Search Results for: curtains

Hem Curtains Without Sewing

November 24, 2015 by Barb 3 Comments

Hem curtains in 10 seconds flat without sewing … for real! Here’s an easy and fast (hack) when drapes are long and time is short.

For weeks I’d been trying to update the curtain situation in our dining room. We’d had the same metal mini-horizontals and cotton topper for over 10 years, and I was so done with it.

However, since the task to change everything seemed daunting, I called in a “decorator” to help. Ummm, let’s just say it didn’t go well; her tastes differed vastly from mine. Vastly.

So I went out and bought panels with grommets, at the time thinking I could hem them myself and all would be well. Not … .

Now, I’m a good sewer and have done a lot of sewing, but those panels were cheap (which is not a bad thing) and when I started to cut them I discovered the grain was crooked and the curtain itself was so slippery it wouldn’t stay on the ironing board … (insert scream face). Never have I made a quicker trip to the thrift store to donate something. I just wanted them to be gone (a heartfelt apology to the hubs who spent a fair amount of time helping me find said panels).

Then this past week I came across some lovely *side panels at Jysk (a Danish retail chain), and they’re gorgeous!

They were just what I was looking for: white, crinkly, semi-opaque, and cheap at $10.00/panel! They brighten up my dining room and make for a beautiful backdrop …

… and as I was walking out of the store a thought occurred to me … they don’t even need to be hemmed! Since they aren’t too bulky it would be easy to simply tie them in a knot … it takes about 10 seconds per panel. Voila! Am I brilliant or what ;)

Proof that it doesn’t have to be expensive, or complicated …
When open, the panels are wide enough to fit across the entire width of my windows. Of course when they are pulled closed, the bottoms will “puddle” on the floor, which I don’t mind since I will only close them when I’m trying to take photos.

My next plan of attack is to install light filtering cellular shades and I’ll never have to close the panels. Perfect. So next time, before you automatically think you have to hem curtains … think again.

The side panels are “Tina” 53″ x 96″ with hidden tabs … and yes … 100% polyester … .

Day 24 #nablopomo

Five Things Friday | March 3rd

March 3, 2017 by Barb 9 Comments

Welcome to Five Things Friday where I share what I’m reading, watching, eating, making, or just plain loving at the moment and I’m so happy you stopped by!

But can I just start with the Oscar train wreck?

I’m really not into this annual show, and I only watch the highlights. So how about that screw-up with the award announcement for Best Picture? … and what about our fascination with it!? you’d think it was a major world catastrophe!

But oh my gosh … apart from envelopegate, what do you think of Warren handing the envelope to Faye? He obviously knew something was wrong (he looked flustered and confused) and then he handed it to her! He totally threw her under the bus!

… totally not impressed with you Warren :(

But, let us move on …

Five Things Friday | March 3rd

What Florals I’m Arranging

Tulips and birch branches on my garden bench—throw in a couple found-and-foraged bird’s nests, and you have a sweet spring vignette. Something to hang on to for these last looong winter weeks. I love that tulips are affordable right now … they’re at every grocery store checkout in our province.

O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?
Percy Bysshe Shelley

What I’m Watching

This Is Us.

I hardly need say more. This wildly popular series on NBC has captured the hearts of audiences everywhere. But I’m going to make a little confession. I only decided to watch it when I realized Adam Newman was going to die, and my favourite actor on Y & R (Justin Hartley) was leaving … yes, ahem (bwha ha ha) I watch Y & R. I can’t seem to stop myself even though I’ve tried and tried (and succeeded from time-to-time.)

Anyway, back to This is Us. This show has made me laugh out loud, and it has made me cry … two things I don’t do very often when watching TV, and I love it when that happens, don’t you?! Five Stars for this show! No spoilers though!

What I’m Reading

The Witches of New York by Ami McKay

I’ve only just started this book, so I can’t really say much about it, except that it has captivated me right from the first paragraph. I am a bit concerned that I should read her previous book The Virgin Cure first even though, apparently you don’t have to. But, if I get a chance I may pick it up before I get too far into The Witches … hmmmm, decisions, decisions!

So instead, here’s my thoughts on another book I’ve recently read:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I was a bit late to the party with this epic story, as it was published in 2005 and I only just purchased the 10th Anniversary edition. You open the cover and it goes something like this “When Death has a story to tell, you listen” and boy do you ever!

The prose is beyond … it’s like reading music, and if I was one to write in books, this book would have paragraphs highlighted, underlined, and covered in exclamation marks. A must read!

Goosebumps all the way …

What I Discovered

Remember last week when I mentioned The Magnolia Journal? Well I discovered something awesome!

Not only are there some gorgeous botanical prints in the magazine, I went to their site and discovered a free download of the same spectacular botanicals ready for framing or simply hanging on a wall as is. I printed mine on some lovely textural card stock and they are gorgeous.

Check it out here (it’s the pink bar along the top of the page). I must say, I’m not sure how long the download will last, so I wouldn’t delay!

What I’m Grateful For

Super sunny days. Even though our temperatures plummeted this week (and let me tell you it has been cold at -20C with -25C windchills!) I’m choosing to focus on the light. It pours into my dining room and makes the whole house glow.
Grocery and hardware stores that carry affordable plants and flowers.
Walks with friends … I’ve literally stepped up my commitment to getting outside and to exercising more. I’ve been taking 45 minute walks 3 times a week. Pretty good for me (especially when my old bones protest ;)
Making plans to attend Finding Stillness | Summer 2017 in June.
Online friends @alajamie that become real life friends, and then send you props to play with. I received a box full of vintage jars, letters, silky ribbons, and other ephemera. It’s like a prop chain letter where each participant takes the same props and uses them to create an image. She then posts it to Instagram with the hashtag #propbox2017. You’re allowed to add up to 3 of your own props and I used the book and the succulents. The box has since been sent on to the next participant. Lots of fun! Thank you Jamie!

Today the hubs and I are off to town to find drapery hardware for my new curtains … how fun!

Hopefully we get home before the impending winter storm hits … I feel a cozy afternoon by the fire in my future.

Tips for Taking Photos in Low Light

November 24, 2016 by Barb 7 Comments

I want to share a few tips for taking photos in low light (still life photos, that is.)

It may be hard to believe this image was taken at 2:30 in the afternoon on one of the foggiest, most overcast, grey days imaginable.

Although, before I go any further, let me add that Lightroom helps.

But first, let me expound and expand on the beauty of the grocery store flower … and the humble chrysanthemum.

I don’t have many choices when it comes to purchasing affordable flowers this time of year. On Monday I checked out a few flower shops and one (1) single hydrangea stem cost $16.00! (It was a beaut tho ;)

I’m always dreaming of the exotic, the unattainable, the out-of-season gems: peonies, dahlias, roses, and ranunculus. But since they’re most likely not going to materialize, I turn to Safeway and what they had were mums. I’m not drawn to chrysanthemums, but I buckled down and gave them a real good hard look, and it was like coming out of a fog (fitting terminology due to our weather lately.) Suddenly the soft mauve and white spidery petals began to look magical, almost like a dahlia.

How did I not see that? I think my mind has been clouded by the bright orange, rust, and burgundy shades I associate with chrysanthemums and autumn. I wanted pastels, and there they were! So I chose two different bunches and when I couldn’t find the greenery I wanted, that’s when I went to the florist and paid $2.00/stem for two bits of eucalyptus (a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do, right?)

So onwards! How did I shoot this in such low light?

It helps that I have large kitchen/dining room windows and sheer curtains. And yes, I’m sorry I can’t make that come true for everyone, but I do have a few tips.

Tips for Taking Photos in Low Light

Set up near the largest windows you have (of course.) Back and side lighting (if possible). If not, go for the back lighting.
Use sheer curtains as a background, at the settings I use, they get really blown out and almost glow.
Use a tripod, and your camera’s timer. Say that ten times over; otherwise this isn’t going to happen.
Taken at 2:30pm on a grey, foggy, overcast day. I metered on the centre of the bouquet, which was quite dark:
- Nikon D750 Lens: Nikkor 24-120
- Focal Length: 48mm
- Exposure: 1/60s at f4.0 IS0 3200

The image was quite overexposed and I didn’t have to make too many adjustments in Lightroom. I increased the whites and the blacks, and used a radial filter to lighten the shadows in the centre of the bouquet.

So pretty much what you see here is pretty much the way it was shot. Truth: I did not use Auto Tone.

I hope this makes sense … what I’m saying is “use a tripod, a slow shutter speed, and high ISO”. If you have any questions, please ask!

Here’s the “before” image for comparison:

.
.

PS: today (Thursday) I came home with fabulous floral treasures: pretty poinsettias from a greenhouse, and tulips from Costco!! I cannot believe I found affordable tulips … just after I did all this complaining … sorry ;)

#NaBloPoMo

Bottles and Twine Prompt for the Studio Online

June 29, 2016 by Barb 5 Comments

This morning I was thrilled to see Kim used my Instagram photo for the “Bottles and Twine” prompt for the Studio Online! Thank you Kim! :)

I was so thrilled, it caused me to write a blog post (he he) …

A few days ago I was so overwhelmed with the explosion of peonies in my garden, I decided to keep things simple and focus on one small bloom. So I grabbed my little glass jar with the rusty handle, and for some reason decided to tie it to a chair. Probably because, somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind, I remembered something Kim had taught us!

With my pretty white dining room curtains as a backdrop, and kk_Softhaze for processing, the background blew out and left the peony, jar, and chair in sharp focus. I then brought back some blacks, and whites, and upped the clarity. I also sharpened the overall image.

Camera Settings:

Early afternoon light (bright, warm)
D750
24-120mm lens at 48mm
1/50 sec at f/4.5 (on a tripod, and using a timer)
ISO 400

Now I’m inspired to see what else I can come up with for this lesson …

Leap Day! Happy Sweet February 29, 2016!

February 29, 2016 by Barb 10 Comments

Happy Leap Day!

What are you doing to celebrate this auspicious day? I’m starting new African Violets from leaf cuttings, and continuing to dream of spring …… despite the reality of what we woke up to this morning …

Here are 29 moments I think were worthy of celebrating this leap day of 2016:

Waking up at 5:00 and having a full quiet hour to myself.
Sipping that first, hot cup of coffee.
Watching the sky light up before 6:45am.
Eating crispy toast and peanut butter (with a side of Nutella).
Walking with friends.
Kicking the soft, fluffy snow as I walked.
Sipping hot chocolate.
A hot bath.
A hot lunch.
Catching up on Instagram.
Taking photos.
Perfect light for taking said photos.
Pretty sheer curtains in the kitchen … perfect as a photography background.
Feeling like I have my groove back.
Sitting at the kitchen table with my computer, editing photos, and working on my blog.
Flipping through inspirational books.
Sipping apple cider tea from Teavana.
Listening to Norah Jones.
Watching birds and squirrels at the feeder.
Having a fire going in the fireplace.
Fresh flowers.
Succulents that made it through the winter.
A clean house.
Knowing that supper will be leftovers (no cooking.)
Not having to go anywhere.
Peace and quiet in my house (and a fridge that is virtually silent.)
I just finished a good book, and am planning to start another one today.
It’s March 1st tomorrow. Winter, you will have to give way sooner or later.
I wrote a blog post! Woot!

Now … can you list 29 things you think were worthy of celebrating today? You don’t have to share, just sit and let your thoughts flow out onto the page … who knows, maybe by the time you go to bed you’ll have 29 x 2 celebratory moments. That’s what I’m aiming for. Either way, I hope it was a lovely one!

Sunday Sundries Features November 29

November 29, 2015 by Barb 2 Comments

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Sundries! I’m here to ramble on about my week, it helps me be grateful and to “celebrate” all the small (and large) extraordinary moments in my life.

Another week has disappeared and we’re heading straight into December … it’s a beautiful month full of moments to celebrate and I plan to fill it with preparations for our family Christmas at the lake.

I’m very excited the hubs and I are hosting this year so I’m going all out! A full-on Ukrainian dinner for Christmas Eve is in the works. I’m starting Monday by making Pyrizhky … oh, my … uh oh, I better set up a schedule for walking every day next month :)

But for now, here are my four features for #sunday_sundries … so much beauty in the gallery again! It’s really hard to choose four images … argh … but here goes!

Please help me celebrate the amazing work of these four talented artists:

TL: @lunaa80 TR: @the.life.so.beautiful_ BL: @claireb_photography BR: @fridaflorentina

So what else am I celebrating this week?

I have to say the #1 thing I’m celebrating is the fact I’ve (almost) made it through National Blog Posting Month. After tomorrow I will have posted every day for the month of November. Big Giant “Whew”!!
Snow! Yes, I love snow this time of year. It makes everything look so fresh and clean … plus it really puts a person in the mood for decorating and baking.
Stepping outside for a walk and hearing coyotes yipping back and forth. Looking up and seeing a bald eagle. Hearing the twitter of cedar waxwings.
Packages in the mail! I won a little gift from Somerset Studios. When you subscribe to their newsletter and then open that newsletter, you are automatically entered in a draw … which I won. How fun! You can check out their newsletter here.
Cute new curtains in the dining room.
A husband who comes home and helps finish the curtains task by a) removing old brackets, and b) helping me order new blinds. I’m hoping they arrive before Christmas … but they may not.
Fresh (affordable) evergreen bunches available in stores right now.
Instagram inspiration.

Thank you so much for dropping by Sunday Sundries today!

Tomorrow is the last day for NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) on BlogHer.com where bloggers committed to post every single day this month! Woo Hoo! I’ll have a recap and a few tips on how I survived … .

Day 29 #nablopomo

I Had Good Intentions

November 27, 2015 by Barb 3 Comments

I got out of bed this morning with good intentions … I had a great blog post in mind for #nablopomo, and I was ready to tackle it (after coffee and breakfast).

But life being what it is, time slipped away. It’s not that I/we wasted it. The hubs was home and had seen my new curtains.

Being the type A personality he is, he wanted to tackle the rest of the job which meant a) remove the old brackets, and b) order new blinds/shades. Two hours later we were finished with the blinds and it was (way past) time for lunch. I wasn’t showered or dressed.

kk_Lilly

After that I’m not sure what happened. I spent a bit of time preparing some eucalyptus for a wreath, and then decided I should create a little flatlay for IG.

Next I dragged in the old paint splotched table I bought this past summer and tried a few more arrangements …

kk_DarkDay

… and now the sun is almost setting! I kid you not! Sunset here is 4:21 … aack. Time to get supper on.

Day 27 #nablopomo

My Art is not Frivolous

November 25, 2015 by Barb 22 Comments

I often wonder why I do what I do, and is it frivolous?

frivolous \

of little weight or importance
lacking in seriousness
irresponsibly self-indulgent

I puzzle over why I get up in the morning so eager to set up a still life and take photos …

But it seems I’ve been staging “still life” images my entire life. To me “still life is real life is still life.” To have a chippy chair sitting in the dining room, an apron draped over the top, and treasured linens stacked on the seat is calming. And those poppy seed heads … I grew them, I picked them, and I dried them. What is more real than that?

Right from our first apartment I’ve decorated my home; from the kitchen, to the living room, to the bedroom. I’ve always liked to surround myself with pretty things and while the objects have changed over the years, the passion has not … in fact it has grown to such proportions I can hardly contain myself. And it’s because I now love photography.

I can no longer dismiss this (photography) passion as “frivolous“. It’s become as much a part of my life as creating a comfortable home for my self, my husband, and my children and grandchildren. It’s as important as a home-made meal … as important as freshly baked cookies coming straight out of the oven … and as important as a bouquet of wildflowers sitting on the windowsill for no other reason than to delight the senses.

It’s as important as anything I do because it fills me up, and then spills over into my life.

It gives me purpose at a time when I could be feeling lost. I could be stressing over the fact that I’m aging and my face and body are definitely not what they used to be. But I don’t have time. Where would I find the time to stand in front of the mirror agonizing over sags and wrinkles when there’s a still life waiting to be brought into the world? Oh, and before I bring that still life into the world, I may have to bake something, or paint a background, or find the perfect new semi-opaque curtains for the dining room … the list is endless.

And I mustn’t trivialize the fact that I’ve spent over six years learning how to use a dslr so that I may bring these images to life in as creative a way as possible. I can’t count the hours I’ve spent learning this craft … and I cannot think of one other thing in which I’ve invested so much of my time and effort (unless it’s my blog.)

That’s why the quote by Henry Miller spoke to me … it sums up how I want to live my life. I want to live as artfully as possible … and that’s not frivolous.

#stilllifeisreallife @stilllifeisreallife

Day 25 #nablopomo

Lightroom and Finding the Light

May 22, 2015 by Barb 10 Comments

I’ve been so inspired by Kim’s bright and airy images lately, that I set about finding (creating) the right light and then enhancing it in Lightroom. Now I think I’m going to change my dining room window situation from no curtains, to white opaque curtains …

Oh, and I’m loooving the new presets she’s created, some of which are available in The Studio Online … can I say magical … basically one click …

Lightroom and Finding the Light, Keeping With the Times, Friday Finds, white cosmos, flowers

kk_DayDreamingLightRight

When I saw this vine at a local greenhouse, I didn’t hesitate one second before putting it in my cart … it’s called a Wire Vine … love …

kk_Lilly

Light + Lightroom Presets = Magic:

kk_Air

The weather has turned so incredibly beautiful and I’m finding it hard to stay inside … hmmm … I just happen to know where to find a garden that needs to be weeded …

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Friday Finds at Kim Klassen dot com

This Wabi Sabi Wooden Table

November 4, 2014 by Barb 21 Comments

This wabi sabi wooden table … oh my … there is a story behind it … but first I’m going to concentrate on the assignment at hand.

For day 12 of the Start to Finish class, we were to experiment with “shooting wide”, something that I’m not in the habit of doing. I’m always so critical of my space when I see it in photos.

This image was taken in our Arizona home and it does look bare. Truth be told, my homes are bare and that’s the way I like them. So why be ashamed?

Here the windows are not pretty. They’re standard aluminum frames with no drapes or curtains to hide them. We do have a simple roll-down blind for privacy at night.

So even though it seems there is not a lot going on here, it’s real. This is what you would see if you walked into our bedroom, but then you would be pulled over to look out the huge window and would be astonished to see a clear, unobstructed view of the Four Peaks Mountains … so. very. dreamy. this wabi sabi wooden table, vintage find, start to finish

This is about as wabi sabi as it gets …

wabi sabi wooden table, vintage find, start to finish

I have to be careful how I move this table since the boards are ready to fall apart …

wabi sabi wooden table, vintage find, start to finish

… and are as dry as tinder …

wabi sabi wooden table, vintage find, start to finish

So here’s the story. We were out and about last Saturday, driving around and checking out garage sales. I’d already purchased a few items such as rusty blackened cookie sheets, blackened pizza pans, and old ripped cloths. I was having a blast but I did feel a bit sheepish. I mean, not everyone gets it right?

When I came across this table, my heart started to pound. I’d promised hubby I wouldn’t bring home any (more) furniture. OMG … what to do? So then it started … “Barb, it’s just more stuff” “there’s no place to put it” “what are you going to do with it” “it probably has bugs”…

The guy who was having the sale walked over and said “you can take it for fifty cents”. OMG. Oh no … I was in for it … but my sweet hubby picked it up and started to carry it over to the car and as he walked away I could hear him mumbling “well, I guess we could always use it for firewood.”

With a huge smile on my face I handed over fifty cents. The rest is history.

Friday Finds at kimklassen.com

Faux Northern Lights

March 5, 2014 by Barb 11 Comments

Faux Northern Lights

Good morning! You would think that living way up here so close to the North Pole, I’d have seen some real northern lights. Well, I have. I just haven’t felt like going out to get photos in sub-zero temps. They truly are an incredible thing to experience. You don’t just see them, you experience them.

Of course I’ve never seen northern lights that look like the ones in my photo here, but I was sitting on my warm sofa last night, wearing my fleece pj’s, playing with #picfx, and this is what happened. I should mention that I took this photo in broad daylight – how fun! This is why I love Instagram! Are you following me on Instagram? You should (tee hee). Anyway, here’s a little blurb:

WHAT ARE NORTHERN LIGHTS? The bright dancing lights of the aurora are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth’s atmosphere. The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres. They are known as ‘Aurora borealis’ in the north and ‘Aurora australis’ in the south.. Auroral displays appear in many colours although pale green and pink are the most common. Shades of red, yellow, green, blue, and violet have been reported. The lights appear in many forms from patches or scattered clouds of light to streamers, arcs, rippling curtains or shooting rays that light up the sky with an eerie glow.

northernlightscentre.ca

I’m hitting the road and heading to my country home, and yes, I did get this city home cleaned up spick and span (in-between Starbucks and trips to the greenhouse).

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Wednesday!

Black and White with a Touch of Colour

May 14, 2013 by Barb 15 Comments

kim klassen, texture tuesday, black and white photography, adobe photoshop, cs6, liightroom

My favourite day! Texture Tuesday!! Today everyone voted on a subject and Black and White with a Touch of Colour was the winner.

I’m “grandparenting” this week, so I’m at my daughter’s home. As I lay in bed this morning (briefly, I might add, since little ones were soon joining me), I kept looking at this North-facing window with the white curtains. Creative thoughts started to flow.

After breakfast, when the two oldest were off to school, and the 3 year old had had breakfast, my mind turned to TT.

I thought about the lovely sedum that I got for Mother’s Day and went around the house looking for props. A lovely pot, a white table, and an off-white ball seemed to be the perfect combination. It’s a simple scene but that’s what works for me.

Even though there are technically four items, I see three, since the plant and the pot become one. And odd numbers are always a safe bet when designing anything.

I used a technique that Kim taught us using gradients to reveal some colour in the plant. Then I brushed away some of the gradient on the ball to reveal a slight, slight, bit of green to support the theme.

Lastly, one layer of kk_3003 on soft light was the final touch.

I’m totally crushing on this… it’s amazing what a fresh perspective can do.

Well, I gotta go! It’s time to play Hungry Hippo!

Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen dot com.

Our little get-away in Fountain Hills, AZ

October 24, 2012 by Barb 19 Comments

The view from our kitchen balcony.

Sunrise.

From the kitchen.

It’s an end unit so we have lots of windows.

Our living room.

Looking towards the front windows.

Our ‘office’ area… a work in progress…

Our little kitchen table.

Reclaimed wood furniture.

The breeze was softly blowing my (home-made) curtains – so pretty!

A little peek into our kitchen.

Santa Fe style furniture.

So light and airy.

Beauty!

Heading upstairs and some of our new paint ‘Sedona Sunset’

This morning I woke up thinking about our new condo in Fountain Hills. There’s a pretty good reason for that – we plan to head down there for two weeks!

We took possession of it last November and have since re-done a lot of the interior. We had it painted from ceilings to baseboards and everything in between. We removed carpets and had new flooring installed upstairs. We replaced all the blinds and then had the windows washed – that was my brilliant idea – it would have been impossible for me to do – especially upstairs. We had some electrical re-wiring of lights and installed new fixtures. As well, there was a lot of maintenance to be done but nothing major – good thing hubby is a handyman extraordinaire!

Last year, the first two weeks we were in Arizona, we saw nothing but the interior of Lowes – but let me say they have a pretty amazing view of the mountains from their parking lot …. ;)

This time we’ll have a bit more time to explore and experience AZ. To start off, we’re going to a football game on Monday night – a dream-come-true for hubby!

I’m looking forward to some new photo ops, perhaps a bit of shopping, dining out, and watching the sun come up from our living room couch.

I’m a self-confessed digi scrapping addict . . .

March 29, 2012 by Barb 8 Comments

At Digital Scrapper, our kit this month is by Anna Aspnes. She’s a mega talent in the digi scrapping world. Anna makes ‘making art’ attainable for the masses.

Yesterday I was busy sewing some curtains but right in the middle of it all, I noticed the squirrels running around outside and chattering up a storm. My mind went to a photo I took last fall and almost like a zombie I walked to the computer and started creating . . . this is what I ended up with.

I am a self-confessed digi scrapper addict. I’ve been doing it for four years and the impulse is not waning . . . in fact it’s becoming stronger. I scour the galleries for inspiration and let me tell you there are some people out there that are absolutely brilliant.

One-of-Nature's-Masterpieces

When I started my blog I made the decision to not make it about scrapbooking. I don’t regret my decision since variety is the spice of life, right? And my blog forces me to concentrate on other aspects of my life.

I’ve been contemplating starting another blog just for scrapbooking, just to share my ‘stuff’, things I’ve learned, and to connect with other addicts. Oh, where oh where does it end? But I can’t get it out of my mind and if there is one thing I’ve learned in life, it is to listen to that voice in your head – you just never know where it will lead you!

Right now, I know it led me away from finishing up my curtains . . .