CHALKBOARD CALENDAR

I am so excited to show you my new wall calendar!  Remember a long time ago I did a post called “Command Central”?  I had put up this cute magnet board in my kitchen to help keep us organized.  It worked well for a couple years, but then it just started looking junky all the time.  This is on a wall that is a straight shot in from the front door.  I was tired of having this junked up board be the first thing people saw when they came to my door.  I also have soooo many things going on now that I needed more space on my calendar to write things.

My inspiration for this came from one of my bestest friends in the whole world.  She starting making GIANT magnetic wall calendars a few years ago.  She has a huge one in her house and I just LOVE it.  Here it is:

Isn’t it so cute and bright and fresh looking?  It doesn’t hurt that she has the MOST perfect handwriting in the entire world!  You can see hers is quite a bit bigger than mine.  Each of her squares is about the size of a piece of paper! The numbers are magnetic.  I just love how graphic hers is!

Shelli sells these calendars and can make any size you want.  If you would like to buy one from her, please email her at shellibryan @ yahoo.com.  I am not sure if she ships but if you live close to or in Las Vegas you could come get it!  I think she may also be selling kits with everything you need to make your own!

So, I had considered making one just like Shelli’s, but then I decided it would be fairly costly to get the dry erase vinyl.  I also wasn’t up for a big project like that.  I would have had to take my magnet board off the wall and remove the fabric to get the vinyl on.  And getting the vinyl to lay flat and have all those lines straight is NOT easy!  I leave that to the professionals, like Shelli!

Instead, I decided to just use my Silhouette to cut squares of chalkboard contact paper.  I first did an experiment to make sure it would stick to the fabric.  It did!  I used the magnets that I had on my board before for the numbers.  I replaced the papers I had inside them with this turquoise paper and then added vinyl numbers to the fronts.  These are watch maker tins, in case you were wondering.

I applied vinyl days of the week to the wall above it in order to maximize the space I had for my squares. 

I just LOVE it.  I think it looks so cute and it is super helpful to have all the family’s activities right there where we can all see them and know what is going on.  I wrote on it with regular chalk I got at Wal-Mart or somewhere, but I recently purchased some chalk from Amazon that is AMAZING!  It write soooo much nicer.  You can buy it HERE in case you have a chalkboard that needs awesome chalk. 

You can see on the 22nd and 28th I used the new chalk.

Another reason these huge calendars are so great is that you can put up invitations for parties and events on the day they are going to happen.  That way you have all the info you need right there.  It is just a great way to get your family organized. 

I encourage you to contact Shelli and get one for yourself!

If you love this, please “Pin” it!

Flickr Tags: calendar,wall calendar,chalkboard,dry erase,blog,organization,vinyl

BLUEBERRY BANANA BREAD with STREUSEL TOPPING {Recipe}

I’ve been seeing all these cute Pie in a Jar and Cupcake in a Jar ideas and thought it would be fun to make one of my favorite recipes in a jar.   My banana bread recipe is to die for.  It is super moist and sweet and really is more like a dense cake than a bread.  It won my husband’s heart when we were dating!  At least he likes to say that to get me to make it.  It is my favorite way to use up the oodles of bananas that go brown before we get around to eating them.

BTW, here is a tip for you.  Putting bananas in the fridge will turn the skins brown, but it will keep the actual banana from ripening as quickly as it does on the counter.

I decided to make banana bread in a jar, and while I as making them I decided to add some fresh blueberries and a streusel topping.  Let me tell you, these are dangerous!  I think I could have eaten half of them or more!

Here they are fresh out of the oven.  Aren’t they adorable?  Mason jars are made to be heated to high temps, so they are perfect for cooking in.  I had to search high and low for these 1 cup wide mouth jars and finally found them at Ace Hardware for $10 for 12 of them.

To package them I used my Silhouette to cut a scalloped circle with black vinyl.  I then wrote the name of them on the label with some chalk.  I have found that black vinyl works well for chalkboard.  If I had a chalk pencil (like you use for sewing) it would have made the writing much easier!

Here is my recipe.  Let me know how you like it!

Recipe: Banana Bread

Yield: 2 Loaves (or 12 8 oz. jars)

Ingredients:

• 2 ¾ c. flour
• 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 c. butter, softened
• 1 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
• ½ c. white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 c. ripe mashed bananas (about 7-8 medium)
• 2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
• 1 c. chopped walnuts (optional) {I did not use these with the blueberries}
• 1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries {will need to cook longer if using frozen}

Streusel topping:

• 1/2 c. rolled oats (quick or regular)

• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar

• 1/4 c. flour

• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

• 1/4 c. cold butter cut into cubes

• 1/2 c. chopped nuts such as pecans or walnuts (optional)

Directions: In a medium bowl combine first three ingredients with a wire whisk. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add eggs and beat for a couple minutes till it looks fluffy. Add bananas and vanilla and mix well. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl. Add the flour mixture and walnuts, then blend on low until just combined. Don’t over mix. Pour into bread pans or jars sprayed with cooking spray.

Make the streusel topping:  Mix the first 4 ingredients together. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or even your fingers. Add the chopped nuts.

Top the banana bread with a layer of streusel topping.  If making bread in jars, you will have some topping left over.

Bake on center rack of a 325° oven for 60-70 minutes for loaves, or at 325° for 40-50 minutes.  Jars should be placed on a baking sheet to keep them from tipping.  A toothpick inserted in center should come out clean (unless it hits a chunk of banana).  Bread should pull away from sides slightly and it should be a medium golden brown. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Turn bread pans on their sides to allow them to cool completely.  Leave in jars until completely cooled before securing lids.

Shop On Saturday: Damask Chalkboard Labels

For Sale: Damask Chalkboard Labels 

I created these labels on my Silhouette.  They are made from chalkboard Contact Paper.  It takes the chalk very nicely.  You just apply to a clean jar or canister or box or whatever else you have that needs a beautiful label.  You could use them in a bathroom, closet, kitchen toy room, craft space, laundry room….anywhere!  I keep these jars on my counter with snacks for my little ones.  You can actually write what is in the jars, like cookies, pretzels, popcorn, etc. or do something like I did with the “Salty” and “Sweet”.  You can write on them with chalk or chalk markers.
Cost: $4.00 per label up to 4.5”x 4.5” (over 4.5" up to 5.5" is $5.00 per label, over 5.5" to 6.5" is $6.00, over 6.5" to 8" is $7.00)
First Class Shipping is $1.50 for labels up to 5.5" and $2.50 for labels over 5.5" Quantity doesn't matter, just the size of the envelope I have to use.
Priority shipping is $6.00
Email me at remarkablehome@gmail.com to order.  Let me know quantities and sizes.  I will send you a PayPal invoice..

Good Trash

Tuesdays and Fridays are trash days around here.  My kids always know its trash day when we start driving all around the neighborhood.  They usually go, "Are we looking for good trash again?  NOooOO.  Take us home first, pleeeeease!"

Yes, its true.  I drive around my neighborhood either in the morning on trash days or the night before.  I have found some really great stuff that people have put out for the trash men to take!  Last year I picked up a couple saddle stools that were pretty thrashed. They looked like this with totally thrashed paint and all wobbly.

 My husband and little boys sanded them down.  Then my teenager took them to his woodshop at school and took them apart.  He rubbed his fingers pretty raw sanding all the little posts that fit into the holes of a connecting piece.  THe shop teacher said the stools were falling apart because they were painted before they were glued, and that is not thep proper way to do it.  I am sure they were from Target or Walmart.  Anyway, we bought some wood epoxy and my son got them all glued back together properly so they were sturdy.  Then I painted them a bright apple green, distressed them and glazed them.  We gave them to my parents for one of their Christmas gifts.  They are to be used up at our family cabin.

I also got a HUGE buffet in really good condition.  I will be posting about it once I get it refinished.

I have gotten some other smaller things, including a rug that I sold on Craigslist for $50!  FREE money!!

Here is the first thing I picked up. 

Someone got it from a model home.  It was in perfect condition except one of the mirrors were broken.  There were three mirrors, not just one.  I looked at it and could see that the back could be easily removed to replace the mirror so into my minivan it went.

It took me awhile to get to it  (ok, months actually) but I finally took out the mirror and put in the sheet metal for a magnet board.  I covered the other mirror with chalkboard vinyl.  I got my hubby to hang it sturdily on the wall so we could use it to hang coats and hats and keys.  I love the little shelf for setting my cell phone on when I come in the door.  I didn't even have to repaint it...the color fit into my house perfectly!

SCORE!!

What's the best Good Trash you've ever come across?

Front Door Chalkboard

Once upon a time I was reading Blue Cricket Design when I saw this amazingly cute painted frame hung on the front door!  I immediately fell in love.  So, I was telling my girlfriend about it.  She had also seen it and thought it was cute.  She came up with the idea to make a chalkboard in a frame for the front door.  We both decided to do it!  I don't know if she ever did.  But, I raided my mom's basement and found this old wook frame that was actually coming apart.  I tried several different ways of putting it back together but the wood was warped.  So, I put it back together as best I could and filled the spaces with caulk.  I spray painted the frame this green color because I figured green goes with pretty much every season.

For the chalkboard, I used a scrap of hardboard we had left over from some other project.  I cut it to the correct size with a jigsaw and painted it with chalkboard paint and a sponge brush.  Once it was dry I used a staple gun to secure it into the frame.

I added some eye screws to the back to thread my ribbon through for hanging.  I cut these blue swirly things on my Silhouette out of vinyl and applied them to the board.  This was summer time so I added this bright ribbon.  A very simple project!

This is the old color of my door.  Isn't that a cute little boy??  He is MINE!

This is the new color of my door.  The swirls got removed in October when I added some spiderweb vinyl.  After that I meant to add something Christmas-y but never got around to it. 

This is what is on it right now.  See, I didn't space the words well and instead of re-doing the whole thing and trying to be a perfectionist I just let it be.  This is all chalk marker.

I just love this sign.  I switch out the ribbons for seasons and holidays.  I write things on it about holidays, birthday, countdowns, or just how I am feeling.  I do keep it positive and refrain from writing "Today sucks!"

It is a fun way to connect with the neighbors.  I see them walk by and look at my door to see what is written that day.  It is fun!

I will be listing one or more of these for sale for thsoe who don't want to make one themself!

Chalkboard Chore Chart Clipboard

My kids have a hard time staying on task in the mornings.  Rather than constantly be on them to get ready and tell them what to do next, I created these fun "Morning Mission" boards for them.

They are made from clipboards covered with chalkboard vinyl Contact paper.  It measures about 12" by 9".  I created this as a way for my kids to be reminded of all the things they need to do to get ready for the day!  It works really well for them.  If your kids are anything like mine, you don't want them anywhere near markers.  So, I made this to be used with chalk...they can't do too much damage with chalk, right? 

  I call it their "Morning Mission" rather than chores, as it seems much more exciting to accomplish a mission than chores!

I sell the vinyl for you to make one of your own.  It is $15 for the words and check boxes.   I can customize it with different tasks if necessary.  Colors can be customized as well.  This one is a really cute blue and green which would work for a boy or girl.
You can paint your clipboard with chalkboard paint or cover it with chalkboard contact paper like I did.

Email me at remarkablehome@gmail.com if you would like to purchase the vinyl.
You could also just paint the words and boxes on if you used chalkboard paint.

Chalkboard Bin or Basket Labels ($5/set of 3)

I came across this lovely idea and tutorial over at Less Than Perfect Life of Bliss...

Chalkboard Bin or Basket Labels! 

 I made some up to sell to those who don't want to take the time to make them themselves.  They come cutely packaged in a set of 3 with some cute ribbon, which you can of course change if you don't like it!

Please email me at remarkablehome@gmail.com if you would like to purchase these.  Shipping is $2.00.

Please ignore my ugly handwriting:)

I got these plastic baskets at WalMart awhile back but have seen them all over recently, including at the dollar store.  You could tie these on any basket or bin with holes.  Or you could hot glue them onto something without holes.  I think they would also come in handy glued to a straight sided bowl to tell what is in it, like these I used for punch.