But not today.
I have this problem of not being able to visualize things very well. And it stinks when you like to pretend like you are good at decorating your house.
Take, for instance, this empty spot next to the fridge. (And yes, good bloggers take photos during the day but this blogger has to work during the day to pay for this lovely kitchen. Feel the unicorns being sucked out of this post already?).…
I came up with the brilliant idea that a big ol’ chalkboard would be a perfect thing for the space.
This is where I usually rely on Nate’s wonderful vision to squander moronic plans like this. Unfortunately he is currently working 767 hours per work (not a typo) and is an accounting zombie. No, seriously. I’m so concerned I started doing cardio.
I instead relied on my good friend Ryan Gosling…
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| via Handmade Ryan Gosling |
I got my board and slathered it with chalkpaint. I got ready to have Nate hang it. And…it looked weird….
It actually looks a little better in the photo than it did in person. In person it looks all cheap and weird. Totally made the kitchen all red neck. Did I mention that it looked weird? I even tried to rationalize that maybe if we trimmed it out it would look better. Luckily Nate had rested enough on Sunday to let me know that there was no saving this project. Better luck next time, kid.
I’ll save that lovely little chalkboard though. I’m sure it will find a loving place to live in this home of ours.
Who’s glad they didn’t have to see another darn chalkboard? Any big failures on your end lately? Chalkboard successes? Anyone else find those Ryan Gosling photos a lot funnier than one should?
I think these Ryan Gosling photos are just too funny!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the Ryan Gosling photos - I have no idea where they originated, but omg they are hilarious! And I feel your pain being married to an accountant... it's like being a widow 4 months out of the year! :(
ReplyDeleteI read a really interesting article yesterday about keeping blogs a happy place, about failure and home decor. http://bitchmagazine.org/article/better-homes-bloggers I found it inspiring, and strangely enough, it kicked my butt to do a DIY I wanted to do forever now. Maybe because I didn't feel I had to :-)
ReplyDelete[Good luck with the chalkboard... I don't think it looks that bad but I believe it when you say it looks worse in person. Sometimes photos have a way of tricking you ^^]
Poor Michelle. :( I have to say, I thought this post was going to be about a unicorn/baby goose project that failed when I first read the title. And I was like "Hmmm. First cows, now unicorns and baby geese...maybe she's on to something?" ;)
ReplyDelete(The fact that I think first of baby geese when I hear "gosling" gives a glaring insight into my lack of celebrity knowledge, I'm afraid.)
I want you to watch more TMZ for me. :)
DeleteGosling. Goose. Can't stop laughing.
Love the Ryan Gosling photos. & You're right it doesn't look bad in the pictures. I've seen people use big magnetic sheets on the side of the fridges, like the space you have - maybe you could try that?
ReplyDeleteok, well thank goodness there's no chalkboard in this post. ;) seriously i still love them.
ReplyDeletewhat if you painted a rectangle directly onto the panel there and the just added some molding to make it look like a framed chalkbaord? i think that might fit the look of your kitchen more- a little more elegant?
I'm too afraid to paint it and hate it..that's why I went the board route. Good thing too!
DeleteRYAN GOSLING LED YOU ASTRAY!!! I keep flip flopping on chalkboards...sometime I love them and sometimes I think they just look dumb. Maybe a corkboard would work in that space?
ReplyDeleteI freaking love the Ryan Gosling pics, partly because they are funny partly because he is "slap yo momma" hot.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the other posters. Could you make it a mixed bulletin area? Corkboard, fabric/ribbon criss cross board to display pictures, and/or magnet board? I think it is a great message/to do/photo spot, but maybe no chalkboard if you don't love it? Would a frame help the chalkboard? Look at this idea: http://pinterest.com/pin/152629874840855709/ Maybe a variation of this?
I used a large, LARGE 3'x2' picture from 12 years ado and I painted the chalkboard directly onto the glass and painted the frame white. Then I just hung it on the wall. Turned out great. I wish I were better at actually writing cool stuff on it...
ReplyDeleteI think you should paint the entire side wall in chalkboard ceiling to floor. The chalkboard really looks great once you have "seasoned" it with white chalk.
Gosling fail! I'm definitely with everyone else about trying again or doing a cork board, I think something like that would look really good there.
ReplyDeleteI bet that chalkboard would look great all trimmed out (red?) in the mud/Ike room!
ReplyDeleteI still have zero chalkboard painted artifacts in my house. I'm a little behind the times. Major bummer that this was a total no-go. It sounded like a perfect place for a chalkboard!
ReplyDeleteWe actually just hung a homemade chalkboard in our kitchen last week. I got the husband to trim ours so it matches another frame in the kitchen and the red wall in the adjacent laundry room. I don't think the chalkboard looks "rednecky," but perhaps my whole already looked that way. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThat's alright. We all have those fails. Some rest, maybe a cupcake, and some Ike snuggle time sound in order. Your kitchen is beautiful just the way it is. :)
ReplyDeleteI like how you think Ms. Faith...
DeleteOkay, first things first, THAT is how you title a blog post. I haven't even read the post yet, I'm commenting on the title alone. I was an english major in college, and I remember one professor pounding into us the importance of a "sexy title" for our papers. THAT is a sexy title. Okay, I'm going back to read the post now. I'm so excited.
ReplyDeleteI really should have gone with Unicorns/Gosling/Zombies/Fail. Too much?
DeleteWait wait wait . . . Ryan Gosling isn't always right? This really makes me question some of my recent choices based on his craft memes . . . uh-oh. I never thought he would lead me astray! I'm glad to hear that you don't always knock it out of the ballpark with your decorating . . . I was getting intimidated by your almighty decorating prowess! And this probably just goes to show how poor of a decorator I am, because I don't think the chalkboard looks bad. In fact, when we buy a house, I'm going to paint an entire room in chalkboard paint. If the craft blogging community has taught me anything, it's that EVERY SURFACE can and should be chalkboard. With mustaches and chevron and a bunting.
ReplyDeleteI die. It totally is just missing a mustache and a chevron frame. What was I thinking.
DeleteI really want you to get a house soon...
I ditto Rachel-- love the post title. But hey, you win some and you lose some. Good thing it was an inexpensive fail.
ReplyDeleteYou'd never catch me putting a chalkboard up in my house. I don't like chalk. I have an extreme sensory aversion to it. When I was teaching I refused to touch the 5,000 sq. ft. of chalkboard space in my classroom. I'm pretty sure that the janitor was in love with me for that reason.
The Ryan Gosling photo seriously made me snort. Snort.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the chalkboard looks bad either. Esp. if you trim it out. But, I'm not really who you should be coming to for design advance.
^^And Rachel's comment above cracks me up too. Just add mustaches and chevron and I'm sure it will look good.
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ReplyDeleteI love the Ryan Gosling pictures! I've been trying to clue my husband in on the hilarity, but he doesn't get it. I mean, come on - "Hey girl..."
ReplyDeleteIt might be best that he doesn't get it. Because every time I mention a project now I get a "Hey girl" from Nate. Funny the 1st time. Not so much after that. :P
DeleteOh dear, I was planning on doing something similar in my kitchen. If you can't do it then I can't!! Hmmm maybe I will just leave the cream wall as it is!
ReplyDeleteWell hey - at least you didn't put the chalkboard paint directly on the cabinets! That would have REALLY sucked! If you have another spot to put it, try framing it with a large open picture frame (no glass). That's what I did and I love it! Here's a link that shows it - http://katreadwritelove.blogspot.com/2012/02/happy-valentines-day.html I meant to write a blog about how I made it, but I don't think it ever happened. You've already done the majority of the work though, all you need is a large open frame (Hobby Lobby has AWESOME deals on them in their clearance section - I got this one, which is at least 16x20 for less than $10) and a photo hanging kit or small nails to keep the chalkboard in place. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteLove your kitchen. Can totally identify with taking pics at night. I do the same thing for my blog too. Working full time means mainly night shots for the blog. :) You could frame the chalk board and hang it with a bench or a desk in that spot.
ReplyDeleteit looks good from here! but i trust you...but i think you should try some more options for all us bloggers who haven't yet tried this...so that we can learn from your mistakes and all ;)
ReplyDeleteYour fail was my win. I got to see Ryan Gosling because of it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Michelle :)
I'm not really digging his facial hair in this photo but blog readers can't be picky. :P
DeleteTragedy! I feel like I can't depend on Ryan Gosling anymore, and now life has no direction! (But the chalkboard really doesn't look bad from here!)
ReplyDeleteIf you can't trust Ryan, who can you trust?
Deletechalkboards do not have to be black.
ReplyDeleteI love those Hey Girl posters with Ryan Gosling. Have you ever seen his interview on MTV where he reads some of them? I die.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh Michelle,you are too funny! The Ryal Gosling photo made me laugh out loud and totally loved your title!
ReplyDeleteRule #1 cardio. haha. Sorry your chalkboard didn't work out. Maybe if you cut it down to a smaller size it'll look better.
ReplyDeleteMay I suggest painting the whole side in chalkboard paint, so it is 1 big chalkboard, http://www.findingsilverlinings.net/2011/03/18/yankee-stadium-is-in-our-kitchen-part-2/ I know Mindy follows, you just was not sure if you follow Mindy, but she does all kinds of fun things with her chalkboard wall.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck Leila
Oh gosh. Well, it was a really good idea and I'm sure you'll find something that will look amazing in that space. If it helps heal your wounds at all, this post made me smile!
ReplyDeleteIt seemed like a good idea and didn't look bad in the pic. I know how it is though when you have a design that looks fabulous in your head, but not so great in real life. I feel your pain. On the plus side, your kitchen is beautiful as it is.
ReplyDeleteLol oh god those Ryan gosling things kill me every time. What if you just painted over an old picture with a cutie frame, or even just on some sort of canvas etc? Then it would look maybe more stylish? Idk.
ReplyDeletei just about spit out my breakfast smoothie when i saw ryan. you kill me.
ReplyDelete