Warm Pie Happy Home

Chalkboard Love

Written by Aunt Ruthie on April 17th, 2009

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I know what’s sweeter than Micky D’s Sweet Tea!

It’s YOU my Sugar Pie Sistas! ( If you’ve had Mc Donald’s Sweet Tea you know it is the sweetest tea “evah”! You can find it in most of the Southern states, and may I say, it is delicious!) Anyhoo! Thank y’all so much for your wonderful comments, cheer-leading me on as I endeavor to bring you down home goodness from my heart to yours!

In this post I want to share  with you my down-home love for chalkboards! In fact I have them all over my house proclaiming all kinds of messages of love and joy! Some have scriptures, quotes, and  love notes. I use them to show off the menu for  get-togethers, or a warm “Welcome Home” greeting.  I write instructions like “don’t forget … Violin Recital Sunday…3 pm!”. And I love writing seasonal messages for all of the holidays…it just seems to add a special sparkle in the air! Little reminders of all of the fun to come! They help to set a happy tone in the home!

img_0224Most of all I enjoy telling my family in all sorts of ways that I love them!  Happy messages help create a positive atmosphere and they remind us to stay positive! They help sweep out  negative attitudes. Good or bad, attitudes are contagious! Remember the old phrase “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy” ? If we are grumpy, our family will be grumpy! That’s not fun!  So we need to keep sweet by thinking good thoughts. Chalkboards help. When I am having a “bad hair day” or worse, (feeling overwhelmed or blue…you know when those “Ladies Days” arrive!) my chalkboards with scriptures remind me to be thankful and focus on my blessings rather than minor inconveniences (annoying as they may be).

img_0215As a kid I remember when someone said something mean, the come-back would be “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt  me.” Oh my, that is sooooo not true! Words can hurt us…but they can also help us, encourage us, lift, warm and bless our hearts!

I really believe that words are like seeds…spoken words and written words. Whatever seeds (words) we plant, we will end up harvesting. If we want to harvest love, joy, thankfulness, peace,  faith and hope why not plant loving, joyful, thankful,  peaceful, faithful and hopeful words

img_0247Chalkboards are such a simple thing, yet it’s message can be profound and life changing. They can bring comfort, and can remind you and your family to stand strong in what you believe in.  

img_0217This idea came from The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen Book (Click here to see my video review for the Farm Chicks Book!), which is filled with so many darling farm-style ideas for the home as well as yummy recipes! It’s an old drawer that I painted on the inside with Chalkboard Paint! The great thing about chalkboards is that you can change the message for a whole new look and theme!

 Think about using a chalkboard to write words of praise to your child to build up their confidance, significance and sense of belonging.  A little drawer like this would be perfect to personalize for a child, and to place in their room. I was thinking, you could glue a couple clothespins along the bottom or sides to clip on a  family photo,  extra love notes or sticks of gum and candy! What child wouldn’t love that? What a cozy little nook of love that would be!

img_0221You may notice that the artwork and writing on my chalkboards are very clear and bright…..it’s because  I have discovered the wonderful world of Chalk Ink Markers They are the same product that Starbucks Coffee uses on their charming chalkboards!

pumpkin-spice-latte-sign-7854461The great thing is they come in a variety of fun colors and they’re all washable! When you are ready for a new look or message, you wash it off! You can use water, or Windex. Sometimes I sprinkle on a tiny bit of Bar Keepers Friend (sink polish) if I have gotten the color on real thick. Take a look at BEFORE AND AFTER on my pantry door…img_0241

This is the “BEFORE” with regular chalk…..(as you can see the regular chalk was starting to smear).

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And AFTER with the Chalk Ink Markers! The colors are also blendable as you can see by the peaches I drew.

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Chalkboards can also add a happy touch of what I call “Disney Whimsey!” (y’all know I’m a Disney girl!)

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This past Christmas I hung this chalkboard (it used to be a headboard!)  in my kitchen for a little Holiday Sparkle!

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You can use Chalk Ink Markers on plastic, metal, mirrors, car windows!img_0255

Gals, it’s the little things we do to make our house a home.

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Don’t you just love to get together with a gaggle of gals for a little Girl~Talk? We learn so much great stuff from each other! Well, I am so excited about a new feature that I’ll be adding in a week or two…It’s a forum….Girl-Talk with the Sugar Pie Sisterhood!  This is where everyone can join in and talk about anything from cooking, gardening, beauty, decorating, Holiday ideas, parenting or anything to do with homemaking! You can share your favorite recipes, products, tips and advice. You’ll also be able to ask a question or answer a question! I know all of you have lots of great ideas to share…well, your chance is coming! Woo hoo!

To celebrate, I will be having another give-away!

Be sure to check out my new Blue Ribbon Product Review and see those chalk in markers in action!

I also wanted to remind y’all to change the address you have listed for my site from warmpiehappyhome.blogspot.com to www.sugarpiefarmhouse.com (thanks sugar!)

Blessings and hugs!

Yee Haw!
Aunt Ruthie

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Warm Pie Happy Home

The Farm Chicks Book Review and Chalk Ink Markers Review

Written by Aunt Ruthie on April 17th, 2009

The Farm Chicks Book Review
Blue RibbonIf you look up the word adorable in the dictionary I’m pretty sure you’ll find a picture of The Farm Chicks book!

Every turn of the page is a delight to the eyes! Not only does it have recipes such as Cherry Breakfast Swirl, Butterscotch Pie, and Enchilada Soup, but there are darling storage tips and decorating ideas that will inspire you to doll up your home!

Teri and Serena also share their fascinating life stories. They are just the sweetest farm-gals ever! Included in the book you also receive a free one year subscription to Country Living magazine! (You need to save your receipt and send it in with the subscription card!). LOVE IT!

If you’re interested in ordering The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen: Live Well, Laugh Often, Cook Much I recommend my favorite online store Amazon!

See it on Amazon.com

Chalk Ink Markers Review
The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen Book talks about using chalkboards throughout your home, which reminded me of my secret chalkboard markers! Oh my, I love these liquid chalk markers! I discovered them at Starbucks one day…

Chalk Ink Review
Blue RibbonI asked the gal behind the counter what they used to make their chalkboards so charming, vibrant and colorful….she pulled out one of these markers to show me….I could not wait to get me some! I found them on Amazon and since then I’ve had so much fun creating all kinds of messages to bless my home and family! I have chalkboards all over my house. I love to write fun quotes, scriptures, the menu for an event, love notes, welcome home and Holiday greetings. They wipe clean with water, or Windex. If the color is extra thick, you can sprinkle a little of Barkeepers Friend sink polish, and scrub the chalk off. You can blend the colors while they are wet and write on anything that is non-porous, such as plastic containers, mirrors, windows, and metal.
Chalk Ink Earthy Colors SetThey come in a variety of colors. The Earthy Set of 8 Chalk Ink Markers includes these colors: Grape Jelly, Granny Bird Blue, Popcorn, Cayenne, Parker’s Dreamsicle, Teddy Bear, Green Tea, Spanish Tile.

Chalk Ink Classic Colors SetThe Classic set of 4 Chalk Ink Markers includes these colors: Chalk White, Clown Nose Red, Pacific Blue, and Smiley Face Yellow. Chalk Ink Markers are clear and bright and really make your chalkboard message something special, beautiful and fun. It’s the little things that we can do that make our house a home…a chalkboard with a message of love is one of those things!

If you’re interested in ordering the Earthy Set of 8 Chalk Ink Markers or the Classic set of 4 Chalk Ink Markers I recommend my favorite online store Amazon!

See it on Amazon.com

If you don’t want to order an entire set you can also order the markers individually:
Chalk White
Piggy Bank Pink
Astroturf Green
Clown Nose Red
Jack Black
Candy Corn Orange
Cayenne Pepper
Granny Bird Blue
Grape Jelly
Green Tea
Parkers Dreamsicle
Smiley Face Yellow
Spanish Tile
Teddy Bear Brown

Chalk Board Paint
Gals, this is the chalkboard paint I use! It’s called Rust-Oleum Chalkboard Paint
Chalkboard Paint
Blue RibbonIt is so easy to apply onto an old cupboard door, or a vintage drawer to create an adorable surface to write loving messages to your family. As shown in the Farm Chicks book, Serena and Teri made farm-style chalkboards out of white enamel-ware pans! How cute is that!! I use a sponge brush to paint it on. You will want to give it two coats. It dries fast and the clean up is a breeze! This is such a darling home project, a fun and easy gift for a friend, and a great craft to sell!

If you’re interested in ordering Rust-Oleum Chalkboard Paint I recommend my favorite online store Amazon!

See it on Amazon.com

Here’s some more pics, just for you ;)

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