DIY: Chalkboard Cheese Platter

For the Oscars this year, the husband & I decided it would be fun to dress up and have a little wine & cheese party! I saw this image on Pinterest and thought I'd give it a whirl:

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Sadly, we recently reformatted our computer, and I accidentally deleted the photos of my step-by-step tutorial. :( However, here is a before and after pic as well as the end results as documented on my iPhone. The quality isn't as good, but you get the gist:

BEFORE {a hideous old tray that I accidentally stole from my old place of employment}:

AFTER {a few coats of black craft paint}:

After some fun on Instagram:

Side note: The Goat Cheese was our favorite!

Here is a pic of me and the Mr., all gussied up for the Academy Awards:

I also thought I'd give these personalized chalkboard wine glasses a try:

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I found some sturdy, matching wine glasses at Goodwill and used some leftover chalkboard paint from this project:

However, I definitely recommend using chalkboard spraypaint because even if you apply several thin coats of paint, you will still see brush strokes!

We ended our night with my favorite Italian Moscatto and some Strawberries & Chocolate Fondue!

 Here are the Oscar Ballots I printed that I found here. Ben beat me like he does every year! Grr...

What is your latest project? If it involves chalkboard paint, let me know, as I am currently OBSESSED with the stuff! :)

Pinterest: Thanksgiving Chalk Art

I did it!! I finally did a project from Pinterest!!

Of course, it was so simple, you could barely even project, but still...I did it!! haha ;)

Here is the inspiration:

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And here is my version {right}, along with my "Fall" Gallery {left}:

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I don't have any chalkboard markers {yet} and I didn't feel like busting out a projector {which I also don't have yet, haha}, so I just eyeballed it and prayed that my cheap white chalk from Michael's would work.

Although it was the easiest little project ever, it still felt great to glean something from that insanely inspirational site!

So, what have you been Pinning - and actually doing - lately?

P.S. HAPPY almost THANKSGIVING!! :)

Twilight!

Buy this card for your sister or friend - just in time to see the movie! :)

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3 days! 

But who's counting? ;)

New vs. Reconditioned

The husband and I are on the hunt for a new refrigerator. Our must-haves:

* stainless steel

* bottom freezer

* french doors

* 22+ cu. ft.

Here is a lovely example:

Instead of cramming the fridge into the pre-made fridge nook or buying a smaller fridge, we're moving the fridge to the other side of the room where there is already an empty wall. So size is not an issue. However, price definitely is.

There are lots of great stores nearby {HH Greg, Sears Outlet, etc.} to choose from. However, I cannot pass up a good deal, so here is my question:

Is it worth the risk to buy reconditioned appliances?

Normally, I would never even consider buying anything refurbished. The risk of the item breaking again is far too great, and since the item is refurbished, it is unlikely that it comes with a warranty. However, let me shed a little light on the subject.

Here you have the Maytag {MFD256VEM} refrigerator:

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Looks great, meets everything on our check list, but the price?

$1529.

Granted, that is much better than the original price of $1700, but it's still much more than we'd like to pay for something that keeps our food cold.

Now here is the exact same model but it has been refurbished:

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The price?

$1080! That is $450 in savings from the sale price and $620 from the regular price!

I'm sure there are drawbacks to buying a refurbished fridge {like the ones I listed} but can anyone with experience please let me know if it's worth the risk? Whether it was a refrigerator, washer/dryer or another large appliance {small appliances are a whole different story}, I'd love to hear what you have to say!

Or, if you know of where we can purchase less expensive big ticket items, please let me know! Thank you! :)

More Photography

Photography certainly takes up a lot of time! What with meeting with clients, editing photos, and the sessions/events themselves, I hardly have time left to do anything else! Oh well, at least editing photos of adorable little families like this takes a little bit of the stress away. :)

more photos on facebook

also, be sure to check out my website!