Sometimes you just have to laugh

I know that I'm not the only one who counts Steel Magnolias as one of their favorite movies.  Dolly Parton as Truvy, with her big hair, jumped into my head when I came home from work the other day to utter destruction in my living room.  She said something to the effect of "You just have to laugh---you'd cry your eyes out if you didn't."

I was rushing home from work to beat the thunderstorms coming rapidly across the river because our dog, Bauer, is terrified of storms.  We bought him this thing called a Thundershirt to lessen the panting, shaking and general terror that besets him when foul weather is within a 30 mile radius.  It might not be a big deal except for the fact that he weighs 100 pounds and nothing can be accomplished with a 100 pound dog trying to hide under/on top of/around you.
Anyway, I got home just as the rain way about to start falling and lugged in some cat litter I bought from the store and when I opened my door, this is what I was greeted by...

Down feathers everywhere.  My two new, silk down pillows look like they errupted all over my living room. My two other dogs, who are still puppies and learning all the rules, decided that ripping apart my pillows would be more fun than playing with the countless toys from the pet store.  So I sat down and waited for my husband to come home so he could really enjoy the full spectrum of disaster the puppies rained down in our living room.
You can see a still terrified Bauer, (in his Thundershirt no less) on my lap and the cat litter bag I dropped in shock as I was coming through the door.

                                                                  The culprits

I guess the point is, althought it was a huge mess, and they were new down pillows (with silk covers from Rooms, Blooms & More) and it took 2 hours to vaccuum and sweep it all up, I can get more pillows from the shop. We have a great new line of burlap pillows that would probably be a lot less fun for the mutts to chew up.  No matter how we plan for things to look nice and just right - sometimes the unexpected happens.   It seems to be the same way here at the shop.   As soon as we get everything set, a huge load of furniture comes in or a bunch of pieces sell and we are left with a big 'ol mess to sort out. 

Luckily, it's usually much more fun than vaccuuming up down feathers and as with anything, the attitude you have about it makes all of the difference in the world.

The Story of Mrs. X

We thought we would kick off our blog, dear reader, with a story of how a little paint, 2 pairs of hands, and some determination can really transform a space.  We are going to tell you the story of Mrs. X.

Mrs. X works hard and plays hard, but had been ignoring the sad state of deterioration going on right under her nose.  She lives in an old house (94 years to be exact) and had an epiphany about the state of her guest room on a rainy night not too long ago.

In her day job, Mrs. X, helps people make their homes look wonderful, yet in her own living space things were getting pretty blah.  The room was always piled with junk treasures and a random collection of furniture and accessories and nothing to tie them together.

 

 Mrs. X got into the habit of just closing the door to this room and saying she would worry about it later.  It wasn't until she repainted her old vanity to put into her room that she really looked at the sad state of affairs. Something had to be done.

We always like to say that a fresh coat of paint is like a truckload of mulch, it covers a multitude of sins.  So armed with her trusty and talented sidekick, Mrs. X headed off to get paint for the ceiling, walls and trim.  Standing in front of all those 2 x 2 inches of color choices can be a daunting task! Luckily, Mrs. X's trusted sidekick happens to be an interior decorator extraordinaire.

Trusty sidekick - oh, let's call her "Karan."  Anyway, "Karan" gave the advice that she gives all of her clients when picking out paint colors Go with your gut.  You can be bold with color and still have a great looking room. Take your paint chips outside and look at them.  Unless your house is installed with florescent lights, your color choice is going to look different outside in the sunlight or regular home lighting than it will in the store. 

Armed with their supplies, the ladies got to work prepping the walls, trim and baseboards.

Who knew Kate Spade made safety glasses? 

Mrs. X and Karan spent 2 days painting, cleaning and re-decorating the room. Their results were excellent, the room was in desperate need of freshing up.  The trim and doors all got a fresh coat of Benjamin Moore's - White Dove. 

Hopefully you can tell that the door frame on the left and top has been painted!  A rather dramatic before and after if you ask us.

 After everything was painted and placed, the ladies re-arranged the bookshelves, made the bed, and set the vanity.

Mrs. X couldn't have been happier with her tidy, relaxed guest room. It was still filled with the items and colors she loved, but the room was now purposeful and polished.The paint had not dried before she began contemplating who she could get to be the inaugural guests to stay in the newly revamped room.

Mrs. X says there are a few finishing touches that she's planning on adding and she promises to keep us posted!