When I say drab, I mean absolutely, positively, no question about it, drab.
When we got married, it was the one room we didn't really buy furniture for. We just brought my bed from my apartment in grad school, Kent's dresser from when he was younger, another tiny chest of drawers I had, and a night stand that he got somewhere in California from a thrift shop. Needless to say, nothing matches.
About a month ago I finally ordered a bedspread that I really liked, but I wasn't in a hurry to finish decorating. I guess I just had other things going on. I hadn't even bothered to hang any curtains.... pathetic, I know. Today, however, I decided the bedroom revolution had to begin... ASAP.
After my spin class, I decided to go curtain shopping, and actually found some! (It was a miracle to find something I liked and that matched for a decent price on this island... It almost NEVER happens.) With curtains in hand, I found a curtain rod to go along with it, and left the store smiling. I was going to have curtains up today.
I even left the store with the motivation to hit up the closest Ross store. (It's absolutely the best place to go for affordable nic nacs, mirrors, cooking utensils, etc. here on island.) I found a mirror to go above our mismatched dresser once I refinish it and an awesome little vase for the bedroom, as well. I was pumped. I couldn't wait to get home and put it all together.
When I got to the car, I remembered that today is one of the days Kent has his weird night schedule. Man, I'm going to have to hang this stupid curtain rod myself, I thought. Luckily, I was an only child for five years when I was little, and my brother didn't come along until I was 7, so my dad pretended I was his son for 7 years. I have skills.
I arrived home mentally prepared to hang my curtains. My boys, Murphy and Duke, were waiting on me when I walked in the door and were excited beyond belief. With the drizzle outside, we hadn't been on our usual long walk, so they started to follow me around the house like two extra shadows instead. I ran upstairs with my curtains, curtain rod, and all the tools I knew I would need-- screw driver, tape measure,scissors, and level. When I realized I needed a power drill for the wall anchors, I ran outside to borrow Kent's drill. The boys were on my heels the whole way.
Kent had a sanding bit thingy in the drill, so I had to change the drill bit to the one I needed. Crap, I thought, I don't know how to change this thing. Grrrrr....
Being the military wife I am, and my dad's daughter, I was not going to wait on a man. So what did I do?
I YouTubed it.
It worked like a charm.
Finally.... Now I can just go hang this stupid curtain rod and get my curtains up.
Snag number two... my house doesn't have wooden studs. They are metal. Shoot. As I am silently cursing those metal studs and growling out loud in frustration, the boys just look at me.
This isn't from when they were staring, but these are the looks I was getting.
The boys are staring at me like I'm a space alien. Murph is laid out on the bed amidst screws, tools, pencils, curtains and the packaging I had to cut into a million pieces to get my curtain rod out, and Duke is on the floor trying to be close to me but avoid being stepped on. I've broken a sweat between the packaging, the power drill fiasco, and the metal studs.
The hangers are up, and it's time to put together the two pieces of the rod. Oh no.... what now? Why are they not fitting together. Sheesh... I have the WORST luck! Then I see the tiny little sticker with nearly microscopic writing. It says "REMOVE SHRINK WRAP." Seriously??? Whose bright idea was it to shrink wrap two poles? They don't need to be shrink wrapped. They were already in child and adult proof packaging!
Now both dogs are looking at me like I am a bomb that might explode any minute. I start struggling with the shrink wrap. It's nearly impossible to get off, and it's making a lot of noise. Murphy jumps down from the bed, and with Duke, starts backing out the door. Finally I get the shrink wrap off, put the rods together and hang my curtains. The boys, my chilled out little Cavalier and my 80 pound German Shepherd, are peeping in from the hall way looking terrified.
I finally gather up all my tools and the ridiculous mess from the shrink wrap, put them away, and admire my work. Murph and Duke sneak in and sniff the curtains, looking at them like they might fall down any second. Way to have faith in my handiwork guys... It's okay though. I love them anyway.
Despite what the boys think, my curtains are hung, and I think they look pretty good, even though I still have a lot to do in the room.
I put together my little vase too.
Next--after refinishing my mismatched furniture to make it match-- I plan to paint a wall hanging to go with the bedspread. I ordered the canvases today. There will be three parts to hang above the bed, and I'll paint them with a floral design derived from the bed.
(I'm pretty sure Murphy thinks he's a model. He always jumps in front of the camera.)
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