Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Nothing Tuesday

We've been back from our beach vacation for almost 5 days now and I am trying my best to climb up out of this slump I'm in.  I've been told I have two speeds.  And right now, I'm operating on zero.   I load the dishes then sit down for an hour or two for a little HGTV.  Watching all those make-over shows does have its advantages.  Eventually, I look around and decide to rearrange some furniture.  And around here, rearranging furniture means
I will dust, vacuum and Windex. 

Sunday afternoon, I decided to get up off the couch and do a little rearranging....and while everything was clean and in it's new place, I took a few pictures.  Blogging makes you take pictures.  If for no other reason, it's been good for that.  If we ever need a current photo of our furnishings, I have it. 
And I have a complete inventory of all the animals. 

So for now here is the arrangement.....and everything is dusted.
As far you know.





The green cabinet was squeezed into this position....because I didn't want to have to move any of the pictures. 
 So the placement is a little off. 



I brought the bench in from my bedroom...
shop the house as they say. 
 I would rather shop at the stores.


I have to treat the bookshelves as a "wall" sometimes. 
With this open concept, I run out of walls to place things against.



This picture is for Debbie...so she can see our brick wall.  These are pavers....fake brick, if you will.  They are real brick to me...just 1/2" thick.  This is what we have as our kitchen backsplash and decided to brick this wall when we tiled the floor a few years ago.  I just saw an episode on HGTV where some one's brick pavers were falling off the wall.  Chuck and I looked at each other like "Oh, sh*t!" 
 But I'm pretty sure these aren't coming down.  They're cemented in.
And we've drilled holes for hanging pictures
and it was almost impossible to drill through those babies.



All the Wills and Bills.  My daddy was William, but went by Bill.  Chuck's daddy was Billy...on his birth certificate...but went by Bill.  Chuck is actually William but is called Chuck because his grandfather thought he looked like a woodchuck...so he is called Chuck. 
 And Will is William.  I love looking at these pictures.
 I glance at them often.




Okay....let's get real.  That was Sunday afternoon. 
By Sunday evening.......this is what it looked like.





I keep a sheet on the sofa because at all times there is a cat and a dog on it.  This cat was outside for 10 years but figured out the dog door.  We didn't think she had a brain....turns out, she does.

I actually moved the sofa with this cat on it....but kicked her off, and removed the sheet to take the pictures.  I believe that's how they do it in magazines.  Only they bring in a crew.


Get ready....for my reality.




Cameron came over Sunday night to steal some groceries/pack her lunch for Monday.  She ended up staying around to watch a movie.  Apparently she drugged the animals with Cheerios. 
Please somebody help me.
  This is 5 of the 7.  Yes, 7
3 dogs and 4 cats.
4 outside cats.  OUTSIDE. 

I'm keeping Frebreeze in business.

Would you look at all the blankets covering the chair? 
I'm one step away from plastic slipcovers.




Before we left for the beach, I brought out some of my 4th of July decorations...for Baby Will. 
He loves the holidays and I am trying so hard to NOT be over them...for his sake. 
I remember when my mother got over it....decorating for the holidays.  I thought she was soooo bah-humbug.  
Well, that's come back to bite me. 






He's like one of the animals.  I could move this chair with him on it...and he would take the ride.  As long as his chair is facing the t.v., he doesn't care where it is.  You may have noticed this was taken before the furniture was moved. 
 See the tall green cabinet behind him?



Now I want to talk about the color explosion in my house. 
Maybe it happened to you, too. 

 I just got back from a beach house that was decorated in pale shades of greens and blues with just a pop of color in the art and pillows.  It was so soothing.  The accessories were minimal and yet well done.  The art was one huge piece here and there, instead of groups of small things.  (Have you seen my walls? The opposite.)

I also read lots of decorating blogs and everything is going to neutrals.  Beiges, taupes, grays, whites and creams.....with maybe just a hint of color in the art or on a pillow.  I love it.....it's so soothing and calm and easy.  While there isn't a lot of color going on...they make up for it in textures.  Linens and cottons, velvets and burlap.  It's a richer shabby chic. 

I look at my house and I think about making that transition.  Where would I begin? I would have to start all over.  My sofa is neutral but everything else is COLOR.  I could slipcover everything
 but even that is a great expense...when you're talking several pieces of furniture.

I should mention that I have 2 kids in college, one daughter just got married = wedding just happened, I have a low paying job and a husband who thinks if you buy a chair, you can check that off the list for life.  And since the wedding, we are on a tight budget. hahaha.  I laugh because Chuck has always been on a tight budget.  This time I'm really trying to be on it with him.  This means I wear an ankle cuff that keeps me out of TJMaxx and Target. 

 So the dilemma here, it's not going to happen.  I'm stuck with my color bombed house.  For a couple of years at least.

But I'm still scheming how I'm going to change it.

12 comments:

  1. 1. We want to do that brick wall in our kitchen... our very small, tiny kitchen. We don't know where to buy the tile though?

    2. The picture of the pets made me laugh out loud... literally. And I appreciate the proof that Charlie is still alive. Sometimes I wonder if y'all would even tell me.

    3. While the house is not soothing colors, it's warm and it's cozy. No need to change it.

    4. I'll trade you a set of leather couches for your couch. Please.

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  2. Trust me when I say your home is BEAUTIFUL!!!! I love, love, love the vinette in front of the bookcases. I too have a very colorful house and drool over the all white walled, monochromatic houses with just a little pocket watch tied with cream silk ribbon on one wall. Rusty iron and naked tree branches. But we both have husbands who are cryptkeepers of the wallet. And we both know if we were in charge of the money we would be decorating refridgerator boxes under the bridge. And you are on break from your job; you are supposed to be relaxing.

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  5. Doojies....Whose side are you on? Have you been talking to Chuck?

    And now you have me thinking about how I'm going to decorate my refrigerator box. It's already a great neutral...

    I hope your refrigerator box is next door to mine under that bridge.

    Finally, we will be minimalist when it comes to accessorizing.

    xoxo, Mizjuney

    PS...I had to delete 2 comments because I kept misspelling.

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  6. Um, I just want to say that there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with your home! It is actually what drew me in to your blog and your witty and sarcastic sense of humor is what keeps me coming back! :) You have a beautiful home, don't change a thing!

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  7. Oh my goodness! You crack me up with your witty commentary! And what a gorgeous house!

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  8. Lol my roommate probably thinks I'm going crazy..I'm in my room and can't stop laughing at the picture I took of the pets.. They do look drugged.. I had to take it (It was too perfect, it was almost our whole zoo in one picture) and I just prayed they wouldnt all follow me to the study when I went for the camera.. the Cheerios definitely did the trick.. I just wish I couldve gotten Maggie and Misty in there to complete the collection.

    And please, PLEASE don't make the houes neutrals and pale stuff. I hate pale, you know that.. I love the warmness and the dark rich colors that are in there right now, and the black cabinets and all of that. Don't judge me, but it reminds me of Harry Potter kind of lol.. Keep the pale colors limited to the upstairs bedrooms :) Thanks.

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  9. I love you, you make me smile and feel like I am "normal":)! The pic of the cheerios and pets looks a lot like my den: blankets on the couch to make sure the cat hair doesn't get too out of control and the kids have usually left some sort of food on the coffee table. I could say more but will save it for stories when we go back to work, let just say our husbands are alot alike when it comes to money, HA! Thanks for keeping me smiling!

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  10. Do not change anything, especially the pets! HA I wish I could decorate like you. Like I said, when I get lots of money, you are going to be my decorator!! Your house is beautiful, you are talented and my favorite picture was of the pets. What are the chances of having them all asleep in the same room???? I am melting in mid 90 degree heat with no AC!! Germany had one of the coldest winters in history and it looks like I brought the heat with me. See you soon!! p.s. a storm is blowing in and cooling things down. PTL

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  11. Love it! Maybe after the wedding in my life you can come out and move my stuff around! My walls are all brown or red.

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  12. Beautiful colors! I too like color and lots of it - hubby not so much. I'd love one of those pale soft houses but I'd want it at the beach. Here in central Virginia it just wouldn't look quite right. But I would love for you to come visit and help me put some holes in my walls - hubby also doesn't like to hang things on the walls - I think we spent too much time moving around in the military:)

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