Curtain Quest for the Style-Impaired

Not so long ago, I saw that one of my "friends" on Facebook answered some questions about me on a quiz put together in game format. It showed up on my Facebook page like this: "One of your friends has answered some questions about you. Click HERE to see how they answered them." So I clicked on it. One of the questions asked if I were trustworthy and the "friend" answered yes. Another asked if they thought I would ever go skinnydipping. The "friend" selected no. Another asked if I liked brownies, and so forth went the questions and answers. Until the last question which was, "Do you think Jennifer has any style?" The "friend" answered to that one...NO!

I was completely embarrassed and shocked by that. I couldn't even see which "friend" had answered the question. It was anonymous, which was annoying.

The thing is, I already know I don't have style. I know it, oh boy, do I ever. I've never wanted to be "stylish" or trendsetting. My entire style goal is for no one to notice my lack of style. I guess I failed.

Apparently my lack of style is not limited to merely dressing myself, either.

We moved into a new home. It didn't have any window treatments (I didn't even know what a window "treatment" was until just recently. Why don't people say "drapes" anymore?) We needed privacy. I found curtains on sale. I liked them. I bought them. Steve hung them up. I thought they looked fine. My sister asked for pictures of the house and when she saw the curtains (hanging 8 inches from the floor) she FREAKED out. Did you know window panels (another new term I had to learn) must hang all the way to the floor? I did NOT know that. And I must be the only one because after that I paid special attention to other people's curtains and pictures in magazines and--sure enough--they all hang to the floor.

A friend suggested I find some solid fabric and sew it to the bottom of the white curtains I had purchased. So I did. To all four panels (four panels for two windows that are on either side of our fireplace). Then I made Steve hang them up, but two of the panels were shorter than the others, so I just told him to lower one of the rods a little...no one would notice, right? I mean, I wouldn't. (Well...I wouldn't because I am style-impaired.) Steve obeyed my orders, but he thought they looked a little fishy, and, boy, that just wasn't a good sign if Steve thought they looked amiss. So I took another picture and sent it to my sister and when she called me back, she said, "Do you want the truth or do you want me to tell you I like them?"

So then she had me pick out a fabric I liked online and we ordered a bunch and she quick sewed me up four very even panels and shipped them to me and this is the final product. Do you know? I'm smitten with them.

Steve, rehanging. What a patient guy!
The fabric up close:
It must be said...I think the pictures don't do these curtains justice. I was very frustrated that my camera couldn't quite capture the charm of them. But you get the idea:

They also match my favorite pictures hanging in my kitchen (French advertisements for a chocolate shop), and also you get to see Laura last-minute practicing before school for her flute lesson. :)

Now I just need to find some curtains for my dining room. I might wait until next year, when I have recovered from the whole family-room-curtain-debacle-of-2010.