"While You Were Out", Remember that show?

It was one of those room makeover shows on TLC a long time ago. The husband or the wife heads out of town and the other secretly gets with the TLC designer crew & makes over a room in the house. Usually the room that needs it the most. Well I loved that show. Miss it. Inspired by it.

This show is totally the reason for my blogging disappearance. Well, partial reason. I have 4 rooms in my home in desparate need of attention. The worst being the masterbath. We bought a 4 year old home nine months ago here in Maine and we really like it. It's just that it was decorated/painted for the previous owners who's style was the opposite of ours. Luckily for us my husband has "the vision" and could see the possibilities. We've done quite a bit but the major stuff has been recent.

It was no secret that I have been avoiding the masterbath. If I didn't need to bathe, I wouldn't even go in that room. I disliked the room that MUCH! So I decided to get my freak on.

The husband was heading out of town for 4 days on business. I would get my freak on while he was gone. Surprise him when he returned. In other words- pull a "While You Were Out". It was genius. My plan was to clean and prep Monday then paint on Tuesday & Wed. Shop for trinkets and such on Thurs & decorate it while he was on the plane coming home. I ended up starting on it the second he pulled out of the driveway & got it completely done by Wednesday! It is now officially my FAVORITE room in the house! Now I didn't go replacing cabinets or anything major. I painted (2 colors plus all the trim), bought & hung all the decorations & framed art. After that 3 days of non stop hard labor I thought I would die. BUT I found that I have some serious mad painting skills.  I can paint a straight line & don't have to use tape! Mad Skills!

So the big guy came home. Walks in the door & announces he wants to go out to dinner. That's fine with me but I couldn't get him to go upstairs. My imagination had him walking up there on his own and totally freaking out. Didn't happen. I had to make him go upstairs. "What did you buy?" was his first response. Men! Why do they always think like that? Anyway, up he went thinking I spent money and was probably working out in his head how he was going to scold me like a child, then he saw it. Let's just say I got the reaction I so desparately needed and hoped for. Just about everday since then he has told me how wonderful it is and how proud of me he is. Isn't that cool?

Then he says- "You know, you have some mad painting skills there". I say "I realize that". Then he says "What are you painting next?" Without thinking I say "The kids bathroom, then the kitchen & most likely the hallway after that". OMG! Really?! It was like I had split personalities or something. Who is doing the talking? Certainly not the chick who half killed herself painting one room.

So here I sit. Tuesday afternoon. Just finished the Kitchen. Cha-Ching. Kid's Bathroom finished last weekend. Cha-Ching. I can hardly stand up straight & I haven't put make up on in over a week. But my house is looking sa-weet! 3 down one to go. Maybe. The big guy is hoping now that I will do the formal living & dining rooms. Gasp. I must draw the line somewhere.

There you have it. I am the mad painter and neglected my blog. No I will not come and paint your house. Nice try.

Off to pass out. Mad painter over and out
Tracey