THE FUN "MENU" CHALKBOARD at THE NATIONS CAFE

A while back, I had an appointment with our Ladies Ministry Leader Lisa at church. Once done with our meeting, I ran into our Outreach Pastor, Michael. This was back around Thanksgiving, just as the holidays were gearing up. He asked me if I was interested in helping him on some different projects/ministries he had in mind. As we talked, he took me to where all the different items would be stored for our new food pantry and clothing project our church is instituting for the needy in Wilmington.

Stored back with other miscellaneous items was a pallet he had come across.

  
Immediately when I saw it, my brain lit up with ideas for how it could be used in our Church Café...

I got really excited and Pastor Michael just handed it over and said go for it and trusted me to make something worthwhile out of it. 

It was such a simple but fun project. (Although the part where I dropped a sheet of plywood on my toe and broke it...wasn't all that much fun.) LL  Seriously, in the midst of this part, laying out how the plywood would be attached...I dropped it. It landed straight up on my big toe. I was outside doing this part of the project and I imagine the whole neighborhood heard my screams and crying that day! I am not kidding.

Now since I had always heard that nothing could be done about a broken toe...I simply didn't go to the doctors. It became extremely painful, horribly black and blue and I couldn't bend it. Well, here it is 2 months later and it’s no longer black and blue but I still can't bend it and it aches all the time. And believe me, it about puts me through the roof if I accidentally bend it or hit it. It also has a huge knot on the knuckle. So…moral of the story? Lol... go to the doctor. I wish I had. Geez...

Another little mishap on this project was that when I first started it, I stenciled the name “Missions Café”. Then Michael called me and said there had been a mix up and that the actual name was going to be “The Nations Café”.  

  Was it too late? Hmmm….well actually yes it was, I had actually already finished the name up top. But guess what? I was able to repaint the “miss” on missions, and re-stencil “Nat” and insert a small 'the". I was happy about that since the stenciling part is the part I really don’t like!

But again, this was really easy. And as per the norm, using my dining room as my "shop" I got started. It stands about 6 ft tall and has a metal "leg" set up like a tripod on the back. So I painted it out the white. Picked up the plywood at Lowes, cut it to the right size and painted it out with chalkboard paint (several coats).

I stenciled the name (again) on the smaller board up top which I had also painted white. And the hubs nailed it all up for me. I could have myself, but I think his protective instincts kicked in so my other toes would be spared. I decorated it with a few Christmas decorations and voila! lol.. the finished project turned out awesome! How cool is that??!! I just love it! -If I do say so myself…Oh wait..I just did.

We use it now in our church cafe at Global River Church. It's called the Nation's Cafe. Y'all should stop in some Sunday morning and check out the café, have some coffee and some yummy treats... and maybe stick around to hear a good word or two…J