Impromptu Presto-Chango

Those of you who know myself and my man in Real Life (that's the sunshiny-space outside your blacked-out window to you virtual-life die-hards) are well aware of the fact that Home Improvement is a genetic... curse? flaw? ...in both our families. We got not only the "do-it-yourself" gene from both of our families (closely related to the "I-could-make-that-cheaper-and-better" gene), but we're both addicted to before/after scenarios. Makeovers, project cars, remodels, whatever--if it was old and boring and now it's miraculously snazzy, we're into it.

This sick urge tends to strike us in six-month intervals, ironically coinciding with a college-alum party we host every six months. Which inevitably makes finishing our latest project a mad race, the last twenty-four hours of which we spend scrubbing off grout/installing trim/etc. while frantically muttering to each other, "Why do we always do this? Why? Why?"

I theorize that there are two reasons for this. First, it takes six months for us to forget the pain, sweat, and complete insanity of the latest project. Second, subconsciously our minds realize that if we schedule a project shortly before the party, we have a strict deadline, causing our natural procrastination to be obliterated in the panic of knowing that 30-50 people will be walking into our house 2-4 weeks from now. (Third may be that paint samples and tile give off a powerful pheremone to which we become temporarily immune, but which eventually cripples our good sense.)

Reason #2 is the best reason, really, since it impels us to be finished, and after the party we can sit back and bask in the loveliness of a finished project. But it can also be incredibly stressful.

We've been working on our metal building since before the last party at New Year's--although it wasn't completely sided at that point--and was our only home improvement plan to complete before the party. But in the past two weeks, although the exterior is quite finished, we realized we would be unable to complete the bathroom inside. Enter frustration over an unfinished project.

Then add in tremendous heat that makes us want to stay indoors. And a good dose of home makeover shows. (Drat HGTV, TLC, and satellite itself! The peer pressure is too much!)

So Saturday, after three years of hemming and hawing over a bedroom wall color, we instantly picked a greyish-blue shade. Much like we picked the living room wall color after a year or two of undecided frustration--one random day we picked a green we liked and painted it that week.

And of course, there are all kinds of things that crop up after you pick out a wall color. Lest I reveal too much of our mad plot, I'll let that tantilizing suggestion... er... tantilize you for awhile as we tackle this epic endeavor. I'll post some before/after photos (see, I told you) when we're done--hopefully next week, just in time for the party.

In the meantime, don't be surprised to see a bit of lag in this blog for the next week. I'll regale you with stories of home improvement mishaps next week.