Chalk boards and you

Set aside those sore memories of the classroom and embrace the fabulousness that I will call, for the sake of being annoying, "chalkboard chic"!

Here are some neato chalkboard-finished items available on the market:

(via uma)

(via uma)

"But wait," you say, "I can't find knick knack X in a chalkboard finish!"  Never fear, dear reader.  As many of you know there are chalkboard paints available (in both traditional paint out o' the can and spray paint forms), so the possibilities are endless!  These products are available in black and green, but other colors are rare, so if you want to change up the colors, or you just want to be thrifty with some paint you already own, use a DIY recipe like this one.  I am told by a 17-year-old "expert" working in the paint department at Lowes that any flat darkly- colored paint will do the trick as well, but I'm skeptical that it would stand up to repeated uses. 

On with the projects ... 

(Via Fancy Schmancy)

(via design is mine)

(via make)

(via Martha)

(via Viva Full House)  It uses magnetic paint too!  Mind.  Blown.

 

Ooh!  And lookey here at this product - chalkboard oilcloth!  Imagine a kitchen tablecloth or placemat made out of this stuff?

(via Bell'occhio)

I have got some chalkboard details planned for our wedding decor.  More on that in our wedding debriefing series ... coming in late May. 

I look like who??!

What follows is a list of people whom I've been told that I look like, and my reactions to said doppelgangers. NOTE - Battlestar Galactica spoilers lie ahead!!!

Nicholas II of Russia

Alright, so this guys official title was "Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias." If you were to tell me his official title, and not show me his picture, I would say that I definitely look like him. An older Russian patron in Rego Park told me that I look like him.

Jack Black of Tenacious D

There was a couple of years when I was constantly compared to this guy. I must have been the perfect weight ("awesomely plump") and had a beard of just the right length ("awesomely sparse") during this time. I estimate that this period occurred sometime around the release and critical acclaim of School of Rock, for which I believe Mr. Black earned an academy award.

Jesus Christ of Nazareth

Yeah, this is a funny story. So a youngish kid comes up to me one day, and after a few awkward seconds of him gazing at me, he goes "are you a Christian?" Now, I'm not entirely comfortable answering this question because A] I'm at work, B] he's a kid and I don't want to mold his pliable mind, and C] he's gazing at me. I answer his question with a question of my own - "Why do you think I'm a Christian?" He answers, "well because ... " and motions scratching an invisible beard. So yeah, I look Christian because I have a beard, never mind that Hasidic Jewish gentlemen also have beards, as do many Muslim guys.

Chief Tyrol of Galactica

So hear is a great example of how JUST BECAUSE I HAVE A BEARD DOESN'T MEAN I LOOK LIKE OTHER PEOPLE WITH BEARDS! I don't really see the resemblance here, but I have it on good word that I look like this guy. But seriously, I could do worse - Chief Tyrol is a great character on Battlestar Galactica, even though he may or may not be one of the Final Five! Oh crap I forgot to insert the ::SPOILER ALERT::!!!

Dolphin of the Ocean

So a few days ago, I was locating some dolphin books for a kid, when another little angel came up to us and goes to me, "you look like a dolphin!" Well, this was definitely a first. But I reacted like any typical 26 year old guy would. I started shrieking in a high pitched voice "I AM NOT A DOLPHIN - I AM MANNNNN!"

The End.

Neat Old Stuff: We're fans o' these fans!

Look at these!

We bought this first one on ebay because, well ... it is called the "Wizard Husky."  Hard to argue with that.  It has holes and hardware such that could have been mounted on a dashboard.  I am not sure what advantage this has over rolling down a window, but it sure is cute!  The only problem is, with the sturdy steel blades and sparse wire cage, one is at risk of turning a perfectly good arm into, as my father would say, "a three-fingered elbow."  I refuse to let Matt turn it on, and keep threatening to snip the cord off when we have children.

This next beauty is also really neat looking, and it is safe enough to actually use!  We bought it for $40 at a flea market, probably a steal considering it still works great and it was HOT that day.

The flea market, by the way, is called the Antiques Garage, located on West 25th between 6th and 7th.  Open Sat-Sun 9am-5pm.  Highly recommend it!

Eat your heart out, MacGyver!

So I try to bring my lunch to work everyday. Some days I'm more rushed than others and occasionally I forget something. Well, the other day I forgot an vital part of my lunch - a fork.

I looked around, hoping to find a plastic replacement somewhere. All I could find was spoons. Spoons! Spoons are no good to me! What I needed was a fork! Or perhaps some sort of spoon/fork hybrid ...

That's when I had what I deem to be, without question, the best idea ever. I grabbed an extremely sharp pair of scissors nearby, and viola! A hand crafted Spork of the highest order!

The evolutionary apex of the spoon!

Another lunch successfully consumed!

And in a related story, I want one of these Titanium Sporks.

Cutlery of the Gods!

Dont mess with a Spork.