The T.B.D.B.T. List Shrinks

T.B.D.B.T.

To. Be. Done. By. Thanksgiving.

The T.B.D.B.T. is a list I make every year, to try and ensure that by the time guests
are arriving mid-afternoon on Thanksgiving Day, we are (somewhat) prepared.

The T.B.D.B.T. always includes the painfully obvious:

Fresh linens, alarm clocks, and water for guest rooms.

Polish silver.

Borrow folding chairs from church.

It includes the wildly improbable:

Make and hang new draperies in the dining room.

Reupholster old camelback loveseat.

Facilitate peace in the Middle East.

And it includes some things that fall into that Great Gray Area of it-could-happen:

 Touch up chipped woodwork paint.

Put privacy liners in Pink Guest Room shades.

Finally finish the kitchen makeover begun November 2009.

As it draws nearer to November 25th, the T.B.D.B.T. gets smaller

as I become more realistic and focus on the essentials.

For instance, I've crossed out "Facilitate peace in the Middle East."  I know my limits.  Mostly.

But that kitchen makeover?  It will be done.

(Pictures tomorrow of it finished.  Really!)

And . . . providing the stars line up and the Force is with me, I will -- sort of -- have new draperies in the Dining room in a week.  I am not exactly going to make them, if by make we mean sew.

******************************************************************

Back in September, I blogged about my T.B.D.B.T. List, and subjected you to several

thousand pictures of fabric swatches for new dining room draperies.

Because I never much liked these draperies, made back in 2008:

Among the brilliant fabric candidates, I chose swatch #5.

 But I didn't order it.

Sometimes (sometimes?) it takes me a long time to decide to spend money.

Even to spend only $8.95 a yard for first quality drapery fabric.

Then Fabric Guru, my favorite online fabric source, ran a 20-percent off sale.

I took the plunge.  How could I not?  I ordered just in time; there was barely enough yardage left!

A bolt of Mill Creek Ladbrook Tapestry fabric in Poppy arrived yesterday.

But to replace these,

 with this:

 to cut and trim and seam and sew in the lining,

and handsew onto the drapery rings, takes time and,

in case you haven't noticed, it's only one week till The Big Day.

 I'm going to have to take this fabric:

 and find a way to make it look as if it has been sewn into new draperies,

when it has not.

Stay tuned friends.  This could get ugly.

But I hope it will get pretty.  -- Cass

 Links today . . . .

Fabric Fun Thursday, a blog party right up my alley.  I adore fabrics; I stalk them.
Join Kim at Cheap Chic Home for this.  Click here!

Leigh at Tales From Bloggeritaville is a longtime blog party hostess --
check out her Thrifty Thursday party.  Click here! 

At The Shabby Chic Cottage, Gina hosts Transformation Thursday.  I thought I'd have kitchen transformation pictures to share (surprise! surprise!) but I'm waiting till tomorrow.  Meanwhile, it's the dining room in today's starring role.
Click here for more!