Redoing the Newly Redone

Sometimes you try things and they just don't work.  This was the problem with my new duvet.

I absolutely love the colors but unfortunately the slight line of khaki that runs through the white part of the paisleys was clashing with the light grey walls and driving me nuts.  I was not about to repaint my room nor trash the new duvet.  As luck would have it, I'm adding a queen bed to the guest room and the duvet goes great with the walls in that room!

I know, it's a shocker.  A beige room that I plan on keeping beige...and I like it that way.  With the added color of the duvet and paprika nightstand, the walls and curtains will work perfect.

So now in my Master I'm back to square one with an all white bed.  I may just leave it that way or I might look into some grey bedding.  I have made one improvement to the room though.  While at IKEA last weekend I found bargain curtains left and right.  I was so excited at the prospect of buying drape panels for my bedroom that were actually the appropriate size, unlike the ones that came with the house.


Pre-move in



I found some great dark grey panels at Ikea.  They were sold in pairs and were 98" long.  They are blackout panels which is great for when I want to (or should I say get to) sleep in!

No idea why I have sunspots on this pictures.  Sometimes my camera has a mind of it's own.  (sidenote: Check the TV.  That's the Situation being carried off on a stretcher on Jersey Shore) I may eventually hem the panels but for now the random puddling on the floor isn't bothering me.  I'm too busy admiring their color!

Eat In Kitchen, Now Eat In-able

I made a decision on my kitchen table!  I decided to go all white.  My post on Friday had two different versions that were roughly the same price.  I went with the one from IKEA since I could pick it up at the store versus ordering the other one online from CB2. 

In typical IKEA fashion, it came in a couple of boxes and involved several pieces.

The instructions are graphic only, no words.  I guess that saves them from having to translate them into 47 languages.  I inferred that I needed to assemble my table on a soft surface and set up shop in the living room.

It went together quickly and was surprisingly sturdy.  I was really impressed with the quality. 

As you can see the living room is a little chaotic from my ongoing painting.  The next task was to get this table into the kitchen.  Easier said than done.

Hmmm, I do not have a 42" wide doorway.  I had to figure out a way to not only tilt the table sideways, but also lift it up about shoulder level so that I could clear the cabinets on either side.  I really should have video taped this process.  It was quite comical. 

Ta da!  It is the perfect size.  Now I just need my chairs to come in and I will be set.  They are currently on a UPS truck somewhere in Middle America. 

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

How I manage to take a perfectly nice weekend and destroy it is beyond me.  But that is just about what I did.  I finally decided to start painting the ceilings in the living room.

I bought a 2 gallon bucket of ceiling paint a while back and have been dreading this project.  Now I know why.  Mercy!  By the time I hung up my paint brush on Saturday I had barely made a dent in the ceiling and had discovered that this is going to be a 2 coat job.

I am also finishing some hall trim and starting on my doors at the same time.  It's nice to have these projects when I get tired of staring straight up.  I woke up Sunday with all sorts of cricks and aches but knew that the show must go on. 

By the end of the weekend I managed to have completed about 50%...of the first coat.  Looks like I'll be painting every night after work.  I have no idea why I torture myself so but I do know for future ceiling painting projects, I will be hiring a Pro. 

On A Mission

I have decided that my mission for this weekend will be to finally come up with a plan for the breakfast area of my kitchen.  The giant blank space has been glaring at me for weeks.

I decided I want four chairs around a table and that the easiest way to accomplish that would be a round table, 36-42" diameter.  I also wanted furniture that was light and airy so as not to overwhelm the small area.  I made a decision on my chairs and hopefully they will arrive in the next week or so.

Aren't they going to look great with my kitchen art?

Keep in mind I have not done any painting in the kitchen yet and those drapes will be replaced soon enough.  So now all I have to do is decide on which table to get...

Easier said that done, huh?  Wish me luck!  Feel free to voice your opinion.

Going Yellow

Back in June I was Going Green.  My dad and I planted 3 green, lush boxwoods.  I had dreams of them growing strong and becoming one long hedge.

See, I imagined them growing up and looking sort of like this:

Well, then came the Great Dallas Drought of 2011.  Slowly my poor little boxwoods started drying out and becoming crispy and yellow. 

I have Miracle-Gro Food Spikes in them and have been trying to keep them watered.  I am not ready lose this battle.  I planted a boxwood at my old condo that I managed to keep alive for 10 years and I don't think I ever really watered it; it just kept growing.  That gives me hope that my triplets will pull through the living hell of a summer we've been having.  You don't even want to see what shape my other plants are in.  About half the vinca are still alive and my hosta holding on, but the Begonia is toast along with the petunia.  Sigh.

As I drove to work this morning, the skies poured down on me.  It took me a minute to recognize it as rain, as it's been so long since I've seen it.  Maybe this means things are turning around.  Let's hope!

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

I have been coveting this retro glider since before I even had an offer on my old condo.  I found it at Lowe's and was determined to get it once I got a new house.

Excuse my iPhone screen capture picture but this picture was a must.  Back before move-in at the new house my glider went on sale for $118.  I thought this was a great deal!  Well move in came and went and I just kept finding other things to spend that kind of money on.  I had pretty much forgotten all about it until I happened upon it online last week.  It was marked down to $49!!!  That was a price I couldn't pass up.  I ran over and picked it up during my lunch break.

It came in a bajillion pieces but the instructions assured me it would only take 60 minutes to assemble.

The instructions are obviously not familiar with Texas Summers.  With temps still in the 100s full assembly took me 2 days.  It seemed too much of a hassle to assemble inside and then move.  It wasn't like I was in a desperate need for additional backyard seating.   The delay was a combo of it being too hot for me to stand being outside and the metal getting too hot to mess with.  So 2 days later I had a fabulous new glider...

...and the perfect place to sit it!

No Dead Bodies Were Harmed in This Post

My back patio was quite a pleasant surprise when we discovered it under months of overgrown grass.  It made sense, had a purpose, etc.

What didn't make sense was this creepy little second patio that was at the back of the yard, tucked in a corner.

Why was is all the way back there by itself?  And WHY are the stones all crazy like the earth is trying to swallow them up?  I decided to move the stones closer to the house for a second seating area off the main patio.  I was a little concerned that I might unearth some bones but luckily the only thing I found under them was a spider or two. 

I still find it very odd that the ground had shifted so much, just under these stones and nowhere else, but I've decided not to ask questions.  I moved the 12-stone patio a few yards closer and it will be perfect for my extra seating area!

Ciao, New York!

I used my new Walmart frames to frame a couple of my pictures from my December 2010 trip to New York City.  I already had a couple of 8x10 pictures of Italy hanging in the hall and a couple more Italian pictures sitting on the floor waiting to be hung.  With the help of my level everything is now hung.  I love having them as reminders of great trips!



Wally World

Driving home from work the other day I noticed a new Walmart opened up.  Enticed by the "Grand Opening" signs I decided to stop in.  I generally steer clear of Walmart because they tend to be very crowded and cluttered on the weekends, but since it was opening day and a Thursday evening I figured it was worth a shot. 

The shot paid off.  It was actually entertaining.  There were Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders signing autographs, a walking inflatable Chester Cheeto, Mavs Dancers and I got to see this guy up close and personal:


Larry O'Brien Trophy from the Mavericks big Championship win

I didn't need anything but still managed to pick up a couple of things that were too cheap to pass up.  I got a clock for my kitchen for less than $4.  I've found that it drives me nuts if I'm using the microwave and oven timers and can't see the actual time.  Problem solved!

Then I picked up a couple of frames for some 8 x 10" prints I'm hanging next week.  I had been meaning to pick some up at Target but ended up getting these for half the price.

Last but not least I grabbed some $5 flowers just because.  I like having the little bright flowers all around the house.  It makes things more cheerful.  And considering all the cleaning on my To Do list for this weekend, I can use all the cheer I can get!