CF Husband is our Father's Day Daddy

Hi Girlfriends, We are pleased to share with you our favorite pick for "Daddy" this Father's Day. This daddy writes a blog, "Confessions of a CF Husband" is our dream of a husband and father. As his wife, Tricia is equally an important Mommie, it is her husband, Nate, who earns all our kudos for this coming Father's Day.

Story line:

Nate married Tricia knowing of her Cystic Fibrosis condition. Outside of wanting to be married, Tricia also wanted a baby all of her life. She got both. Just before she was to enter Duke Hospital in NC, for lungs replacement, she learns she is pregnant. Along with the support of Duke and her husband and family, Tricia has Baby Gwyneth Rose. Both Mommie and infant are in ICU for quite a while, but eventually baby comes home and Mommie receives her new lungs. Recovery is slow and tedious, but the joy of Gwyneth is every reason for Tricia to survive. And, Nate to be there...full time.

Today, life is becoming "normal" for all three.

Gwen and I are grateful for the quality time Nate has accomplished in his loving care for his family. I took the following photos from his blog and I can't tell you how pleased to share these moving photos.

Happy Father's Day to Nate:

Robert Allen's Parisian Trim Collection

Hi Girlfriends,

Today it is all about the new eclectic trimming in the Parisian Trim Collection by Robert Allen. This collection is intermix with vintage designs, traditional motifs and luscious texture. Inspired by "the City of Lights", it has eleven versatile colorways being offered.

Gwen: These colorways range from neutrals to classic multi-colored combinations.

Denise: Robert Allen says, " Artful and inventive."

Gwen: I welcome this new collection and know it will be successful with every designer using them as their favorite trim resources.

Take a plain lamp from Home Goods, add Robert Allen Cascading Beads around the shade, buy a new finial and hang Robert Allen chair tassels and it's a designer look-!

Denise: Trims have many names. I have included, as a guide, the names under each Robert Allen trim:


Gwen: Aren't these Robert Allen Cascading Beads stunning?






Denise: These gorgeous Lattice Tassels are a must for my next project-!





We hope everyone has been inspired to think trim. All these trims can be purchased through us at our website too.

A+ blogg this week: Moggit Blogg. These two gals will make you smile the rest of the day as they "snark" about other designers works found in publishing materials. Really hysterical.

Talk again,
Denise & Gwen

Good Bye Plunkett Home Furnishings--Chicago area

Hi Girlfriends, Sadly, After 75 years of a family owned business, Plunkett Home Furnishings filed Bankruptcy Monday, June 1, 2009. The economy is a factor in every business today, but, this company knew how to survive since going through 1929. No, not the economy, but Irish Pride and Family Feud.

Denise: I talked to several reps (Marge Carson, Hooker and Eastern Accents) whose line of furniture or accessories sold to Plunkett's and they are "very sad."

Gwen: I am out of a job -! When CEO Hugh Plunkett handed out our letters last Thursday he singled out some of us in a personal manner. "Gwen, I will not miss you for you never learned to even wrap a lamp-!"

Denise: Mean.

Gwen: Yes, but his wife, Joan, was very nice to me. She gave me a martini glass with red dice in it. (Gwen's son is a partner in Lettuce Entertainment and oversees the restaurants in Las Vegas)

Denise: Do we dare tell what the CEO said personally to one female designer?

Gwen: You tell.

Denise: Nayyyy, it is too mean to repeat.



We hope John and his sister, Jamie Plunkett, both land on their feet and can begin to enjoy their families now that the stress is nearly over.

Talk again,
Denise and Gwen

Bay Window Treatments

Hi Girlfriends, During the Renaissance a window style developed throughout Europe call the bay, or projecting window.

Gwen: Bay refers to a common area in a medieval house that was used for cooking, living, and sleeping.

Denise: Yes, and when large Manor homes were built, bay windows were the size of small rooms, projecting straight out from a hallway, library or gallery, with glass on three sides of the projection.

Bay windows are more costly than windows that are set flush with the wall. They are far less energy-efficient. Heat lost is great in the winter and in the summer the direct sunlight magnifies glare and solar heat gain.

Treating a bay can be a challenge. Some of the possibilities for installing pairs of draperies and one-way draws at bay window are just a few of the demanding task for any designer.....and homeowner.

As one is limited to design, looking over the following gives anyone an idea how making a bay window a focal point can be achieved.






Denise and Gwen: If you do decide on window treatments for your bay window, please visit our website, discountdesignerfabricsonline.com

Talk again,
Denise & Gwen

Online Bedding Linens Sites

Hi Girlfriends,

We love bedding changing. We love to see our clients change out the look from Winter to Summer. So refreshing. So satisfying.

Denise: All the bedding we found on the Internet on Designer Linen Outlet and Linen Source websites.

Gwen: If anyone wishes custom-made, please remember our website as the place to go for fabrics.



















Talk again,
Denise & Gwen
discountdesignerfabrisonline.com

Kravet Fabrics for First Lady's Congressional Luncheon-!

Hi Girlfriends, On April 30th, the Congressional Club held their annual luncheon in a non-partisan setting for all spouses of members of both House, Washington, D.C. This is to honor the First Lady of the United States.

DENISE: Did everyone know this toile table cloth fabric was designed and created by Kravet fabrics?

GWEN: Yes and Kravet has been generously doing this since 2001.

DENISE: If anyone is interested in purchasing this fabric, please visit our website, discountdesignerfabricsonline.com and let us know from our "get a quote" window.






A very special thank you to Kravet Inc for your continuous support and generously donating yards and yards and yards of beautiful toile. And, wish we could take orders on your tote today-!

Girlfriends, HAVE A NICE WEEKEND.
Denise and Gwen

All photos from Kravet's Inspired.

Pekinite Commands the Atlantis-!!

"PEKIN, Ill. -
The space shuttle Atlantis is flying about 350 miles above earth in an area speckled with space debris and junk. So it is no wonder that shuttle Commander Scott Altman’s parents, Sharon and Fred, were happy to get word from their son.
“We were relieved today to hear that damage in the tiles on the shuttle was only superficial,” Sharon Altman said. “Actually every launch/landing reveals some damaged tiles on every mission. No one ever worried about this damage much until the disaster with the Columbia. That was a factor with that situation — everyone was too complacent.”
“We received an e-mail from Scott tonight after they had rendezvoused with the Hubble and captured it with the arm,” Fred Altman said, noting that “Scott was the person who guided the Atlantis shuttle into position. He seems to be in good spirits.”
The Altmans said that while the weather in Florida has been pretty warm, with rain the past two days, it was fortunate that the launch was rescheduled for Monday rather than Tuesday as originally planned.
“That made travel plans more hectic for many people, but the weather was certainly great for the launch,” Sharon said."

Gwen: This is really cool Denise.

Denise: You bet. A home grown Pekinite like myself.

Gwen: Anyone else famous out of Pekin?

Denise: The Hon. Senator Everette McKinley Dirksen for starters. Then we had newly appointed Secretary of the State, John McNaughton. Sadly McNaughton, his wife and one son were killed in a commercial airlines in '67. They were returning to Washington after getting their son from camp.

Talk again,
Denise & Gwen

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of our girlfriends.


















I, Denise, gave this beautiful statue to my mother on Mother's Day about 20 years ago, Madonna and Child by Herend.

Love on this special day to all mothers,
Denise & Gwen

Home Theater Interiors

Hi Girlfriends,
We have been working on a project that calls for drapery treatments in the owners Home Theater. The most fun has been buying up old movie posters from the 50's. Both Gwen and I grew up going to every Saturday Matinee as kids in the 50's. 25 cents you could get in and still have enough for a box of popcorn.

Denise: Here is what the inside of my home town's movie theater looked liked before being razed in 1986:

Gwen: Movie theaters have come a long way since this was built in 1928-! Look at what is going on in homes today:




Photos from ads: Barretts, Avtel Inc., The Dana Group, Pekin Daily Times

Talk again,
Denise & Gwen