chalkboard paint magic.

i love. love. love chalk board paint.

i see it all over the craft blogs.  people use it on their fridge. their walls. jars. lamps, pumpkins. coffee tables.

yes, pumpkins.

say goodbye to that hideous almond colored fridge!

love this.  a lot.

cute wedding place "cards".

ahhh.  organization.

crib ends turned into an easel.

i really can't get enough of it.  i may have gone overboard with all the pics, but you gotta agree...these are some great ideas and so fun to look at.

now, if i can get my hubby to agree to paint an entire wall in the kitchen.

back during mother's day, we helped the 217church tots make special chalkboard paint flower pots for all the mommies.  they came out super cute.

you can get the terra cotta pots at any craft shop.  i bought the chalkboard paint, rhinestones, and pink paint at wal-mart...may be a bit cheaper there than at michaels or ac moore.

just use the sponge brush to paint a coat or two with the chalkboard paint.

let it dry completely so you can hold the pot to paint the top lip.  pink would definitely not be my first choice of color, i'm more of a turquoise-kind-of-girl. or you can paint the whole pot black.

once everything is dried, rub chalk all over the chalkboard paint to "cure" the writing surface.  

just from my own, personal experience, i can offer you these two very, very important suggestions...

tip 1:  do not paint over white carpet.

tip 2:  do not let your pre-schooler help. 

just sayin.'

traditional chalkboard colors green or black don't tickle your fancy, but you'd love to have a chalkboard wall in a more desirable color?  good ol' martha has come up with a recipe to make your chalkboard wall dreams come true.

what's your favorite chalkboard use from above?  have you used the paint before?  how did it work out for you?

thanks for stopping by and be sure to stay cool...this heatwave is sick.

jill

i love me a farmers market.

oh and especially if they're right down the road.

double score.

we've hit up a few in the area, toms river, barnegat, seaside heights...

last week, the lacey farmers markets down the road from us opened, but i missed it due to rain.  still not sure what they have, i stopped by there two years ago to pick up berries for a pie i'd make weekly for the cafe.  then i realized how much easier it was to buy the large bag of mixed berries at costco.

easy trumps local/organic when you're running a business with a toddler in tow.  sorry.  but, if you are heading out to a market for your personal shopping, these places can be gold mines of cheap, fresh produce.  fresher than anything you can get in the supermarket.

as long as i can get a great loaf of bread, some pickles, and maybe some cider donuts with lots of sugar...then i'm a happy mamma.

don't let the carrots fool you, they have cider donuts in their hand.  i tried sneaking the donut bag under the stroller, but natalie can smell those things a mile away.

funny thing about these farmers markets down the jersey shore is that they are all primarily from north jersey.  why you ask? well, they go where ever the benny's are...and they are all "down the shore."

benny's = anyone from bayonne, elizabeth, newark, and new york.

and while i'm at it, let me define shoebies = philly folk that grace jersey beaches with their presence.  they got their namesake from bringing their lunch in shoeboxes to the beach, back in the day...according to my grandma.

my dealer.  

by the way, i don't share well with others...when it comes to pickles...  

unless you're cute.  lucky for these guys, they qualify.

and i have to say, those bakeries up north know how to make some kick-ass bread.  crusty exterior, chewy interior. amazing. i would have taken pictures, but i was too busy stuffing my face with samples.

aside from the few things that i look for specifically, these markets carry some great local products you can't really find anywhere else.  artisan shortbread cookies.  specialty vinegars. crab cakes.  local honey.

suffer from seasonal allergies?  head over to your farmers market and grab a jar of local honey.  here's why.

and they even have replacement jade plants for the one that was destroyed in our move.

look how pretty the replacement options are.

i'm sure where ever you live, you know of the farmers markets nearby.  but, just by chance you care to visit another farmers market if you're traveling out of the area...i've linked a page for your convenience.

what's your favorite market?  what do sell have that you absolutely must get every time you go?

while i'm at it, let me mention to those in jersey the upcoming food/wine festivals you should check out.

ocean county fair.  july 12-17.  berkeley township, nj.  okay, this doesn't really count as a food festival, but it may be worth stopping by if it isn't scorching out.

3rd annual lobster fest on the beach.  july 16th. bradley beach, nj.

9th annual state ice cream festival.  july 16th. toms river, nj.

walk in the vineyard wine trail weekend.  july 16-17.  statewide.

atlantic city food and wine festival.  july 28-31.  ac, nj.

we're going to the ice cream festival.  i. can. not. wait.  if anyone would like to meet up with us, contact me.  the more, the merrier.

by the looks of it, i'll try to make wednesday my post day.  if i aim for monday, i can get it on here by wednesday:)  let's just call that "the-jill-two-day-delay."

this may or may not have anything to do with the fact that i am pregnant...again.  wasn't really planning on another so soon, but it's all in God's timing.  and i'm alright with that:)

one thing is for sure...i'm in for it.

hope you all have a great week and upcoming weekend!

thanks for stopping by,

jill

my new happy place.

sorry, wegmans.  you're just too far to get to these days.

hubby and i once kayaked out here.  i think we were paddling through cedar creek and it's where the creek emptied out into the barnegat bay.

i thought i was going to die that day.  no joke.  the day started out calmly, by the time we exited the creek the waves were sooo hard to get through from the storm coming.  mind you, the only place to land was the little "baby beach" at berkeley island.  we got yelled at by the lifeguards.  seems ironic that we felt our lives were threatened and of all people the "life" guard yells at us.  hmm.

as much as i love hanging out in our backyard, this girl has got to get out sometimes...kids in tow.

the view here is great, there is a play area for the kids, crabbing/fishing dock, and a covered picnic area.  i love the small beach, too.  i'm a bit of a paranoid mama, so having a nice, quiet beach while the kids can play along the edge without getting swept out the sea makes me happy.

and there is a "life" guard.

and it's clean.

and it's free.

where else can you snack at the park and watch sailboats sail on by?!?

kids had fun today, but it was getting a little too hot for my red-head and toe-head.  next time, we'll just get there when it's cooler...like 6am.  ha.

now if i can just get a babysitter so i can enjoy this place quietly.

a girl can dream.

what's your happy place?