Since I’ve taken up photography I’ve been experimenting with it in some fun ways! I love Bryan Peterson’s books and in one of them I read about how he used Macro Photography to take pictures of water and oil, I just had to try it out! It’s really super simple and can easily be changed by using different backgrounds. I want to do this again after we get settled in Germany.
This project only required [Read more…]
Most families who PCS overseas ship at least one vehicle with them because the military will pay for it. This also depends on the location that you are going to and if your vehicle meets that Countries requirements. You can also ship a second vehicle at your own cost if you really want to. Learn what you need to know to successfully get your vehicle ready to ship to your new Overseas base in this [Read more…]
I’ve been so excited about making these DIY Chalkboards, and was even more excited when discovered that I could ‘dress’ them up with my newfound addiction…Washi tape! So I wanted to share this easy DIY Chalkboard tutorial and some ideas for using Washi tape on them.
I bought some large sheets of Ecucaboard (1/8” x 48” x 96) and cut with my miter saw it into smaller pieces such as 8×10, 11×24, sizes that I knew I’d want to use for chalkboards. The one for the tutorial is 14 in long by 6 in tall.
As you can see from the backdrop we’ve been in a mad dash to get a lot of projects done quickly before the move to Germany!
I used Rust-Oleum Spray Chalkboard paint and primer for this project. (And I’m pretty sure that black lid does not go on that primer but it has been a hot mess of projects around here)
I sprayed a coat of primer on and let it dry. When it was fully dried I lightly hand sanded it to make sure it was smooth, and then wiped it off with a damp cloth.
After it dried off I sprayed with with the chalkboard paint. It’s best to use several thin coats to avoid causing runs or too much in one area. I normally use 2-3 thin coats to get it fully covered. The above one is an 8×10 I did, the pic of this size has been misplaced (i.e. accidentally deleted).
Then you need to ‘season’ the board by covering it in chalk and wiping it off. I run the chalk lengthways all over the board. This helps to make it easier to wipe off after you write on it.
I’ve been buying my Washi tape online at Pick Your Plum (no affiliation, just love their deals!), for around $1.50 a roll so I was super excited when a friend & I stubbled upon these finds at Target! It was $1.20 for 4 rolls! I bought several, LOL!
I wanted to use the chalkboard for my Sweet Halloween Treats Party, and was excited to find this orange striped tape in my stash!
A close up view of the tape & it on the chalkboard.
Can you tell what’s been on my mind lately?!
Just a few of the fun colors I have to use. The best part about using Washi tape is that when you want a different look or get tired of it, you just peel it off and change the look! It doesn’t get any easier than that my friends!
This is one I did for the Snail Mail Collective. I used Washi tape, and then vinyl & my Silhouette Cameo for the state and state name, and a heart sticker for the city.
These chalkboards are super easy to make and make great gifts and easy decor items! I bought some cute funky mirror frames (for a GREAT deal on clearance) that I plan on taking the mirror out of and using for chalkboards, but that won’t happen until after we make it to Germany.
I hope this show just how easy these are to make and that the possibilities with the Washi tape are many!
Back in 2011 for Bea’s birthday we redecorated her room for her and surprised her. We bought her a cute desk but she’s super hard on furniture and we really need to re-do it before the PCS. I FINALLY got it checked off my list last week!
This was the before, we were also just using a small wicker stool that we found. It has since died and been thrown out.
As you can see there are maker spots, [Read more…]
A few weeks ago while my Mom was here we finally made it to visit Oak Mountain State Park, just outside of Birmingham, AL. It was $3 for everyone over 11, $1 for 6-11, so it cost us $ 16 to get into the park. It was about an hour drive from Montgomery. If your an outdoorsy type of person there is lots to do, we just went to check out the Petting farm, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, and the Oak [Read more…]
Well things are kicking into high gear around here! And for us that means chaos abounds as well ;p I just wanted to give you an update on the move process in case it’s a bit quiet on here at times. I am trying to stay on top of posting and once we get to TLF I’m sure I’ll be bored out of my mind & can keep things rolling along 🙂
PCSing in general is crazy, PSCing during a government shutdown [Read more…]
Well I did it, I finally ran a Mud Run and am able to cross it off my Bucket List! This past Saturday we ran the Almighty Mud Run put on by Bridges of Faith in Billingsley, AL. Not only did we get to run a Mud Run but we were also supporting a ministry that brings Ukrainian orphans here to the US to be adopted.
My biggest obstacle to overcome in being able to run the Mud Run was finding someone [Read more…]
What I used:
5-6 large Idaho potatoes, I [Read more…]
Wowzer, PCSing with a pet is intense! Sure, I’ve read other people’s stories and heard their tales but until you go through the process yourself you just don’t ‘get it.’ While this is not our first Overseas PCS is is our first one with our dog, Macintosh. I wanted to [Read more…]