No Sew Curtain Hems

One of the bungalow's biggest assets is it's tall ceilings and tall windows. They allow the entire house to feel so much larger than a two bedroom home, but with big windows and tall ceilings you get areas that need longer curtains. I cannot do typical 84 inch curtains, and this drives me crazy! They are simply more affordable and readily available at retailers in an array of fun fabrics, so I get frustrated. I'm stuck searching for 95 inch curtains on a barely there budget, and that's no easy task...

I only have one window in the living room, so I only needed two panels. That's the good news. The bad news is that every curtain I found and could afford didn't come in the longer length I needed. Finally, I settled on some plain white panels for $12.99 each at Target. They were 95 inches, but when I got them home and hung, they were even too short.

They also lacked the wow factor I look for in window treatments. I kicked around ideas of stenciling them and taping them off and painting stripes, but those projects just ended in a fail. In fact, I ruined one panel and had to go back to Target to replace it. I even tried hanging a new, more substantial rod one night that I scored for $2.97. Take a look at how that ended up...

I was starting to feel defeated. I put the original rod back in place and tucked the new one back into my closet.

After racking my brain and looking at the boring panels in dismay for weeks, a light bulb came on. I had plenty of fabric left over from my stool project. I originally bought two fabrics, because I couldn't decide in the store which to use. It was only $7.99 worth of fabric left {one yard}, but it would be enough!

Just in case you missed it, here's the little stool...

Anyway, I'm impatient. I also don't own an actual sewing machine of my own {I borrow my mom's when I desperately need to}, BUT you bet your booty I have the BEST tool known to resourceful DIYers....a hot glue gun! I think you know where I'm going with this...

Yep! I just measured and cut the fabric to length {leaving slack for hems}. Then, I figured out how wide I needed it to be, so the finished curtains would just brush the floor. After I had my measurements right, I folded the new fabric in half, folded both top edges in and secured with hot glue. This way I had a solid strip that was finished on both sides and all the way around. I basically just glued where I would have ran a sewing machine to accomplish a finished piece. Folding the fabric in half also gave the strip more weight, so it would hang better.

I also turned in the edges on both ends and secured with glue. For the last step, I just lined my finished strip up with the existing curtain hem and glued them on using the white curtain panel hem as a straight guide. It was really easy and only took about an hour to complete the entire project! Of course, I'll never be able to wash them, but I'm not really a wash the drapes kind of chick...

I'm really pleased with the entire outcome. Now, I just need to glue/sew/buy a throw pillow for the chair...

and the before again...

That same night I framed an awesome new piece of scrapbook paper for my gallery wall.

{$.50 update}

Who's busting out their hot glue gun tonight?!

Crystal xoxo



Our Stress Free Spring

I'm really trying to "center" myself lately. I know how new age that sounds, but for lack of a better term, it fits what I'm trying to accomplish. I recently came to the conclusion that I've been super stressed, and we all know how terrible that is for our health {not to mention just plain NOT fun}, so I've decided to TRY to free myself from as much of the "s word" as possible.

I've been attempting to accomplish my stress free state of mind by simply relaxing on my time off from work, letting some household chores go a bit, allowing my mind to wander to the good in my life and just enjoying the innocence of the stage my son is in at this very moment. He's growing every day, and I do not want to look back on this time and not remember THIS child, because I was in a survival mode haze. His vocabulary is growing at an extraordinary rate, and his sense of humor and kind heart are out of this world. He's teetering between baby and little boy, and I want to squeeze these baby cheeks for as long as I can! I mean, who wouldn't?!

We've been doing a lot of outdoor play time. This means bubbles, sidewalk chalk, watering the plants together, tricycle rides and wagon trips around the block. The evenings are still bearable {not yet too hot for this Yankee}, so I haven't been miserable out in the southern sun. Virginia doesn't have hardly any annoying bugs either. This is a BIG change from Michigan springs!

P and I found this nest while watering our flowers tonight. It truly is those little "teachable moments" that sneak up on us and can just make the entire night! Ya know what I mean?

Another favorite time of mine occurs after Preston's bed time. While I adore my son, I'm NOT one of those mothers who makes daily Facebook posts about how wonderful and perfect motherhood is. I actually still like my me time! For me, that means decorating {duh!}. I recently rearranged some furniture in the living room again. Don't you love that gold tray I scored at Salvation Army for $4.99? It really anchored this arrangement well.

Sllloooooowly, the house is becoming a bit more feminine and a lot more me! After all, it is all mine now, and that's worth celebrating!



Crystal xoxo

Top 5 Happy Spots in Our Home

Earlier today, Kristina from A Cozy Cup of Tea, did a blog post about the "Happy Spots" in her home! She asked her readers to continue the thread and share their happy spots on their blogs too! Thank you, Kristinia for such a FUN subject today! You can also find Kristina on Facebook and visit her Etsy shop here!

Here's my Top 5...

(1) Our ever-changing dining room shelves are one of my favorite things to accessorize in our home. It houses glassware from our wedding and other personal touches. The vintage books and potted cactus are my most recent additions. (2) Our front porch was our most recent project, and I LOVE the transformation. Ryan and I use it so much more, and we even enjoyed two long chats out there this weekend {during nap time of course}! (3) My new desk chair in my studio adds so much POP! I adore the traditional shape and funky {but understated} fabric. The chair sits in front of my childhood desk too. (4) My built-ins make me smile. Every. Time. I. Look. At. Them. They're just gorgeous, and I recently rearranged some of the furniture to create this cozy little nook! (5) Preston's nursery was such a "labor of love". Vintage sock monkeys were our inspiration, but he's growing into such a curious toddler now! I {even the O.C.D. girl that I am} LOVE to walk past his room and see the toys of a little boy scattered about! It means he's enjoying the space we so carefully put together for him. I do dislike the fact that we had to lower the crib, and the skirt is no longer a nice accent. I am looking forward to updating the space even more for a growing toddler!

On another happy note, Modern Bungalow is going to Hollywood! One of my repurposed cupcake stands was purchased by a TV show prop master! It will be used in an upcoming episode of  "GCB" or  Good Christian Bitches!

A Closer Look-The Living Room

I've welcomed you into our home with a quick look into the living room, but I'd like to bring you up to speed with how it actually looks today! Come on it, have a  seat, and I'll pour you a cup of coffee...errr...Diet Coke! That's the only "coffee" you'll find in this house!

This is the view from the dining room. You can see a small glimpse of the blue/turquoise(ish) paint color of that room. Since the rooms are so open to each other, I'm slowly adding more pops of blues into the living room. Hey, I said slowly, and that lonely pillow counts!

View from the little chair next to the fireplace

The space is a little bare, and I'd normally dress the top of our Crate & Barrel coffee table, but remember there is a toddler running around these days! I have big plans for the wall above the couch, but as my mother always says, "In due time, child." For right now, my T.J.Maxx steal of a bronze clock will fit the bill! Only $29, people!

Here's a view of the other side of the room from the dining room...

and a close up...

I have a lot of issues with this side of the room. First off, we need more seating, like yesterday, so that tiny little itsy bitsy Pier 1 chair from college is going to be replaced with a loveseat {maybe with a sleeper, since we live in a two bedroom}. That photo holder {also Pier 1}, is way too empty. I'm tossing around ideas of filling it with smaller art prints {I've sort of started this for the time being and have 3 pathetic attempts up there}, or replacing it all together with a fun Subway inspired wooden wall piece. Decisions. Decisions. The ONLY reason I'll probably keep it up there is the two screw holes it's made! Now, the mantel. Ahhh...the reason I started my love affair with this house. It's beautiful, and big, but mostly just big, and I need to dress it up! I have visions for that too, so stay tuned!

Let's see...other items in the room. The brown couch was an amazing bargain, at just $297 from a furniture store that was going out of business. Two years later, it's still miraculously open and "going out of business" but whatev! The white shag rug was bought at Target. We needed a large size, and it was the cheapest one we could find {only $79}! This doesn't mean I LOVE it, but sometimes the price outweighs the look {only if the look at least coordinates with the room and fulfills a function well}! The way-too-short brown and cream damask curtains were from Pier 1. I fell in love with them on the spot and bought them while we were still house hunting. No real room in mind, but they served as great inspiration for the direction of the living room.

The light fixture was from Lowe's. It was under $60! Are you noticing a bronze theme yet? Our bungalow sports a ton of it's original bronze hardware {all of the exterior doors, a few interior doors and the built-ins}, so we wanted to keep with the integrity of the home and play off of that. To compliment the age of the house, we have updated all of the switch plates, the light fixtures and kitchen faucet to match. Papers say it was built in 1941, {but I see signs of older age}, so it's hard to find replacement heat vents. They're black and starting to REALLY show their age. Slowly, we're giving each one of those a facelife with antique bronze spray paint!

Let's take a closer look at some of my favorite items in this room...I KNOW you want to see a close up of that pillow!

Angie from That Funky Boutique is a dream to work with! Of course, even the pillow has a story, but I'll save that for anyone who wants to know more...Just ask!

My Crate & Barrel lamps may be my favorite accessory. They were originally bought for our bedroom, but I put them here {until that got redone}, and they never left!

This little metal sign is our newest addition. It was purchased for under $5 at Hobby Lobby! Originally, we had a cheap vinyl saying up there {by cheap I mean so inexpensive and such a knock-off that I'm not even sure if it was actually even made of vinyl}, but half of the words were gold and hard to read, and a lot of people kept asking what it said. I was tired of the conversations, so it went bye-bye! This sign says pretty much the same thing that the vinyl did, so I'm happy...for now!

Love at First Sight

In January of 2009, my then-fiance and I moved from Michigan to Virginia. We stayed with my parents, while we found jobs and started our first house hunt. Being the penny pincher that I am, I was adamant about a small budget, so you can imagine the doozies we saw! Ryan wanted "BIG and cheap", and I wanted "cheap with charm".

After many dinner conversations, I convinced him that a "cheap" big house meant a lot more elbow grease, paint, repairs and utility bills. That's when our Highland Ave beauty entered our lives! Our realtor knew a bungalow was my dream. I wanted built-ins and a fireplace and wood floors. She found us all of that AND a claw foot! We were closed and moved in by April {sorry about the tiny picture}.

 Within the first week, we painted the living room!

Before...

After...

Can you tell I was a long-time renter? I know my color choice is bold to some, but the "Martha Stewart" green really helps pop the woodwork! {P.S. Even these pictures are outdated now...welcome to mommyhood}!

Badabing Badaboom! Then came marriage...

and a baby in a baby carriage!

Preston put some of our house plans on hold, but now that he's a year old, we're back at it! Won't you stay with us, as we lovingly redo {and change and rearrange and rearrange some more} our cozy little bungalow!