Getting Back to Black and White - now with pictures

So here's some before and after pics of my office - it's still a work in progress, but I gotta say I looove it!

My former desk that sat inside the closet
(this pic was taken before the room was finished -
the first time - note the ugly green carpeting)

The daybed

Returning the Closet back to being, well, a Closet

The new Desk (out of the closet! ha, ha, ha)

The new "daychair"
(which does fold out into a bed)

And along the wall of the "daychair" will be floor to ceiling black and white photos which should help balance the "in your face" wallpaper that Doug still has a hard time dealing with (and no, Doug it looks nothing like anything your grandma ever had, trust me it's much hipper than that).

So next? That piece of cake bedroom is still waiting, Doug ..........Doug?

Getting Back to Black and White

It’s been a busy few weeks. I removed absolutely every item out of my office, and that was no small feat. It all ended up in the guest room (and yes, we did have guests during this period and they were relegated to the TV room in the basement, but at least there is a large sectional AND a treadmill for people to sleep on). So I’ve painted and wallpapered (even though I swore off wallpaper when I removed it off the one wall in our bedroom – which still isn’t finished by the way, and because of that I get a brand new office).

Absolutely nothing from the original office has come back in here except my beautiful black and white laptop. My very pretty pink, yellow and cream office has been replaced by black, white and in your face red graphics – it’s an edgy, funky, contemporary office. This is how I want my whole house to look like (but again, Doug won’t vote yes for new furniture).

So, that’s what I’ve been doing with my time. Oh and yeah, it’s been amazing weather for this rain forest that we live in – sometimes I just gotta go outside and smell the flowers (er, rather, those brown leafy things that used to be oh, so pretty…)

Pics to come…

Happy Canada Day!

Most people's Canada Day - barbeques, sun, beach, park, picnic, parades, frisbees, fun, frolic

My Canada Day - ladder, paint, wallpaper, heat, stifling, sweat, grungy and then Doug says:

"What are We going to do about dinner" (as if by saying WE that somehow includes him in the planning/prep/and serving parts - riiight).

My reply?

Reservations.

Happy Canada Day to All!!

UPDATE:

Doug went to the store and bought barbeque stuff, wine and other stuff for dinner. All. By. Him. Self. And apparently he's going to prep, cook AND serve.

Awesome.

(to be continued)

Things Doug should Never Say or Do

“I THOUGHT About Buying You Flowers today…”

“Is That How You Wanted Your Hair To Look?”

“That’s no reason to get upset”

“I might not answer my phone because I’ll be having too much fun with my friends”

“Do You Still Belong to that Gym HAHAHA” (when he sees my Curves fob on my keychain as we’re standing in line at the grocery store and his voice carries over into the next Province and EVERYONE is looking at me)

And No, Doug, a doorknob is NEVER a good idea for a present.

Aww, granddaughters

I’m an interior decorator and when my granddaughter was born I couldn’t wait to do her room. Unfortunately, there were strict rental restrictions about redecorating so we had to wait. But in the meantime, Jenna was exposed to various decorating situations – her favorite TV show when she was 3 was Trading Spaces. She had definite ideas about color – or lack thereof. Anything white or beige wasn’t a color. She made that perfectly clear. Her favorite decorator on the show was Genevieve and that was because she always made a statement.

Yeah, so I got a phone call one day from her mom (my daughter) and it was clear that I was in some kind of trouble.

Her: Mother? Jenna is grounded from watching Trading Spaces.

Me: (not sure how to react – how in the world does a 3 year old get grounded from watching Trading Spaces????)

Her: You won’t believe what she did…

Me: (I somehow think this has something to do with me and it’s not good)

Her: I went upstairs to her room because she was being very quiet and GUESS what she was doing??????

Me: Um…I don’t know….reading??

Her: She was PAINTING her white furniture with a PURPLE felt marker!!!!!!

Me: really? (um, this is NOT good)

Her: She said to me “The White HAS to go”.

Me: Ok – so maybe you might want to check on the carpet – she told me it had to go, too.

Her: GRRRRR

So a couple of years later I bought her paint, a Trading Spaces shirt (signed by Genevieve and Hildi no less) and helped to paint her furniture properly. All is forgiven - and Jenna still hates anything white.

Sometimes the best present is no present at all...

My birthday is coming up and I know exactly what Doug is getting me.

Nothing. And that’s just the way I like it.

You see, Doug gave me a Christmas gift to remember early on in our relationship. He was going away for Christmas and had dropped his gifts off – there were two – one was obviously clothes and the other was in a box – not too large – about the size that a watch would come in.

I so wanted (and needed) a watch. I was a single mom at the time and didn’t have a lot of extra money to indulge myself. But here (I was sure) it was. What a great boyfriend Doug was!

So, Christmas morning and my kids are all giddy and happy and so am I because, you know, I’m getting this fantastic gift. I opened the obviously clothes gift first – it was a beautiful angora sweater – which I am SOO allergic to, but that’s ok because there’s still one more….

I carefully remove the paper and see the brown box that doesn’t really look like a watch box because there’s no writing on it – it’s just plain brown cardboard.- but you know, that’s ok. Until I look inside and there is…..

A DOORKNOB.

Yep, a doorknob.

You see, because I was a single mom and I didn’t have a lot of money or know-how on doing basic repairs to my house – like put a new doorknob on my bathroom door and apparently Doug didn’t like the method we used to close it, which was to stuff a towel into the hole – he thought it would be a brilliant idea to give me one for Christmas.

Our rules now? We don’t buy each other gifts for birthdays or anniversaries, and only stocking stuffers at Christmas. And if I want a watch? I’ll buy it myself.

It's Poker Male Bonding Weekend Time!!!

Every year Doug hosts a poker weekend for all his buddies from tennis. His family owns some recreational property that anywhere from 10 to 12 guys will converge upon in all their male grandness.

There’s boating and prawning and drinking and poker and drinking and hot tubbing and drinking and laughing and drinking and joking and drinking and falling on the rocks and drinking. And that takes care of Friday. On Saturday they play their “Main Event”. There’s big prize money and the coveted trophy for the winner – which, unfortunately, Doug won last year (and trust me, they are all SO proud of this trophy):

Some guys take it seriously because they want to win. Others, like Doug, not so much. It’s more fun to drink and be the funniest person you know. And if you lose, oh well, it’s off to the hot tub and another round of drinks. And when the sun comes up? Well, towel off – it’s time for Caesars and breakfast!

There’s always lots of food (and drinking) and cigars. They even have organized events – like skeet shooting. A brilliant idea! Give drunken men guns and have them shoot into the sky!! They also have a golf competition to see who can hit the nearest island. Oh, oh and the best: craft time:

Such a talented group of 50 something year olds. Yep, at the end of the weekend everyone has lost their voice, eyes are red, legs are wobbly and fun was had by all!

And their better halves? SOOO glad not to have been there.