{i like}

a lot.

{photo:  real simple}

I'm thinking that something similar to the above would

finish out my entry closet {aka: the gift closet}

I even love the color but do not have much of that color

in my home.  I may have to run that one by my

interior decorator {aka:  HG}. :)  Even if I just painted it

I think it would do wonders. 

Everything deserves a happy color

don't ya think?  Even the closet.

{to: heather, from: me}

I suppose since I call her at 10 pm begging for help on where to place living room furniture because I can't get it to work, or 3 pm in a frantic situation as Scott has surprised me with a bedroom suite I absolutely fell in the love with and the movers are on their way in an attempt to avoid the snow....I guess I should let her see how she arranged my room over the phone. :)


It's definitely different! But, I love it so much though. Scott and I have never had a bedroom set. We used the bed I bought from a couple I babysat for in college up until we had to convert to a king size mattress after the kiddos decided they pretty much preferred our bed on most nights.

;) So, we just had the bed on bed rails without a headboard or anything. I did splurge and bought $20 risers from Wal-mart to give the mattress a little lift. :)

The bedroom was really the only room left to really furnish. It's been a slow process. And, although I would see beds I thought were absolutely beautiful - it never was "the one". So, I held out. And, stuck to my simple bed rails.

The above picture - the woods is all marked up and has a very weathered look. Scott asked if we got a discount for it being so scuffed up. ha! And, the answer was nada!

{yikes, I accidentally deleted the picture and will never get in back in order}

Dearest TH: do you know how you mentioned one thing leading to another? Well, those red walls that I painted just two years ago? They will be different this summer. I thought Scott would stroke, but he is in 100% agreement. We love our kitchen red, but, this has too much "burgundy" to it. I am going to do something fun and different. I want it to look old with texture. We shall see. That is a summer project for sure. I shouldn't even be posting this, but, I've been typing since 4:15 am - so, my brain needed to wander.

The above, a chest! woo-hoo! You would not believe where all of my t-shirts, unmentionables, socks, etc have been stashed over the years. It is so nice to have a place to put them that does not require a ladder to reach!

Yep, I loaded the pictures in backwards as always.

It is terrible to make because my comforter is so heavy, stuffing it into the sides is back-breaking - but, I love it when it is finished and will love it more when the walls look like I have in my head. That's a scary thought!

The sweet thing is when I saw the bed - I KNEW it was the one. But, of course was pricey. However, Scott did wonders in negotiating it down. It is amazing - I so need to learn to do that! It was basically a take it or leave it and it was a floor sample - so they decided to move it! yea! I really didn't think we would get it and when we walked away from it that day I was so sad and disappointed, but didn't let him know exactly how much. He returned to the store later with his parents and called me with the surprise news! He's always been like that.....someday remind me to tell you the story about the stealth. ;)

Thanks so much, Babe! It was worth the wait!

addendum: oh, yeah......the room definitely needs new lamps - but Hobby Lobby did not have them on sale last week. :( So, my scrawny ones will have to do for now. Not sure when I'll venture back up there. ha! and notice the picture-hanger-thing above the headboard. it's still up to?? ALSO, I love "puffy" beds. You know, the ones that look like marshmallows that you could just die in. Well, we used to have a feather bed. LOVED it, Scott did not because the pokey-feather things. Then we got the new mattress with the pillow top - it was/is nice. But, I've had such a battle sleeping of late, I thought increasing the comfort factor might do the trick. So, I searched Overstock and just got overwhelmed. Then, I spied a high loft, down alternative mattress PAD at Wal-mart by accident. It fits the mattress surprisingly well and it stays on and is sooooooo comfy. It was not on the bed when I took these pictures. I am alllll about comfort when I sleep. Well, when you often have little skinny elbows and knees that poke you after they've made their way to your bed during the night - any deep sleep prior to that is priceless. So, is the cuddling with the skinny elbows and knees in the morning. ;)

{they call her lola}

she's a little over the top, huh?

{paint}

i forgot we weren't finished. the ceiling is being painted right now. thus, my put together living room. nada.

and, thank you Aunt J - got your sweet message yesterday. I'll call you soon!

{pics of the agony}

here are a few, pictures are not cooperating to load......but, this is the lastest marathon stint of insanity....

obviously, the outside project did not get finished by class reunion time due to the floods of noah...but, they didn't seem to mind. it will eventually get there....





here are a few, pictures are not cooperating to load......but, this is the lastest marathon stint of insanity....








here are a few, pictures are not cooperating to load......but, this is the lastest marathon stint of insanity....



















a quick list of the last minute projects that i very poorly planned: i painted evan's bedroom and the boys' bathroom, new mirror and lighting for the bathroom, changed the decor up some and ordered my fav picture from the beach as it is "beachy themed, had crown molding put up and painted in all the main living area, halls, kitchen, entry and two bathrooms, stripped the wallpaper (finally finished it) in the guest bathroom, texturized the walls (myself. don't look too close!), new sink and lighting for that bathroom, painted the tray in the kitchen area, new countertops and chocolate sink (love it)in the kitchen.

the plumber finished up about 1 pm. I had to have in post-reunion-ready by 2 pm. whew! i'm tired. NOTHING else until after the holidays!!!!

{barely survived}

by a breath! all inside renovations were completed by yesterday AFTERNOON. thus,it was a scramble to get EVERYTHING back into place by 3 pm. i'm not sure i have ever been so tired in my life. but, the reunion was fun and great. and, no one noticed the paint fumes too much. ;) pictures to post soon!

{a blurb or two}

i can't even tell you how behind i am. so, i won't.

**my class reunion is saturday. a portion of saturday evening is here. i will not say there are men in my kitchen busting out a wall/backsplash of tile, putting in new countertops and a sink. i just won't.
**i will not even mention the possible fact there are workers building a fireplace to finish out the patio. nope, because with two days of flooding ahead...there is all the possibility in the world that could be finished, right?
**i will not mention the molding installation was finished yesterday. but, has yet to be prepped and painted. the crew will be back tomorrow and start painting friday -they will need a day and a half to paint. sure, it's all going to be finished.
**i will not mention that the guest bathroom has no sink. because a sink cannot be installed prior to the painting of the trim. remember: that is scheduled for friday or saturday.
**nor, will i mention that we will be without a kitchen sink for 2-3 days. that will be alot of fun, huh? i think i may need to add paper goods to my list. when will i ever make it to the store?
**and, with all of this very well-planned remodeling stint going on, there is no way that every piece of furniture and any item of decor has not been shoved into three bedrooms and a garage. that would just be a blast to put back into place on saturday.
**oh, yeah, the carpets are standing up well to all the feet and the fact we have had days and days of rain. carpet shampoo, eh..maybe saturday afternoon?
**and, noah surely did not state that he will never have the need to move because...he is pretty sure we moved within the walls of our house.
**oh, did scott try to rip up two broken floor tiles and in the process mess up 10? the tilers are not allowing him to enter the kitchen again. ever. i'm pretty sure that is what they said.
**and, i surely did not repaint or paint 3 rooms. i hate to paint remember?
**and, my ice maker did not stop working.
**nor did my dryer.
**or washer. two of the three have indeed been repaired.
**oh, and the landscaping i have worked on for the past month did surely not shrivel up and die because before the floods of noah, i had all the time in the world to water them. dead. dead. dead.
**and, my little son who has never had a real bedroom set - well, did you know that you can buy entire sets in which every.single.piece has to be assembled? 5-drawer chest anyone.

okay, now for the serious part. my best friend is thinking we need to find another location for the after-dinner activities saturday evening. i am thinking she is stressed for me. because, and, this really is the truth. i think i am brain dead at this point, because there is not one single part of my brain that is stressed.

now, back to work. not on the house, i do have a real job, you know. :)

{for heather}

Sorry for the double images......having computer issues here! Shock! {not}













pics of the re-upolstered furniture. It was a plain light green and white tiny check. The furniture was still in good shape, but was dirty from the boys.....and boring. So, I livened it up! The lady who recovered it - Rita Gray from GW - is fabulous and super-quick with awesome prices. Cannot sing her praises high enough. This is part of the kitchen area where most of the homework is done at night - so we are usually in there most of the night between cooking, snacks, homework and eating. Now, it's cozy and COLORFUL. You know me........

{fabrics selected}

these were the final decisions for the re-vamp....in one combination or another....










it should get started this week....pics to post soon, i hope...

{vanished}

that would be me. Off the face of the earth, or so it seems. It really just equates to a trial. BUT, WHEN.....I get to revisit.....along with a whole lotta' plans I have for the boys....I'll be doing something fun with the following....












There are others, that tie it all together. Or will. But, they are in hand...

pictures will {eventually} post! so excited....