What The Heck....

OK, That Darn Elf is at it again.......

I can't really blame it on Mr. Jingles.....

I only have myself to blame...I got a wild hair and decided I couldn't possibly decorate for Christmas with my house still in what I consider "yuck mode".  I was tired of everything in here.  I have not done much of anything to my house the past 17 years.  Between thoughts of selling and being to tired from working in other people's home, I just let things go for a really long time here on the home front.    It seems by the time I get to my own house, I am just too pooped to party!  Or at least, so the story goes...

Wish I had taken some before photos!!!

 Darn it!  So Impulsive! 

 This is what my house looks like in present state.....

 Still needs another coats of paint...

See those yellow silk drapery?  

They were in the dining room....

Ciao baby....

Oh and those blue and green stripes in the powder room....

soon to be replaced!....(really want wallpaper in here but cannot seem to commit to a pattern, so for now the stripes appease me) 

I painted that brown stripe at the top and yep you know it, changed my mind...guess what I decided?  You will have to wait to see...

Here's our family room!  Yep, that's right, I've let those bookcases get filled with various objects "not of my choosing" and school pics! I know better!!! How did I let this happen you ask? 


L-A-Z-Y!!!!


I also stuck a bunch of Walker's pics up after he died, so I could see his handsome face everyday.  Why didn't I buy frames that matched?  Ugh!!! Can we say u-g-l-y?  I would die if one of my client's houses looked like this.....

(sorry, again I almost didn't take the pic before removing the books, the bottom  shelf of items got removed before I remember to take one....

I see that little elf ( Mr. Jingles), dang him!

I wish he would clean up this mess while I am asleep tonight!

.

 Below is a picture looking in from the breakfast room to the

family room.   The den was the same yellow sans diamonds before the painters came today.  The neutral is sooo much better!!!      

These breakfast room diamonds are on death row as we speak, 

waiting their turn with the dreaded paint brush.....

This is what was going on here today....

Below is a peek of what is already painted...
However, the room is not decorated.  I parked the art from the family room in here while it was being painted.  I kinda like it!  Wish I had something similar for this room... the only thing staying in this room is my daughter's portrait and the painting below by Stuart Budd Coleman, a local Charlotte artist.  

I love this portrait of Rebekah.  It was done when she was 5.  
She was not happy about spending the day with the artist.

The wall looks a little darker in this picture than in person, I can't get the lighting right with this iPhone.  
I was too lazy to use my camera.    

Don't you love Stuart Budd Coleman's trees?

Here is another favorite painting of mine...

  I bought it in Chapel Hill this fall.  The artist that painted it died in the 70's.  The gallery I bought it from is closing.  The owner is moving to France, so he gave me a killer price.  I have another painting I bought from him that I will show you later.

Here is a decision question for all of you fab designers & designer-esque friends, that follow my blog...

(yes, I am fortunate to have a few that actually do)...

Dilemma #1....Do I replace the chandelier with something new and blingy, do i spray paint the existing brass one?   
I've kept mine so long it's almost back in style!  (Chuckle). 

Dilemma #2...The buffet was a gift from my Mom when she felt sorry for me in my twenties(I didn't have anywhere to store my china & crystal)....Paint or replace?  What do you think?  
It has incredibly great storage! 

Dilemma #3...the mirror below is a very expensive mirror,  that  doesn't fit into my current design plan.  Do I lacquer it white, paint it blue?, keep it?, consign it??? 

Please give me your thoughts!!!  I need a different eye here!
I can't seem to turn my design brain off!! Help!!

 Yes, those are actually shipping boxes, hidding behind my dining table.  Proof I have done some Christmas shopping in all this mayhem!  Can you also see the border of my french needlepoint rug?  ...yeah, that one... the one I had to have 10 years ago!

...the one that I no longer want....

 Here is a peek at the drapery, so that rug def won't go with these, Trina Turk...I'm thinking sisal....

Below is the current state of my dining room.  My dining room table has been at a local artist studio for at least 3 years.  He and I were going to paint it together.  My friend loaned me her makeshift dining table with burlap tablecloth, while I was waiting to paint mine.  The artist is sick, so it could be a while longer!
  Oh well, I haven't had it for years, so what's the rush now, right?  

While visions of sugar plums are dancing in your head and your house is looking like a page out of Martha Stewart, 
I'll be over here with all my mess, sorting through the what to keep, what to replace and what to consign....

 Rome wasn't built in a day...
This could take a while!  

I hope you will join me on this journey!  

I promise to make you laugh and share some trade secrets!    


Tip for today:  Did you know that you can get oil based paint off with baby oil???  My painter taught me that today after I dropped a why pallet of paint down my shirt, pants and on my carpet...