While You Were Out II (The Father’s Day Edition)

BEFORE. I thought long and hard before I decided to post the before pictures of our bedroom. What the hell. I'm not the only one with a partially refinished dresser, a dismantled vanity, piles of laundry, mending and "what am I going to do with this" stuff. That's my unmade side of the bed, with the dog-chewed Kleenex box atop my grandmother's stripped treadle sewing machine that I use as a nightstand and the non-slip pad peeking out from beneath the rug. Much of the stuff in piles is earmarked for sale or charity after my closet-cleaning of a couple of weeks ago — it just didn't have a place to go just yet.

So, DH finally left the house at about 2:00 on Friday. Katie and I made a mad dash to Home Depot to buy paint. Kate was much more in sync with my desire for a warm, restful color than Ali was. We emptied the room except for the bed, armoire and vanity, and Ali started on spackling. We were able to knock off most of the ceiling and some of the trim (man, there's lots of trim in that room) on Friday night.

DURING. On Saturday, Kate was occupied most of the day photographing a friend's wedding, and Ali had to work at her job on Saturday night, so we tag-teamed. Since we were pressed for time, we did not strip the wallpaper, nor did we sand very well. It's not like a kitchen or bathroom… We'll see if I someday regret that decision. We painted around the ceiling fan (what fun) rather than take it down. I may work for an electrician, but an electrician I am not!

AFTER. These "after" pictures pretty much correspond to the three "before" pictures. Katie had to work for a while yesterday, also, so Ali and I finished trim, moved furniture in and around, hung pictures. I had purchased two gallons of the wall paint, figuring that we'd have to do two coats with such a change, but we didn't! I was amazed. I love the color — a warm terra cotta, not too red or orange, not too brown.

Have I mentioned that I hurt? My butt, my legs, my knees, my arms, my shoulders… well, pretty much everything! I could have used a Paige or a Frank or an Edward, even a Ty would have been helpful!

Anyway, last night we had fun shopping at Target — two new lamps, switchplate and outlet covers, a hook for the curtain tie-back, Reveal light bulbs (our favorites!). DH didn't get home until nearly 1:00 a.m., and I was a bit groggy, but was certainly aware that he was awestruck. He had no clue. I can't believe it.

I think I'm still a little wiped out — my eyes were so puffy this morning that I wondered whether I should even put on mascara!

I only managed to knit about 12 rows on the baby outfit all weekend.

CAMPING (added later — I almost forgot). Katie and a friend are planning to camp for a few days in Canada. Last year, they both went on a wilderness trip through school and thoroughly enjoyed it. This time, though, they can't go quite so far and would prefer an amenity or two. They would also like to experience a little non-wilderness Canada. They've googled and checked websites, but there's nothing like an endorsement from someone you "know." So, any recommendations for a campground (heavy on the tents, light on the RVs) with showers near Toronto? We sure appreciate it!