Chalk It Up...

By nature I am a doodler, a list maker and a fan of beautiful penmanship. I see no better media than chalkboards to sketch your latest innovation or scribe a daily love note.Chalkboard paint as graphic art.
Framed as note-worthy art.
On cabinet door fronts for public notes......or on the interior for private thoughts.

Interesting on accessories.
Not just school house black and green, but a rainbow of colors.

Incorporated into architecture.The ideal grocery list, never forget the milk again.

Unlikely locations. My guest bath includes a chalkboard perched on the counter top. A impromptu (and always entertaining) guest book.

Play rooms and kid's rooms.
The mud room or craft room.
Never forget an important event again.

Stylized every day objects. Make the ordinary extraordinary.
Ensuring your children never forget to wash their hands and brush their teeth...
..and never forgetting to just have fun.

Martha Stewart's Custom Chalkboard Colors How-To:
1. Start with flat-finish latex paint in any shade. For small areas, such as a door panel, mix 1 cup at a time.
2. Pour 1 cup of paint into a container. Add 2 tablespoons of unsanded tile grout. Mix with a paint stirrer, carefully breaking up clumps.
3. Apply paint with a roller or a sponge paintbrush to a primed or painted surface. Work in small sections, going over the same spot several times to ensure full, even coverage. Let dry.
4. Smooth area with 150-grit sandpaper, and wipe off dust.
5. To condition: Rub the side of a piece of chalk over entire surface. Wipe away residue with a barely damp sponge.

Designing Green...

Designing green is no longer just a buzz word or a trend. Being green is hip, chic and above all the environmentally responsible thing to do. Certainly a complete overhaul of your home, from water heater to sustainable flooring, would leave the LEED folks smiling. But, this sort of major transformation may not be in the cards, or should I say budget? A green update to your home is attainable with a nominal monetary investment in a quality paint and good brush. Environmentally friendly paint technology offers good coverage and health benefits to Mother Earth. Purchasing Eco friendly paint does more than just promise low off gasing or VOC limits. Paint companies are really thinking, "outside the paint can." Before you roll out the drop clothes consider purchasing paint from companies committed to:

• Reducing waste and conserving natural resources in manufacturing facilities.
  
• Using sophisticated software to determine distribution routes to minimize fuel.


• Increasing the use of bio diesel fuel.


• Implementing recycling programs at offices, stores and distribution centers.


• Installing energy efficient systems at all new plant facilities.


• Pioneering the use of renewable or sustainable raw materials in some formulations.


• Using blown-in-line colorant bottles that use less resin, save freight costs and reduce the volume of hazardous waste.


• Filling paints in sustainable plastic containers made from 100% recycled post-consumer resin with labels containing recovered fiber and post-consumer waste, printed with soy ink.


• Consider Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore or Farrow and Ball.
  

Tune in often for more updates on Designing Green topics from inexpensive DIY updates to more substantial investments.