Aha!

Edited: Hello everyone and thank you for your sweet comments. Lilly asked about paint color. This is Laura Ashley #5 purchased at Lowes. The chandy was a closeout from Lowes as well, purchased last year. The shades and cord cover came from Hobby Lobby. The rabbit tray (Just as wonderful as you think it is!) came from our own Penny at Lavender Hill Studio! ````` Hey there dear friends! Our Pamela over at "The Dust Will Wait" is the only one that caught my *deliberately* misspelled word!! Or, perhaps you thought it was truly a faux pas on my part? I mentioned that the dining room re do was achieved with "2 cans of pain" and I meant that literally!! The results are well worth it (which I can say now that it is over!) but using that deep burgundy in a satin finish was...was...well, let us just say it was not Heaven. Ahem. Nope. And even after using a tinted primer, covering up that rich navy blue was torture. What? You are asking if we are experienced painters?? (Okay, so pretend you asked that.) Hmm...what gave us away huh? That answer would be a resounding "NO, oh NO, Help us NO Stop us if we attempt to paint again NO " but it does look oh so gosh danged purty. Then there was the putting everything back where it belongs but only after weeding out and cleaning and polishing and, well, you get the idea. But it is done and my Billy did good. He was the one on the ladder painting around the crown moulding which, contrary to all the rumors, is not really a laugh inducing activity! Especially since he is married to this chubby blond who would drive him batty if there were burgundy paint anywhere on the white moulding. Can you imagine? She really is a battle ax I am telling you. Thank you for your very dear and generous comments about the room. Several of you asked if I put the pictures up in my files at HGTV's Rate My Space and that would be a yes. Yes with a cute little asterisk. Yes, but I was almost sorry I did. I was initially bombarded with bad ratings but hey. I know how many users there are. I have seen the ugly comments left for others so I am grateful not to have received many of those. Just a few *very average* and *Ehhh* ratings. Like it or not, *I* love my room re-do and phooey to those who do not. Hmpf. My home is not grand and will never cause anyone to lose consciousness from design delight (and we all know how painful that can be) but I think it is pretty swell. I will never be asked to host an HGTV show but heck. I know how to do a room on a budget, create a home from many a blank, dingy canvas (Just ask any military wife!) and do it all while belting out Broadway show tunes. When was the last time you heard Clive Pearse or Donna Freeman singing "Annie Get Your Gun"? Any takers? Hm? I thought so. And speaking of New York, and when am I NOT speaking of New York, thank you for providing me with some comfort as I grieved the fact I would not be at The New York Public Library last Monday for the Irish writer and theatrical producer Josephine Hart's poetry evening which was here in the United States for the first time. One Mr. Brian Dennehy was there to read and I was, quite sadly, not. *sniff* I am still suffering but I will put on my brave face. Brian would expect that. I have posted a photo from the library's web spaces that was taken Monday evening. Now, I have no idea who this Susie Q he is reading about could be but we all know it can NOT be moi. Poor Brian had to endure the night without me at his side but I am glad to see he persevered. Heck, he even wore a tie! I am really impressed!

Love and Hugs, Susie Q