Chalk Board Wall

Funny enough, I wanted a chalkboard wall in the house before I knew they were popular. Even so, I set out to make one 2 years after the original thought. I absolutely adore it to pieces and had to share with you.

Here is the blank wall that stared back at you from pretty much every angel of the house. The entryway, the dining room, the kitchen and the main hallway. You can also get a nice view of it from the living area. Needless to say, it's the central wall for the house.

Boring eh?

Well.. with a few items and only $30, I transformed the space into our "Grand Central Station".

I used Valspar Chalk Board paint. I suppose you could use another brand, but I really like this one. It's never let me down.

You need to pick up one of these awesome boards. This will give you a smooth finish. I have textured walls so this was a great option for me. Not to mention the space I had was 9x5. This 8x4 fit perfectly. Another plus, is that you can take it with you should you move. And even better... for those that rent and can't paint. Yes. See. It's smart. Buy the board.

You also need to pick up 3 8x4x1 Boards for the framing.

We just happened to have this gallon of paint and primer in the garage. It was left over from when we painted the nursery {which I still need to finish before I can photograph}. It's coming. I promise.

I seriously bought the cheapest paint brushes. You need two of them. One for the chalk board paint and one for the frame color.

I gave our board two coats of Chalk Board paint.  Painted the framing boards white. Grabbed a few screws and there you have it. I of course created a vinyl for the board using my Silhouette. It had to have a pretty little title.

Do you not LOVE this! I don't normally brag on myself {I'm a perfectionist after all} but this filled the space just like I had envisioned and it's practical and personal. I simply can not get over how much I adore it.

Kyah has already made it his own. I figure they kids get the bottom half and we get the top. It's right at our eye level so we are able to write our Prayer Request, To Do List, "Don't Forgets" Travel Dates, etc. 

I have also gone back and recorded Kyah's yearly growth on the left side of the frame. I started with his birth height and added years 1 and 2. Can't believe in a few short months we will get to add year 3. We will add Amora's to the frame as well. Fun huh!

All in all, I could not be happier. What do you think? 

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Our new beauty in all of her glory...

I'm talking about our new "swagger wagon". Yes.. that's right. I have been humbled. I have also learned to never say never.

I have said for years that I would never drive a minivan. I have learned my lesson. After months of looking at Tahoe's and Suburbans, we finally settled on a Nissan Quest simply due to gas milage. We needed the space but didn't want to spend $200 to fill up.

Not to mention this beauty does have her perks. The sliding doors are a plus. The DVD player is great. Now I just need to get Kyah into watching them.

All in all, it's not the dream car, but it definitely suites our family's needs right now. And for that I could not be more thrilled. It does after all carry the most precious cargo in the world.

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2 Months Old

Our sweet baby girl is 2 months old! Seriously... I know that time flies by, but at this rate she will be driving next month.

She is growing so fast. We go for her check up in a few weeks so I'll post stats then. For now the home scale says she weighs about 11.5 lbs and she is 21" long. We'll see how accurate that is.

To celebrate her two months, we bought a minivan. Oh yes. I said Minivan. Words that I never thought would come out of my mouth. More deets on that next. 

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My New Book

I have some exciting news!!!!! 

Authors, Erin B Willamson and Mandy J Campbell, have come together to publish "Undeniable Love: Heartfelt Adoption Stories". As adoptive mothers they realized that the market was slim when it came to adoption books that inspire all parties of the adoption triad. With their combined love for adoption, passion to inspire and networking abilities, they have set out to share with the world the heart wrenching and undeniable love that affects all involved with adoption.

Please visit www.undeniablelove.com to learn more about our new book. Updates will be posted on our Facebook Page "Undeniable Love: Heartfelt Adoption Stories" as well as tweeted @UndeniableLove3. 

If you or someone you know has been touched by adoption, please check out the website, share the information and help inspire the world!

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My Sweet Baby Blues

Love this girl to the moon and back. She has been the most splendid addition to our family. Oh the stories I can't want to share {they are coming, I just have to finish writing them}.  Since part of the story isn't over it's hard to finish it. The good news is however; each passing day gets us one day closer to making her an official "Dub".

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Cheesy Avocado Rolls

The other day I wanted to make something using guacamole. I wasn't sure exactly what my hankering was for, but something warm sounded better than something cold.

I grabbed a few things from the pantry and the fridge and ended up with this amazingly yummy lunch. Kyah loves avocados so this was hit all the way around.

Cheesy Avocado Rolls

WHAT YOU NEED:
Flour Tortillas {Large}
2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 Cup Guacamole {I prefer homemade}
Drizzle of Olive Oil
Hot Sauce for dipping {optional of course}

HOW TO:
Being by laying out your tortilla. Place a generous amount of guacamole on one side close to the edge. Top with a generous amount of cheese. Roll tightly going around at least once. Slice off the remaining portion of the tortilla. {You don't want or need all of that tortilla}.

Heat a drizzle of Olive Oil in a skillet while preparing a few more rolls.

Slice rolls in half and place in skillet. Allow to brown 30 seconds {give or take} on each side. Place on plate and serve warm.

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