Piece on Earth

Okay, stupid title, but it's early, and I've much to do today...friends are coming for dinner...Ribs, garlic smashed potatoes, almond and apricot salad, and Key Lime Pie!
I did finish my window treatments for the living room, but the light is terrible today, and I really don't have time to photograph them, but I will tomorrow... meantime, I realized that I like to "piece" window treatments...a trick I picked up while doing Parade Homes, where one had no budget, no time, and I found myself sewing them at three am. Thank God for painters, who could see well enough to thread my machine needle for me. (Now, I have a sewing machine that has a "self threader", or I'd be in real trouble). I have a giant box of bits and pieces of fabric...some larger than others, some quilted, some very expensive, some not so much, and by piecing them together, I could come up with unsual, but interesting window treatments.

I intentionally didn't line my dining room window treatments, as the western sun shines in in the afternoons, and creates a "stained glass" effect. I am aware that, in time, the sun destroys the fabric, but I didn't pay much for it (even though it is pieced together in silks), and being the Gemini that I am, I will probably be tired of them and make new ones by then. Mondrian was my inspiration.

This dining room was a Parade Home, and privacy wasn't an issue (I later did some for the people who bought the house, so they weren't feeling as if they were dining in a fish bowl). The "valances" are silk, which I trimmed in crystal beads, and just hung sheers. The sheers are now in my bedroom, hanging on my French doors, which open out onto our porch...we are on a few acres, and I have a large Ficus tree in front of them (in which our Cardinals nest), so I don't worry about privacy. The valances are in the guest room, where we have very tall windows...I hung them on tension rods, and then, hung aubergine, velvet curtains for privacy. The sun shines in in the morning, and the crystals create dancing light on the walls and ceiling...
I made these curtains for a client, who's sunroom not only needed protection from, well, the sun, and for privacy. Top-down, bottem-up blinds were the answer. I did alot of photostyling for Graber/Springs Window Fashions, and they loved "on location" shoots, so the client got the shades for free, I got paid for styling the shoot, and Graber got their shots...everyone was happy.

This is one of my Texas clients, who wanted to feel "swathed and pampered", so I did the window treatments and pillows...she did the valances...That's a Candice Olsen headboard...I love her show, "Devine Design"..

And so, as the sun sets in the West, I will leave you, and go make my "keylime pie". My mother-in-law gave me the receipe, and it's so easy that I'm almost ashamed to share it...but, if anyone wants it, I will....

EW!

No, not ew, the flower; this is a beautiful Datura, that I bought at Market Days on the Square last month. It is settling in nicely, thankyou, and the ugly pods it forms will drop their seeds and, hopefully, come back next year. The "EW" is what I said, when I looked around my house this morning. I have been very busy getting ready for the Nov. Market Days, and completely ignored my house. The cobwebs are winning, so I am making a stand today. Besides, I invited friends over for dinner this weekend, and I'm the type of person who will finally tackle projects (new mirror in the living room, new window treatments, and I found that if I actually clean the windows, there's so much more light coming in.)

My beautiful friend, Cam (who is also very smart) commented on my grammer when I write - it's bad, I know. I don't have a program to correct it, and I actually know what I should be doing (sort of), but I write the way I live my life - my head down, charging along, damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead! I get in alot of trouble that way, and I will try to be better.

I will post photos of the new window treatments...I am clutching a 40% off coupon in my hot, big hand, and off to JoAnn Fabrics..

Well, That's Done...

Miss Gussie Plushbottem says "goodmorning, sunshine"....Even though I took that Friday, when there actually was sunshine... I would love to say yesterday's Market Day on the Square was a smashing success, but I barely made my expenses....as did most of the people around me. There were fewer people than expected, and although they praised my work, they weren't buying...and they say the recession hasn't affected Texas..I did sell some hand-painted cake plates, a few carafes, and one pair of shoe sachets (everyone said, "what a great idea" - and I am sure, are making them themselves)...I also sold a cherry cup and saucer...that's it. Being the ever cock-eyed optimist (I can look at a barn full of horse poop and just be sure there's a pony in there somewhere)..I spoke with a woman, who was selling bottles of cinnamon syrup (while being swarmed by bees - then, they came over and landed on the shoe sachets, looking for the lavender), anyway..the woman said she was from Wimberly, Texas, where on the first weekend of the month, they have a huge Market Days, with 1200 to 5,000 people..so, my builder and I will do that one, but then that's it.

I did hand out lots of my design business cards, and there are a few, who want window treatments, or floorcloths, but it was a disappointment. I didn't even really do it for the money, but rather, I need a reason to get up in the morning...and I have to have busy hands, or I get in trouble. So, these busy hands will get busy decorating my house for the holidays..(no, I don't do the exterior like a "Chevy Chase Home for the Holidays", but I do wrap my trees in lights, and throw a few lit, wire trees on the porch...a wreath, etc.

I've been threatening to finish my children's book I've been working on forever, and my husband wants me to finish my novel - (I doubt that will happen, but if I ever get my computer realigned, I will do the children's book for sure).

Going to unload my car now, and make a tablecloth for the guestroom bedside table....sheesh..