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.

Can you #latergram a blog post?

Imagine the adorable slash pathetic sick photo of Ethan from the previous post replaced with my face...minus the paci and minus any adorableness. Ugh. I was a wreck this week. In bed at 8pm, taking an afternoon off from work to sleep, Nyquil replacing my normal Zzzquil. It was bad. I'm finally on the mend, though I still sound like Kathleen Turner after smoking a pack.

Anyways.

Before the sickies headed my way, we headed to Bemidji for the weekend. The boys golfed and the girls ran mommy daycare; three moms, six kids. We were clearly outnumbered. But if you have to be a golf widow, this is the way to do it!

Emmie helped pack.
An armful of undies and an armful of diapers.
And she was ready to go.

 

Did I mention there was a pool...or two? Fantastic way to wear out kids!
Emmie pretended to be Doc McStuffins the whole weekend.
Ethan found a cupboard and was content for hours.
Shea played puppy while Emmie checked her for a fever.

It wasn't super warm, but there was still time for frog hunting, Olivia's favorite.
And no Diva, the sun isn't even out, there's no need for the sunglasses.

With the littlest little ones asleep, it was movie time.

friends and fevers

 

Hi. We're kids. Could we be any cuter?

 

Ethan, Claire, Declan, Emmie and Molly. 

 

The kids and the parents and more friends gathered on Saturday for the Bison game. I don't claim to be a Bison fan, but I am a fan of friends and drinking so it was the perfect excuse to partake in the latter with the former. (I do claim to be a grammar gal but I'm not even sure if I said that correctly...not enough time in the day to google it.)

 

After the funs, the fevers set in.

 

Starting with Emmie. Finishing with Ethan. And from what I've heard on the street, Molly too. Oh such is life.  The sickies aren't acting so terribly sicky, except for a massive fever and a blah feeling. Ethan is also popping through a top tooth and is already on the pink meds for an ear infection. Basically the tenth month is kicking his little ass.



Just don't even look at me.



 

Zoo

Oh hiiii September...where did you come from? Holy. And hiiiii blog...where you been? I'd like to lie and say I lost my passwords or something...but the works, the kids, the Big Brothers they all kinda got in the way of the blogging. It happens.

 

So now I'll give you a post just chalk full of photos so I can get moving on to Tamra's OC Wedding before it's bedtime, ok?

 

I busted out the real camera for the Labor Day trip to the Wahpeton Zoo. I checked the previous photo on the camera roll: Ethan's baptism. So yeah...wiped off the dust and snapped some good pics. And was then reminded why the camera has sat in the drawer for months when I went to annoyingly download everything last night. Phones just make things too easy!

 

And if you follow me on Instagram Instance you'll see I'm getting a little trendier with the app 6tag. A better option for Instagram on the Windows phone. Lots of filters and I can actually watch the videos you post...we're getting there!

 

Chahinkapa Zoo; on the most loveliest of late summer days. Mid 70s, no wind, just sun and fun and family time.

 

 

 

Acting like the monkeys

My bald guys.

 

Me and my babe, minus the bump like last year. Girl got tall.

 

And one big guy, distantly related to the fam.