Jardin de craie

It seems like corkboards are sprouting in my chalk garden!



It's funny how the mind works in conjunction with the internet. When creating this post my mind thought, chalkboards and garden because that is where my chalkboard photoshoots take place. So, then my mind combined the two and thought Chalkboard Garden. Why not get fancy and say it in french. Isn't everything that starts or ends with garden more elegant when said in french? So, I googled "french word for chalk" and learned "craie". Just to be on the safe side I googled "chalk garden in french" to get the phrasing correctly. Well, I never found the french phrase for, Chalk Garden(I hope Jardin de craie is correct) but I did learn that there is a film from 1964 called "The Chalk Garden"


The plot of "The Chalk Garden":
A grandmother seeks a governess for her 16 year old granddaughter, Laurel, who manages to drive away each and every one so far by exposing their past, with a record of three in one week! When an applicant with a mysterious past manages to get the job, Laurel vows to expose her. Meanwhile, Laurel's married-divorced-married mother tries to get her back.

You can actually download the full movie HERE
Or you can view it on youtube.com in 13 parts.

The internet is amazing! Isn't it?!

Anyway, back to the business at hand: Corkboards and Chalkboards at Chalk it up! ( I assure you, nothing like the movie:))

Here at Chalk it up! we are venturing out and expanding our line of products. We are offering framed and unframed corkboards in our etsy shop.

For example you can choose a chalkboard or a corkboard to be displayed in one of our fabulous frames!:)

Here are some examples:

Country green wood frame with either an 8"x10" chalkboard or corkboard

Faux leopard on etsy

gold painted frame with a crackle finish.

These are all 8"x10" a perfect size to keep on a desk or nightstand with daily reminder notes for meetings, birthdays, appointments, due dates etc...

I found these adorable thumb tacks by Paper Pumpkin on etsy that would go perfectly with the corkboards

First
Rainforest theme would look great with the faux leopard


Owls nest would be a perfect match with the country green frame


And Making Music tacks would be perfect harmony with the gold frame.



It's also Mosaic Monday at Mary's little red house.

Have a great week!

P.S. Sorry for rambling on in this post and going off in some strange directions like The Chalk Garden movie (welcome to my brain)

Tack it up! Sneak peak!

Here is a sneak peak at one of the new items we will be offering,this Fall, in the etsy shop, Chalk it up!



8"x10" framed Corkboard. As with all of my frames, this a re-purposed, recycled frame with slight imperfects. I like the way the worn areas of the frame accent the color of the cork:)

I have been using a bulletin (corkboard) board for my vision board which I have hanging on my bedroom wall. Click HERE to read more about my vision board.

Corkboards are great for tacking up your visual inspirations, reminder notes, and pictures. When accented by a unique picture frame it adds interest and organization to any decor!

I only have one picture today because the batteries to my camera are dead. I hope to post many more pictures tomorrow of different frame options for these 8"x10" corkboards. I also have more framed chalkboards to share.

Also, keep a lookout for my end of summer giveaway coming soon!


I just set up a facebook page for Chalk it up! Click HERE if you would like to join:)

How to quickly and dramatically transform your bedroom...

If you have light colored wall, paint them a dark color. If you have dark walls go light!

We painted the walls a dark blue/gray (French gray by Glidden) Surprisingly this less expensive brand (approx. $15 a gallon) at home depot covered the walls almost completely with one coat. I was very impressed with the quality of this paint. We used a flat finish for a nice soft effect.

Here is BEFORE (light white walls)


AFTER (dark blue/gray walls)

I love the new look. It is cozy and inviting. The color is cool and tranquil. I still need to do a lot more to the room to finish it up, window treatments, new bedding, new lamps and change the flooring. But color is a start and the most dramatic change for little $$.

Before the contrast between the walls and furniture was in value, light walls against darker furniture. Now the contrast is with color. Blue against orange. I tried to find a blue that was more gray to keep the colors more natural. I think this color achieved that. I plan on painting a large landscape on canvas to hang over the bed, something with a water theme, beach or lake scene.

I'm not thrilled with the lack of value contrast between the metal headboard and the blue walls. I haven't figured out how to remedy that yet.

Anyway, today was hubby and my 15th wedding anniversary. Hubby spent the whole week painting the walls of our bedroom. He would come home from a 12 hour day of work and paint a wall a night. That's true love!:)

Happy Anniversary honey!

Sorry for the terrible quality photos. I'm still using my cell phone. I need a new camera:(

How to entertain boys...

With FIRE And food!:) (of course)

It was the little ones first time at a Japanese Steak House. It's so much fun to watch the wonder and amazement on a child's face.

Join Mosaic Monday!


Pardon the poor photo quality lately. I've been using my cell phone

How to...

answer the dreaded question...

WHY? or WHY NOT?
You know that question. The one that comes after the answer NO! We(hubby and I) used to consider our childrens' intellect and give long drawn out explanations as to why they can't have ice cream before dinner, have six friends sleep over on a school night or skip swim practice.

We were falling into their trap.- Get the grown-ups to keep yapping and eventually the NO becomes a YES. (All we have to do is keep asking why until they finally run out of explanations and the only explanation becomes "Go Ahead!!!" Just stop asking why!!)

I finally figured it out! You answer that question... with complete silence. In the beginning you may have to bite your tongue or shove your head under a pillow but after a while it gets easier. When a say nothing they magically go away and leave me alone. If you haven't tried this approach, I highly recommend you do. If you've already known about this technique... Why didn't you tell me! :)

School is just around the corner...

Feeling stuck,,,

Summer's winding down. The kids summer swim program has ended.

My 3-D modeling class is over. You can see my final project HERE I got an A Yay!!
And I'm feeling a little stuck. Not sure what comes next. I think I'll be taking two classes this fall(still haven't made the final decision).

My younger son decided not to do football this year. He was going to but at the last minute he said he didn't want to . So this year both boys will be joining the swim team. They really loved it this summer and have learned and improved so much.

I'll be chairing the PTA Reflections program at my son's elementary school (I have no idea what I'm doing) Part of me wishes an art teacher position would have presented itself to me this year. I submitted resumes for two positions and included links to my online teacher's portfolio. I received no responses.

So here I am in a bit of limbo. Not knowing what the year will hold. I hope to sell more chalkboards. The summer sale has been going rather well. I'm thinking of adding some more products to the line. Stay tuned... I feel an end of summer give away coming on... If I can get my act together I may try to do a craft fair or two this fall.

The unknown can be exciting or it can be scary. This past Monday we went to Aquatica. I'm not a ride person, wet or dry. I wasn't thrilled about sliding down all of those slides with big drops, twists and turns but I did it. The first ride we did was the dolphin plunge.

Yes I went flying through that tube. Can't say I was thrilled.



This was our mini vacation this year. The chef doesn't have vacation time until his one year anniversary, which comes this fall.(we're hoping to go somewhere then) So this one day excursion was it. We had fun but my calves are still sore (it's Friday and we went on Monday) This park really knocked us out!

The kiddies go back to school in about a week.

We're all a little sad to see summer end. Time goes so fast! What will the future hold...?
Have a good weekend! Make the most of it!

P.S. I just realized it's Thursday not Friday DUH!! I guess time isn't going as fast as I thought it was --haha