Before and After

A few days ago Dave’s mom asked me how everything was going {i.e. having two kids, being at home all day without Dave, etc., etc.} and I said something like, “It’s going great! I almost feel like it’s too easy…”

I have got to learn to stop saying things like that.

These first few weeks have been really easy…but now Sophia has come down with some sort of cold. Just a stuffy nose and a lot of drainage right now, but newborns and stuffy noses are a yucky combination. It makes it hard for her to eat and sleep – which just happen to be her two favorite activities.

We’ve spent a fair amount of time the past couple of days wielding the bulb syringe to suction her nose, giving her steam baths, and holding her upright so she can breathe while she sleeps. Poor thing…I feel so bad for her! I’m just praying it doesn’t develop into some sort of fever/cough type of thing.

Anyway. So I’ve got a sick baby curled up on my chest right now, a napping toddler in the other room, and I’m trying to find things I can do while sitting in bed holding a baby. Blogging happens to be one of them :) So would you like to see another before and after project I did?

Too bad, I’m showing you anyway :)

(And sorry. That was a really long introduction.)

I actually did this little project right before Sophia was born.  I’ve had these three woven seagrass baskets for about a year now. They were a a lucky clearance find at Wal-Mart of all places! I think they cost me $3.00 each.

They’ve been taking up residence holding books and magazines underneath our coffee table in the family room for awhile now. And I was perfectly happy with them just the way they were.

Then I saw these baskets at Target:

Kinda like mine, but bigger, and these had a little chalkboard label on the front. Mine did not have chalkboard labels. But I really wanted them to.

So I started thinking about how to replicate this at home and here’s what I came up with.

First up, a paint sample…thing…not sure what the official name would be, feel free to correct me if you know:

I’ve seen a lot of people incorporate these into various crafts and I have to say, it’s such a good idea. I mean, they’re FREE! It doesn’t get any better than that.

Next, we needed some of this:

Chalkboard spray paint

I covered the paint samples with two thin coats of chalkboard paint, then used a hole punch to punch holes (duh) in the four corners. Then I took some twine that I had laying around, poked holes in the seagrass baskets, and tied my new “chalkboard labels” onto the front of the baskets.

So before we had this:

And now we have this:

I think this basket looks right at home holding Lily’s books next to the fireplace:

I have yet to find a home for the other two – I’m thinking I’ll use one for blankets next to the couch and maybe keep the other one as a “magazine rack” underneath one of our end tables?

And yes…I need to buy some chalk so I can actually write on the labels :)

So Target, thanks for the inspiration but I will keep my $40.00 and just enjoy my Wal-Mart clearance baskets with paint sample thingys on the front. I think mine look *almost* as good – even if they aren’t as big and probably not as sturdy.

What do you think?

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I’m linking up to this fabulous lady for this fabulous party today.