No Sew Drop-Cloth Drapes ~ They Really do Work!

Ok ok so I have seen it done numerous times, read about how to do it on a bunch of blogs and researched the heck out of the internet, and nothing could stop me from giving this idea a whirl! And can I tell you...it is sooooooo sooooooo E A S Y and C H E A P!

I chose a 6 X 9 canvas drop-cloth I purchased at Lowes for about $10. 

The first thing I did was to wash these suckers to soften them up because they are pretty dang stiff coming out of the packaging. I read that if you really want them to soften a lot, run them through the washer 2 or 3 times and use lots of fabric softener. I washed mine once with softener and then ironed them so they have a little bit of a wrinkled texture but I really don't mind.

The drop-cloth was a little tall for my room so in order to make them fit, and not having to take the scissors to them, I simply folded them at the top and created the look of a valance. Using curtain rings I purchased at Walmart, I eyeballed where to clip them on. 

They were still a wee bit long for my window, so using what I already had around the house I hemmed them with some double stick tape. Next time I am at Walmart I will have to remember to purchase hemming tape.

I put up my rod and hung my drape. It couldn't be easier! Now I have also read that it is suggested to hang these drop-cloths high and wide. As you can see they are hung higher than the window, but I couldn't go wide because of the closet wall on the right. I probably could have gone almost to the ceiling but I am secretly hoping that my hunky hubby, Mr. Rosemary Lane, will some day put crown molding in this room too!

The canvas material is a nice weight so they seem much more substantial that some of the flimsy curtains you could buy for a few dollars more.  I also love the neutral color and the texture of the canvas.

My favorite part of this whole project was the reaction I got from the salesclerk at Lowes. He asked me if I was going to cover something with them and I politely replied "No they are my new bedroom drapes." Then he gave me a puzzled look like he didn't hear me correctly and so I reworded my reply. He smiled and nodded and then walked away scratching his head. 

Pretty funny!!!

Anyhow, this weekend is going to be a busy one with communions and Mother's Day so there won't be much time to forge ahead with the guest bedroom makeover. I still have to paint the inside of the closet and MR. RL needs to purchase and hang new closet doors.

And so life goes on.

Wishing all you moms out there a wonderful Mother's day and a very happy weekend to everyone!

XO

Recreating a Dream Bedroom Room from "House Beautiful"

Mr. Rosemary Lane always says..."If you want to make God laugh...make a plan!" As you know I have this beautiful green and white bedding my heart has been aching to put into the bedroom for the past year, so I've been on the hunt for some spectacular inspiration for my master bedroom makeover. 

Well I have looked and looked and looked and there is not another room out there on the internet, or in my many decorating magazines, that I fell harder for than this gorgeous bedroom from House Beautiful! 

I can't seem to get the image out of my mind, or off the computer screen for that matter. I know there is no green and white bedding in this room design which means the game plan will undoubtedly need to be changed. But I simply adore the room's warm green color paired with cozy creams and pops of orange. So needless to say I have been on a cyber hunt for items to match some of the elements in this beautiful room.

Our bedroom furniture is old enough to have a family of her own...wouldn't that be a wonderful thing? It is a Rice bed with a bureau and chest of draws in a classic cherry finish that I bought way back in the 80's, my very first grown up purchase! The furniture could use some new drawer pulls to give it a fresh look.

I think the cherry wood will look wonderful against the gorgeous green paint color of the inspiration room. The paint is by a company called C2 Paint and the color is New Leaf. And there is a C2 Paint store withing 30 minutes of my house...how lucky can a girl get? 

Upon closer look I realized that the Jacobean pattern on the headboard and dust ruffle is extremely close to Country Curtains' Jacobean floral in rose. (If you remember I have Jacobean floral in blue in the dining room and I am still in love with both the print and linen fabric)

I like the idea of using just the valance over a sheer...I already have sheers so I am halfway there. 

And isn't that orange accent carpet on the floor simply eye catching?

I came across this carpet on-line over at Home Depot. It measures 5 feet 3 inches in diameter. The cost is $95 plus tax, something to keep in mind if I do end up going in this direction.

I like this next area carpet too...it is an 8 X 10 for roughly $230. Since we have all hardwood in our bedroom something like this could be a possibility for an overall floor coverage in lieu of using the round orange carpet. 

Possibly pairing it with something like this valance. (However I do prefer the brighter background of the Jacobean valance.)

And don't you just adore this lamp?

I do too but if I walk into the house with one more lamp I think Mr. Rosemary Lane will take it and clock me over the head with the dang thing. I suppose I am going to have to make due with something I already own for this makeover!

Also it would be great if I could find a dust ruffle like the one in the picture to match the Jacobean valance. I thought about possibly purchasing fabric and having one made, but at over $30 a yard for fabric that option is pretty unrealistic! So I would need to figure out something else in an effort to duplicate some of the details in House Beautiful's stunning space.

When I look at this bedroom I see it as a place I could spend hours doing more than just sleeping. To be honest our master bedroom is so bad that I actually close my eyes whenever I walk by the opened door to the room. (So for now I am keeping it closed to spare myself the agony!) I am really thinking hard about making this dream space a reality in my home...I just have to get creative with the budget. Ideally I'd like to pull this room together for somewhere around $400 with my two major expenses being the area carpet and two valances. 

Ah...give me the weekend to really mull it over...but I do love this room!!!

XO

10 Ideas Plus One for a Green and White Bedroom Makeover

Last year about this time, right after the holidays, I was out shopping at Home Goods when I came across this beautiful grassy green and crispy white Laura Ashley quilt. I purchased it along with a few throw pillows, a bed skirt and a set of sheets. I even published a post all about my love of green and white and how I was going to use it to makeover our bedroom. 

Then do you know what happened??? I figured you probably did...everything else began to get in my way...you know life...and my gorgeous green and white linens went into the cedar chest at the foot of our bed. It then spent the next 11 months tucked inside while a stack of everyone else's junk was piled high on top. 

(I un-lovingly refer to our bedroom as the catch all junk trap because anytime anyone says to me "What should I do with this?" my response is "Oh just put it in our room".)

Definitely not what I envisioned! So this year armed with a fresh start and some new ideas, I am pulling out my glorious green and white linens, for good this time, and I am redecorating our bedroom.

Here are 10 green and white inspirational bedrooms...

(I am in love with this first room)

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Viscusi Elson via source

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source  (http://aynart.livejournal.com/)

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And finally I just had to throw in this one from Pottery Barn as an ah-mazing piece of eye candy. I think the green is simply stunning with the water in the background and pops of fabulous pink!!!

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Wish me luck with the bedroom project this year!!!

XO 

Finalizing Decisions Before Re-Decorating the Dining Room

My goodness it has been a bit crazy around here lately with all of the kid's activities, getting Halloween costumes together, house guests and the usual laundry, house cleaning...well I don't have to paint you the picture, you know the drill.

However in the midst of the craziness I did manage to nail down the colors I want to paint my dining room. 

So hopefully by the end of the month it will be

good by red...

...and hello to...

(Drum roll pleeeeeeease)

(source)

Benjamin Moore's 

Boothbay Gray 

and 

Bone White!! 

Wohoooo!!!

( I hear you all ooo-ing and ah-ing)

Now I know Mr. Rosemary Lane is going to miss his red room, but I am really looking forward to making this space much brighter with the new color. It's just that I'm not sure weather I want to paint the wall below the chair rail in the gray like in the picture above...OR...paint it in the bone white and have the hubster put up more wainscoting.

Mmmmmm....what do you think?

In the meantime I have been perusing through my Country Curtains catalog, and so far for drapes I am contemplating this print...

It is called Jacobean Floral and it's a new pattern from the Country Curtain people. I have never gone this floral before so that is pretty much why they are still in the "contemplation" stage right now. I do like the colors in this pattern, and thinking ahead I can pull out the orange tones and use them to decorate for the fall, the green can be use to accent the room for Christmas, and the lighter yellow-like tones for the spring!

So here I stand with just a couple more decisions to make, and then it is full steam ahead!!! 

What's your latest room re-do?

Hope you are enjoying a lovely day!!

XO