How to make a Kids Chalk Board Table

Have you ever gone shopping for one specific item but then stumble into something totally different that will also do the job? Recently, for me, it was this desk:

We were really on the hunt for a night stand for my oldest sons room when this baby found me at a local thrift store here in Carlsbad.  They were asking $25 for the desk set and with the additional military discount, I knew it was a great deal.  The desk was very sturdy, but as you can see from the the pic below the chairs were in bad shape.  They were covered in some kind of black dirt or maybe it was mildew.   Honestly, I wasn't sure they could be saved but wanted to give it a shot.

 In an effort to save the chairs and kill any possible mildew issues, I put them in the bathtub and sprayed them down with a bleach and water mixture.  As I sprayed, the 'black yuckniess' (yes, yeckniess is a word) began to lift away from the chairs.  Yieppe!  It was just dirt after all.  Happy Dance!  I was able to just wipe it away!  The chairs were set outside in the sun to dry so my attention was turned to the table:

 After a light sanding, I applied a wood conditioner to prep the wood to accept the stain.  The wood conditioner helps keep the wood from turning out blotchy when the stain is applied.  It can be found at any hardware store next to the wood stain.

 After waiting 15 minutes, the stain was added to the bottom of the table.  I used what we already had on hand:  Minwax stain in Dark Walnut for the 1st coat and Minwax in Cherry for the 2nd coat.  I wanted just a hit of redness to the table for some dimension.
The next day, I was able to apply the Clear coat.  I used my current favorite:  Minwax Rub-On Poly in Satin.

 Once dry, the desk was fliped over and placed painters tape around the edges.  This was followed by 2 coats of chalk board paint from Lowes.  I used the paint on kind vs. the spray version of chalk board paint for this project.  You can find it near the spray paint section of most hardware stores.  I used a foam roller for an even smooth finish, then just tossed it in the trash afterwords.  My kind of clean up!

 If you have never worked with chalk board paint before, you will need to 'season' it once dry.  You know how you 'season' a new cooking pan or skillet for the first time?  Its basically the same thing- just with chalk.  You want to cover the entire surface with chalk!  So naturally I recruited some helpers for this part: 

 The boys had fun going crazy with the chalk!  Once the table top was completely covered with the chalk, I used a slightly damp rag to wipe it all off.   That's it!  Now, its ready for use. 

Opps- almost forgot about the chairs!  Being the awesome blogger that I am- of course I forgot to snap a pic of that part!  sorry!  Just use your imagination:
While waiting for the table to dry, I applied the clean and dry chairs with a stain-blocking primer (my favorite Kilz oil based primer in the spray paint version - as mentioned in the campaign dresser re-do post), followed by 3 coats of an orange spray paint in gloss.  I was looking for a burnt orange finish, but they came out more 'construction worker' orange.  Not sure how I feel about that yet-but the boys love it!

Here it is in JT's room, next to the bed.  Its currently serving double duty as both a night stand and kids table.
His room is still in progress but we have big plans for this big-boy space (including a pallet headboard and a fun surprise) More on that when this room is complete! 

They love it! 

Have you used Chalk Board Paint yet???

Thanks for visiting!

~Lindsay

Trash 2 Treasure: Campaign Dresser Re-do DIY

Trash 2 Treasure

 Campaign Dresser Re-do

Have you seen these updated campaign dressers yet?  They are all over Pinterest and starting to pop up in furniture stores and magazines.  Gotta admit- I kinda of love em'!  I wouldn't decorate my entire house in this style, but one piece in a bright color adds a lot of character and interest.  
This piece was a Craigslist find.  Can you believe they were only asking $5!  ha-ha!  Me neither- until I viewed it in person.  It was much more damaged than the Craigslist photo showed and clearly was a cat's favorite scratching post at some point. Other than the scratches, the drawers pulled nicely and it was free of stains/smells.  Seeing its potential, I forked over the 5 bucks and brought it home.  The vintage hardware alone was worth much more than that-so why not, right?
You can see from the photo it was covered with scratches and some minor dents.  I took off the hardware and filled the scratches and dents with wood putty.  When the wood putty dried, I gave it a light sanding.  Then added more wood putty, followed by more sanding, and more wood putty followed by more sanding.  grrrrrr.  Did I mention I hate sanding???

At this point it was taking waaaay more time and work than I originally anticipated.  For a moment I regretted spending the 5 bucks.   Honestly, the original owners should have paid me $5 just to haul it away! Alas, this dresser was not going to get the best of me!
After all the wood putty and sanding was done, I primed it with my favorite oil based primer.  This stuff is truly amazing because it will stick to just about any surface!  Just remember it is oil based, so use outside in a well ventilated area and apply with a foam roller that you can toss when done. 

When the primer was dry, I painted it in this bright blue paint purchased from Lowes.  Really love this bright blue color!  It took about 3 coats of paint and one coat of rub-on poly in a gloss finish.  The Polyurethane gives it a nice protective layer.  

The handles were polished with Brasso Metal Polish and I added the corner brackets (which can be found at any hard ware store).  The drawers are lined with some white contact paper we had lying around. 
Looks great, huh?  After all the work, I'm so glad I didn't throw in the towel.  Its the perfect little dresser for my office area.
What do you think of this trash-2-treasure re-do??
~Lindsay

Project Sources:
Dresser- Craigslist
Primer- Zinsser Bond Coat from Home Depot
Foam Roller & small paint tray- Home Depot
Furniture 'L' Brackets- Lowes
Brasso Metal Polish- Left by previous tenants
Blue Paint- Lowes. Color (?)  Hubby recently cleaned out the garage and now I can't find the paint for this project--Grrrrrr
Wood Puddy- Had on hand but probably from Home Depot or Lowes
Wipe on Poly by Minwax from Home Depot

Paleo Sweet Potato Waffles

Paleo Sweet Potato Waffles

Good morning Paleo peeps!  

Today I'm sharing my favorite Paleo waffles with you- Sweet Potato Waffles that is.  

 When you eat the Paleo way, sometimes you need a change from the usual eggs for breakfast.  Here is a great way to change it up and add some comfort food to your Paleo morning.  

The consistency is really nice and they taste great dipped in a little 100% real maple syrup. 

 Let me know what you think! 

Ingredients:  

1 large sweet potato, cooked

3 eggs

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons round cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup almond butter

12 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:  

1.  Preheat your waffle iron to your desired heat setting.  

2.  Using a blender, place all ingredients in and process until thoroughly blended.  

3.  This will create a thin batter.  

4.  Spray some non-stick cooking spray on your waffle iron.  (I use the coconut oil spray from Trader Joes or brush on melted coconut oil)

5.  Pour the desired amount of batter onth the waffle iron and allow to cook until the waffle is golden brown.  

6.  Remove from the waffle iron and top wit your favorate toppings. 

ENJOY!

**This recipe and others can be found in the book:   "4 More Weeks of Fabulous Paleolithic Breakfasts" .  

You can find it here.  

This book is one of my favorites for Paleo breakfasts!

~Lindsay

Coffee Table to Upholstered Ottoman DIY

DIY Upholstered Ottoman

Have you even been given something that you are just not sure what to do with?  For us, it was this coffee table.  Some sweet friends gave it to us to use in our basement when we moved to VA.  Unfortunately, we never ended up finishing the basement and so this extra coffee table was just lying around.  

I loved the bones of it, but it needed some DIY attention.  At first I painted it an espresso color with some left over paint from a previous project, but didn't 'love' it.  So, inspired by all the DIY coffee table-to-ottoman posts floating around on Pinterest, we decided to give it a shot.  

We followed the directions found here with some minor adjustments. 

You can see from the above picture, we did not add the wood around the bottom as mentioned in the directions.  I think that step depends on the shape of your table.  

The hubby drilled the hols and I glued the foam down with spray adhesive.  Then covered the foam with a layer of quilt batting- also using spray adhesive. 

After we covered it with the fabric, I used my staple gun to secure it to the underside of the table (using hospital corners on the edges), followed by some (OK, a few hundred) tiny upholstery tacks.  The hubby helped nail them in and it actually didn't take long at all.  We wanted the fabric to be extra secure so it would hold up against our two boys.  They are good at destroying stuff!  Ha!!

 We attempted to make the fabric covered buttons ourselves with a kit purchased from Hobby Lobby.  Unfortunately, the fabric we choose was too thick for the buttons to hold together.  

We decided to take the fabric in to the upholstery shop just down the road from our house and they made the buttons for us using their Tufting machine.   It cost $40 to do this, but it was worth it in the end. 

The directions give a decent tutorial on applying the buttons, but I also watched a few videos about this on YouTube.  Since this project is from a while back, I dont remember exactly which videos on this we watched, but there are soooo many to choose from! 

 You will need a long upholstery needle from the craft store and some upholstery thread, but its actually pretty easy! 

We love the results and get so many compliments!  What do you think?

~Lindsay

Here is another great Paleo Breakfast Bread recipe for ya.  

Its from 'Elana's Pantry' and you can find it here.  She even has a video on it.  Check it out!

I make this one quite often, as well as the Palso Blueberry Muffins from the previous post.   

Because it calls for just a few ingredients, it is great to whip up when you are short on time.  

*Note- be careful to measure all ingredients exactly!  I have found that if you are even the slightest bit off it will come out dry.  It should be a nice bread consistency and not dry in any way. 

Also, I just skip step #1 and blend all the ingredients together at once. 

 It seems to come out the same either way.

~Lindsay

Paleo Breakfast Bread

• ½ cup creamy roasted almond butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon stevia
• ¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

1. In a large bowl, with a hand blender, mix almond butter until creamy
2. Mix in eggs, honey, vanilla and stevia
3. Add salt, baking soda and cinnamon
4. Mix well with hand blender until all ingredients are combined
5. Transfer batter into a well greased 8 x 8 inch baking dish
6. Bake at 325° for 12 to 15 minutes
7. Serve

Serves 4

Amazing Paleo Blueberry Muffins

Amazing Paleo Blueberry Muffins

If you follow the Paleo diet, you know how hard it can be to satisfy that 'bread' craving in a delicious way.  Most of the Paleo bread/muffin recipes I have tried turn out, well...blahhh!  

After trying many recipes, this one is my absolute favorite.  It has a good bread-like consistency and tastes great. I make these almost every week! 

They are great for a quick breakfast with coffee or a snack on the go.  

Even my boys like to eat them!  Enjoy! ~Lindsay

Ingredients:
1 cup almond flour
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup blueberries (I use frozen)
3 eggs
1 cup almond butter
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup honey

Directions: 
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, thoroughly mix the flour, coconut, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.
3.   Fold in the blueberries and mix gently.
4.  In a smaller bowl, whisk the eggs throughly.
5.  Now add the almond butter, coconut oil and honey and mix completely.
6.  Prepare a muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease with a non-stick cooking spray or olive oil.
7.  Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients gently, only until the dry ingredients are wet.
8.  Evenly divide the batter into the muffin cups.
9.  Place in your preheated oven and cood for 20 minutes.
10.  Remove from the pan and place on a cooling rack.
11.  Enjoy!

This recipe originally comes from the book "4 More Weeks of Fabulous Paleo Breakfasts" by Amelia Simons. .  You can find it here.

Top 10 Party Must-Haves!

Top 10 Entertainment & Party Must-Haves

The Holiday entertaining season is almost here!  Will you be hosting an event or dinner party this season?  Do you know where to begin?  The first step is, of course, to decide on a menu-but then what?   After 10 years of being a military wife and hosting many gatherings and dinner parties in our home (for both my husbands work and my former home party/jewelry business), I have established my go-too list to make each event run beautifully.

  After hosting a dinner party for 20 people this past weekend the idea came to me to create this list.  I am sure there are a plethora of entertaining ideas floating around out there-but this is what I have found works for well for me.
This list list does not focus on what food items you should serve but instead focuses on party items that will make your life as the hostess much easier.
If you need help figuring out the food, check out this handy Party Planning Food Guide:
Party Planning 101- Food Guide

Now before you run out and make any purchases for your next party, ask yourself this question:  "Will I use a ________ at least 3 times?"  If the answer is no, then either use what you have (get creative) or borrow from a friend/neighbor. No one wants to spend money on something that will only be used once!  Chances are, one of your friends has the item you need to help your party be a success!

1.  Silverware Plate Caddy

 

Why I love em?  Keeps silverware and plates or napkins eaisly reachable for guests.  And it looks pretty too!  Gives you the look of being an organized hostess (even if your not)! 

They come in a variety of styles from casual to formal.  Great for buffet style entertaining (my fave!)  Personally, I prefer the basket style because you can either dress it up with some ribbon or fabric for nicer events or leave it as is for a more casual look.  

Our silverware caddy is loaded with napkins/ plates and plastic ware and stored in my cabinet so I can just grab it when we have last minute company, decide to eat outside on the patio, or on those nights when we just don't want to do dishes. This comes in handy year round. ;0)

2.  Beverage Tub

Lets face it- these just look so much nicer than a cooler.  I love em' so much we have 3!  And yes, they are well used around our house.  The one with the stand is nice, but honestly I don't use my stand very often.  Its just as easy to set it on the beverage table (if you have one or plan to set one up).  These don't have to cost you an arm and a leg either.  A galvanized tub from your local hard ware store can be purchased for around $15 or $20 and will work just fine. 

3.  Pitcher or Beverage Dispenser

(for water or tea!!!)

Water is FREE and guests like to drink!  Do yourself a favor and put out a pitcher of water.  Your guests will enjoy the convenience and you will actually save $$ in the long run on the cost of buying bottled water.  Put some lemon or orange slices in it to jazz up the flavor and place some cups next to it.  The truth is even if your guests are drinking soda, beer or wine (that you have stored in your handy beverage tub), they will want to supplement with water at some point during the event.

4.  Restroom Sign

  This one is so easy!  From your computer, print out a "Powder Room" or "Restroom" sign (in a nice font, of course) and tape it to the restroom door.  Your guests will appreciate not having to ask you where it is when they need to go and you will appreciate not being asked the same question all evening.   If its around the corner, print out some arrow signs with 'Restroom' above the arrow and tape them on the walls to guide they way.  Print it on card-stock and save it for the next event.

5.  Mason Jars

There are so many uses for these babies!  At $14.97 for a case case of them at Walmart, you cant go wrong.  Put some flowers or candles in them for a center piece, serve beverages in them, use them to store food when the party is over.  If you didn't splurge on the silverware caddy (#1) you can use mason jars in a pinch.  

The picture above is from our dinner party this past weekend.  I used mason jars filled with flowers for center pieces on the overflow tables we set up on the patio.  

Check out this link for other ideas for using Mason Jars: 

http://www.hometalk.com/b/721425/mason-jar-mania

6.  Fresh Flowers

 

Flower Power!  Did you know that flowers are associated with feeling good and celebration?  Give your guests some extra cheer by bringing in some fresh cut flowers.  Whether you purchase them or pick them from outside you will be happy you added them to your party!

7. Cheese Tray

Who doesn't love a good cheese tray?  Its the perfect appetizer (especially if you are serving wine) and not to mention so EASY to put together.  What could be better?

This blog has some great ideas for putting together the perfect cheese tray:

http://pawleysislandposh.blogspot.com/

8.  Fabric Table Cloth

A fabric table cloth may seem like an expense, but you will use them for years to come.  Stick with either black or white so they will complement any decor or theme.  

Black is best because it doesn't show food drips and white can be easily bleached.    

You can dress a black or white table cloth up or down- whatever you are in the mood for.  

9. Recycle Bin and Trash Can

Make sure your recycle bin and trash can are easily accessible and in plain sight.  

Trust me, you don't want to end up with a kitchen counter full of soda cans and bottles for you to clean up later and you certainly don't want guests going under your sink all evening to get to the trash. 

This is the one I always seem to forget until guests arrive, but it pays off big time to place them in plain sight.

10.  Burlap 

Yes, I said Burlap!  

This is more of a decorating thing than a function thing, but I just cant get enough of it!  

Why I love it? 

 Its cheap.  Its in style.  Its versatile.  

You can really create a 'casual-elegant' feel with just a little burlap.  

Make a burlap table runner in 5 minutes (post on that coming soon!), Lay a square of burlap over the table cloth, wrap candles in burlap, wrap silverware in burlap, you get the idea! 

 Burlap not your thing??  

Any fabric of your choice will create a similar effect and pull the party decor together! 

More post on burlap crafts coming soon!  

What are your favorite Party must-haves? 

~Lindasy