i'm just not that into you...

So, all good things, scratch that... all awkward and unfitting things must come to an end. Sometimes, two things just aren't meant to be together. I had to do the whole, "It's not you, it's ME...." speech to one of my DIY projects a few weekends ago. Sometimes, like a relationship, you have so much time and effort invested, you stay in for the wrong reasons. I was in a rocky relationship with my DIY drapes that I posted about a few months ago. I would like to say that "the flame died down..." but if I am honest with myself... the flame was never really there to begin with. I had SO much time and money invested in this MAJOR project, that I had blinders on to the fact that they looked skank in my space.

"What did I not like about them?" you ask? Lack of color and contrast in my space. The colors were just too bland for my space- I loved the yellow, silk fabric that I used... it just didn't work in this room. It was too "matchy" to my pottery barn rug. I didn't know what I wanted to do about this major, and quite embarrassing, fiasco... until I saw this steal on overstock.com (my favorite place!) I then knew exactly what I should do: Take down the skank drapes... replace them with professional, rich and statement-making drapes- and then blog embarrassingly about it. SO- here I am... blogging and blushing simultaneously.

My littlest sister Cheerio, no this is not her real name, yes, I love Glee, and yes, she is a high school cheerleader- anyway, she came over one weekend with Colonel Dad (he was working on the kitchen, still!) and Cheerio helped me get rid of the drapes! She acted as my design assistant/consultant and I couldn't have gotten those suckers down without her help! Miss Cheerio has a major "go-getter" attitude, she gets it honest from my mother... so when I told her that morning that I hated my curtains, and that I was expecting a package that very day from Overstock, she said, "Let's take them down NOW! I'll help you!" This statement was like music to my ears. Within 5 minutes of planning and package tracking... we were ripping countless screws out of my wall... and those skank curtains were being folded and put away lovingly by Miss Cheerio herself.

We then ran over to Lowes.. and after a LOT of discussion about all of the endless rod possibilities, we went with a deep walnut rod that was thick and substantial enough to carry the weight of the new fancy-shmancy discount drapes! By the time we arrived back to my abode, there was a large, 47lb. box sitting on my front porch- I shreaked with delight!

Now... I know what you are thinking... and no, these are not rebound drapes. I weighed many different options and even consulted my mother to make sure I wasn't making a bad decision based off of a "DIY drape-fling" heartache. Mom assured me that these drapes. were. the. one! 

BACK TO BUSINESS: Cheerio and I ripped open the box, and there they were. Better than I had expected they could be! woohoo! Fireworks, weak knees, the whole thing, it was real. This was no rebound... these are the drapes that should have been living in my abode the whole time!

here is the image from overstock

We then began to search for the hooks that were supposed to come with the drapes... they were missing. So, Miss Cheerio and I made do with what we had around the abode. PAPERCLIPS! This honestly worked perfectly! So- if you really want to pinch your pennies... or if you just have a ton of paperclips lying around... this is a great replacement for drapery hooks.

and after lots of patched holes and repainting... here are the new drapes... a much bigger statement. Also, the material (silk stripes) is a much more upscale feel, and I believe fits some of the glamorous elements in the room much better than the DIY drapes that I made previously. By the time I was finally able to photograph my space- it was dark! I will post again sometime when the sun is out. 

So- what have I learned from this drapery fiasco? Well... that I shouldn't ever be afraid to second guess myself. I was never really thrilled with my DIY drapes- and since I have replaced them, I catch myself going into the living room just to admire my new fancy shmancy drapes. I really do love them- and the quality of these beauties is unbelievable. Overstock, you've done it again!