I've been reading
(Wow--I just burped this huge, crazy belch--like none other I'd belched before--and I thought for sure something would melt on my monitor, or I'd fry some low-hanging nose hairs, but don't worry, everything's okay. Barq's does have bite.) this really cool blog--
Nesting Place--for a while, that I have mentioned already, but she is a decorating genius. Unfortunately, regretfully, woefully, I have to admit that our decorating tastes and styles are not
precisely the same, but the her budget-wise, practical, short-cutting but brilliant approaches to bringing about the decorating are simply fabulous.
And now that I've gone way over the top, I need a second, third, fourth, or fifth opinion. Using the Nester's excellent instructions, I've
"mistreated" one of my kitchen windows using a $5 table runner from the quilt shop at Gardner's Village and some inexpensive calico that was the end of a bolt at JoAnn's,
AND I didn't sew
anything! I ripped of the edging stuff and left it, like she does
here.
So anyway, here is the result of my first attempt. I didn't use any curtain rods.
Please ignore the fact that we need to buy a cover for the recessed light. And that my cupboards are ugly and need painting or restaining (a whole new, darker, color). Also disregard my uninspiring choice of wall paint color.
See all the mucky snow outside?
Dan didn't like this because he had to hunch over (more than usual) to see outside. Plus, this window faces south, and in the winter, the sun beats mercilessly--when it bothers to show it's face--and blinds us while we eat at the kitchen table--which sometimes doesn't happen in the morning.
My next attempt was this, even though I knew it wouldn't be permanent because we'd have to block Mr. Rarely-shows-myself Sun. I'm also not in love with the jumble of crap on the window sill.
Above (two images) is the final result involving a tension rod and safety pins. For some reason, I could not bring myself to rip the fabric in half to make two panels, nor did I want to sew the loop-pocket-thingy to put the rod through, so I pinned it. I guess I wanted my fabric unmolested, or as my cool old man would say, unadulterated (that's how he likes his popcorn--no fat reduced and containing all it's natural flavor--enhanced with butter and salt, of course). Anyway, I've taken care of one ugly window in my house and have seven to go.
Now, here's where I need someone else's opinion: Something about this doesn't look right to me. I think it's something in the spacing, but maybe it's just that it's surrounded by imbecilic decorating (i.e. ugle cupboards and uninspiring paint color) and feels out of place in all it's glory.
Maybe it doesn't like looking at these naked things:
and it's insulted to have to share the same room with them. Please tell me why I had to take this picture before clearing dinner. And yes, I have high hopes that eventually we'll put molding on the door we put in literally right before the frigid weather hit. Ugh, and don't even get me started on the horrid fan/light fixture. There are so many things in this old house that need attention and we just do not have the time and
money resources to get to all of them. At least Mr. Destructo looks cute. And his purple cup. And that cupboard on the right that only looks cute in this photo from far away and out of focus, but that's even another story. I've painted it twice. It still doesn't look right. I'm not going there.
I don't want to go here yet either, but check it out.
I bought a chest at a consignment shop for $115, suspicious of how good a deal I got, but it wasn't as stupid a buy as the wicker chair behind it on the left that's covered by a sheet (my only spare big piece of fabric not otherwise engaged) because it is falling apart.
I regret buying this chest because we really couldn't afford it very easily, and as much as I like black in it's place, I'm not liking it on this. It's sucking up all the light (remember how the sun don't shine much here?) and I know I want to repaint it something lighter, but I still have to fix that white cupboard and paint this:
My free dresser from someone's trailer in the line at DI. I've started peeling off the white paint to expose the lovely 60's sea foam green with teal knobs. Maybe I should leave it so it will fit in with our 1960's house.
There's too much to do before spring comes and the yard sucks up all our time and energy. Oh yeah, and here's another good idea on window treatments from the Nester.
And here are some new shoes I bought with Miss Amy. I wore the red ones to church today with a black dress and they looked awesome. (Today is really Sunday, but I downloaded the pictures a few days ago and couldn't figure out how to make the date different, so this is how it is.) Anyhow, how soon after the snow melts can we wear white shoes? I'm itching to wear the white ones. You can't see it, but they have those cool faux wood heals that are higher than the heels on the smoking red shoes, which you also can't see, I just realized. By the way, this is my first venture into high heel wearing, and I thought I would kill myself at church (luckily the parking lot and sidewalks were snow-free because it's finally melting in our local heat wave of mid-40's temperatures), especially while I did Singing Time in front of all the kids at church and I didn't want them to make fun of me. Kids are brutal. Except for my own little sweethearts, of course.
Mom's bed looks better without linens. 
Worn out from all the 
