Small Business Saturday

Have you noticed how many small businesses in our area have closed?  The economic downturn has taken a toll on everyone.  A couple of years ago American Express began promoting Small Business Saturday.  The idea - shop at a small business on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

I hope you will join me in making a purchase at small business in our area or if you want to spend the day at home - an on-line small business.

This doesn't have to just be holiday shopping. Remember there are countless small businesses that don't sell sweaters and electronics.  Here are some ideas for local shopping on Saturday, November 26:

• Skip the nationally advertised chain restaurant and try a locally owned coffee shop or restaurant.
• Get the oil changed in your car at a local garage.
• Purchase something handmade on Etsy.com
• Bypass the "million dollar corner lot" national pharmacy and drive down the street to your locally owned pharmacy to pick up a few things for your medicine cabinet.  Tranfer a prescription to your local pharmacy.  You'll be relieved to speak to the same pharmacist every time when you have questions.
• Go appliance or furniture shopping for yourself at a small local store.  I always try to buy things that might need to be repaired someday at a locally owned store. The service is so much better and the deal is just as good.
• Place an order with a home-sales specialist - Stampin' Up!, Pampered Chef or whatever you favor.
• Stop by your salon and have a manicure or pick up some styling products for yourself or as stocking stuffers.
• Grab a couple of paperbacks at a used book store.
• Visit your local florist and purchase a plant or flower for someone a bit under the weather.
• Drop off or pick up your dry cleaning.
• Attend a drop-in Yoga or other exercise class at a locally owned studio - a great way to work off part of Thanksgiving dinner :-) 
• Don't forget E-bay.  You may get a deal and you'll support dealers who make their living doing this or people like you and me who just want to make a few dollars for their own holiday shopping.
• I'd be happy to talk with you about changes to your home decor.  Give me a call or e-mail.

Shopping local has tons of advantages.  One I notice that applies to this busy holiday weekend is location.  Most of the small local businesses are no where near the big retailers so traffic should be lighter and that makes for a much better holiday weekend.

Happy shopping and thanks for supporting my fellow small businesses.

Warming up with Roman Shades

Privacy, light control, warmth, energy efficiency and beauty.

All of these are possible with Roman shades.

For her sunroom, my customer wanted to create a warmer look as well as a warmer room.  She also wanted privacy.  Of course, she didn't want to lose the wonderful feeling of being surrounded by nature.  We accomplished all this by constructing and installing interlined Roman Shades on the windows.

An individual shade lowered.

Because of the size of the windows, each window has its own shade.  The double window and the back all are treated with valances over a grouping of shades to tie everything together.

Our Roman shades operate on a clutch system that makes the easy to raise and lower.  With the the pulley system, the shade stops moving as soon as the customer stops pulling on the cord.  This way, it is very easy to get each shade to the same level and keep a consistent look throughout the room.

Roman shades are a practical window covering that often does everything a window needs in one treatment!  

Santa in September

It seems like the holidays when the UPS man starts bringing unexpected packages.  It's a special treat to get a large box of fabric samples.  It will soon be the holidays.   Are you ready for company or entertaining?

Here are just a few of the selections from my latest books:

All of these come in multiple color choices.  There were also some pretty stripes, checks and solids to coordinate.  

Thanks for stopping by!

New Drapery Hardware

I have a new line of resin (wood) drapery hardware with some gorgeous finishes.  This is a US made product.  I'm still offering the Finestra line which is also a US product - actually it is made in the Carolinas!  So there are many pretty choices for draperies whether to draw or to hang as panels.

Valances can also hang from decorative rods and holdbacks.  Here is a pretty valance I made and hung on a Finestra custom finished rod in a bay window:

Thanks for stopping by!

New Robert Allen Fabrics

Hello!  I have tons of new wonderful Robert Allen Home fabrics.  The samples are very large so you can really see how the fabric will look in your room.  Here are some of the more traditional prints:

All of the fabrics come in multiple colorways.  This print below is also available in a pretty blue and yellow.

Ooh!  My favorite sea blues and greens...

The chenille comes in 8 different colors.  This one might just find its way to my living room.  I really love it!


Lots of pretty choices.  I also have a new line of wood and wrought iron rods coming along soon.

Welcome!

Welcome to my window treatment workroom blog!

Here you will find posts about projects I'm working on or have completed as well as:

• New products
• Trends
• Home Shows
• Ideas for your home
• Solutions for challenging windows

Be sure to check out the other tabs along the top of the screen for my Portfolio, Services, and how to contact me.  I would love to help you enhance the comfort and appearance of your home with custom window coverings, pillows or bedding.

Want to refresh a room in your home?  Changing the look of something as small as a bathroom can make a huge difference.  Here is my bathroom before the last update:

All that pink!  I de-pinked it and gave it a fresh look with blue paint and a bright fabric for the shower curtain and relaxed Roman Shade.

Do you have a room that needs a little lift?

Thanks for visiting.  Be sure to add yourself as a Follower if you have a Google account and to subscribe so you'll know about future posts.  Typically I'll post 2 or three times per month so stop back by to see what is new.

Hope you have a wonderful day!