Upcycled: Thrift Store Picture Frames to Chalkboards

For most people, school is out for the summer...

  

...but chalkboards are always "in."

You know I love anything chalkboard, and I've just finished these for a project.

These are thrift store picture frames that I painted and distressed.

I added driftwood to this one like the picture frames I made a couple weeks ago.

  

We're going to the Outer Banks in a couple weeks, and I can't wait.

It'll be our first vacation since we had kids, and their first time to the ocean. 

It will also be our first road trip with them that will take longer than a couple hours. 

We think this trip should take 10-12 hours. 

We're going to try driving through the night, so hopefully, they'll sleep most of the time.

hopefully.

  

Any traveling with toddlers suggestions are welcome.

You know, in case they don't sleep.

We use to go to Nags Head, NC when I was little, and every child must experience the fun and potential humiliation of running down the sand dunes and landing on their face.

Not that I'd know anything about that...

We are staying in a beach house with my parents, so ideas for ways to entertain toddlers (other than the beach and sand dune fun) or adults (other than the beach and sand dune fun) are greatly appreciated.

In other news, I just started a series of posts about things I've learned in my first 8 months of selling on Etsy. 

It's from a newbie point-of-view and the tips are simple ones that can be easily implemented.

Haven't been to a good party lately, so I'm heading over to some of these for a little fun:

MONDAY:  Sumo's Sweet Stuff, The Girl Creative, Boogieboard Cottage, C.R.A.F.T., Thrifty Decor Chick

TUESDAY: Home Stories A2Z, Tip Junkie, Coastal Charm, At Home With K, Kammy's Korner (Trash to Treasure)

WEDNESDAY:  The Brambleberry Cottage, Restore Interiors, Savvy Southern Style, Very Merry Vintage Style, It's Overflowing

THURSDAY: No Minimalist Here, the shabby creek cottage

FRIDAY: The Charm of Home, The Shabby Nest, Miss Mustard Seed, Redoux, French Country Cottage

SATURDAY: I Can't Stop Crafting, Lolly Jane Boutique, Be Different, Act Normal, {nifty thrifty things}

take care -
 

Magazine Rack Upcycle to Vintage Childrens' Storage

Here is some truly SALVAGED WHIMSY.  I found this magazine rack at a thrift shop for $2.50 and had no idea what I'd do with it.  I liked how the ends looked like bead board...and it was $2.50.  Someone had given me a stack of old children's books when Max was born, and I found a couple that were falling apart but had great illustrations.

Not a great picture, but here after I had primed it.  It was originally an gold-orange color.  Lovely, I assure you.

So then I painted with a couple coats of semi-gloss white....which eventually became satin black because it just didn't look right with the illustrations.

I used some faux-Mod Podge and decoupaged the pages of the books.  I also used a glue gun to wrap the handle with twine.  Finally, I gave it a couple coats of acrylic poly.

I didn't distress it because I thought between the illustrations and the handle, it already had a lot going on....what do you think?  Would you distress it?

Salvaged from the thrift store and saved from a miserably mediocre life on a shelf...

Unique...aka Whimsy

Salvaged Whimsy....ta daaaa!!

I guess I don't really have any pictures showing the sides...but they are black too.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on whether I should distress it or not.  I've been staring at it for a couple days and I'm afraid to do anything more to it and have to go back and repaint.

Sharing on these sites:

Tuesday: 

Home Stories A2Z

Coastal Charm

Homework
At Home With K

Wednesday:
The Thrifty Home
Restore Interiors
Blue Cricket Design
Savy Southern Style
Very Merry Vintage Style

{primp}

Momma Hen's Coop

THURSDAY:

The Brambleberry Cottage

No Minimalist Here

the shabby creek cottage

FRIDAY:

Remodelaholic

The Charm of Home

kojo designs

The Shabby Nest

Serenity Now

Miss Mustart Seed

take care -

 



Picks with Promise

Since I can't share any of my finished projects until I actually have a space to finish some projects...I thought I'd show a couple of the treasures my husband and I found this weekend.  

We found a fantastically cheap barn sale....we did not, however, find a babysitter....so I had to carry our 25 pound daughter and Bryan had to watch our 2-year-old so no emergency trips for tetanus shots would be necessary (they are up to date on all shots, and I think Max has actually had his tetanus, but for the sake of my story, let's go with it).  

This made rifling through a cluttered, dirty, wet old barn a little difficult.   I can only imagine the fun stuff we would have found if we were able to dig in!  We still (I think) found some rusty, old, crusty  fun stuff.

Please ignore our messy garage...we lost over 1000 sq ft when we moved to our apartment, so most of our belongings live in the garage.  (We also have a toddler who thinks mommy's decor is more fun than any number of toys)

Fantastic Green Vintage Tackle Box

 

Shabby Wood Crate

Great Star Light Fixture 

 

Huge Wood Tool Box and a couple other little finds.

Everything obviously needs some serious love...and I can't wait to get started on things. 

Only 2 more days until we move....and oh yeah, I have 2200 sq ft of house that needs completely renovated too (plus, the babies!)

 Have you found any fun treasures lately?  Do share!