Finn v. The Thunder Boomers

We've had a lot of thunderstorms this spring and my little Finny has become more and more concerned about the noise.

Lately, I've been finding him hiding in the strangest places.

Today he made it into my closet.

The door was only cracked and he almost got locked in, in which case Lola would have had to step in and save his life. Due to his predilection for dark rooms in times of storm, he gets locked in closets and powder rooms from time to time.

He just wants to go somewhere dark and quiet and get some peace. And then the door gets pulled to and he's stuck.

Lola always alerts me to his peril long before I go looking for him.

And then I open the door and there he is, contentedly sleeping and mad to be bothered.

Guest Bathroom In Blue

I painted the guest bathroom a couple of weekends ago.

Many of you don't know that when it comes to paint color selection, I am woefully deficient. Almost every room I painted in my former place had to be repainted at least twice because I always pick the wrong color.

This deficiency brings great joy to my dear friend and when she is sad my stories of having to repaint always cheer her up. Her favorite is the time I painted my kitchen the exact shade that Pepto Bismol would be if it were green - Pistachio Bismol if you will.

But I digress.

The point is, I can't do paint.

This is the main reason I consult with a decorator.

She helps me pick paint.

You need this background to understand why I am so proud of the paint in the guest bathroom - I picked it all by myself!

And I got it right the first time!

I fear that my pictures really don't do it justice but it is the perfect bathroom color. Sort of a spa blue with a little bit of green in it. I may be hallucinating the green part, but it's my house so deal with it.

"Organza" by Ralph Lauren. Except I had the nice people at Home Depot color match it and I bought Behr. It's cheaper and, according to Consumer Reports, better paint.


I have needed to give this little room some love for a while. It is the one room in the house that I spend no time in and I guess I thought I needed to "bond" with it.

I think I have achieved bonding and for the past two weeks, I've been stopping by the guest bathroom often to turn on the light and enjoy the paint.

Latest Scheme

This is my stairwell.


I'm not happy with it and in the past two weeks I have turned my attention to it in a very considered way.

That's a nice way to say that it is my latest obsession and the object of my latest scheme.

First, the stairwell itself has not yet been painted. It's still covered in flat builder's beige and one way or another, that must soon change.

Second, I hate my bannisters with a white hot passion. After much consideration, I have decided to paint them white and will do so in the next little bit.

Third, having taken careful note of the reemergence of wallpaper as a hot decorating trend, I have decided that this is an excellent area to introduce it into Chateau Bee Charmer.

Here's the leading contender - "Imperial Trellis" by Schumacher. I want the cream on white, but you can tell more about it from the darker color. I am, however, open to suggestions and will be meeting with a new decorator today so I can finalize the plan and get started.


My first thought was to put it on the main wall of the stairwell. However, given my unwavering ability to pick out the most expensive galdang thing in the world, I'm beginning to think that covering that wall might be a little cost prohibitive, given the height of the stairwell.

Then I decided that maybe I can get the same "bang" by covering the hallway wall when you first come in.

This one:


That way, your eye will be pulled down the hall and into the living room. And I'll have my darling Sean come and paint the stairwell in "Tuscan Beige" to match the rest of the house.
What do you think?
Finn is all over this plan. Here he is offering his support.

The Errands, They Have Been Run

Today was extremely productive.

During lunch I did my grocery shopping for the week, filled the car up and picked up the dry cleaning. Then I ran home, ate lunch and let the dogs out.

After work, I walked the dogs, tidied the house and ate dinner.

Then it was off to Target where I picked up only those things that I needed to survive: to wit, toilet paper and lubriderm.

Then I had to swing back by the Teeter because I forgot to buy beer at lunch. That's right, my life was incomplete until my fridge was re-stocked with Miller Lite. That situation has been rectified.

Then I ran by Barnes & Noble to pick up the latest Elinor Lipman book and a cooking technique book by Jacques Pepin.

Let me tell ya'll, the next time some recipe takes a tone with me and tells me to slaughter a chicken - thinking I won't know how - I have faith that Jacques will tell me exactly how to do it. In my experience, the French don't play when it comes to livestock and don't forget it.

Anywho - back to the house and walked the Beans again. Apparently not enough because when we came back in they launched a monumental frap- instigated by Finn, strangely enough - and now they are passed out in the master bathroom and behind the couch, respectively.

And I practiced a little law today, too.

If It's May, It Must Be Time for Peonies

Peonies are my favorite flower and once a year for about two weeks I can get them at the Teeter.

Here they are making my room so much more beautiful and fragrant.

I feel so blessed to have them. They are perfectly beautiful in every way.

Memorial Day Projects

I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend.

This morning I decided to celebrate one of the joys of home ownership - maintenance and upkeep.

I know - ya'll are all "Yay!" about that because, after all, what are long weekends for if not home maintenance? And don't we all enjoy it so much?

But I am getting ahead of myself.

Let's go back for a moment.

On February 26 my builder came to my house and fixed the nail pops and cracks in my upstairs ceilings. The guest bathroom and third bedroom had several and the master bedroom tray ceiling needed work.

Since February, there have been large areas of drywall mud covered patches that needed to be sanded and painted.

I know ya'll can't believe I put that off. But I did. I just tried not to look up and pretended it wasn't there.

Until today.

Right now I am sitting covered in a fine coating of drywall dust. It is under my fingernails and in my nose and ears. Also? My face is covered in paint splatter from the overhead painting.

HOWEVER - the upstairs ceilings have been sanded and painted and the entire upstairs has been vacuumed and dusted and I feel a sense of happiness and accomplishment.

If my law career ever hits the skids I think I could earn a living at drywall.

Here's a shot:

What's that you say? You don't see anything? That's because I ROCK at drywall.

These Really Are His Dogs

'Cause that's what I needed....

ANOTHER reason to love him.

Painting the Guest Bathroom

So.

I think I'm going to paint the guest bathroom this weekend.

It's time.

I know this because the thought of doing it does not make my stomach turn.

Now, the big hurdle is to decide on the color.

Right now I'm leaning toward greenish blue - as opposed to bluish green.

And don't laugh at me about this because you know that I am ... how shall we say this - detail oriented - about the house.

I would really rather have it be more blue than green but my towels and rug are green and I don't want to replace them. So we'll have to see. Maybe a bluish greenish gray? Or is that taupe?

I think I'll have to consult with my House Beautiful paint book for a suggestion and then haul over to Benjamin Moore.

I have heard, from reliable sources, that there is a guy at the Benjamin Moore on Wendover who is a color genius.

I guess we'll find out on Saturday.

Don't worry. I'll post pictures.

And if the guy is a real thing, I'll tell you all about him, too.

Today's Question

How much Ikea is too much Ikea?

My Latest Obsession

The Loring Sofa from Room and Board.

I am officially saving for it. I was going to try to wait but now Room and Board is open in Atlanta and I really really really really want it.

Now.

There is also the matter of the matching chair.

Oh, the chair is an issue. The chair could make or break this deal.

I have a really big, comfy arm chair that I am madly in love with, even after all these years. However, my poor little matching couch has just HAD it. Really, it needs to be replaced. Unfortunately, that means I have to get a new chair to go with it.

These are the problems that I face.

However, for now, let's just lust for the sofa, OK?

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Room and Board is open in Atlanta!

Room and Board is open in Atlanta!

Room and Board is open in Atlanta!

God loves me. A road trip is imminent.