Surprise for Kevin

Yes, I've been VERY busy since Kevin's gone fishing. No dramatic room redecorating projects but some little changes that make ME happy, at least. And I think Kevin will be VERY happy with this particular project, too. Now tell me, which of these bedside "tables" would you rather have?

For at least 20 years this old organ bench has been Kevin's bedside table. To be fair, mine wasn't much better, it being an old tv stand. We've been passively looking for bedside tables for years but have not been able to find anything suitable. We've sometimes found ones we've liked but I object to spending a small fortune on bedside tables. I just won't do it. I'd rather use a cardboard box until I find something more reasonable. But since we got our new bed, which is higher than our previous one, I've been making a more concerted effort. Kevin and I found one last year ... intended for Luke's room and it was there ... until we got our new bed. I'm delighted that it is now MY bedside table and Luke has the old tv stand. And this week I found this one for Kevin. They don't match but I'm okay with that. I'm not all about being "matchy matchy". The bedside lamps match and, in my eyes, that brings it all together. Kevin's bedside table is more masculine and has the added benefit of drawers, which in our old house (meaning very tiny closets) is especially ideal. My bedside table is more feminine and I love having a drawer on my side to keep my book(s)-in-progress in. Still, if I find another one that suits our room better, this one will still look great in Luke's room. I love having options.

Kevin's bedside table is what I spent my splurge money on ... only two thirds of my splurge winnings, at that! It was a good deal at Pier I where we got the other bedside table, too. I often find Pier I too expensive for my sensibilities but I sometimes look because occasionally there are good sales and I'm not above buying "slightly damaged" when I think I can do a little "fix-up" or live with a scratch that would probably happen in our house anyway. This table had a little scratch on the top but because it has a slightly aged treatment to it already, just a little colour rubbed into the scratch made it almost disappear! YEAH! The table on my side of the bed was also a "slightly damaged" one from Pier I except that we didn't know it was damaged until we opened the box it came in. Initially I was dismayed but Kevin did a little patch job on the damaged corner and while it's still noticeable, I'm okay with it. I like it anyway. I didn't put in in our room initially because the green does not work in our room but because our room is kind of "darkish", it blends well enough for my tastes. The photo makes it look more stand-out green than it looks without the photo flash.

And oh, those photos on my table? Aren't they lovely? HA! Well, they're not anyone I know! They're the photos that came with the frames. I'd been looking for some frames that would suit my table and I found these at HomeSense. I'm still in the process of choosing photos for them but, in the meantime, these people look like people I'd like to be related to.

This is the most like a real room our bedroom has looked since we got married. Now, if I could just find a headboard. That's my next goal. Before the year is out, I plan to have a headboard for the first time in my life! I'm thinking upholstered but am not opposed to metal or wood. I believe Kevin imagines wood and is opposed to metal. I wonder what we'll end up with?

And I bought a mat for the front entry hall this week, too. Again, I've been looking for a long time for something that fits that space with no luck. Finally I bought two half mats and butted them together to make a circle. I like it. It's cheery. I wonder if Kevin will be so enthused with my work that he'll want to prep and paint the entry way?

I'm looking at paint chips right now!!