Being Crafty: DIY Chevron Message Board

I've had this cork-board lying around for ...hmmm... maybe a year? I bought it originally for my dorm room and intended to cover it with black-and-white fabric. Of course, instead, the thing got shoved into the back of my closet. I recently unearthed it, and once again, it was lying around the room, patiently asking for some kind of adornment. Inspiration took its time before it came along and bopped me on the head with its insistence.  

Pinterest helps, though. For a similar look, check out this link.

In the meantime, here is a step-by-step look at yesterday's project.

1. Supplies: corkboard (available in many different sizes at Walmart or any office-supply store); spray paint in two colors (I chose white and pistachio green); blue painters tape.
2. Go over the board with a few light coats of the white paint. When spray painting, several light coats is always better than one heavy coat. Mine has about three coats since the first just looked like a light frosting. While the light touch of color was pretty, it wasn't really the look I was going for. Once the paint has dried, apply your blue painters tape in a chevron pattern.
3. Paint the board again, in your second color.

4. Remove the painter's tape to reveal your chevron stripes.
Now, I wish I could say Viola! And there you go! But I can't because, obviously, my project was not "voila!" worthy. As you can see in the above photo, the top layer of cork peeled off in a few places. Here's why: the white paint was high-gloss finish. Now, I don't have any way to prove this for sure, but I believe something about the gloss finish reacted bizarrely with the cork. The pistachio paint was satin finish and gave me no trouble. So, for future reference and for your own projects, stick to satin and you shouldn't have any peeling.

5. Thankfully, I had some white acrylic paint lying nearby
6. I simply touched up the "peeled" places with the white, it seemed to sufficiently cloak the disaster areas.

I'm still not going to say "Viola!" but I'm sufficiently satisfied to try the project again with different patterns and a different paint type. The message board will at least match my green desk chair--which was the whole purpose in painting it pistachio green.

Thanks for reading! Check back later today for another project!

Little

Life is full of  little moments that I love: 

a tiny sprout of yellow sunshine

my nephew learning to smile

getting lost in a good read. right now its Atonement
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sunshine through crimson leaves
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I was going to end this post with these pretty images, but talking to Mark reminded me 

that there are also little moments that annoy the tar out of you.

Like the tiniest little twig that is apparently stuck to his side mirror

and tapping a staccato beat on his window.

Too far away to reach while driving and taking advantage

of the ability to make its presence known. 

Ha. My poor fiancee! 

There are just times when I think 

that my heart may burst

because I love him so much it hurts. 

Offices + Tiny Pumpkins

On some days, your morning coffee seems a godsend. 

A godsend with a tiny pumpkin. 

So, lately, I've been contemplating home offices. Good spots and spaces to write, work, design, think....or, the less inspiring: pay bills and budget. 

I see photographs of these inspiring office spaces: desks piled high with books, walls covered in funky artwork, a tin cup brimming with writing utensils, inspiration boards filled with color and fabric swatches.... I picture myself sitting  at that swivel stool, bent over the task at hand, scribbling away.

But I do wonder: do these people really sit at that desk all day and work? Or do they secretly go sit on their bed, at the kitchen bar, or at the dining table? 

Just wondering. 

Either way, the spaces are fabulous. And I have been contemplating just where to put my desk at our new condo. I have a mahogany-colored secretary that my parents bought at Bombay outlet forever ago. It has a staid, serious look that the rest of my life doesn't really possess. And often, its pigeon-holes become stuffed with bits of pseudo-important papers.  (Things you hold onto because you're not really sure if you should throw them out or not... As if somewhere, someday, some government agent is going to jump out of the woodwork and demand that particular receipt.)

So anyway, I'm considering office-placement...

Guest room or dining room by the big window? I'm leaning more toward big window. 

Here are some inspiring photographs

that have me wondering and thinking: 

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I completely admit that my version of this will probably lean more toward messily cluttered than creatively messy. I guess we'll find out once I get the desk to Maryland; currently, its still sitting in a corner of my Georgia room.

Until then, here's something fun.

Remember the salvaged chair from this September post? Well, I finally decided how to refinish it. Pistachio green spray paint. Yes.

 Here's an iPhone-photo glance at it. 

Yay green!

That's all for now. I've kept you long enough with all these musings and photos. 

Have a happy day!

PS. I get married to the best man in the world in 11 days! Weet!!!! 

Okay, I'm really done now....

Happy Tuesday!

Weekend in Photos: Needle & Glass

In gust of cool wind and a gauze of fog, my favorite month has arrived.

To me, October means an official start to fall, hot apple cider, bonfires, paintball, pumpkins, and crispy leaves. This year it means something else: a new start, a new life, a wide turning in the road. 

Twelve days until our wedding!

This smile aching my cheeks and 

the butterflies fluttering my tummy

won't let me forget! =) 

I planned to spend this past weekend with friends in Metter, GA. But when it came time to pack my bags again, I found myself staring at the folded clothes and thinking "You know, I don't want to leave home." So, instead, I dumped everything back onto the floor and decided to hang out with my parents, working on last minute wedding details and just basking in the glow of home. 

And actually, I got a good bit accomplished. Finished painting the popcorn tins (you'll find out what that means later), got the aisle decorations, ordered Dad's tux, and found the missing white candles. Yes, we had missing candles. Their loss caused quite a stir, and, needless to say, there was much rejoicing at their happy recovery. 

Every now and then, home is the only place to be--warm hugs, warm smiles, easy living. I know that  my and Mark's new home will be filled with the same light and laughter that fills this Georgia one. I've always been a home-body. 

A few photos:

finishing a project

Sunday morning

One of my submissions to Instragram's Weekend Hashtag Project Contest

Dandy

Georgia sunset

Hope you're staying cozy in today's drippy foggy weather. As my mom would say, "take plenty of vitamin c!" And don't worry, Mom, I have been. Trying to ward off the evil of fall colds and allergies until after the wedding and honeymoon. 

See you tomorrow with some DIY projects.

Thanks for reading and happy October!

First Signs

Crunching down our gravel-drive, I noticed it. Vivid against its backdrop of leafy greens and bark brown. This one spot of crimson: our first little sign of autumn's presence.
Fall tends to move slowly, like a painter just hesitantly dabbing the landscape with color. A few trees at a time, here and there....and then suddenly, one morning, we'll wake surrounded by russet and gold.

A simple instance of beauty,
I think God must be loving indeed if he puts that much effort and artistry into something so delicate, something that soon will just break loose with a sigh and spiral to the forest floor.

Deux Joe

You've seen them. Popping up left and right on Pinterest, Craftgawker, even Etsy. They have that title that makes everyone excited: DIY. Step by step instructions that can turn anyone into a crafter or artist. 

The project I'm talking about is the DIY Sharpie Mug. 

If you've been missing out on this particular fashion, here are a few examples: 

• on Etsy
• from my Pinterest

While these examples provide beautifully inspiring photos, most simply ignored the need for clear, concrete instruction. And, I don't know about you, but I like straightforward, step-by-step, holding-my-hand, pointing-out-the-obvious, no-room-for-doubt instructions. Okay?

One pin just encouraged me to "doodle" whatever I wanted and then simply "pop them in the oven." There I stood, staring at my dollar store mug, envisioning a melting mug and toxins being unleashed into my mom's kitchen.

Not good.

But then, there came A Beautiful Mess. My favorite craft blog. Thank you Elsie & Emma for your helpful and simple tutorial (I wonder how many times I've said that these past few months??). 

Their tutorial can be found here.

Clear. Easy to follow. 

So, here's a peek at the results of my own attempt at this super-easy and super-quick craft. 

The supplies needed are basic: white ceramic coffee mug (I found mine for $1 at BigLots); a sharpie; an oven; and a steady hand. 

The instructions: write your note/quote or doodle your doodle; then simply bake them on 350* for about 30 minutes. Viola!

Now, the cute nonsensical sayings used by A Beautiful Mess--as cute as they were-- didn't exactly apply to Mark and I. I'm not one to mimic other's designs, but we had a good laugh at the fact that I was the masculine one who loved the dark,black coffee while my big, tall husband prefers the sweet green tea. I really wanted these mugs in our new kitchen, knowing we and everyone else would get a little chuckle out of them.

However, the full credit for this design goes to A Beautiful Mess. 

My results: 

And there you have it.

A,B,C. 1,2,3-- a sweet and easy DIY shower, hostess, or just-because-I-can gift. 

Note: The sharpie doesn't hold up well in the dishwasher. Handwashing, however, is perfectly fine. Unless, of course, you grab steel wool and attack, but that would be strange. Be kind and gentle to your little mug!

Happy crafting this weekend!

P.S. Two weeks to go until my wedding! Whee!!

Easy.

Some things in life are simple. Easy. Little, quiet moments that fill you with sunshine and cozy-goodness and somehow brighten your mood for the entire day.
One such moment settled on my today: shaped like an owl and smelling warm like black coffee and crisp book pages. Good morning easy. 

Careful. Don't die of the cuteness.

A moment of stolen quiet like this is pretty rare right now, with our wedding only 15 days away. After a whole year of impatience, its hard to imagine being done with the waiting. So my days usually alternate between calm and jittery. Today is calm...so far, but it's still early!