Back to the Drawing Board...

Sometimes when you're decorating a space things don't quite go as planned...

Ever happen to you??

Oh, how I loved this Pottery Barn light in the catalog! It looked so beautiful online, too! I couldn't wait for it to arrive for over my kitchen table, I just knew it would be perfect for my design.

But it really really wasn't.

Poo.

Let's just say that it didn't look the same as was pictured by PB. Disappointing. And it looked a little too big for the space, too. *sigh*

So.....

Now I've been shopping like crazy all over trying to find something with the right "look" for the kitchen.

I have a few things in mind.....Gotta see what Hubby thinks now.... :) !!!

Hopefully I'll have something to show you soon...

Keep your fingers crossed!

{and can i just say that it is REALLY hard to not jump to other projects in the rest of the house in the meantime!!!!!! good thing i have y'all to keep me accountable!}

The Queen of Too Many Projects at Once

That's me!

:)

I tend to pick a project to work on (like my kitchen), then just like the dog in the movie "Up", I get distracted by something shiny in another room ("Squirrel!!") and start another project going. Then something in the next space (my dining room) looks like it really needs attention, so I plan that out, and so on & so on.

Till what I'm left with is a lot of half-done projects and not a one of them actually finished!

Not to mention a brain left swirling and feeling frustrated!

I'm very, very, very good at this, by the way!!! LOL!!

So....

here's the plan:

I am going to pick a room and actually finish every little thing in there before going on to another room. And by "finish", I mean I still can tweak things and change stuff around a bit...just all of the major stuff will be done. 'Kay?!

Sound good? Ya with me?

Great. Cause I really am going to need the accountability to make sure this happens ;)!
(And Hubby and my sanity thanks you for it!)

Since I got going so strong in the kitchen, I think I'll keep going in there & finish it up!



{yes, this is the same kitchen! :) "BEFORE" we moved in....

& "DURING"....}

On my list:

Make curtains for the sliding glass door.
Change the light fixture overhead.
Make a "Command Central" area on the side of the fridge.
Add plates by the chalkboard.
Have the trim for the bottom of the cabinets installed.
Add mini white subway tiles on backsplash.
Get new microwave for over stove.


{My very real, wonderful life ... in my very real, definitely used, "DURING" Kitchen.}

************************************

This weekend I'll be working on my list (for the kitchen only!) and hope to try to knock out the whole thing very soon!!


Do you also suffer from Too Many Projects at Once - Itis?


What's your strategy for getting projects done?
I'd love to hear it!!

Simple Ways to Beautifully Fake a Roman Shade

I've found that there's more than one way to do a DIY Faux Roman Shade!

When a project needs to get done, I'm all about a great look for little work. You may call it lazy, but I call it working smart! I knew that I wanted a Roman Shade for over my kitchen sink, but according to Moi it had to be:

1) A Fake -- I don't need it for privacy, just for "pretty's sake", so there was no need for it to really work.
2) Simple to Make -- so many directions out there are crazy long with so many steps...ugh!
3) Looking Great When It Was Done -- 'nuff said!!!

I think I was able to accomplish my goals for my kitchen shade:

{please excuse the photos they were taken at night!}

Yay! I finally got my Fake Roman Shade done today!!

We're really happy with how it turned out!

Here's how I did it:

First measure your window & add a couple of extra inches to the width & several to the height. Since this is a stationary/fake roman shade (it will NOT be moving up & down) you can pretty much guesstimate this part. Easy, right?! :) Do the same for your liner if you want one.

Next, hem the sides (sew it, or with iron on hemming tape) so that they are even with the sides of your window. My shade is an exterior mount, so I went with the outside of the moulding (though if there were space, I'd go a couple inches beyond the moulding). If you have an interior mounted shade, then hem the sides of your shade to the interior of the moulding.

Fold up the bottom hem next, and do a nice 4 inch or so hem. Again, just eyeball what looks good to you.

No need to hem the top since it will just be hidden anyway!
Staple gun the top of the shade to a board (size depends on on whether it's interior or exterior hung -- I used a 1x3).


Here's where you can do several things:
(it's really up to you!)

* Fold it up & hand stitch at several points. Done.

* Add (hand stitch) little rings, (or fabric glue ribbon loop "rings") then take ribbon & thread through the rings, and staple it to the board at the desired height. Done. (I did this & it was easy to take out the staples if I wanted to adjust it more. I did 4 rings up & 4 rows across.)
* Fold it, and use a big ol' safety pin to pin it together (I've done that it the past). Easiest of all!
* Roll it up and tie with ribbon or coordinating fabric ties. (Technically a roman shade? Hmm...oh well, it's still super easy!)

Add L-brackets to your board, & hang, or just screw the board in the top of your window moulding.

Adjust the fabric & You're Done!!!

Big thanks to Hubby for hanging it for me!
:)

Making your own Faux Roman Shade really can be easy-peasy!

Give it a try :)!!!

The simplest way to do a Faux Roman Shade?
Check out how I did it in my little girls' room here.

I really hope that this will inspire you that you CAN make a pretty roman shade & it can be EASY too!

I'm linking up with DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land.
and

{more kitchen makeover pics coming up next!}

Have a blessed day!
:)

ps.-- If you're a small business owner or a momtrepreneur, I currently have openings in my advertising section here at The Blessed Nest! Contact me for more info! :)

Paint & Fabric & Paint, Oh My!

This weekend Hubby and I will be working in the kitchen. Hubby will be finishing painting the walls SW Cork Wedge, and I'll be trying not to sew through my finger again as I make curtains & a faux roman shade! {I promise I'll pay attention to what I'm doing this time! Yikes!}



Have you ever noticed how working on one project can suddenly snowball into a major whole room/whole house re-do? LOL!! Well, that's how we're feeling! After looking at our crisp, fresh looking new kitchen all of a sudden the walls in the living room & dining room that we were going to "get around to painting sometime" seem to need new paint STAT!!! :) Add the fact that we just got a 25% off Sherwin Williams paint coupon in the mail, and you'd better believe we're gonna be painting like crazy over here at The Blessed Nest!

Guess I have to get movin' & groovin' with our design for those spaces! As always, I'll be posting before & afters! :)

Come on back tomorrow for a SPRING GIVEAWAY!!!!!

Kitchen Progress

....Our Kitchen Makeover has made some real progress!

Our new kitchen cabinets!

Don't you just love those drawer pulls?!!

I'm linking to Amanda's "Show Me The Progress Party" today.


Is my kitchen finished? Uh, noooo.

We still have to finish painting, putting switchplates back on, tile a backsplash, patch a hole in the ceiling from the old florescent light fixture.......
you get the picture!

But it's come a long way, baby!

The past few days we've been:

Putting on the old countertops.

Hooking all of the plumbing back up.

Adding a pretty new brushed nickel faucet!

Bringing dishes, pots & pans, & food back in from where it was stored in the guest room!

....and now it pretty much is looking like this....

1/2 painted & junk on the counters

Just keeping it real for ya! :) LOL!!!

Like I said, it's a work in Progress...

but probably my favorite change in the kitchen has to be the pantry!

I bought some pretty glass canisters for flours and things at Target yesterday & can't wait to get my new pantry all organized and looking pretty!
:)

Ahhh....a spot of calm amidst the chaos!
hehe!


I'm ready for this kitchen to be DONE!

But seeing all of our Progress so far has really made all of our hard work seem worthwhile!!

New Kitchen Sneak Peek!

I'm so excited! Today was Day 1 of our new kitchen cabinet installation.

Already, I can't believe the HUGE difference there is!


We've gone from this (when we moved in):

To this (starting demo):

And today we're finally seeing a sneak peek at our new kitchen!!!:

(I just couldn't wait to show y'all pictures!)

{the paint color is SW Cork Wedge}

Yay!
*happy dance here!!!*

They'll be coming back tomorrow and Monday too to finish things up.

This makes such an amazing difference in the feel of this room, I can't even tell you! It already seems bigger & brighter. And the storage....oh, the glorious storage space! I can picture the finished room in my head, and I'm envisioning wonderful family meals taking place here. Good friends gathered round our little kitchen table for games and dessert. This space will be much more welcoming!


Oh, and I got a little "makeover" of my own too!
Ok, it's just a haircut, but here's a couple of pics since some of you asked to see!

Still getting used to having it shorter :), but change is feeling good right now!


Have a blessed day, Friends!

Kitchen in Chaos

Welcome to my Weekend!

Hubby and I spent Friday evening through Monday working pretty much non-stop on the Kitchen Makeover!

{ I am just letting you know that I know that the quality of these pictures stinks.
My excuse is that I am too tired from all of the work on the kitchen I've been doing to care much about it. Also, I rationalize that it will make our "AFTER" pictures that much more amazing!
Just love me anyway! }

We took out cabinets together, my best bud and me.
And let our kids fool around with the camera taking pictures!

Me with no makeup...yeah. awesome.
But I love my guy!

Removed backsplash to make way for painted walls, and then beautiful tile soon to follow.

Removed 1/2 of the counters,
replaced part of a vent pipe,
drywalled,
bought new paint,
detached sink...

Tonight the other 1/2 of countertop with integrated sink comes off
and the last couple lower cabinets go out!

Tomorrow:
sand, patch, sand, patch, sand those walls!

And guess what?!?!
Our new cabinets are getting installed starting on Friday!!!
Squeeee!!!
:)

Guess what else I'm totally excited about?

I'm going to the Relevant Conference this fall!
Check it out!

Off to take out a counter top now! :)



More fun stuff coming up this week, so y'all come on back, ya hear?!!

Kitchen To-Do's...

Hubby and I are gonna be busy this weekend!


Unloading all of our stuff from our kitchen cabinets...

Removing countertops & cabinets...

Drywalling where the old soffits were...

Patching & Painting...


and guess what else??


Our installer is coming on Saturday to open all of our boxes to check out the new cabinets!

Hopefully they all arrived safe and sound.

And I especially pray that we love them as much as we thought we would!!!

We'll also set an installation date!


Things are really coming along, I'm so excited!


What are YOU doing this weekend?

Kitchen Pantry Inspiration

I wanted to catch y'all up on our Kitchen Makeover.

I am SO EXCITED (squeeee!!!) that I will have a new kitchen in just about 2 more weeks!!
But....

We still have to deal with plumbers, drywall, patching, painting, & removing the old cabinets all ourselves before any new cabinets can go in. Oh, and finish unpacking all of our moving boxes still in the garage so the company can have a place to store our new cabinets till they are installed. Which means completely re-configuring our storage room in the basement with new shelves I bought like 2 months ago and haven't done anything with yet.

All within less than 2 weeks.
Yikes.
I'll be eating a DQ Blizzard as therapy now...
....I'm really not kidding. Ice cream can work wonders.
Now why can't I seem to lose those last 10 pounds??
Hmmm ;)...

Well, to keep my mind off of the work ahead of me today :), I thought you'd like to see
one of my favorite things about our new kitchen:


The Pantry

This (above) is the current "before" pantry.
This pic was actually taken before we moved in. The pantry is somewhat functional, but very very very BLAH.

Since you see this pantry space from the front entry and the living room too, it really needed to look as lovely as possible!

Enter inspiration photos:

See that circled built-in cabinet above?
That was my inspiration for our new pantry!
*sigh*
Isn't she pretty?!!

Our new house doesn't have much going for it in terms of "character".
This nest needed some built-in loveliness to make her really sing!

I love how our new pantry will look like a built-in furniture piece, like how gorgeous old homes have built-in china cabinets or butler's pantries.

Here's the line drawing of our new pantry to give you a rough idea of what she'll look like!

Glass front doors on top will hold beautiful baskets with extra dishes or baking items, or pasta, for example.

The plate rack below will be both decorative and functional.

The drawer will be holding small snacks, perfect for school, after-school, or on-the-go munching!
My other idea for the drawer would be to hold placemats and napkin rings to make setting the table a snap!

The lower cabinet will have roll out shelves for cereal & breakfast items, and chips, along with kids' dishes and cups (so they can easily help themselves).


I've already been purchasing a few goodies for getting the new pantry organized!
I can't wait!!!

Keep checking out the Kitchen Makeover area on my right sidebar to see what progress we're making over the next 2 weeks!


Do you have any tips for organizing your pantry you'd like to share with us in the comments?
What would your dream pantry look like?