How to make a fake roman shade

So the last year threw us a bit of a curve ball and we find ourselves back in Atlanta, in our old house, and I couldn't be happier or more thankful about it.  We dearly miss our friends and the community in Chattanooga, but God had a different story for us. So we will be where we are and praise God each and every day for the last year we have had, though it was difficult.  

In Chattanooga I didn't really have the space to do projects or anything.  I did the best I could with the space we had, but now that I have a garage (aka my studio as MR.P refers to it) back I am back to doing projects, projects, and more projects!!  So I would love to continue showing you how to decorate on a dime...and I apologize for the long break I have taken! 

Anyway, I'll start with making a fake roman shade. I have been wanting to try this out for a really really long time.  With custom roman shades costing $100-$200 this tutorial is a great budget friendly choice.

Supplies you'll need:

- scissors

- plastic blinds that will fit your window (width wise...they can be too long...mine definitely were too long)

- fabric about 2 inches wider than the blinds and 2-4 inches longer than the blinds

- fabric glue

*** and seriously, a willingness to just try it out.  I put this project off for years and am kicking myself for not trying it sooner.  

1. Start by taking your blinds out of the box and lay them out.  These blinds cost $5 at Home Depot. I had no idea they were so cheap.

2. Then find the ladder cord holding all your blinds in one spot.  You are going to cut this cord.  My blinds had 3 of them.  Don't cut the thicker cord.  That one is what pulls your blinds up and down.  (please note my spray painted fingers)

3.) Then on the bottom of your blinds you are going to see 3 little button type things which you will pop off.  Untie the thick cord that pulls the blinds up and down.  Then take off all the blinds except for the last few.  I left 5. I wish I had only left 4 because then my folds would have been much thicker.  Oh well.  So once I had my 5 left I put the bottom of the blinds back on.  Measure your window and make sure it's exactly the same height as the bottom of your blinds.

4.)  I measured then marked my fabric with a sharpie so that I put the blinds in the exact spot (7 inches apart from each one).  I'll add this.  I did mess up and my bottom one was not 7 inches apart from the 2nd to last one.  What I should have done was take the length of my blinds and the number of folds and divided it which would have given me the perfect spacing for my folds and completely taken away one of my blinds. I'll definitely do this next time.  

5.) My fabric wasn't wide enough so I knew that my blinds would need a trim to cover it all up.  Anyway, you just glue yours down on the back.  I've seen some people iron it all down.  It's not really going to show so I wouldn't worry about it.  AND if this is a roman shade for a window in the front of your house then you can get some white liner and just glue it to the back.  That I would definitely iron down and make look nice so your house looks pretty from the outside.  The glue takes a few hours to dry so leave it alone.  And don't let your 3 year old walk all over it or anything.  

6.) Then have your handsome husband and cute little stinker help put up the hardware.  I really need to learn to use the drill, but I'm afraid I'm going to break the bit off in the wall. So I make MR.P do it.  

Then voila!!  You're all done! I'm so so glad I tried this.  Our kitchen window has needed a little love and some privacy for a long time.  Now it has it!!  I'm sorry that my pictures aren't perfect.  Life is easy with an iphone so that's what I use to capture life :)  

I hope this helps!  Let me know if you have any questions. I would be happy to answer if I can!  

Lately

Lately life has a little on the crazy side/not super busy.  Adjusting to life on a mountain has not necessarily been as easy as I thought.  Add in moving to a new city, Matt and I sharing 1 car, and a much much smaller house (850 square ft to be exact) and you've got some major transitions.  We don't live close to anything...and I mean anything! Can you believe the closest Target is 45 min away?!?!?  Can you even imagine?  Suffice it to say, it's been an adjustment from living in Atlanta.   

All that to say, we are starting to enjoy ourselves a little now!  Here's what's been going on around here!

We got a membership to the TN aquarium for Smith's bday gift.  It has paid for itself over and over and over.  He LOVES it!!

Gigi and Big Daddy came to visit and took us on the incline railway.  It goes straight up the mountain.  Smith loved it and LOVED seeing his grandparents.

A few weeks later a few of Smith's cousins came to visit!  His cousin Alli shares the same bday so we celebrated by having lunch and cupcakes at home then headed to the aquarium!

Cupcakes! My first attempt at making my own frosting and it worked! I'm not great in the kitchen, but trying to get better.  I also bought my first set of frosting tips, which makes icing cupcakes much easier (I know, I'm the last person on the planet. oh well!)

Party favors!

At the aquarium.  I love my nephews face right here.  Seriously one of the cutest kids ever.

I sure hope these 2 are best friends as they grow up.

Amazed at the stingrays.  

This was Smith's actual bday.  Matt leaves pretty early in the mornings so we got Smith up early so he could see daddy and have bfast with him.  

Birthday chocolate chip muffins.  He has started picking out the "special treats" and eating them.  This boy cracks me up.

Blowing out candles! He asked to blow out candles for days after this...so we did :)

Some friends came to stay with us for Smith's bday weekend!  Addy and Smith after bathtime.

At the aquarium...again :)

Dads and kids with the stingrays.  

The next weekend more friends!!  Katie and Jack Allen.  Derrick and Lucy stayed home this time, but we hope to see them soon.  We went down the mountain to the aquarium again and it started snowing!  The boys loved it!

Footie pajamas are just too cute!

Then we celebrated Vday.  My mom always made holidays so so special so I am trying.  It's actually not easy for me and I seriously lucked out that Wal-mart had some stuff in the .97 cent isle.  

And lastly Smith has been sick several times this winter.  Seriously NO fun.  Check out those arms and that face!  

I've started sewing again and have a few reupholstery projects I'm starting, which means I'm feeling settled and back to normal :)

I just added this set of pillows to my Etsy shop.

And I just 2 of these chairs from my grandmother.  I LOVE them.  They are going at our kitchen table.

This is the fabric I'm using to reupholster.  Can't wait!

Anyway, that's what's been going on around here.  Hope everyone is doing well!

Merry Christmas!

Here is our Christmas card this year.  Since we moved we decided to do a postcard with our new address on the back.  Saved a bunch of money, so I think I'll be doing this again in the future!  I had it designed by themunch on Etsy!

It didn't feel super Christmassy this year.  Probably because we have been focused on getting settled into our new house.  Anyway, MR.P, Smith and I celebrated together on the 22nd.  We made bfast, opened stockings and our gifts from each other, and just enjoyed a slow paced day (something we haven't had in a long time).  

Also, this is where Smith thought he was sleeping the night before :)  Didn't want to miss out on Santa.

  

Enjoying some coffee together and watching Smith play with his new toys.  I'm a new coffee drinker, so not sure if it counts since I put a fair  a lot of creamer in :)

Smith with his new grocery cart.  He decided to get in, which is ironic since he HATES to get into a grocery cart at the store unless it's one of those CAR ones.  Silly boy.

"warming" his hands by the fire...we don't have a fireplace, so this was the next best thing.

And "cheers!" before breakfast!

Later that day we went to see Santa.  This is me convincing Smith to sit on Santa's lap.  It did not work.  He decided a safer place was on momma's lap :)

We spent Christmas Eve with my family in Atlanta.  And this little man with his bow tie stole my heart.  I can't believe how big he is!!

Tough to get a good family pic where everyone is looking.

Then we spent Christmas Eve night and Christmas day with MR.P's family!

We had a great time spending time with our families.  Tough not being as close to them all, but it makes visiting all the sweeter.  

After Christmas was over I started to realize how unintentional Matt and I were about really sharing with Smith the real reason we celebrate Christmas.  We definitely shared the story of Jesus' birth a lot, but I wasn't able to do advent with him and we forgot to read the Christmas story when we did our little family christmas a few days early.  I pray that next year I'm able to do a lot with him and that he will then understand more.  Thankfully there is freedom in Christ Jesus and I can share the gospel with Smith every single day of the year.  Praise the Lord!

How to create a frame collage

Ok, let's be honest.  There are a lot of tutorials and pictures all over the internet on how to create the most amazing wall/frame collage ever.  Each picture is beautiful and gets you really excited about creating your own.   But once you set in motion to get it done you have no on earthy idea where to start.  That was me.

Anyway, here's really how you really do one...just start nailing things up on the wall, stand back, take it down because you hate it, then start over.  Repeat this process approximately 4 times over 4 days with 5,000 holes in the wall that you didn't need and voila!  You'll have the perfect wall collage :)

Here's where I started.

I put frames together on the floor before I hung them on the wall...you to know, to spare holes in the wall ;)

Decided it looked good on the floor, so why wouldn't it look good on the wall, right?

Well, when they went on the wall, I hated how the color of the frames hit me in the face as I came around the corner.  It was a little much for the look I'm going for.  So I took it down and started over.

Once I decided to use all white and gold frames the vision started coming together a bit more easily.

I had to hide the thermostat in there somehow :)  I think all things considered it came out pretty good!

There are a few special things on this wall and obviously a few spaces left for some others.  One of which was an old postcard with a picture of an old service station on Lookout Mountain.  It has since been turned into a starbucks, but it's still special.  My mom found it in my grandparents house this past year.  

Both these little chairs are pretty special too.  The rocking chair was MR.P's when he was little.  Smith LOVES it.  The chair on the left was my grandparent's chair.  I love it just the way it is.  It does not even need to be reupholstered.  My grandmother was an interior designer and had great taste in quality furniture that would last.

And here it is from the other corner of the house :)  It's a tiny house, but we love it!  It's definitely easier in some ways to decorate a smaller house.  Hopefully I'll remember to blog about the rest of the house sometime soon!

New House

So we are officially here in Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain to be exact!  We are loving it here so far.  We've visited our new church and our new community group...jumping in with both feet!  

Here is the new place :)

The move went great. We left my parents house Sunday and headed out of town on our adventure.

It was a little sad since we've never moved outside of Georgia.  And technically we aren't outside Georgia.  Lookout Mnt is half TN and half GA.  And we are on the GA side.  Anyway, the drive was only 2 hours and the little man slept the whole way. He was TIRED!  Matt drove the truck and I drove our car.  Once we arrived my sweet friend Joy and her husband met us there to help us unpack.  Thankfully they brought some more help. We had everything in the house before we knew it...thanks to their help :)

We are all settled now, though it took a few days.  Thankful to have all the boxes unpacked and to not live out of a suitcase anymore.  I definitely miss spending time with my mom, but I think it will make visiting all the more special.  

We are moving!!!

That's right, the Peele clan is moving! We are moving to Chattanooga, TN and we are so so excited.  Neither MR.P or myself have lived anywhere other than GA so this is a big adventure for us (except for me when I was 3 and that doesn't count).  We are going to miss our families and friends so much, but it's only 2.5 hours away from home, so we can see them often.  Anyway, the move is this month on the 18th.  Pray for us as we transition to our new home!