A Whirlwind of a Week

This has been a totally crazy week with school starting back, cheer practice, tumbling, sewing, meeting with clients, cooking, laundry, installing window treatments.........and the list goes on. I am sure everyone is glad we have this one behind us! Maggie has loved every minute of 7th grade and I can tell that this year I will see less of her than ever before....sad but true. Maybe that is one of the reasons I have been given the talent of sewing....so that I have something to occupy my time with when she is away. I continue to be amazed, even with our economy spiraling downward, that I am so busy. Thanks be to God! Just today, after I got home from installing, I had another voicemail from a client wanting some help with a project!!!!

Today, I installed window treatments for a sweet client who is about to get married in a few weeks! She is living on her family's farm in a renovated house that is just too cute. She has obviously taken time decorating and getting everything just how she likes it for her and her new husband to begin their lives together in. She has a knack for decorating, for sure!

Bittersweet

For 9 years we have continued the tradition of taking a picture of Maggie on the first day of school. Each year I am amazed at how she changes...physically, spiritually, emotionally and socially. Before our eyes, she has grown from a child learning to read to a teenager (almost) that can't read enough....from a little girl that toddles beside us to a beautiful person that now is taller than me...from a child that sang "Jesus Loves Me" to a sister in Christ. I remember the excitement of the first day of school as a kid and all the anticipation that went along with it. New clothes, new school supplies, new teachers, new schedules....these are the things that make the first day so exciting for most kids. Of course, all the "new" things could also make the first day a train wreck!!!! I titled this post "Bittersweet" because the first day of school for a parent really is. Sweet...that we are excited to see what our children accomplish in the year and how God uses them but bitter because we know it is one year closer to the day that they leave the "nest". We only have 6 years until Maggie will go off to college, that makes me a little..NO, A LOT sad. Until then, I will enjoy every moment I have with her and listen to every word she wants to share with me. I will also be the parent that she needs....not her best friend but her parent. I love my girl and am blessed to be her Moma.

Sweet Connie

If you read my blog, you know who Connie is. If this is your first time to read it, I will tell you a little about my Connie. She came into my life 7 or 8 years ago when we were playing Bunco together but our friendship didn't click until several years later. She's the kind of friend that you really can't remember what it was like before you met her. My life if more full because she is in it. One of the reasons our friendship is so easy is because we both LOVE fabric and design. The other reasons.....well, there are just too many to list! We celebrated her birthday last weekend at one of our favorite restaraunts....LaPaz! Yummy! If I had my way, I would move her right next door! I always look forward to seeing her..I feel "at home" with her. And by the way, I happen to adore her family.....sweet husband and two beautiful girls. Love you Connie!

I Have Been Working.....PROMISE!

It may look like I haven't been working much this summer but I truly have! I have several jobs that I have not taken pictures of, so I'll be sure to add those later. Today was a first! I delivered my first curtains to a Law Office in downtown Birmingham. (Thanks to a sweet client who works at the Law Firm...I appreciate it Beckey!) As you can see in the pictures, the office was beautiful to begin with. His taste in furniture is exceptional! He wanted to add a little color to the neutral toned room. I brought him many samples ranging from solid, stripes, chenilles, silks, etc.. He chose this beautiful stripe in chocolate brown, camel, and terracota. I made simple pleated panels that were mounted on existing traverse hardware. He gets plenty of sunshine in the morning through the windows, so I lined the panels with blackout lining as well as a combo innerlining. By doing this, the faux silk drapes have nice body to them. I made a bolster pillow trimmed in a coordinating tassel trim for one of the chairs as well as a square pillow, finished off with a brush trim, for the neutral sofa. The only challenge to this particular job was getting my "Little Giant Ladder" from the parking deck to his office! Nothing like a good workout! On to my next project......

Bedroom Re-Do's

Two of my recent jobs have been master bedroom projects. I have always said if you could choose one room to decorate, it should be the master bedroom. The bedroom is a place you should be able to feel as if you were relaxing in a luxury hotel. Nice linens, beautiful draperies, big fluffy pillows, low lighting.....a place to get away from the stresses of life. I wish I had taken before and after pictures so that you could get the full impact of the makeover...but, I forgot! : (

Project #1

The duvet and shams were purchased "ready made" by my client. We added custom Euro shams, throw pillows, bed skirt and window treatments to complete the look. She chose a palette of browns and blue for her bedroom and bath.

The wall of windows was accented with four panels of blue silk and taupe chenille accented with a beautiful tassel trim. The panels were mounted on one continuous rod across the width of the wall.

We used a rich iridescent blue silk for the gathered bed skirt.

We chose the "Marley" valance by Pate Meadows in the taupe chenille trimmed in the same tassel trim we used on the panels in the bedroom for the Master Bath.

Project#2 (Sweet Surprise)

This makeover was a total surprise given by my neighbor to his wife for her birthday/anniversary. He picked the main fabric from a pile of swatches and I went from there to complete the look.

The beautiful damask fabric was accented by a striped fabric and a chocolate brown silk.

The Euro shams were trimmed in a small rope cording the king shams were accented with a thick multi-color brush fringe.

Long panels of the striped fabric were hung under the crown moulding to give the room a larger appearance. The hardware was purchased from Lowe's Home Improvement.

The Master Bath Window was dressed in a simple valance with a tassel trim accent.

The Claudine valance in the same client's kitchen. I used finials purchased from "At Home" in Homewood instead of a rod to mount the valance on.

The chairs were covered in a coordinating stripe.

I LOVE My Job (if that is what you want to call it!)

I truly love what I do...taking fabric and making it into something beautiful! I am thankful beyond measure that I can stay at home, raise our daughter, be a homemaker and work....all in that order! In addition to all of that, I love to see the smile on a client's face when her/his project is completed and installed.

Here are a few of the projects I installed last week.

Ooh Baby Baby!

Soon the Hatley girls will be snug as a bug in a rug in their sweet nursery. Everyone is anticipating their arrival sometime next month! I had the privilege of adding the final touches with fabric to the nursery. Their beautiful Mother picked out pink and green baby toile with coordinating stripes for the crib skirts, valance and table skirt. I absolutely love the black cribs that Lyla and Avery Kate's parents picked out! A new chapter is about to begin in the Hatley home......a chapter full of laughter, indescribable joy and more love than ever imagine! I can't wait to meet you girl's.

Blessing Others

Most of you know that I work side by side on many projects with a precious friend who is a fantastic Designer, Connie Sandlin ( www .laughterbylakeside.blogspot.com). Our most recent project was like none other that we had done together. She was asked by one of her very dear friend's husband to re-do his Master Bedroom as a surprise for his much deserving wife. He had a budget and told Connie to work her magic.....and that she did! She pulled fabric swatches, paint chips, shopped for decorative items and put her creativity to action! She had a blank slate to work with. She is truly one of the most talented people I know. Once fabric was picked out.....remember, her friend had no idea so Connie had to pick what she thought her friend would like, I began the sewing process. We had a short time to get everything completed and ready for installation during Spring Break. Did I mention that I had a complete hysterectomy during this project???? Even with that obstacle, we managed to finish everything just in time. Connie spent 3 days straight painting, decorating and installing window treatments....I could only help with the "small" stuff since I was only a week out from surgery! Her friend came home to a beautiful master bedroom that she can "retreat" to with her sweet husband. I was truly blessed by being a part of this "surprise" project. Enjoy the pictures.