OutOnThaPorch....

Here are two pics of Abby's Altered Claudine valance.  This valance was already interlined with 100% cotton drapery interlining.  The first is a pic before we added the blackout lining - Interlined Valance without Blackout Lining And the second is after we added the French blackout lining.  What a difference.  That's right.  French blackout.  There IS more than just one way to block the light.  And to get the correct results, you need to use the correct product. Interlined Valance after adding French Blackout Lining Both shots were done at the same time of day with the same amount of sunlight and with the same camera.  Notice how the sun shines through the bottom of the valance that hangs over the window.  You can see exactly where the window stops and the wall begins.  You will also get the same line appearance if there is a contrast facing on the back of the valance.  The light will penetrate through the fibers and more often than not, if you have a sharp contra

Who says upholstery webbing isn't fit for the Christmas Dishes ??? So, yall know I like to use unconventional (and might I add - inexpensive) materials in elegant home decor, right?  Well, this year is no exception when it came to my Christmas Dinner Tablescape. Last Friday, while relaxing OutOnThaPorch with Mama-n-em - y'all know Mama-n-em, right? Mama-n-em aka Mother & Daddy, aka Claudine and Bill Ward, aka Cousin Eddie Anyway, we were talking about how cute it would have been to have had my old Christmas dishes for my previous OutOnThaPorch shoot.  And, how I would love to have them for us to eat on for Christmas dinner.  I hadn't seen them in 20 years.  I figured they were long gone, discarded in one of the many moves we've made over the years. Well that's all it took for my two "Cousin Eddie(s)".  The next thing I knew they were calling me on their way back to Nashville from Bham with, what I like to refer to as a "tru

Wow!  I can't believe it.  OutOnThaPorch has a new home !!!!  And I'm talking all about it on the Pate Meadows Facebook video !  After months and months of demo ........... I know, I know.  The existing screened porch was tolerable because of the fabulous view.  I mean. Who in their right mind could complain about this? But as y’all know, when we made the move here to beautiful, historic Franklin, Tennessee, I wasn’t too happy to leave my beautiful screened porch with outdoor fireplace in Birmingham.   So when we found the carpenter bee destruction in the existing deck - and the leaking roof ....... It was a no brainer to just demolish and rebuild - especially when I moved Pate Meadows here a couple of years ago.  I needed a lot more storage space for the hardware and photography area - it just made sense to dig out underneath and make an additional space for that while we were at it. So fast forward several months and - here we are - both swi