Friday, July 16, 2010

Crazy???

Okay ya'll I have been busy working on a project today that I am just soo thrilled about and I wanted to share it and see if I am just totally crazy or not!Ha!
Two weeks ago on the local yard sale site I found a pair of Country Curtains black and white toile curtains in 84 length. I have always loved toile and since I knew how much they were, $100 new with shipping, they came home with me for a mere $30! I had no idea what I was going to do with them but I HAD to have them.
At the same time of my thrifty purchase I had decided to pull out a cafe curtain project that The Nana and I had started back in um well Oct of last year. I figured it was time to finish a set and see if I was really going to like them. They were Ballard inspired. Finished making um and was highly disappointed. They were the exact same color as our kitchen walls and it was just not what I was looking for. Sorry Nana!:(
From time to time the toile curtains kept popping into my brain saying hey bring me downstairs and see if we will do. Well Sunday evening at well um 11:30 p.m. I finally decided to listen to my brain. I ran upstairs and brought um down. I hung um up and then used some scrape material I was suppose to be making a tie back with for the back door and made a faux tie back for the curtain.
After I hung them I was ready to smack myself for waiting this long to go along with my thought because they could possibly work in this space. I loved the post over at Beyond The Screen Door about how she mixed fabrics that "at first glance you would not think of putting together". I hope Sonya does not mind me quoting her anyways, I love her bathroom treatments and figured hey my breakfast room curtains could be just as beautiful! I mean shoot its been over a year now since we moved in and those windows were still naked. It was worth a shot.

So here are the two 84 inch long curtain panels. I was so thrilled with them I had to bring in the bench from the dining room to see what it would look like if I so happened to get the itchin' to paint our kitchen chairs.

Here they are in the day light.

Another pic where you can see my faux valance with it. I debated and debated over these because well I shared the pics with a good friend and my mom better known to us as Ma and well they hated it. They do not like the combination at all. I was heart broken but appreciated the honest feedback.
Well I decided to throw caution to the wind and said what the hey I love um and will make it work. I measured and measured and measured some more. There was no way I was getting three cafe curtain sets out of two 86' long...yep they were actually 2 inches longer than they were suppose to be...and so I ordered 6.5 yards of a black and white toile from Fabric.com. I was keeping my fingers crossed it would work. The fab came and I started on making a panel right away. I was soooo disappointed. Like so disappointed I was wanting to cry. I know really!! Curtains are not a reason to be tearing up ya'll but I was. I WANTED my cafe curtains to be that Country Curtains toile. I HAD to have my cafe curtains be that toile. So I hunted high and low on the net. Went on Ebay and nothing. Posted a listing on the local yard sale site hoping just maybe somebody out there had a panel to spare. Nope but what did pop into my head was the fact that I had an old Country Curtains catalog because on the front of it were curtains made from the fabric I had chosen for our living room before the catalog even came in the mail and I was excited so I kept it. Well in it were the toile curtains! I quickly emailed CC and asked them if there was ANY chance on earth they would have in any of their stores those toile curtains. After several emails it did not look too good. Then later this afternoon CC emailed me and said they had found 4 yards of raw fabric in that print and that they would sell it to me and only charge me for two yards!!!
I took that as a sign ya'll! It was ment to be so at 9:00 p.m. this evening I took the plunge and made my first cut on those beautiful panels and two hours later they turned into by the grace of God cafe curtains!! I have never made curtains without The Nana being around....well actually she makes them for me and I supervise kinda like princess kitty Sophia supervises me....and was tickled pink that they actually came out perfect!

Sorry for the bad phone pic but I was not waiting to download pics again from the camera. So now that I have um made and took the leap of faith what do ya'll think??? Love um hate um? Can you see my vision or like I said am I just crazy??? Remember I am going for a french country cottagey feel in our home. I am going to eventually redo the valance and make the fabric into actual panels instead of just mistreated. I will also this weekend be making the tie backs in the red fabric with polka dots.


Here is another project I started on this week to spruce up the kitchen. I have to wait till next week when hopefully there will be a 40% off coupon. Every time I just have to have something it is always the week they do not offer one! The boys and I went and purchased the top trim since it was just over a $1 a yard but the bottom trim is gulp $6.99 a yard. Yep, a coupon is needed. Those were just scraps I had left over from another project. I think they will look nice once it is all done.
Off to bed. We have brunch at Chuckee Cheese in the a.m.! WhoHoo! Not really but Oldest and Littliest are highly excited. If ya need us we will be there at 9:30 a.m. hence brunch!HA!

Opps, forgot my signature.....Pamela

Sunday, July 11, 2010

House Hunting

Well not really but I do have a passion for looking at houses. If you say hey lets go look at models home I am right there with ya! I peruse the local homes for sale site on a daily basis. I like to see what is for sale in our hood and to see how long it takes for homes to sell. It gives me an idea of what our house will do when the time comes to sell. I also look to get ideas for our home. It is great way to see other people's ideas especially for things like window treatments and what not. Once I even happened upon our floor plan in another hood so we went and checked it out during their open house just to see what they had done with it.
From time to time I like to dream and I look to see what is for sale in an area just north of us. They have some of the most beautiful homes I have ever seen. Some new and a lot of older homes. I like looking mostly at the older homes and all of their architectural features. We will never be able to afford anything in any of these hoods but again I love to day dream about what I would do with them if we could ever afford one one day.
I decided I would share some of these beautiful homes with ya'll. The first is the most quintessential home of the south if there ever was one! It caught my eye immediately in the list.

Look at those tall stately columns and long front porch! I can picture a few rocking chairs and some topiaries framing the entrance. The curb appeal on this home makes you want to run up that walk way to check the inside out.

Over all this home is pretty much move in ready but does need updating in certain areas. I love this huge foyer and the hardwood floors are to die for! That front door is just divine!

This is the dining room. I love all the moldings and even the color on the walls. I was wanting to attempt red in our dining room but I was afraid it would make it too dark but not this room! It is so bright and inviting. The fireplace is scrumptious as well. I can see many holiday dinners in here.

This is the formal living room. Yet again another fireplace and more beautiful moldings. They even took the molding details up to the ceilings. I want to add some molding to ours one day.

This is a picture from the living room looking on to the kitchen. Those floors again are just beautiful. I would take the flooring up the stairs.

This is the master bath. Cringe! It certainly needs some major TLC but at least the cabinetry appears to be in good shape. Some new flooring, new counter tops, wall paper stripping , and some framed mirrors and new sinks and faucets this room could be divine! I can see a large chandy hanging in the center of the room.

You walk out the back door and are greeted with even more southern delight! Sweet tea by the pool anybody?

Just look at that gazebo back in the corner! This is truly a beautiful home that has sooo much potential. How much you may be asking? Well it has 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, 2 half baths and a three car garage at just over 5200 sq ft for just a mere $565,000! So if ya have just over a half a million and are in our neck of the woods and want to look at this house for yourself I will gladly give you the link to the listing as long as you promise to let me come and tour it!;) I am sure this home would be well over a million in other areas of the country! Come back next week for another home tour!
Hope your weekend was a good one!