You're gonna need [eye] protection

For almost three years I've spent countless hours (and dollars) re-doing just about every part of my house EXCEPT my bedroom. Other than a new coat of paint, it's been largely ignored--especially by hot guys. But that's another post. Today, it's a uninspiring collection of tired furniture, a recently relocated teal-colored leather recliner, a dog crate, a couple of lamps, a big plant, a TV and one pretty expensive but lonely piece of art. Wait, why am I telling you? I'll just show you...




Pretty sad, I know. To fix it, I'm channeling the combined wisdom of Martha Stewart and Bob Vila and embarking on a series of steps to a complete bedroom makeover. The first step: the windows. They're boring. And bare. After much consideration and consultation with my trusty-but-not-so-engineeringly-inclined sidekick Doug, I've decided I'm going to make a cornice from scratch. Or at least that's the plan. I'm going to build them, add some batting and cover them in a really nice chocolate suede (which I've already purchased). Later, I'll add some sheers with splashes of color that I'll sprinkle throughout the rest of the room. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I have the plans printed. I've purchased all the materials, including the plywood, which, along with about 20 splinters, I picked up last night at Home Depot. And starting this weekend, I'll build. There will be power tools involved. Sharp, dangerous ones. And a staple gun. And more than likely, six or seven more trips to Home Depot and possibly a visit to the emergency room. Best of all, the instructions say something about finding (and nailing) a stud. Or something like that. This should be interesting.

Stay tuned.