The Blind Leading the Way

We all remember them - those white spring roller blinds of our childhoods. 

Tug the bottom, and they raced to the moon. The ones in my bedroom were so anxious to get to the window top, they often popped off the feeble hardware and crashed down on my head.

Ahh, the good ole days.

Are these really roller blinds?

Yes, and they work beautifully!


The  good news is that roller blinds have been re-designed in every way.  I recently worked with a client who thought she wanted woven wood shades.  But the more we explored her needs, the more apparent it became that roller blinds fit the bill.

Sun glare blockage for TV viewing?  Check

Looks just like a woven wood product?  Check

Opaque at night for privacy?
Check

Minimalist look when rolled hidden beneath the Valance? 
Double Check!

Roller blinds are durable; the ones pictured here are made from wood fibers and polyester.  The colors and fabric choices are vast. 

The best part - THEY ROLL PERFECTLY!  You can even get them with memory roll so they ascend to the same height on the window each time.

I'm not missing the good ole days anymore.

What a Sham!

I love to save money.

And not because it's now fashionable. I was always the one out there searching for a bargain.

Let me make a distinction though. I AM NOT CHEAP. I live by a simple rule:

Make my money go as far as it can without being wasteful.

That's why I purchased 1 1/2 yards of this great fabric while visiting
Fabric Row in Philadelphia recently. I had no idea what I was going to do with the fabric, but I knew I liked it. I paid $13.50 per yard if I remember correctly.
So one afternoon recently, I decided it would be perfect as pillow shams for my guest room.

The style is a simple flanged edge style, with a pocket on the back.

I had some leftover white velveteen in my fabric stash for the backing, so my 1 1/2 yards of designer fabric was just enough to eek out the fronts for two queen size shams.

Now how cool is that - TWO designer shams for about $20.00!!! I LOVE IT.

Sewing My Way Back to Happiness

Sewing has always been a constant in my life.


Through good times and bad, my sewing machine has seen me through.


But I have to admit, it has collected a bit of dust over the last few years.


That's because my life changed forever in October 2009 when the world's greatest man, my husband Paul of 27 years, passed away from Cardiac Amyloidosis.


The grief journey is messy.


Watching my three beautiful daughters mourn for their beloved Dad has been the worst part. But amazing things have happened in their lives that I can only attribute to Paul repeatedly pestering God with, "Help my girls down there!"


I am the last to put my life back together.


My sewing machine has been beckoning,"Come sew with me."
So I am sewing up a storm again. The floodgates of creativity have been opened once again and I am enjoying my own little sewing renaissance.


A lot has changed in two years. Handmade items on ETSY are flying off their virtual shelves. Retro, edgy, modern, and urban are buzzwords circulating in the Home Decorating World.


My renewed motivation has me coming up with many new window treatment and home decor ideas. Keep posted!

Sale-ing is My Fav Sport

I have always been a bargain hunter.


It's an innate, primeval instinct: "Me woman, me hunt sale stuff."


My sister and I drove by a Lane Furniture store one day with a big sign in the window - "Going out of Business - 70% off everything!"
 
Screeech.......180 degree turn, brisk jog, burst into store.....and there it was....the coffee table I've been searching for.
 
Don't get me wrong. I have a coffee table in my living room. A friend was so sick of my never ending quest for the perfect piece that she convinced me to fork over $18 for a flea market relic with wobbly legs. That was three years ago.


The new table was waiting for me - round top, beautifully finished wood, elegantly scrolled wrought iron legs. And the price....drum roll please.........................$169.


Sold! Too bad that it weighed 200 pounds and my sis and I wrestled it like an alligator to get it home and into my house. We were mad women on a mission, laughing hysterically each time we nicked the wood in the hallway.


But I love it MORE because it was a steal and I had fun snagging it with my sis.


Even if it gave me a recurring backache.

Going Green with Window Decor

Did you know that you can cut your energy bills by substancial amounts by installing the right window treatments?

Drapery panels are HOT right now as are Roman shades. These styles are a TRIPLE PLAY - first, they provide a room with a hip new look, second, panels and shades offer privacy when needed, and third, they provide energy savings if you make them correctly.

Our latest sewing pattern, GOING GREEN from Home Dec In A Sec for McCall's features panels and shades made with the secret ingredient for energy savings: a third, inside layer of innerlining that traps hot/cold air from entering the room. The directions are a breeze- the three layer panels all hang free which means less sewing!

Why settle for store bought panels when you can make your own luxurious styles which will save you money in the long run???

Living Small, Living Large...

Everything in the media for the last 12 months has been BAD NEWS!!!

I like to look at what's happened in the world as a new opportunity to flourish.

A new chance to look at your life and find out what's really important.

You may just find that it's not the big things that make you happy, it's the little things.

Take coffee for example. I love coffee. I love its taste. I love the way the mug feels warm in my hand in the morning. And best of all, I love how it wakes me up.

It makes me happy.

I also have personally learned how having less makes you happy. I will share with you as the days unfold my personal story of how I sold my house and moved to much smaller, more humble quarters. My new house is cozy, warm and beautiful!

And I am happier for it. My family is happier, my outlook is brighter, and I have less to care for, and more time to do what I love....inspire others.

Mine is a true story of how LIVING SMALLER taught me about LIVING LARGER. Follow me as I share my unique path....

Sue Sampson, Founder of Home Dec In A Sec

Photo above: My new kitchen window - McCall's pattern #5701 link: http://www.mccallpattern.com/list/out_of_print/home_decorating/page-1