In case you were wondering . . .

In between sick kids round 1 and 2 (we just finished round 3 - let's keep our fingers crossed that we won't have a round 4, OK?), we started a little home improvement project that I like to call -

UTTER CHAOS.

It's a good thing I'm so well-adjusted. Otherwise the mess in my house would send me to the floor in the fetal position, sucking my thumb.

It's true - I can totally handle furniture moving, disrupted kitchens and big messes with no problem. Well, kind of. There are other things that bug me more.

Things like this -

If you look closely, you'll notice that none of these socks match.

None. They're all orphans. Orphan socks. Socks which used to have an identical twin. Now that twin is nowhere to be found.

I don't get it. Where do they go? Is there some sort of black hole in the universe that only sucks in one sock at a time? IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY - why oh WHY can't the black hole take both of them? Or none. I'm good with either. Just don't leave me with mismatched socks. (Fetal position. Thumb-sucking.)

But that isn't why I called you here today. Oh no, no, no, no, NO! Today is about good stuff! Yessiree.

Good.

Stuff.

The Karenpie's are doing some redecorating - painting, refinishing of wood floors and furniture purchasing. Oh yes. We have grown up, people. No more denim! No more country! Not that country and denim aren't OK, they just aren't OK for me anymore.

We started by repainting almost the entire interior of the house! My walls were either white or this very pale sage green. We chose a color to cover it all - a kind of light coffee color. I like to call it "latte". I'm creative like that.

Here we are in the family room. Those 2 guys, Eric and Carlos, became my buds. They painted our house for me! Is that not AWESOME?

(Sorry Mom - she wants me to stop saying awesome. She's suggested alternative superlatives like terrific or amazing. She's so awesome!)

Anyway, my best buds, Eric and Carlos were here for 4 days and painted everything. I feel like I have a new house!

Family room before.

Family room after. Yes, I know. The denim is still there.

Here's what's coming in 4 -6 weeks. It's going to be aweso---- terrific. Amazing, too.

Here are some other changes.

White, blah foyer.

New arrangement with stuff I already had. Stuff that was sitting around, acting all sad because it wasn't in its proper place.

Amazing.

Here's the biggest change, however -

The office. Left picture is the desk - bulging shelves with kid's papers, old trophies and typewriters and stuff. Right picture is a blank, white wall with the most important piece of furniture in the house - the wine refrigerator. Yes, it's full.

Doesn't everyone have one of these?

New configuration in the office. The desk is now against the facing wall, instead of the wall on the left. It totally opened up the room! I also did a ton of purging and got rid of a bunch of stuff in the drawers. Our shredder has been getting a work out!

We have long-term plans for new furniture. New curtains. New STUFF. I especially have plans for some remodeling. A small addition to the house.

We need a room to hold all the mismatched socks.