Dining Room Update & DIY curtains

I'm thinking I finally re arranged everything in this little room to my liking....for awhile anyways. This current arrangement fits our family's style...or whatever you want to call it. Let's just say it 'flows' for us.

I had on my to do list to paint the dining room table from black to white. I am really loving the transition.

I've slipcovered my craigslist parson chairs {picked up beginning of summer for $60 for all four}in a cotton duck fabric. Everything else in this room has been rearranged and 'house' shopped!

I showed you the giant {especially for my house}leaning wall mirror my hubby picked up few months ago at a garage sale for...$40!! I've decided to antique gold the frame, and distress it. Something like this:

{via}

I've also been admiring these curtains for sometime now....knowing I would love to do this:

{via}

I had some extra drop cloths laying around {I did need to spend $9.00 for this project on drapery rings}

I layed out my dropcloth, {this one had three panels, I cut off the end two}, smoothed, ironed, then got to measuring. 

For myself, I wanted about 12 inches per stripe. But it wouldn't have ended right- the total length of the cloth was 102", so I had to figure out a couple of different measurements. The closest I could come up with was 11.25".

The painting part was...interesting. I didn't have a roller so I grabbed Josh's biggest paint brush. I found out that almost a dab method worked best! {These babies soak up allllooott of paint!}

I started with a half pint can of black paint {Thank God I had a few extra cans of blacks in the garage...or I would have had unfinished curtains!}, and ended up going through total almost 1.5 quarts of paint, plus a large tube of black craft paint {didn't make a different when all was said and done}

After I finished each one...I took the blue tape off, and left them to dry overnight.

With the hubby's help, we moved our curtain rod brackets higher up the wall {underneath the top moulding}.

After clipping on the panels...I discovered I didn't need to paint that last panel, I had to trim that much off...it was too long! {Well it was a nice guide to trim off}

Here they are {if you ever come over, please don't inspect tooo closely because they definitely aren't perfect, but they work for me!}

{please keep in mind that someday, hopefully soon, that mirror will be an antique-y gold color!}

Have a wonderful weekend!! 

~*Jessica

Linking up to:

"Air Your Laundry Friday" Textile Party
Home Sweet Home
Feathered Nest Friday

Fall Mantle {Take II}

We have been getting a few fall'ish weathery days around here lately {I'm so excited!!}

Since I posted about my Fall Mantle a couple of weeks ago, there's been a few slight 'tweaks' to the top. 

No, not much, but can you spot them?

I think I'm getting the decorating mantle thing too carried away...and unofficially declare to officially retire from decking this thing out any further!!

{phew!}

My mom brought back the metal 'H' from a trip and the bronze glass candle is a 'discovered' addition!!

Happy Tuesday!

Bringing A Little Sunshine Inside!!

Well if you live in the western part of Washington State, you probably know that the sun is been pretty spotty lately!! I really enjoyed this last weekend. I got to spend a whole two full days with my family!! On Sunday we drove up to Bellevue and stopped by Whole Foods Market. It was a lovely store. I noticed the fresh flower area and instantly gravitated towards it! {much to my husbands dismay!!} I picked up these beautiful sunflower stems for a great buy...and thought I would do {yup} another tabletop display. It so happens that today is Tuesday and it's a fabulous link up party over at Marty's blog...A Stroll Thru Life.

I placed the sunflowers in one of my ironstone pitchers, and dug around my fabric box and came up with this lovely...burlap garland. It's perfect width for what I wanted...just simple and cozy.

I placed a little grouping of odd objects on both sides, this side is one of my wicker balls, an odd silver lid type thing, and a moss ball.

The other side is a wrought iron pineapple finale, a faux artichoke, and a flocked fleur de lis jar candle.

This shot was just for fun!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend with your families creating memories!!

~*Jessica*~

White!

I do love me some white...but as you can probably tell I haven't done alot of decorating with it.
It's been such gorgeous weather the last couple of days, I felt like doing a little something to bring some sunshine inside!

Tulips and pompoms...and some 'stolen' weeping willow twigs {well...borrowed, thanks Mom!!}

And right after I took the photos the powdered doughnut holes...wellllll they are no longer there!

The silver candleabra is from my mom's wedding...28 years ago!

I love fresh flowers!!

Another shot...

I am planning on linking this to Faded Charm's 100th White Wednesday

& Later this week to A Rosy Note's, Photo Feature Friday.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!!!

Off to work now.

~*Jessica

A Metal Linky Party

                                                         Have you heard of Jami from:

On Saturday she is hosting a linky party:

Show casing.....

 "your own little collections of metal
whether it's shiny, rusty, faux, vintage, modern...whatever."

{from Jami @ F.L.}

{source}

I am excited!! I've been wanting to 'showcase' my silver pieces for awhile now!!

My mother and I have quite a bit!

Day Dream:
Along time ago {well to me!!} when I was dreaming about my wedding, I wanted vintage silver teapots to place at each of guest's tables for centerpieces, filled with flowers.

Real Life:
I didn't have tables at my wedding...and I had collected about 10 or 15...{or somewhere in between} antique silver teapots.
{You're wondering where I put the guests? Welllll there was chairs and guests just sat or stood around..sorry not very 'guest-friendly'

{source}
All those teapots? Sitting in our cupboards!
Sooooo...My to-do list this week is to polish my silver and take some pictures!

Have a great day!!