WARM WINDOW SHADE - Part 1

Are you trying to save money? Are you trying to be green and save energy? Any way that you can raise the "R" value in your home can make a difference by adding insulation or in my case a Roman Shade. I am making a Warm Window shade to cover a large window in my master bath. The window has been a huge source of heat during the summer and cold during the winter. I found the Warm Window quilted fabric at JoAnn's. It comes in 48" and 60" widths. Below you can see that it is several layers thick, one of which is a mylar which reflects the sun's rays. The white duck fabric will be against the window pane.

The colors in my bath are taupe and pale turquoise. I found this textured cotton taupe fabric at JoAnn's on sale for $6.00/yd. I think it is perfect with my new tile.

Don't pay attention to the exercise equipment in the background. I really need to use it! Anyway, first, you cut the WW fabric the exact width of your window (add a little to the height to staple to a wood frame). Cut the top fabric 3" wider and 8" longer than the WW fabric. The bottom hem will be 4" rolled up and rolled up again. You will hem the sides with a 1/2" hem and turn inside out which will take up the 3".

I like to use a Walking Foot to secure the layers. Otherwise, the bottom layer may scrunch up. (Yes, that is a sewing term)

Below I have seamed the sides, and turned up the hem.

Next, you need to mark where you want to sew your rings. They are usually 12" apart and on every other row of the WW fabric stitching. I sew my rings on with the sewing machine using

the satin stitch setting and largest stitch length.

Sewing the rings onto the shade.

The fabric gets really bulky so you need to roll up the shade to sew the rings on and then flip it around and sew from the other end when it gets too bulky.

I'll post a finished photo when we hang it in the bath. I think the "R" rating of glass is somewhere around 1.8, but the Warm Window shade fabric "R" rating will be around 8. I can see the $$$ I'll be saving now!

DRIVING MISS DAISY

Did you know the movie "Driving Miss Daisy" was filmed at Glenridge Hall in Atlanta? That is where my plein air painting group visited and painted last friday. They were generous to let us roam the grounds with our easels and paints while taking a million photos. Below is the entrance to the mansion that you may remember from the movie featuring Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman.

There are several trails leading behind the home to special secret gardens.
All of the iron benches are so beautiful. Here is close up of one located behind the side porch.

A view looking down to the giant chess set.

There is a perimeter around the backyard with raised bed filled with perennial flowers.

Look closely at the grey path. It is raised smooth stones set in mortar.
One of the raised flower boxes is filled with peonies.

A view looking down on some of the raised beds of flowers.

There are so many little details to capture on this home. One is the shutter detail. I loved the tree cutout. I wonder what they symbolize.

All of the pots had these cute little turtle holders. Reminds me of the zombie Turtle Boy. He would have loved these!
Everywhere you looked there was another spectacular garden ornament.
Another bench in the front yard.

While we are there to paint the owners allow us to use their guest bath just inside the front door. All of the walls in the bath are painted and look at the details of this beautiful vanity.
a sconce in the guest bath.......
a vase and mirrors in the guest bath powder room.......just lovely!
Another photo of the chess set.......this time the white queen.
And finally, this is the porch with wicker furniture where we ate our lunch overlooking the gardens.

PLEIN AIR PAINTING AT GLENRIDGE HALL

I joined my Atlanta Plein Air Painters group today at Glenridge Hall for a day of painting. To tell you the truth, I was not looking forward to driving on 575, then 75, then 285 then 400 to Abernathy Road. The only thing pushing me on was the memory from last year of the beautiful gardens and Gatsby-like mansion. As I drove down the long gravel drive and saw the house again I was so glad I had made the effort. I parked my watercolors near the porch. The owners allow us to eat lunch on their porch with it's vintage wicker.

This view is of the back of the mansion looking up from the azalea garden. This is just one of the three wings of the house.

Further around the backyard, there is a gazebo with a huge chess set. It always reminds me of Alice in Wonderland.

One of my friends, Inez, just turned 91 this year. She paints with us on most of our outings. I hope I'm doing half as well as she is when I'm 91!

The statues, pottery and iron benches are so beautiful on this estate. They must have been dog lovers because there are several dog statues.

And this is the porch where we have lunch and the section I painted.

Standing in the backyard you'd swear you were in the Great Gatsby!

Love this turquoise rose trellis!

There is a steep hill that is landscaped in the back and covered with flowers! It is stunning.

.....some of the azaleas blooming this year. I meant to take some photos of the wild azaleas, but there was SO much to see that I completely forgot!

KNITTED SOCKS

I'm almost finished with this sock. I was trying it on to check the size and my husband says, "Hey, I like your socks, but you're gonna have a hard time getting shoes on......" Hahaha

LITTLE MARIACHI MAN

Is it a bad thing when you walk into your favorite Mexican restaurant and the manager, hostess, servers and even the Mariachis know you by name and ask about the kids? Just our kind of place! We love to go to La Parilla in Woodstock, especially on Friday nights when Alberto is singing with the mariachis. Last Friday night Alberto brought along his 6 year old son, Daniel, all decked out in his very OWN mariachi uniform. I had to take a photo of him because he's just so adorable! I think he gets more tips than the mariachis! If you go, try the seafood burrito and the Texas margaritas and look for Alberto and Daniel!

MY FIRST SOCKS

Well my knitting is finally starting to shape up like a pair of socks! I had my last "sock class" yesterday and we didn't completely finish but I'm determined to finish these in the next day or two and go back in to The Whole Nine Yarns for a little of Debi's help. At first, reading the directions for the socks looked like Greek to me but now I think I could decipher a pattern. I love the way they are turning out and they are SO soft. To reward myself and encourage myself to finish, I bought a new skein of Fiesta Boomerang (below) for my next pair!

SPA REVEALVED

Ahhhh, April 15th, Tax Day and the day my bathroom is finally completed. It all started out with, "Honey, will you paint the bathroom for me?" So I picked out a yummy spa blue-greenish grey called Dynasty Celedon by Behr. It turned out so well, Gregg decided to investigate the LITTLE leak we had in the shower.

It turned out to be black mold. He started ripping out the 2 x 4's and sheetrock and bleached everything within a mile of the shower. When I came home from work..........................

the whole shower had been removed down to the subfloor. Pull out the level, plumbline, wet saw, toolbox and.............

my very own personal construction team! It's starting to take shape.

Backsplash tile around the tub with glass inserts.............

Laying the floor tile............

Today, our new friends Tony and John install the glass shower door...........

And here is the finished product. I love it and it's exactly like I had it pictured...soft calming wall color and warm textured tile with seamless glass door. We bought all of the tile from Home Depot and Gregg and Bryan installed it all!

I found these jars at Home Goods and filled them with bath salts from Bath & Body Works, sea sponges from Dick Blick and bath fizz from LUSH. Excuse me while I go and take a LONG, RELAXING bath!

Lace Shawl

I bought this yummy skein of BE SWEET extra fine lace weight baby mohair to make a summer shawl. Last night I was knitting away, my husband sitting next to me "playing" on the computer says to me, "Is that mohair you are knitting with?" I keep knitting and glance at him and he's laughing.............he said, "I read the label". Haha, he's so funny. Got me, at first I thought he knew what he was talking about!