Tablecloth to curtain ~

I recently posted about making some changes to our dining room.  You can check that post out here.  After painting the room a mossy green, I moved on to updating the curtains.  The curtains in our dining room have always matched the curtains in our living room because the rooms open up to each other.  This meant 4 new panels that are both 96"+ in length.  This can get pricey for curtains so I got creative with this tablecloth.

This is a tablecloth from Cost Plus World Market.  It was 60" x 90". 

My curtain panels needed to be 96"+ so I bought 4 natural colored 54" x 84" curtains and

cut the tablecloth in fourths to add to them.  This gave me roughly 22'" to add to each panel.

I layed this 60" piece next to the 54" panel and determined how much 

width I needed to cut in order to have it equal 54".

Once I hemmed the width to match, I trimmed the top rod pocket seam from the 

panel in order to have a smooth end to attach the two pieces of fabric.

 Is this making sense?   

The two pieces were ready to be sewn together.

This is the outcome of that seam.

I added the rod pocket and was done.

The nice part about this project was there was very little sewing because

I already had the bottom hem (they still need ironing). 

I like the way they puddle.

And, I didn't have to do any side seams because the panel already had them 

and the tablecloth had one done (I had to shorten the width on one side).

This is the living room curtains.  The walls are a chocolate brown in there.

 I'm partying at the following places:

Inspiration Friday at The Picket Fence

In search of warmer weather ~

It's Spring Break in the NW, but the high today is 42'.  We're packed up and headed to Palm Springs for the rest of the week.  The temps there aren't quite what they were a couple of weeks ago when we checked the "extended forcast", but low 70's still sounds pretty good!

 This is where we're staying.  The resort is on Dinah Shore Dr.  Remember her?

 Hope the pool is heated!

(photos courtesy of Mission Hills Resort)

Hope it's warming up where you are :)

Work in progress ~ the dining room

I've posted over and over about getting rid of the red in my home.  I want more neutral colors.  The last room that had to be addressed was the dining room.

Before -

 During -

 And a glimpse of where 'after' is headed -

This blue fabric is a real stretch for me. I've never been much of a 'blue person', but the greens, tans and browns go great in this room and the adjoining living room.

Kids had 2 extra days off of school last week, prior to their Spring Break this week, which has slowed down my project significantly.  It can wait, but I'm looking forward to finishing to show you the reveal. 

Magazine love ~

Have you  seen this ad while strumming the pages of your magazines?  It really caught my attention. 

I love my magazines and I love my laptop (which by the way died :(((( this week, literally smoking).  In my opinion, there's nothing better than getting comfy with a magazine and a cup of coffee in my pj's on a Saturday morning, or having one in the car to peruse while I'm waiting on my child to finish with a practice, or buying a new stack to take on the airplane when we travel, or BEST YET....enjoying a new magazine while laying poolside on vacation....ahhhh! 

 (The words are a little fuzzy so I typed it for you.  Enjoy!)

The Internet is exhilarating. Magazines are enveloping. The Internet grabs you. Magazines embrace you. The Internet is impulsive. Magazines are immersive. And both media are growing.

Barely noticed amidst the thunderous Internet clamour is the simple fact that magazine readership has risen over the past five years. Even in the age of the Internet, even among the groups one would assume are most singularly hooked on digital media, the appeal of magazines is growing.

Think of it this way: during the 12 year life of Google, magazine readership actually increased 11 percent.

What it proves, once again, is that a new medium doesn't necessarily displace an existing one. Just as movies didn't kill radio. Just as TV didn't kill movies. An established medium can continue to flourish so long as it continues to offer a unique experience. And, as reader loyalty and growth demonstrate, magazines do.

Which is why people aren't giving up swimming, just because they also enjoy surfing.

* We're headed to Palm Springs in a couple of weeks for Spring Break.  

Need to get my magazines for the plane ride :)

Do you have any plans for Spring Break?

  Whether you're home or traveling, I hope it's relaxing and your favorite mags are a part of it.

Running with the Bulls ~

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been staying busy helping my daughter's school with their upcoming auction.  Their elementary school has a bull for it's mascot, and the theme of this years auction is Running with the Bulls.  Anybody familiar with this event that takes place in Pamplona, Spain?  I did my research and this is what I found...

Every year from July 7th-14th thousands pack into Pamplona to start Spain's most famous bull-running fiesta to honor Navarre capital's patron saint, San Fermin.  Young men gather at the bottom of Santo Domingo, which is the starting line. They crowd together and sing to the image of San Fermin which is placed in a niche on a wall. (They are asking San Fermin, as their Patron, to guide them through the Bull Run and give them his blessing.) Then, as a rocket goes off, a number of fighting bulls are let out onto the streets. A second rocket is then let off to make sure everyone knows the bulls are loose in the street. The bulls run along the narrow street about a half a mile to a bull ring. The runners dash along in front of the bulls, aiming to feel the breath of the bull on their backs, getting as close as possible - all while trying to avoid getting gored by their sharp horns. The supposed way to do this is to start off slowly when the bulls are quite a distance behind. Then as they get nearer start running like crazy! You can then go near them for a short time, as near as you are prepared to risk it, and then quickly get out of the way. Runners look for a gap in the fence to slip through or jump over, or a space against the wall of the street.  When the bulls finally reach the end of the street they go into pens.

Honestly, it all sounds a little barbaric to me, and after googling images to get some inspiration for centerpieces, I realized these runners are cRaZy!

The only thing in the images that stood out to me was that all the runners wear white pants and a white shirt, with a red sash belt.   I decided to use my imagination for the rest of the centerpiece and this is what I came up with. 

Keep in mind that I'm trying to spend "next to nothing" on these in order to keep the costs down for the school.  These roses were 2 for $1 at the Dollar Tree.  They are actually very thin wood.

 I downloaded this bull image and sewed it onto the burlap. 

The majority of these vases were leftover from the auction 2 years ago.  They were also Dollar Tree purchases.  I used 3 yds of inexpensive red fabric cut into strips to tie around the vases and added the

burlap bull image with a piece of leather cording.

 The auction is this Saturday, March 12th.  Wish us luck!  The school is hoping to raise enough money to build a running track around the back field of the school.  Hopefully no bulls will be involved :)

I'm linking to the following party:

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays at Coastal Charm

Creatively drained...

This is what my dining room has looked like all week.  Do all your (and your kids) 

major projects head straight to the dining room table? 

 

 My daughter's school auction is next weekend and I volunteered to do the display boards

for the oral auction items/packages; beach weekends, golf packages, sporting events, etc

 Thank goodness for google images or I wouldn't have had any of these pictures.

 I think I used almost all of the kids construction paper.

 After leaning over the dining room table for a few days my back and neck are in need of a 'spa package'. 

 My creative juices feel a little drained.  

This afternoon we had a 'sunbreak' (that's what they call the sun peaking out in the winter here in the NW),

so I leased up Sadie and we went for a walk.  When we got home, I sat with a BH&G magazine for a few minutes while watching about 15 minutes of Design on a Dime on HGTV.  I feel better 'creatively' already :)

What do you do to re-charge your creativity?