Menu Board

A while back I painted a few treasure buckets for my little guy.  But this wasn't the reason I broke open my first ever can of chalkboard paint.  I L-O-V-E the idea of a menu board in the dining room (I think it's the Italian part of me) and decided it was a great DIY project.  So I bought a unfinished picture frame and painted it white (using semi-gloss, no-VOC paint).  Then I painted the glass with chalkboard paint.  I contemplated using wood, but it seemed like a lot of work and I'm lazy, so I painted straight onto the glass.  I tried using a foam roller, but while it made nice even coats the paint went on in a weird texture. I opted instead for a paint brush.  The paint isn't as smooth as a normal chalkboard, but it just adds to the charm.  I seasoned the chalkboard by chalking the entire board before using and then erasing it. Viola, ready to use.  The picture doesn't do the board justice. I should have taken a close up.  The frame is made of recycled pallets so it has great texture and imperfections that come throughout he paint.

I moved our little wine rack under the board and styled it with: 1) a bowl of memento wine corks that I write the date and event on (idea from Pintrest), and 2) a tray from our wedding table arrangements that I lined with wine corks. I love that it is a daily reminder of our special day.  We use it to corral our cell phones so they don't get lost between the sofa cushions or other random places (and yes my phone is ancient, but I refuse to get a new one until it goes kaput).  The key is from my grandparent's house and it's waiting for a new home once I get around to that project.

One of the may reasons I love the menu board is that it has encouraged me to make a weekly dinner menu.  Once a week my husband and I try to sit down and plan the next weeks meals. It's fun and we get to use all the wonderful cookbooks I have in my cupboard.  I've never been good at sticking to pre-planned dinner menus, but the menu board helps.  I've found that menu planning ensure that we have a diversity of well rounded meals. The best part is that we have left overs for lunch the next day, which cuts down on eating out.