Tuesday, July 16, 2013

The Ol' Husband and Wife Home Decorating Miss-Communication....


Okay so my husband is gone at Summer Camp (he's a youth pastor- remember?) and coincidentally I'm long overdue on a vent-sesh...

Since Shawn and I have been married (7 years- if you haven't read THAT post, you're in for a real treat!) we have had BED issues. Okaaaaaay, c'mon... get your head out of the gutter... I'm talking legitimate bed, as in where we lie down to go to sleep- issues. As in he has been complaining about our sleep situation for seven. flippin'. years. It's enough to drive a woman insane. I mean, I can sleep anywhere, on anything. I am part narcoleptic I think... Come to think of it I actually fell asleep at a 1997 Blink 182 concert ("Kenna! Wake up! It's time to go, the show's over!" -Kenna's ex boyfriend). I recently slept in my daughters crib and no, I'm not joking. (Yes she was in it- I'm not a total freak!)

At first it was that Shawn hated my mattress protector. He said it made him "sweaty". So I took it off. Next he said the bed was, "Waaaay too soft." I pointed him towards the couch and relished in the softness of my Sealy Black Label Pillow Top as this was one of my only big purchases as a single woman and was purchased at a time when pillow tops were the Sleep Number of mattresses! I felt like we could definitely get a few more years out of the mattress so I put my foot down and said we were keeping it.

A year goes by and a sweet lady from our church calls and offers us a brand new mattress. Shawn was jumping up and down and hello, how could I say no to free? I couldn't, I tried. So out with my amazing pillow top and in with... well, the opposite of a pillow top. I'm pretty sure it was called the Rock Top. I thought I could sleep on anything until we got the Rock Top. A month later my birthday rolled around and I bought myself a memory foam mattress topper from Costco. Brought it home and bam... perfection- we were both happy with our bed for the first time in 5 years.

After a week though we started realizing the memory foam topper slid around a lot. It would move its way down the bed and cause our pillows to slide down in between our bed and our "head board" (we'll get to why this is in quotes in a minute...) Shawn was losing his mind over his disappearing pillows and would ask me at 2 a.m., "Where are my PILLOWS Kenna- I need them!" Please don't ever try talking to me at 2 a.m.... unless it is the night before a party and we're up hot gluing some last minute details. Any other circumstance, and it's a bad idea.

THE HEADBOARD...

We've never owned like a REAL bed frame. I actually don't know if in all of my life I've even owned a REAL bed frame. I've owned futons a plenty... but a big bed frame just hasn't come in to my possession. So when we moved to Orcutt, I took this bamboo divider I had and put it behind our bed. I liked the look and it was the perfect fit- another reason to never buy a bed frame I figured. The problem with this was that it wasn't connected to the actual bed and because of that the memory foam topper was sliding down the end of the bed... we had a gap... and well, you get the point.

To be honest, it never even bothered me. Like I said. Pillow? No pillow? I'm asleep, who cares. But Shawn kept telling me we needed a new head board. Finally I agreed and I told him we'd put aside a little savings for one... and I started doing some research.

And this part of the story is actually what this post is about... (the rest was my intro.)

Over the course of the next few weeks (2 months ago) I showed him a bunch of head boards I liked... he seemed to like them too? I assumed we were in the deciding/saving process of the headboard purchase and since I knew this was a big deal to him I wanted him to weigh in on the designs too... I personally was really hoping for something like one of these...

                                              Camden Tufted Headboard by Ballard Designs

I mean, in a dream world I'd have loved to have found something like this at an antique store- I was willing to do some serious searching for something perfect!


Of course, this was a stretch, but I'd pinned it- which means I needed it...

Headboard by Casa Midy

All I really cared about was that at the end of the day Shawn would look like the first picture in the post... well, and that the headboard would GO with the rest of our house... like the old wannabe one pretty much kind of did...


I thought I was open to so many head board ideas- until that is- I came home to the handmade-by-Shawn ALL WOOD FENCE POST HEADBOARD. Mr. Pinterest himself came up with his own idea for a head board, our head board. Lord help me. Have I mentioned he's handy? And a man's man? A deadly combination for home decorating...


So I walked in the house after a long day of waitressing and my son yelled, "Me and Daddy made you something today!" I looked at them both puzzled and confused.... I hadn't even asked for anything... what in the world could it be? Well, let me go through the things that popped in to my head. #1- Finally- a Party Shed (I knew it was a stretch they made it in 6 hours but I though at least a start would be nice?) #2- new shelving in the Party Cave (Early birthday gift?) #3- closet remodel?!

Cormac took me to my bedroom and pointed at what I am now referring to as Wilson's Headboard (Makes me think some creeper is going to be peeking over it?)


As I stood and stared at said head board I couldn't quite find the words I needed to say thank you to my two handy men... I mean, it was a fence... attached to my bed. Shawn thought it was amazing. Cormac was yelling, "What color are we painting it?" and I was trying my hardest to not sound like a total jerk and ask, "What happened to the headboards we loved online?"

Shawn must have repeated, "It was less than $50.00 and solves all of the pillow problems!" like, I don't know... 100 times. I guess the boys in the house had a momentary lapse of memory on how I kind of care about our home decor...

And here's the thing. They LOVE it. Cormac feels involved in making me something "I wanted". Shawn feels like he solved all the world's pillow problems. And I'm all... WOW, did I mention it's a fence... attached to our bed!

And so ok, I know headboards are oh-so-makeable and this is a solid base I could add on to. I see tutorials for making headboards on Pinterest all the time. I've known a lot of people to make them and they've turned out pretty good. To be honest I've tried to upholsterer a few things in the past and hated the process... and never liked the outcome because I am a perfectionist...

Here are my current thoughts... I could paint it gloss black and add some gold glitter to the tops of all of the posts (juxtaposition?), change up our bedding (which I've been wanting to do) and maybe then I'd love it...? Or screw some picture frames to it and make it an "eclectic" look? I could include Cormac in the process of both of these, a major plus? Work with me!

What do YOU think? Remember, Shawn's at camp...

xo Party or Die xo
kenna


24 comments:

  1. HA HA HA!!!! That is SO my dad!!!

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  2. Oh my...I don't know...can you take it down and cut off the tops??? Or just say you don't like it and not be angry for years, lol. PS I have a bed frame and a memory foam pad and I always lose my pillow. My husband doesn't have this problem

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    1. So good to know we're not the only ones with disappearing pillow issues!! I was thinking I could cut off the tops... not sure it would help much, but a start?

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  3. I'd say, "That's a lovely start to the new fence, hon. Now let's take it back outside and get this fence party started!" I feel for you!

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    1. I might go with the fire idea... I mean, fires... they happen, and it's very sad when they do?

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    2. Yes! Perfect! It's a base. Now Kenna-it-up and make it great!

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  4. so sweet...how about draping some sort of garland across it? or something like this?

    http://pinterest.com/pin/77405687314931730/

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    1. I like this idea a lot! I could do a variety of things with this- picture garland even? Good thought, thanks.

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  5. Maybe cut the tops and find ornate antique looking pieces (like in your "perfect world dream antique store find" picture), and attach them somehow framing the headboard? or all at the top? eh, long shot idea, but worth a mention.

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    1. Love this idea- maybe a trip to Los Olivos is in order for me to do some antiquing!?

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  6. Hahahaaaaaaa!!! That is the funniest thing ever! I have a Shawn, I call him Tracy.....but he's the same way! Mentioned I need some of those comfy long summer maxi dresses....he comes home with one, in black - perfect for summer weather - and it was 2 sizes too big and when I mention that its too be, he tells me that I can just wear it around the house. Nice. Nice. That being said.....

    We have options....You could take it down and use it for a party backdrop....I'm thinking woodland, nautical, camping....

    Or, cut the top part of with a saw....and work with some of these ideas - I made a Pinterest board of ideas for you - will send it PM

    http://pinterest.com/pin/243757398554541626/

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    1. Oh Shawn would die if I asked him for a specific piece of clothing like a maxi dress.

      I like the woodland, camping backdrop idea- but I am TRYING to keep it as our head board if at all possible, just because my son did "help" build it for me...

      I actually love the pin you included the link too- love how they hung stuff from the top!! Not sure I could handle that much wood- need a color to paint it for sure!!

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  7. Ha! I was wondering what the headboard looked like. He called Josh to help him move it inside. Wonder what Josh's thoughts were on it? I'm sure he had an opinion or two!!! That fence headboard may fit in my house, but you'll definately need to glam it up if it stays in yours! Lol!!!

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    1. I totally blame Josh. Can't believe he let this happen to me.

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  8. Oh my gosh Kenna, I laughed so hard at this post, that is hilarious. I like the garland idea above (once you paint it maybe?).

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    1. Yes, I am moving towards a garland for sure... I actually have a list of ideas I'm researching today! I'll text you the finished pic.

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  9. Great post, I can totally see you making this headboard "your" headboard Kenna...I love the idea of the frames. Also the ornate antique pieces. You can do this...grab it and go with it!!

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    1. One can hope I can make it "mine"! I love a good challenge!!

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  10. He shared the pillow dilemma with me as he and Nick were lying on my bed asking if they could take a nap.. of course, I said no!!! What a sweet thought- poor listening effort on his part. I am sure as you keep looking at it and researching- a great idea will come to you and hopefully it will loved by both of you ( maybe Cormac too)!!

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    1. LOL, love that he tried to nap in your bed... If he could text beds for a living, he would...

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  11. I like the shiny black idea with glitter at the top. I also thought of a couple other ideas, shabby chic white with the pictures, or barbie pink with turquoise framed pictures. or visa versa. There is also the idea of incorporating your shiny black & white stripes. Just a few ideas to play with.

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  12. Okay, kenna. Here I am checking out your blog for the first time. I, LOVE the fence idea! However, for my baby's room....its a barnyard theme. for your room? i like the black and gold idea, however, will it get old? Maybe try out the eclectic look first....u can always paint over it.....just a thought

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  13. Don't do anything... He MADE it for you. That probably means a lot to him. I would wait it out. Tell him how thankful you are that he went to so much effort for you, and then after a little while (maybe a few weeks) ask him if it could be shorter (in case you want to put pictures up or something). Then maybe ask if you could cover it in fabric, or paint it or something. You know, girl it up. I wouldn't tell him you don't like it if he went to all that effort...

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  14. Hey Kenna,

    I know this is a reply to a long-ago post, but I couldn't help myself. I loved this post. It made me laugh so hard. It reminds me of so many things in my marriage. The worst one was when Brian got me a picture he thought I'd love for over the couch in our living room. Soooo bad. I had to live with that picture for the next ten years or so and I sooo did not love it. The things we do for love. I was thinking you could shape the wood like the picture of first one (in Mad Men), do some other temporary fix and then, after a while, upholster it. Please post a picture of what you've done with it! Patti (Laura Marshall Kim's mom... yes, my girls let me keep up with them via their FB accts.)

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