Extreme Makeover – Paula style

Who needs Ty Pennington for a home makeover when you can have Paula Barnes?  Wait a minute, let me rethink that – Paula does bring a certain style and flair to a home, but Ty is all about the looks.  What do my daughters say, oh yeah, eye-candy!!!!  I pulled out all of my Fall decorations and decorating accessories and piled them on the dining room table and in 2 hours Paula created “magic”.  Peter and I moved a cabinet the night before, I hung up quilts on a antique quilt frame and stored others in a great faux-antique cabinet, but the rest was done by Paula.  I have to admit, I basically  just watched.  I was later asked if I could duplicate it next year – my response – No Way!!!!  Well, maybe with pictures, but I wouldn’t count on it.

Here’s a couple of before and after shots:

Kitchen Wall pre-decorating

Kitchen wall post-decorating

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cabinet holds my grandmother’s tea set from Scotland.

Family room (cabinet we moved to kitchen)

Antique quilt frame with just a few of BBQ samples!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I loved the black cabinet in this room, but desperately needed  room to display some Bonnie Blue samples.

Hutch in my dining room

I love how Paula decorated the top of  the hutch.

Quilt cabinet in entry way

This is probably my favorite!  I bought the faux-antique cabinet in Paducah and I love how the quilts look in there.  The quilt on the wall is a Block of the Month that Paula taught about 10 years ago.  Can you see the mistake I made in one of the blocks?  Drives me crazy whenever I look at it?  Of course I didn’t notice it until it was pieced, quilted and hung on the wall!!!!

I’m writing tonight from Fort Stockton, TX.  Yup, Bonnie Blue Quilts is back on the road again, but this is the last road trip of the year.  We’re head to Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara, CA (October 14-18), but this time my companion and co-pilot is Peter, my husband.  Paula has a family wedding to attend, so Peter volunteered to make this trip – don’t you just love retirement!  He usually provides muscle power for loading and unloading the van at the warehouse, but this time he gets to use his people skills and work the checkout counter.  Be sure to stop by and say hello if you come to the show.  This is an adventure for both of us – he’s never driven through this part of the country, so he’s eager to see the scenery and its my first time to attend PIQF.

Tomorrow we head to Tucson with stops along the way to test out his new digital camera.  Today was a mini photo shoot at the James Avery store in Kerrville.  We took some pictures of quilts at this great gazebo they have.  Hopefully one of them is chosen for the cover of our Market brochure.  I’m looking forward to getting to California and introducing Peter to Pinkberry and In-N-Out Burgers.  Isn’t it always about the food?

Until next time, happy quilting.

Mary Ellen