I could be entirely off base, but I think there is a more affordable solution for this that is more of a different way (and possibly material) used during the final portion of the stucco process which leads to this looks. There some new homes in my area built by large tract builders that have this finish, so that leads me to guess there is a reasonable cost involved. All three of your photos are ones in my own inspiration book (or I should say, folder on houzz) and I was hoping for the same type of finish. I am meeting with our designer next Thursday so I'll ask him for some more information about it post here then.

I don't use bookmarks. I made myself an "intranet." (The local-drive version of an internet.) I got that habit from work, where I used an intranet to store all the links and priceless info such as tried-and-true procedures, contact information for suppliers, etc. That was how I documented my job responsibilities. As I left each job, I told my replacement to "read the intranet." I was leaving him/her with established procedures and much more information than I had when I started the job! I used Netscape's HTML editor to make my intranet. I update it whenever I find new info. (It's not just quilting. It has info for all my hobbies and interests, and info I need to run the household such as: local government, the different insurance we carry, etc.) My intranet is simple. The frame on the left is for navigation. It contains all the categories, in alphabetical order. When I click on a category, the frame of the right displays all links and notations for that category. I find this very handy, because instead of just a single URL, I can store my login and password right next to the link that takes me there. I can store links to multiple pages of a large website. I can store any other info relating to the website or blog, with notations such as "she does a lot of applique." Lately, I have been visiting the blogs of quilters, to see photos of their projects. I don't think I'm ever gonna have a blog of my own. I like our little forum much better. Instead of post after post about me, it's a threaded discussion, and I get to learn sooo much from everyone else.

In Jan. I'd gone on a trip to Mobile with a couple friends to a big flea market there. Before coming home we drove to Dauphin Island - we couldn't believe how badly they'd been hit. I talked with a lady at a convenience store there who'd had a paper route on the island and after the hurricane over half her route was gone, not only the houses, but the property itself was underwater in the Gulf. That's why most of these poor people are fighting with the insurance companies, the property/land itself is gone. As for the MS coast - it was truly difficult to grasp how massive the devastation was, and still is, there. When you only see a picture or camera view of one area, you don't really have any point of reference or landmark to orient yourself as to what area you're looking at. Then you get there, and you slowly begin to grasp the magnitude of it because there ARE NO landmarks left. The beaches themselves are slowly recovering, and of course most of the casinos are back, but as you said all the beautiful old homes are gone, all the businesses & restaurants are gone - amazing to me was that a few of the signs remained, but the actual buildings were levelled. A few of the hotels have come back, but most are either gone or still in shambles. Most all the debris has been cleared away, but it's just such an eerie feeling to be able to see inland for blocks from Hwy 90. As I said, we were returning from Mobile and got on 90 there in Biloxi (the Ocean Beach bridge is, or was at that time, still out) - my friend said the devastation was even worse further west toward Long Beach, but I had had all I could take by the time we reached Hwy 49 in Gulfport - I was in tears and trying to drive, so I headed up 49 toward home. As for my life history (a little of it I was telling PF about on the 'paint dipping' post)....I'll attempt to make a VERY long story short. I was born in Oakland, CA (biological father in the Navy), mom divorced then remarried another Navy man (my step-dad) who got transferred to Pensacola when I was 2. My step-dad retired there, so I lived there from age 2 to 14. At 14 my mom passed away from cancer and I went to live with my older sis whose (now ex)husband had been transferred to Jackson for his job. From there I moved back to FL briefly, met my ex-husband, moved with him to New Orleans, then San Diego, San Francisco, WA state (where he was originally from) and I finally decided to come back home (after 5 yrs. of h*ll)-fully intending to go back to FL. I stopped in MS to visit my sis and my brother (who had since also moved there from FL) and ended up staying there for the past 17 years. I finally got divorced from my ex and eventually found the love of my life (corny,I know)- his mom was born and raised in MS. He grew up in FL too from a Navy family and come to find out, had things been just a little different we probably would've at least gone to high school together. His father was just getting transferred out of Pensacola as mine was being transferred in. And, of course, you already know the reason for the GA move. When I first moved to MS, everyone told me, "If you stay 6 months, you'll never leave". I took it as you wouldn't 'want' to leave - little did I realize that the truth was that you can't AFFORD to leave! It's worse now because the cost of everything is going up, but wages there aren't. After 15 years of struggling there, we figured a change couldn't hurt. Besides, my brother and his family are now back in Jacksonville, so I'm closer to them and my oldest son is in the Marine Corps in NC so I'm closer to him now, too. My sis isn't happy about the whole thing since she's still in MS, but if things work out here, I'm gonna get her moved here eventually! LOL OMG... this is turning into a novel...DH took my 2 youngest to the dentist for me today so it's been quiet and I didn't realize how much I'd rambled on...Sorry - I warned PF about this earlier! :) I need to get some work done before they get back.

When I make blackout lined draperies, to decrease the amount of fabric/bulk in my double folded hems, headers & side seams, I don't fold the lining into them. I fold & press the drapery fabric, but do not stitch it. Then, I lay the blackout lining on to the drape fabric & cut the lining (to meet up with the edge of the finished edges). Then, I tuck the lining under every folded side & header, pin & stitch. I leave the lining un-tucked along the bottom hem...the lining will not need to be stitched inside that hem. When all done, each of my side seams and the header have only one layer of blackout lining inside of them. I don't know if this strategy will help in your situation, but it's worth some thought. Below are some photos that might help explain what I am trying to say. Ignore how wrinkled the blackout lining is. After pleating & hanging these drapes, the wrinkles all went away. This shows the right side seam and lower hem double folded & pressed. Lay blackout lining on top. Cut blackout lining to length & width - up to the edges so you can tuck them inside the side seams & header. Header on the left, bottom hem on the right. Lining inserted into folded header & side seams. Ready to pin & stitch. Lower hem of lining does not get tucked in.