Job Chart!

I am just getting this one in under the wire.

Week #10, "J" week...

My kids are like every other normal kid--they don't really like chores, but they do like getting paid. I have tried to come up with some encouraging (actually CUTE) way to display a "chore chart." My girls have begged for one. They have created their own (but it wasn't cute enough for me) and my son could care less.

One day, I stumbled across this great idea at Shannon Makes Stuff and it was exactly what I had been waiting for:

Visit her blog on the above link for a great tutorial on her version.

I live about 45 minutes from a Hobby Lobby or Michaels and I tend to get a little impatient once I get something in my head. (Who me, no.....never impatient)

Anyway, I REALLY wanted to get this done so I picked up the little tin cups at Walmart and I already had the button magnets to glue to the back. Then I started scouring my local Peddler's Mall for at least a 10" by 10" frame. Then I ran across this little beauty:

It was 12" by 12" and it was already metal! One less thing I had to buy for it! And, I think the tray was about $4. I was so excited!!!

I proceeded to spray paint her the same color as "Bluebell". Yeah, spray painting again, I'm sure you all are SOOOOO shocked.

(Complete disclosure, I went through 5 cans of spray paint in one day this week!)

I found some cute scrapbook paper to line the back with and then I started cutting paper to put inside the cute little cups.

I am missing two cups because I couldn't find the last two magnets.

Yes, I am one of THOSE people who loses EVERYTHING! I can't find my cellphone about 3 days out of 7. It drives my friends nuts.

This 12x12 will hold 5 rows of 5 tin cups. Inside each cup I put a "chore" on a slip of paper, along with the money they can earn for the chore. I have 3 kids so each kid gets a row and each kid has a different pattern of paper. I have two extra rows that I use for "extra" chores. The kids have the option to earn more money by doing a chore on one of these rows.

This squirt is my youngest daughter. She was totally pumped about this chart. I think she woke up at like 5am to do one of her chores. No joke.

Once I got the tray upstaires, the blue was a little too bright for my room. I just took it outside (the scrapbook paper is not glued down--too impatient to wait for the glue to dry. The magnets hold it on!) and lightly sprayed over it with Heirloom White so some of the blue shows through.

Here is the final product sitting on my kitchen counter and all filled up with the chores and the cash:

Thanks Shannon for your inspiration!

For my family, each chore is worth $1. I thought it would be fun to fill it with change as well as dollar bills. It is cute, but the change makes the cups too heavy for the magnets. Next week I will probably just use the bills.

Next week is "K" week and I have some more great knock offs ( I just need to get some permission from the owners before I talk about them!)

Linking up to:

Come by and take a look!

2nd Installment---GIMME A B!

A bad day thrift shopping.

I had one on Saturday. I had THE PERFECT day planned. The closest big town is Paducah and I just knew they would have some lovely cast offs waiting for me to scoop up (insert hand rubbing, evil laugh here

Hubby and I drove all the way to Paducah (45 minutes), went to Salvation Army, Goodwill and Tuesday Morning and it was a total bust.

Yeah, you heard me. NADA. First of all Salvation Army was closed as was Tuesday Morning---WH-A-A-A-T??? (Hubby said good thing it isn't called "Saturday Morning" or it would be false advertising-yeah I gave him that look too. Don't mess with a girl on a bad thrift shopping day).

Thank goodness for Hobby Lobby, good old Hobby Lobby. You won't let me down.

I have read about and seen so many cute things people have bought for NOTHING at Goodwill. It makes me jealous.

I covet your Goodwills. Mine stinks. Really, well not literally, but it is really a sad place. Tons of clothes but no good stuff. I would dig through mound of stuff for cute things for my house, but I just can't dig through racks and racks of clothes. My ADD kicks in and I just can't focus.

In my town's defense, before we had Goodwill, we had (and still have) "Angel's Attic." It is a local thrift store that the proceeds support a local free health clinic. What I think has happened is people are trying to support Angel's Attic more than Goodwill. So honestly, Angel's Attic will come to a thrifting girl's rescue on occasion. We don't have a Salvation Army so I can't gripe about that.

Thank goodness where I live we have two "antique malls" that are part junk store, part cute boutique. People rent booths and sell all kinds of junk, er I mean, treasures. But man, have I found some cute things. I am telling you this because not everyone has a great Goodwill, but you may have a neat little "hole in the wall" store that looks weird from the outside, but get a buddy, get some courage and go inside. You never know what treasures await you.

Here are my favorite finds from my local "junk stores"

Snowflake (75 cents)--I hot glued it to a mirror on my mantle

Odd architectural thing ($11)

Christmas trees ($15 for the pair, they had a sticker on the bottom with the original price of $75)

Picture of some unknown kid with a dog (but it reminds me of my youngest daughter and our dog) ($5)

Black bench ($45)--yes this one was pricey, but this thing is about six feet long and thick and chunky. I love it in my foyer!

Cruel-work pictures ($7.50 for 2)

Amazing wood framed mirror--note the detail ($30)

White terrarium thing ($5)

Shadow Box ($6)--you'll have to hear more about this on another addition of Decorating A-Z--maybe that will make you come back!

Wire Terrarium/Apothacary Thing ($12)

Yeah, some of the things are a little more expensive than what should be considered for a "thrift store." But another thing you need to know about me is that I am not very patient to wait for things to be marked down. Plus, as you know, at a thrift store if you see it, buy it or it won't be there tomorrow!

I guess the lesson is that "the grass is always greener on the other side." Or maybe more like, "the grass on your side isn't as bad as you think." Aw, heck, I don't know the lesson, I just need to learn to appreciate what I have in my own town. These stores have been pretty good to me!

Don't forget (when the weather warms up) to hit yard sales and auctions. I love auctions! Maybe one day I'll show you my "stubborn-I'm-not-going-to-let-you-win-it-you-strange-man-chair." But we need to get to know each other a little bit better before I reveal that vindicitive side of me.

I'm not sure who I can link this up to yet, but keep checking back I'll try to find something fun! I am still trying to educate myself on the mclinky, party thing. I really want to include you guys on the Decorating A-Z. Thanks for looking!