the end of summer = the end of laziness

  I've had this quote up all summer ...

I love that it's acceptable to be lazy in the summer.  Well, today the kids go back to school, which means back to routine, and homework, and the end of the lazy days of summer.  It also means, I've got to find a new quote for my chalkboard!

Come back tonight for the start of Primp Your Stuff Wednesday Linky Party!

keep primping,

going green {with chalkboards}

Can you tell what I've been thinking about lately?

Yep, green chalkboards.

I already have the paint, now I need to figure out exactly what I will be painting.  I do know wHeRe I will be painting--my boys' room.  I am planning a little makeover, and this will fit in just perfectly.

I think these chalkboards inspirations are perfect for today, because it's the first day of school here--woohoo!

I am still thinking and planning, and now that the kids are back in school

I'll have more time to do both.

 

Thanks to Pinterest for all of this green inspiration.

 keep primping,

feathers and a lovely porch

This is porch #3 on a series of porch posts I've done this summer. If you missed my back porch or this cute blue one, be sure to check them out.

I found this cute porch one day,

while getting this little girl some feathers for her hair, which seem to be all the rage.  She chose a blue and green one, which incidentally match her pet bird "Chip" perfectly.

This salon always has some great inspiration, inside, and out.

Love the vintage suitcase planter, and the large chalkboard sign,

a colorful mix of chairs,

 

and a fun ornate frame to {primp} the door.

The mustard yellow chandelier is the icing on the cake.

56 West Salon, Spanish Fork, UT.

It's not too late--if you have something to share, head over here to my linky party.

Also, I finally did it--{Primp}is now on facebook. If you are a fan of FB, I would love it if you would like me!

chalkboard labels, an old crate, and thrifty organizing finds

I decided that with summer just 4 days away I needed to get a little more organized around the house--yep my kids are out of school on Thursday--yikes!

Here are some things we're doing around here to keep the mess to a minimum:

chalkboard labels:
can you tell I'm in love with chalkboard paint yet?

here's a shot of my mud room/laundry room.
I have 4 laundry baskets to organize the dirty clothes

and these 4 baskets are for each of my kids. *Hint* This is the best organizing thing I have ever done--got the idea from a neighbor one day. Each of my kids have their own baskets (as marked by their chalkboard initial tag).

When the kids sort the laundry they put the clothes in that person's basket. Also, as I go around the house, if I see something of theirs lying around I will pick it up and put it in their basket. Once a week (or sometimes more) their job will be to empty their entire basket and put away whatever is in there.

I love organizing bins and totes, and never pass up a cute basket or bin from the thrift store--I know I can always find something to put in them.

I found these cute old crates for $5 each, and love the additional character the signage makes.

In one, i've thrown in all kinds of stuff (egg cartons, paper plates, random scrap papers) for the kids to go to town on any art projects they want.
I found this cool vintage coal bucket to coral shoes.

more buckets: this small one is from the dollar spot at Target--I just spray painted it with chalkboard paint--it works great to hold my gardening supplies and random balls and baseball mitts, etc.
This really large metal bucket was found at the thrift store--it sits in the garage to hold larger items like bouncy balls and bats.

thrifted paper organizer:

summer school: In the summer I try to be the good mom and have my kids keep up on their school work. They do one math page and read for 20 minutes, then do one job, per day. I have 3 kids in school so I have prepared math pages on their level for each of my 3 kids.

Remember my chalkboard door I recently finished?


This is where I put the jobs my kids need to do each day.



I think these ideas will help keep my house from looking like a total disaster this summer. What ideas do you have for me?

{primp}ing a (chalkboard) door

Here's this weekends project: a chalkboard door. Actually I feel funny calling it a project since it only took about 30 minutes to complete, including drying time.

This is my pantry door which is in the mud room off of the gargage--the ideal place for a grocery list, job list or any kind of note you want to make sure everyone sees.

I added a metal drawer pull I painted turquoise then distressed--a perfect place to hold the chalk.

{I love this old metal stool--found at the thrift store}

This will be perfect for my constant list making obsession.

I love it when a project comes out exactly how I envisioned, with no mishaps, or redos--kind of unusual. This is the kind of primping I like--quick and painless.

Now go forth and primp!

Winter White

I decided to keep my bottle brush trees out after Christmas, because I love them so much, and add some other natural looking elements:
a ball of string from the dollar store,
twigs in an urn,
a stack of books in the form of a loosely shaped tree (I found these books at the library for .10 each and ripped the covers off). If there wasn't a foot of snow right now covering the ground I would go on a little hunt for pinecones--I'll have to remember to do that next fall.
I love the look of the creams and whites on Jaqueline ...
wintry, yet warm.

Shabby Chalkboard and Hooks

This sign is perfect for a day like today! It is mid May but still feels a little like winter, ugghh! It has been a cold and rainy spring and so I'm hoping this sign will give Mother Nature a little encouragement, meaning kick it in gear, and bring spring already!

This chalkboard was made from a fun frame found at a thrift store. I painted it white and then used a piece of plexiglass, fit to size, and painted it with chalkboard spray paint.

I also found this charming hook rack at a local consignment store. I think it is perfect to show off our cute aprons.

At least it is starting to look a little like spring {inside} the house.