I was sitting across from my precious middle child on my Mac and she knocked over a full cup of water onto the table. She didn't say anything...my computer got the fuzzies. Then it died. Then I heard, "I am SOOOOO sorry!!!" What did you do child? Oh no you di'in't. Oh Sweet Mother of Abraham Lincoln you did. So, I did the only thing I knew to do. I googled it. I texted my friend. I freaked out a little. Then I freaked out a lot. I did not yell at my daughter. I prayed a little. I stuck it in a bag of rice and sucked all the air out. I left it for 3 days. Lo and behold, she was resuscitated. I say "she" because she is strong, virulent, and doesn't give up. You can't keep her down. She's a fighter. The only "scar" she has is that she has a piece of rice up her earhole. Yeah, a piece of rice is stuck in the headphone hole. But beggars can't be choosers. It works and I am thankful...and I have a plan to jam a needle in there to pry it out. I mean, I am like my computer. I won't give up...like Jason Mraz (iTunes it).
So, all that to say that I have been busy and haven't been able to blog about it.
Project magnetic blackboard is still rockin'. It takes forever. The magnetic paint was a little rough to work with and the blackboard paint had to cure. Sheesh. Ain't nobody got time fo' dat! So, here is what I started with. It was an 8' x 4' sheet of some kind of cheap board from Lowe's. Sorry, don't have the name, but it was less than $9 for the whole shebang. I had them cut 2' off so it would fit. I wanted this mamma jamma big. I like 'em round and big...wait, those lyrics don't quite fit (and a tad inappropriate..name that song). So, I just used my handy dandy stud finder and screwed it to the studs. I think there are 10 screws holding it up. It ain't goin' nowhere. (Does it terrify you that I homeschool my children?)
(um, why is this picture cattywhompus?)
And after 2 more coats of chalkboard paint, it looks like this... and no, it isn't the same picture.
- Magnetic paint gets blobby. You can shake and stir to your hearts desire, but there will be a few globs, or blobs, or whatever you wanna call it when you paint. I used a foam roller and when a blog would appear, I would take the end of my roller and rub the blob out and roll back over it. Seemed to work okay. I put 3 coats on, and it will still barely hold a paper with a medium strength magnet. I am going to go get the kind that you can magnetize a small child to just to be sure.
- Magnetic paint is MESSY. I had drips on me, my baseboard, my wall, the dogs outside, and the neighbor across the street. Oh, and you have to get it off with paint thinner. Drat.
- Chalkboard paint is a dream. Coats perfectly, dries without the streaks that you see above, and is water soluble!
- It has taken me a while to finish because I made a little boo boo (not of the Honey Boo Boo variety...that is terrifying and much worse). In my haste, while trying to maneuver my ginormous piece of wood around Lowe's with 3 impatient children in tow, I had them cut it down 2 feet in length to an even 6'. I bought some cedar fence boards that are 6' to make the frame thinking I would just miter cut the corners and not have any additional cuts to make. Well, fence boards have a "dog-ear" on each corner. Sheesh. So, I have to either rip down one side of the fence boards, then miter them, or just rip a good 2 inches off my length, screw it back in, and make my frame. That is what I will do since I want the frame as thick as possible. Make sense? Probably not...and if I was a good picture-taker, you would see what I mean. Either way, it will end up being amazing. I'll finish it off and show you. And you will be jealous of my skills. You know, like nunchuck skills, bowstaff skills, etc.
So, in closing, my Mac is 100% AOK, my magnetic chalkboard is almost complete, and magnetic paint is a little (a lot) annoying. Oh, and I love Napoleon Dynamite...and Jason Mraz...and chalkboard paint.
Blessings!
Jenn
