Kitchen Window "Treatment"

I have lived in this (rental) home for almost 2 years. The window above my sink looks out to the side yard full of magnolia trees, pine trees, oak trees and palmetto plants. It's a beautiful view. For some reason there were no blinds on this window when we moved here. I have wanted to make a window treatment for this window, but I could never really decide what I wanted.

While at Joann's last weekend I found some fabric on clearance. I had decided I would recover some cushions for the furniture on my front porch. Then I also thought about using these fabrics to recover or slipcover my pink wingback chairs that I haven't gotten around to dealing with yet. Below is a photo I took just trying out the fabrics to see if they would look good on the chairs.

Then today, on a whim, I decided to use the fabrics to make a window treatment for my kitchen window. The colors are perfect in the kitchen. They match great with the blue walls and really tie in the basil green and yellow I am painting my hutch in.

I would love to say this was a quick no-sew window "mistreatment" (as Nester would call it), but it was a sewing project. It took me about 2 hours to make. If anyone would happen to be interested, I will share the basic steps next week in detail. If you sew at all you can make these. It really is quite simple to do.

Be Inspired! -Karol :0)

Kitchen Hutch Update

Moving right along. I am loving the yellow inside.

Be Inspired! -Karol :0)

Curtain Mistreatment

These are the Waverly curtains I bought for my living room a few months ago. Remember my post about using a tablecloth for a curtain? Well, when I was at TJ Maxx and thought of that great idea, I only purchased one of the pretty green/yellow/blue/cream plaid tablecloths. So after experimenting and then posting my idea I needed three more. I went to two other TJ Maxx stores and cannot find anymore in that design. So, if any of you decide to use tablecloths as curtains, be sure you purchase as many as you need at once.

Back to the Waverly curtains I have up now. I love them. I love the rich colors and how I can pull those colors from the curtains with colorful accessories and other fabrics in the room.

I purchased this plaid fabric and added an easy mistreatment to the top of my curtains. So simple to do. I just clipped the piece in the ring clips with the curtain top. I love it. I love that touch of red at the top. It makes the curtains look more substantial. I feel it makes the room even more cozy.

* I will post in a few days about my hutch. The paint is drying. I decided on the new hardware I will replace on it. *

Be Inspired! -Karol :0)

Painting My Kitchen Hutch

Finally. I am painting my kitchen hutch. It took FOREVER to decide on a color. I appreciate everyone's ideas and votes for a color. The blue/green color I had originally decided on seemed it may be too much blue/green for my kitchen. My kitchen walls are almost turquoise. The counter tops are the same. Not a color I have ever had in my color scheme. But since I am renting, I cannot change the colors.

I decided on a greener color called "Basil". Even the color sounds nice for the kitchen, doesn't it? In the photo above you can see how it actually makes the walls look more blue. Which I was hoping for. I am going to use that yummy butter color some of you voted for on the inside of the top hutch.

Are some of you freaking out seeing the hinges painted? Well, I would have taken the doors off and removed all the hinges, but the hinges were already painted red.

I will share some progress photos tomorrow.

Be Inspired! -Karol :0)

Craigs List and My New Bench

Have you ever listed or bought something on Craigs List? This weekend I bought this bench from Craigs List. I LOVE it. I have always wanted a bench like this. There are tons of awesome deals on Craigs List.

Craigs List (if you haven't heard of it) is like the want ads in your local paper. You can search for items in your local area. There are free listings, for sale listings, garage sale listings, swap/trade listings, even listings of things people are wanting.

You just have to use common sense when it is time to make the purchase or sale. Just like you would if you had an item for sale in the paper or were having a garage sale. I have sold a few things from storage and I always stop at the storage facility office and tell them I am meeting someone. I never give out any of my personal info. Never.

I just had to share about my new bench. I love old furniture. I had the perfect spot for this bench. Can you believe I have about 2 1/2 inches to spare on each side? It was difficult to get the bench in that spot, but it is staying there.

Be Inspired! Karol :0)

10 Minutes To My Bathroom That I Love (Now)

(Before)

I live in a rental home at the beach. Which means two things: I can't change the paint colors and all of the rooms are very small. Especially my bathroom. This is the master bathroom. One small sink and a tiny counter space area. I think because of the size I haven't really tried to make it look nice.

(After)

After reading Nester's post with simple steps on how to make a bathroom more inviting and cozy I was instantly inspired to do something about my bathroom.

I decided to keep the overall color scheme light with white and off-white accents. The art is the only thing with strong color. This keeps the room feeling clean, neat and not so small.

I added a whale weather vane (isn't he adorable?!) and a glass container with shells and driftwood I already had. I added a lamp (as she suggested) for more cozy lighting. I would not have even considered a lamp until I read Nester's post. I guess I didn't think I would have room on my counter. I used a small buffet lamp. It fits perfectly in the corner where it is.

I had several ship paintings that I decided to display in the bathroom. I also like having lots of fluffy white towels for myself and guests.

I added a pretty silver tray to my counter to put my jars on and just used hemp twine to bundle a stack of washcloths together with a tiny starfish.

To keep the extra cord together and out of sight (as best as I could) I grabbed a piece of scrapbook ribbon with adhesive on the back and wrapped it around the cord. Looks kind of pretty.

I added a shelf I had in another room to the wall behind my toilet for a nice visual display. I added some candles, a vase and a topiary I had in the attic. I plan on adding small sea shells to the topiary later. It looks so much nicer than just the ship painting alone.

I will be honest and say it took a little longer than 10 minutes to get from the before to the after, but I am the type that works on a room in several steps. I like to walk by and see how it looks each time I add a few things. I will change something or think of something else I can add "here" or "there".

Thanks to Nester and her endless inspiration and experience, I am now working on my guest bathroom downstairs.

Be Inspired! -Karol :0)

Are you ready to Par-TAY?

For several weeks now Nester has been offering a Monday series called "10 Minutes to a Room You'll Love". Tomorrow is the big day we fans/students get to have -show and tell- and post about a room we've changed in 10 minutes.

Is there a room you want to love, but haven't taken the time to spruce it up? Go grab some things from around the house and follow Nester's tips to make it a room you'll love -in 10 minutes!

I decided to work on my master bathroom which I did not love and I wanted to love. I can't wait to share the easy, quick things I did to make it a room I now love.

Tomorrow is the big day (the party) to share a link to your post on her blog and share what you have done. Don't forget to grab one of the cute buttons to put on your blog, too. If you don't have time to make up a room (come on, it's only 10 minutes!), maybe seeing others ideas will give you even more inspiration to do something to a room that needs a special touch.

See you tomorrow!

Be Inspired! -Karol :0)

Decorating Inspiration

Going through my email this morning I recieved one from Better Homes & Gardens. I followed the link Fabulous Room Makeovers for Every Budget. I ended up browsing around on BHG's website and found some room makeovers by Stephen Saint-Onge. He does a fabulous job with makeovers.

You can visit Stephen's beautiful website and see more of his awe-inspiring makeovers as well as learn a little more about him and what inspires him.

Speaking of inspiration. If you have been visiting The Nesting Place on Mondays, maybe you've been inspired to begin a makeover in one of your rooms. Thanks to Nester, I have been working on my master bathroom. Actually both bathrooms in my home. Nester is inviting everyone to share their makeovers Thursday on her site. I can't wait!

Be Inspired! -Karol :0)

Cheddar Pepper Straws

I made these this morning for a teacher's luncheon at my daughter's school. I wanted to share the recipe. Consider variations; cheddar and course ground pepper (which is what I made above), Cinnamon and sugar and you could also add some apple jelly or apple butter with the cinnamon and sugar (yum!), pepperoni and mozzarella cheese, or how about cheddar and crumbled bacon with some basil. There are so many ways to make them. The basic recipe from Pepperidge Farms is below. Enjoy!

Parmesan Cheese Twists

Thaw: 30 minutes
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 10 minutes

Twisted Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry strips laced with Parmesan cheese, parsley and oregano are easy to make for dinner to accompany a steak and Caesar's salad. Make ahead and freeze; remove directly from freezer to oven to bake.

ingredients

1/2 pkg. Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet)
1 egg
1 tbsp. water
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed

directions

THAW pastry sheet at room temperature 30 min. Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix egg and water. Mix cheese, parsley and oregano.

UNFOLD pastry on lightly floured surface. Roll into 14"x10" rectangle. Cut in half lengthwise. Brush both halves with egg mixture. Top 1 rectangle with cheese mixture. Place remaining rectangle over cheese-topped rectangle, egg-side down. Roll gently with rolling pin to seal.

CUT crosswise into 28 (1/2") strips. Twist strips and place 2" apart on greased baking sheet, pressing down ends. Brush with egg mixture.

BAKE 10 min. or until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 28 appetizers.


TIP: To make ahead, twist strips. Place on baking sheet and brush with egg mixture. Freeze. When frozen, store in plastic bag for up to 1 month. To bake, preheat oven to 400°F. Place frozen strips on greased baking sheet. Bake 15 min. or until golden.

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Be Inspired! -Karol :0)

Absolutely-No-Sew Curtain Panels for $7.99 each

With spring just around the corner wouldn't it be nice to just switch out your curtain panels to something light and fresh for spring? Well, curtain panels can be quite expensive, but I want to share a very affordable way to do that. Not only are they affordable, but there's no sewing needed and they are so versatile.

Above, I have hung this panel with an approx. 18" fold-over at the top. If you like it a little poofier you can use Nester's "Fold, Clip and Poof" method, as I did in the photo below.

I think I like the poofier top to the panel. What do you think? Now, let's get to how I made this panel...

I purchased this cotton oblong tablecloth at TJ Maxx the other day. Yes, I used a tablecloth as a curtain panel!

I purchased the largest one I could find. This one measures 60" x 102". I measured the Waverly curtain panel I took down to hang this panel and it only measures 50" wide. Using a panel that is 102" long or longer allows you to make a nice topper on your valance using the fold-over method or the Nester's method I mentioned and linked to above.

The great thing about using a tablecloth is that all the sides are already hemmed. I paid $7.99 for this tablecloth. So for my living room I can change out the curtains for less than $40.00! I paid more than $40.00 per panel for the Waverly panels I have in there now.

And later if I want to change them out again (using tablecloths, of course), I can always use these for something else. I can use them as tablecloths. Wouldn't they look great to take on a picnic or to use on a table outside to have dinner outside on a beautiful Summer evening? I could also use these as fabric later for slipcovers. There are so many uses. A great buy all around.

Be Inspired! -Karol :0)

TJ Maxx

I miss Home Goods. It is my favorite store. The next best thing is TJ Maxx. They are the same company. I like TJ Maxx. They have great prices on designer name clothes, but they also have a lot of nice home goods. I bought a few things last weekend at TJ Maxx and I will share about them this week.

Above, I bought this lovely cake plate. Isn't it beautiful? $7.99! What a deal. I can't wait to serve a layered cake on it. I will always keep it out, even when I am not serving something on it.

Tomorrow I will share an idea for some absolutely-no-sew curtains for $7.99 per panel.

Be Inspired! -Karol :0)

ClosetMaid Organizing Labels

This is my little space in my closet I have made for my scrapbooking supplies. I love these ClosetMaid storage/shelf units. The collapsible fabric cube bins are perfect to store scrapbook and craft supplies. I have been using these for about 5 years now. I like to have the bins labeled so I can find things quickly and easily. I also have a little crafter (9 year old daughter) that likes to use my supplies sometimes so it also makes it easier for her to find things AND to put them back where they belong.

I just came up with a great way to label the fabric cubes so they will "stay". Before, I used my print out labels from my label maker, as below:

Before

Because of the fuzzy type of fabric the ClosetMaid cubes are made of, print out labels do not stay on. Slowly they begin to curl up and then fall off.

After

I decided to print out labels and adhere them to the cubes with velcro dots. I will share how to do that below.

First you will need a few packages of velcro, hook & loop, or Scotch Reclosable Fasteners. There are so many names for them, but you know what I mean. I bought the Scotch Reclosable Fasteners at Wal Mart in the fabric/crafts department.

Next, just make your labels anyway you like on paper. I typed the labels using Word and printed them on white cardstock. I cut them out with my paper cutter the same size 2" x 4" each. I then cut out black cardstock rectangles about 1/8" larger than the white and glued the white cards to the black. I then laminated them. You don't have to laminate them if you don't have a laminator, but it makes them sturdier and last longer. Especially if you are going to be pulling the bins in and out all the time like I do.

*Did you know you can buy a great laminator ("Duck" brand) at Wal Mart for less than $30.00? You would be surprised how much you would use it if you had one. They are great for school projects, labeling, scrapbooking.*

Next, you will only need the "hook" only sheets from the package.

Save the "loop" only sheets of dots. They work great on the bottom of your kitchen chairs if you have tile or wooden floors. They also work great as furniture protectors under lamps and vases. You can also use them on the backs of framed art to protect the walls.

Just put four loop dots on the back of each label and stick them on the cubes. The great thing is you can move them around, change them out, they are not permanent.

Ahhhhhh. Now everything is organized AND labeled nicely. I can go on about my day.

Be Inspired! -Karol :0)

Sad News for Magazine Lovers

If I could only choose one magazine out of all the magazine I love, Country Home would be the one. Every issue is inspiring from the front cover to the very last page. I was sad to read an article yesterday that had a list of magazines that are closing. I went to Country Home's website to read that they will no longer be publishing Country Home Magazine. I do believe they are going to keep their website so I will still be able to enjoy the inspiration from Country Home. I will miss flipping through the pages whenever I please though. I will miss seeing Country Home on the news stands.

I was just as sad to read in the same article that another magazine I really love, Cottage Living is no longer publishing. In fact, on their site it says the December/January issue was their last. Luckily they have a wonderful website with all their other magazines included and I will be able to visit there. Still, there's nothing like leafing through Cottage Living for inspiration. I love the travel section and the very inspiring cottages they feature.

And where have I been? SoBella Creations commented on this post and said she was sad to see Mary Engelbert's Home Companion was no longer in print. WHAT? How did I not know? I have noticed there hasn't been a new issue out and I keep seeing the Christmas issue everytime I look, but I guess I just wasn't paying attention. How sad. I loved this magazine and the very interesting artists she featured and interviewed in each issue. Well, I did read on ME's site that she holds rights to the magazine and may find a future publisher. Let's hope.

Domino is another magazine that will no longer be published. I didn't buy this one often, but it really is/was a great magazine. Lots of simple, stylish living ideas and inspiration. I am sure it will be missed by many.

In the same article there were a few other magazines named that I wasn't worried about personally and a "rumor" that Martha Stewart Living's Editor resigned. The article went on to say that he may have been let go and the magazine might end publishing. Just a "rumor" for now. I did not see anything on MSL site that says anything about the magazine. In fact, right now you can subscribe and get the free tote bag I received with my subscription last year.

With recent news of some major newspapers closing, I am sure I will be reading about more magazines doing just the same. I know it is the economy, but for some it is also the result of the internet and how easier and cheaper it is to publish to a website. And with laptops being so popular, one can just sit in their favorite chair or at a corner cafe and look at a website or news article online just as easily as a magazine.

Still, there's nothing like a real magazine newspaper for me.

Be Inspired. -Karol :0)

A New Project

I have a new project I am going to begin working on this week. A little kitchen hutch I had in storage that I did not want to part with. It will work perfect at the edge of my kitchen to keep my cookbooks in the top and use the bottom as a buffet area when needed. I will keep linens in the drawer and some counter top appliances in the bottom area until needed.

A while back I shared about another hutch I replaced the broken glass in the doors with chicken wire. Don't worry, I did not replace that hutch with this one! I moved that hutch to the corner of my open living/dining/kitchen area.

Now I am trying to decide on a color for the kitchen hutch. I am renting so I can't change the color of my kitchen (unfortunately). We'll just ignore that color. I try so hard to.

Whatever color I paint this hutch, I am going to distress it and give it a nice antique wash and change out the hardware with something more vintage. I will share some pics and how-to's.

Now, if I can just decide on a color.....

Love this green.
White works with everything.
I love this buttery yellow.




I also like this green/blue color.

And, red. I love red. I just cannot live without red in my decor. I also like the hardware on this cabinet.

I need help. I would love your opinion!

Be Inspired. -Karol :0)