Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Random Fall Things

Some exciting things happening around here lately....at least for me!

I won the most wonderful giveaway from Tuula whose blog Thrifty Rebel Vintage is one I eagerly read each time she posts. She does the most amazing makeovers and repurposing of unusual items.

This is what I won! A beautiful garden flower art made out of a silver platter and pretty glass bowls.


It came all wrapped up so pretty with a sweet note....


Here are a few close-ups...


 
It really adds so much to my dying Fall garden!
 
Also in my garden, my Sweet Autumn Clematis is blooming profusely....finally! It takes 2-3 years for it to really fill out and bloom.
 


They are the sweetest little white flowers!

 
 
New Café curtains in my kitchen....again!
 
I haven't started decorating for Fall yet and probably won't until the beginning of October, but I felt the need to take the summer out of my kitchen.
 
 
 
I made this pair of café curtains this summer from flour sack dish towels I found at Walmart. They came out so cute and brightened my kitchen up during the hot weather. The post and tutorial is here if you are interested. 

For Fall and Winter I wanted a more neutral, cooler look using the cobalt blue that is already in my kitchen. I thought of mattress ticking and found some sheets, but they were too dark.

While killing time in Marshall's one day, I came upon the dish towels! There hanging on the wall were the perfect set of three. I did not notice in the store that the two on the left were a little different!


I did it once, why not again? I made a plan to use all three towels to make two panels for café curtains.

Towels are so perfect to use because there is minimal sewing. The edges, bottom and top hems are all done! I cut the dark striped one in half lengthwise and attached it to one side of the checked white towel and one half to the vertical striped white towel. One quick seam for each one. I turned the top over for the rod casing and sewed it all down, added another seam for a little header, and done.

It took all of a half hour! The cost? $4.99 + NY state tax = $35. Just kidding! $5.39 to be exact.

 

 
A little quirky, a little different, but I like it!

I love my new addition in the window too. I had the bottom half of the kitchen scale and recently found the top part at a barn sale. It doesn't work but I love it. The pitcher is a recent find at another barn sale.

I did take my Fall front door wreath out today and I have been thinking about my velvet pumpkins from last year. I need to style my shutter vignette in the side garden for Fall and add some color to my front porch.

I'm just not feeling it yet! How about you? Does it feel like Fall in your hometown yet?

AnnMarie xoxo

I am linking up with these great blog parties....

Amaze Me Monday
Roses of Inspiration
Wake Up Wednesday Linky Party
Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop
Share Your Style Party
What's It Wednesday
Home and Garden Thursday
Share Your Cup Thursday
Anything Blue Friday
Bouquet of Talent
Best of the Weekend
You're Gonna Love It Link Party
Freedom Fridays
Flashback Fridays
 
at

25 comments:

  1. Sarah Eliza @ devastateboredomSeptember 22, 2015 at 7:58 PM

    Such a fun thing to win! It looks great in your garden. :) And I love your curtains too!

    Found you via Wake Up Wednesday.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kirby CarespodiSeptember 23, 2015 at 2:38 AM

    Tuula always makes the coolest things! Congrats!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kim@Snug HarborSeptember 23, 2015 at 5:43 AM

    The curtains are adorable. Love the hanging scale.

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  4. Debby RaySeptember 23, 2015 at 6:24 AM

    What a lovely piece of garden art...very unique! Your curtains (both sets) are just adorable too!

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  5. StephanieSeptember 23, 2015 at 7:35 AM

    Sweet AnnMarie, I am so glad you won Tuula's giveaway :) She creates such beautiful things and the item you won look perfect in your lovely yard.

    Love your curtains, sweet friend :) Enjoy your day and thanks for sharing with Roses of Inspiration. Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Tuula @ Thrifty Rebel VintageSeptember 23, 2015 at 12:24 PM

    I'm so glad you love your garden flower AnnMarie. It looks right at home in your garden. I love both sets of your cafe curtains, and your clematis is just beautiful. That old scale is fabulous! Now I'm on the hunt for one.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Celestina MarieSeptember 23, 2015 at 3:03 PM

    Hi AnnMarie, What a wonderful garden flower. Just beautiful and what a great idea to use the tray with glass bowls. It looks lovely in your garden. Love your Clematis and it gives me hope for mine. I just planted it this year and it didn't do too well or grow much after the spring. Too hot this year maybe.
    Love your kitchen window curtains from the dish towels. Such a great look and so easy to change out with pretty towels. Love the blue and white. I wish I had a window to do make some dish towel curtains. Great old scale too!
    Thanks for sharing and Happy Fall. cm

    ReplyDelete
  8. doodles n daydreamsSeptember 23, 2015 at 3:52 PM

    This is a great way to dress your kitchen windows and so affordable. Lucky you winning the garden art, it will brighten things up for a wee while yet.
    Have a great day.

    Diana

    ReplyDelete
  9. Glenda/MidSouthSeptember 23, 2015 at 4:12 PM

    Love the curtains! You did a great job on them.
    Congratulations on winning the garden art - very pretty.
    Does not look like Fall here foliage , but can tell the difference in the afternoon shadows, etc.
    Temps have been great and the humidity is so much lower. Wish it would stay like this thru Winter, but know that is not gonna happen.
    Enjoy your evening.

    ReplyDelete
  10. sandi sSeptember 23, 2015 at 5:10 PM

    I love your curtains! Now I'll be looking for something similar to do in my window but in red! Your clematis is gorgeous! I love the yard art you won, so pretty! Hugs,

    ReplyDelete
  11. Feral TurtleSeptember 23, 2015 at 6:33 PM

    CONGRATULATIONS!!! Tuula is so creative. Looks fantastic. Love your gorgeous cafe curtains and your lovely garden too. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Terra HeckSeptember 24, 2015 at 2:19 AM

    Fall is my favorite season; I'm so glad it's here. I love what you did with the dish towels to turn them into curtains. That's a pretty piece of art you won.

    ReplyDelete
  13. BenitaSeptember 24, 2015 at 8:48 AM

    That is such an awesome gift you won! So beautiful and I love that pop of red! Clematis is one of my most favorite flowers....the vines are always just full of beautiful flowers! LOL @ NY State Tax....that would be totally believable! LOVE those curtains...the blue is so pretty!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Kim September 24, 2015 at 9:31 AM

    Congrats on your pretty win...it goes great in your garden! I giggled at your NYS tax calculation. Sounds about right to me! ;) Very worth it though, your curtains are perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Alexis @ Chemistry CachetSeptember 24, 2015 at 12:07 PM

    I don't think I have ever won a giveaway, how fun! Your kitchen is very cute and I love how you used towels!

    Alexis @ www.chemistrycachet.com

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  16. Art and SandSeptember 25, 2015 at 12:27 AM

    I love your cafe curtains - blue & white are a favorite of mine.

    I don't have any clematis in my garden and I think I need to add some.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oliva OhlsonSeptember 25, 2015 at 8:58 PM

    Lucky you! It's a very pretty flower garden art sculpture!

    Your kitchen curtains are so pretty, and I would have never known they were made out of kitchen towels. I love them even more because they're blue and I love blue in the kitchen!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. OlsonSeptember 25, 2015 at 9:53 PM

    Gosh Ann Marie, that scale is fabulous! Looks great with your new curtains. Such a creative idea! I have wanted a Sweet Autumn Clematis for a couple of years, but haven't run across one. I have a lot of other Clematis's that I love, but would like this pretty one for fall! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann
    hugs,
    Jann

    ReplyDelete
  19. My thrift store addictionSeptember 26, 2015 at 4:31 AM

    What an adorable garden flower! Love your clematis and your cafe curtains are wonderful!

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  20. Mary K.September 26, 2015 at 4:51 AM

    I love the way you used those dish towels.

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  21. Tea in the LibrarySeptember 27, 2015 at 9:21 AM

    Congrats! LOVE the china flower! Great idea on the curtains. Sharing all over. Cheers.

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  22. Pattie @ Olla-PodridaSeptember 28, 2015 at 9:34 AM

    Fall is so wonderful, isn't it? Your clematis looks amazing. They just don't seem to do well for me.

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  23. RueSeptember 28, 2015 at 3:42 PM

    I love both sets of cafe curtains, Annmarie and that kitchen scale is wonderful :)

    I need to get to work on my curtains!

    xo

    ReplyDelete
  24. Amy at Ms. Toody Goo ShoesOctober 1, 2015 at 7:48 PM

    What a unique and lovely gift! And the new curtains look great! Thanks for linking up at Best of the Weekend, AnnMarie!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Kathryn Ferguson GriffinOctober 9, 2015 at 7:49 PM

    The cafe curtains are so pretty! Thank you for sharing. You are one of the features at the Anything Blue Friday party at The Dedicated House. Here is the link to this week's party. http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2015/10/anything-blue-friday-week-100.html Hope to see you again at the little, blue soiree. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

    ReplyDelete

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