Framed Chalkboard Tutorial

I love using signage at parties.  I like people to know what they are eating!  Pretty signs just add that extra touch.

Over the years I have acquired quite a collection of signs, easels and other various things to use as signage at parties.  One of my favorite things to use is a chalkboard.  I have several small chalkboards that I have used at parties but I decided I needed a big chalkboard.  I mean really big – 28 x 50 inches to be exact.

We are planning an Italian soda bar for Tessa’s graduation party and I wanted something to sit behind the table with instructions on how to build your own soda.

So I headed off to Goodwill where I always find all kinds of treasures.  I was looking for a big picture frame I could turn into a framed chalkboard.

I lucked out and found this one.

It’s almost as tall as I am.  When looking for a frame I prefer one that has a bit of “texture” to it so when you paint and sand it you end up with more character and more of a vintage look to it.

I removed the lovely painting from the frame and got out the spray paint.

I decided to paint it white.  If you have a dark frame you might want to spray it with primer first so your paint covers easier.

I laid some newspaper out on the front lawn and sprayed away.  I had some overspray onto the lawn but the grass needed to be cut anyway!  I’ve learned not to do it on the garage floor because even with newspaper laid out I usually end up with paint on the garage floor and that doesn’t make my husband too happy!

Because I didn’t use primer it took several coats of spray paint to cover the frame.

After it was dry I took some sandpaper and just sanded away to give it  a distressed look.

My husband bought a nice sheet of wood at Home Depot – it’s about 3/8 inch thick and nice and smooth.  Jim cut the board to fit inside the frame.  We just used the painting we removed as a pattern.

I also picked up a can of chalkboard paint at Home Depot.  You can buy it as spray paint too but since I was covering a fairly large area it was much easier to brush it on.

I put on two coats of paint.

After it was nice and dry I just popped it back into the frame.

I couldn’t wait to use it so I decided it would make a perfect backdrop on the table at the bridal shower I am hosting this Saturday.  What do you think?  We’re having a crepe bar and I think it’s perfect.

Read Full Post »

Graduation Party Planning – The Invite

Because I am just a little old fashioned I decided we needed a paper invite for the graduation party in addition to the Facebook Event the girls created.

Besides being old fashioned, I just like making invitations and I needed something to put in the scrapbook too!

I love including photos on invitations when possible, it just makes them more personal.

I chose two photos from the fun little photo shoot we had. I used the one they had chosen for the Facebook Event so there was some continuity and one other one.

You can use an online site like Picmonkey or Canva  to make the invite. So easy to do!
Here’s the front.  I just used the picture as a full bleed on a 5 x 7 blank template and then added a text box on top of the photo and then the words.

and here is the back with the info.  I added another photo and then created a text box for all the wording.  I used the font Rockwell.

Many times if I am just doing a one sided invite I will upload it to Costco and have it printed as a photograph with the lustre finish (not glossy)  but since this invite was double sided I uploaded it and had it printed through Overnight Prints. This is the same place I had my Christmas card done.  They do a great job and are really inexpensive, especially if they have a sale going on.

I ordered the 5 x 7 cards with rounded corners and with envelopes and I think the total cost for 50 with shipping was $30.00.

Now I need to create the invite for the second graduation party – can’t wait to share the theme for that one with you too!!

Check out all my graduation posts here

Read Full Post »

Graduation Party Planning #2 – The Invite

I’m on an invitation roll this week.

Our second graduation party/open house, actually the first one as it will be the week before, is going to be for our family and friends. The other party is for their high school friends.   We decided to keep this party fairly simple since we are doing the big Sail Away party the next weekend.

We choose a “Smart Cookie” theme.  Because she is such a “smart cookie.”  Get it?!  We are going to put together a fun Milk & Cookie bar for the guests.  I’ll be experimenting with some new cookie recipes and using some of our old standards too!

Here’s the invite:

and the back:

We are party central here at the Wilkes home!  Before the two graduation parties I am also hosing a bridal shower!  Party!!!

Read Full Post »

Graduation Party Planning

The first step to Graduation Party Planning is coming up with a theme.

With with less than one month left of school it is time to start graduation party planning.  For our last graduate we planned two graduation parties.  A joint party with her friend Rachel in our backyard for all of their high school friends and an open house for family, friends and neighbors. Call me crazy but I loved every minute of it. 

I love planning a party. I love everything about it – deciding the theme, the menu, the decorations, all the details.

So I’ve decided to bring you along on this party planning journey. I’ll share with you step by step how I put a party together. Hopefully all my tips and ideas will help you with the next party you get to plan.

The first step to planning a party is coming up with a theme.  Every good party starts with a theme.  I encouraged the girls to choose a theme that somehow relates to them.  Something they love or enjoy.  Having a theme for a party makes the rest of the planning easier and more fun.

Here is the list they came up with:

Disney, Hollywood Glam, Royal Wedding, Lumber Jack (not sure where this one came from), Celebrity, Safari, Around the World, Beauty Pageant, Crazy Hat, Sail Away, Mission Impossible.

My two favorite were Safari (the school mascot is the WildCat) and Sail Away since they were both getting ready to “sail away” to college and I could think of lots of cute nautical idea to use.  Fortunately for me they went with Sail Away.

So we had our theme!

They decided to put together a Facebook invite to let all their friends know about the party. We will also be putting together a paper invite that they can handout to their friends as a reminder.

We decided to do a little photo shoot so we would have a photo for the Facebook invite and the invitation.

Going along with our theme the girls dressed up in some nautical attire – red, white and blue and we pulled a few sailor hats out of the dress up box and we just happen to have the wooden lifesaver thingy (not sure what to call it) in our stash of stuff.

For a backdrop I bought 6 yards of red fabric with white polka dots from Joanne’s with my 50 percent off coupon.

So I didn’t have a seam right down the middle, I cut the six hard piece in half so I had two 3 yard pieces.  I then cut one of the 3 yard  pieces in half length wise and then sewed those two strips to the sides of the one full piece so that it was 9 feet high and about 90 inches side.

I hung the backdrop in front of the garage door and had the girls stand in front of it.  Here are some of the cute shots we got!

You can kind of see how I hung the backdrop in this photo.  I just used thumbtacks to fasten it to the wood trip around the door.

The girls had fun being cute and goofy.

There were so many cute ones it was hard to choose but here is the one they choose for the Facebook invite.

Read Full Post »

Mommy Moment: I Don’t Mind

So I need a little mommy moment today.

We are on the countdown at our house.  This is not a countdown I am looking forward to.

It is the countdown until we are empty nesters.  I’m not going to tell you how many days it is because it just makes me sad and anxious.  But it’s not enough!

Tessa will be headed to Utah at the end of June with Cali to enjoy the laid back atmosphere of college life in the summer, take a few classes, live in an apartment with her sister and have a good time.

As excited as I am for them, I am sad for me because I don’t get to go with.

This new phase of life I am facing is making me a tad bit anxious and very sentimental.  I am trying to enjoy every minute of the time I have left.

In fact, I am enjoying it so much there are a lot of things I don’t mind anymore.

I don’t mind that my kitchen looks like this most of the time.

I don’t mind that my grocery bill has more than doubled as we explore this new world of wheat free, sugar free, dairy free and yeast free eating as we try to help Cali get healthier.  My cupboards are now full of spelt, rye and brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour and xanthan gum (what the heck is that!?)

I don’t mind that there seems to be endless piles of shoes. (O.K. – two of those pair are mine!)

I don’t mind that my dining room has been turned into a messy study hall for those AP exams Tessa is taking this week.

I don’t mind that my craft room has been taken over by the girl’s projects.

I don’t mind that there are a lot of unmade beds in my house.

And clothes on the floor.  I don’t mind.

I don’t mind because in a few short weeks my kitchen will stay clean a lot more and my grocery bill will be a lot less, there won’t be any one’s shoes to pick up but mine and Jim’s.  The dining room will stay clean and the beds will be made (well, at least most of the time).  And there will be way too much quiet at my house.  And I do mind that!

This afternoon I dropped something off at the home of a young mother.  Her house had kids running in and out and the floors were cluttered with shoes, backpacks, clothes, baseball gear etc.  She apologized for the mess as we stepped over it to get to the door but I didn’t mind and I hope she learns not to mind either.  It means someone lives there and that’s a very good thing!

So I’m just going to enjoy every minute of the noise, the mess and the craziness while I can!

Read Full Post »

Beaverton Farmer’s Market

It is officially Farmer’s Market season!

We love to visit one of the local markets (we are fortunate to have a lot of them) every Saturday morning.  We usually get breakfast and check out the local produce.  So many pretty and delicious things.

Thought I’d start out the week with some pretty pictures of our first market trip this season.

Look what I had for breakfast from my favorite crepe lady!

The crepe had egg, spinach, tomato and cheese.  So good!  We had to have a sweet one too!

Jim and Cali went for the omelet- big enough for two or three!!

Even though it is early in the season there was plenty of pretty produce.

Loved the stems on these.  Amazing color!

Of course there were pretty flowers too.

Our purchases included some locally made pineapple salsa to have with our pork tenderloin tomorrow, some berry  yogurt made form goat’s milk for Cali and the girls bought me some plants for my flower pots!

On the way out I discovered a new food booth at the market – gourmet grilled peanut butter and jelly!  What a concept.  They also have a food cart in the NW 23rd area of Portland.  I am so getting one of these on our next visit to the market!

They make their own peanut butter and all their jellys are from local berries.

They use Challah bread made in Oregon too.  Their menu of flavors is amazing.  I’m looking forward to trying the Good Morning – Challah bread French toast, blueberry jam, applewood smoked bacon,  real maple syrup, and peanut butter – yum!  All grilled, warm and gooey!

Guess where I am headed next Saturday morning!!

Read Full Post »