Love is...

I can't believe this has happened to me. I've gone and fell deeply, madly in love. Yes, I've been here before...or at least I thought I had. But this time, it's different. It's like the clouds have parted and angels have decended singing a magnificent heavenly chorus like something I've never experienced. What they say is true--when it happens, you'll just know. I'll admit, I was a sceptic. Love is so subjective, how does one really, truly know? Well, I was wrong. You do know. You will know. When it happens to you too. I've found the one. Actually, more than one--there are two of them. I know, I know, how can I possibly find room in my crazy life for two? I just don't know. But it's happened. And I couldn't be more blissfully secure in this feeling that I've picked the perfect ones for me.  Juniper Ash and Chateau have made me the happiest woman alive. Thank you Home Depot. My life may never be the same!

Swoon. I <3 paint. It's an unhealthy, but relatively cheap addiction. And selecting these paint colors for my little Kelli cave project has just about killed me. I mean really. It has to be perfect because I likely won't get this chance again (or at least for a few years until the honeymoon wears off). Go big or go home right? Given the total amount of brain capacity I've used trying to decide these paint colors, I could have cured cancer. Or solved world peace. Or at the very least figured out how to change the time on my microwave. But no, I've instead killed off another thousand brain cells obsessing pondering colors. All kinds of colors. Thousands of variations of colors. Daily trips to Home Depot and Lowes to collect more colors. You think I'm joking?...

And that's just two days worth! I've already filled dumpsters with the chips I threw out. I never knew there were this many ways to make browns, tans and that blue/green/grey color that's been screaming for a more exciting name. In all fairness, tans and browns are hard. They are either too pink or too green. And they're tricky little suckers. What looks great in the store ends up looking like baby poop or mud when I get it home and tape it to my wall. Wondering how I know what baby poop looks like on my wall? I have three boys 'member? Ummm, yeah, we won't go there.

If I were a simple girl, and wanted to pick just one perfect color, my world would be a tranquil place. But nooooo, I have to go and get a ginormous mater bedroom with a perfectly tall accent wall suitable for, well, accenting! So it just wouldn't be right to dress her in the same drab color as the other walls would it? I mean this girl is screaming for the spotlight! Who am I to disappoint?

I know this isn't the best picture, but I didn't

realize at the time that she would become the bane of my existence!

And here she is getting ready for her makeover!

(No, the milk chocolate color is not staying--too pink. Ugh!)

All this time I was fixated trying to find the perfect deep brown to metalicize and play off my GORG new bedding set and that was just sending me down the wrong road altogether. <<<<<<<Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!>>>>>>

(That was my attempt at a choir of angels singing--doesn't come across as well in type. Oh well, you get the idea!)

This wall is directly opposite my equally ginormous set of windows that again, are trying to kill me as I think about how to dress them. Yes, basically, I have a room full of primadonnas here all begging for my attention! The window treatments I bought (and LOVE because of the color AND the price at just $10/panel thanks to my BFF Big Lots) are BGG (my new name for the blue/green/grey color) Doncha just love that name? Reminds me of...

And that just makes me smile ;-0) I kinda love the gold metallic--gotta figure out how to work that in to the room now too! tee hee hee

So anyhoo, at first, I casually thought about matching the BGG for the diva wall, but thought it might be too much and take away from the window treatments. But in the end, in my epiphany on the 100th trip to Home Depot (They should have a rewards program for how many times you walk through those doors there. I mean, seriously!) I realized that the right BGG would totally play off the window treatments and anchor the room. You can say it, go on....DUH!!!! I lose decorating points for how long it took me to get to that decision. 

Before I could change my mind. again. and again. I bought the dang paint Saturday morning and got started! (That is, after I spent hours trying to figure out if I should try the new Martha Stewart paint, get the new Behr Ultra, or go cheapo on the budget and pay half for Glidden. If you haven't figured it out yet, no decision is off limits for this overthinking methodical brain of mine!) I've always loved Behr paint. Well actually, I was a Sherwin Williams girl until one day I got lazy and bought paint at HD because it was closer to our new house and that's when I switched. I love Behr paint. Easy to work with, never disappoints me, and much easier on the budget than SW. After reading some bad reviews about Martha (and having this thing about slapping a celebrity's name on something and charging extra for it), I decided to try the Behr Ultra. I had a $10 off coupon from Lowe's that HD will match ('cuz we're buds ;-0) so it was like it would cost the same as my tried and true Behr Premium. And maybe it would actually save me some time.

And the verdict is in...I HAVE A NEW BFF AND ITS NAME IS BEHR ULTRA!! I am obsessed with this paint! It's nice and thick and only took one coat and a few touch ups--even over the chocolate brown color!

I worked my (not so) little tail off all weekend and finished painting the God-foresaken vaulted ceiling (12-ft in same places) and the Chateau walls. Monday night, I painted the diva wall Juniper Ash. And that's when I knew. I. WAS. IN. LOVE. When I walk in the room, even though it's mostly bare, I can't quit staring. And since all our window treatments are down and we're living in a fishbowl, I'm sure my neighbors are enjoying watching me stand in my room staring at my blank but beautiful walls. Oh well, I'm sure they're getting quite used to watching the crazy lady with the house full of little men!

I'll have pictures to post soon of the finished product, but this week it's crunch time as I get ready for the big move-in weekend!!! Everything should be ready (crossing my fingers and my legs at this point). It just has to be ready. Christmas decorating begins in just 10 DAYS!!! GGGGAAAASSSSSPPPPP!!!!!!!

Until next time...Swoon. I'm going back to stare at my walls. Again.

DADD--I need meds!!

Happy All Saints Day!! (Is that really a happy occasion?) I guess it's better to be a saint than a goblin right? After all, you get those beautiful flowing robes to disguise extra pounds, a halo and maybe even some wings (err, that is if you're an angel) OK I'm confusing myself!! In honor of All Saints Day, I'd like to dedicate this blog to St. Jude--the patron saint of  lost causes. What? Does that sound too negative? OK then, how about St. Anthony--patron saint of miracles. Yeah, we'll go with that. 'Cuz I'm starting to think it will take a flippin' miracle for me to make significant progress on this project! Not only do I seem to be time-challenged these days, but I also am battling a very serious disorder. Prayers and intercessions are appreciated.

Even St. Anthony can't get away from the durn Legos!

We're among friends right? I have something very difficult to talk about. I decided to start this blog as a way to recapture my sanity. So, it's only through talking about my issues that I have any chance of healing. Ya with me? 

...Hello. My name is Kelli and I have Decorating Attention Deficit Disorder (DADD for short). It's a serious disorder and it's quite debilitating. When I put my decorating hat on, nothing is safe in my house. NOTHING. My brain tends to go into hyper drive and I scrutinize every square inch of my house. Every. Square. Inch. It's enough to drive a person insane. And when you're not all together anyway--well let's just say it's downright SCARY!! My poor husband.

So, as I'm searching the bargain bins for my bedroom project, I can't help but get all caught up in the other areas of my house that drive me to distraction (I know...it's more of a putt than a drive. It's not my fault 'member...DADD) As I searched for the  cheapest  perfect window treatments for my bedroom, the patron saint of clearance racks pointed me to lovely $7 window panels that would be PERFECT in my dining room. I mean PERFECT. I fell in love. Really. That good. And the price? Yeah. Like I said. PERFECT. Thank you St. WalMart! I followed the call and bought them, telling myself that I would start on the dining room as soon as the bedroom is complete. Well, that's usually when my sickness really kicks in. Add a little impatience and... 

My bedroom makeover project is SSSSLLLLLOOOOOOWWWLLYYY  progressing. And there's really nothing exciting to talk about. I mean, talking about it is about as exciting as watching paint dry. And I've been doing a lot of that lately. Primer. Paint. Poly. The 3 "P"s of my life right now as I tackle these  stupid  lovely Craig's List night stands. I think they are done. Unless I decide to put yet another coat of polyurethane on them. To be continued...

So I had to tackle something for a little project satisfaction this weekend since there really is no cure for DADD. With Mike's help, I transformed our dining room with some fab window treatments!

Our windows look the same as they did when we moved in--basically, a long piece of fabric thrown over the top with some embellishments added to make them look like I thought about it for more than a minute. The disgusting economical vinyl miniblinds had seen better days and I vowed the last time I cleaned them in 2008 not long ago that I would never do that again!

Notice that I didn't zoom in too close!

I've become obsessed with bamboo shades lately (I think they really warm up a space) and just knew these would be perfect in the dining room. I used some of my gold-selling proceeds to buy these very affordable window shades, topped them with a $5 wrought iron curtain rod I bought on clearance at Big Lots a few years ago, adorned it with my GORG new drapery panels and...

VOILA!!

I'm in LOVE!!

I mean really? Can you just STAND it??

I can't quit staring at them! One of these days I'll be looking at something very similar in my KelliCave. (Just a hint of what's to come!)

Later this week I should have my new black nightstands and a pair of CUSTOMized  bookcases to show you. And, if St. Anthony really intercedes on my behalf...a beautiful dresser and chest of drawers to oooh and awwww over!