Look At Me. I COMPROMISED!

I did. For reals. Well, in theory, technically, but I did and I feel pretty darn good about myself.

I know this might be a thing that other married people do all the time, but I don't, or haven't very well in the past. I'm actually kind of a closet decorating sociopath.

No really. I know you think I'm this sweet wonderful person who is bubbly and perky and cheery. Turns out if you actually have to share a house with me that all goes out the figurative window. I have a habit of only asking my husband's opinion when I think I'll like it and then ignoring it if I don't OR I just don't ask because I know we won't agree and I do what I want. Then I just act like I had no idea he would hate it.

What?!? You don't think we should paint the new dining chairs I found at a garage sale and bought without consulting you yellow?!? You're not a fan of aqua chevron?!? Did you not see this pin?

Because we both know those chairs are AMAZING!!! No, you don't want happy rainbow colored chairs?!? Why not?

For reals (is this my phrase of the day or something?). 

I even have myself convince sometimes that I'm not being conniving.But I'm turning over a new leaf. I'm actually going to act like my husband is a person who I love and whose opinions matter. I know, this should be a given, but it hasn't been in the past and I need to rectify it. Thank you for putting up with my crazy for so long, Babe. Lesser men would have bailed out by now. :)

We had a big talk about this a couple of weeks ago. I'm pretty sure he thought it was probably all talk just like it has been every time before when I said I was going to take his opinions into consideration before doing things to the house without asking. Something must have made him think I actually meant it this time because yesterday he sent a link to this AirStone Veneer stuff.

It was pretty, but since we hadn't talked about putting stone veneer on anything lately I wasn't really sure why. When I asked where he wanted to put it he told me in the kitchen.

My previous mental response would have been, "Say what?!? Once again, I don't think you've been following my Kitchen board on Pinterest very well recently because we are clearly planning on white subway tile."

Instead, I started searching for images where people had actually used it in kitchens. And guess what? People actually have and it actually looks good. 

I sent him this one because the comment really cracked me up.

True story. I want something a little lighter than this and I'm still partial to the subway tile natural stone versions like this one

Traditional Kitchen by Wilmington General Contractors Dewson Construction Company

but, I'm considering it a major victory in the fight to work together on decorating.

The Best One

Here's the deal. I've been working each night, but I haven't actually been able to cross anything off the list. I've made tiny bits of progress though.

I contacted the manufacturer of my blinds about a bracket since they are weird and I can't just buy the standard replacement at a hardware store. I tried on Day 1 of this project without success. Turns out they don't sell parts so I have to find them myself. They suggested I check www.blindparts.com or www.fixmyblinds.com.

I also worked on cleaning off my enormous (we're talking roughly 3 1/2'x 9') dining room table.  Since only two of us currently eat at a table, the majority of the table is commonly used for random horizontal storage. I've gotten it down to about 40 percent or so of it's typical load, but it's still not even close to tablescape-able.

And that's are far as I've gotten. No pictures to report. No projects to cross off.


1. Buy a bracket and rehang the blinds in the bedroom
2. Plant the mum by friend Nancy gave me
3. Write something on my DIY Chalkboard
4. Finish my fall mantel
5. Take Norie's four month pictures before she's five months old
6. Finish the wedding plate wall art
7. Make some bunting for my office
8. Build a pallet bar/wall art to cover up the attic fan switch
9. Make a DIY ribbon chandelier for Norie's room
10. Do something with the shutters my aunt got me last year
11. Put the label plates back on the enormous drawer thing and label the drawers
12. Finish the wall art I started for the Song print I got for donating to Love Without Boundaries
13. Finish my desk
14. Finish the table scape for Campbell Family Thanksgiving 2012
15. Hang the awesome owl latch hook my sister gave me at Norie's baby shower
16. Clean up the porch
17. Finish the October page in my pregnancy scrapbook (yes, that would be last October)
18. Fix the leg on the coffee table and finish repainting it
19. Sell the coffee and end tables
20. Make a coffee table
21. Create a gift wrapping/gift wrap organizing space
22. Start working on fun holiday decorations
23. Finish the other Dream Dollhouse from last year's Make Two Challenge
24. Make some DIY cake stands from wedding plates and candlesticks.
25. Make map mats for vacation photos

I have to tell you this because it touched my heart. Hopefully, my husband is okay with that. He generally isn't into people knowing just how freaking amazingly sweet and endearing he is.

The other night I was getting dinner ready and Norie got hungry so I nursed her while Austin finished it. He asked which pork chop I wanted and when I said, "Whichever" he said, "I think you should get the best one."

I think I already did. :)