Kitchen Menu Chalkboard DIY - Part 1

Me:  Baby, I want a nice chalkboard in the kitchen like Chef Michael has on his show.

The Hubs: Look it up on YouTube and make yourself one, Woman!

Well, ok then.

First step was to line up the materials I needed.  I wanted a light-weight board to frame out so I went to Home Depot and picked out a plywood that is almost as light as balsa wood.  I didn't take down the SKU so really just pick the smoothest plywood you can find.

If it has a lot of nicks in it but you still want to buy it, a good wood filler would help you out. 

Primer (mine is oil-based)

Roller Foam Brushes and/or paint brush

A knife or razor from a box cutter

Mineral Spirits to clean the foam brush and hands

Hand Sander

Wood Filler (just in case)

220 grit sandpaper

lightly damp cloth

Horses

First, set up a work area in a comfortable space either in the garage or outside.

Next remove any stickers.  The knife didn't work so well so we used a straight razor - the kind used in a box cutter.

light scratches - if this was deeper, I'd use wood filler 

Scrape off any stickers

 After removing any stickers and debris, use a hand sander with a 220 grit paper to go over the edges and surface area.  Don't press too hard - just let the sander do the work!

After sanding, take a slightly damp cloth or paper towel and go over the board thoroughly to remove any dust.

The Primer should be stirred from the bottom pulling up as the oil will be on the surface while the primer is settled into the bottom.  I used an old spoon in a scooping motion from the bottom to the top instead of a round and round motion.

I used a paper plate to pour the primer in but I think next time I'll use something bigger. 

These disposable rollers cost about $5 and are easy to use.

Lightly roll 2 coats first end-to-end lengthwise then top-to-bottom, going over any lines that might be obvious.  Let this dry overnight.  

 See Part 2 for the next day's work.

The New Kitchen

I am still very new to Blogger and hitting YouTube as I go along.  The titles and fonts are killing me but with the help of my lovely sister, Keisha, we'll get it right eventually! :)

We moved from Atlanta many years ago and not much has changed from the pics below.  We are now in the re-design stages of our home and welcome you to join us as we adventure in this place of ours.  We have great ideas and a very limited budget so, yeah......adventure LOL

We decided the kitchen needs color and an updated lighting fixture above the stove area.  We have a new LED light fixture that we will be installing this week

The VERY HOT lights under the counters will be replaced with LED strip lighting for much less heat. 

My spices will thank me until I finish the pantry.

And.....

I will be creating a chalkboard menu for the back wall.  

Cannot.....wait......YAH!

Lynus and the Fish Bed

Lynus gets a new fish bed. 

We sat it on top of his old bed to give him the idea that he has new digs. 

The Inspection

The Walkthrough

Trying on for Size

Nope.  Another Bed Rejected. Couldn't even tempt him with treats tossed inside.

Awwwwwww...my bed.  

Or dad's chair :)

Spring Has Sprung

No words today .  Just enjoy :)  

The Yard is a Mess

This yard needs a ton of work.  Really.  But I'm sure the Crew of Two can get it done eventually.  I know it will be a serious adventure.  

 The back fence is burned extra crispy in places.  Took forever to figure out what happened.  

Was it the previous owners burning trash?

Was it the transformer sitting in our backyard that caught on fire?

Was it deliberate?  

Not technically, really.  After calling the power company about the transformer (she said transformers, when they blow, only blow a fuse and don't start fires.  Ok.  Yeah.), our buyer's agent who consulted with the seller's agent ("Um, well, it was the transformer that started the fire.") and several other sources that all blamed it on the transformer, it was one of our neighbors who cleared the smoke on this one.

The house sits behind a strip mall that has, of coursee, back doors for deliveries and pick-ups.  Well, one of the trucks hit the power line going across the back that was attached (underground) to the transformer.  Transformer caught on fire and the neighbor on the other side of us put the fire out before it reached the house, which no one was living in at the time.  

Very handy guy to have around.  The strip mall owns the fence and hasn't made any attempt to replace it so far.  

No worries.  We always come up with a work-around.  

The House is Now Ours so What's Next?

The yard is a mess, the house needs gutters all around but, overall, the house is lovely.  We're very excited to have it and to bring it up to the Tate Standard of Mayhem that we've perfected.

Dancer is making sure the rabbits stay away from his backyard.  He's excited.  Can't you tell?