Beat the Heat

Before I moved to my little urban oasis, I lived in the hottest apartment known to man.  I was on the third floor with vaulted ceilings and a HUGE patio with glass door facing the sun.  No matter what I tried, I could never get my apartment cooler than 85 during the summer months.  In San Antonio, the summer months are April thru October so yeh, that was a lot of hot to deal with.  Poor Rufus would just lie around all day panting and drinking water while I was at work.  The huge glass door had blinds and also curtains but it may as well have had nothing covering it for all the protection those two items provided.  When I moved into my new place a year ago I was determined to not have the same issue.  Since I was still living in SA, I knew it would be hot and I had to come up with a solution.  I made my own blackout drapes, and it only took me a couple of hours.  They work like a champ, it was 108 degrees outside yesterday and I was crisp and cool all day.
I bought a set of drapery panels from Target, I just think they have such a great selection and the price cannot be beat.  I have been using their drapes for years and mine hold up as well my mom's Pottery Barn panels. Then I headed over to Lowe's to pick up two canvas drop cloths.  Back at home, I laid out the first drapery panel and measure the drop cloth to fit the lining.  I used that cut piece as my guide and cut the other drop cloth to the same dimensions.  Next, I ironed a 1/4" hem around each of the drop cloths and pinned them to the inside of the drapes.  Here is where it gets a little tricky, I pulled out my trusty sewing machine and sewed those drop cloths to the drapes.  It stays nice and cool inside all day and is also quiet as a church in my apartment (when my dog isn't snoring).  Oh, did I fail to mention this little benefit?  YES!!! In addition to insulating your abode from the ridiculous heat, these curtains also block out the unwanted noise. Below are my 'after' shots, I failed to get any during the process but this one is pretty straight forward.

ps -
My friend Brooke recently moved into a gorgeous brand new home.  She and her husband Shawn did a fantastic job furnishing and decorating their new digs.  Any man would be jealous of his media room/man cave; I mean he even has the second floor all to himself!! One complaint Brooke and Shawn have of their new crib is the noise level since they back up to a fairly busy street. Living in a very busy and urban area myself I can certainly relate.  I was so excited to share with them the solution to this annoying problem and I think they are going to give it a try.  If they do, we will post pics!!