Design Star Theory

Did anyone get a chance to see the first episode of Design Star on Sunday?? Well I did. In fact, I watched it with my hubby (he's an HTV fan too, well maybe by default). Anyway I have a theory about this show. My theory is that the most outrageous and over-the-top designs get the most flattering comments from the "judges". For example, did anyone see the hot pink geese on the Living Room wall? How about the abstract mural in the Dining Room that ran the scope of one wall, across the floor, and onto the other wall?? Yeah.


I'm curious. Which one of the judges do you think would like to have that in their home? I'm a huge fan of Candace Olson and even though her room makeovers have become somewhat predictable, I would bet a dollar to a doughnut that she'd rather go skinny-dipping with Chico than hang a pink goose on her living room wall. And Vern Yip - the man just oozes class. What would possess him to encourage that sort of lunacy? Now Genevieve I can sort of see. I remember her from her days on Trading Spaces and she did some wacky things back then - like glueing moss to a wall - but I expect more! More!

Obviously, Traditional is out the window and Modern/Contemporary is the way to win on this show. But do they have to sacrifice good taste? I've seen some Contemporary Rooms on RMS that I adore, even though I am every bit the Traditional decorator. I think you can be Modern and still have a cozy space. I just don't think there are any viewers out there watching this show and saying "yeah, I want that in MY dining room". Pretty much, we are all saying the same thing, "Are ya kidding me????" Am I right?

One last thought. Is it me or do some of these contestants bear a strong resemblance to their predecessors?? I.E. the Kim Myles look-alike, or the Jennifer Bertrand twin? I guess there's a mold-fitting requirement to get on the show. They are definitely looking for a certain "type". Btw, whatever happened to Jennifer? I know she had a baby, but why didn't her show ever materialize????

So, which Design Star contestant are you rooting for?? I wanna hear from you. Personally, I like Lannie (sp?). I think she'd be cool to hang out with and drink coffee with and go shoe shopping with. Do I have the makings to be a great judge or what?

Thrifty Thursday: Have Camera - Will Post

I'm Baaaaack! I can't tell you how much I've missed blogging. It has been killing me! And I can't even blame it on the fact that I haven't had a camera. It just seems like as soon as Summer hit, I got extremely busy. Which sounds backwards, I know, since usually the pace slows down in the Summer. I'll blame it on yardsales. The fact is, the more I yardsale, the more projects I accumulate. I've been on a real roll lately with the projects, but regrettably, I keep forgetting to take BEFORE pictures. I guess I'm still so new to blogging, that the instinct to snap a pic hasn't kicked in yet. It's not until I take a break to enjoy my finished product that I stand back, and say, "Gee, I can't wait to show this on my blog..........CRAP!" Does anyone else out there suffer from this absentmindedness??

Today was one of those days when I was SUPPOSED to take a break from all of the projects and take care of the mess that has become my living space. Having the kids home from school has truly taken its toll on my poor home. I'm trying desperately to let it roll off my back, but what with my OCD thing, it's kinda, well, hard. So today, I set aside the whole afternoon to do a total sweep of the entire house - a quick clean sweep. Just tidying up actually, the deep cleaning will have to wait until Back to School. I figure, why bother, I won't even get two seconds to enjoy the cleanliness before the whole house gets torn apart again. But herein lies another problem, and please let me know if you share in this dilemma. My quick, clean-sweep/10 second tidies are taking me HOURS!!!! What's up with THAT???????? Will someone please explain this to me?

Sorry, just had to vent. So as I was saying, I had the whole afternoon set aside when.suddenly.it.happened. I was having a smooth morning. Took my spin class, dropped Amy off at Art Lessons, grabbed a cup of coffee and read the paper while I waited for Art to get over, then went to the bank to get money to pay for said lesson, and that's when it started. There was a holdup at my bank. Scary, I know, but instead of being freaked out, I left the bank parking lot, which was surrounded by police, in an OCD inspired snit. So NOW, I had to find an ATM and the closest one was a little out of the way. SOOOOO, I had to take an alternate route to pick up Amy from her lesson. That's when I spotted it. A YARDSALE! Yup, you heard me right, a middle-of-the-week, hump-day, Wednesday Yard Sale. Well, putting everything into perspective, I quickly figured out that the bank robbers actually had ME in mind when they held up the bank! They knew I would NEVER have passed that yardsale had my ATM been available.

Now, these folks hosting the yardsale were Hurricane Katrina victims who relocated here after the tragedy. They had an overwhelming response of donations from the Goodwill and were wanting to give back to the community. They had so many treasures and these dear people just wanted to find new homes for them. They graciously let me make a pile of goodies and pick my price. I settled on these things for a mere $20. So, with a nod to Bonnie and Clyde, I share with you my mid-week bargains.


A small silver bowl I filled with vintage Trifari jewelry pieces.


A mystery piece of Nippon China. If anyone knows what this is called, please tell!


Sadly, this adorable white pitcher and creamer were without the sugar bowl. I searched in vain for it, but it was nowhere to be found.


The two vases in the background still had the Kohl's stickers on the bottom, I only wanted one, but she insisted I take the other one too. I'm glad she did, because I found the perfect home for them in my new/old hutch. Also, a large distressed green bowl, that is way heavier than it looks. And, of course, I couldn't resist more old books.


I saved the best for last. This sweet cherub lamp was the first thing I saw when I got there and I quickly snatched it up, not even knowing the cost. I just refinished an old vintage desk for Amy's room and it needed a new lamp, so this one was perfect.


It's great to be back. Thanks for checking in - I can't wait to read all of your wonderfully inspiring posts! And while I'm at it, I think I'll join in the Thrifty Thursday fun over at Leigh's from Tales From Bloggeritaville. Go check out Leigh's blog for other great thrifty finds and to listen to her great background music - seriously, it's awesome!!

A Picture-less Post

Well, as you know, my poor little ole camera is at the bottom of Union Lake. And while that's great for the fish, who are busy snapping away pictures of themselves celebrating the Fourth of July, it stinks for me and my blog. So, please try not to give up on me while I save up my pennies to purchase a new one. In the meantime, I thought I'd do a little bragging. Jen, a little Sweetie from A Thrifty Home, gave me a Kreativ Blogger Award. I am positively thrilled and humbled. I now have to tell you 7 things about myself and they are supposed to be interesting.........thinking, thinking, thinking...........

1. I have a tattoo of a turtle on my right ankle. Why a turtle? Well, I decided that if I was gonna go through the process of having permanent ink etched into my skin and the pain that goes along with it, it may as well be something meaningful. When I was a kid, I was bullied alot by some kids at school because I was so tall. My Dad would say, "You're a turtle, and the turtle always wins the race! Turtle Power!!". There's a message in there somewhere, but ever since I've collected turtles.

2. I'm convinced I have OCD. I have never officially been diagnosed, but my friends call me "Rainman". I do the same thing at the same time every day. Just about. I wake up at the same time, I eat the same things, I watch the same TV shows, and I go to bed at the same time. At spin class, I have to use the same bike every time. Any variation and I become irritable. This makes weekends especially interesting.

3. I am a compulsive hand-washer (this goes along with the OCD thing).

4. I use way too much hand lotion (refer to #3).

5. Gotta get home for Wapner (just kidding)

6. I am extremely decisive. Given a choice between two things, I know almost immediately which one to choose. People who take forever to make a decision get on my nerves. Don't get me wrong, there are times when it takes me longer than 5 seconds to make up my mind. In those cases I have a good rule of thumb - always stick to the original plan.

By now you're all thinking I'm an anal-retentive psycho and wondering why you ever thought of me as a "friend", which brings me to #7:

I am on 40 miligrams of Sarafem, or what I like to call, "Mommy's Little Helper".

On a more serious note, I may not be posting, but I'm still reading all of your awesome blogs and being inspired by your wonderful creativity. Thanks for visiting and have a Happy Fourth!!!