How to Hang PVC Window Treatments

Lately, I have received quite a few emails in regards to my PVC window treatments I did back in 2012.  The original post can be found here.  The main question I got was, "How did you hang them?" since this was something I never covered in the original post.

I LOVE my PVC windows.  They are so wonderful, and they have held up so great.  I highly recommend them for a window treatment alternative.  It brings in just enough light during the day and just enough privacy in the evening with the added bonus of pattern.  I love pattern.  :)

So this tutorial is stupid easy.  SO easy.  You will smack yourself for not thinking of this yourself once I show you.

In the beginning, I used heavy duty velcro and placed in spots that were not visible from the inside of the house as well as the outside of the house.  That worked fine and dandy until after a few months of west facing sun constantly shining on them made the sticky stuff melt.

That's when I switched over to the plastic mirror clips.  Ew.  Did I just hear your trendy self say 'ew'?  Well, it actually looks really good, in my opinion.  It blends *almost* seamlessly with everything else going on.  I guess I could have used white screws to make them even less noticeable, but I was too lazy to do that.

So you take a packet of these cheap mirror clips that most people have a tendency to want to cover up in their bathrooms, and drill those into doors.  I drilled mine into the moulding surrounding the windows.  I placed one clip on top and bottom and then one of either side.  Because the PVC is flexible, I can pop them out (carefully) and clean them when I want.  See how awesome these PVC treatments are?

On a different note, I AM taking suggestions for a light replacement in this kitchen, so speak up! :)

I guess that really wasn't much of tutorial was it, but is it really necessary to show you a photo of me pretending to drill these into the moulding?  Ha!  I didn't think so either.  Promise me you won't smack yourself too hard. ;)

[Photo from my Instagram account]

On a second note, some of you may have noticed that the library cabinet that was once in my living room is now in between my kitchen and eating area.  I moved it there so I could hang a design wall for my quilting.  The design wall is temporary but the cabinet's new location isn't. (We are thinking of adding a desk here.) It's all about making a home that fits YOU and your needs, which is something I didn't learn until much, much later.

xx nancy
Connect with me elsewhere : Instagram (this is my jam.  this is me microblogging my crafty stuff) Facebook,  Pinterest 

One year ago: Stockholm in the house
Two years ago: I went black
Three years ago:  DIY Polka Dot Schoolhouse Light
Four years ago: IHOP pancake recipe (they are actually better.  shh.)


My quilting book released Sept. 24, 2015 and is on Amazon.  Check it out!

This post contains affiliate links.  I have to linked to products I personally use.  I receive a small commission, if you choose to purchase anything.  Thank you for supporting owen's olivia.  

My Buffet's Life Story

If my buffet area could talk, it would tell you that has lived through many different phases and styles.  It has also experienced claustrophobia and loneliness on many occasions.   If you are on Facebook, I shared with you this photo awhile back stating I was warming up the little spot.

And then there was the whole debate about my ampersand, and we went back and forth about it.  BUT I replaced the ampersand (still have it though) with a Kokka ladybug.  Kokka as in fabric manufacturer not as in type of species.  :)

So let's see how this space has evolved over the years.   You like before and afters, right?!

This is the photo I took when we were looking at our house to buy.  It had just been flipped, so everything looks really nice.  Pretty, huh?

This is what it looked like the first year we lived there.  (Furniture is placed so because I was using them as markers for a possible kitchen expansion. What?  You don't do that too?)

This photo was taken right after Owen was born 3 years ago.  (We've been in the house for five.)  I HAD to whiteout the person in the photo because that person would have KILLED me for sharing this, but it was the only photo I could find with this buffet.

Can you see that large square picture frame and tiny two door buffet behind that white mess?
Wrong scale of art?  Check.
Really small furniture?  Check.

So I switched those out with wider art from World Market and placed a longer dresser below it.  Recognize that dresser?

I eventually switched out the white dresser with this dark one I found at a flea market (<-- I still like that post).  I put my pear light on top.

And then I painted the walls gray.

Overtime, I decided all of that was looking a little too dark.  I moved the artwork into my craft room and moved the pear into hall bath.  I created some new artwork, and this is where I am at now.  (I finally replaced my card table with a tripod leg kitchen table.  You can read more about that here.)

The basket holds my vegetables and fruits.  I would like to quilt a runner for the buffet.

ART (left to right)

Skinny laMinx
Sharpie Art, made by me
Sugarloop
Picnic table paper from Target that I moved from my kitchen to this area
Kokka ladybug from Stamped

So far I am enjoying it.  I do like change, so it won't be a surprise to me if I mix it up again in the future.

Isn't interesting to see how tastes change and your style evolves over time?  This post was a little bit of an eye opener for me.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  I will be spending my weekend at High Point Market.  I've got my friend, Sarah, tagging along with me this time, so I'm super excited to have someone join me!

an update for Wednesday || Home + Sewing Post

To say I have been busy these last few weeks would be an understatement!  Three quilts in the works, along with taking care of a home and family, has taken my time.  On Sunday, I shared on my Facebook page the plain lamp shade I dressed up with a little fabric and paper.  I'll try to post soon how I did it.

There were some lighting issues like the casting of green light onto my ceiling and walls, and there was this orange-y tone on the shade.   Kind of like a really bad fake bake on a white girl.  Two things I was not planning on at all when I thought I was making the coolest shade ever.  I have not had the time buy a new bulb to see if that would help, so it's hanging in the kitchen until then.  (Thank you Facebook) If that doesn't work, I'll most likely move the shade to my living room since that area is next on my list to redo.

Yesterday it was cloudy and rainy, which made for not-so-great lighting in my kitchen, so sorry about that.  I like that little bit of peek-a-boo green.

Last week I shared a custom quilt in the works.  The owner requested a plus (or is it cross?) quilt.  She wanted yellow, blue, green, grey, and orange.   I got the top done, and now I need to make the back, baste, quilt, and bind before it's sent to its owner.

And awhile back I shared a snippet of a quilt in progress.  I finished it earlier this week.  I'm waiting for more appropriate sunny weather before giving this its well deserved photo shoot and listing it in my shop.  I really love this quilt, but then again, I love all the quilts I have made.  ;)  The orange and white stripe Hello Pilgrim fabric on the backside really gives it a nice touch.  It complements the Kona Charcoal well.

Thanks for stopping in today.

I'm sharing with Freshly Pieced

The going ons in Nancyville

I'm sure my name will never be included in a town, but, if there were a Nancyville, I'd like to live there.  Well, only under the conditions hot chocolate came out of faucets and Norman Reedus was my gardener.

But back to reality.  sigh.

Around the home:

I finally found out, and by accident too, what these yellow ball things were.  Billy balls.  Though my immature side chuckles inside every time I say Billy balls, I think they are the loveliest dead things ever.  Unless Norman dies.  He would be lovely dead too.  

Well, I scooped myself up a few from Teresa's Plants & More on Etsy.  She even has a cool hanging glass globe like mine, which I shared with you here.  (And yes, I killed that freaking air plant.  seriously???)

I bought my very first orchid.  I feel very sorry this plant had to come home with me because I do not foresee a long future with it.  It's so pretty though, and I will thoroughly enjoy every moment it's in our home.

And the very last mention of flowers is the roses my husband gave me for Valentine's.  A week later and they are still going strong.

My kitchen is coming to a close.  Finally.  I have concluded I'm the world's slowest person to decorate her home, or maybe I'm normal?  Who knows, but I do know I so much closer to being done than I was a month ago.  There have not been too many changes, but it's still fun to have a before + after reveal post.  Don't you think?

An update with this photo:  I couldn't do it.  The art came down.  I'm sorry Owen.  I'm a bad mom. (Blogged here.)

I hung my "I'm Awesome" print, which I blogged about last week here.

My sewing room:

My scrap quilt is quilted and now needs to be bound and photographed before officially showing you all.  I'm in love guys.  So my affection goes in this order:  Jesus Christ, Matt, Owen, scrap quilt, and Norman.  I feel I learned a bit from this quilt, and now, I completely understand why people love quilts. I drag this thing around like it's my lovey.  I have snuggled with this quilt every night the last few days.

A custom quilt in the works for a customer:  Blue, yellow, green, gray, with a touch of orange

Another quilt top in the works using this line that I purchased from StashModernFabric on Etsy.  No pictures until I have the top finished in March.  Sorry!

And just life in general:

This photo is blurry, but it makes me happy.  This captures pure joy.


Have a good day y'all.



I'm sharing this with Freshly Pieced, Live a Colorful Life, 

Captain? What captain? || Before + After

A long time ago, I bought my kitchen table and chairs off Craigslist.  Two of the chairs were captains, which were fine at the time, but I soon realized these captains could not be pushed under the table.  So I grew to loathe them.   Using a Dremel, I cut off the arms and spindles.  After that, I basically followed this tutorial for priming and painting, and painted my two captain chairs yellow.  That was months and months ago.

My original plan was to add foam and fabric for my seats, but I got lazy.  So the chairs sat unfinished for all those months until this past weekend when I decided a coat of paint will do.  (I shared a sneak peek of the project on Facebook.  Feel free to follow along if you like seeing behind the scenes pictures.

And after . . .

I use one of the chairs in my sewing room, which also has the table I bought with the chairs .  The other one actually sits out in my carport.  :)  And to see what my current dining situation is, you can view that here.  (I painted the other four chairs in white.)

So what do you think?  Isn't it amazing what a little bit of paint can do?

My Mini Command Center

Awhile back, I blogged about working on a mini command center for my kitchen and shared with you a picture that was my inspiration.  I was really inspired by all the organization pins on Pinterest, and I figured it was time to tackle our little corner of a mess.  I also mentioned in this post my opinions of magnets, so this was a great way for me to reduce those as well.


I'm sure many of you can relate to placing lots of papers on the fridge.  I chose the fridge area for my command center because that is where Matt and I go to on a daily basis, so it is easy to check there often.   Now, I can store all my papers in one place instead of covering up the fridge.


I purchased Martha Stewart's Pockets in white at Staples and a dry erase board from Target.  I used Command Strips to hold everything up.

Let's take a look at the hot mess that I got to look at.  (Oh, and I decided it was time to clean that mess above the fridge too. :)

pom poms in the kitchen

It is no mystery that I love pom poms.  They are so much fun to use and decorate with, whether it's for a party or just year round.  I love 'em, which is why I had to make another strand but for the kitchen instead.  I think this is all the color I need in my kitchen with my island.   This is one of those posts that photos don't really do it any justice.  It's really great in person.

I believe I have a hard time incorporating color into my home because I really love the simplistic look.  When I pin interiors, I tend to lean towards white everything.  BUT I am an artist too, so I find myself wanting some pops of color here and there.  Finding balance in my home that I am comfortable with is a difficult task!

I have plans to remove my Pier 1 painting and replace it with something graphic and possibly sophisticated to help balance out the poms.   Most likely, that painting will live on my bedroom wall since we have no art in there at the moment.  I moved my pear light (still loving it) to my hall bath, which gives off the warmest glow.  Just love it!  When it is on and I walk down the hall, I can't help but glance at it.  I also have been toying with idea to continue the chalkboard paint on that wall.  If you don't have a chalkboard wall in your home, it is so much fun!

I feel the pom poms brightened up my kitchen a little.  What do you think?

*To read more about my window treatments, click here.




PS- I had enough balls left over for an extra garland, so it's my shop.  I only have one available. Today is the last day to enter my giveaway.

kitchen island update + a few others

I thought it was time to give a little update on some past projects.  Long ago (er, March), I mentioned turning a dresser into a kitchen island.  I have it completed except for the back of the dresser.  I needed some time to think about my options, and I didn't want to rush into anything, which is a big first in my life.  Ha!  I thought about some realistic options along with a few crazier ideas like using foil or washi tape.  I even applied a few strips of washi tape to see what it would like.  I thought this was a bit too much, but I think the idea of applying washi tape to furniture could be really pretty if done correctly.

This was just a test.  Totally not doing this.

Lately, I have been drawn to wood paneling placed horizontally on kitchen islands.  Here are a few examples that I love.

Amy Butler's kitchen via

Custom Window Treatments Using PVC

Update: Some have asked how I hanged these.  Please see this post published on June 15, 2015.

I LOVE my custom PVC window covers!!!  A huge thank you to Tracy at soulstyle for coming up with this idea.  I thought about DIYing these, but Matt and I do not have the tools to do so.  And I figured that would be a lot of cutting and sanding!  If you have the tools and a simple design, I don't see why you couldn't achieve a similar look yourself.  I enjoyed working with Marc from Acurio Latticeworks who was really helpful and patient.  I contacted him a year ago, but I finally got around to ordering my panels just a few months ago.   They cost me a total of $130, which to some people may be cheap or expensive.  For me, it's a bit on the pricey side for window treatments, but I was willing to spend the money because I didn't like the other options I had thought about. 

1. Blinds-  When I think of blinds, all I can picture in my head is a little boy slamming the doors and the blinds swing and sway and crash into the door.  It's already a headache to hear the door slam, so I don't want to add any more noise to that.  Blinds can break too.  My nieces and nephews have proved that to be true.  
2. Blinds inserted into the glass so all you have is a slider to open and close them.  I vetoed this right away with no good explanation.  I just didn't like that option.
3. Curtains.   Me: "Hey son.  You want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?  Oh, and while you are at it, go ahead and wipe your nasty, sticky hands on my nice curtains.  You already do that with the table runner."
4. Vinyl-  Are you familiar with those vinyl privacy stickers you buy at Home Depot or Lowe's?  They kind of look like etched glass.  I haven't found a design yet that I am particularly fond of. 
5. Bed sheet.  Been there.  Done that.
6. Nothing at all.  Um, these windows face West, and science and common sense tell me the sun sets in the West.

So it was worth it to me to fork out the money for custom window treatments, and PVC ones seem to be the most practical.  They are light in weight and won't fade in the sun either, which happened with my bed sheet.  Bonus?  I will take these panels with me when we move, so it won't be a complete waste of money.  I would like to use them as a headboard!

This is what I can see when I am sitting on my couch.  Nice art, don't ya think?

This next photo shows you what I can actually see when I am standing at my sink or near the fridge.  Basically, when I am across the room.  I can watch Owen run across the yard, so I get some privacy from the design but also some visibility, which is nice.  What looks like frost is actually a reflection of the PVC on the glass.

Here's the view on the deck.

I'm including this shot only because I have to include my chicken.  Baby is a Brown Sussex, if anyone is wondering.

And at NIGHT time . . .

Some of you may be wondering if there are any downsides to PVC window treatments.  I have not come across anything yet, but I will definitely keep you informed.  They stay in place just fine, even when Owen slams the door.  Maybe I'll make a video showing you the install.  It's fairly simple.

BEFORE . . .

And AFTER . . .

Looking good, don't ya think?


Projects left to do for the kitchen

• Finish the back side of the island
• Center the light above the island and fix the ceiling
• Replace the design above the chalk wall with something else
• Art
• Rugs?

xx nancy


My quilting book released Sept. 24, 2015 and is on Amazon.  Check it out!