And the Oscar Goes To......

OMG!!! I can't believe it. Oh gosh, I don't have anything prepared. Okay (imagine me crying like a baby), first I would like to thank the members of the academy for this award. This is truly an honor and something I have wanted since birth, well maybe before that. To the other actors in this category, you are all so amazing!

 To my loving husband who suggested we make the ticket sign, add a 3- dimensional twist with lights rather then just basic art. I love you babe! 

To my mother who suggested I make a few toss pillows to make it a bit more comfy when she we are watching movies

To me, for being able to finish painting the room ( after I had already finished it), re- purpose the stars and paint them silver, move the other signs in from other places in the house, take down the gold tassel on the curtains and vacuum the carpet before I took the final pictures of the room.

To my gameroom, thanks for letting me take the Coca-Cola sign and put it in here

And lastly to my children who always want popcorn with extra butter during the movie and seem to spill 1/2 of it on the floor, mommy loves you now go to bed!

Now where will I keep Oscar?

You can click here for the total Media Room challenge and
 here for the tutorial on my DIY Lighted Ticket Sign.

For More of My Home Tour click here

PS- Please join my other Blogging without borders buddies  to see their final room reveals

Amy @ Buffalo Roam, Dana @ Crafted Niche, Jaime @ Crafty Scrappy Happy, Heidi @ Décor & More, Tisha @ Delectable Home, Shannon @ Fox Hollow Cottage, Kirby @ Kirb Appeal, Holly @ Life as a Thrifter, Cassie @ Primitive & Proper, Debbie @ ReFresh ReStyle, Jessica @ Stay At Home-ista, Karah @ the space between, and Kelly @ View Along the Way.

Closet Door turned Learning Board

There is a revolution making it's way around my house. 
Really. 
Not kidding. 
It's called the Chalkboard Revolution. Have you heard of it?
Initially it got started here with this board that I made on the wall in  my game room

Next, it surfaced in my kitchen on some re purposed trays hanging on the wall 

 Now, I can tell my son to go to his room and sound out his vowels on his closet door

And then when he is finished, I will have him create random words from the letters in his name.

A little chalkboard paint with stenciled letters and vowels on the raised panels of his closet, creates an instant learning environment with plenty of space to practice

with little pails hung close that I picked up in the $1.00 bins at target for chalk and erasers

 And I need to remember to reinforce this

Who knew the chalkboard revolution could be a learning experience and decorative too. 

Where to next?

Has the chalkboard revolution hit your home?

PS- Next week I will show you his Star Wars Themed Bedroom and how I decorated it without sending my budget into the Universe.

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Tatertots and Jello
At The Picket Fence
French Country Cottage
DIY Showoff
Under The Table And Dreaming
Alderberry Hill
Todays Creative Blog

How to Create a Custom Curtain Panel

Before I show you how I customized curtain panels using the  Cameron Drape from Pottery Barn, there are a few things you should know about my house.

1) I live in a house with 92 windows. 

2) My house gets a lot of sun and heat in the summer

3) My electric bills in the summer are very high, but not as high as the national debt.

4) My husband has a problem with anything hanging on the window and will often say "I don't know why we moved to the country, just to cover up the view"!  You can read how I won solved that debate with my husband here.

Whether my husband agrees or not, my kitchen has a row of windows that needed something on them, so I purchased the  Cameron Panels in Ivory from Pottery Barn. I had purchased these same panels for my master bedroom here.

Since my finished length needed to be 120 inches, I purchased the panels in 84inch length and used 36 inches of finished burlap on the bottom. The natural texture and neutral tones were perfect for the look of the curtain and for the space. 

To provide the extra protection against the heat and the cold weather, I had them lined with a heavy liner. The curtains also provide a fair amount of darkness to the room when closed which is the only disadvantage with using a heavy liner, especially since this is not a room that I want to bring darkness too.

I always make the panels a bit longer then necessary because I like how they puddle on the floor.

I am convinced that I could not have found a fully lined panel in 120 inches for less then $50.00, which is what these ended up costing per panel. Each panel was $35.00 plus the cost of liner and burlap, which is not expensive.

Not a bad price or look for custom drapery. Don't you think? 
The best part is that we have seen slight reduction in our electric bill this summer. Not enough for the country to pay our debt back to China, but maybe enough for dinner out with the family.  

PS- I just looked at the PB Catalog and these Cameron Drapes are currently on sale!

Sharing over at:
Too Much Time
DIY Showoff
Between Naps on The Porch
Under the Table Dreaming
Embracing Change

A Beautiful Villa Tour in Spain

My blog is traveling in a different direction today- literally. See we are going to Spain, to visit my dear friend Ana. Ana and I have been friends for more then 30 years and although we don't get a chance to see each other due to our geographic distances, some 6958 kilometers or 4324 miles and an ocean apart, she is a friend for life who also happens to have incredible style, taste and a beautiful home.I was thrilled when she emailed me one day to let me know that her Country Home was published in House and Garden magazine ( Spanish edition).
Translation  - IN SEGOVIA A REFUGE FOR FRIENDS 

Family and friends fill the spaces of this house weekends and vacations; they share a love for the country and all you can do in nature. The house is comfortable, current and warm. 

 Her Country Home is located in Segovia, Spain and is everything you would think a home in the countryside would look like. Being the great friend she is, I knew that she would love for me to share her home with you today. So grab your virtual passports and get ready for an incredible tour.
Front entrance of the home- Welcome!

View of the entrance. Ana  inherited the picture of the Virgin Mary from her grandmother. The ceiling and floors throughout her home are of light pine wood.

 Living Room

Dining area and kitchen. This is the only room in the house that has color on the walls. Look at those beautiful windows.

Ana's Guest Bedroom and Guest Bath, ready for my visit one of these days!

The master bedroom with gorgeous wood ceilings, beams and trim.

 Hermosa!
Thank you for the tour Ana and for all of you who came along.

PS-  Don't forget to follow me on Facebook or subscribe to receive my posts to your email. See links on my sidebar.

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French Country Cottage

Media Room Update- Blogging Without Borders

Well we are down to the wire with two weeks left for the big Media Room reveal here on August 27th. If you missed any of my updates, you can catch up on my progress here.

Since the last update I was able to finish painting the room..... well almost. At the 11th hour, I decided to add a pop of red on the wall as an accent color. Since I painted my base and trim the same color as the walls-Anonymous Grey by Sherwin Williams, I am thinking about adding a red stripe on the top and bottom of the wall. Haven't decided but am open to suggestions.

I was also able to modify the curtains in the room and remove the gold trim. Eventually my husband would like to take the curtain down and create shelving to store all of the electronics and movies.

I am still working on the art work for the walls. I will be finishing a project this week for the room and am adding other pieces from around the house.

 

I am happy with my progress and the changes so far and look forward to sharing the finished room with you. In the meantime, please check out what my other buddies have been up to with their challenge.

Amy @ Buffalo Roam, Dana @ Crafted Niche, Jaime @ Crafty Scrappy Happy, Heidi @ Décor & More, Tisha @ Delectable Home, Shannon @ Fox Hollow Cottage, Kirby @ Kirb Appeal, Holly @ Life as a Thrifter, Cassie @ Primitive & Proper, Debbie @ ReFresh ReStyle, Jessica @ Stay At Home-ista, Karah @ the space between, and Kelly @ View Along the Way.

Have a great week!

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Savvy Southern Style
DIY By Design
At the Picket Fence

I am moonlighting as a Mason!

Yes, you heard me correctly. Mason or "Brickie" if you are British. A skill that I don't talk about unless I have to. A skill that I possess without even realizing it. Don't ask me how or why, but I do. 
Take the project that got me started.

 My husband and I built a walkway to connect our front porch to our side yard. First time ever laying stone.... and it wasn't to be the last. Feeling  cool, confident and cocky we then tackled this

 Yes, a pond and water feature in our backyard. This project actually took two summers and was done in phases. It was a true testament of our skill level and marriage! Note: We are still married- happily!
Feeling like retirement was imminent for us, we called in some professionals to create this addition

Just like Michael Jordan, we decided to come out of retirement to play a few more NBA seasons work on one last project, which ironically was the easiest of all so far. We created steps.
First it was two simple stone steps.

Then it was three simple stone steps

Steps that take us from the front yard to the sideyard, from the pond to the pit, from the pit to the play area 

and back to the front porch again. 
I love how things come full circle!
Anybody else a Mason?

PS- We have gone back into "Brickie" retirement again, but I look forward to sharing the masonry skills involved with these projects with you!

sharing with
Serenity Now
It's Overflowing
DIY showoff
Between Naps on The Porch
A Stroll Thru Life

A Colorful way to greet your guests

Who would have imagined that these..... 

could look so beautiful, vibrant and colorful?

My Crepe Mrytle stems (which I never would have thought to cut) in various colors from the front yard

placed in a straw tote with a small chalkboard sign

And perched on a chair near the door to Welcome You!
For more beautiful outdoor gardening ideas, I invite you to visit my Flip Flop Gardner Series (which is also located in my sidebar).

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Fishtail cottage
French Country Cottage