one of my long-time goals was achieved this weekend. i finally created the dream/vision pinboard i have always wanted…
generally, i am not a stiff, serious personality. it goes against who i am. i am a free-spirited personality and go with the flow most of the time. sure, i keep a schedule going for the sake of having easy day to day life with 3 kids…but i do enjoy being chill most of the time. however, i don’t enjoy the feeling of being adrift out there in the world without my mind set on goals – no matter what the area of my life. all of us manage to get through whatever our daily schedule is, but aren’t we ultimately working toward a bigger end? a bigger picture? bigger goals?
as a busy mother, it’s easy to get lost in the day to day and not have a “big picture” in mind. a picture of what we want/hope for in the future. you are so busy giving yourself to your children, your immediate family, your extended family, your job, your house, your spouse…and more. what about you? what do you have in mind for your future? do you have goals outlined to achieve in the various areas of your complex life?
goal setting is a powerful process. it helps you to create your ideal future and motivates you to turn your vision into a reality. goals basically help you choose where you want to go. they keep you on track with your ultimate dreams and help you figure out distractions that can lead you astray. by knowing what you want, you can focus in on those goals with pin-point accuracy – and before you know it = goal achieved!
personally, there are goals i would like to achieve as a mother, a daughter, a wife, plans for our financial future/retirement, (ahem – my attitude), and so much more. and now, importantly, as a new blogger.
so how had i been keeping track of my goals?
i would write them down on scratch paper. or type them up and save them on our computer desktop. sometimes i pull out magazine images/quotes that inspire me.
then what did i do?
i put them away. usually in a file folder in our office desk or in my inbox. but what is the use of having those goals/images sitting in a spot where i can’t see them?….daily? in a spot where they aren’t inspiring me? in a spot where that aren’t pushing me toward achieving them?
i had always wanted to create a pretty pinboard where i could pin all of my goals, dreams, and inspiring images. you could say that one of my goals was to create that pinboard – and i can now happily say i achieved that goal this weekend!
if you have been dreaming of creating a similar board for yourself or have always wanted a pinboard in general, here is how i created mine. and on a budget!
i bought this large 24 x 36 frame at michael’s. the frame was on sale at 40% off, but i used an additional 25% off coupon which is occasionally found in the weekly michael’s ad. i think they have the additional frame coupon in their ad this week, as a matter of fact. after coupons the frame cost $31.49…
i removed the frame backing and glass, then set the frame border on a drop cloth/table in the garage…
next, i removed those pesky staples in the back of the frame…
then i primed the frame with Zinsser primer…
one coat of primer was enough…
i had this spray paint on hand from another project and decided to make use of what i had left. it’s a classic gray color…
i painted the entire frame with 2 coats. this spray paint is amazingly easy to use and dries with a nice, smooth finish…
next, you will need a roll (or 2) of cork…(i’m about to say the word “cork” a lot – be prepared)…
this roll happens to fit this frame size perfectly because the short side is 24″….
i picked up the roll of cork at michael’s for $8.99. they sell it for $14.99 at regular price, but i used a 40% off coupon (found in their weekly ad). i found the same cork roll at various office supply stores, but it was higher in price. i found michael’s to have the best price even without the coupon. so when you add 40% off coupon, you will get a great price!
i said you may want to use 1 or 2 rolls because the cork is on the thin side. i used just 1 roll, but if you want a thicker cork surface for pinning, go ahead and buy 2 rolls.
unroll the cork…
and place the frame backing on top of the cork. this made for a precise trim of the cork…(i told you…cork, cork, cork…what is that? 100 times yet?)
then, i heated up the glue gun…
and glued the cork to the frame backing…
if you want to add a pretty fabric covering for the cork, you’ll want to buy a fabric pattern you like. there is nothing wrong with leaving the cork in alone without fabric too, but i wanted something colorful. here is the pretty fabric i chose for my pinboard…
i bought the fabric on sale at hobby lobby for $3.66. i only needed 3/4 of a yard and the fabric i chose was on sale at 30% off…
what you will do next is lay the fabric out flat on a table or other surface – pattern side down. place the frame backing on top of the fabric – cork side down. then wrap the fabric around the frame backing…like you are wrapping a pretty present…
next, glue the corners of the fabric to the frame backing with the glue gun. then you simply place the frame backing inside the frame…
you will use the original frame clips to secure your pinboard to the frame…
and that was it!…
i love the gray color and the pretty, uplifting fabric…
my husband helped me hang it in the office closet, which is where i spend most of my time working on projects…
i am in this space daily, so now i will see my goals/dreams several times a day. i’m so excited to finally have a place to hang my goals, dreams, inspiring images and more. i like to think of this board as a “dream/vision board”. anytime i have something i would love to see in my future, it’s going to be pinned up right here for me to view and be inspired by daily.
my husband said he’ll even be pinning up a few things.
maybe a dream/vision board thinking seems “new-agey”…but it works for me!
i immediately pinned a few items i had sitting on our computer desktop…
first up is this colorful idea…which needs no further explanation!…
this photo is home. and truly says where my heart is. i have dreams of one day moving back to my beloved hometown…
and this one hits home daily…
example? i was afraid of starting this blog…and now look at me. it’s been 5 months, i’ve written about 140 posts, have around 80 followers, and the blog has received thousands of page views. never in my wildest dreams did i think i would finally get this little blog up and running. sure, i still have a ways to go with the blog, but i set my mind to getting it started and i did. the blog not only brings me joy and is a fun outlet outside of motherhood, but i’m also meeting new people with a passion for organization and saving money. and since i’m already doing all of the fun projects each week, why not share them with you?!
my dream/goal of starting this blog? … not so scary after all, right?
now i just need to take that thinking and push it into other goals and dreams. and it’s ok if those ideas/goals scare me.
to wrap-up the total project costs:
frame: $31.49
cork roll: $8.99
fabric: $3.66
paint: $0
nails: $0
total cost = $44.14
are you setting goals for yourself? if so, where do you have them written down? maybe you can create this easy and inexpensive pinboard for yourself! it doesn’t have to be a dream / vision board, this could also work as a pretty family command center too!
GAH! Great minds think alike! I'm doing the SAME sort of project in my office! I LOVE how it turned out with your fabric and painted gray frame! 🙂 Thank you for sharing your tutorial, and for the sweet comment that you left on my blog today. It really meant a lot 🙂 Have a fabulous day!
awe! hey…welcome to simply organized!!! thank you SO SO SOOOOO much for stopping by. i know how busy you are! you are a sham of 3 little ones too. our time is so precious, so i thank you for stopping by. truly!
i love this pinboard and it has been a "dream" or "goal" of mine to create this for year. finally – it's made it way out of my mind and into real life. i can't wait to see your version. i bet it will be 10 times better than mine. 🙂
thank you again for coming over!!! did you see our pantry? everyone said your pantry was the ultimate example and pretty much sets the bar for all other pantries. so i was glad i aimed really high with my inspiration! 😉
Keep up all the great work you're doing on the blog Sam! I find that I want to copy all the projects that you post 🙂 BTW~ L-O-L about the auto spell correct with sham and sahm!!!
GAH! Great minds think alike! I'm doing the SAME sort of project in my office! I LOVE how it turned out with your fabric and painted gray frame! 🙂
Thank you for sharing your tutorial, and for the sweet comment that you left on my blog today. It really meant a lot 🙂
Have a fabulous day!
awe! hey…welcome to simply organized!!! thank you SO SO SOOOOO much for stopping by. i know how busy you are! you are a sham of 3 little ones too. our time is so precious, so i thank you for stopping by. truly!
i love this pinboard and it has been a "dream" or "goal" of mine to create this for year. finally – it's made it way out of my mind and into real life. i can't wait to see your version. i bet it will be 10 times better than mine. 🙂
thank you again for coming over!!! did you see our pantry? everyone said your pantry was the ultimate example and pretty much sets the bar for all other pantries. so i was glad i aimed really high with my inspiration! 😉
auto spell correct is annoying – that was supposed to be "sahm" as is stay-at-home-mom…not "sham" lol!!!
Keep up all the great work you're doing on the blog Sam! I find that I want to copy all the projects that you post 🙂 BTW~ L-O-L about the auto spell correct with sham and sahm!!!
nadia – you are the sweetest! thank you!
and, yes, auto spell correct = annoying!!!!! 🙂
Love it! Turned out really cute! I'm your newest follower :).
thank you so much!!!
This is such a great inspiration board, I love that you covered the cork in fabric makes it one of a kind 🙂
hi michelle!
thank you so much!!!
best,
samantha 🙂