PATTERN PLAY 1: BLUE AND WHITE FLORAL FABRIC

One of my friends is redecorating her home little by little, and was telling me about trying to get some ideas for what fabrics to mix with one that she already bought for her Dining Room.  I told her it would be fun to do some pattern play and come up with several options, then share them with you all as well!  Here's the blue and white floral fabric she bought, it's called Batik Indigo by P Kaufmann (thanks to my IG friends for helping me discover the pattern name!). As far as I can tell, this fabric is discontinued, my friend got hers at a local shop that tends to carry closeout fabrics.  But, it's a familiar pattern, so even if you don't have this exact fabric I think the selections I mix it with would still work with other similar blue and white fabrics.  And, if you happen to be looking for a pattern like this, I listed some good similar options at the end of the post.  ...

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DIY SHOWER CURTAIN AND CORNICE BOARD TUTORIAL

Without a doubt, our DIY shower curtain and cornice board is the perfect finishing touch of the kids' new bathroom.   It wasn't too difficult to make and adds such a style element and warmth to the room.  Today I'll share the tutorial with you of how we made it! ...

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BLUE AND WHITE DRAPES SOURCE GUIDE

I have 3 sets of blue and white drapes in my home and am often asked where I got them. Since I make my own draperies, I never have a good answer for that!  So, I decided to scour the internet and put together a source guide for you if you're shopping for blue and white curtains. **There is an updated version of this post here with currently available sources. To start with, though, I'll share my fabric sources just in case you're handy with a sewing machine too and would like to make your own (it's really not hard, I shared a tutorial here ). The first set of blue and white drapes I added to my home were in my bedroom.  I just love this fabric and it looks good everywhere I've seen it! Duralee "Kalah" Fabric When I changed from black and white to blue and white curtains in the main part of the house, I made these spotted/brush stroke panels for the Dining Room .  This is such a fun, versatile fabric! Madcap Cottage Mill for Robert All......

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FIVE FRIDAY FAVORITES

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Read my  full disclosure policy here . We're starting our third Summer with our new patio , and it's times to freshen a few things up.  I'll be working on that this next week, but here's a sneak peek just for you all of what's coming! ...

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ONE ROOM CHALLENGE- GIRL'S BEDROOM- FINALIZING DETAILS {WEEK 4}

Yes, it's Week 4 of the One Room Challenge and I'm still finalizing details!!  Shouldn't that be happening in Week 2 or so? Or before the challenge even started?? Eeek! #iworkbestunderpressure If you're joining me for the first time today, welcome! I'm making over my teenage daughter's room and you can catch up on Week 1 (Before Photos) here , Week 2 (Design Plan) here , and Week 3 (Paint and Ceiling Fan) here . Let's begin today by me telling you a few things that have changed since the original design plan .  Here's a refresher- ...

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HAPPENINGS ON THE HOMEFRONT |6|

Hello everyone!  Today I'm catching you up on what's going on around our house... projects in process and little updates in our family life that some of you enjoy reading. After adding it in at Christmas, I've really been loving the hot pink/red combo.  Last year I began adding in a touch of hot pink when I got my new rug in the Entry and now I'm adding in a little bit more in other areas of the house.  On our last trip to Ikea I found these new hot pink pillow covers (love the $4 Gurli covers...available in so many colors!) and bought a few.  I planned to monogram them and when I came across this pagoda frame design I thought it would be perfect.  I used the largest size that my hoop would allow and first thought it might be too small, but it's grown on me and I like the subtle tone on tone detail that the red thread adds. (affiliate links used) Pagoda Embroidery Download  ||  Fishtail Font Download ...

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PATTERN MIXING FABRIC COMBOS

I could sit and stare at fabric samples all day.  Once I start looking, I can't stop putting patterns together!  It's been a while since I've perused fabrics online, so I spent some time lately and found some new patterns I hadn't seen yet.  I couldn't resist mixing and matching some combos! Freshening up your space with fabric is one of the easiest and most dramatic ways to get a new look, whether it be with pillows, a new table runner, re-covering an old stool, covering the back of a bulletin board or shelf, or switching out your drapes.  Here are some fabric combos I liked if you're ready for a new look! This post contains affiliate links. Green Lattice   ||   Floral   ||   Blue Dot ...

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HOW TO MAKE A LINED CURTAIN PANEL- BLACK AND WHITE STRIPED CURTAINS TUTORIAL

Several of you said that you noticed my new black and white striped curtains in my Spring Tour last week even before I mentioned them in the post.  Good eye!  As I mentioned, I still like my old curtains, but after 6 years I was feeling the need for a change.  The process really isn't that difficult, so I thought I'd share my version of how to make a lined curtain panel with you today.  Here's my disclaimer:  I'm not a professional seamstress... this may not be the "correct" way to make a panel, it's not weighted or pleated or perfect, but it's the easiest way I've found and it works for me. ...

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MASTER BEDROOM REFRESH

It's hard for me to believe, but it's been almost 2 years since I completed my Master Bedroom makeover for the One Room Challenge .  There was a lot of work accomplished in 6 weeks, but a few of the things I did were just "for now", and I knew there were still some small changes I'd want to make in the future that didn't allow for such a rushed deadline at the time, or I hadn't found quite the right piece.  I made a few choices based on what was readily available and what I could finish quickly.  I was still very happy with the finished room, but over these few years I've been changing small things here and there, so here's the refresh as of yesterday! ...

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HOW TO FIX PULLS OR SNAGS IN YOUR FURNITURE UPHOLSTERY FABRIC

Sometimes I have tips that I consider sharing with you, but I wonder if they would really be all that useful to anyone.  Ways that I've solved a problem, but I ask myself, "Does everyone already know this??"  So for today, I have a solution to share with you, and even if it's a lightbulb moment to a just few people, I'll consider that a success! If you didn't know, we have 2 kitties who just turned 5 on Valentine's Day.  (You can read all about them in  this guest post  I did at Cuckoo 4 Design.) ...

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VALENTINE'S DAY MANTEL AND DIY NO SEW GARLAND

It seems like we just packed up the Christmas decorations, so it's hard to believe that Valentine's Day is right around the corner!  I got a little crafty with a DIY no sew garland and decked out the mantel for the upcoming holiday. ...

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HAPPY NEW YEAR! TRANSITIONING FROM CHRISTMAS TO WINTER DECOR

Hi there everyone, and Happy 2017!!  I hope your holidays were festive and fun!  I took full advantage of a technology break, and am back today with a slow start back to blogging.  My kids are still out of school until Thursday so we'll be making the most of these last few days.  Today I just wanted to show you a few shots around the house of how I transitioned from Christmas to Winter.  I used many of the same accessories, but switched some things around and pared back the vignettes and colors to calm everything down a bit for January. First off, I will never ever tire of ornate gold frames, especially with chalkboards in them!  I enjoyed this one hanging over the mantel so much throughout the Christmas season that I switched the message and kept it there. ...

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DIY 30 MINUTE NO SEW TREE SKIRT

When I decided to use a new color scheme for my Christmas tree this year, I knew I was going to have to find a different tree skirt than I've used in the past.  Not finding what I had in mind in stores, I browsed Pinterest for inspiration to make my own.  As soon I I spotted this skirt  (no longer available to purchase) I knew I found a winner, and even more so when I knew it could be done quickly and with no sewing involved! ...

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SWEET SATURDAY #1

Hello there, everyone!  Thank you all for such kind comments and remarks on my last post , be sure to go back and check it out if you missed it for a great giveaway opportunity! I referenced this briefly in my last post, but one of the things you all suggested that you might like to see here was a regular weekend post.  It seems like you'd like more new material to read while you're drinking your Saturday morning coffee.  Well, ok!  I can do that!  I will start regular posts on Saturday mornings, and will call these posts Sweet Saturday (because isn't that what Saturdays are???).   Most of the time you'll find snippets of things I thought you would enjoy, quick tips, or bits and pieces of things that aren't enough material for their own post.  So, I hope you enjoy the randomness of them! We are heading to NYC at the end of the month and I've been making our arrangements for where we'll be staying, I always forget how teeny tiny those spaces are! ......

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HOW TO RECOVER AN UPHOLSTERED BENCH OR CHAIR SEAT {BAMBOO BENCH MAKEOVER}

I shared this little Craigslist bamboo bench with you last year.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it when I purchased it, but I knew I couldn't pass it up! It's shown up in a few pictures here and there, but was hiding a little secret. I really never recovered the seat, I had just wrapped the ugly fabric with a new piece and taped it underneath.  I finally decided where this bench would live, and subsequently what fabric I wanted to use on it.  You saw a little peek in my Spring Home Tour , but again, the fabric was just quickly wrapped around the cushion as a temporary fix. Over the summer I finally had a chance to reupholster the cushion for good.  This is a fairly simple project that anyone could do, and the same steps would apply to re-covering a regular seat cushion (such as side chairs or dining chairs). One final step, adding cording around the edge, really gives a more polished, finished look, but that step is completely optional and......

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IF YOU MISSED IT... {JUNE-JULY}

So, my kids have officially started the countdown to school... just 19 more days for us! #booalarmclocks   I can't believe how the summer has flown by. We've enjoyed it and stayed busy for sure, and things have kept moving right along here on the blog as well.  So, here's a summer re-cap, just in case you've been on vacation or living at the pool or binging on too much Netflix! We kicked things off in June with two big tours- the inside of our house for summer, and the reveal of our completed patio that's been in progress since last summer! Summer Home Tour Patio Reveal In anticipation of the Fourth of July, I shared some favorite  red, white, and blue tabletop accessories  from Target, and then used some similar things that I already owned to create my own  red, white, and blue tablescape  for the holiday. I've had a blast as a member of At Home's Inspiration Team this summer and shared some ideas with you to make entertaining ......

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