Houston, We Have Lift Off... AKA The New Guest Room Is Done!

Of course, this doesn't mean I have the bathroom finished, because I don't. I still need to do the counter top, hang a decorative black iron hanger for towels or clothes, find a suitable window treatment for the bathroom window, have sliding door repaired (yes, the painter broke it), as well as have the cabinet doors repaired (that he also broke) and find a replacement for the toilet paper holder (which is darkened-by-time brass). Then, I will actually be finished.

However, for now, the bedroom is finished and I'm so pleased with the way it all turned out.



I just finished repainting SD's old camp trunk that was ugly as sin. It used to be hidden in her closet, being used to store excess junk. I like it much better in black, situated at the end of the bed. The best part is that it's located right by my new craft closet, so I'll be able to hide my large and small containers of paint, etc.

Oh, and here's a picture of my new craft closet. I just love having everything in one place, all organized and easy to find. The excess is located in the next closet, inside our old Heywood-Wakefield dresser, which is also hidden away.



Also, I finally got the curtain tie backs up today, which was a rather major improvement to the look of the room. 

Here's a picture of SD's camp trunk before I started on it. Let me just say that I had to do a huge amount of scraping and sanding before I could even begin to paint it, which was a necessary evil...





Oh, and I also still have to hang another item for the wall that displays the two Oriental hats, but first I need to spray paint it black, but it's really just an afterthought, to add more interest to the wall. It's not what you'd call an important element to the room, but it will make the wall less boring....

Everything Old Is New Again.... Help Mr. Wizard!

Much to the dismay of Mr. Snoots, I purchased my friend's mother's sofa that she had in their den. I got in trouble for buying it but it was such a great deal that I just couldn't pass it up. Besides, it's the first new piece of furniture I've bought in 33 years and I'm completely and totally in love with it. It's a fabulous down filled sofa that her mother had only re-covered just 2 years ago. I will never find another sofa of this caliber - anywhere - for $400.00, right? Yes, I know I'm right! So he's just going to have to blow off steam for a while because it's a done deal.

One of the best parts is that because this woman was an interior decorator, I found a roll of the same fabric that I can use to make some additional pillows to put in other chairs around the room. I'm also going to make some solid colored pillows to add to the sofa. I'm thinking a few strategically placed tropicals would really complete the look on this side of the room. The other fabric I purchased is going to cover the bench in the front hallway, which I'll do myself. If there is enough fabric left over I'll make a couple of pillows for the living room too.


I also purchased this adorable needlepoint *froggie* pillow trimmed in beaded tassels, which goes perfectly with the sofa. Isn't the back side fun? Mr. Snoots hates it almost as much as the sofa, but says he's warming up to them. Slowly. Very slowly. There might be hope for him yet, but the jury is still out on that.


Mr. Snoots doesn't care for change of any kind in his world, so for 33 years I've gone along with this. However, I put an end to it this week. I've changed so much in my tastes over the years, I can't begin to tell you how long I've been sick to death of that same blue and white furniture. It was never comfortable so no one ever wanted to sit in the living room. That too, is about to change.

I also purchased a cute little round, glass top metal table although I'm not quite sure what I want to do with it yet. Next, I need to get that peach colored chair re-covered because every cat we've ever had has used it as a scratching post. Or anything else for that matter. In the meantime, I wonder how I can explain to the cat how horridly painful it will be to have her devil claws removed at her age, if she doesn't stop shredding the furniture. I might have to murder her if she attempts to insert a claw... That, or ban her to the outdoors, but I could never stand the pleading & begging she does to gain entrance. I'm a total weenie. Does anyone want to take on a 16 year old female cat who is spoiled and shreds furniture at whim? Anyone? Bites people she doesn't like? Leaves enough cat hair on every piece of furniture in the house that it's enough to produce afghans commercially? Has a sensitive stomach and insists on only vomiting up hairballs in some prominent place in your home where guests will see it and get sick? Like on the front doormat and every single piece of furniture? It's a full time job just cleaning up after her. She's smart as a whip but doesn't mind a thing you demand of her? She just totally ignores it!? Come on. I know. She's a real gem. You know you want her.
 

Unfortunately, the living room is, at this juncture, a work in progress. It might be this way for some time to come, until I find just the right pieces I'm looking for. I'm still using the cocktail table and the end table from the old living room set, but only until I find something I really fall in love with. At that point, I will then put them both in the den and get rid of the old tables in the den, which were never good pieces to begin with. Just cheap. I've never been through this in my life and I'm afraid I have absolutely no taste and the place will look horrible. Thank gawd I have friends who will tell me the truth if it does.

Honestly, you didn't come out of Catholic boarding school or college with much taste or style back in my day, unless you learned it early on at home, or studied it in school. I didn't. My mother hired decorators, so their style was *her style*. It has taken me more than 30 years to know what I like. Now all I have to do is try and refine that and somehow reflect it in our home.


Help Mr. Wizard!