A while ago I got this idea to change a picture frame into a chalkboard frame and use it in the kitchen. I had a picture in my mind of the perfect frame and wanted one of those really chunky ornate ones. Since we have moved into this apartment I have been looking all over for the frame but couldn't seem to find the right one. Will put his foot down and said no to this one from IKEA.

And honestly it wasn't quite what I was looking for and the $30 price tag seemed a little high for an IKEA find. Also, Will didn't like the chalkboard idea and instead wanted to use dry erase board which I wasn't really too fond of. So I started feeling like this project was never going to happen and the wall in my kitchen would forever be bare. But then I spotted it! I was walking through the aisles of Hobby Lobby and found this adorable cork board with a great frame. Bummer that it was a cork board and not a picture frame though.

 After a little investigation it turned out that it actually was a picture frame but instead of putting glass in it they replaced it with cork. So I went to their framing department and had them cut a piece of glass to fit. A quick stop by the fabric department for some burlap and voilà! I decided to paint the frame green to give a nice pop of color in the kitchen.

Don't be fooled by the picture. This job definitely should have been done with spray paint but I don't really have an ideal place to spray paint and didn't feel like carrying the whole project down to the grass in the Texas heat. So after many coats, throwing away many cheap paintbrushes because they left bristles behind, a trip to the store to get a better quality brush, and a coat of protective enamel it was finished! 

Right now it is being used as a to do list and a place to write down things that I need to get. When we have guests over I write the menu for the night on it.

There it is in our apparently very dark kitchen. Hmm I really should take better pictures of my projects.

I am going to start posting pictures of our apartment and the projects that I have been working on to make this apartment feel more like our home. "But Erin, how do you have time to work on these projects and get back to blogging?" you ask. Why because I passed the NCLEX! Yep, no more studying for me. Now I just need to find a job.

So one of the first projects I made for this apartment was a picture for the entryway. I wanted something simple and that would be easy to do. This is what it turned out to be:

Sorry that the pictures aren't very good. It is in a funny corner to photograph and right next to a window. I just love how this turned out and it was so simple to make! I took a picture frame with a mat from IKEA, some fabric, and a piece of tan cardstock and made this in just a few minutes. Will and I created the monogram on our computer and printed it out. I lined that up on the fabric and used a little hot glue to keep it in place. I centered the cardstock and fabric in the picture frame and Hubby hung it up for me. That was all it took to add a little welcome to our apartment.

So I know it has been over a month since I last posted and Will and I have had a ton of blog-worthy life changes happen recently but studying for the NCLEX has killed my spirit.  Quick recap: we graduated, got an adorable puppy, and moved to Austin.

Phoebe, the cutest dog ever.

We are working hard to get our new place all cozy and decorated when we have some spare time. Here is a sneak peak of some of the fabric for our living room and the awesome lamps I just ordered from Kirklands.

I just love the fun leaf pattern and that it goes with the couch Jim and Melinda gave us.

I couldn't pass these up. They are (hopefully) the perfect color and less than $25!

Will is working full time as a contractor for NVIDIA and I spend my days taking practice NCLEX exams and watching the pup. The NCLEX exam is rapidly approaching, I take it on June 24th. Once I get that over with, be prepared for lots of blog posts!

That's right, Phoebe is finally here! My dad went and picked her out yesterday and she is getting to know the family. Will and I will finally get to meet her on Sunday when they bring her up for the graduation ceremony. In the end we went with a miniature Schnoodle (Schnauzer & Poodle) puppy because they have floppy ears and are super adorable. Just look at all of these pictures!

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As you know, I am officially a college graduate! While this is super exciting and all, I still have a lot of studying to do. The NCLEX is the national licensing exam for registered nurses and I will probably be taking it in about a month. The NCLEX is a beast... minimum of 75 questions and a max of 265 with up to 6 hours to complete it. It is a computer adaptive test, meaning that it changes depending on if you get a question right or wrong. Also, I can't be a real nurse unless I pass. So in order to prepare myself for the exam, I am taking a review course. A spirit crushing review course. We basically sit through two sessions a day, 3 hours each, and go over questions and the thought process for how to answer them. Yesterday we started with the topic of pharmacology. Did I mention that is has been a year since we had a class on pharmacology? Oh, and that pharm could be up to 20% of the questions you get on the NCLEX? Yeah. So hopefully the next few sessions will be better than yesterday because that wasn't pretty.

My dad is going to pick up Phoebe tomorrow! We had a slight change in plans, the little black female from last week that was suppose to be Phoebe didn't pass her vet exam. So now Dad is going down to pick out a puppy for us. Thanks Dad! We will get to meet her on Sunday when they bring her up for Will's graduation. We are super pumped (for graduation and the puppy!)

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Boy was that a good week/weekend. My parents, sister and grandparents came up to Chambana on Wednesday evening. We had a delicious dinner together at the Great Impasta - a restaurant in Urbana where they make all of the pasta by hand. We got up early and left Thursday morning to head to Chicago. After working our way through Chicago traffic and a major elevation in my blood pressure, we made it to the University of Illinois Chicago campus. For the record, I do not like driving in big city traffic, especially when following someone and trying to not get separated.  We ended up getting to the Pavilion early and they didn't have the building open yet so we went across the street and had a photo session.

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Well, it is official... I am done with my BSN. No more exams, no more clinicals, no more assignments, and no more 3 hour lectures! I cannot believe that I am done with my undergraduate career, now I just need to start/finish a master's degree.

So what did all of us nursing students do to celebrate the momentous occasion? We jumped into an outdoor pool that was just filled last week! I guess it is becoming a U of I nursing tradition to jump in the pool while wearing our nursing uniforms once classes are finished. Last year it was a beautiful, warm, sunny day and the pool was packed with people enjoying the weather. This year it was less than 60 degrees outside and we had to wait for a lifeguard to get there because they had sent everyone home early since no one wanted to be in the pool. The water felt great... getting out, not so much.

1... 2... 3!

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