Retail Therapy

Did I scare y'all off with my visit to crazy town?  I was scared too.  Crazy doesn't look good on me.  Well, you'll be happy to know it was more of a pit stop than anything else and that every day I'm a little better than I was the day before.

Drew and I are doing better as a couple too.  We've had some great talks and my appreciation for him has a new life - I'm actually starting to feel optimistic about this whole marriage thing.  One of the things we've talked about is how to handle things the next time around.  For one, NO ONE is going to find out until the kid is practically born.  Of course, his friend at work has kindly offered us his horror story of losing their baby at 30 weeks so there's that.  I understand that people offer stories like that in solidarity, to say that I'm not alone but seriously?  Not helping!  I'm trying to screw up the courage to get back on the horse and telling me that you've had 2 miscarriages and a stillbirth doesn't exactly inspire, you know? 

Anywho, I indulged in a little retail therapy yesterday and it. was. AWESOME!  Ever since we moved in, I had been fussing to Drew that I wanted to decorate and make it more a home.  He doesn't really see the merit of having a fully decorated home, and would rather install a home theater and outdoor speakers, put lights in the garage, buy lawnmowers and edgers and weedeaters and all kinds of other stuff that makes no sense to me.  I want curtains!

Yesterday, the floodgates opened!  It started with some rugs.  We went to Lowe's to get some more fix-it type stuff and I begged him to come look at the rugs with me.  Lowe's and behold, he did it (I made a funny - see, I'm coming back!) and we picked out some great rugs for the dining and sitting room.  Check it out!

This one was on sale for $40!  Yeah, I snatched that bad boy up!

This one has the coolest shaggy texture that makes you want to dig your toes in it and scrunch it all around.  We had chosen this rug, called biscuit and starch but he kept offering up other suggestions.  Drew is not an indecisive guy, but he can see 65 viable options all at once and now that I've learned that, I don't get upset with him.  (Too often.)   

Him:  What about this one?
Me:  For where?
Him:  The dining room.
Me:  No baby, we've already chosen the biscuit and starch for the dining room.
Him:  Oh.  Well what about this one?
Me:  For where?
Him:  It could go in the dining room.
Me:  Biscuit and starch baby, we've already got it.
Him:  Okay, well what about this one?
Me:  For where?
Him:  Dining room?
Me:  Biscuit and starch!  Pick one for another room.
Him:  Okay, how bout this?  For the dining room?
Me:  BISCUIT AND STARCH!

It was a fun trip to Lowe's although putting the biscuit and starch under that table was not fun.  Not fun at all.  That thing is SOLID wood and weighs 50 kabillion pounds (roughly).  He and I did our best weightlifter impressions trying to lift it just enough to shove the rug underneath and then the OCD took over as we tried to make sure the squares were even and that the table was centered over the rug (it's not and if anyone says anything to Drew, it's on).

He had to go out of town and I was talking to him on the way to the airport, saying now that we have rugs we really should get curtains, and maybe some lamps for the bedroom, and I'd really like to hang some of our pictures, and we need to get our wedding pictures printed, and then his eyes just glazed over.  Luckily, he and I have very similar styles so we've never argued over how to decorate the house.  We just haven't gotten around to doing those kind of things - life, I guess.

After I dropped him off, I stopped at Burlington Coat Factory to see what they had.  I was beyond tickled when I found curtains!  In great styles!  I snatched up big armfuls and marched up to the checkout - I couldn't wait to try them out at the house.  Then I really picked up steam.

I went to Marshalls and found the most awesome lamps and promptly grabbed them, along with an over-the-door set of hooks because Drew doesn't want me to dump my bags on the dining room table anymore.  I have no idea why.  I also saw this bench that I want for the foot of the bed but I didn't get it.  However, this morning Kesha talked me into it so I'm going back after work.  It's on sale and I totally hope it's still there.

Then it was on to Pier 1 where I got some small plate stands for some really cool dessert plates that we got as a housewarming gift.  They live above the cabinets in the kitchen now.  After Pier 1, I went to Target and got more curtains and a floating frame for our marriage license, only to find out later that Drew doesn't want it displayed!  It looks so cool, and I'm hoping that he'll change his mind once he sees it.

I came home with all my loot, put on some Michael Buble and set to hanging some curtains.

These are a great tone-on-tone velvet stripe that were the perfect length.  I had gotten some ivory ones too, but they blended too much with the walls.  I was concerned that brown curtains would be too much with so much heavy brown furniture in the room but it looks really rich and makes the color in the room pop. 

The ivory ones worked out really well in the breakfast nook.  They're the same tone-on-tone velvet so it ties the two rooms together while giving it a different feel.  I'm thinking silver and glass accessories for this room to make it feel like a jewelbox.  I can't wait to find some silver mirrors and frames for the walls!  Oh, and we're lowering the curtain rod so the curtains touch the floor.  This weekend.  Drew doesn't know yet.

Now for the bedroom!  I was so excited how it all came together and it looks so super nice!  We've decided to go with the blue curtains, as it's a bit dressier and makes it feel more like a boudoir.  Although, I don't really know what a boudoir feels like, technically.  So here's a before and yes, I was too lazy to move the laundry.

And now, with the laundry folded, the bed made, and the new curtains hung!

Here's a close-up of the detail on the curtains.  It's subtle enough the Drew can still deal, but feminine enough that it doesn't look like a bachelor pad.  The little brown buds pick up the duvet cover and the silver thread echoes the lamps and accents on the furniture.  Yea me!

Slowly, but surely we're making our house a home and it's a much-needed shot in the arm for me.  I woke up this morning and the first thing I did was sigh in contentment as I looked at the new curtains.  Then I walked through the rest of the house and marveled at what a difference little things make.

I really hope that bench is still there.