A Good Idea...

After one complete week, we are officially done with Sierra's bedroom and it looks amazing! I still have some colorful accents I'm searching for to jazz up the walls and her favorite scripture to hang, but the hard work is finished and it's beautiful. I'm exhausted, however and don't want to paint again for a very, very long time. Maybe ever. 

After days of searching for a full size bed this week, we found a perfect fit. I was actually able to get an unbelievably low price on the floor model as they were clearancing it out for a new and improved model. (As Mrs. Practical, I'll take the older model at a great price any day.)  In the end, Sierra was brilliant in relinquishing her hold on having grass green walls, which would have clashed horribly with the other colors she had chosen. We took some bedding samples to the paint store on Friday morning and chose two eloquent shades of dusky purple. I'm not even sure if dusky is a word, but I'm too tired to look it up. I like the way it sounds and have been using it for the past couple days. Someone (a man) actually asked me, "What the heck is dusky?" If I were to describe it, I would call it a grayish purple - purple with a gray hue. It's not bright, not dark, but calm and soothing. Dusky. We did one wall in a darker color and three walls in a lighter shade. Once we set the new bed up and got it dressed - WOW - gorgeous! The bedding is bright aqua, lime and purple. It's soft to the touch and the colors are fantastic together.  

Again, like in Audra's room last month, I could not have completed this huge project without our dear friend, Keith. You may remember me writing about him when describing all that he did in Audra's room. (See my June blog titled O.D.)  In that blog, he's the friend whom my husband calls, Richard Simmons.  Long story, but funny. Anyway, Keith was a HUGE reason that we blew through all the painting and new bed set up in just a day.

I actually began this room organization project a week ago Saturday. My goal was to go in, get rid of the garbage, get a handle on Sierra's collections and just do a deep cleaning. My husband jumped in mid-week and proclaimed that we "might as well" do a complete room redo. (Someday I'm going to blog on his use of the phrase, might as well.) And, when my husband uses the word, we, he does not include himself. After proclaiming that we should shop for and buy a new bed, mattress, bedding and paint, he immediately decided it would be a great weekend to go to the cabin.

"I can't go to the cabin this weekend, I'm right in the middle of Sierra's room and we need to paint." Was my reaction.

"We don't have much time before the kids go back to school. We need to go up and relax," he countered. "Maybe I should take the boys up and get them out of your hair while you paint. We could have a boys weekend and you could have a girls weekend."  He was completely serious.

That's a classic move my husband makes when he senses projects, honey-do's or other household issues that may require his assistance. The minute I walked into the house on Friday with two gallons of paint, he immediately began preparing to take off for the mountains like a frightened criminal running from the law. My husband will tell you, at least he tells me, that he "has people" for projects like this. I must admit that I have a small problem when he tells me that he "has people" who are willing to step in and do all the man projects around the house.

"His people" are typically his employees, whom he pays for all projects they work on, whether it be work related or honey-do related. I appreciate that he pays people to do the projects that he may not enjoy or may not be suited for, but my main concern is for the children. What about the boys? Shouldn't they be doing the projects with their dad so someday, when they become dads, they will know how to do them?  What about the girls?  I grew up helping my dad with all the projects around the house and there were so many great lessons that I took away from all of that. What are my kids learning in all of this? 

What they are learning in all of this is that when there is a project or a honey-do around the house, you call one of dad's "people." Like last month, we were walking up to the front door and I mentioned to the kids that we really needed to come out and change the burnt out light bulbs in the little accent plant lights. One of the boys immediately spoke up with, "You better tell dad to call Rob. Rob can fix anything."  Rob is one of my husband's employees and I agree, Rob is a great and can fix anything.

My husband, when I voice my concerns about his philosophy of "having people" to do his projects and what this is saying to the kids, responds with his own unique and curious logic telling me that he hopes someday they, too, will "have people" who can jump in and do the projects that they don't enjoy doing themselves. My husband is not shy in saying that he likes to be known for his good ideas. "I'm the idea guy," he'll tell me. When I married him, he did not come with a warning label that read, will NOT do projects or honey-do's but has people who will.  Having the dad I had, I just assumed that all men did honey-do's. I'm thinking that when our kids grow up and begin dating, I'm going to talk to their future spouses, as a courtesy, ahead of time. Because this, I'm sure, is a curse that will be passed down.

So, with my hubby nestled quietly in the mountains, I've been home alone running the slave camp all weekend and tonight, I am finally finished with this latest project. There is absolutely no way that I could have done it without Keith. Not only is Keith an amazing person, he is an amazingly hard working, diligent, fun, project guy. I have never heard him complain and have never been around him when he hasn't had a smile on his face with a grateful heart. Even more amazing, less than two weeks ago, he broke his foot. So, even with a broken foot, he accomplishes more than anyone I've ever been around. Truly, he is a wonderful friend and always there when anyone needs a hand. Seriously, anyone!

This weekend, he brought along his friend Danielle - we call her Dani. The three of us hit it hard and, in the end, we agreed - it looked terrific.  It was definitely a team effort and we enjoyed a lot of laughs along the way. I'm a firm believer in laughter - it's the only way to go through life. Our friend Keith is a big laugher, so projects with him are always a lot of fun. Even if they are a lot of work. 

Sierra was also a lot of fun to spend the week with. She is such an interesting girl and thinks so much differently than I do.  As we were shopping for bedding, she was looking to pick a new sheet set to fit the bigger bed.  I pointed to the thread count on one set and she said, "Wow, 400 thread count. Can you imagine the person who has the job of counting each one of those threads?" As we were driving home from shopping on a wide, four lane road, she asked, "How many days do you think it takes an ant to cross this road?"  I could go on because Sierra's little brain is full of questions. I always encourage her to ask them and I realize that she is a very bright girl who definitely thinks outside the box. My box, anyway. 

The other funny thing about Sierra and her room re-do, is that she wanted to keep it a surprise for everyone else.  "We can't show Audra my colors or my bedding until it's done."

"But it's your room." My logic had me respond.

In the end, we kept Sierra out for the final two hours so she could have a WOW moment when she walked in and saw the finished work of art. She was wowed! Audra was at church for the final countdown, so Sierra got to surprise her with it when she got home.  And my husband, bless his heart, will get to see it when he returns later today, from his relaxing weekend away.  

And I know exactly what he's going to say.  I told you this was a good idea.