Luxurious Fabrics

 One of my favorite places to shop is a fabric store.  I know you may

think this strange, unless you love pretty fabric, but it's true.  I can spend

hours walking around the store, looking at patterns, trim, buttons and

of course, fabrics.  I am like a kid in a candy store.  

This obsession came about early in life.  My mother was a seamstress.

She made clothing and altered clothing until about 2 years ago.  As a

child, I feel like I basically grew up in a fabric store.  When I was a

young girl, all stores had fabric.  Walmart, Sears, JC Penney, Target,

 and Woolworth's all had a fabric department.  Things have changed

a bit over the years, haven't they?  I guess sewing is becoming a lost art.  

A few weeks ago I found this wonderful fabric at Calico.  It absolutely

took my breath away.  It was a soft shade of robins egg blue with a 

beautiful cream tape that had been applied in a trellis pattern.  I 

loved it!  This simple fabric was so elegant and you know how

I love anything with a trellis pattern, I had to use it somewhere.

I didn't need it . . . but couldn't walk away!  

If I couldn't use it somewhere, someone else had to.  I called my

friend and told her about it, took her a sample and the rest is

history.  Well, she did want new linens in her master bedroom

anyway . . .  so . . . . this was a great find . . . right?

We used this wonderful fabric on the valance, panels, bed skirt,

and euro and king shams.  A silk check with a dominant cream

stripe was used as out box pleated ruffle.  We matched the

wider cream checks to form the box pleats.  This was a time

consuming endeavor, but well worth the time when you 

look at the consistency in the ruffle.   

 The fabric for the duvet was a  cream trellis matelasse.  A

small cord of the silk check was used to join the fabric and

also as the finished edge on duvet.  This fabric was repeated 

on the monogrammed insets on the king shams.  

Since the fabric is so gorgeous, we chose a simple box valance with

a covered button detail.  

I am so glad I got to share this lovely bedroom with you.  I hope you 

like it as much as my friend does.  Hope to see you soon in one of

our few fabric stores around town.  They all know me by name!  

Move over Tide

I have always been a Tide girl . . . Original scent . . .  that was 

the only clean I knew.  I would try different brands over the years

but always came back to my Tide.  The product smells wonderful,

 got the clothes clean and is expensive.  I didn't care . . . I loved it.  

There was a lot of talk on Pinterest about laundry soaps you could

make at home.  I was skeptical . . . thinking this was only for bargain

hunters who weren't true to a brand.  I thought the idea was crazy, 

that there was no way that it could work as well (or smell as good)

as my Tide.  

My daughter was one of the bargain hunters I mentioned above,

and made several batches, using various recipes.  She finally

settled on the dry version and gave me a small baby food size

jar and claimed it would last "forever".  Well, it sat in

my laundry room for about a month, until one day I decided

to try it, not on my delicates, but on my husbands greasy

car shop clothes.  I thought I might as well use it, and I did.

They clothes had never been that clean.  It got out grease and oil

that had been there for months.  I was amazed.  The clothes even

smelled cleaner than with my Tide.  

So, now I am a believer.  I don't make it to save money . . . I make

it because it works . . . and it works well!  The money savings is 

just a little bonus.  

 You will need:

 1 bar of Fels Naptha laundry soap bar (grated)

2 cups of Super Washing Soda

1 cup of Borax

It really is easy!

 The worst part is grating the bar of soap.  The first batch I made,

I grated it by hand.  After a box of bandaids, I decided there had 

to be a better way.  Next batch, I used my food processor. . . easy!

 Looks like grated cheddar cheese . . . but don't eat it.  

Finished product.  Use 2 tablespoons per load.  In my front loader,

I put it directly in the drum with the laundry.  

The cost per batch is around $3.00 . . . amazing.  

Hope you will try it . . . I think you will love it.  

Show me the "Bunny"

I have always loved bunnies.  I grew up in St. Louis where our yard

was full of them.  Every Spring we would have nests in our yard with

adorable baby bunnies.  That is one thing I miss about living in Tennessee.

I try to use bunnies in decorating my home.  As a matter of fact I love to use

many animals in my decorating.  I love sheep, birds, roosters, and cows.  

French Country style always incorporates these animals in their fabrics,

motifs, and figurines.  I guess that is why this style is my absolute 

favorite.  It makes me feel at home, loved and comfortable.  

 This is one of my favorite spots in my home.  Notice the wallpaper

behind the plate rack .  This is a green leaf trellis pattern that is 

repeated on my valance in my breakfast room.  

 These are my back door window treatments.  The provence fabric

has a mini leopard accent fabric with insets of hand painted bunnies

framed out with a mini ruffle.

 This is the shelf over my locker area in my back hall.  

The rabbits are hand painted on canvas by Morgan

Harrington.  This spot just says "Welcome Home".

 This is  new find that my husband just installed.  A light 

fixture over my kitchen island with bunnies!  Oh my!

This is my breakfast room fabric.  It is by Braemore

and is called "tureen".  There are snails, frogs, squirrels

and bunnies of course.  This fabric works beautifully with

my lettuce dishes.  

As you can tell from these few photos of my home that I love to
decorate with attention to detail.  I love to layer all the things
that I love.  My home is where I'd  rather be than any place
else in the world.   

Get Organized

Today is the first day of 2013 and I know many of you have made the

resolution to be more organized for this upcoming year.  Good for you.  

I would like to share a few things that may help you in obtaining and

maintaining an organized home.  

The first step has already been done . . . realizing you need organization.

Step two is to actually get there.   Follow these steps and commit to 

actually following through.

  

Step One: Start small.  Clean out one closet, drawer, or pantry at a time.  Don't start on

too many things at one time or you will be overwhelmed.  

Step Two:  Take everything out of space.  Clean empty space.  Determine what

needs to be replaced and put back in these items.  Make one pile for donate or sell,

one for garbage, and one for items that belong somewhere else. 

Step Three:  Return items above that belong somewhere else to their

proper home.  

This seems simple, but it will work.  Do not try to take on too much at one time.  

Commit to a room every week to two weeks.  In a few months you will have

your entire house organized.  Then you can move on to the garage or attic. 

The weather should be warmer by then.  

Some items you  may find useful would be a label maker, organizational

bins or boxes.  Invest in these as you work on each area.