Nicole Curtis...can I be you?

I don’t know exactly when the obsession began. Possibly watching Nicole Curtis re-do the Dollar House or perhaps watching Anthony Carrillo renovating kitchens with his cousin (have you SEEN their bodies??? Hubba hubba). Sorry – I digress – I confess I am an HGTV and DIY junkie.  Though I don’t know what sparked my fire, I have developed a deep passion for renovation. From learning the ins and outs, to mimicking DIY techniques, to undertaking large scale renovations – I love it all. Taking something ugly and making something beautiful. Or maybe it’s making something my own. How cool is that? Now let’s be clear – I am no Nicole Curtis in any sense of the word. If you don’t know who she is you should. She is a hot blonde about 20+ years younger than me with a killer body, great hair and triceps and abs to die for. I, on the other hand, am a 60 year old who covers her grey, has a sagging body, thinning hair and triceps that flap in the wind. I won’t mention the abs. Depressing. Nicole’s a steamroller of a rehabber with a strong Midwestern accent which I would suspect annoys most people. In fact when my sister watches her show, Rehab Addict, my brother-in-law makes her wear headphones so he doesn't have to listen to Nicole’s nasal twang. But for me her voice reminds me of my childhood which was in and around the Chicago area and it is nostalgic to me. If I didn't respect the work she was doing rehabbing old homes and enjoy listening to her walk us through her renovations I suppose I would have to decide to hate her because she is so beautiful and accomplished and young and fit and… OK OK I’m jealous. Alright? It’s allowed. Puhleeze!

So part of this blog will be discussing renovations that my husband and I are currently working on within our 30 year old home. And unlike TV, it doesn't take place in an episode. THEY TAKE FOREVER!!! When I see an article in a magazine or a commercial on HGTV that states, “A quick renovation that can be done in a weekend”, I’m gonna be honest. I get a little pissed. They don’t consider the 12 times you had to go BACK to the home improvement store because you bought the wrong size or color or possibly you ruined the first one, or you didn't buy enough, or maybe you realized you didn't have all the parts and the list goes on and on. They also leave out trips to the hospital (more on that in another post) and don’t tell you that you get pretty darn tired doing this stuff and maybe can’t put in 14 hours a day BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT 30-SOMETHING LIKE ALL THE PEOPLE THEY SHOW ON TV!!!!! Whew. I’m glad I got that off my chest.

A "before" shot of the bedroom. Everything in there is ancient-
and not in a good way.

I am currently working on our master bedroom. This is the bedroom where both our children were conceived and unfortunately not much has changed décor-wise since then, which wouldn't be an issue if our kids were not GROWN ADULTS! In other words – it’s way overdue for a remodel. I am refinishing furniture, repainting, redecorating and will take you through the process with me from before to after. The work must be completed on the weekends because – hey – I’m still working at the middle school until January. When I come home from work I just want a nice cold glass of Pinto Grigio and relax and try to forget about the kid that screamed at the teacher or the student that didn't understand slapping a girl on the butt is wrong or the parent that cussed me out on the phone or the teacher that is upset at his/her evaluation or the child that is being abused or neglected or – or - or - it’s never-ending.

Hats, flashlight and aloe will NOT be a part of the new design!

Did I mention how much I love Pinot Grigio? The Best. Now I don’t condone drinking until you vomit but having a couple of glasses of wine in the evening is right up my alley. So right now I’m going to sign off, place my tired squished-into-pumps-feet up, enjoy my glass of wine, and watch some HGTV. I’ll tell you more about the bedroom in the next post. It’s gonna be amazing when I’m finished and all for a budget of $1000.00. I sound like a commercial for HGTV.

Oh my.