how to: hidden tab curtains…

i’ve been meaning to tackle these curtains for a while… our extra bedroom has now become a “study/library” since the hubs is working on his masters & we don’t often have visitors… (my not-so-secret plan is to one day finish our garage so that it can be his “man space.” that way ALL his books, instruments, pipes & what-nots can have their own space while i have a a gorgeous monica-like fancy guest room, or nursery if babes come along one day.) we’ll see.

it’s still a work in progress but here is the hubs’ new workspace…

i had to replace two panels that our bunny accidentally chewed up a few months back. (he got stuck behind a piece of furniture that used to be against this wall & we think he was trying to fight his way out…) i shortened them & put them in the attached bathroom… they are perfect & now i can check that off our to-do list! the curtains are from ikea & i love them. you can find them here. they’re the bright white i wanted, just sheer enough, cheap & they have this cute pin-tuck design in stripes that gives them the perfect amount of femininity. the only thing i didn’t like about them was that they’re tab curtains. in my opinion, they’re just a little too un-finished for me… i think curtains should really anchor a room, look polished & be an “ahh moment” when you enter.

so, i pulled out my sewing machine, ran a quick white bobbin & got to work. it was REALLY simple, took only about an hour & really made a huge difference! here’s the how-to:

step one: make sure your curtains & tabs are ironed, they’ll be much easier to work with.

step two: fold tabs back & fold under edge so that it’s even with the pocket. {you can pin them all ahead of time if you’d like but i just folded them & sewed as i went along.}

step three: try your hardest to sew on top of the already-there seam… i stitched a 1/2 inch centered on the tab. don’t forget to reverse a few times so it’s nice & tight.

front view…

step four: voila! now, hang them back up!

see! much better.

i hope you found this little project simple enough & please let me know if you try it. be curious!

living small: under the cabinets…

living small often means using every inch of space you have to it’s fullest potential… no “usable” space should go unused for long! our quaint little townhouse didn’t come with a pantry OR a linen closet {something i don’t remember thinking was important at the time of purchase…hmm} so, we’ve created a “pantry” in our large downstairs closet & learned that our kitchen cabinet space is crucial.

if there’s one thing besides amazingness that you should know about my hubs it’s that he loves coffee. quad tall americanos left & right. i needed to open up some cabinet space & also wanted to make a few coffee cups more accessible… the space under the cabinet that holds the coffee supplies seemed like a perfect place to start! 4 brass hooks & one dollar later, ta da!

who knew that something so simple could make such a difference! we love the easy-to-grab mugs & you can find our coffee maker here. we HEART it a whole lot… here are a few other under-the-cabinet ideas… all via pinterest. of course.

arts & crafts…

so much easier to read a cookbook this way while working!

love this idea for hanging pots & pans.

genius.

smart, sweet & so usefull.

oh, & please share any under the cabinet tips you might have… the options are endless! be curious!

before & after: under $20 light fixture re-vamp…

every house, new or old has little things we’d all like to change. and sometimes, just one tiny change-up can equal one great re-vamp!

one of the reason’s i loved this house when i first saw it was the fact that it WASN’T upgraded yet… sounds crazy, but i liked the idea of skipping the fancies and having a clean pallette to work with. of course there’s a lot we’d like to do, {hardwood floors, granite countertops, a deck and built-in bookcases} we get to do it on our own timeline and on our own terms. and i’m indecisive {i can hardly decide if i should take a nap or not} so i like to  do my research and spend time figuring out exactly what i want… while i’m in between planning the big projects, i like to tackle a few small ones to keep things moving and fresh!

this project takes less than an hour and cost me less than $20. and all you need is a screwdriver…

i recently noticed how out dated and extremely “builder’s basic” the sconces were in our downstairs half bath… yuck! the silver fixture itself is simple and perfect, but this carved glass had to go!

before:

after: i snagged the new ones at Lowe’s for $17.08… i’m loving the classic shape and clean lines. {thinking about changing all the ones on our ceiling fans to match next!}

voila’! hope this inspires you to re-vamp something this weekend! let me know what you’re up to! be curious… hg.