Christmas 1 of 3

I sat down last night to finally blog about our happenings over the past couple weeks and guess what. I didn't. It had actually been so long since I had been on my computer that I didn't even know where it was. No joke.

 

The Christmas season took me by storm and it sure did sneak up on a person so quickly following Thanksgiving. From shopping to wrapping to baking...ok, that's a lie, I didn't bake a single Christmas related goodie, but I've been baking for Ethan. I have to tell you about this egg replacer that has pretty much changed my Ethbaking life, but that'll wait until I download a million photos for you to peruse.

 

Now, I did my best to edit them... however those edited versions are hidden somewhere secret on my computer and I can't find them. And because I assume you'd prefer any picture to no picture, you'll get the unedited ones. (Do you remember a time when we had to print off photos to share them? Or when you had to use a real camera instead of your phone? Or a time you didn't bring your phone with you to the bathroom? Oh...that got a little off topic, but really, you know that three minutes behind closed door has turned into a check Facebook, check Instagram, maybe throw in a quick game if you're lucky kind of time.)

 

I digress.

 

We started the Christmas week with just the family at our house. Dad made delicious beef tips and tarragon chicken. The girls were so excited to open gifts...ah, to be three. Not a care in the world except which gift is next. 

 

EthMike and Papa Mike in their matching hats.

The only picture I have of Emmie even half looking...she's busy people. I can barely keep up.

Ethan, loving the itty bitty Bitty Baby food that was soooo much smaller than I thought it was in the picture.

And my boy, loving to push Emmie's new stroller.



An update from this one last March.

Santa, two weeks later.

 

No, I never intended to be in the Santa pic.

 

But apparently the photographer had a different idea in mind. While I think kids crying and screaming in Santa's arms are hilarious, I guess he thought I would only buy a family smiles version (the people ahead of us were Photoshop switching heads to get it just right) so mom and dad were added to the mix.

 

Emmie was not interested in Santa in the least bit...however she did muster the courage to ask for a "toy" from Santa. When asked to specify her toy choice, she said a doll. And when asked to once more clarify that, she said a baby one.  So that Bitty Baby she just got two weeks ago for her birthday, apparently not as memorable as I was hoping.

 

In the picture I'm also using Mrs. Claus' chair to hold myself up. I threw my back out and was hunched over and hobbling around for days on end. There were meds, there were lots of glasses of wine and margaritas.

 

And I don't even have to say this but, can you believe it's Christmas next week? Holy hell, where did December go? I am proud that I have a handful of presents purchased (nothing wrapped) but I did buy wrapping paper, so that has to count for something right?

 

 

 



It's not about how much you spend, it's how much you save!

Let's talk about online shopping for a moment.

Is anyone else aahbsessed this season? While I believe I've posted about online shopping before, this time I really really mean it.

The deals. They're out of control these days! From Black Friday to Cyber Monday does it even matter? They all seem legitimately amazing. And really, you're foolish to spend full price or pay shipping for anything.

And then....a blog commenter (thank you jbricks) told me about Ebates.com and while I had heard of it before....I really had no clue.

You guys! It's the coolest, easiest thing ever! You seriously just go to Ebates.com and pick the store you want to shop at...Gap, Amazon, Macy's, you name it. And then it directs you to their website. THAT'S IT! (They also list any current promos that store is running)

And then.....you get a certain percent back in cash in the mail!

2% here, 2% there.....SEVEN PERCENT at Gap! All for one extra click. I can do that.

Annnd, if you forget about good old Ebates and fill up your Gap cart...you can just hop back over to Ebates and all of your stuff is still in your cart!

Happy Shopping to all and to all a good night!

THREE!

Oh Emmie Ann Fellows, how are you three years old already?

Happy Birthday to sweetest, funniest girl I know.

You are so vibrant and full of energy and your humor never ceases to amaze me. You laugh at yourself and make everyone else laugh too.

You go through crazy stages but right now, you are in the sweetest, most loving and polite stage and I want to bottle you up and keep you like this forever. Manners have become your go to...thank you this, thank you that...please daddy can I have toast, oh thank you daddy! I think you've realized you get more with sweetness than with sour. Who can say no to those baby blues looking up at you asking so nicely for anything?!

You love your brother and recently asked that we just call you "sisty" which is what you think Ethan calls you.

But more than your brother, you love me! Please remember this when you're sixteen and mad at the world! Every night you give me hugs and kisses and tell me that I'm your "most favorite best friend."  Dad claims you say this to him as well, but I will pretend you only say this to me.

You have recently started putting on dance shows and mini concerts. You sing at the top of your lungs and throw yourself around the room. You are quite the entertainer and have no volume control. You also love Doc McStuffins and pitch a good fit when the episode is over and you have to go to bed.

You just transitioned to the three year old room at daycare and it's been a little rough. Every morning has been a sad one, we even had to start giving you breakfast at home so that you would at least eat. (Because just like your mama, you need to eat to keep the crabbies away!) But, dad said this morning was a drop off with no tears so hopefully we're over the hump.

In addition to your please and thank you phase, you love to say "potty" words right now. Why saying "butt" is so amusing, I'm not sure...but I'm fine with you growing out of this stage quickly.

You are my Emmiekin, my funny, sweet, sometimes sassy, little dream come true.

Interview with my girl last night:

 

 

2nd year post, 1st year post

Did you know I can't bake to save my soul?

Like at all. Ok, I can bake banana bread and a frozen pizza, but other than that...not a chance. It's so precise and I'm not all that interested in following directions thoroughly. Just ask Andy, never once have I been able to make a chocolate chip cookie.

 

Now, this hasn't been that big of a deal until we got the no gluten, no egg, no soy for EthMike information. The boy...he can't have baked goods that are premade; there is either egg or gluten in everything!!

 

I wanted to at least bake the kid a cake for his birthday (that we sandwiched together on Thanksgiving...along with Emmie's too...a Thanksbirthgiving celebration if you will).  But to not be the baking kind and then have to figure out if the egg is a binder or leavening agent or what I could substitute where...overwhelming to say the least.

 

And then, Sarah, a little Facebook angel/sorority sister/gluten free baker extraordinaire gave me some simple but amazing advice. Egg free equals vegan!

 

Yeah, I didn't know that at all and it for sure changed my outlook on things. It helped me narrow down my recipe searches and knowing I would just have to substitute a gluten free flour...way easier. She also introduced me to foodgawker.com - Ahhhmazing.

 

Now. I'm still a terrible baker, but I'm seriously trying so hard! And guess what...Ethan will eat anything! So even though my muffins have all been flat as pancakes and look nothing like the internet pictures...they're getting eaten.

 

Gatorade and Coke: not for the recipe.

 

So far I've tried Banana Almond Muffins, Banana waffles, Vanilla cupcakes, and Chunky Apple Cinnamon muffins.

 

The Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes are the only thing to really turn out so far.

And in the non-bakery category, I have mastered Mac and Cheese from scratch with gluten free corn noodles. And for real from scratch: milk and corn starch plus cheese, that's it! And last night I tried my hand at Garbanzo flour pizza crusts. Emmie thought they were awful, but I thought there were totally ok.

 

 

Emmie did however enjoy the gluten free, not-so-much-true-Vegan-once-I-layered-frosting-on cupcake.

 

 

He really will eat anything, bless his little heart.

 

And then he helps me do the dishes.

 

I am starting to enjoy baking a bit...I just wish things would actually turn out like the internet pictures! So, I will hopefully figure it all out and until then, Ethan will enjoy his flat ol' muffins and gummy waffles (along with the rest of his fruit, veggie, meat and dairy filled diet).

 



 

 

Spoiler Alert: You're getting this for Christmas

 

Cards...big sticker letters...envelopes.

 

How cute and easy?

 

I saw something like this on one of my new stalking websites and before I could purchase, they were sold out. And then I realized this wouldn't be all that hard to replicate.

 

Grabbed some card and envelope sets at Michaels along with these adorable large sized lower case letters. Different colors/patterns. Searched for my 40% off coupon and we were set.

 

I'm thinking 4 cards and envelopes, wrapped up all sorts of lovely with bakers twine and raffia (God I love raffia) as a fun addition to gifts cards etc.? 

 



For some reason I've always thought first name initial if you're single and last name initial if you're married. Is that normal? Feel free to weigh in!

new digs.

Here we are, new layout and all.

Not that I wanted to put time and effort into a new blog setup when I haven't been so much in the blog scene lately, but when I get threatened...oh you best watch yourself.

There was a little button in the left hand corner of my blog last week that was threatening to go blank if I didn't pay for it. Hmpf. Whatever. I thought about paying the money...it was only $15 by the way...but then I got annoyed. Oh no you di'nt threaten me. What happened to the free internet? Or at least just charge the new people? You've obviously already made the stuff, it's not taking any more of your time. (Andalso, my wallet was downstairs again, and to get off my pedestal, go all the way downstairs to get the money card to pay for something I already had, well, we all know that isn't happening.)

So here we are now. All sorts of free again. The background itself is Cutest Blog on the Block, the header is mine. It's not hard. Just make something, snip it and save it as a PDF.

Oh and the new pics...you like? The pictures from the recent family photo shoot turned out well. Lots of cute kiddo ones...and then there was me...ruining every picture. I won't lie, I'm generally a photogenic person, however this go round? Blah. Apparently I was too focused on the kids or not freezing or not freezing the kids to look normal. We did get a keeper for the Christmas card though so it's fine.

And then I read somewhere that you should have your internet photos watermarked, so I'm using those to show you some of the good ones a la Erika Leitch Photography...then I won't end up in some Czech advertisement.

See how normal I can look without kids?

o-n-e

ONE!

One year ago, we met our little man Ethan Michael Fellows. Though our meeting was brief and he was whisked away to the NICU, he had his mommy's heart from the get go.

 

 

Those big brown eyes, that sweet baby face, all those cords...who could resist.

 

It's true, the first few weeks weren't so awesome. We had the flu, we had fussiness, but after a few months...that boy...he was a little piece of heaven. (Even if it took 10 months for him to sleep through the night.)

 

 

 

 

He is a crawling machine, standing up on his own, but not yet interested in walking on his own.

 

He loves his paci and playing with the kitchen.

 

 

He has six teeth and is still a lil peanut, though he will eat anything you put in front of him.

 

And we have finally discovered the cause behind his terrible skin. The Mister is allergic to dogs, soy, wheat and eggs. Yep. We took anything made with eggs out of his diet about a month ago and the change was dramatic. No more red, itchy face. After some testing, the other allergens were identified. We have since changed Ethan to a gluten free diet and we're waiting too see if that also makes a difference. Tucker is staying...for now. We will rule out all of the dietary changes to see if the dog is a biggie or not.  For now, only time will tell.

 

Other than that, I just want to eat him up. I've said it a million times, but he is just a laid back little dude. Until it's bed time, then you'd think we were trying to cut off a limb when putting on his jammies.

 

I've been asked if I'm trying to savor his babyness and keep him little forever. Honestly, I'm not. I love him and his babyness right now, but I am so excited to meet the little person he is going to become. I want to know his personality, with words attached. Will he be outgoing or shy? Will he be talkative or quiet? Will he be a wild child or maintain his laid back ways. Will he grow out of the allergies? I'm so excited to find out.

 

But I won't rush it...I promise I'll keep kissing on those sweet baby cheeks as long as I can.

 

 



 



Entryway redo = done!

Remember when I made that chair and told you that my long term plan was to make a coat rack area? Well, I finally did it!

The project actually started back with project blackboard. Because I was using pretty much the same supplies, I tried to get it all done in one day. (Yeah, that part of the plan didn't work out as expected.)

From Pinterest inspirations, I decided the entryway needed a board and batten fix. Like the blackboard project, the textured walls were holding me back. I needed to commit...so I filled in all of the texture with putty. Once the putty hit the wall, it was the point of no return. And then I started sanding and I'm not going to lie, I was pretty nervous. And I was pretty sure that had Andy walked in at this moment, he would've killed me:

 

 

And then it was time to paint...a layer, or five.

 

And then...the project sat. And sat. Until I had another day off, sans kids and husband, to tackle the rest.

 

In the meantime, I readied the other supplies. I found the vertical boards at Menards. Precut, the perfect size. I just gave them a few coats of white paint and a little sanding. The horizontal board is the same as our floor trim. I asked our builder if I could have an extra piece and thankfully she obliged, so everything has a similar look. Dad cut the pieces of wood while Andy was hunting and I patiently waited for my day off.

 

Fast forward to my day off and I busted out the air compressor and nail gun and got started on the vertical boards, level and coffee in hand. I had located the studs, marked them and then nailed the vertical boards accordingly. The horizontal boards just went up right on top of the vertical ones.

 

 

After all of the boards were up, I used wood putty to fill in nail holes and anywhere there was a gap.

 

Once the nail holes and gaps were all filled, it was time for another coat, or three, of paint. I added a few coat hooks and the project was finished!

 

After some restyling of three picture frames, adding in the rug and chair: entryway redo = done!

 

 

 

 









The things she says, from the back seat:

Driving anywhere with a toddler is pretty entertaining. And Emmie, that girl, she's a talker. You can tell her mind is running a mile a minute as we drive through town. She sees lots of different things and always comes up with something funny:


E: Mom, do you know my dad likes beer?
Me: I do know that. What does mom like?
E: Tacos.

. . . . .

E: Mom, dad likes to drive those!
Me: ?? (Look around, see a row of golf carts.) Yep, Em, he sure does. What else does daddy like to do?
E: He likes to go golfing...and hunting...and shake his booty.

. . . . . .

E: Naked boys!
Me: ?? (Look around, finally see the billboard for Thunder from Down Under. Giggle.) Yep, Em.

. . . . . .

And this one isn't from the backseat, but it was a funny conversation between Emmie and Olivia. They were having a deep discussion about who they like to play with.

E: Well Livie, I like to play with my "neighborhood" Shea.
O: I like my school friends too Emmie.
E: Well, Shea is my best favorite to play with.
O: No Emmie, I'm your favorite.
E: I know.

The highs and lows of Halloween week

The costume, the sugar rush, the trick-or-treating, the sitting through gymnastics class crying. It was an ups and downs kind of week.

This week marked the move from parent/tot gymnastics class to the big kid class. Moms and dads sit in the hallway and wait until class is over. It was like the first day of school all over again. Were we in the right place? Are we here at the right time? Where do we go? Do I sit here?

Class started and she sat down on her little carpet square and I patiently waited in the hallway, the only thing occupying my time: the tv screen showing the class. They do introductions and line up by the wall. Then I see them all walk down to the other area and minutes later I see Emmie balled up in a coach's lap baaaawling. They bring her back to me and she is wailing. "I want to go home! I want my other class!" It was awful.

And so we sat in the corner of the room and watched the other kids bouncing and running and tumbling. We sat there for 35 minutes until she mustered up the courage to join in, there might have been some bribing, quite possibly a 'we're going home' threat too. The parents that were watching let out a collective sigh as she joined the group and we all cheered her on. So for the last 5 minutes, she tumbled and bounced and every five seconds made sure that I was watching.

Next week I'm hoping the memories of the fun outweigh the fear!

And moving on to Halloween. The girl was in her glory. Dressed as Doc McStuffins, with her side kick Lamby, she greeted trick-or-treaters and handed out candy.

 

And then it was her turn. We caught up with Emmie's favorite neighbor, Shea and walked the neighborhood. The girls ran yelling trick-or-treat before they got to the door and then ran back, hopped in their wagons and cuddled under blankets (can we rally for a mid summer Halloween in the Midwest?). And yes, Emmie did open the door at one house and pretty much just walk in. Happy Halloween!

I've been busy...

Doing what? I have no idea. Ever had one of those weeks...or months? Can we talk about it being Halloween next week? How did that happen? My little Frankenstein got his stitches out this week so we'll be moving forward with a different costume idea.

Anyways, I've been busy. There has been the family photo session which has required a stupid amount of time coordinating outfits...matching but not too matchy, trying to look put together but not like oh hey we're trying super hard over here.  And then the day of, I end up putting together a completely different look using pretty much everything we already own. Typical.

And then, there is the internet. The time suck of Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram. I'm working on searching the internet for ideas on Halloween treats, a first birthday, turning the den into a playroom, and finding a new eye cream after mine decided to leave me with a red puffy under eye.

And now...the online wandering has gone a new direction. Maybe I'm just late to the game but let me introduce you to Bradsdeals.com, jane.com and pinkEpromise.com. 

Jane and PinkEPromise are dealsy like sites, I've never actually purchased anything so I can't confirm the quality, but they're fun to browse, add to my shopping cart, remember my credit card is all the way downstairs and then turn on the tv instead. And Bradsdeals is just a compilation of all the deals around, it's pretty great.

So yeah, I've been busy doing super important things.

The bump is benign!

 

Holla. I could hear that again!

 

So the cyst is benign and that's the best news ever. But the boy, he's bruised! Oh I didn't know how sad he would end up looking. He looks like he got punched in the eye. And now the bruise is turning that greenish yellow color. Christmas pics are gonna look awesome this year.

 

 

Even with the bruised up eye, this boy is so sweet. I know, I'm his mom and I'm going to think he's the most handsome little man around, but for reals...he is. And he's been a champ through this whole thing. A little needy this weekend, but a happy camper for the most part. And he hasn't even tried to touch his owie.

 

Olivia had a dance party to celebrate her third birthday and Ethan rocked out the shades from his goody bag:

 

 



 

whirlwind week

It was a whirlwind week for this boy and his mommy (who generally likes things planned out well in advance).

 

You see that little bump to the left of his eye? That wasn't always there, but it's been getting bigger. I had asked a while back and the pediatrician wasn't concerned, but this past weekend I'd had enough. And obviously I had diagnosed him with some type of protruding brain cancer, so we needed to get that squared away. He was also scheduled to have tubes this week, so I wanted all of my ducks in a row before surgery.

 

Monday:
9:00am: Call pediatrician. Ask if they should see Ethan or if his ENT should take a look.

1:20pm: Nurse calls back. Tells me the ENT should.

1:25pm: Call ENT's office. Talk to the nurse. Tells me the pediatrician should look at it. And depending on what they find, the ENT could surgically remove it Thursday. (WHAT?! Surgerywhat?)

1:27pm: Call pediatrician. Tell the nurse the Dr. needs to see Ethan and that I'm starting to panic because the other nurse is talking about surgery and I'd really like it if Ethan could be seen sooner than later. She asks if I can get there by 1:50pm, there was just a cancellation.

1:28pm: En route to daycare to pick up Ethan.

1:48pm: Walk right in to the pediatrician's office. She pokes, she prods. She thinks it's a dermoid cyst. Also says it doesn't seem like cancer. (Tears still well even hearing the word.) It might go away on its own, it might not. She thinks we can just watch it, but ultimately the ENT can decide on Thursday morning.

2:27pm: Exiting interstate to take Ethan back to daycare. Phone rings. It's the pediatrician. She called the ENT (at a different hospital, so I'm totally impressed) and she's also had a cancellation, can I get there? (There being one block from where I JUST WAS).

2:28pm: Get back on interstate and head to the ENT.

2:38pm: Walk right in to the ENT. She pokes, she prods. She says the conservative thing to do is to wait and watch. But she doesn't think it will go away on its own and if he's already having surgery, why not just tack this on so he doesn't have to have surgery a few months down the road.

 

And there we were at 6:15am this morning, ready for tubes and ready for the removal of that little bump. Oh did I also mention they're doing a blood draw for allergy testing? We're pretty sure he's allergic to eggs and we're hoping that is it.

 

 

And then we sent our boy off to surgery. Thankfully I had been talked off the ledge the night before and was able to sit and patiently wait for the little patient. It took forever! Oh, such a long hour.

 

But then, he was back in our arms. A little loopy, a little groggy. The surgery went well. Fluid is now gone from the Mister's ears and the bump is gone. She still thinks it's a dermoid cyst, but pathology will confirm. She also explained that even though the bump felt like it was on the surface, it really went all the way down to his skull. So there will be bruising and swelling and healing. And there will be a scar.

 

 

A quiet car ride home with my stitched up boy.

 

 

Karma is a fashion loving B.

I'm not a talk to strangers kind of gal.

 

I'm sure this takes you all by surprise.

 

So imagine my own shock when I struck up a conversation with a gal in the shoe department today. As I was walking by, I saw this adorable girl trying on even more adorable booties. She was doing the hem and haw in front of the mirror. You know, the strut back and forth, check them from the side, the other side, trying to decide if they're necessary or not.

 

I decided to drop my stranger danger and tell her they were super cute.  She agreed and said I talked her into it. We determined they were a fall must have. And while we were at it, I talked myself into the boots as well.

 

I wished her luck with her booties and kept shopping.

 

And then the adorable girl found me and gave me a 20% off coupon because she had an extra. Um, thank you my new bestie!

 

And that's what you get for talking to strangers I guess. Apparently I should do it more often!

 

The booties (on the edge of any fashion forwardness I might have...so any styling suggestions are welcome!)

 

The fails

Sure, the blackboard looked easy, but it took a little longer than expected. Here are my fails:

 

One:

 

At first, my grand plan was to have part blackboard, part magnetic board. I bought the handy dandy premade blackboard section and then bought the metal piece.  Conveniently the metal piece was 1x2 and the blackboard 2x4. Then I got it all home and started measuring. Oh, the 2x4 foot blackboard….SO NOT two by four. More like a little under two and a little under four. Which left my metal sheet hanging over.  It was too thick for me to attempt cutting so I brought it back to Home Depot and they laughed when I asked them to cut it.  In a condescending tone: No, we only have wood saws, you’ll need something much more powerful to cut through that. Yeah no shit Sherlock, that’s why I’m here. So that was returned. Plain blackboard it is.

 

Two:

 

The trim.  You know how they tell you to buy the most flat and straight boards they have? Yeah, you should listen when people tell you that. One of my trim pieces was pretty warped, but I figured it was no big deal because I was nailing it all to the wall. Guess what, when you try to nail something to just sheetrock, it’s a joke.  So, back to Home Depot to buy a straighter, less warped board and paint it all over again.

 

Three:

 

After my second trip to Home Depot I got home and realized there was one nail left in my nail gun. Seriously. I had to call Mom because I couldn’t even stand to make one more trip there.  (I’m not even going to mention how I bought extra nails but because I didn’t realize they came in different gauges, the size I bought didn’t fit in the gun. Of freaking course I bought the 18s when it only fit 16s. Whatever that actually means…)

 

Four:

 

Did you know white paint really isn’t white paint at all? I wanted to match the trim so I used the leftovers in the basement and then needed more. I bought some bright white paint because that is what the bucket said in the basement. Oh no….not the same at all. Oh, looky here…they mix in some yellow and brown. Because that makes sense.

 

 

 

Five:

 

And this is not so much a fail, but a nice little life lesson. After I hauled in the air compressor and got out the nail gun, I tried to attach it to the hose. Um…not working. Every which way I tried that little end was not fitting where it needed to go. I had to eat my pride and call the husband. He then described putting the “female end in the male end” by pulling down on the movable piece (I was twisting that piece). Really? Female and male parts? I thought that was his way of dumbing down the instructions for me or being funny with his descriptions, but that is really what they call it in the business.

Chalkboard! Blackboard? One word? Two?

I have often stared at this wall wondering what in the world would look right on it. It's an awkward space. Kind of in the kitchen, but kind of not. And because I haven't found the right thing, it's been a blank wall, for a year. That I stare at on the way in, on the way out, on the way to the pantry, on the way to the bathroom, you get gist, it's a high traffic area.

As I was staring one night I was also perusing Instagram. And there, the loveliest of all inspirations: a big, oversized chalkboard right in the middle of someone's kitchen. And I had to copy it!

I ran to Home Depot the following day and gathered my chalkboard making goods.

At first I thought I would paint the wall with chalkboard paint. Then I remembered how textured my walls are. Then I thought I could patch in the texture and paint over that. And then I remembered I might not want a chalkboard in my kitchen for the rest of my life and I figured I better just hang something there.

Also, in an attempt to keep things simple and keep my sanity, I am trying to use what is actually available to me for craft projects etc. My tendency is to kind of like one thing, but really really like the thing that is a) non existent or b) way too complicated. So when I saw the premade two by four foot blackboard sections at Home Depot, I decided this was my chance to test the theory. Because, of course, I really wanted something about three feet wide, but for ease, I bought what was there. I just might be growing up! Or getting lazy, whichever. I also bought a few boards to frame the chalkboard and I was ready to go.

I found some leftover paint in the basement to paint the trim pieces. I sanded and measured and Andy cut.

And then, he went to work.

And there I was, for one whole day...no kids, no husband, not even a dog! Just me, a large coffee and a nail gun. I can't believe he left me there! Unsupervised!

Now I just needed to get that all from the counter to the wall.

 

Yeah, that's a nail gun and an air compressor. Are you impressed?

It's working!

Finished!
(One would think I would have the decency to close my pantry door in the big reveal photo?
Nope.)

I filled the nail holes, sanded and painted some more. And there it is. The chalkboard. It was the perfect thing to fill up that space. I don't know if this makes sense, but it almost feels like that wall is now a part of the kitchen when it was not before?

Oh, and the Miss loves it!

Emmie approved.

 

 

Before and after:

 

Do you really think it was that easy? Like I just whipped that up in 30 minutes? Yeah right. I'll have a post full of fails for you too.