A Lesson in Chalkboards

I just broke my chalkboard.  Yep, while picking up the house and because I won't really have the time tomorrow I thought I would draw up a new one.  I wiped it down and the wood started popping out the back of the frame.  It's still technically functional but I'm a little bit OCD and I don't like "technically."  I want the sucker in tip top shape. 

This wouldn't be such a problem if this also wasn't my fourth attempt at this DIY Chalkboard project.  FOUR TIMES!!! I've tried this FOUR TIMES!! 

Attempt number one: Easy, I just painted over a piece of wood we had laying around in the garage.  Simple enough but I didn't like the size or the texture of the paint over the wood.

Attempt number two:  I took an old picture and painted right over the glass.  This was working perfectly until I wanted to use chalkboard markers.  They write so much smoother and there is no chalk dust.  This worked great, until I couldn't get the marker off the paint.  I took to Google at this point and Google told me to just use soap and water. WRONG!!! This made my paint peel right back off the glass.  But not everywhere just in a few spots.

Attempt number three:  Touch up the paint where it peeled off.  Wrong again.  This just made the already dry pieces of paint peel off too.  Back at the starting line....

Attempt number four:  Try not to throw a temper tantrum because I just scratched my kitchen table in attempt number three and give the whole project to Mark.  He took the frame and the paint to work with him the next day and came home with a new board.  This one was also made out of wood but framed, larger in size than attempt number one, and also sanded down to lose some of the natural wood grain.  This attempt was working great until about twenty minutes ago. 

The chalkboard should be so lucky that I didn't drop kick it right then!!! 

So here we are and I'm wonder how to even go about attempt number five.  So far this is what it is looking like:  http://www.chalkinkworldstore.com/category_s/125.htm 
Simple....I go to this link and I pick one out.  They deliver it to my house and it is more old school chalkboard than DIY piece of wood with some so called chalkboard paint on it!  Sit back, relax, and have no more attempts!

Moral of the story.  Check out all your options before you do a DIY project, especially if you are thinking about a chalkboard.