Dollar Store DIY- Chalkboard Tray!

Gather your Materials

• Silver metal tray from the Dollar Store (it looks like the real thing!)
• Chalkboard paint (or spray paint)
• Ribbon
• Flat, wide paint brush
• E6000 (or hot glue)
• Tape
• Scissors
• Chalk!

Let's Get Crafting!

Prime the tray by wiping it down with some Windex or rubbing alcohol.  Let the tray dry.  Now, pull out your chalkboard paint and shake, shake, shake!  The stuff tends to separate, so shake it good!



Tape around the inner edge of the platter making sure to press the tape down firmly on the edge where the paint will meet so none seeps under.

Use a flat wide brush and in long even strokes, gently drag the brush across the tray in one direction. Don't go back and forth over it, even if there are bald spots, or you will mess up the smooth finish.  Wash your brush and let the tray dry for at least one hour before adding a second coat. 

Once you're ready for another coat, shake the bottle again and paint another layer across the tray perpendicular to your last coat.  Remove the tape carefully and let the tray dry for at least 24 hours before you touch it.


While the tray is drying, make your bow.  I used wire satin ribbon, but any ribbon will look nice.  Don't worry if it isn't perfect at first.  Just tug at it a bit until the loops look the same size and trim the tails to even them up.  For a finishing touch, I always put Fray Check on the cut ends of ribbon.


You can glue the bow on with hot glue, but I'm pretty much an E6000 girl.  So, I added a bit on the back of the bow and attached it to the tray holding it together with a binder clip. 


When the board is ready, you'll need to "season" it.  Take a piece of chalk and gently rub the side of it on the entire black surface.  Then, use a tissue to wipe it clean. 


Ta daa!  Your board is ready for a dozen different uses.  Use it as a message board, menu board, inspiration board, or maybe to leave a message to Santa.  Plus, it's magnetic!  I'm using mine as a menu board for our tailgating tent on The Boulevard.  More on that to come. 

Beauty, Brains and Benefit! Part I

This year I hosted my first House Party and it was a blast! The party was for one of my favorite beauty brands, Benefit Cosmetics.  I've been using the stuff since I first discovered Benetint about 15 years ago.  I still love their quirky packaging and product names.  They're too cute. 

THE SWAG


When I got the Party Pack from House Party I was blown away! Look at all the beauteous goodness! Unbelievable. And totally free. 9 full-size Hello Flawless, brightening foundation

• 1 full-size Benetint, lip & cheek stain
• 1 full-size Big Beautiful Eyes, eye contour kit
• 1 full-size Hervana, blush powder box
• 1 full-size PoreFessional, pore minimizing balm
• 1 full-size Speed Brow, quick set brow gel
• 1 Raising Eyebrows book
• 1 limited edition cosmetic bag
• 14 vials, cards and labels for Hello Flawless samples
• 14 deluxe-size PoreFessional samples
• 14 gift bags
• 14 magnet picture frames
• 14 coupon sheets

THE DECORATIONS
I started working on these as soon as I found out I was selected as a hostess.  Which was like a month before the party date.  hee hee.  I couldn't help it.  I was excited! 



Miss Betty:
Miss Betty greeted guests on the porch so they knew they were in the right place, and later joined us inside for photos ops. Along with a tulle skirt that was once a bridesmaid outfit, I dressed her up with frosted tissue paper roses, organza ribbon, a Benefit sign (which I downloaded from House Party) and some blingy yumminess.



Streamer Curtain:
I wanted to create a pretty photo backdrop that incorporated the various shades of pink and yellow from Benefit's logo while covering up the yucky backyard. The streamer curtain completely transformed the room. Guests could see it as soon as they walked in the "salon" and it totally set the fun and frilly tone for the rest of the afternoon.

 

Place Settings:

Next were the makeup stations. The table was covered with a yellow tablecloth, a length of funky floral fabric and little votives with frosted tissue paper roses running down the center of the table. At each place setting, I set out all the Benefit goodies including little pink mirrors from Party City and drinking glasses--Starbucks Frapuccino bottles--with the cutest paper straws from Cakes and Kids Too. 

THE MENU
The menu was a mix of savory and sweet tea party bites.  All in shades of pink and yellow, of course!


We munched on cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, artichoke mascarpone sandwiches, rice krispie treats drizzled with white chocolate dyed pink, shortbread cookies with lemon icing, lemon Jello marzipan and scones with lemon curd and strawberry butter. Our party beverage was strawberry lemonade. I HIGHLY recommend the strawberry butter recipe. I could eat scones with strawberry butter forevahhh!
Check out my Pinterest board for more little details.

So, that's the set up.  Watch out for Part II of Beauty, Brains and Benefit!

Silly Bees on Pinterest!

If you have a blog, you know how crazy it is to find your stuff on Pinterest! I for one, had no idea what it was all about until I did a search online for some of my tutorials. I do that from time to time to see where my stuff has traveled and to follow a cool blog who has featured my tutorial and linked back to me.

Anyhoooo, while doing one of these searches a few months ago, I found that my tissue paper flower corsages had been "pinned"! Wha?!  People really are reading! How totally cool.

So I joined Pinterest (this is me) because I am a blog-reading fool and am always bookmarking tutorials or copying and pasting links into an email addressed to myself.  I know.  Winning.

On another blog, I found out how to see who has pinned your stuff. If you wanna try it, the url is http://pinterest.com/source/your blog url here/  (Don't forget the last slash.) and that's it!






So, I though from time to time, I would do a Silly Bees Pinterest audit and see which blog posts are the most popular. Right now, it is my Old School Bunny Cake with 391 pins.  What the what?  I am totally shocked.  Thanks for the pin love, chickadees!