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Search Results for: drop cloth curtain

what would janet do?

March 30, 2012 By Linda 86 Comments

what would janet do?

Any time I find myself making curtains, I think of my sister Janet.

 

You see, Janet was the penultimate seamstress.  Meticulous attention to detail.  Perfectly straight seam lines.  She knew all the technical sewing lingo and skills …

 

Like what cutting on the bias means …

 

… and what bias tape is really used for …

 

… and how to make button holes.

 

She also never, ever bought department store drapes.  Instead she studied their construction and went home and made her own.  Only better.

 

Janet was the person who taught me how to make balloon shades.  Together, we made four for my very first apartment; she and her husband came over and helped me iron those folds and folds and folds of fabric and hang them.  It’s hard for me to grasp the fact that that happened over 20 years ago …

 

When it comes to sewing, I’m a poor woman’s Janet.  My projects entail a lot of guesswork and fudging and improvisation …

 

So when I tackled the drapes for my son’s room remodel, I was wishing Janet was still here so I could ask her what to do.

 

Teen Room orange gray black clock

 

Like, what did she think about me making them out of canvas painter’s drop cloth …

image

I’m pretty sure she would’ve told me that I could make two 48″ x 90″ panels out of one 4’ x 15’ package – therefore I should pick up two to cover the two windows in Sam’s room.

 

And I’m pretty sure she would tell me to wash them first.  Yes, I’m positive that’s what Janet would do.  So I did too.

 

And when I cut that 4 x 15 panel in half, I’m thinking Janet would know this handy tip of just snipping and ripping that drop cloth with my bare hands into a perfectly straight line …

 

image image

 

And that band on top?  I know Janet would approve of my solution to sidestep possible uneven seams by attaching thick ribbed orange ribbon  to the top …

 

DSCN1142 (550x413) DSCN1141 (550x413)

 

… and then again where the panel and the drop cloth materials meet …

 

DSCN1146 (550x413) DSCN1145 (550x413)

 

… and then top-stitching right over that ribbon with orange thread …

 

DSCN1148 (550x413)-1 (2)

 

And I know I was channeling Janet when I realized the bottom seam should get a band of ribbon too …

 

DSCN1152 (550x413)

 

The final step, when the panels and ribbons were all attached, was to fold over even seams on the sides and stitch, trim, and press …

 

In the end, I think Janet would’ve approved of what I did …

 

Teen Room orange gray black bookcase
drop-cloth-drapes
Teen Room orange black white drop cloth drapes

 Teen Room orange gray black clock 

I wrote this post with a box of tissues by my side.  My beautiful sister Janet lost her decades-long breast cancer battle on August 21, 2006.

 

Janet, you are missed …

img001

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Crafts, Sewing, Etc.

Crafts, Sewing, Etc.

I’ve never thought of myself as crafty. Would never describe myself as a crafter. My Aunt Marie? Now she was a crafter. My sister Janet? Yep. She, too, was gifted with the Martha Stewart crafty gene. Me? I’m a poor woman’s Aunt Marie. And Janet …

 

and yet, somehow, I’ve managed to accumulate quite a few craft projects. Nothing complicated. Nothing Martha Stewart calliber. Typically using as few ingredients and steps as possible.

 

Click on the pictures to find out more about my easy craft and sewing and etc. projects …

 

P.S. I’ve given my holiday crafts there very own page. You can find them by clicking {here}.

 

dinosaur necklace

Gold Dino Necklace

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Chicago Subway Chalk Art

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Hydrangea Wreath

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Fabric Scrap Pumpkin

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Grain Sack Stripe Tray DIY

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Rustic Tool Box Planter

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Fabric Scrap Banner

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Hydrangea Wreath How To

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Irish Coffee Mug

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Pot O’Gold Topiary

 

 

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Painted Vases

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Topiary How To

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Wine Cork Planter Magnet

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Driftwood Vase DIY

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How To Age Locker Baskets

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Pom Pom Pumpkins

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Paper Flower Tutorial

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Fabric Flowers How To

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Puzzle Pieces Wreath

 

 

 

grain sack pillow

Faux Grain Sack Pillows

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Union Jack Pillow

polka dot pillow

Burlap Polka Dot Pillows

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Drop Cloth Curtains

throw pillow

Pom Pom Pillow

heart pillow

Heart Pillow

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Stockings

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Homemade Gift Wrap

paper flower how to make

Tissue Paper Flower

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Football Field Table Runner

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Spray Painted Frames

 

The Etsy Shop

January 3, 2014 By Linda 11 Comments

The Etsy Shop

gold-painted-mason-jars-2

The snow has been relentless.  A steady stream of flakes falling from gray skies with no end in sight.  Covering freshly shoveled sidewalks in the course of a half hour; erasing any signs of the back breaking work my husband (and my very kind neighbors) have done …

 

We’re going on two days now.  And for those two days I’ve taken refuge inside. I see no reason to pull the car from the garage so I can slip and slide down the side streets of Chicago. My loving husband has bravely faced the elements, walking to the grocery store to replenish our cupboards …

 

and my supply of wine.

Winking smile

Needless to say, it’s been a slow start to the New Year …

 

And aside from some mini dramas out front as neighbors attempt to dig out their cars … and a Project Runway All-Stars marathon on Lifetime … the inmates are beginning to get  restless.

 

Starting with this inmate.

 

So I decided to take all this errand-free time to focus on the Etsy shop.  Because, quite honestly, I’ve never really sat down to draw up a strategy.  It’s not like the shop itself is inactive.  On any given day of the week I’m busy painting mason jars … or distressing mason jars … or sewing a pillow … or wrangling bubble wrap and shipping tape … or juggling a stack of boxes as I make my way to the Post Office.

 

The mere fact that I have a steady stream of orders should be viewed as a testament of success.  Or, more accurately, a predictor of even greater success …

 

It’s my Sally Field moment.

 

gold-painted-mason-jars-5

What has remained inactive, though, is my shop’s marketing plan.  And that’s because there is no plan.  I’ve been working on the “if I build it they will come” business model.

 

*Sigh*

 

So as the snow blankets Chicagoland, I’ve been looking into some basic ideas on how to grow my Etsy shop.  I decided to start with the 100 items rule.  A much smarter and more successful blogger and former Etsy shop owner than I suggests stocking 100 items … that the most successful of Etsy shops have achieved this magical number of items for sale.

 

My plan is to add  a new item each day, starting on the first of the year. Some listings will be new (like the painted and distressed jars in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Pure White below).  Some listings will be variations on the old (like the gold painted mason jar set above).

 

annie-sloan-chalk-paint-mason-jars-pure-white

 

 

annie-sloan-chalk-paint-mason-jars-pure-white-3

 

And some will be pillows – where it all started — like the Joy pillow  I added to the shop today …

 

drop-cloth-pillow-joy-7

 

 

drop-cloth-pillow-joy-5

 

Three new items down, 67 to go …

 

*gulp*

 

If you have any ideas of items I can stock, please feel free to speak up.  I’m serious …

 

I was thinking about maybe offering a custom drop cloth curtain service.  And maybe some drop cloth Christmas stockings.  And drop cloth napkins.  And, of course, I’ll be painting jars in even more color combinations …

 

I’m exhausted just thinking about it!  Now I need to take a break to watch the snow fall …

🙂

Linda signature-orange_thumb

Sharing:

 

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relax

August 24, 2012 By Linda 25 Comments

relax

Perhaps it’s the post-vacation vibe. Ten days of beach and sun and pool and sheer ….  and utter … relaxation.
Ten days of hugs and kisses from my from mom and dad …

 

… hey, I’ll always be their little girl.

 

Ten days of pampering.  Got to love the pampering. Tthough, these days, my husband and I try to pamper back too. And all this relaxation has me thinking of the relaxed balloon shade I made for the powder room remodel …

balloon-shade-in-bathroom-tutorial

… and how I’ve been seriously lax in sharing a tutorial.

I don’t even have a link that I could share …

… thereby shirking my need to write the dreaded tutorial …

balloon-shade-curtain
… because I made this up on my own.  Okay, that’s not 100% true.  My sister Janet walked me through the balloon shade how-to more than 20 years ago. And when I say “walked me through” I meant we sewed those very first balloon shades side-by-side … all four of them.  We were literally drowning in fabric. So when I created the relaxed balloon shade for my powder room, I drew on those skills …
balloon-shade-curtain-tutorial

… and then relaxed them a bit …

You see, most balloon shades are, well, much more ballooney.  And I desired something closer to a Roman shade without all those hard straight lines.   Mostly because making a Roman shade is my epic sewing fail of all time …
And before I launch into the dreaded tutorial, here’s a little secret …
balloon-curtain-in-bathroom
I cheated the proportions of the room by hanging the shade higher than the sad little excuse of a glass block window that came with the room.  And I didn’t bother to line the curtain because, quite frankly, there was no point.  This window faces a cinderblock wall so I wasn’t concerned about the view from outside.
Step #1:  Measure & Sew
balloon-shade-how-to-measurement
Measure the length and width of the window … or, in my case, the length and width of the area I wanted the curtain to cover. For the length, I added about 10 inches or so for the bottom hem and the top pocket for the hardware.
For the width, I added 16 inches  and then cut three equal length panels 14 1/2” wide …
balloon-shade-how-to-sew-two
… which gave me three finished panels at 13 1/2” after I gave the edges a 1/2” hem … and then sewed the three panels together using a 1/2” seam allowance.  My full finished curtain width is 40 1/2.”
balloon-curtain-how-to-make-top-hem
The curtain top was folded over and given a 4” pocket for the hardware.  The bottom edge was folded over a 1/2” and hemmed as well. And don’t forget to iron … it’s a seamstresses best friend … and be sure to press open the seams and iron the top, bottom, and side hems for a nice crisp edge. Next up are the rings ….
balloon-shade-curtain-how-to-make-your-own
Which were hand sewn on.  I started at the bottom of the curtain panel and spaced them out about 6” each.  You need to sew them on the left and right edges of the curtain, as well as in the center of the two seams where the panels were sewn together.
balloon-shade-curtain-how-to-make-your-own-too
For my balloon shade, I needed 24 rings.
Step #2:  Hanging
Start by attaching the hardware and eye hooks …
balloon-shade-hardware
… I used a level to draw a straight line and then equally spaced out the eye hooks.  Since I put mine into the drywall, I didn’t even need a drill.  I just screwed them right in. Then I inserted the rod into the 4” top pocket …
DSC_0417
… but it’s not ready to hang just yet. First we need to attach and thread the strings …
balloon-shade-tutorial-how-to-make
Tie the string onto the bottom ring of each row … and then feed it up …
balloon-shade-curtain-how-to-hang
… through all those little rings that were hand sewn on …
And when you hang the curtain, you start with the outer edge and feed the first string through all the eye hooks …
balloon-shade-how-to-hang
The next string to the left … #2 … will be fed through three eye hooks  …
balloon-shade-how-to-install
String #3 will be fed through two of the eye hooks …  and string #4 will only be fed through one …
balloon-shade-how-to-hang-with-strings
Then you just need to gather the strings together and play with them a bit as you pull up the curtain.  When you like how it looks, braid the strings together …
balloon-shade-how-to-install-strings
… and attached to an eye hook on the side. And then you can just sit back, relax, …
balloon-shade-for-bathroom-tutorial
… and enjoy the view. Phew. And now I need some rest and relaxation after writing up that dreaded put-off-for-five-months tutorial …
Balloon Shade How To Make Tutorial

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one woman’s trash …

April 5, 2012 By Linda 35 Comments

one woman’s trash …

… often times is another woman’s treasure.

But not always.  Because taste and style are taste specific.  Individualized. To each his own, I say. Not everything will appeal to everyone.

And just because I have no plans to emulate someone else’s decorating style, it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate what they’ve done … and the hard work they’ve put into creating a look that fits their own personal aesthetic. But this …

image

This is just plain ugly.  No ifs, ands or buts.

image

I can’t imagine a couple strolling through the lighting section at Home Depot or Lowes sometime in the late 80’s or early 90’s and saying …

“I just love that ceiling fan.  Honey, just look at those faux wood grain blades.  Just what we’ve been hoping for!  And did you see the brassy accents?  Swoon worthy, right?  Oh, and those smoky yellow shades are just the icing on the cake …”

More like the nail in the coffin.

Now our ugly ceiling fan was here when we moved in 17 years ago.  So that whole imaginary ceiling fan love conversation did not happen between my husband and I …

… though I should be reprimanded for letting that ugly ceiling fan remain in our home unchanged or unchecked for way too long …

When I decided to redecorate my son’s room — where the ugly ceiling fan resided — I knew it had to go.  Well, more like had to change. It needed a full on ceiling fan makeover. So I started here with the removal of the fan blades and globes …

Ceiling Fan Makeover motor Ceiling Fan Makeover motor taped

Taping off the motor was interesting.  But once I figured out how to fit some square pegs into round holes, I gave it a coat of silver …

Ceiling Fan Makeover satin finish paint Ceiling Fan Makeover motor painted silver

… yeah, me hanging off the top rung of the ladder painting the ceiling fan motor upside down was quite the harrowing and dizzying adventure …

As for the fan blades, I had grand plans to do something amazingly creative like this …

But in the end, purchased some affordable fan blades (and some new non-brassy screws) that I attached to the freshly silver painted fan blade holder thingies (yes, that’s the technical term) …

 Ceiling Fan Makeover new blades Ceiling Fan Makeover blades

… and (this was interesting) reattached the new fan blades to the motor while hanging upside down from my rickety ladder …

Ceiling Fan Makeover blades attached

And I was ready to leave as is.  For about three seconds.  Because I had a drum shade in the wings waiting to be attached.  You can see how I dressed it up here …

I’ve had quite a few questions about how I attached the drum shade to the fan …

… so now I’m sharing the deep dark secret …

Ceiling Fan Makeover picture wire attachment

… picture wire.

Ceiling Fan Makeover drum shade with picture wire

It’s far from perfect …

washi tape on drum shade 13

washi tape on drum shade final final

Washi tape on drum shade final

… but I think if my husband and I were strolling through the lighting department at Home Depot or Lowes and I looked up and saw this …

Ceiling Fan Makeover Final

I might just say, “I like that ceiling fan …”

Ceiling Fan Makeover

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stick a fork in it.

March 15, 2012 By Linda 143 Comments

stick a fork in it.

I’m done.

 

D – O – N – E …

 

… done.

 

With a capital d.  Or is it D?

 

Teen Room Orange Gray Black

 

Either way, it was just about a year ago that I first started plotting my teen son’s room remodel.  Pulling inspiration and storing them on my hard drive …

 

… this was in my pre-Pinterest days.

 

Teen Room Inspiration Board

 

Somewhere along the way (after two laptop crashes) I’m left with very few ‘before’ pictures of his previously primary colored room …

 

A B C Boxes (2) (580x414)

DSCN6147DSCN6507 (550x413)
 
 
But I do have a ton of ‘afters’ … and did I just hear cheers?  Or maybe jeers?
 
 
 
 
 

When I asked my son what he wanted, his only request was orange.  Its been his all-time favorite color for as long as he could say the word (and perhaps it’s because I dressed him in orange when we went to the park so I could spot him right away …)

 

 

But there was no way I was going 360 floor-to-ceiling orange. That seemed overwhelming. And bright. And not at all restful.  And bedrooms should be restful first and foremost …

 

 

… and that whole ‘accent wall’ idea of orange seemed so yesterday.  At least that’s what Nate says …

 

 

So I dreamed a dream that paired orange with gray and black and white.

 

 

Teen Room orange gray black 2

 

The middle band is chalkboard paint, framed out with custom moulding that my husband and I attached using my trusty miter box and brad nail gun.

 

My son and my husband have named the Ikea Malm bed “the Hugh Hefner bed” …

 

Teen Room Orange Gray Black Ikea Malm Bed

 

… and not because my 14 year old ‘has game’ – yuck  – but because it sits so low on the ground.  Almost water-bed-like-ish …

 

Teen room orange gray black Ikea Malm bed shot

 

I poured so much of myself into this project.  Like these “high/low” drop cloth drapes I made back in August (see how I made them here)…

 

Teen Room Orange gray black drop cloth drapes

 

… they make my heart go pitter patter …

 

Teen Room orange gray black bookcase

I mean seriously.  Seriously?  I am pleased as punch with the way they turned out!  Exclamation point worthy pleased!  Spiked punch worthy punched!

 

The top band is a yard of pricier home décor fabric trimmed out with orange ribbon attached to less-than-a-dollar-a-yard drop cloth material …

 

Teen Room orange gray black clock

 

And then there’s the monogrammed “s” pillow I made …

 

Teen Room orange gray black monogrammed drop cloth pillow 3

 

It’s not perfect. The transfer messed up.  But I don’t care.  It was made with love …

 

And this comic book page number art?  I’m thinking I may just spark a new blogland trend here with this here project ….

 

Teen Room orange gray black number comic art 1

… and rest assured (for my male readers), no real comic books were harmed in the making of these – a thought that horrified my son.  I just color copied a few Archie pages …

 

I framed pictures of downtown Chicago that Sam took on the day before his first day of high school …

 

… and the day before my 14-year-old Sam took the “El” – or is it “L” — to school ALL BY HIMSELF for the very first time …

 

And, yeah, that was a bit of a harrowing day for mom and dad …

 

Teen Room Orange Gray Black Chicago Art

 

All the frames in the room were 50% off at Michaels; I’m a sucker for a sale sticker …

 

Teen Room orange gray black mirror

 

See those shelves in the next picture with the trophies on them? I purchased them 15 years ago.  When I was six months pregnant with the very young man who lives in this room.  But we never, ever hung them up …

 

… they just sat stacked upside down on top of that custom radiator cover and displayed those trophies …

 

Teen Room Orange Gray Black 1

 

Of course the bottle cap drawer pull dresser I imperfectly refinished here found its way into the room …

 

teen room orange black gray dresser NEW

 

Teen Room orange gray black dresser

 

I love this poster I picked up at a Chicago craft fair back in the fall …

 

Teen Room orange gray black art

 

… it’s cover art of a super underground, super cool, super young and hip Chicago e-zine that I’m too old to read or understand or subscribe to …

 

And Ernie the Beagle loves that little fuzzy throw rug I found at Ikea …

 

Teen room orange gray black with ernie

 

… it’s exactly his length and sausage-like width.

 

Oh, and don’t forget to look up.  Otherwise you might miss the ceiling fan that I gave a major makeover complete with that washi tape I pinned here and wrote about here …

 

Washi tape on drum shade final

 

So stick a fork in it.

 

Please.

 

Seriously.

 

It’s finally done …

 

… a ‘mere’ 8 months later than originally planned.

 

Why can’t real life be like a 30-minute HGTV makeover show?

 

Update: The paint colors are Benjamin Moore Pike’s Peak Gray, Dutch Boy Frivolous Berry, and Rust-oleum Chalkboard Paint in black.

Orange-Gray-Black-Boy-Bedroom

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pinned with a purpose

March 14, 2012 By Linda 45 Comments

We bloggers.  We’re addicted to Pinterest.  Seriously.  Addicted.  Addicted to the point of distraction …

Some of you out there (yeah, you know who you are) have thousands upon thousands of pins.

Here are my current Pinterest pin stats:

 
Boards:   50
Pins:      490
Likes:      11

That reads like inspiration overload to me.  And the chances that I follow through with the projects I’ve pinned is hovering around a 1% return-on-pin …

… if that …

But this pin …

image

… this pin was pinned with a purpose.  With a plan.

The minute I saw this I was inspired to recreate it in my teen son’s room redo.

It’s a drum shade decorated with washi tape.  Created by Jackie of the uber modern Teal & Lime blog.  You can check out Jackie’s tutorial here …

… and Jackie’s amazing Teal & Lime blog here.

And now you’re probably scratching your head and asking, “What in the world is this washi tape substance … ?”

… because that’s what I was scratching my head and asking after I landed on Jackie’s tutorial…

Well ask no more.  I Googled it.  Because that’s what I do.

I discovered that washi tape is a Japanese paper masking tape that comes in a variety of different colors and patterns. It’s easy to tear by hand. You can write on it.  And here’s the kicker that sold me  …

… it’s not only easily removable …

… but can be easily removed and reused.

What?  Could it be?  Fool proof tape … ?

So I ordered some of that washi tape from this Etsy shop …

… and a few days later got to work …

washi tape on drum shade

I used a piece of that easily removable — and easily reusable — black washi tape as my spacer between stripes …

washi tape on drum shade 2

… and worked my way around the drum shade from right to left …

washi tape on drum shade 3
… leaving extra tape on each end of the drum shade rims that I trimmed later.

When I neared the end, I realized my stripes were now angled since there was an inch or two difference between the circumferences of the top and the bottom of the drum shade …

washi tape on drum shade 4

So now I could either apply some math …

… and you know how math and I don’t see eye-to-eye …

… or I could fudge it.

I fudged it.

Like so …

washi tape on drum shade 5

… and so …

washi tape on drum shade 6

… because, seriously, who will be inspecting this  project as closely as I?  No one, that’s who.

I finished it off with some black washi tape on the inner and outer rims …

washi tape on drum shade 8

…  and once I was done, I stood back to inspect my project …

… and I wasn’t happy.

🙁

washi tape on drum shade 7

Perhaps because my inspiration Pinterest pin featured a black drum shade.

So I did what any self-respecting diy-er would do.  I found the perfect $1-a-yard black fabric and covered that shade using some spray adhesive and fabric glue …

… using double-sided bias tape to finish off the edges …

And here’s a peek at the finished product …

washi tape on drum shade final final

It’s in my teen son’s room remodel which I reveal here … and you can find part 2 of the ceiling fan makeover here …

P.S.  If you feel oh so inspired to follow me on Pinterest, click here …

P.P.S.  If you feel oh so inspired to pin Jackie’s inspirational drum shade, please click here … and pin it from her blog and not mine.  I’d like to give Jackie her credit due ….

 

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are you a skimmer?

June 21, 2012 By Linda 21 Comments

… and I’m not talking about pools here.

Do you sometimes find yourself just skimming a blog post?  Checking out the pretty pictures but not really absorbing the words?

It happens to all of us … or so I think.

Sometimes the project is great but the post is really, really long.  As in really, really, really long …

… and I’m guilty of writing those really, really, really long posts too.  So I understand if you skimmed …

Or maybe it’s the dreaded-to-write but oh so very useful tutorial … but since you have no plans in the near future to make x, y, or z project you find yourself skimming …

… and I’ll leave you drive by “Love it!” comment thread skimmers out of this one because, let’s face it, you’re not reading this. You’ve skimmed right on by and are typing “Love it!” in my comments thread at this very moment …

And then.

Then there are the blogs that you never, ever skim …

Would never dream of skimming …

You wait for their blog posts to land in your email …

… and you read every word.  Sometimes you even go back and read it twice.  Because you don’t want to miss anything …

… and you even read each and every last word of their very long tutorial not because you’re making what they’re teaching … but because even they can make a long drawn out tutorial a fun read …

And because you read each and every word each and every time they post you know they have regular guest bloggers jumping in … you know, while they care for a newborn at home.

And you don’t just ask but you beg.  Beg. To offer a guest post …

And you don’t just recycle some stinky old post. You give her something new.  Something fresh.  Something never-been-published-before and brand-spanking-new (just like her little newborn Mila) …

So if you want to read something brand-spanking-new from me …

… on a blog that I read each and every word of each and every post …  

… then go here ..

View Along the Way

P.S. If you’d like to win a monogrammed pillow hand made by me, go here …

the city that never sleeps

May 16, 2012 By Linda 15 Comments

For a decade I worked in New York City.

Back in my 20’s. 

But my experience was more Working Girl than Sex in the City.  Probably because I was a bridge and tunnel girl …

… as in I didn’t live in the city and therefore could only access it through a bridge or tunnel.

I look back and wonder why I never just pulled the trigger and lived there …

Rent was a big issue.  The scare factor was way up there.  Oh, and the most important reason I stayed on the other side of the Lincoln Tunnel?  I just wasn’t cool enough for New York City.  Not with my pink pumps and Stiff Stuff shellacked big hair.

… but I do have regrets that I never tried …

So when I came across this fun blogger, I was intrigued.  Here’s my chance, I thought.  Here’s my chance to live in New York City vicariously  … virtually … through Meredith and her roomie Gwyneth the Yorkie.

Meredith & Gwyneth, the New Yorkie

She’s young.  She’s fun.  She’s single. She’s fashionable. She loves pink.

Oh, and Meredith is pretty cool too …

… she even sent Ernie some yummy home made dog treats.

DSCN8054 (600x450)

I tend to catch up on Meredith’s blog on the weekends.  Typically early Saturday evening when I’ve settled onto the couch with a glass a wine.  A time when I imagine Meredith is fixing her hair and picking out a fabulous outfit to wear to that hot new restaurant she’ll be dining at …

… followed by some clubbing at the most elusive new underground club.

And when Meredith is out and about painting the town red, that’s when Gwyneth and I conspire.  Conspire to create a new Etsy shop pillow for me to offer …

pink_and_black_yorkshire_terrier_pillow

… inspired by none other than …

Yorkshire_terrier_pillow_puppy_face

… Gwyneth …

yorkie_pillow_monogram

… The New Yorkie …

Yorkshire_terrier_pillow

I made this pillow using the same basic construction as this pillow here.  Then I just pinned the pink ribbon on the black ribbon and ran two rows of stitches along the edges of the pink.

I hand sewed the pearls and roses.  And the Yorkie head?  I cropped the image from a needlepoint pattern …

The Yorkie is now for sale here at my Etsy (just click on the button) …

drop cloth design sidebar button with frame


P.S.  Have you entered to win the $500 Visa gift card from Homes.com yet?  The contest is open until May 25 at 11:59 PM.  Click here to learn how to enter …

P.P.S.  Have you taken it outside yet?  If not, get a move on.  We have a multi-blog link party kicking off at 7 AM EST on Tuesday, May 29.  And when you link up here, you’ll be linked up at five fabulous blogs.  Click on the file folder for more …

 
 
 
Linking up …
 
* Savvy Southern Style * The Shabby Creek Cottage * Funky Junk Interiors * Lolly Jane Boutique * Between Naps on the Porch *

i’ve been suspended

April 6, 2012 By Linda 20 Comments

Suspended in the state of Spring Break, that is … 

The kids are home this week.  And suddenly I can’t seem to get anything done.

Trust me, it has nothing to do with needing to take care of the kids …

I have a teen and a tween. I wake them in the morning … not the other way around.  And they are self-sufficient.  If they’re hungry, they make themselves something to eat.  Thirsty? They get a drink.  Want to hang with a friend? Not a problem.  The teen can get there by himself.  The tween gets a ride.

Oh, and my husband has been at home two out of their five weekdays off.

And yet, I’m in a state of suspension.

That diet I started last week?  Yeah, it’s been suspended until next week.

image
Click on the pic for my kitchen remodel

The On  Demand Pilates exercise routine I planned to start on Monday?  Uh huh, suspended along with the diet.

Hanging the bead board wallpaper in the master bedroom?

Master Bedroom Before side table

Suspended.

Those pillows I need to make so I can photograph them and get my Etsy shop up and running this month?

Drop cloth monogrammed pillow
I already made this.  Click on the pic to find out how …

drop cloth ruffled pillow final
… and I already made this, so click on the pic to find out how …

image
… and I plan to make and offer this at my Esty — along with a personalized monogrammed version. So click on the pic to find the link to the tutorial that I’ll be following …

Suspended.

The tutorial about how I made this relaxed working balloon shade curtain in my powder room remodel?

Powder Room Makeover Relaxed Balloon Shade 1_thumb[2]

Suspended.

And that post that I’ve postponed for way too long about how I stripped and stained and painted the staircase in my entry remodel?

Entry-enter-550x413-2_thumb2

Yep.  Suspended.

So be forewarned.  Next week’s blog posts may be a bit short on “how to” and bit long on my dopey opinions and ideas …

… and I fully understand if you “suspend” reading here for a week while I catch up on my suspended projects and posts.

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