Pantry Door + Chalkpaint = Best-Ever Family Central Command Station for Small Spaces!

Okay, so my January project was to chalkpaint my pantry door (on the inside) and create a "central command" with everything from a calendar to a grocery list (and of course, one cannot go without inspirational quotes and cute doodles). I chose to do the inside of the pantry door so that if I had lists that got messy I wouldn't waste too much time rewriting them to be "pretty" since the whole world could see. This way, if it gets messy (as I'm sure it will!) I don't have to do anything but close the door and smile (because I secretly have everything messy-organized on the inside). Ha! 

I have to say I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the way it turned out! I cannot even tell you how over-the-moon I am for this pantry door...I could kiss it (and, side-note, my two-year-old would probably think that was totally normal because she kisses everything from her stuffed animals to Mickey Mouse on the ipad screen these days). Anyway, without further ado...my pantry door!

Long story short, I did the standard chalkpaint techniques of 1) Wipe down door with a wet rag (and let dry) 2) Paint 2-3 coats of chalkpaint (I used small roller and did 3 coats) 3) Let cure for 3 days 4) Rub down entire door with a coat of chalk and let set 3-5 minutes (Side-note: Hubs thought I was LEAVING the door this way-hahaha! I almost died laughing! In his defense, he took it all in stride. I cannot imagine what was going through his head!) 5) Wash chalk off door until clean and chalkless (this took about 5 washings for me) 6) Go for it! Chalk away my friend!

What does this Family Central Command Station hold? Let me tell you my friends, there is a calendar (with pockets!), a bulletin board, a space for this week's dinner menu, a space for things we need from the store, and a space for my to-do list. There is also a daily schedule and some of my favorite inspirational quotes (including "Live more like a lyric and less like a list" ~Emily Freeman). All in all, I am very happy with this project and it has already helped give my easily-distracted-self a landing place for things that would have otherwise flown out of my head. (Plus, it makes me smile every time I look at it. Who doesn't love a project like that?)

Things I learned for next time: 1) I might try a little bit bigger roller. I just used one I had and something about it was a little wonky. I had to press really hard to get a coat...not sure if that's just chalk paint or if it was the roller. In the end though, it turned out just fine. 2) When you do the thin coat of chalk on the door and wipe it off you will probably have to use 4 or 5 old (wet) rags to get all the chalk completely wiped off. Let it dry between cleanings so you can see if it still looks hazy. Once it's fully clean it shouldn't have a hazy look to it at all. 3) I need to learn to take better pictures! Goodness me, these are all crooked or weirdly-angled...you'd think I let my toddler take the pics! 4) Everybody who is anybody and chalkpaints should buy chalkpaint markers. MARKERS! They are amazing and write so much nicer then regular chalk. I think they are one of the best-ever gifts I've ever recieved! (thanks mama!) :) 

So there you have it. My January project and the thing that currently makes me giddy! What are some projects you are working on? What tips and tricks do you have for staying organized?

This post is linking-up with Creativity Unleashed, Craft-Frenzy Friday, & Family Fun Fridays. Visit these hosts by clicking on their link-up name!