{Trash-to-Chalkboard Transformation}

Hey, y'all!  If you've followed along here for a while now, you know that I am not above getting "treasures" out of my neighbors' trash to transform.  (Remember the bench I saved from the trash?)  My husband will actually tell me now if he sees something I might want instead of trying to divert my attention.  We've come a long way...  Recently, I saw a pile of wood that was some type of cabinet doors or a wooden screen.  I saw some potential in the junk and got my husband to bring it home.  I was able to totally transform one of the pieces.

I started with this whatchamacallit.

I wiped it down with a cloth, sanded it, and wiped it down again.

I used Martha Stewart chalkboard paint on the center of the piece.  I taped off the edges with painter's tape and applied several coats following the directions on the paint bottle.  When that was thoroughly dry, I taped off the inside and sealed the outside edges with a coat of Polycrylic.  Then I had to condition the chalkboard paint.

The chalkboard paint bottle directs you to rub a layer of chalk over the entire painted surface before writing on it.  After that, my trash transformation was complete.

I love the wood grain paired with the black chalkboard.

I have to say that I really enjoyed this makeover!  It feels good to save something from the trash.  :)

{Princess Inspired Nails}

Hey, y'all!  I have a fun post for you today.  Every Monday, Maria-Isabel and Andrea have a fun link party called Makeup Monday.

This week, readers were challenged to come up with princess inspired beauty posts.  I thought it would be really fun to participate, so I came up with a Sleeping Beauty inspired manicure.

I used some inexpensive nail polishes, along with rhinestone nail stickers, to get my Sleeping Beauty look.

I painted all my nails--excluding my ring fingers--with the Wet n Wild Lavender Creme polish.  (I'm not really sure why it's called lavender creme...)  I painted my ring fingernails with the Wet n Wild Gold Album first and then the China Glaze Blonde Bombshell.  I stuck small rhinestones on my pink nails and painted over all my nails with a clear coat.

I love the gold paired with the pink.  It reminds me of Sleeping Beauty's pink dress paired with her gold crown.  And, of course, I had to wear a huge cocktail ring with this manicure for one of the pictures since I was being all princess-like.

     I tried several different ways to paint my princess inspired nails, but I just don't have any luck using tape strips or painting intricate designs freehanded.  Do you do your own nail art?  What are your secrets for creating fun patterns?

{DIY Name Necklace}

Hey, y'all!  Last week, I shared this DIY Name Necklace at Through the Eyes of the Mrs.  Today, I want to share it with y'all.

Have you ever seen those acrylic name necklaces?  They can be a bit pricey, and they have to be custom made.  You can make one inexpensively yourself with just a few supplies.  The main supplies you need are Shrinky Dink plastic, paint, and necklace making supplies.  (Shrinky Dink plastic sheets are about the thickness of a transparency.  When the sheets are baked, they shrink and harden.)  The other supplies you probably already have on hand.  Start by printing out the name for the necklace.

You need to be aware of a couple of things, though.  First of all, Shrinky Dink plastic will shrink down 1/3 it's original size in the oven.  Whatever size you want your name to be, you need to print the name three times larger.  Also, you need all the letters in the name to touch.  I created the name I used with my Silhouette program.  I chose a cursive font (That's Font Folks), ungrouped the letters, scooted any letters not touching together, and then welded the shapes together.  Then I simply printed out the image.  After the image is printed, you need to trace your name on a sheet of Shrinky Dink plastic (follow the directions on the package) and cut out the traced image.  Use a craft knife for those impossible-to-cut spots.

Then paint the rough side of the plastic with acrylic paint.  (Other mediums can be used.  Those are listed on the package.)  Punch a hole on each side of the name where you plan to attach the necklace chain.  You MUST do this before baking the piece.  Then it's time to bake.

Bake the name according to the Shrinky Dink plastic directions.  Please do not rob yourself of the joy of watching the name curl up like the Wicked Witch of the West's feet in The Wizard of Oz!  You need to watch the name shrink anyway because sometimes when the piece shrinks, you need to quickly manipulate it with a toothpick to straighten up a piece that shrinks crookedly.

In the image above, you can see the printed name I traced and the baked name.  The baked name will be a hard plastic now.  To keep the paint from coming off the back of the name, you need to seal it some way.  I simply coated mine with Mod Podge.  Then it's time to add glitter because, let's face it, everything is better with glitter!

Coat the top of the name with Mod Podge and sprinkle with glitter.  To keep the glitter from coming off the necklace, I covered the top with a layer of Mod Podge Dimensional Magic.  The only step left after the piece dries is attaching the necklace.

Thread jump rings attached to lengths of chain through the name holes.  Attach a clasp to the chain, and you're done!

 I think this necklace looks a lot like the acrylic versions.  The name is not as hard as acrylic would be, and if you jerk it around, it could definitely break.  But with that being said, it's so inexpensive, easy to make, and beautiful!  Plus, everyone should use Shrinky Dink plastic once in her life because it's so fun to watch shrink in the oven!!!

{Three Must Have Lipsticks}

Hey, y'all!  I don't think I've ever told you about how much I love makeup.  When I am feeling a little frumpy, I always feel so much better about myself if I put on some makeup--especially lipstick.  So today I want to share my three favorite lipsticks with y'all.

Some are a little more expensive than others, but they all are very affordable.  Here they are!

I have a big smile, and I like red lipstick.  That could be a scary combination.  (Think of the Joker, and you can easily understand how red lipstick can go horribly wrong on someone with a big smile.)  I love this shade of red lipstick because it isn't clown red, and the actual lipstick itself is very creamy and has staying power.  Find it {HERE}.  (I don't see Red Hot listed on the color chart, but if you go to a local Merle Norman, I'm sure they can show you a color that's almost exactly the same as this one.)

Sometimes I want to wear a pretty bright pink lipstick, and this lipgloss fits that need.  It is bright enough for people to know you have on bright pink lip color, but it's not so bright that it's obnoxious.  It's also a nice texture and stays on well.  Find it {HERE}, but it's probably cheaper at your local Walmart or drugstore.

This is my ultimate, all-time-favorite number one lipstick!  This lipstick--or lip pencil--has a lipliner on one side and a lip color on the other.  You can line just the outside of your lips and then use the lip color if you want a lighter pink, or you can line your entire lip and then use the lip color if you want a darker pink.  This is what I wear on my lips almost every day, and, especially if I use the lipliner, it stays on for a long time!  Find it {HERE}. I've shared my three must have lipsticks with you.  What is your go-to lipstick?  Please share it with me because I'd love to find some new favorites!  :)

{Love Bird Art}

Hey, y'all!  I have a really fun piece of art to share today just in time for Valentine's Day.  The great thing about this is that it's not just for the Day of Love.

I have had a piece of thin plywood in my craft room for months just begging to become something beautiful.  Recently, I found the cutest little phone cover on one of those daily deal sites.  (The deal is over, so, unfortunately, I can't link to it.)  It had a tree with initials carved in it, and there were two birds in the tree.  Immediately, I knew I had to create a piece of art based on the phone case design.

I have had a wood burning tool since before I got married because I used it to burn the edges of the wedding invitations I made.  I haven't used it since.  I thought it would be neat to use it to recreate the phone cover design on my piece of plywood.  I started by sketching a tree on the wood.

The great thing about sketching a tree for this project is that getting the tree shape somewhat decent is the hardest part.  The "bark" of the tree is just lines as you can see.  After the tree is all sketched out, it's time to use the wood-burning tool.

Let the tool heat up, then simply trace your pencil lines with it.  Of course, you must be very careful not to touch any of the metal pieces at the bottom of the tool.  Also, do this in a well-ventilated area because you will definitely be a bit overwhelmed with the burning wood smell when the tool is at its hottest.  After I traced all the lines with the tool, I used a flat tip to lightly burn some of the natural places on the tree to give it more of a realistic look.  After I finished wood burning the tree, I painted the surrounding area white to make the tree pop.

I sanded down the white paint a little to give it a worn look.  Then I cut out two little birdies from scrapbook paper and used Mod Podge to attach them to the art.  I used my distress ink pad on the edges and on some of the white paint.  I also painted three little red hearts above the birds and then sealed the entire piece of art with a coat of Mod Podge.

I LOVE my love bird art!

I made sure to use colors that I regularly decorate with in my home so that I can display the art year round.

I'm not sure if I like the birdies or the heart with mine and my husband's initials more!  This was such a fun project to do because I used a technique I've never used before.  Now I can't wait to think of more ways to use my wood burning tool! If you don't have time to create your own love bird art before Valentine's Day and you're looking for something that involves zero work, you can always download the Valentine's Day printable I shared this weekend {HERE}.  Enjoy!

{Valentine Printable}

Hey, y'all!  Whenever Valentine's Day rolls around, I always, of course, think of romance, my husband, and our relationship.  Last week, I was thinking about our wedding day and our first dance. 

  I'm not much of a dancer unless you count the Chicken Dance and an embarrassing version of the Cupid Shuffle, but I can slow dance okay.  I mean, all you do is move around in a circle, right?  Anyway, the song we danced to was Norah Jones's version of "Love Me Tender."  

Her voice is so beautiful, and the lyrics to the song are so sweet.  I have to say that the lyrics completely describe how I feel about my husband.  On the day I married him, all my dreams were fulfilled, and he made my life complete.  So in honor of all that, I made a Valentine's Day printable for y'all.

You can download the printable here.

Feel free to download the printable for your own personal use--you may not claim the image as your own, resell, or redistribute it.  To download the printable, simply click on the arrow with the line under it.  I created the printable to be an 8x10, but, as always, you should do a print preview before printing out any printables to ensure the entire image fits in the size you want to print.  (The printable you download won't have the obnoxious watermark on it, but, once again, please don't try to claim it as your own.)  Happy Valentine's Day!

{Flower Embellished Frame}

Hey, y'all!  I'm excited to be sharing the frame I created that was featured on The Hair Bow Company's blog last week.

For this project, you will need a wooden frame, scrapbook paper, Mod Podge, paint, and flowers from The Hair Bow Company.  (I'm notorious for starting out with a plan and changing it.  That's why I ended up switching out two of the flowers I initially selected for two others.)

Begin by painting the back and sides of your frame in a color that coordinates with your flowers and paper.

When the paint is dry, trace your frame on the back of your scrapbook paper and cut out your traced shape.

Apply a coat of Mod Podge to the top of your frame and adhere the paper to the frame.  (It's helpful to use an old gift card or credit card to smooth out any bubbles.)

I love to rub an ink pad over the edges and corners of projects like this to add character.  When the Mod Podge and ink has had adequate time to dry, coat the entire piece with Mod Podge to seal it.  Then it's embellishment time, which is always my favorite part!

I took one of The Hair Bow Company's Silk Rose Flowers and separated the bottom petals from the middle.  I hot glued the bottom petals to the frame and added a scrapbook embellishment to the center.  I also glued a yellow Pettie Flower and a navy and white polka dotted Shabby Flower to the frame as well.

  I created a small print with PicMonkey to fit in my frame.  I stuck the image in the frame, and my embellished frame was complete.

I love the colors of the scrapbook paper.

And I love the dimension the flowers add.

This is such a cheerful piece of decor to add to your house to help chase away the winter blues.  And it would be a lovely housewarming gift for a friend. If you would like to purchase some flowers from The Hair Bow Company to use in your crafting, don't forget that I have a coupon code for you!

 Use it before it expires!  :) Disclaimer: While I was given flowers from The Hair Bow Company to use in my crafting, all opinions in this post are completely mine!  For further info on my disclaimer policy, see the side of my blog.