Gifts from UPS

Is it just me, or it is really cool when the big brown truck pulls up to your home and drops of goodies. I've been waiting for these goodies for 7 days. Not n eternity by any means, but when your belly is growing { Now 7 mos :) } and the packages contains projects your working for the baby, every day counts! Here's the loot I bought. White minky fabric and that is so soft, fun chevron fabric, striped fabric and brown dot fabric. I also ordered fabric for pillows I want to make in the living room, but I was sent the wrong fabric! Not to worry the Customer Service at  Fabric.com was super helpful, the fabric I actually ordered should arrive in a few days. 

Now here's my complete fabric stash for the baby and my plans. I plan to make a blanket using the Minky fabric and Chevron print. . All the remaining fabric will be used for DIY burp cloths, but I also plan on using the Stripped fabric for another fun project for the nursery. Both the Chevron & Striped fabric contain a few colors that are in the baby's bedding. Last night I already started sewing the blanket and will have it finished in no time. 

I have to get all my nursery sewing projects completed this weekend, because next weekend we have a whole house project  we are tackling.  I will literary have no place to sew, I'm hoping to also make some more progress on out bathroom this weekend. I'm so excited about next weekend, its something we wanted to do since buying our little rancher, and will maker a huge improvement to our home. I'll be sharing our prep work we are doing next week to prepare for next weekend.  

What do you think of the Chevron fabric, isn't darling? 


Any ideas on what next weekends project involves? 

Tween Bedroom Redo: Love This Fabric

I've had a thing for grey stripped fabric for quite sometime. From pillows to drapes, I can't get enough. It's one of the those timeless looks that I love any room. I wanted to add some grey stripes to my sons bedroom Super Bad. 

{ via here }

{ via Cote De Texas }

I love, these grey ticking throws. Perfect for a boys room as bedding on thrown on a sofa, either way you can't go wrong. 

{ via here }

So I started hunting for grey stripped fabric, and kept coming up empty handed, until I looked on Fabric.com under quilting fabric. Over the recent yeas quilting fabric has become more modern, so I crossed my fingers. I found the perfect Grey Stripped Fabric from Micheal Miller called Two By Two. I thought it would be the perfect fabric for drapes in my sons bedroom. Remember his Tween Bedroom Redo, yeah i'm still slowly working on it and hope to have his room completed soon. Here's the fabric on his desk, I love thats the grey stripes are darker than his bedroom wall, I also got Tabari's approval on the fabric! 

He and I have discussed changing his bedding I originally bought months ago from JC Penny's sadly the comforter set faded (bad!) looks like we've had it for years. We'll keep it and use it for his company when he has friends over. So we made a trip to Ikea and found a potential duvet set. I liked another set better, but its his bedroom, lol. I do like how the open circles look with the stripe grey fabric. 

Originally his bedroom color scheme was grey, navy blue and red.At this point, I'm not sure how I like the limy green and red? I plan on making the drapes this weekend and going from there. 

What do you think the grey striped fabric, are you a fan of it as well? What do you think, nix the red?

Fabric Swatch Throw Down

Whew Monday's post about our diy Holman ledges was long, so I'm keeping this nice & sweet. Are you ready for a Fabric Swatch Throw Down! Remember my search for the perfect shade of grey fabric for our headboard for our bedroom? I'm pretty sure I have found the two finalists in my search. I love the weave on both fabrics. The color on the left is called Diversitex Claridge Basketweave Color Elephant. The darker fabric swatch is Diversitex Claridge Basketwaeve Color Charcoal.  As you can tell there's a huge color difference between the two shades of gray.  

Here's how both fabric swatches look against of bedrooms gray walls. 

The blue in the background represents pillows that will be on our bed and the { white & grey fabric }Waverly Cross Section Grey will be made into Euro pillow covers. 

This is how the fabric swatches look with our coverlet, that will be at the bottom of the bed. 

If we end up using the lighter fabric Elephant, I will use black nail heads. If we use the darker fabric Charcoal, I will use pewter nail heads. So either the way the nail heads will pop a little off the fabric. 

Now that you've seen both fabric swatches, which fabric do you like better for a headboard & why?

So Looking Forward to This

I can't help but be so excited for Iman's home decor fabric coming this fall to Calico Corners! From the look of the picture, the fabric is going to be lovely with a global eclectic flair. I love her style and grace, so I'm looking forward to seeing the fabric collection she's completed. 

I bought Iman's book The Beauty of Color a few years back and loved is refreshing take on skincare, makeup and beauty regardless of what color your are. I loved all the tips on applying makeup correctly to achieve a wide array of looks. 

"From the beloved fashion icon and cosmetics entrepreneur, the first book to embrace global beauty and women of all ethnicities"  Publishers Weekly

What are you looking forward to about fall?

Fabric Swatches, Headboards & Pillows Oh My

I guess I was channeling Dorthy from the Wizard of Oz, with the post title! Moving on...a few weeks back I ordered some fabric samples for our diy headboard, possible pillows & living room dogie bed. First up potential fabric swatches for our long forgotten Master Bedroom re-do. It's been on pause while I work on my sons tween bedroom re-do (which should be done soon). When Mr. CLH & I talked about our headboard, we both agreed we didn't want white and a pattern could be fun, but then it limits the other colors and patterns we can include in our bedroom down the line. Since we decided to stick with solid fabric I wanted the fabric to have texture and be soft. Here are the two fabric swatches we are considering for our headboard. The darker fabric is a Medium Weight Linen the color is Charcoal. The lighter fabric is from Diversitex Claridge Basket weave the color is Elephant.

Here's how the potential headboard fabric would look with our bedding, the white represents our duvet, the grey our coverlet and the grey & white fabric Euro pillows. At first glance I really like the darker shade.

Looking closer, I really like the pattern weave on the Elephant swatch, I think the color might be too light? 

My other options is going with charcoal, which looks like more like a deep grey.

I'm hooked on the Nail head upholstered headboard from West Elm. Its no huge surprise I love the color of the hardboard and the texture. I also like the idea of doing double nail-head trim. I also love how close the nail head time is to the edge of the headboard, it creates a nice finished look. I've never done a nail head trim, hopefully its not hard, I'm thinking black round nail heads.

Double the fun? Or more work? lol

Here are my other two fabric swatches, I'm considering sewing some pillow covers for our living room with this fabric, so its subtle Ikat print (swatch # 2 on the right). They would cover our yellow pillows - I would use the pillow covers from time to time, when I wanted to freshen up the look of our living room. The colors and fabric type are a perfect match with our lumbar pillows. I hope you gals aren't tiring of my love from yellow!

Often when I come home from work Mojo's on our sofa on one of the pillows, and I find myself washing our pillows more often than a want. Even though he's small he still sheds some in the Summertime.  I decided to make him a bed for living room that's cool enough to lay on the floor, like his bed in our bedroom.  I'm thinking the Chevron print with turquoise / blue piping - for an additional fun pop of color. This picture below from Eddie Ross, sums up how I love cute dogie beds on living room floors. It just makes me smile. 

What do you think of the fabric swatches for the diy headboard? Basket weave or linen, for those of you that have done nail hoards before, any tips? Thanks 

Secondly - Chevron floor dogie pillow for Mojo? Or am taking on too many projects, lol

Fabric Sources Dos

Are you ready for round two Dos of great Fabric Sources! Missed my Fabric Sources Uno post, read it here I must warn you again this might end up being a long post. But first, I received an email from a lovely reader asking: 

 'Where do I shop locally for fabric besides Calico Corners?'

I also shop at Hancock Fabrics, but I rarely find fabric style I love, since I mostly love more modern fabric prints it can be hard. When I shopping there I mainly check out their huge clearance section and usually find a fun fabric or two. I also shop at Joann's, they have great coupons that I use for sewing notions. I also check out the Home Decor fabric that you have to order to see if they have fabric I found online to see a sample in person (rather than ordering a sample) sneaky I know! 


Fabric Sources part Dos all consist for great fabric resources where you can find yards and yards for fabrics under $ 10 bucks. Denver Cloth Shop is a great place to shop for affordable fabrics.

Fabric Sources

Fabric Information

Frabric Sample # 1 Suzani Arizona 9.95 is a great print that will liven up in room, drapes would be so pretty
Frabic Sample # 2 Best Friends $ 9.95 dog beds made with this fabric would be darling, with contrasting piping,
Blue Ticking Stripe $ 7.95 I love this ticking fabric, it has a great beachy vibe to it, cafe curtains would darling with this fabric

Mary Jo's Cloth Shop has got to be one of the best places around for lots of home decor fabric in a wide variety of price points. The website is set up, so you can search by fabric manufactoerer or style which saves a lot of time.

Fabric Samples

Fabric Information


Fabric Sample # 1 Cheri $ 8.98 is a pretty fun fabric, I'm thinking kids bedroom?
Fabric # 2 Misosa $ 8.98 wouldn't this fabic make pretty outdoor curtains on a porch
Fabric # 3 Lita $ 10.98 such a pretty design, I love the background color
Fabric # 4 Azure $ 8.98 a large ottoman would look amazing covered in this fabric


I'm glad you all liked the fabric tips in my first post about great fabric souces. Here are a few more fabric tips.

Fabric Tips


Swatches, Sawthces! If the fabric store your shopping at online or in store offers fabric swatches, buy them. Most in store retailers that I've come across will cut you a fabric sample for free. Getting a small sample for less then a few dollars, will end up saving you money and worries. I ordered the following fabric sawtaches to help detrimine if the colors would work well in my home and make sure I liked the quialty and texture of the fabric.

There's nothing worse than buying fabric online and when it arrives it looks awful. I've had this experience with fabric in the past when I've skipped ordering a sample. Remember samples are your friend :)
What the look of custom drapes? Add grommets to the top of your curtains. Many local fabric stores sell grommet kits, this is a simple diy project. Also great for making your own shower curtains. The grommet kit below requires no tools and will you a custom look.

Another way to create custom drapes, is to add a piece of fabric fun fabric to the bottom of stock curtains. I customized simple Ikea curtains by adding 1 1/2 of fabric to the bottom of the drapes, which added a bit whimsy to my dining room and complemented our color scheme. 

What fabric tips do you apply when shopping for fabric? Find any great deals on fabric latyl?

Fabric Sources Uno

I absolutely love fabrics, they have such an amazing impact in rooms. Here are some of my beloved fabric sources online and in store. I should warn you this might end up being a long post, but get ready for some pretty prints.  


As you know I love buying fabric from Calico Corners, I made lumbar pillows, recovered a bench and more with their fabric. I also love that they ship all their fabric for free and and also sell and small quality of fabric in store.

Fabric Samples

Fabric Information: 


Fabric Sample #1 -  Flower Field, available in the three colors 
Fabric Sample # 2 - Khandar Jewel, they have a great section of Ikat, think heaboards
Fabric Sample # 3 -  Suzanni Aqua, so pretty for pillows or an ottoman
Fabric Sample # 4 - Neri Cream Faux Bois at its best great fabric for furniture, cushions etc. 


My next fabric spot I love checking out almost daily is Fabric.com, they have a great selection of affordable fabric from modern to traditional. I've mentioned them before and many of you are fans of them.

Fabric Samples 

Fabric Information


Fabric Sample # 1 Emily Garden,drapes would be lovely made with this fabric. 
Fabric Sample # 2 Ellis Turquoise, I adore this pretty so pretty! 
Fabric Sample # 3 Chipper Slub, you know I love yellow. I would love pillows with this print for my home 
Fabric Sample # 4 Summerlin Geranium, such a pretty fabric for ottomans  


Next I love looking for fabrics at BuyFabrics.com again the have an amazing selection of fabrics from Duralee to Robert Allen in prints you might not find elsewhere and if you do they may be less expensive on this site. 

Fabric Samples 

Fabric Information

Fabric Sample # 1 - Thomas Paul Print Wouldn't this fabric add a bit of whimsy to any room?

Fabric Sample # 2 - Speling Iris, this is such a pretty print, I've seen it in various shades
Fabric Sample # 3 Fran Indigo, super steal alert, only $7.00 a yard
Fabric Sample # 4 New Leaf Meadow, this fabric would be lovely for drapes its only $5.00 a yard!

Looking for a modern fabric fix? Head no further than TonicLiving.com they also sell custom pillows and drapes. 

Fabric Samples

Fabric Information

Fabric Source # 1 - Flat Iron Black Need some chevron in your life

Fabric Source # 2 - Garden Trellis Taupe, I'm not sure if I'll ever tire of this print only $ 8.95 per yard.


I recently discovered a few months back thanks this fabric store thanks to 6th Street Design School the sell thier fabrics both online and locally in Atlanta, GA. High Heeled Foot in the Door, recently posted about them on her blog and gave us a peek inside their store. For all you Altantans, please visit their store and check out their lovely fabrics in person. 

Fabric Samples

Silly me got tired last night putting all these pretty samples together from their store (hence they are unnumbered) It was so hard to choose just four fabrics so showcase! I would love to sew some large pillows for a settee with the bird cage print or sew some drapes for French doors! Maybe one day.Just check out their site to view more fabrics. 


Fabric Tips


Material type: Always read the information about the fabric: Is it light weight? Good for drapes and pillows? Or better suited for a craft project? or upholstery? 


Prices: To find the best price on fabric, always try and find out who the manufacturer of the fabric is. For instance, is the Fabric made by Waverly or Duralee. That way you can Google the name of the manufacturer along with the fabric name and hopefully find the lowest price. I recently scored Thomas Paul fabric for $ 10.00 for 3/4 or a yard at Calico Corners, I saw the same fabric online for $ 50.00 per yard. 


I'll be writing another post regarding 'Fabric Sources Dos' soon. Where are your go to fabric shopping sources? Scored any pretty prints recently? I'd love to hear! 

Needed Some Pattern

Were going for a really soothing look in of bedroom, so when I originally started picking out fabric for our euro pillows we both really liked the Doux Cotton Velvet from Fabric.com. I ordered a sample of the Velvet Smoke grey and Velvet Silver grey to make sure we got the right shade of grey. The fabric sample arrived super quick, we both like the fabric. But I wasn't sure if I wanted a solid on our Euro pillows.


After checking out their selection again, I decided to go with the Waverly Cross Section Charcoal fabric instead for our pillows. The fabric is a good mix of graphic print with a subtle masculine vibe. Here's how the fabric looks with our bedding . The  Euro pillows will be made with the pattern front and a sold white linen back. I planned to do a diy pillow cover how to last time I made pillows, but I my pics turned out blurry. Crossing fingers I'll have a pillow tutorial to share.

I love how the cross checks look with our white and grey bedding.

 I also wanted to share how our bedroom progress is coming along with bedding. I love how the new bedding its so much lighter and fresher then our old bedding. Here's a reminder how our bedroom looked not to long ago.

Here's our bedroom now { so far we've changed out the old bedding, updated a dresser, bought side tables and lamps and hung a chandelier, added a dimmer switch, organized my jewelry } Up next we'll be working on a DIY headboard. I'm so looking forward to making a headboard fro our bedroom!! I know it will change the look of our bedroom in an instant.

Until then here's my project i'm working on this week - doing an overhaul on this tray for our dresser. I love the geometric lines of the trey. I'm looking forward to transforming this trey, like I did for a tray in our living room.

What do you think of the new fabric for our Euro pillows?

Lemon Drop Tray

I was shopping at Goodwill last weekend, when I came across a beat up tray marked down to 2.99 it was 5.99. I had been on the lookout for a great simple tray. I knew it  look great in our living room and would have many uses; from holding, flowers and candles t keeping my books looking cute stacked on our wicker storage basket.

Here's my tray before, it was dirty, banged up and had nicked paint. However, I could see all its potential.

My tray now. I wanted the tray to pop where ever it was in our living room, so I painted the tray a bright cheery yellow.  

Here's what I did.

First I cleaned the wood tray with a mild hand soap and a damp rag. I let the tray dry and then cleaned the glass with window cleaner (the glass was glued to the wood, so I didn't try and remove it) Next I removed the picture matte.

Then I lightly sanded the tray and primed it with Zisser Primer using a sponge brush. I used a sponge brush to apply the primer because they are cheap and can be tossed, less cleanup! I allowed the primer to dry for two hours and then lightly sanded the tray and then applied a second coat of primer.

First coat of primer applied

Next applied my first coat of yellow paint to the tray and allowed the tray to dry for 24 hours before applying the next coat. I applied three coats of paint allowing each coat to dry 24 hours before apply the next coat.

Pop of yellow

I wanted my tray to be super glossy so I applied two coats of poly to the tray, allowing 24 hours between each coat and light sanded between the coats. The tray now is super glossy.

Do you recognize the fabric inside the tray? I used left over fabric from the lumbar pillows I made for our chairs in our living room. I thought it would be the perfect addition under the glass. I ironed the fabric then cut the fabric to the size of the glass and attached double side tape to the board that goes under the tray. I didn't want to use adhesive spray, just in case I come across other fabric in the future and easy way to change the look of the tray.

It was a simple diy project that's made a cute addition to our living room and the price can't be beat!

Cost Breakdown

Tray $ 2.99
Sample Paint Valspar $ 2.99
Key West Fabric - n/a had on hand
Poly - n/a had on hand
Primer - n/a had on hand

Total Cost $ 5.98

Remember, next time your in a thrift store or see a tray on clearance, think of what you could transform in into for your house. What do you think of my little lemon drop tray, isn't it a cute addition to our living room? Do you use trays in your home?