Chocolate (Brown) and (Dried) Flowers for Valentine's Day

More than a week later, here it is:  My bedroom's makeover was complete last Saturday and I have enjoyed it so much!  Here's a little before and after for you:

(BEFORE)The Boring Wall

(AFTER)My Own Pretty Art Project

Because we love dancing and have taken ballroom lessons, I chose silhouettes of dancing couples.  They are cut from stiff brown paper and placed over fabric that matches the bedding. 

(BEFORE) The Tired Bed

(AFTER)The Cozy Haven

I "doubled" the window to balance the wall.  I knew I would love it, but Merv wasn't convinced (until it was done!)  And yes, I really do need bigger pillows in those shams... plus MORE OF THEM!

(BEFORE)The Functional (and plain) Corner

 

(AFTER)Oh! Pretty!

Can you spot the hidden items?

(1)A lazy cat  (2) A teddy bear (3)The glass of water I needed after all that work (4)Airplane (5)iPhone

The last picture is probably my favorite transformation.  I love the way the entire room turned out but this space was a pleasant surprise.  Merv actually chose everything on the small table (aside from the fabric) and found it all on sale!  We got rid of the alarm clock as we never used it because we always set our phones to wake us.  Some day I plan to replace it with an analog wall clock, but I haven't found the one I love yet.  I also hope to replace the old TV (or remove it altogether) but we aren't there yet either.  The entire room came in just under $300.  Maybe it would have been even cheaper if we'd spent more time shopping around, but I loved spending the time together to select & buy the items and then put them in the room.  Great Valentine idea indeed.

Finally, here's a better picture of that lazy cat,(his name is August) and a close up of the bedding design:

This was taken as I collapsed onto the bed following all of the finishing touches.  Someone thought he needed to collapse too, it is hard work supervising afterall.

Admit It, We All Do It

Run out of time for making the healthy dinner we deserve, that is.

Tonight I have a million things to do. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, of course – I only have to do 5 or 6 of them – the rest can wait for another day. Merv and I are heading out of town for the weekend which is always fun when we get there but a lot of work before we go. I’m the kind of girl who can take all week to pack one suitcase. First – every piece of clothing I own needs to be clean and put away so I have a full arsenal to choose from. Next, I will likely try on every outfit I consider packing because I’ve had too many times (and by that I mean one time) that I’ve gotten to my destination only to find nothing I packed actually works for me. In addition to packing, I have to:

• Get hair done (grays are showing their ugly faces)
• Body Attack class
• Return to consignment store to pick up the super cute jacket I found on Monday but talked myself out of
• Probably spend more time shopping and find nothing, realizing I have a closet full of clean clothes at home that I don’t have to pay for.
• Cook dinner
• Do enough of my normal weekend housework to not feel like a total slob when I return home.

 Today’s find should help with that last one though! I found a consumer review of frozen diet entrees, as well as how to spice them up to make them a “proper” meal. I’ve actually done this before with pasta/vegetable dishes and added meat, but these ideas take it the other way without adding so many calories that you blow your budget. Just may have to add a stop at the store to pick up the goods to have one of these combos. On a pretty plate, he’ll never know. *wink*

Oh, and in case you wondered where we’re jetting off to, we won’t be jetting at all, we’ll be driving the three short hours to Clear Lake, Iowa for '50's in February, the annual tribute held at the legendary Surf Ballroom in honor of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson's last concert and love of music. This will be my third year attending, and I’ve yet to round up a poodle skirt and saddle shoes for dancing the night away. Last year I did improvise with some lovely 50s housewife attire, but next year, I’m going all out!

Dancing shoes on (two nights of swing dancing and 50s music!)

 On the third day we made our way to the memorial at the site of the crash.

The "Buddy Holly Glasses" that mark the memorial.  Note the snow and ice we trekked through to get to the memorial.

You know, seeing last year's pictures has gotten me excited to go again.  Northern Iowa, here we come!