Smile And Wave

Celebrating our Kindergarten Graduate

This sponsored post was written in collaboration with Walmart Photo but all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

I remember my Kindergarten graduation (or promotion) ceremony more vividly than anything else from that school year. Well, except for getting my dress tucked into my tights after using the bathroom and having our sweet teacher's aid save me from the embarrassment of walking back to class like that. Those things stick with a girl! I'm not sure if it was more memorable because my Grandmother had flown out to be there or just because I was proud of myself in my handmade construction paper hat but I wanted Ruby to have a special memory surrounding her own ceremony. 

When I was contacted to review one of the photo products at Walmart, I knew the Mounted Photo option would be a great way to document my sweet girl's first school milestone. I'd seen the idea of having a high school or college graduate hold a photo of themselves as a kindergarten graduate to document how much they'd grown and accomplished. Not only would I be able to display it in our home, it would be more likely to survive all of the moves we might make between now and when Ruby graduates high school. 

I took her down the street in an oversized felt graduation cap from a party store and her favorite dress and we had a fun little photo shoot in front of a textured wall. I knew I wanted a classic shot so I changed it to black and white while editing and then decided I loved all three of these images. They perfectly display how perfectly silly, sweet, and beautiful she is. I'm her mama so I'm biased but I think she's something special. 

I then had her pose holding one of her photos so we can compare it to a future photo of her when she's 18 and ready to head off to college (or live at home forever which is her current plan). It'll be so special to compare the two and see how much she's changed and how much she's stayed the same!

I imagine she'll still be into sparkly nail polish, putting on "cheek blush", and loving on animals. She's also likely to be toting around her own camera, documenting all of her adventures along the way. Whatever this creative, joyful, spirited girl sets out to do, I hope she knows her mama will always be cheering her on, just like mine does. Also, I may get it in writing that she told me she's going to live with us forever. 

To help you get your photos off your camera and into your own hands, or the hands of a graduate, Walmart is offering one lucky Smile and Wave DIY reader a $50 photo gift card to use either online or in store in the Walmart photo department! You can use it to order those graduation announcement prints, get a family photo book made to send away with your grad, or order a celebration kit for your graduation party. 

TO ENTER TO WIN A $50 WALMART PHOTO GIFT CARD

• Post a photo that celebrates your favorite grad on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter with the hashtag #CapturedCreations and tag @walmart and @smileandwave for your chance to win.

Details: Gift card is only available to use in the Walmart photo department but can be used online or in store at one of the 3,500 locations nationwide using Mobile Image Transfer. Winner must be a US resident. 

I'll choose and announce the winner here next week. 

I know all of us busy moms can appreciate the convenience of affordable, same-day photo gifts and keepsakes. It means you can still get a special gift to someone in between picking up extra snacks for that last school field trip, finding a teacher thank you gift, making sure those graduation day outfits aren't still wrinkled from sitting in the clean pile on your couch (oh, just me?), and stopping for at least two minutes while you chug your coffee to reflect on how they were JUST BORN! 

How many of you teared up at your kid's kindergarten graduation ceremony?

xo,

Rachel

 

 

 

Glidden Paint Giveaway Winner

It seems there are PLENTY of people that have a painting project ahead of them this summer! I'm so happy to share that our lucky winner is...drumroll please...

 

Natanya Bittman said...

I would paint a fun plant stand/bookshelf I found on the side of the road. It's such a fun & sweet shape but the old dark wood color definitely needs some cheering up!

 

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Girl, I hope this paint makes life so much brighter at home! 

A big thank you to Glidden for sponsoring my fun bookshelf makeover and giving someone else the chance to give their own space a facelift!

-Rachel

 

Rescuing My Bookshelf from Crayons and Markers

This is sponsored post created in partnership with Glidden Paint. I received compensation for my honest review and all opinions accurately reflect my experience with this product. I'm always thankful for the support of sponsors that fit the Smile and Wave DIY brand.

I love encouraging my kids' artistic abilities and hope they learn to think outside the box in all creative ventures but, as many of you moms and dads know, that can sometimes lead to tagging the wall purple stick figures or practicing their name in sharpie on your unfinished IKEA crib. In this specific instance, it was testing out crayons and washable markers on a custom made bookshelf that I've had for a few years. It has survived three moves and been used in a variety of ways storing kids' toys, a typewriter collection, baby paraphernalia, etc. It's recently been put to use in my studio holding most of my yarn stash. It was looking a little tired before the crayon attack but once it was marked up, I decided I may as well find a way to make it even more exciting than before. 

When Glidden Paint asked if I was interested in trying out their new Glidden Complete-Stain Blocking, Paint + Primer with stain covering powers, I knew this was my chance to give my bookshelf the makeover it deserved. I cleared all of the yarn off to get a good look at the crayon and washable marker art work. You can also see the original lumber prints from the lumberyard. When the bookshelf was made, it was intended to sit horizontal on the ground so the lumber yard prints wouldn't show. Covering them up was another reason I was looking forward to hitting refresh on this storage piece. 

The crayon and washable marker weren't all over the place-just in a few key places. Both Ruby and Smith had added their contributions in the last two years. Here's a before shot of one of the areas that were marked on. 

Here's the same spot after two thin coats of Glidden Complete. You couldn't see the crayon at all after the first coat and  you can just barely see the washable marker after the second coat here.

I added a third thin coat just on that shelf and it was finally completely covered. I was impressed that such a light paint color was able to cover over the washable purple marker. I also tested a thin black sharpie in an inconspicuous spot and it was covered up after only one coat. 

This is the side of the bookshelf that had the lumber yard markings on it and they are ever so faint after one thin coat. I added a second coat for more even coverage and they are no longer visible. Woohoo! 

Once the bookshelf was done, I added some inexpensive crates that I spray painted a neon coral to add a little more fun to this space. I then added a coat of polyurethane to the crates so the spray paint wouldn't rub off on the bookshelf. I'd seen a similar peach and neon coral color combination online somewhere and knew this would be a little unexpected but also really cheerful. The peach color is really warm and happy. It's hard to do it justice in photos but I love how it looks with the coral!

For someone who enjoys a good project, I also prefer the easiest routes possible. The best part about this bookshelf makeover was not having to purchase a separate primer and knowing my paint was going to easily cover over both the darker markings and artistic markings without me having to sand them down. Two coats of paint feels pretty standard on most things when you're going for even coverage and the third coat on just one shelf to cover a tiny spot felt more like a touch up than anything. I like that the paint was thick enough to not need a lot of coats but also settled out smoothly so that I didn't have ridges everywhere. 

As always, it's a great idea to test something out in an inconspicuous spot or with a smaller paint purchase to make sure it's going to work for your project before committing your time and money to it. I've used a variety of paint brands and have enjoyed all of them but I appreciate the affordability of Glidden and the fact that this specific paint does what it claims to do.

I have a cute new bookshelf to store all of my yarn and my studio is feeling a little more exciting with these summer colors. It's amazing how a little paint job can make you feel like you have a new piece of furniture!

Because I'm sure some of you have your own summer projects you're eager to take on, I'm so thrilled to share that Glidden is offering four gallons of Glidden Complete-Stain Blocking, Paint + Primer to one lucky Smile and Wave DIY reader!

To enter to win, leave a comment below sharing what you'd do with a few gallons of Glidden Complete Paint and you could be halfway to painting your master bedroom or giving your own furniture piece a makeover!

A winner will be chosen on June 13th and announced here. 

Here's to a weekend full of fun projects!

-Rachel

 

 

Woven Leather Bench DIY for ABM

This woven leather bench will forever remain in my Top Ten Favorite DIY's list. It is one of those that worked out like a dream and could easily work in at least four rooms in our house. If you're not intimidated with purchasing and cutting up leather hide, you should add this tutorial to your list. Also, another to use your new weaving skills!

Check out the full tutorial and my best tips for choosing the perfect leather for this kind of project over at A Beautiful Mess. Also, thank you, IKEA, for having such fun plants. 

-Rachel