It's About Time... for New Basement Curtains

There are quite a few things in the basement that we still haven't touched since we moved in almost 3 years ago. But we finally checked curtains off that list! And let me tell you, it was time. Not only were they outdated, but they were pretty gross and just kind of thrown up there. Take this guy for example. The curtains are hanging on a piece of elastic that's tied to a few nails. Nice. Not to mention some of the curtains were shorter and only covered half the window so people could totally see in when I did laundry in my underwear. No. I was not deterred. But I'm glad to have full coverage now.

The rest were hung on springs! Seriously, long springs stretched across the window. They at least hung straighter. But still they weren't too pretty and I'm not sure if these had even been touched since the house was built. They were pretty nasty. They came down and went straight to the garbage. Then after a good sill-vacuuming and window-washing, I was ready to get some new curtains up there!

I finally got motivated to check it off our list when I stumbled across a pretty set of sheets in the Wal-Mart clearance for only $5. Yeah, I can work with that.

DIY Planter Boxes

I know I've been posting about our front porch a lot... I think my pregnant brain wanted it all pretty before the baby came and we had new baby visitors. But I think this is my last update for now! We knocked out one last project to finish off the space and give it some interest and life. Planter boxes!

I was inspired by some planters I saw on Ana-White.com, but I have a seriously tiny porch so I made up my own plans for a (much) smaller version. And you can build some too! They super to make, and cheap to boot!

To build one planter box you'll need:

• 1  -  1x8 @ 8' long
• 1  -  2x2 @ 8' long
• 1  -  1x2 @ 8' long
• 1 1/4" pocket hole screws or 2" screws
• 8" flower pot (or landscaping fabric)
• 2" screws
• 1 1/4" finishing nails
• glue
• sandpaper
• finishing supplies (wood filler/paint/stain/poly/etc.)

Cut List:
(A)  4  -  1x8  @  23 1/2" (sides)
(B)  4  -  2x2  @  23 1/2"  (corners)
(C)  4  -  1x2  @  11" with mitered corners  (trim)
(D)  2  -  1x2  @  8"  (supports)

Butterflies in the Guest Room

We made a quick little update in the guest room. You've probably noticed my constant struggle to find some collection of pillows and blankets that would work in our guest room. Well, I finally accepted that nothing I already own seems to be fitting the bill. So when I found a new duvet set at a yard sale for $10 a couple weeks ago, I was all "hey, why not? It's can't get worse!" No, really. It can't.

It's at least an improvement, right?

I'm still a little on the fence about it, but I think I like it. It seems to play well with the striped curtains and the butterflies are kind of fun and different than what I usually go for.

ORB Hardware

Earlier this week I shared how we updated our front door with a little paint and some vinyl letters. Today I'm going to show you how we used spray paint  to spiff up the the hardware & complete the makeover!

I started this first thing in the morning (right after I painted the door) so the hardware had all day to dry and cure before it had to do any work. I removed all the hardware pieces and put them on a piece of cardboard. I could poke any long pieces through the cardboard so they would stand upright.