It’s Smorgasbord for Summertime Horror TV Shows

It’s summer, and I can’t believe I’m going to discuss TV, because if ever there were a time to NOT sit in front of the boob tube, summer is surely it.

And…yet, the summertime has two of my favorite horror TV series: HBO’s True Blood and Netflix’s Hemlock Grove. Both are horror-based stories and if you know me at all, you know, I’m a fool for horror stories.

Perhaps it’s the advent of these two shows, but now I start associating summer with horror movies and Halloween.
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Phase 1 Completed

This banish bedroom boredom makeover has several phases:

  1. Phase 1: Procure and install platform bed base
  2. Phase 2: Construct headboard from 3 old doors, crown molding, and trim
  3.       Paint and antique headboard with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint & Wax
  4. Phase 3: Procure a new nightstand
  5.       Paint old and new nightstands with A.S. chalk paint to match the headboard
  6. Phase 4: Hang flatscreen TV on the wall
  7. Phase 5: Accessorize bedroom – procure bed skirt & lamps, rearrange pictures and art

Phase 1 – Operation Replace Bed Base

You may recall from the previous post about our bedroom, I foolishly purged the original base to our Sleep Number bed a few years ago, so now, much to my chagrin, I’ve purchased a new one and we assembled it this weekend.

It’s amazing how much taller the bed is with an additional 5 inches of height.

New Platform Bed Base

New Platform Bed Base

The assembly meant we needed to move the storage boxes and the folding tables from under the bed, and in doing so realized we needed to clean there.  It’s a little embarrassing to admit it’s the first time in 8 years we’ve cleaned under the bed.

Dust bunnies and their dog fur bunny cousins were successfully run out of town. [continue reading…]

Chalk Painted Furniture – My Inspiration

These gorgeous dressers are my inspiration from ciruelo interiors. I love the dark rich graphite color, the gold accents. Don’t you just love the succulent plant atop the dresser – so well staged.

Beautiful chalk painted furniture -My inspiration piece

My inspiration piece, source

And this one:

chalk painted furniture - my other inspiration piece

Other inspiration piece, source

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Our Boring Master Bedroom

YAAAWWWNNN (Covers her mouth)

Sorry about that.

It’s normal and appropriate for bedrooms to produce yawns, unless the yawns come from decorating boredom.

Which I think I have.

Our Master Bedroom, Circa 2006

Our Master Bedroom, Circa 2006

You see, the master bedroom has not changed significantly from when we finished it in 2006 – almost 8 years ago. We have:

The same bed – mattress and bed frame (head & footboard), in the same location under the window, except the rattan of the headboard and footboard has chewing damage by the Grrrr Girls.

The walls are a beautiful warm and cocoon-like chocolate brown, with white trim – but still the same.

The curtains and the bamboo shades we installed 8 years ago – still the same.
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I Confess

I have a confession to make.

It’s the middle of summer; the summer I dreamt of all long winter long, but now, all I can think about is Halloween. That’s not the confession, though… Are you ready?

I like, no, I LOVE horror movies, and haunted houses, ghost stories and the idea of things that go bump in the night.

My friends would tell you it’s one of my defining characteristics. I love this stuff almost as much as I love my husband, my two GRRR girls and as much, if not more, than decorating.

Yes, you read that right.

I HEART Horror Movies

I HEART Horror Movies

Each year I:

  • drag, err, take my nieces and nephews on an haunted historical tour around DC and Baltimore.
  • for Halloween we travel to that most haunted of cities, New Orleans, and attend a black tie Halloween Ball.

Yes, I love horror and Halloween THAT much.

There I said it. Does this make me a freak in your eyes?

If yes, that’s okay, I’m quite fine with that label.

My affection for the dark side may make you a little squeamish, but I think moving out of one’s comfort zone is a GOOD thing. Which means watching rom-coms is totally outside my comfort zone and makes me SQUEAMISH inside.

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#1 It’s a national holiday, which means time off from work. I do work that I love – 40+ hours a week, but a day off is still a day off. Knowing that no one will (most likely) send work related email during that day off makes it truly a relaxing day.

It's a 3, count 'em 3 day weekend

It’s a 3, count ’em, 3 day weekend

It’s a Friday this year, which means a 3 day weekend – can I get a whoo-hoo?!

Sittin in the sand at the Beach - quintessential summer

Sittin in the sand at the beach – quintessential summer activity

#2 It’s the middle of summer, the days are long, and warm – never a bad thing, especially after the long lingering winter we all seemed to have this year. [continue reading…]