{Ruffled Shower Curtain: DIY}

I've been wanting a ruffled shower curtain for quite some time, but the ones at Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters are a little more than I'm willing to spend. I actually purchased the curtain from Urban Outfitters, but after thinking it over I realized spending $70 for a shower curtain is a bit much, and returned it.

So yesterday after spending several hours in an airport, I was able to look through some of my favorite blogs {something I haven't had time to do in a long while} and found this amazing DIY over at Apartment Therapy. The moment I saw it I said "why didn't I think of that?". This truly is a great idea and while I would love to say I'm going to make it - I don't have a sewing machine {or any type of sewing skills} so I'm going to sweet talk my mom into making it for me. So Mom...how much do you love me {she knows when I say this I'm up to something, lol} - you know that fancy sewing machine of yours that's been collecting dust down in the basement? Yea - it's time to clean it off because I have a project for ya - see below:

Materials:
Plain cotton shower curtain (all measurements are based on a standard 70" x 72" curtain)
2.5 yards fabric
Sewing machine
Thread

Step 1: Sew on valance
Begin by sewing an 8" wide valance (hemmed along the top, sides and bottom) across the top of the shower curtain. Leave the valance unstitched over top of each grommet, so the shower curtain rings can still be fed through the holes. The finished valance will hide the shower curtain ring holes.

Step 2: Gather fabric into frills
Using pinking shears, cut four strips of fabric that are each 3" wide and 6' long. Set the stitch size on your sewing machine to the longest possible length. In the centre of each fabric strip, stitch rows, 1/4" apart, the full length of the strip. Working from both ends, gently pull each thread until the fabric gathers into a soft ruffle.

Step 3: Sew on trim
Pin the ruffled fabric onto the shower curtain, spaced about 3" apart. Sew them onto the shower curtain with one line of stitching down the centre of each strip, then pull out the treads previously used to make the fabric into ruffles.

Step 4: Hang and enjoy
--------------------------------------
Pretty genius huh? Mom - we'll talk later!!!

{Blog Archive: QUOTE Handbags}

Good very early morning! I'm headed up north for the day {6:00am flight} for a video shoot for work. Since I'm up oh so early, I thought I would dig into the archives and pull out an oldie but goodie. Since I just purchased the bag below for my trip to Italy, I decided to choose the post I did on Etsy seller Quote...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

{Enjoy this oldie but goodie} Over the weekend I happend to stumble across Etsy seller Quote. Now if you're obsessed with handbags like me, you're sure to love Quote’s unique contemporary bags. Quote is a Bangkok-based design studio, ran by Jim and Vicki, who designs and handmakes these quality bags. My favorite is the houndstooth tote shown below (first pic on the left), which one is yours? To see more of Jim and Vicki's designs, be sure to visit their etsy sight. Fab right?

Have a great day - make it lovely!

{Evidence of a Great Weekend}

Overall I had a really nice weekend - full of relaxation, shopping, photography, and food! I've been hearing amazing things about Market Restaurant and this weekend me and the girls decided to try it out. They only serve local, fresh {we actually saw our waiter go outside to clip a few sprigs of basil and cilantro from the garden outside}, and unprocessed foods and the menu is ever-changing, determined by the area’s seasonal variations. The one constant you can definitely depend on is the simplicity of each dish, focused on making sure the natural flavors shine through with each bite. If you live in the Raleigh area ~ I beg you to try it out!

Address: 938 North Blount Street

Pricing: Lunch: $10-$15; Dinner: $15-$30

Phone: 919-754-0900

Hours: Lunch: Tues.-Sat. 11:30a-2p; Dinner: Tues.-Thurs. 5p-10p; Fri.-Sat. 5p-11p

We returned these plates back to our waiter clean enough to put back on the shelf. Everything was so delicious, so fresh, so flavorful....I can't wait to go back! To see the full lunch and dinner menus - click here.

I had a photography class on Saturday with the Triangle Photography Club and we had a fantastic time. We started at the Natural Science Art Museum and worked our way down Fayetteville Street practicing taking pictures after dusk. I still have a lot to learn about lighting, but I'm definitely making progress {trying not to get frustrated in the process}.

There was a vintage car show downtown this weekend and the above pics are a couple that I took - below are a few others...

If you would like to see all of the pictures that this very talented group took {prepared to be amazed}, click here. Enjoy!

{Weekend Plans}

Yahoo!!! My computer is "working" {for now} so I don't have to deal with the stress of purchasing another one before I leave for my trip. Thanks Tim {my neighbor} for working your magic! Anyway.....TGIF Peeps!!!

I hope you have a great weekend and plan to do something special for only you!

Houston We Have A Problem

Morning Peeps! I'm sending this message from my iPhone. I'm having computer issues this morning as it keeps crashing (entering several curse words here) - so I will not be able to post anything today. I'm hoping I can get it fixed today...please keep your fingers crossed.

Have a good one!

Love, ME :-)