Frugal Friday~

Welcome to this week's Frugal Friday! Today I'm sharing with you a project that I originally shared back in February. But a great project bears repeating.

From the moment I laid eyes on them, I longed to have a set of these beautiful smocked curtains.

And I knew then and there that I HAD to come up with a less expensive version of these beauties (i.e. one that didn't cost $108 per panel). And I had a plan.

Then while visiting my parents, my Papa dragged me to the basement to look at some of the things we stored at their house before we moved to Massachusetts. Lo and behold, in the box were a pair of curtains from the Princess' nursery.

I remembered them immediately (why had I stored them away? hello?) and knew they would make the perfect smocked beauties I envisioned.

They were inexpensive PB knockoffs...from Tar-jay I believe. But they were just what I needed. Slightly sheer...and they had the added bonus of having a "grid" woven right in. The plaid pattern saved me having to make measurements which was what I was dreading the most in my "smocking" plan.

Now, I have a disclaimer to make. If anyone reading this blog knows how to smock, please forgive me. I just flew by the seat of my pants.

I figured it would be kind of like creating in fabric, a hairstyle that I have done numerous times on the Princess.

And it was. Sort of. I started out by creating a sort of "M" pleat on every other stripe. Then I simply sewed each pleat through about three times and knotted it off.

I then took each of the "point" pleats of the "M" and seperated them pulling them down and over so that they met at the next horizontal row down, and the next vertical row over, and sewed them together again.

I repeated that process for 6 rows. I'm not gonna lie. It was kind of a pain. The first panel took me an hour and a half. The second only took about an hour because I had it down to "science" by then.

But I ADORE the results. And the cost was FREE!!! Well, I think the panels probably cost $20 for the pair 7 years ago. But...they were free today!


Now, one thing to keep in mind if you try to tackle a project like this on your own is that you are going to lose the width of the panels by half. So mine had to become stationary panels. They look lovely, however, over the Princess' bed with her old sheers under them.


This is a picture of the Princess' room with the smocked curtains before I redid it, but you can see the panels better in this photo.

Here is the Princess' room after it's redo, just so you can see how it looks today. :-)

Now it's your turn...

You know "da rules".

1. Please link directly to your post and not just to your blog.

2. Please link back to The Shabby Nest, so that other's can enjoy the frugal goodness.

3. Comment, comment, comment. Make our participants feel the love!

Dansk inspiration

Mera fint från danska butiken

"Honning & Flora"

Make Your Guests at Home~

I mentioned a few weeks back that we were going to have house guests on and off for several weeks this summer. I just love house guests!!

And I love to make sure that my guests feel at home. So today I thought I'd share a fun idea with you...

I always leave fresh, fluffy towels on the ends of the beds where my guests will be sleeping. But here's a way to make them extra special...

First, I tied the top towel up with some twine...and added this sweet handwritten tag and a key to the house so my guests can come and go at their leisure.


Then I added a blingy initial (theirs, of course) tied on with some vintage velvet ribbon as a little memento for my guests to take home.

It's small touches like these that make guests feel welcome and loved! My dear readers, do you have any great entertaining ideas that you use for house guests? I'd love to hear them!

Have a great day~

take time to smell the roses

enyoy this moment

for this moment is your life

try to relax

it a BIG NOT, to stress though life

Linky Love~

Wow!! Last week's Frugal Friday party was amazing!! So many wonderful projects you all shared...and tons of great furniture redos (especially hutches this week...you all must be on the same wavelength). I had a great time looking through the posts, and a really hard time narrowing down what I was going to share with you today.

That said, here are a few of my favorites from last week...

First up, Primitive and Proper shared a pretty French cabinet redo...you know I love me some gray furniture.

And speaking of gray furniture, Twice Lovely rehabbed a pretty old sideboard. Love it!

Beautiful Nest shared her painted vinyl kitchen floor. Such a great idea!

One of the amazing hutch redos from last week was shared by The Bethencourts. I ADORE this hutch. Want. it. too. much.

And finally, Edge Designs shared an entertainment armoire turned charming changing station. What a darling idea!!

If you missed the amazing event that was last week's Frugal Friday, do yourself a favor and click here. You can thank me later. Just sayin'.

Have a great day~

This I Love: Romantic Outdoor Living Spaces and A Winner~

Today I'm thinking about lovely outdoor living spaces. So I thought I'd share some with you...

I simply adore this alfresco dining area. Romantic and a bit bohemian all at the same time.

Wouldn't it be lovely to take an afternoon nap in this dreamy daybed? (I think I might just spend a little too much time there....)

Top three images from Cabbages & Roses

This sweet guest bedroom is actually found in a tree house.

Image via NY Times

And this lovely living area is a shed.

Photo via Renovate & Decorate

Another sweet shed-turned-dreamy-escape.

Photo Rachel Ashwell via Renovate & Decorate

I could sit and daydream on this sunny deck for hours.

Image from A Well Loved Home

And I simply adore this porch complete with hanging bed. Mmmmmm.

One of these days I'm going to create one of these romantic outdoor spaces for myself. What about you, my dear readers, would you like an outdoor space like these?

On another note: the winner of the Cutting Edge stencil giveaway is Sarah of The Three Squinties. Drop me an email, Sarah, and we'll get you set up with your prize!

Linky Love is up tomorrow!

utlottning hos Home No1

The Reality of Being Me~

Hi! I’m Wendy Hyde author of The Shabby Nest. Here at my blog I share frugal decorating at its best - I have an eye for pretty and I love to create caviar rooms on a tuna fish budget.

Before I became a blogger, however, I became a mom. But, becoming a mom was a hard-won battle. Once my husband and I decided we were ready to have children, we suffered 4 years of fertility issues. During that difficult time I pouted, ranted, screamed, cried and felt hopeless. Then finally, amazingly, we were able to conceive. And now I’m a mother to four. Four children that I am crazy in love with. With that passionate, irrational love that only a mother can really understand. They are my everything.

After the birth of our youngest, our lives changed forever. He was born with a genetic liver disorder called Alpha-1 Antitrypsin deficiency. Because it is a genetic disease, our doctors urged us to have our other children tested, and we found out that two of our other three children also have the disease. Three out of four. What are the odds? We were devastated and terrified.

Luckily, right now our three boys are essentially healthy and normal so I am able to push their disease to the back of my mind most of the time, and go on with life. But in the quiet moments before I fall asleep or when I first wake, the worry comes. And I hope and pray for them that the researchers working on a cure for Alpha-1 will find it.

Somewhere in all this mothering and this worry, I forgot about myself. I pushed my aspirations to the back. I focused so much on being a mom, that I didn’t focus on me…at all.

I have always been a creative person, so this began to take a toll on me. And I felt guilt about that, until I discovered the world of blogging. It didn’t take me long to realize that writing a blog was the perfect answer to my dilemma. I could put myself out there in the blogosphere while still remaining a devoted mom. And The Shabby Nest was born.

I was amazed and elated when I started receiving comments from people who were actually interested in what I had to say! And as my readership grew, my love for my blog grew as well. I love the fact that I can share my passion for design with like minded individuals all over the world. I love the fact that I can be Wendy – that I have something that is uniquely mine and that it is appreciated by others.

So I will continue to write. I will continue to share my love of design. I will continue to gain a voice. And in so doing I will continue to advocate for my boys and their disease. And hopefully, this will help me do what I can toward finding a cure for Alpha-1.


Posted as a part of Project Mom for MomCasting.

Smultron-shopping-ställen

Semestertider innebär möjlighet att finna små härliga smultronställen

Det finns många fina och härliga shabby chic butiker

här är 1 butik som jag föll för och gärna

vill dela med mej av I Sandviken centum finns den härliga butiken Naja Design

som drivs av 2 kvinnor som är barndomsvänner med varandra

Anna & Åsa

En äkta shabby chic butik med härlig atmosfär.

Med perfekt butikstorlek erbjuder dom det bästa av det mesta

Varsågoda

här några inspirationsbilder

läs mera på naja design

La Murrina

La Murrina Öppnar sin första butik i Norden-

på Birger Jarlsgatan 2 i Stockholm förmedla världsberömda La Murrina

en glasklar känsla av italiensk tradition och design Denis Santachiara has specializes in traditional design that is inspired

by a fusion of modern technology, architecture and art.

His work has appeared on some of the most prestigious and most important

exhibitions in the world.

-Musée des Arts decoratifs i Louvren, Paris

-Moderna Museet i Tokyo och New York

-Vitra Museet i Chicago

ASTRA By Denis Santachiara

Lighting Creation "Zoe" at
H2C Hotel-Caserta
Design La Murrina
Lighting Creation "Ca' d'Oro"

Trendy Set

Lighting Creation "Veneziano"
For more information contact

Elina Gregor at Bindefeld AB

Frugal Friday (and my bloggy birthday)~

Welcome to this week's edition of Frugal Friday!

I am pre-empting my regular Frugal Friday project this week, because I am a bad blogger.

Would you believe that yesterday was The Shabby Nest's 2 year blogiversary? And I forgot. Okay, well I didn't really forget. I knew it was at the end of July...I just didn't remember what day, until I looked back through my archives...yesterday. Silly girl that I am.

Image from Lauren Drew

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BLOG!

This little blog has become such an important part of my life. It is really an extension of who I am. It is my catharsis...my creative outlet. Through writing this blog I have made many amazing friends...real, true friends! I have an online community that is creative, inspiring and incredibly supportive! I look forward each and every day to reading your comments - I just love to see what you all have to say! And I adore visiting your wonderful blogs and soaking up the inspiration!

Image via I Heart Cake

I am so grateful for my fabulous readers! I love that you come and visit my little old blog. I love that you link up to Frugal Friday! I love that this little corner of the blogosphere is the place I call my bloggy home.

Thank you for two wonderful years of blogging here at The Shabby Nest! Here's to many more! (and I think we'll have a little bloggy birthday party next week...since I was so oblivious this week....)

But now it's your turn...

Got something you want to share this week for Frugal Friday?

You know "da rules"...



1. Please link directly to your post and not just to your blog.
2. Please link back to the Shabby Nest so that others can share in the frugal goodness.
3. Comment, comment, comment! Show our participants the love!

Great Day for a Giveaway: Cutting Edge Stencils~

Hello All!

So glad you decided to drop by today...and you're about to be glad too.

Today I want to introduce you to one of my fabulous sponsors...Cutting Edge Stencils.

Cutting Edge Stencils is the brainchild of faux finishers Greg Swisher and Janna Makaeva. It is an offshoot of Spec Fin a NY decorative painting company that Greg started in the mid 80's which specializes in high end residential projects. Janna also ran a decorative arts business before partnering with Greg, and uses her Masters degree in Botany and Zoology to create incredibly accurate stencils of animals and plants. Together their aim is to produce the best stencils available.


Can you believe this amazing fresco was created using stencils? Believe it!




Cutting Edge Stencils can help you create gorgeous rooms, and are easier to use than you might think. But if you're still a little worried, or need a little help, they offer detailed instructions and tips right on their website.



Lovely and Restful!



They create all their stencils on site using a 12 mil clear plastic that they feel is superior to mylar which is the material used most often in the industry. And because they make their own stencils, they can pass on the savings to you.



I'm infatuated with this all-over damask stencil!

So are you ready to try this fabulous process and create some of the amazing walls you can see here? Well, you're in luck! Cutting Edge is offering one lucky reader of the Shabby Nest any single stencil of their choice up to a value of $40. Oh the possibilities!!

Yep! Even full wall murals can be created using stencils!

To enter simply leave a comment on this post. That's it! Contest is open until Friday, July 23 at 11:59 pm MST.

Good luck!!

Linky Love~

My dear readers! You are such a talented bunch!! I look forward every week to the amazing projects you are going to share on Frugal Friday...and I am never disappointed.

Here are just a few of my favorites from last week...

First up, Kristine at The Painted Hive shared her dining room makeover. I LOVE it! And not just because I have a similar silver vintage fan in my dining room. ;-)

Next, Rooted in Love shared a DIY kitchen counter and backsplash makeover. And get this, she used spraypaint. No seriously. You HAVE to see this transformation to believe it!!

Michele at The White House wanted a shabby chic church pew for her house...so she modified a thrifted bench. That's my kind of girl!!

And finally, Jami at Freckled Laundry shared her faux zinc nightstand. Loved it! This is now on my to-do list.

If you haven't had a chance to check out last week's Frugal Friday, do yourself a BIG favor and click here.

Something fun on the agenda for tomorrow, so make sure and stop by!!

xoxo

Wendy