creating lovely dents on the sides. Being the perfectionist that I am, I could deal with the scratches, marks, etc., but the heat stain threw me over the edge. And after trying every type of solution that I found online (toothpaste, baking soda, ashes, steam iron, etc.), I decided to just go ahead and paint it. But not with just any paint...

That's right! Chalkboard paint! Don't you just love it?!

So here's what my table looked like before:

[I know it doesn't look too bad in the photo, but in person your eye immediately goes to the stain. You can kind of see it on the right-hand side.]

[First, I wiped down and lightly sanded the entire top of the table.]

[Then, I wiped off the table so that it was as dust-free as possible. Then I painted it with a very thick coat of chalkboard paint. Since I put on one thick coat, it took a while to dry (like 2 days!), so I probably should have put multiple thinner coats for even distribution & faster drying. After it completely dried, I primed it by rubbing chalk all over the table to prevent whatever you write on it to not be there permanently.]

Voila! And this is what it looks like now! It's much more "kid-friendly" now. :0)

With chalkboard paint, the possibilities are endless. Here I have the table all set with fake flowers and fake dinnerware. :0) Who knows what the table will look like tomorrow!

Bon Appetit!

Thank you Paisley Passions for inspiring me and giving me the courage to do this fun project!

Go check out her chalkboard table! It's really neat!

I will be linking this table up to these linky parties!

[Jen]

[How-to Tuesday: Chalkboard Tags]

Are you as big of fan of chalkboard paint as I am? I know I've said this before, but I just love how versatile it is! You can fancy up any picture frame like I did in my previous post here.

I have been seeing TONS of chalkboard tags lately. So I found these unfinished wooden tags at Michael's for $1 each (such a deal!). I thought they had some character, so I stocked up on a few of them.

Then I painted them with white acrylic paint. By the way, such a challenge in painting those little crevices on the sides with a sponge brush. Yeah I know what you're thinking...I need to invest in some small paintbrushes.

Then I taped off the sides with some blue painter's tape so that I could get that "square" chalkboard look.

Then slap on the chalkboard paint. Let it dry. Now the instructions say to not use the chalkboard until after 24 hours of painting it. Well, I'm impatient. I let it dry for about 4 hours. :0)

Carefully peel off the tape. It may look a little rugged, but I kinda like it. Adds character and charm. [giggle]

"Season" the chalkboard by rubbing on some chalk. This will prevent whatever you first write on the chalkboard from being on there forever.

Using a felt eraser, wipe off the chalk. Now you are ready to have fun writing on your cute little chalkboard tag.

Originally, my plan was to hang them on wicker baskets and label whatever was inside. Well, I haven't bought the baskets yet (it's on my "to-buy" list), but I figured this was more than appropriate in the meantime. And I really do mean it! I love knowing that there are actually people out there who really care what I have to say. You have no idea how much that means to me! Thank you all so much! :0)

I heart chalkboard paint!

Can I just tell you how much I LOVE chalkboard paint? It's so versatile! You can use it anywhere!

At one of my many thrifty outings, I found this frame buried at GoodWill for 3 bucks. It was just plain wood, so I jazzed it up a bit with some white acrylic paint and some distressing (which I also love to do). Then I spray painted the glass in the frame with some random color of spray paint, just to give it some texture. And then topped it off with a couple coats of chalkboard paint. I placed it on an easel (which I also got at GoodWill), and tada! My little inspirational chalkboard!

I wrote "relax..." on there to remind myself to take a chill pill once in a while. I am sure my husband can vouch for that! What can I say? I'm a mom to a toddler who gets a little stressed.

I just know there are many more uses of chalkboard paint. Please share some of your creative ways you used chalkboard paint. I always welcome new ideas!

Featured on: Show & Share Day, Frugal Friday, Feature Yourself Friday