Sometimes less is more

It's true:



EDIT A reminder of the forest green tab tops (from the house and my 90s decor when I lived in Denver) I had up there with push-pins and not wide enough to cover - from 01-21-10:



EDIT 03-16: Here's a daytime shot with the curtains pulled back to compare to the above. Much better than the tacked up version, at least they are out of the way mostly:



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I moved the vertical blind track back to the left and took down the fabrics (valances and napkins I had up for "visualization") and decided that because the length of the vertical blind track, to put a valance up there it would look horrible. So, I will keep the vanes out (I have all the worm gears, thankfully and one stem is properly installed so I know how to put everything back in as required) and just leave it as is.

I actually like it though I would rather have all the vertical blind hardware taken down, the holes filled and proper curtains and rods put up there. It's not going to happen without great expense so it is what it is.

The vertical blinds in my bedroom aren't nearly as imposing as they are here in the living room so I am not worried about messing with them. The treatment for the window in there helps soften the room up a lot. It also helps that the patio door isn't the first thing you see when you enter the room. The window and my bed overpower the ugly of the vertical blinds and I like that.

But yeah, for an apartment where you have limited ability to do as you please, the cheap-o tab tops work pretty well to add some softness and personality to an otherwise imposing feature.

Now that I have my place decorated to the best of my ability, this blog is going to be extremely sparse in updates. I use my Facebook for quick updates that don't amount to much and my journal is for my more intimate communication. Hopefully my work circumstances will change and I will be in a house by the end of summer. Until then, unless I find a fabulous something to update...this blog is all but put on the back burner for a while.

:-)

Oscar Night Dresses For Doors & Perfect Lighting

(No I didn't watch, I just looked up some galleries of what the women were wearing.)

I have an obsession with fabric. I become more obsessed when I see things like curtains so cheap and Tuesday Morning is my downfall:


An odd application to be sure and I am lucky that previous tenants here had painted all the doors and trim white because other apartments here (that I have seen) have the original stain (medium oak brown similar to the kitchen cabinets) but I am still hating the louvered door to the laundry room.

I shortened the valance that came with the 99¢ curtains by about 6 inches and I like it now. I don't see curtains used in this manner very often but it softens up the space tremendously.

Also, though I do have the overhead light on in the kitchen for this picture, I grabbed one of my canister uplights and placed it on the microwave temporarily so I can leave it on at night and reduce the need to turn the overhead light off and on.

I plan on getting the innerds for the other lamp I bought last August (the one on the left via the link) and putting that in there, painted black with either antique gold or bronze Rub N Buff. I already have a lamp shade I can use with it. I am totally loving the idea of putting a small lamp in a kitchen using only a 15 watt CFL bulb. Saves on energy and my eyes because that kitchen lighting is so institutional.

Anyhow, between projects that I show, I often go through a process before I decide what to do. The most recent project in the works is the awkward patio door in the living room:



Those are three curtain panels (identical fabric to the one in the kitchen), hung up on little rods that hang close to the wall because of that monster of a headrail for the vertical blinds.

Well, when the vanes (the vertical blind panels) are fully pulled back, you can see all kinds of nasty with the curtain tabs and the cheesy rods. So here I am in the process of deciding what type of valance to create. This is going to be a project that may not get done until next month but with the help of some fabric (black napkins from Target to cover pillows and the tan valances from Tues Morn I got several months back as a backdrop for the shelves to the right of my computer) I can start a process to see what my minds eye is thinking.

Thoughts:

Use the tan valances and put a black ribbon along the bottom. Tehe, I have electrical tape on it right now for the "feel".

Look for some basic black fabric.

Definately go from the 12" down to 9" in length. I can't raise anything because of the apartment's vertical blind hardware so doing much of anything else is out of the question. Move the blind rail back over to the left again so as to eliminate the overhang on the right side.

Note to anyone who decides to do something like take vertical blinds down from your rental, don't take the vanes out with the stem. You will find little plastic pieces called worm gears strewn about. Whoops.

Luckily I am very mechanically inclined but holy crap replacing each stem, vane along with the worm gears is going to be a tedious task. It's already an awkward project because the vertical blinds are meant for a 9' patio door and that door is 7' and some change. In all the years I sold windows and doors, being around the industry it's just a stupid, stupid door. They should have just put 6' doors in and called it a day. Anyhow, those vertical blinds are too wide for the stupid door making for a decor challenge.

The curtains truly soften the space and are much better than the 90s forest green panels I've been sporting. I've had them hung up for a while because I wasn't sure I was liking it because of the odd way it's set up to begin with. I had contemplated taking them back for a couple of reasons including financial but, I am going to attempt to stop smoking on the 15th or so. I don't have a choice unless I take those curtains back so...I am weighing my options here and I think having a cozy home is far better than (pardon me here) shitty lungs. I've done it before, let's hope I can do it again and I can look at my silly valance-in-progress to remind me why I am stopping.

I have other financial obligations I need to take care of too so the smoking's gotta go. I still need projects to do to keep me out of trouble but I do have friends that have helped me in the past that need to get repaid. The honeymoon is over with redecorating so the smoking needs to go and I can still repay debt yet keep myself from going insane. Besides, house stuff is much more fun than what I had been doing with my money in the past, drinking.

Okay then. Hope everyone has had a fine weekend.

Scarf softly draped around her neck

I can't leave well enough alone and the sides still need taming but:




Here's the before, the before-before and the before-before-before. hehe.

I was very proud of my trip to Hobby Lobby in that I didn't purchase 5 million items I don't need. I admit, I did come home with a few items that were discounted or on sale (two glass votive holders and a gold plate -cheaper than Goodwill I tell ya- that I have a smaller version of...and I finally got two art/plate tabeletop easels that I have been needing to get for a long time now) I did get the intended fabric for the valance/pelmet box/cornice in the kitchen and found a remnant of black fleece to put on the bed for Sonny so it would coordinate and so he would quit sleeping on my pillows. I really scored on the fleece - mostly for my sanity.

Anyhow, on the way home I decided to see if the window scarf (the only one) was still available that goes with the two sheers. Yep, so after I ironed all 216" of it yesterday I placed it on the rails, went to have dinner with my aunt and uncle came home and crawled into bed.

I hadn't secured it in anyway and right now it's still a bit rough but I couldn't stand that it was not draping better.

I got out of bed in just my tshirt and hunted down the bow from the only Christmas gift I got this year - the sheer fabric in it is almost identical. Took it apart and at least secured it so it was draping better. Hehe, it was about 1:00 am, standing on my bed with just the shirt and undies because I can't leave well enough alone!

I justify it in that:

#1. I originally was going to look for a black throw for the bed. I had seen a black and leapord print one on sale at Target for $12 and some change. I resisted picking that up even though it would go with the not-my-usual-style $5 leapord print lamp shade. It also would have been perfect because of my Sonny's fur since it had some medium tans in there.

#2. I didn't spend $30+ at Hobby Lobby like I normally do in a trip there. I have mentioned it in the past, I often go and end up with a ton of $3-$4 things that I frankly don't need. Since I spent about $20 I figured the $5 window scarf was okay since I semi-controlled my usual inability to control myself in Hobby Lobby and I mostly stayed on task.

#3. I knew the scarf was there and I would not "rest" knowing that it was there and it might be the finishing touch I needed to conceal the space between the mirror and the back rail.

I think I made the right decision. I still need to "style" it a bit but at least it's doable for right now. The flash shows things it shouldn't but whatchya gonna do? At least she's as styling as my dapper kitchen window.

Oh and here's Sonny, again, sleeping on the fleece I got:



Not on my pillows! YAY!

Minus the fleece, total cost of scarf and panels = $11 + tax. According to Tuesday Morning's tags, this would cost $45 at normal retail prices.

EDIT: I have to admit, my bedroom is a bit more "frilly" than is my usual. The shimmery gold panels on the window, the sheers and scarf in gold, the other golds that are around the room. I usually opt for more organic looking (woven/textured cottons similar to canvas) fabrics. I can make my bedroom a bit softer/feminine and keep the casual look in the living room. I like a place that is relaxed but I think I have started to like a bedroom with a bit more uh, glamour(?) and so far, I like it.

Hey, I am a jeans, casual shirt and my Danskos everyday kinda gal. The direction my bedroom has taken certainly is a step outside my usual.

Links:

Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage

Frugalicious Friday @ Finding Fabulous

My kitchen window is now a dapper fellow

His day look as he heads to the office:


He believes in simplicity for an evening look. And women think they are the only ones that can make a simple day look to an evening look in a manner of steps:


What he really enjoys is that his look was only $2.50!

(doesn't include the curtain rod though - that was $3 - the foam board was on hand and this time I used a combo of tape and hot glue.)

Here's a reminder of the before-before and before...haha!





Links:

Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage

Frugalicious Friday @ Finding Fabulous

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch (Messed up my link over there. The link is correct, the title's all kinds of wrong.)