Progress as Promised: THE MULDROWS DECORATE

Many of you dear readers have been to our house. And our horribly decorated front rooms - living and dining. For a year I have felt the need to apologize to visitors who open the front door to a view along these lines.

When I bought the house, I thought it had these pale dirty-cream looking walls that we'd need to paint over, when we could. But oh wait - upon closer inspection after moving in, the situation escalated immediately when we realized, they are not dirty or cream. But LIGHT GOLD SPONGED PAINTED. Honest to God it must have been so much work for the prior owners* they covered every inch. Boy do I wish I had a close up for posterity.

*Prior owners of course defined here as, totally crazy people . Can you imagine purposefully sponge painting six big walls a disgusting putrid yellow. And, I mean, many of you have seen the office. How did they even GET HOLD OF bald eagle themed wall border? Where? On what star spangled black market do they even make it?

Anyway, after a full year, I was also tired of cringing as guests viewed the way our hand me down glass dining room set, which matched our old place, sort of, matched absolutely nothing here. Especially when placed so elegantly beneath our carnival style haunted house/Elton John stage set, candelabra.

Not pictured: My Grama's wooden rocking chair where was forced to be used as actual guest seating for the past year.

Well now, dear readers, let me present ... our new look!

We randomly decided to do paint over Memorial Day. It was either that or divorce each other; reason cited would be "inability to decide on ANYTHING." So we just pulled the trigger, dropped some dough on paint at Lowe's, let the kids watch ridiculous amounts of TV and just did it.

Mike stayed up really late one night to finish a lot up by himself (a round of golf quid pro quo was involved, don't worry). But he didn't mind. He'd been pushing me to do this. See how happy he looks?

We painted our long wall from the living room to the dining room an olive green.
The rest of the walls in both rooms are "Oatbran." OwWW, walkin' on the design wild side, I know. But just my ability to show you the following photo took a took a year of debate and many, many trees killed in paint chips.

In fact, you might say, hmm, aren't these the colors you had picked out when i visited you (earlier this year? At Christmas? Last summer before Rachel was born?) Yes, right you are. But the exact oat-y and olive-y decisions took a long time to feel good about. And which walls to do what, my God, I think I burst some brain cells.

Anyway, we also replaced the light fixture (I swear, it felt like a stage prop from the Muppet show) and also bought a new dining room table. THAT search was a mini-saga, so I'll just say, thank you, Weekends Only. After enough trips, you finally did us right.

Also we bought what I affectionately refer to as our Grama chair...technically matches, was a steal, super comfy ... but, tis just a little fugly, if you ask me. Mikey loves it though. And as you can see, thank GOD the cat who pees on all of our belongings likes it.

Also, after fruitless months searching for a second chair, we ended up sacrificing the orange leather one from the office. That went from front, to office, but not it's in a differnt spot in the front so NOW, by God, we've got this mess sorted.

But seriously, I just love finding a new use for old stuff instead of buying new. The chair's now perfectly setup as the comfy reading chair, complete with reading light. In two weeks I've sat in it more than I did in four months in that other room, even though it looked real cute and den-y in there.

So, what do you think, interweb friends?

Do we look like we finally live here? Cuz it does finally feel like our home.