Man, has it been hot the last week or so! When a Southern girl is complaining about the heat in Northern California, there has to be something wrong. This brings me to one of my favorite rants: California's (and other regions of America's) constant state of denial about its need for A/C. It is definitely hot enough here to warrant central air, or even those window units, but no. We live in The Bay, where the weather is always Perfect and we cannot acknowledge a potential flaw by being comfortable in our own homes. For christ's sake, the high in Palo Alto this week is 95, and no one I know who lives there has A/C! I've heard many of the Silicon Valley billionaires swear by shading their windows as well, despite their obvious financial ability to bask in cool comfort.
I, however, am not as lucky in the financial department. My apartment does a mildly decent job of staying cool with the windows open for ventilation, provided that it's not the middle of the day. At night the breeze is perfect but the bugs stream happily in through the open windows. So, I decided to try the heat-blocking method. Money has been tight recently and I wasn't keen on the idea of buying new curtains and rods and whatever else one needs to do this the "right" way.
I had been looking for a way to incorporate a beautiful Indian batik into my decor, but didn't want to puncture holes in it to hang it anywhere. After roasting in the light coming through my sunny window, I realized I still had some shower curtain rings left over from the bathroom (again,
you never know when things will be useful!). I was able to pinch the batik between the clasps, and the resulting shade blocker adds a gorgeous touch to the dining nook. No holes required!
You can use any printed fabric and shower hooks that aren't entirely circular. The light will illuminate the design on the fabric and look lovely. If your window doesn't already have a bar above it, you could try hooking the curtain rings onto the molding above it.
