One night while scrolling through Facebook, I noticed an ad for Walmart that stopped me in my scroll. It made my eyes go wide, and without even realizing it, I’d clicked the link, added to my cart, and purchased. Hook, line, and sinker, y’all. Continue reading “Buffalo Check Kitchen Curtains”
Tag: Curtains
Currently Loving- June 2017
CURRENTLY LOVING
How is June over?! That means summer is halfway over. For teachers July always means you have to really start thinking about school again. Because, contrary to popular belief, teachers really do have to do work in the summer. There’s a lot of planning and putting your classroom back together. It’s no joke. So don’t hate on your teacher friends during the summer. They do a lot of stuff in those two months to prepare for your kiddos to come into their classrooms the next school year (on their days off, no less).
Watermelon
Another favorite this month- watermelon. Oh my goodness. There’s a man selling watermelons for $10 across the street from the country club, and I first thought it was steep for a watermelon, but I’ve changed my tune because they are absolutely worth every penny. Watermelon is maybe my favorite thing ever about summer. So delicious!
The Tony Awards
It’s no surprise to people who know me that I love award shows. I am a major lover of The Golden Globes, The SAG Awards, and The Oscars. But probably my most favorite award show is The Tony Awards which honors the accomplishments of people in theater. I have been fortunate to see Bernadette Peters in Annie Get Your Gun on Broadway. I saw The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway as well on Mr. W.S. Godwin’s trip he used to take every year to D.C and New York. I was thirteen years old and did not know how huge this was to see such icons on stage. I wish I had kept the Playbills! And then while in Louisiana I was able to see Wicked when it toured through New Orleans. Holy crap! When is this movie coming out so more people can love it?! Someone please make a movie!!!
The reason the Tony’s are one of my favorite things is because Ben Platt, the lead actor in Dear Evan Hansen won for best actor in a musical. You may remember him as Benji, the weird roommate of Jesse in Pitch Perfect. He performed in their finale in the first movie and reprises his role in Pitch Perfect 2.
But during his acceptance speech at The Tony’s he said, “The things that make you strange are the things that make you powerful.”
I thought that was such a profound statement. Perhaps I’ve watched too many teenage/high school dramas lately, but being strange is often something that really hurts people and something they try to hide because others don’t seem to understand their “weird”. But Ben says to do it anyway. And I agree. If you’re the theater nerd in your group of friends and they think that’s crazy, let them think that. One day, that strange thing is going to help you do something that makes you happy. I’m here doing it now by writing a blog that probably only a handful of people read.(Thanks, Mom, Mrs. Robyn, Aunt Sharon, and Christy) 🙂 Ha! But you know what? I don’t care. If it makes me strange then that’s okay, because who knows? One day it could be the most powerful thing I’ve ever done.
Home Improvements
My next two favorites come in the form of home improvements. I don’t go too many places over the summer. This is a pretty busy time for Paul’s line of work, so I spend a lot of time at home relaxing, reading, watching Netflix (I’ve gotten into even more shows, y’all.) I think I’ve officially got a problem. But I also get projects on my list out of the way in the summer because I have lots of time to do it. So, I can’t let June go by without mentioning my two favorite home improvements:
More TV
So, I said I’ve gotten into more shows, but one that I’m rediscovering as an adult is Designing Women. Y’all…..I can’t get enough! It is so witty, and I am loving the strong woman that is Julia Sugarbaker. She is fierce. And how funny is that show? I know some of y’all remember it, and if you don’t, just search it on your cable box. I bet it’ll give you the times and channel that it’s on. And look at that 80s hair and fashion! Love!
The Shack
I also have to reiterate my love of The Shack. I posted a review of it on Thursday, but it has been sticking with me since I finished the book. And I encourage you to watch the movie too. The library here has it available to check out for one night. And it’s free! Support your local library!
Professional Golfer
Lastly, I was able to watch my husband’s cousin win his first professional golf event. Paul has been coaching him through videos, countless texts and phone calls, and every now and then in person while Cam was at college and we were in Louisiana. It was great when we moved back that they could do more lessons in person. So when Cam went to the regional competition for the NCAA and then on to the national championship competition in Chicago, it’s an understatement to say how proud of him we were. Cam knew he wanted to go the pro route, and Paul has been able to be there every step of the way since we’ve moved back. It’s been a lot of fun to watch. Then Cam was able to win his first event as a pro! I shared a golf cart with Paul and his Aunt Ginger, Cam’s mom, to see him win, and it was very cool. I feel very honored to have been allowed to be there. I’m not sure if Cam knows how proud Paul is. He didn’t stop laughing and smiling until we got home from the tournament. He was in the best mood and all because he was so happy for Cam. Can’t wait to see what else is in store for this guy. He’s the real deal, y’all!
So, my June was fun. How about yours? I’d love to hear about it in the comments. Here’s to another month in the books and to a great July!
Recent Home Updates
RECENT HOME UPDATES
After I completed my leopard living room curtains, I kept feeling the itch to check more things off of my summer to-do list. I decided to start with the kitchen curtains.
Breaking Out the Sewing Machine
For these curtains you’ll remember that I was planning to use this fabric.
I am not very well-versed in the use of a sewing machine, but I got one for Christmas a few years back and busted it out for this project. I have to read the directions every time I get it out, and sometimes I have to search a YouTube video or two. I thought I was ready to go so I took my picture expecting my next one to be of something complete. 
And then something just didn’t seem to be going right and here’s what I managed to accomplish: 
Oh boy…..
So, I regrouped, reread my instruction guide, and tried again. I also put my camera away at this point and decided to just focus.
New Curtains
I sewed the curtains, hung them on a tension rod and hated them. They were gathering like Granny’s old kitchen curtains, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the gather at all. My original plan was to hang them from hooks like I did the leopard curtains, but I did not like the look I was getting. The fabric, to me, looked better when it was flat. I decided to cut them to fit the width of the window and hung them on small tension rods. 
They just add a little bit of accessory to the white kitchen. I have enjoyed having them up. And enjoyed even more that I didn’t have to ask my mom to make them for me. 🙂 She was probably glad too.
I just love this fabric, and I recently saw it in black as upholstery on a chair. It was beautiful. The above picture doesn’t do it justice. My camera and editing skills are not up to par at all, but you get the general idea. I think it’s better than the before that you can see below.
Another Rug Switcheroo
I also switched a few more rugs around this week. You can see in the picture above the old orange rug I’ve had for way too long. It doesn’t really “go” anymore and, honestly, needed to be retired.
I think I have enough room for a runner along this stretch of cabinets, but I just can’t pull the trigger so quickly on rugs/runners. Plus, “shopping” my house is much easier on the pocketbook, so that’s exactly what I did.
If you remember my first post that shows the entry foyer to our building you’ll see that I had a rug at our door. 
Since we don’t use this door much anymore, I decided I would bring this rug inside and put it at the back door. 
I took the rug I was using at the back door and put it in front of the sink to replace the old orange one. 
Not a major transformation, but something different to enjoy. Always shop your house first! You’d be surprised at what you actually have that works in new ways and in new places.
I Tried to Better the Painting
A few posts ago I showed you an abstract painting that I did to go in our dining space. But if you remember, I didn’t love it. So I decided to add a bit of gold brush strokes around the edges to help it look a bit more like it was “framed”. I didn’t want it to be perfect like I was trying to actually frame it, but I just kept thinking it needed something. I am still deciding if I like the changes. I like it better than before, but I’m still not sure if I love it.
Before
After
Like I said, I don’t know if I love it, but I definitely like it better than before.
Anyone else crafting or having fun playing in your homes this summer? Share them with me in the comments.
Sometimes I think something as simple as switching a piece of furniture with another from a different room or rearranging your bedroom furniture is just as much fun as a full on room overhaul/makeover. I encourage you to do that! Especially for your kids. I was always asking to rearrange my furniture when I was little. Putting my bed on a different wall or in a corner. It gets your creative juices flowing and inspires you to make your home a place you truly love. And bonus to you moms who find it keeps your little ones occupied in their rooms while you get some downtime. 🙂
As always, my point here on this blog is to encourage you to make your house a home, a place that you loved to be, a space to express your creativity, and a safe haven for you to be yourself and make mistakes along the way. That’s part of the fun. Lord knows I’m making plenty of them, especially in the way of decorating, but I’m definitely having fun doing it.
Leopard Curtains
LEOPARD CURTAINS ARE FINALLY UP
This past week I decided now was as good a time as any to start dressing my naked windows. I knew that these would most likely be the most labor intensive since I was going to have to hem them by hand. This is how that worked out before I got into the groove of stitching…
I have family members actually cringing at this photo. Haha! Anyway, I quickly realized this was not going to work, so I cut out these stitches and started again. Those stitches aren’t perfect either, but they hang by clips and hang up pretty high, so hopefully no one notices that those aren’t straight or very pretty. You can kind of see them in this picture. 
Lucky for me I was able to binge watch more shows on Netflix while I was sewing. Let me just switch gears really quickly to tell you about my two, okay three, new obsessions. If you’re wondering what to watch since summer prime time television is less than desirable, here you go.
The OA
Holy crap! I can’t even begin to explain it. It starts weird and gets weirder and then in the last episode you’ll be left with chills all over your body wishing there were more than eight episodes.
Riverdale
Did you ever read Archie comics? You know, with Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica? Well, this is a dark and twisted spin on these characters. There’s been a murder in the town of Riverdale, and these four main characters just might have something to do with it. It’s really great! They even incorporated Josie and the Pussycats, and I remember watching that cartoon as a kid. The acting is amazing, and all those teen/young adult actors of the 80s and 90s (Molly Ringwald, Skeet Ulrich, and Luke Perry) are all parents in this one. It’s really very cool and very well done.
And last but not least- Gossip Girl
I know. I know. Shallow, lame, teen-geared television. This was popular when I was in college, but it is so fun. I only got into it toward the end of the series when it was being aired originally, so I am catching up and refreshing this go round. It’s a mystery as to who Gossip Girl really is, so it’s interesting to have that knowledge and watch from the beginning. Mindless entertainment, for sure, but fun.
These shows helped me through the sewing! Hope they are good suggestions for you if you’re in any summer TV slump. Any other suggestions are appreciated! Leave them in the comments!
BACK TO BUSINESS
So, after sewing and measuring and cutting and sewing some more, I finally have curtains hanging. I will say that I knew I wanted leopard print, but I wasn’t sure how it would look. As it turns out, I really like them and think they are quite fun. And why not? It makes me happy and Paul likes them too. 
I like that they’re shear and don’t block out the natural light that I so love about this apartment. It’s filled with natural light all the time, and I didn’t want that to be covered up in the living room.
The curtain rod is not the original rod I was going to use. I had a smaller one that was a silver color. I knew I didn’t want silver, so I spray painted it black, hung it up on the wall, and it was too small and just didn’t work. Luckily, I didn’t get rid of my old curtain rods, so I tried this one, and it worked! (Sometimes it pays to keep things.)
I also like how it pairs with the rug. I think that since both are neutral colors that they don’t compete with one another. And again, they make me happy. That’s what’s important when it comes to decorating your home.
Jack wouldn’t move out of the shot, so I just told him to sit. At least he’s obedient. 
Thanks for stopping by today. What are your thoughts on leopard print curtains or anything leopard print for that matter? I’m kind of in love with it and hope to one day have a leopard rug and, of course, a few leopard throw pillows. 🙂 Let me know in the comments. I hope y’all have a great week!
New(ish) Rug
Hi, friends! Remember those summertime projects I said I had planned in my last post? Well, I got started on them. I showed this picture 
and was very excited to get this all started, but the more I thought about these curtains in my living room the more I began to second guess myself. I am all for mixing patterns, and I love bold fabrics paired with even bolder fabrics, but I couldn’t seem to make the leopard print work with this rug. 
I just felt like it was too much. The rug is huge and so are the windows, so there’s going to be a lot of fabric up there. And I just wasn’t feeling too good about it. CRAP!
But Wait….I Think I May Have A Solution!
In our Louisiana house I was dipping my toes into the rug world for the first time, and I went with this one.(Forgive the screenshot; I didn’t have an actual picture on my phone or computer.)
I don’t remember where I found it. I think somewhere online like Overstock or Wayfair. But after learning more about the “rules” (that don’t really matter, y’all) to certain areas of home decor, I decided it was time for a bigger rug for our pretty-large living room. Enter the blue ikat rug that allowed my furniture to “float” like it’s supposed to. (It did look better, so that’s one rule I did decide to follow.)
Then We Moved
I moved in to this apartment naturally wanting to use the blue rug, so I just put it down in the pretty-much 8×10 living space and placed all of my furniture on top of it. (Side note: You know, I don’t know all the rules, nor do I really care about them, but I probably shouldn’t have done that. I’m guessing it didn’t adhere to the “rule”. Oh well…whatcha gonna do?)
Then The Light Bulb Turned On
So one day this week I was reading The Magnolia Story that I mentioned on Instagram. 
And I don’t know if I was just feeling inspired or what, but out of no where I thought, “Your blue rug does not fit in your living room, but you still have that old one, and you should totally try it because those leopard curtains are going to look way better with that rug.”
Ha! I was so happy! I could keep the curtains and not spend any money on a new rug!! That’s a win/win in my book.
Because all of my furniture sits completely on top of the rug and doesn’t just “float” on top of it, I knew I’d have to enlist some help to lift the furniture and pull the rug at the same time. Paul happened to be in a golf tournament this weekend, so my parents came to help me out. Those two were the biggest help! I definitely couldn’t have done it without them! They even vacuumed and helped me shake out the blue rug and roll it up and reset my furniture, and so much more. Thanks, Mom and Dad! You’re the best!
The New(ish) Results
So here’s where those rules come back in. Not one piece of furniture floats on this rug. BUT, I feel like the space is brighter and is definitely a better fit for those leopard curtains. 
I like it, and ultimately, that’s all that matters. And just to affirm my decision, when Paul came home, he immediately said how much better he thought everything looked. 🙂 Score one for me. So, rules or no rules, I think this is a better fit, and I’m happy with the outcome.
Even Jack And Bernie Approve
I can’t wait to get the rest of this project (the curtains) going so that I can be one step closer to an actual complete area in our home. Have a great week everyone!