A Day For Projects

Today, I worked on some very overdue gifts, but I also finished my curtain-the-townhouse project. I think I will be buying any curtains for downstairs because there are just too many windows, but I am happy with how the upstairs rooms look now. Much more framed. Anyhow, I didn't do any during photos, just before and after, I am also including some duplicates with and without flash, since I want to show the natural light and the details. Here we go!

Here's the sewing room window before. I had bought some home decor fabric while it was on sale, and unfortunately didn't buy quite enough. I had quite underestimated how large the window was. In any case, I had to be creative unless I wanted to spend a fortune on the fabric I wanted, and I'm actually very happy with the results.

I made two panels, which don't fully cover the window. They just skim the top of the window ledge, but because the tables are there, you don't really notice.

To add length to the fabric, I used some left over fabric from one of the throw pillows to create an over-sized pocket for the rod. I love how this ties in all the colors and fabric!



I bought two teal tie-backs from JoAnns, a bit of a splurge, since I probably could have made them, but I like them a lot. You can see the detail of the fabric is sort of reminiscent of the silk curtains from the Newport Mansion we visited.

Here you can see how the curtains, once tied back, are a little short, but the tables provide a good hiding place for that.



I love the lighting right now, but I do need more light for sewing at night...will  be working on that soon.

Here's a great look at how the curtains tie in with the chair. I am really happy with how this room is turning out!

The next project was a curtain for the hall stairs between the second and third floors. We hung a frame next to the window, but something was missing.

I did a very simple curtain here, just taking a length of fabric, a yellow cotton eyelette that you might use for a summery dress or shirt. Fabulously priced and we could both agree on color of fabric. :) I hemmed all sides then created a pocket for the rod at the top. Very quick and easy! 

My boyfriend was the one that chose the hanging style, and I am loving how effortlessly beautiful it looks. It may seem like we have a lot of yellow in the house, but we really don't. I think it's become our latest "pop" of color, but we have a lot of blues, greens and black everywhere else.  



And here's the final shot, coming up the stairs. This townhouse is really feeling like a home. :)

In other news, I have finally, finally finished my graduate school application. Hooray! If all goes well, I will be starting classes in the fall to become a reading specialist!

Did I Give Birth To My Cat Or Is This Just The Craziest Coincidence Ever?



See this beautiful cat? She's been attached to me since we adopted her in December. She always waits for me at bedtime, sitting right beside my pillow, then climbs onto my chest so I can't see the computer and makes herself at home. Sometimes she even crawls under the covers with me. My boyfriend complains that she isn't like that with him, and I argue that she loves him, she just loves sitting on me more. She loves to be near me, like a little baby likes to be held by its mommy. She only wakes me up in the morning, either by pawing me in the head or headbutting my face.

 Oh...and she's been peeing blood all over my carpets since we moved into the townhouse. A month and a half ago.

See, I couldn't understand why I was so drawn to her, even on the shelter's website. The minute I saw her, I knew we had to have her. I begged my boyfriend until he agreed to go see her, then I saw her scared, shivering body, afraid of the shelter and desperately wanting to be safe and loved (quite the opposite of our other cat, who was quite happy wherever she was as long as she was fed). I couldn't explain why I felt so attached. So bonded. I found out today.

My cat has kidney stones. Yep, in the plural sense. More than one! She is me in cat form! The treatment is to raise her uric acid content (JUST LIKE ME!!!)........or an (estimated) $800 surgery.

Poor kitty! She stopped peeing blood for a while so we figured she was better. But she kept peeing everywhere. One day I came home and caught her trying to go, so I chased her away from her favorite peeing area yelling, "You're not even SICK anymore!!!" At which point, she peed a ton of blood all over the floor. Ok...I got the message. "Mommy, I AM sick! You should know how this feels, you bitch!"

Can anyone explain how we found each other? She's going to cost us a lot of money to care for, but this is a sign. I am her mommy!

(Sorry everyone...just needed to laugh about this recent turn in events. Hope you were entertained a little.)

Hemming Capris to City Shorts

This was a quick weekend project, and I apologize for the low picture quality, but I had to take them using my phone...in my bathroom mirror. I bought these capri pants yesterday using a $20 coupon of my boyfriend's. I bought them not because I like capris but because I have a really difficult time finding pants, and especially shorts, that fit. My biggest problem is that because of my hormone therapy, I have the body of a woman who has already been through menopause. Now, I don't mean this to be an insult to women who have been through menopause, but typically clothing made for my age and style do not take into account a pooch. A pooch that couldn't even get rid of while I was doing tons of ab work when I was in physical therapy. It is what it is, and probably won't go away even after I am off the pills and lose the weight. Once it's there, I think it will be there. Who knows, but in the meantime, it makes buying pants difficult because anything that fits in the butt/thigh is too tight in the waist, and anything that fits in the waist is about 5 sizes too big on the bottom. So it is exciting, and rare, that I find a pair of pants I like. Even rarer to find shorts. So...I figured I'd make pants into shorts...city shorts, to be specific! I took the length from a pair of city shorts I bought at Talbots Outlet that actually fit everywhere! A slight tightness in the waist, but good enough. Anyhow...here's how the hemmed pants turned out!



Now, instead of high-watered capris, I have a much more flattering (according to Stacey and Clinton of What Not to Wear) pair of jean city shorts! What do you think? I have to say the top picture is not taken from the same vantage point, so you don't get the full length comparison, but I think you get the gist. I did forget to fold the hem twice, so I'll have to get some seam finisher or else deal with the fraying, but for a cheap pair of shorts, I'm not going to worry. :)