Tablecloth turned curtain panels

On the second floor of an antique mall in downtown Jonesborough(the oldest town in Tennessee) is a booth full of old embroidered tablecloths & napkins, piles of doilies and other dainty knick-knacks. This is my favorite place to go to find sweet patterned fabrics...it almost never lets me down.
I found this tablecloth with a pattern I adore. The border is my favorite part, and the colors are perfect! 

I brought it home and cut it in half using my rotary cutter....

Notice the porch surface? This happened before we painted our porch....so glad we got that done!

The cut wasn't perfect, but I knew I'd be sewing the edges eventually because I had decided to turn this tablecloth into new curtains for our kitchen window!

I originally was looking for a quilt top, which is probably terribly hard to find, to use for curtains like in this lovely home...

Seriously, I love everything about this home. I think it's the reason my tastes have started to change.

I used the sewing machine and talent of my friend Jamie during one of our craft nights and started hemming the edges and leaving enough room across the top for the curtain rod.

During this process, I realized that I need to ease up when it comes to sewing....I had an awful experience with mine about a year ago and have sworn to never touch it again....anytime a sewing machine makes an odd sound or even the slightest jam and I get anxious. Jamie was a good encouragement and watching how fast she zips the fabric through was exactly what I needed. It was so simple! It took about 20 minutes from the time we started ironing the edges to completed curtains.

I got them hung up above the sink and I am so happy!

For holdbacks I found these beautiful knobs from Hobby Lobby and spray painted them Olive Green.

Then I added a little something extra to the center of the window.

I had this oval frame with no glass so I decided to string a strip of fabric through it and cut out some scrapbook paper, adding a few words I need to remember while washing the dishes.

Anytime I needed text on a project before I got the Silhouette, but didn't trust my own handwriting with a paintbrush(which is pretty much always) I would use these rub-on letters.

They are pretty amazing, and look almost exactly like they came right out of a typewriter.

Then I spray painted another hook I had at the house and hung it below the words for a dish rag or towel to hang.

Sorry about the picture quality, these were taken at night, since it's the only window in the kitchen, I just couldn't get the lighting right. But here's a peak at how they look during the day when the sun shines through...

For a pair of new curtains I paid $8.00 plus the cost of some white thread for Jamie's sewing machine. Win!

Before:

After:

If your response to this change is something like "wow that window looks a lot more old-ladyish" then we're on the right track. I'm going for more old-fashioned (old lady) charm.

PS. This is what happens when you take a pee-break and allow your crawling son to continue venturing on his own around the kitchen when you have the dishwasher door open....

He got stuck. Why is it called child-proof when we alter our homes in order to keep our kids safe? I think this photo is proof enough that we have a child! Just kidding mom, I'm working on it!

Allison

A Lesson on Being Old-Fashioned & a Painted Porch

Earlier this afternoon I decided to give Finn a bath on the front porch in a rubbermaid bin while Steven mowed the yard. I thought this sounded like a wonderful idea.

Then, as cars passed by, I began thinking how redneck it must look. I later convinced myself that it wasn't redneck, but rather the fact that I had my naked baby sudsing up in the front yard for the whole world to see was old-fashioned. I prefer old-fashioned.

Two weekends ago Steven painted our porch.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

We still have work to do on the sides of the porch.

What do you think? Too blue? I've seriously been asking everyone.

Before: Our porch consisted of patchy black raised pieces that were left over from when astroturf used to cover the surface. Can you imagine this house with an astroturf porch?? There were also random sections of cement, gray, and white, which equals barf porch.

cement + gray + white + black + random tufts of green turf = barf porch.

So, really, I don't think there's any way it could look worse. Even if we had painted it fire engine red, at least it would all be one unified color.

I actually think that the sun over these few weeks has toned down the color's brightness and made it more subtle. Either that or I'm getting used to it. Plus, I think it looks better with dusty footprints scattering dirt all around, makes it look worn. In a good way. If worn can be good? I think so, yes. Just like being old-fashioned is the new redneck.

Soon, I can let my son do whatever he wants (well, almost) without clothes on, because we'll have a place to hang out in the backyard. So excited!

Oh, and my son already needs a second haircut. Bad. And we're going to a wedding tomorrow. I decided to write this off as old-fashioned as well...

Same for when he doesn't wear shoes...Or for when I find blades of grass still clenched in his hand right before bedtime.

Oh and I finished Stephanie Nielson's book Heaven is Here. If you're into touching stories told by strong, beautiful real-life women then you should pick this one up. Especially if you're a mother, want to be a mother, are freaked out that you're a mother, need encouragement to continue being a mother, etc etc etc. If you're stuck on the trivialities of life and could use a good shaking awake, Stephanie's story might do the trick.

Happy Graduation!!

Allison

Outdoor Color Scheming

Last week Steven and I picked out the color that we'll be painting the porch. After getting a brand new beautiful solid wood door, we finally decided on Night View by Valspar. (Which looks a lot more gray and a lot less navy online than in real life)

It was around that same time that I ran across this lovely pattern on an outdoor pillow at Bed, Bath & Beyond. With a 20% off coupon I left the store with it for about $8.00. 

With this pattern I established the color scheme for our front porch.

Our old front door was black; so was our mailbox and porch lights. The mailbox got a new coat of paint called Cobalt Cannon. 

I adore Valspar spray paint, it never lets me down!

I took Finn with me to check out a local store called Sparrow's Nest to see what little additions I could find. I got this itty bitty wreath for our new door.

I cut a strip of gray fabric, strung it through the wreath, and nailed it to the top of the door.

These plant hangers came with the house and even though I do love the worn look of them and sage-green color, I thought it was time to add them to the scheme.

Primed and ready to go!

Here's the improved plant hanger in Cobalt Cannon next to its unfinished counterpart.

This year I opted out of planting Sweet Potato Vine, even though I do love it. I grabbed Creeping Jenny instead. I have no idea how it'll do, but I'm hopeful, and I love its bright green color!

I really hope it grows because from the sidewalk you can't even see that there's anything planted in the baskets.

Here's our porch in July last year vs. our porch yesterday:

The porch floor would've been painted by now if the weather had held out for us; so we still have painting to do and new porch lights to purchase and install. The little side table by the chair I purchased for super cheap at TJ Maxx and plan on painting it as well.

I also got two Coleus plants, one for us, and one for our new neighbors who'll be moving in next door soon...yay!

Finn's excited (and it looks as if he's a tad bit uneasy too) about having a girl move in next door who's exactly two months older!

Happy Earth Day!

Allison