Hand Stamped Jewelry Giveaway!

Remember how I designed a <a href="http://www.dafont.com/jenna-sue.font">font</a> last year? Well, I receive emails almost daily from people who want to show me their website, tattoo, book, logo, etc that they have created using my font. It's always exciting (and rewarding) to see where something made from my handwriting ends up.<br /><br />One of my most recent messages came from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/people/IntentionallyMe#">Nayeli</a>, who wanted to use my font for her <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/IntentionallyMe?ref=pr_shop_more">hand stamped jewelry</a>. I gave her my blessing, and in return she generously offered to create a custom piece for me using my font. Rather than keep it for myself,  I decided to let one of my lovely readers (that's you) have a chance to win. <br /><br />And now... for the official <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/IntentionallyMe?ref=pr_shop_more">IntentionallyMe</a> / <a href="http://jennasuedesign.etsy.com/">Jenna Sue Design Co</a>. Giveaway details...<br /><br />You will win one personalized necklace of your choice (using my font!), from the following options:<br /><br />1. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/90868117/hand-stamped-necklace-personalized">Love My Hero</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/90868117/hand-stamped-necklace-personalized"><img border="0" src="http://img0.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.304248088.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />2.  <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/91213264/hand-stamped-necklace-personalized">Key To My Heart v1</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/91213264/hand-stamped-necklace-personalized"><img border="0" src="http://img3.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.305369091.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/91219312/hand-stamped-necklace-personalized">Key To My Heart v2</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/91219312/hand-stamped-necklace-personalized"><img border="0" src="http://img3.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.305394075.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">HOW TO ENTER:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Choose one or more of the following methods:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Become a fan of Intentionally Me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/IntentionallyMe">Facebook</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Follow Intentionally Me on <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/intentionally4u">Twitter</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Follow Intentionally Me on <a href="http://pinterest.com/intentionally4u/">Pinterest</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Add Intentionally me to your favorite shops on <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/IntentionallyMe">Etsy</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Become a fan of Jenna Sue Design Co. on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/jennasuedesign">Facebook</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Follow Jenna Sue Design Co. on <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/jennasuedesign">Twitter</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Share a link to this giveaway post on Facebook and/or Twitter</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Make sure to leave one comment for each completed method of entry so it will count. Whew, that's a lot of ways to win!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Giveaway ends Sunday, February 19th at midnight. Winner to be announced Monday. Good luck!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wgVAW4CkQJKe7F9T2TN0wW1SrDi-slD9gmVbLIZalyLM_SjovLgmJd6T5JVGN-zGsPjsUT8JqpC0Hg0bvBSKNbL2vSFE5zPRGb85uqM6xT3uwkNviMJoN_gRPvh-14Y8_L7ctp1v1IQ3/s1600/Signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wgVAW4CkQJKe7F9T2TN0wW1SrDi-slD9gmVbLIZalyLM_SjovLgmJd6T5JVGN-zGsPjsUT8JqpC0Hg0bvBSKNbL2vSFE5zPRGb85uqM6xT3uwkNviMJoN_gRPvh-14Y8_L7ctp1v1IQ3/s1600/Signature.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>

Hand Stamped Jewelry Giveaway!

Remember how I designed a font  last year? Well, I receive emails almost daily from people who want to show me their website, tattoo, book, ...

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The Crown Molding Project & a Backyard Deck

I'm popping in a day late after a very hectic few days at my shops (thanks to the <a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/2012/02/reader-redesign-welcome-home-makeover/">YHL feature</a>!) <br /><br />I'm going to make this brief, as I don't want to relive it any longer than I have to.<br /><br />After painting our master bath (way back when), we decided to install crown molding, partly because we thought it would look nice, and partly because we were too lazy to cut smooth edges and had to cover it somehow.<br /><br />I picked up some nice chunky crown molding and was all gung ho to get this show on the road, when Brad had to remind me (once again) that our little miter saw wasn't big enough to make the cuts.<br /><br />So after weeks of putting it off, I met a new blogger friend named <a href="http://www.double-dworkshop.com/">Dennis</a>, who kindly offered to stop by with his saw and help us finish this project.<br /><br />I figured between the three of us, we could slap those babies up and be done in under 20 minutes. Then Dennis pointed out that crown molding is not like the flat molding/trim that you use for baseboard or board/batten projects... oh, no, it's an entirely different beast. It sits on both the ceiling and the wall, at an angle. <br /><br />Suddenly this project went from simple 45' miter cuts to angles and miters in fractions and you have to turn it sideways and upside down and then backwards and inside out... WTF. It was even more confusing than that sentence. I watched every youtube tutorial I could find and they all had something different to say. <br /><br />Finally, after about an hour, we had our first board up. We thought we were golden.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Pcm1XY_G5zovs33ReW0atjM2djIekKEImYTaJ4AS8Hpbajyaory0UEjxbwogU3ejTow1c2pvqvWmgx2KJwUfIFYrCKJ1HS9CKVyxiv6pzQCtvna__GL6zdKZGAffFfQfg_5s5weqIgze/s1600/IMG_7234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Pcm1XY_G5zovs33ReW0atjM2djIekKEImYTaJ4AS8Hpbajyaory0UEjxbwogU3ejTow1c2pvqvWmgx2KJwUfIFYrCKJ1HS9CKVyxiv6pzQCtvna__GL6zdKZGAffFfQfg_5s5weqIgze/s640/IMG_7234.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />But then the next piece we cut did not fit. So we did about 200 more test cuts in every way possible, before realizing there was something wrong with the first board.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EEC6q3ml8eA9jf3uYDM4uxaPTa4Ik64D76sBoqksrd3_EDy7KdB6wt3Bpa4JL4k4fJJSXNFIJLvjkmUa2MtKP7ZteRByQNjaE4fkLo4pIM4oLUNJ0wSBjZ47hBcd3WgFsegfyt6BsdzL/s1600/IMG_7230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EEC6q3ml8eA9jf3uYDM4uxaPTa4Ik64D76sBoqksrd3_EDy7KdB6wt3Bpa4JL4k4fJJSXNFIJLvjkmUa2MtKP7ZteRByQNjaE4fkLo4pIM4oLUNJ0wSBjZ47hBcd3WgFsegfyt6BsdzL/s640/IMG_7230.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Here I am, trying to visualize the cut angle with my hand</em></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Finally.. after over 2 hours... we had the first piece back in correctly, and we somehow managed to figure out the rest from there (after making every wrong cut before we got the right angle on each board). <br /><br />And this was just a tiny bathroom with 90' walls! I can't believe people actually do this for a living. <br /><br />Anyway, here's how it looked when we were done. Not perfect... but as good as it was going to get for us. It doesn't help that our walls are not straight.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwsSvNqZwBFsKBRSGPWr6weNGSHcB33e7FSGk6VAe6Xq2cygZ7CyWdfhn2px8uN2tIxuy18lxZi04VXmZCbBD7gG4Sa5QLXMZMGl-eubHveve5wTGFbvB4Zdzr36BP2KP6QhnXUlBh92Uq/s1600/IMG_7237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwsSvNqZwBFsKBRSGPWr6weNGSHcB33e7FSGk6VAe6Xq2cygZ7CyWdfhn2px8uN2tIxuy18lxZi04VXmZCbBD7gG4Sa5QLXMZMGl-eubHveve5wTGFbvB4Zdzr36BP2KP6QhnXUlBh92Uq/s640/IMG_7237.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMLfo-owhAbY4c8k9uv8C64mRiHVXH7OWuA6QtVsgsSR5Rf4IabEp9x7wKJ339PI_fFlVYoMS01zAAWTlI3QyBOqckfU3I-ERtVuGAc86SIV8Z8Pfmw0HHesRxm1I83JyTJQ1-HTB97Hy/s1600/IMG_7239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMLfo-owhAbY4c8k9uv8C64mRiHVXH7OWuA6QtVsgsSR5Rf4IabEp9x7wKJ339PI_fFlVYoMS01zAAWTlI3QyBOqckfU3I-ERtVuGAc86SIV8Z8Pfmw0HHesRxm1I83JyTJQ1-HTB97Hy/s640/IMG_7239.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />We installed it in both the vanity area and shower room.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqa1avlq4PZdnM8TiBkzZ7KdfdrIwzSHz04tE4rKSQvHtc-vDFC2TdQgkQvqxN4OIF4FB21gqmSXTyZdnd4gGo2mT4zi0tY-QtNQgLqbXWaTy51qylB2b875lHq7aBYZiWdBJENfzY3t5V/s1600/IMG_7240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqa1avlq4PZdnM8TiBkzZ7KdfdrIwzSHz04tE4rKSQvHtc-vDFC2TdQgkQvqxN4OIF4FB21gqmSXTyZdnd4gGo2mT4zi0tY-QtNQgLqbXWaTy51qylB2b875lHq7aBYZiWdBJENfzY3t5V/s640/IMG_7240.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>We had to get creative when it came to ending it at the shower</em></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Next came patching and sanding...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6EC2EYkUm20_8EyNWPSIbddb4AOrjkqaGVzqepiKdMsQwpQfsE9fvP56hAxucDpr_3Pk15gcGqNa8t4unLf3CT93F7qmzJSf7WLbFluh70N6WAOA4FtwH7YmycXSP0TfHVAmckQaptZrT/s1600/IMG_7259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6EC2EYkUm20_8EyNWPSIbddb4AOrjkqaGVzqepiKdMsQwpQfsE9fvP56hAxucDpr_3Pk15gcGqNa8t4unLf3CT93F7qmzJSf7WLbFluh70N6WAOA4FtwH7YmycXSP0TfHVAmckQaptZrT/s640/IMG_7259.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCTVD8t6NS53SnwQU3bc8pHV7dJWZO_BQXC0JYD2GUC4VxCScSNXpMD-fQj15zbZyKaffwoO69nnpLz0OTVDPu6XEY4cyM1tasYWa56-eijtcwRSgQUduu6NT9LyoDOgpUYSZTQEPlMfm/s1600/IMG_7263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCTVD8t6NS53SnwQU3bc8pHV7dJWZO_BQXC0JYD2GUC4VxCScSNXpMD-fQj15zbZyKaffwoO69nnpLz0OTVDPu6XEY4cyM1tasYWa56-eijtcwRSgQUduu6NT9LyoDOgpUYSZTQEPlMfm/s640/IMG_7263.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />Then taping it all off and painting... (pretend there's a picture of this step here)<br /><br /><br />Finally, caulking it in to hide all of our gaps... caulk is magical.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fmQTmfEfQGVVXhsKNBLU90hb5NNARx5Dv95trO86YpXQEqEqrE-T1RazUu2ruvKhYnIkGJBzlUH7xngkYio84kFxgsGakCbWnjBrA5avDYP0bCXoZQ90oPgy2JneFIeFnkBT1VpRDcap/s1600/IMG_7346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fmQTmfEfQGVVXhsKNBLU90hb5NNARx5Dv95trO86YpXQEqEqrE-T1RazUu2ruvKhYnIkGJBzlUH7xngkYio84kFxgsGakCbWnjBrA5avDYP0bCXoZQ90oPgy2JneFIeFnkBT1VpRDcap/s640/IMG_7346.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />And now we have shiny new molding!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRD3b-kN0FUVCOV8IIXcXqIdtXdWrMeCC08E5Xd77Y5K39aIFb5tvTORCOmmiSo99uJ9yK4aRBgyM6ACAZUkcVs2ulzIIhmjstMQtM8qiGMU6Zb_Gb7P39dUUYVzkAV9FfO0YFUUy3kq8S/s1600/IMG_7366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRD3b-kN0FUVCOV8IIXcXqIdtXdWrMeCC08E5Xd77Y5K39aIFb5tvTORCOmmiSo99uJ9yK4aRBgyM6ACAZUkcVs2ulzIIhmjstMQtM8qiGMU6Zb_Gb7P39dUUYVzkAV9FfO0YFUUy3kq8S/s640/IMG_7366.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpVyFnMxulhd8qpQSwo6UFp6mM9tSLDPve6Emku-qjMd7Zao4HBXi4UE0D2TpHG-cIwOvlu2mAQED4w0Tx-ow1ArkvOSNOLtjIA2XtUkP8AAZB3WHBVAcvMym0muUy9X5iUig8EKAPpho/s1600/IMG_7368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpVyFnMxulhd8qpQSwo6UFp6mM9tSLDPve6Emku-qjMd7Zao4HBXi4UE0D2TpHG-cIwOvlu2mAQED4w0Tx-ow1ArkvOSNOLtjIA2XtUkP8AAZB3WHBVAcvMym0muUy9X5iUig8EKAPpho/s640/IMG_7368.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzy4BIWYbTP2SUocIRBinf5IX8UzM81dfPZgf7E0ZYHUhjPgnIepnfTOYmYIpzK-Ek_vKSWVdNwHOLS-YfxOITJ9tlAtD03O_3fR4YRp7R0n-DaK92tkU4m8JryqHYmoXKyWYTW6l2D2y2/s1600/IMG_7372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzy4BIWYbTP2SUocIRBinf5IX8UzM81dfPZgf7E0ZYHUhjPgnIepnfTOYmYIpzK-Ek_vKSWVdNwHOLS-YfxOITJ9tlAtD03O_3fR4YRp7R0n-DaK92tkU4m8JryqHYmoXKyWYTW6l2D2y2/s640/IMG_7372.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />The last and final element to this bathroom is framing my mirrors. This is another project I'm terrified of. If I make one wrong cut... it's all over.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UXmQ2A8IuGV4fP8tCLytPAtcvUknLaXyhyphenhyphenUE0rxRHE65VmMKoV54zm_cPP8OLT80lCpf3GKawU1gcOWzmBp1I-aA3VpGYjvjJ54g0PTnXawwdj4JBqzQDuqt1wE5sGJt5CsskGVpo9p1/s1600/IMG_6773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UXmQ2A8IuGV4fP8tCLytPAtcvUknLaXyhyphenhyphenUE0rxRHE65VmMKoV54zm_cPP8OLT80lCpf3GKawU1gcOWzmBp1I-aA3VpGYjvjJ54g0PTnXawwdj4JBqzQDuqt1wE5sGJt5CsskGVpo9p1/s640/IMG_6773.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />Dennis cut some wood pieces for me with a notch in them so I can affix them to my mirrors. I stained them and they are all ready to go..<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKlt0EjcV4rNhDRatIXlxPyr2zkGE4QNHL0YtKN_KLs3Aj8LZMKbWCcq663IofPcW4-d6cSvwQbCVF1WhNPuVLyMHO_lgozOkd3qfJL2wl2p8PehyjRMvftZDlw_yuYaJIz3Ci3QztfVm/s1600/IMG_7358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKlt0EjcV4rNhDRatIXlxPyr2zkGE4QNHL0YtKN_KLs3Aj8LZMKbWCcq663IofPcW4-d6cSvwQbCVF1WhNPuVLyMHO_lgozOkd3qfJL2wl2p8PehyjRMvftZDlw_yuYaJIz3Ci3QztfVm/s640/IMG_7358.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />I'm going to try to force myself to do it tomorrow. We'll see how this goes...<br /><br /><br />On another note, we're in a serious drought here and the backyard lake water level is at an all time low. Brad therefore decided it was the perfect time to build us a little deck over the water.<br /><br />Here he is setting the posts with neighbor Joe a few nights ago:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6-Xm1atJyYTGDQ9ZaykeFk4DGvmvJFAf-SfhSApcapgtcQD5v4cJJRZOdY4jQrcD4DGbmBMnkpWlFQZylVAUTTNjdyffCdOiZfEOZYcZP0rOHpVsULntwX_OsfteOo14CDRF_tx79oBh/s1600/IMG_7351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6-Xm1atJyYTGDQ9ZaykeFk4DGvmvJFAf-SfhSApcapgtcQD5v4cJJRZOdY4jQrcD4DGbmBMnkpWlFQZylVAUTTNjdyffCdOiZfEOZYcZP0rOHpVsULntwX_OsfteOo14CDRF_tx79oBh/s640/IMG_7351.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWXQ6pYmYfrWlfTvnxurLESveTWD5BBSV2k8_F-MWM40MsUgsq44Ku4HCeBycgwFW19iToe_ABI7uhqcN-nAcJJJW4knSiWRw-hXq_N1gstQxUwKN30EXNXtpoFTo6fG7pZLw9cNhC4Xq/s1600/IMG_7354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWXQ6pYmYfrWlfTvnxurLESveTWD5BBSV2k8_F-MWM40MsUgsq44Ku4HCeBycgwFW19iToe_ABI7uhqcN-nAcJJJW4knSiWRw-hXq_N1gstQxUwKN30EXNXtpoFTo6fG7pZLw9cNhC4Xq/s640/IMG_7354.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />In the summer, the lake will fill up to about halfway up the bulkhead.<br /><br />And here's the status as of a couple hours ago:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouzadQRCvRfgkUIzhTsRflXPoD4-mxnomCCvOHrQ-cmg-Bol34TgEQDcKcOOgucEcXNsxsqwqzgL5n51Cj4aEgDEm4YdoHNSjr4INWOb39RP9GoQX8q-gPZwLHj1W03vXEGDVb3VM5WBV/s1600/IMG_7381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouzadQRCvRfgkUIzhTsRflXPoD4-mxnomCCvOHrQ-cmg-Bol34TgEQDcKcOOgucEcXNsxsqwqzgL5n51Cj4aEgDEm4YdoHNSjr4INWOb39RP9GoQX8q-gPZwLHj1W03vXEGDVb3VM5WBV/s640/IMG_7381.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />He's out there working on a few finishing touches right now, like rope LED lighting:<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9IZXL924LL0wIgZ73uxVH61ockZboLY8nmg0tuKPsD2Sso1ZjnJ1nS8gKntFy7ejM-BCVseGunDcNb7AN7QegWRbe82N87WUAnOVOEAW9afN8vjxoImNq8ynCLmlAnUHmMF8zgKa46yXf/s1600/IMG_7380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9IZXL924LL0wIgZ73uxVH61ockZboLY8nmg0tuKPsD2Sso1ZjnJ1nS8gKntFy7ejM-BCVseGunDcNb7AN7QegWRbe82N87WUAnOVOEAW9afN8vjxoImNq8ynCLmlAnUHmMF8zgKa46yXf/s640/IMG_7380.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />There was one big issue that had to be taken care of though.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVlS4xQrYNoBt70mip0SLYAA1mgDAYGUyHbEkMGFqNIXjfZLWBxyuMdbqPlwDiU8JZ2br6RB36inf5NtG-zcaMp1NBK_IBf_y8sOVA6kfTy_lZWObxsIex_Ta2nZmQBYH85orVivrGpSl/s1600/IMG_7383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVlS4xQrYNoBt70mip0SLYAA1mgDAYGUyHbEkMGFqNIXjfZLWBxyuMdbqPlwDiU8JZ2br6RB36inf5NtG-zcaMp1NBK_IBf_y8sOVA6kfTy_lZWObxsIex_Ta2nZmQBYH85orVivrGpSl/s640/IMG_7383.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />It's the evil serpent plant from hell blocking our deck entrance. Seriously, it will kill your animals. This is what the plant removal guy said when he was over here giving us a quote earlier today. He said this plant will squirt deadly acid at you and stab you with its claws, so he wouldn't remove it for any less than $225. <br /><br />Brad decided that was too much to pay, so he and the neighbors wrapped the thing in rope and luckily managed to uproot it without a fight. And now we are free of evil plants!<br /><br />For around $500, we have a new deck to relax on... sip wine, watch the sunset and feed the pond animals...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoo-voC7PoJJrdK9B_JmoLcc80UZMESxJxqz_z_Z3VgiWlQ0DiIoWMO43kOb8XX6EyT-b6u-_h-DvBq5ZgNKooyXMK2wVrKWfPJoXHx3O7lmbetTmUWnGRV6hQoFlQPQ-mg1Hbu9oNiaj9/s1600/IMG_7394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoo-voC7PoJJrdK9B_JmoLcc80UZMESxJxqz_z_Z3VgiWlQ0DiIoWMO43kOb8XX6EyT-b6u-_h-DvBq5ZgNKooyXMK2wVrKWfPJoXHx3O7lmbetTmUWnGRV6hQoFlQPQ-mg1Hbu9oNiaj9/s640/IMG_7394.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cdeLyH_HUlDDYhJN70yF_GxFusO0oRHC_Po1PhvzEZ6C4w3JoGIGQu1eIr5O-iWO_4zSUFr7zbZJP2mXyaZlfs8ql-DB80KnsQ-uApYMW3-LicMc9CZOQ_cZXbqoDtLkEewYDxI0XIlC/s1600/IMG_7385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cdeLyH_HUlDDYhJN70yF_GxFusO0oRHC_Po1PhvzEZ6C4w3JoGIGQu1eIr5O-iWO_4zSUFr7zbZJP2mXyaZlfs8ql-DB80KnsQ-uApYMW3-LicMc9CZOQ_cZXbqoDtLkEewYDxI0XIlC/s640/IMG_7385.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Or not... haha.<br /><br /><br />When Brad was shopping for the decking supplies, I grabbed something of my own for my next project:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfjdiaeZQln6m6fcCcBDS9xcj2PsKgUn21ShUwcvGR4ic6QyEnu4X1Rqs08PjC-eiifyZOFfJolHCZlX6PaltPDVyL9T54tLerKQaAiWQ-JotKunAFlGnwiJ3ypT8pIZJzpXxEG8Pc0jI/s1600/IMG_7356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfjdiaeZQln6m6fcCcBDS9xcj2PsKgUn21ShUwcvGR4ic6QyEnu4X1Rqs08PjC-eiifyZOFfJolHCZlX6PaltPDVyL9T54tLerKQaAiWQ-JotKunAFlGnwiJ3ypT8pIZJzpXxEG8Pc0jI/s640/IMG_7356.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />Any guesses as to what this could be for?<br /><br />Here's a hint:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmkpsmauJPgYEXSk13bzKCnnVr1EZj_7cB2Ej1nZ9zyAzsIKsgOds0DZVtZ9n4rRkHkZavjjbHyCNQ8voVXs7T2JRw6RbsBV1Yas7vddwFWhcOtG3LKNjkfDW0o4Qe7KvfgXo9ml9n4AF/s1600/IMG_5873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmkpsmauJPgYEXSk13bzKCnnVr1EZj_7cB2Ej1nZ9zyAzsIKsgOds0DZVtZ9n4rRkHkZavjjbHyCNQ8voVXs7T2JRw6RbsBV1Yas7vddwFWhcOtG3LKNjkfDW0o4Qe7KvfgXo9ml9n4AF/s640/IMG_5873.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><br />That's coming up soon! Along with <em>hopefully</em> the final master bath shots... and another scrap lumber project I've been working on. <br /><br />Happy Weekend!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wgVAW4CkQJKe7F9T2TN0wW1SrDi-slD9gmVbLIZalyLM_SjovLgmJd6T5JVGN-zGsPjsUT8JqpC0Hg0bvBSKNbL2vSFE5zPRGb85uqM6xT3uwkNviMJoN_gRPvh-14Y8_L7ctp1v1IQ3/s1600/Signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wgVAW4CkQJKe7F9T2TN0wW1SrDi-slD9gmVbLIZalyLM_SjovLgmJd6T5JVGN-zGsPjsUT8JqpC0Hg0bvBSKNbL2vSFE5zPRGb85uqM6xT3uwkNviMJoN_gRPvh-14Y8_L7ctp1v1IQ3/s1600/Signature.jpg" /></a></div>

The Crown Molding Project & a Backyard Deck

I'm popping in a day late after a very hectic few days at my shops (thanks to the  YHL feature !) I'm going to make this brief, as I...

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DIY Chalkboard

By now, we've all seen chalkboard paint everywhere. It's all over pinterest and blogland, in our kitchens and offices and even bedrooms and bathrooms. From spray paint to DIY concoctions, in shades of gray, red, pink and blue and everything in between.<br /><br />But I have never, ever seen one in white. Not that a nice charcoal grey would have bothered me, but I figured if I was making my own and could choose any shade in the world, why not white? If you've been around this blog long enough, you've probably noticed white is my go-to color. It's clean and timeless—you just can't go wrong. <br /><br />So this was the plan when it came to filling this empty wall:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLzo5rdGAUBVRdxrrkKMOwyXaCWIXOmQRZJccKQkXkVDfoPh0tpvAEOWaqjudtsv2zxOzwtrvboVK-BaCnF_QW7mkAfqh8B4Frrh2CfeNeWGKQwEfEg5Ygium5sh_xFPMrZklkXkfuuEc/s1600/wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLzo5rdGAUBVRdxrrkKMOwyXaCWIXOmQRZJccKQkXkVDfoPh0tpvAEOWaqjudtsv2zxOzwtrvboVK-BaCnF_QW7mkAfqh8B4Frrh2CfeNeWGKQwEfEg5Ygium5sh_xFPMrZklkXkfuuEc/s640/wall.jpg" width="524" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Old picture... ignore the mid-backsplash installation</em></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I set out to find the perfect size chunky frame for my chalkboard, and Jesus called my name:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0G4kNu9nYqJ_Kgt9qzrPxeUNI62ZTnSIIXC39yfQKt_uEleA7ZiTlOtTSb-Exs_12M0fwt0YhfbbeABNBUzJR-qCKPi2m9YoPoZuKEuOeZv973-Kf0xBnMJDUwore3soOH_PPobd7SSz/s1600/IMG_7161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0G4kNu9nYqJ_Kgt9qzrPxeUNI62ZTnSIIXC39yfQKt_uEleA7ZiTlOtTSb-Exs_12M0fwt0YhfbbeABNBUzJR-qCKPi2m9YoPoZuKEuOeZv973-Kf0xBnMJDUwore3soOH_PPobd7SSz/s640/IMG_7161.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><br /><br />Yardsale find, $3. <br /><br />After removing the contents and prying off each of the 300 staples (someone wanted Jesus to stay there forever) I had myself a blank slate, ready for some paint:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHECi6nE8qGXPBhbtbxPEng54B-3DZe6AMMZA1NtgqKP59mT03FqMiEndaievwXAwVda5wYtI2fmGl5W5hVTS5BTffI4sYWRR5W_oAi9h1Y9Dp2PJxCZTck05NmqjG9GX5kuet1xLFqUE3/s1600/IMG_7177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHECi6nE8qGXPBhbtbxPEng54B-3DZe6AMMZA1NtgqKP59mT03FqMiEndaievwXAwVda5wYtI2fmGl5W5hVTS5BTffI4sYWRR5W_oAi9h1Y9Dp2PJxCZTck05NmqjG9GX5kuet1xLFqUE3/s640/IMG_7177.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />I lightly sanded the frame and dry brushed on a coat of white, leaving some of the wood to show through for a more distressed look:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6LNORTnTPTDyQK_auxIp3tdCVVdNkSk2UDEpcsaZHcrlEKBj_ry38CmsEqPiiT7nsWCZmNP3SNLPOy8E1LFlOMBX-QjKwzgesbDRuun7Skv_pgnflEnJSD8CcDRH1P2aIEMfnRDzyeQV/s1600/IMG_7178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6LNORTnTPTDyQK_auxIp3tdCVVdNkSk2UDEpcsaZHcrlEKBj_ry38CmsEqPiiT7nsWCZmNP3SNLPOy8E1LFlOMBX-QjKwzgesbDRuun7Skv_pgnflEnJSD8CcDRH1P2aIEMfnRDzyeQV/s640/IMG_7178.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />then a coat of pale turquoise (same shade as the <a href="http://jennasuedesign.blogspot.com/2012/02/weathered-wooden-sign-diy.html">tea time sign and flower bucket</a>), and in a matter of minutes it was good to go.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKZR6inzSb7TPGIcEcW58DJhhGbH2SpftvNzI_b-0im7qo1hl9_-PuMrdOOFXWKoK027JFYI8o7f4AsFF1UwZ6kbXFvjJMnw3SnjvXFQupm5HRUhstCS36Fi_Oe7n65nKcJ7VOVzkIQYem/s1600/IMG_7199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKZR6inzSb7TPGIcEcW58DJhhGbH2SpftvNzI_b-0im7qo1hl9_-PuMrdOOFXWKoK027JFYI8o7f4AsFF1UwZ6kbXFvjJMnw3SnjvXFQupm5HRUhstCS36Fi_Oe7n65nKcJ7VOVzkIQYem/s640/IMG_7199.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I apologize for the horribly lit picture. It looks white here, but I assure you it is a very soft turquoise.<br /><br />Next it was time for the chalkboard.<br /><br />I picked up a thin piece of plywood at Lowe's and we used a jigsaw to cut it to size (18x24" in this case). <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfbWaTWBtYnaIzHjxY478ZG07MF2OPbS6IiR7JjU7RHkJN9UYOYRPrqPwwkacLmYXfUTOJnf_o9QTpjs2-lId7zQgNIBa6Wov23RuexVZogApBy6AiIMBIwODRP67hgYzGRfohyphenhyphenpFBpROq/s1600/IMG_7202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfbWaTWBtYnaIzHjxY478ZG07MF2OPbS6IiR7JjU7RHkJN9UYOYRPrqPwwkacLmYXfUTOJnf_o9QTpjs2-lId7zQgNIBa6Wov23RuexVZogApBy6AiIMBIwODRP67hgYzGRfohyphenhyphenpFBpROq/s640/IMG_7202.jpg" width="532" /></a></div><br /><br />I did a light sanding over the surface to ensure it was smooth and ready, then I applied a coat of primer:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhJ54_VHOfTwoG79CIGgLab0lyNmuLXKXomV75FqOPK9LFZAin6HqxiVuc_IqYNTFaeDxj8_HncEIFAI-9bnUATHjhAScDnTTbw3-o1Okg6P2xE4b41f0BZpTDgwwT1zS0kSiWfO4YVYW/s1600/IMG_7203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhJ54_VHOfTwoG79CIGgLab0lyNmuLXKXomV75FqOPK9LFZAin6HqxiVuc_IqYNTFaeDxj8_HncEIFAI-9bnUATHjhAScDnTTbw3-o1Okg6P2xE4b41f0BZpTDgwwT1zS0kSiWfO4YVYW/s640/IMG_7203.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />Next, it was time for the chalkboard paint.<br />I used materials I had on hand: Behr's flat paint (in white) and unsanded grout that we had leftover from our bathroom tile.<br /><br />After thoroughly mixing, I was ready to apply the mixture to my board.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTug8F6UtYmaZ7wn8RnzvT9Ww_WKjPPgTruxlTVyo5UAdgq05VAWlBd2s_rNiKfT5K_ZDCSBYBvUZ56K6LJJPcchrVS4nYiEYRolzmj5ge6q3O8m1W0FWKQmuMsCWqKmnKpHDTaAmzcTVc/s1600/IMG_7212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTug8F6UtYmaZ7wn8RnzvT9Ww_WKjPPgTruxlTVyo5UAdgq05VAWlBd2s_rNiKfT5K_ZDCSBYBvUZ56K6LJJPcchrVS4nYiEYRolzmj5ge6q3O8m1W0FWKQmuMsCWqKmnKpHDTaAmzcTVc/s640/IMG_7212.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />I wanted to get this right, so I carefully sanded in between coats until it was completely smooth. I ended up using 3 solid coats when it was all said and done.<br /><br />After the paint is fully dry, you are supposed to "prime" the surface by dragging the flat side of chalk along the surface until it is completely covered, then wiping down with a damp sponge.<br /><br />This step did not go as planned for me.<br /><br />I did not have any white chalk on hand, so I grabbed the closest shade: yellow. Instead of simply wiping clean, it stained the surface so I was left with an off-white chalkboard. I ended up having to scrub it down with lysol, and re-prime with white chalk. I'm not sure if darker colored chalkboards run into this problem... but perhaps this is why no one has made a white chalkboard? <br /><br />Anyway, the chalkboard still "works", but there are still markings and smears of color when I wipe with an eraser. I have to use cleaner to actually remove the pigment from the surface. I imagine this isn't as noticable on a darker surface. Still, it was worth a try. I love the way the white looks in the space!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5X30kpSt9g7fDmf-gHbyJrumrued9XvI6op2YibExXH78epQ7QJmphlAk-kOMRkPhWfaAdvcqEGg64xb7bfSUgoCZl0ncSiP3dTdLa9SoupvXxAPgWgbADEv5rCE5-yxotIBClKpe82l/s1600/IMG_7293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5X30kpSt9g7fDmf-gHbyJrumrued9XvI6op2YibExXH78epQ7QJmphlAk-kOMRkPhWfaAdvcqEGg64xb7bfSUgoCZl0ncSiP3dTdLa9SoupvXxAPgWgbADEv5rCE5-yxotIBClKpe82l/s640/IMG_7293.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjJbjfNIYSP7X_-Ch7dNRWMzOWy04EiiuO0o1gCMrUXmAcdHXMbFuRCXtZySFrlrj3S5M1aPLqmQuqD3u9ZvaT0sc2FeTiTdNWWVCrXQq_k82FLP_ZAQEeJcn1_2KUJ8hcvgCZQ9O7jKt/s1600/IMG_7324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjJbjfNIYSP7X_-Ch7dNRWMzOWy04EiiuO0o1gCMrUXmAcdHXMbFuRCXtZySFrlrj3S5M1aPLqmQuqD3u9ZvaT0sc2FeTiTdNWWVCrXQq_k82FLP_ZAQEeJcn1_2KUJ8hcvgCZQ9O7jKt/s1600/IMG_7324.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySNS58AHlweBjsR9gmHl2c0fLFz9AYBfhBhTJB4iv34UKXBRU6NiosgvClafZYLrAMIJLd83vc6Hx9-DZLjW_3eUnKJSB3L8e7mqm9qzfpfML8wLbnf2YZ-nawX1Zgo4r2vrJv3M1uC1G/s1600/IMG_7325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySNS58AHlweBjsR9gmHl2c0fLFz9AYBfhBhTJB4iv34UKXBRU6NiosgvClafZYLrAMIJLd83vc6Hx9-DZLjW_3eUnKJSB3L8e7mqm9qzfpfML8wLbnf2YZ-nawX1Zgo4r2vrJv3M1uC1G/s1600/IMG_7325.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSVCt_1TKiKNPgmT-9mftdKAAbcBYy3fWaaBFOoH_0XFuv0pFGQfC9HHT6P4hF6VemPYudPTFhw6-Imu0FSQlyvCkw7melDQHTGf2JBL31xE8m3se5zNEDlne_YX67PCof2WRfZo4CjfOw/s1600/IMG_7345-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSVCt_1TKiKNPgmT-9mftdKAAbcBYy3fWaaBFOoH_0XFuv0pFGQfC9HHT6P4hF6VemPYudPTFhw6-Imu0FSQlyvCkw7melDQHTGf2JBL31xE8m3se5zNEDlne_YX67PCof2WRfZo4CjfOw/s640/IMG_7345-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />Here's the formula in picture form:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7hJWvT9_vHxWPCo00ZR7w0Dyg_gpLhEyYiCQeSt4oBq0WoBvx4VipcjkPWVoiPx5h1h73xnM3DDdn5bGmb0pAMLwLSPOps442sk7kd-ykx6HXDpxaE9nGpCGN6SUNHx5V_HkBEelfhft/s1600/Chalkpaint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7hJWvT9_vHxWPCo00ZR7w0Dyg_gpLhEyYiCQeSt4oBq0WoBvx4VipcjkPWVoiPx5h1h73xnM3DDdn5bGmb0pAMLwLSPOps442sk7kd-ykx6HXDpxaE9nGpCGN6SUNHx5V_HkBEelfhft/s640/Chalkpaint.jpg" width="740" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>I cut this formula down to 1/3 for my small surface area</em></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />Project Breakdown:<br />Frame - $3<br />Plywood - $5<br />Paint - already had<br />Grout - already had<br />Chalk - $1<br />Total: $9<br /><br />Can't beat it for under $10! I encourage you all to try your own, and report back to me on how well the formula works for you. I'm interested to know if it's as good as the store bought stuff. <br /><br /><br />Be back in a few with our bathroom crown molding + a preview of some other projects we've gotten ourselves into around here...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wgVAW4CkQJKe7F9T2TN0wW1SrDi-slD9gmVbLIZalyLM_SjovLgmJd6T5JVGN-zGsPjsUT8JqpC0Hg0bvBSKNbL2vSFE5zPRGb85uqM6xT3uwkNviMJoN_gRPvh-14Y8_L7ctp1v1IQ3/s1600/Signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wgVAW4CkQJKe7F9T2TN0wW1SrDi-slD9gmVbLIZalyLM_SjovLgmJd6T5JVGN-zGsPjsUT8JqpC0Hg0bvBSKNbL2vSFE5zPRGb85uqM6xT3uwkNviMJoN_gRPvh-14Y8_L7ctp1v1IQ3/s1600/Signature.jpg" /></a></div>

DIY Chalkboard

By now, we've all seen chalkboard paint everywhere. It's all over pinterest and blogland, in our kitchens and offices and even bedro...

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