Decorating with Linen

This week is all about learning what types of fabrics will give you the look and feel you are trying achieve in your decorating. Today is all about linen.

Image Background is Premier Prints Annie Collection, Diamond.

Linen is both textured and light weight which conveys a relaxed feeling while also being elegant. It flows and drapes beautifully creating a calm and cool effect. Here are some ways to decorate with linen if your goal is to achieve the calming cool effect while also being elegant.

Let's start simple with table cloths and napkins.

I love looking at this images. The way the linen drapes and flows makes me want to relax just from looking at it!

Tea Towels are a great way to add that refreshing touch that linen adds to your kitchen.

A quick and easy way to achieve the look and feel linen offers is by adding throw pillows.

          

. . . .Or recover a lamp shade.

        

And of course, curtains!

        

 Here are some great linen fabrics and great prices, some of which were featured in these pictures.

Robert Allen Crazy Maze

Premier Prints Annie Diamond

Valorie Wells Jenoveve

Valorie Wells Jevnoveve Floral Birds Collection

Windsor Smith Xu Garden in Light Blue

Windsor Smith Pelagos in Haze

Zimba in Natural

Zimba in Orange

Zimba in Chartreuse

I am in LLLLOOOOVVVEEE with the Orange Zimba. Which one do you like best? 

Does anyone use linen is some other way in their home? Upholstery, maybe? Let me know! I'd love to hear about how you decorate with linen.

Why weren't you at elf practice?! (December sponsor family)!

Lately when I get frustrated with my kids I've been yelling this at them. :) It confuses everyone and makes everyone stop and think, "What is she talking about?" And then all the contention stops. Next time your kids are fighting try yelling, "Why weren't you at elf practice?!" and see what happens.

 

Christmas is the best time of year! Some who follow our sponsor program may have noticed we didn't have sponsors in October or November. That's because we save up from those two months to provide a Christmas for a family in need!

 

We asked the Bishop at our church if there was a family he was aware of that needed help for Christmas. He told us about a mixed family, both parents came to the relationship with children and then they had more children :) Yea for babies!

 

So here is what we did.



 

After saving five dollars of every order in the months of October and November, we gathered our funds and went shopping for presents (After the Bishop gave us the family name, ages and genders of the children). And yes, my children hated every moment of shopping for presents for other kids. Too bad, I said. This shopping trip is not about you, not one bit of it. And I didn't expect them to fully understand that at this young age so I did buy them ice cream afterward for being as delightful as two children siting in a shopping cart full of toys they will never play with can possibly be. They did eventually have fun when we started wrapping and making Santa letters.

 



We always buy the shiniest and sparkliest wrapping paer, ribbon and bows! We like it to be nice to look at all month!

 

Then we write two letters. One is to the family saying that Santa had to come early, but not to open the presents 'til Christmas. We do it this early in the month so that the parents don't have to stretch themselves too thin throughout the month trying to make a Christmas for their family. This is an effort to help the parents relax and enjoy the holidays with their family instead of taking on more work or squeezing in extra hours.

 

 

 

The second letter is for the parents and tells them what is in each wrapped gift so that they don't buy duplicates. And it explains that we added a gift card in case we forgot a kid :) Or they can use it for a nice Christmas dinner!

 

I had lots of little elf hands (and paws) to help me, so I made a little note to them to explain ;)

 

Then we paint over the letters in the note from Santa with glitter paint.

 

Below is Runy Tuesday, one of our cats. She was mad because I chose to paint first instead of feeding her. So she sat down right on our project to make herself known.

 

After the letters were dry we rolled them up, tied them with a ribbon and went to the families home to drop off the presents! They were all at home, but the light outside were off. Perfect! We dropped everything right in front of their door, rang the door bell and ran!

 

We had so much fun providing Christmas for a family in need! I wanted to blog about since it was done with money from our sales the past few months. So in a way you all who have purchased the past few months have helped this family have a nice Christmas!!! Thank you all!

 

And now I'm off to my "harp circle." It's a "jam session" for harps. :) ha! I hope you all are enjoying your holiday season so far.

Decorating with Houndstooth

My clients have been sending me a lot of Houndstooth lately, and I am loving it!! Some have been for curtains, some pillow covers. . . As I make window treatments I am always curious as to what the roooms look like that they will be going in. So I went to PINTEREST!

Anyone who knows me knows I am not the biggest fan of pinterest. . . .Don't hate me. I think I just don't understand it.

But I was curious about decorating with houndstooth and I thought Pinterest would be perfect!

Curtains, of course:

 

Chairs:

 

 

Accent Rugs:

 

Accent walls with Wallpaper. I also learned that you can make your own houndstooth stencil and use it on the wall if you aren't a fan of wall paper.

 

Throw Blankets:

 

I think what I like best about houndstooth is the personality it adds to a room. Have you ever seen two colors do so much for a room? It's all in the pattern. Love it!

 

Here are some hidden tab panels I did for a client in Powder Blue Houndstooth from Premier Prints.

 

Premier Prints sells both small print houndstooth and large print. This is the small print and I think it fits in the room well. It is very soft and delicate, yet still adds personality and character.

 

 

Here are some other choices in large and small print that would make great accent pillows if you aren't quite ready to go as bold as an accent wall or are rug.

 

 

Premier Prints Houndstooth in Khaki and Rust

 

Premier Prints Chocolate and Linen small print houndstooth

 

Black and White large print houndstooth

 

Do you decorate with houndstooth?  Send me your pictures and I will blog them next week. Can't wait to see them!!!