ta-da...here it is!

So you know I've been working on my living room and dining room, and if you are tired of me posting about it, I apologize. Well, not really. It has been an exciting and busy week as I worked like a dog to get it done. But, finished it is and I can relax.

Here is another look at the BEFORE. See? Awkward furniture placement, pale yellow walls and rooms that didn't relate. It was like they were speaking foreign languages and I was supposed to be the interpreter and it wasn't happening. I only speak English, folks.

Here is an in-process picture. Ta-DA!!! Here it is all put back together! Isn't it pretty? The paint color turned out exactly the way I wanted. It blends nicely with the beige couches I already owned and didn't want to slipcover. The accent colors are green, burnt orange and gold, which are all coming from the rug I found at Tuesday Morning. Actually, it was a rug set. It came with the big 8x10 rug and a little hall runner that I put in my very skinny foyer (which will get painted to match, but I didn't have that much time, people!)
That ottoman in the center used to be navy blue and went with a couch I gave to Goodwill. Since I wasn't using blue in this room, I found some fabric and spent a very brave afternoon covering it. I was introduced to a power staple gun and I liked it! But, that is a whole other post that we will get to next week.

The little table that is between the couches is a yard sale find for $4. I am going to shorten it a little and give it a more even coat of paint, but it makes a great end table when I didn't have a lot of money to spend on one.
Here are my Mistreatments! (And, I added my blinkie on the sidebar to prove it!) I know you have been waiting for these to see what I did with that silk I showed you. Well, I sewed it on to some tap-top curtains I got at Target. Actually, my Momma sewed them for me with her brand new sewing machine. And she ironed them ever so carefully, cause she is like that. I would have just throw them up there, but she has made peace with her iron, so I let her do it. Like my ring clips and curtain rod? Well, the ring clips are fine, but that curtain rod was a nightmare! Seriously, I about ruined my wall and I may have cursed out loud. Not really, but I thought it.

The curtain rod was a purchase at Ross, and I normally don't go in there much since I am such a TJ Maxx nut, but in there I went and found that rod for $12.95. About $30 cheaper than a nice one I had seen at Lowe's, so I grabbed it. My mistake. The screws snapped in half, the finial had to be hot glued on, and I turned the chipped side from where my husband dropped it to the wall. The screw snapped while I was screwing it in, and I took the head off with my screwdriver, but the rest of the screw is still in the wall.

I left it there.

Here is my photo collage in the dining room. I stole the white frames idea from Emily and used it here on the wall that is soooo big. I scrounged everywhere for white frames but the frame industry seems to be really prejudiced against them cause they are hard to find! All I could find at Hobby Lobby were frames with sayings on them, and I ended up buying some black ones at Michael's and using my trusty spray-paint.

Don't you feel bad for my husband, Charlie, that his initial is not up there? So sad. He cried.

Um, not really. I told him that my frames were out of balance and I grabbed that from the kitchen. Maybe I will find a C somewhere. And, can anyone identify what kind of dog my MIL is holding in the photo of me, Charlie and his parents? Comment (by Tuesday at noon) and tell me...those correct will have their names put in a hat and a prize given.

I think it all turned out well. But, I need help on what to do with this HUMOUNG ... HUMOUNGOUS ....HUMUNGOUS...um, large wall that currently has nothing on it. I need some ideas, folks. It is big and I am out of decorating brain cells at this moment.