Temporary Insanity

Migraines

2009-11-09T10:13:00.001-08:00

Well, I am still fighting the migraines. It is hard to look at a computer screen for more than a few minutes, and watching TV or having bright lights on is hopeless!
Yesterday, I finally managed to get in to the doctor's, and she gave me an injection of migraine medicine to help "break the cycle." They also ran a bunch of tests to try to figure out why these migraines keep happening.
I am doing a lot better today - I am able to do more things around the house. I just have to avoid the computer (this is all I'm doing today!) the TV, books, and anything that makes my brain ache! Ha ha. Hopefully this gets resolved soon - I am so bored and extremely tired all the time.
But until I am back regularly posting, enjoy these photos from our Fall Festival:

Wordless Wednesday - Christmas Blitz Sale!

2009-11-03T22:02:00.001-08:00

. . . these are just a few of the things in the Christmas Blitz Sale at The Framed Frog this week only. . .

I'm just sayin' - save a little money on those Christmas gifts! :)

more wordless fun at 5 Minutes for Mom. . .

Everybody Needs Grace

2009-11-03T10:06:00.000-08:00

Last night, a Bible conference meeting was being held at my church. My ladies' ensemble was supposed to sing a special for the service. I was still fighting a migraine headache, but decided to go and sing anyway. I knew I probably wouldn't be able to make it through the whole service, but I could at least sing a song!

We gathered before the service on stage to run through the song one last time. All of us were dressed in our Sunday best - in black and pink to match each other. Then we filed into the hallway to await our turn to sing. After the choir sang "Lord, I Believe in You", we walked out on stage to sing. All the bright lights made my head pound even more so, but we began to sing. The song was "Grace in My Hour of Need", and the words of the song intermixed with the words to the traditional "Amazing Grace". I focused on the beautiful and meaningful words of the song.

After we sang, I met my husband in the foyer to drive home so I could rest my aching head. On the way home, he mentioned that the song sounded great and that he couldn't think of a more appropriate song for our group to have sung that night. "What do you mean?" I questioned him. "Well, look at your group." he pointed out. "You are trying to work through a blinding headache right now. Another of the ladies recently went through a devastating miscarriage. Another has been through several miscarriages and has yet to be blessed with a baby of her own. One lady is doing her best to live for God, while her husband rarely attends church. Another struggles with lupus, an ailing mother, and a daughter who has been through more surgeries than any teenager should ever have to. I think it's safe to say that all of you have been given grace in your hour of need."

I thought about what he said, and realized that he was right. Perhaps someone walking into our church for the first time and seeing our group sing would think, "Look at that group of ladies all dressed nice and singing for the Lord. Do they really know what needing God's grace is all about?"

It just goes to show that everyone needs God's grace. Look around you. Who can you reach out to today? Maybe you can be the one that shows His wonderful grace to someone right now.

Catching Up

2009-11-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

My life is always busy but is especially so this time of year. I am sitting here typing this with a fever and migraine, so I'll just give you the main details of our past week to catch you up:

Friday night we had a fall festival at our church. The Spud turned out to be a pretty cute Nemo. I giggled every time I saw his fishy tail waggling behind him.

The Beast has always been a huge fan of sharks, and I was fortunate enough to find this costume at a garage sale during the summer. This shark really enjoyed roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire at the festival. That, and eating a LOT of candy...

The Drama Queen was a "girly" pirate. I got the pirate tutu and leggings from a great etsy shop Mama Runs With Scissors, and the rest we compiled from things we had at home. She loved wearing her tutu and wanted to wear it again the next day. I found out that our local department store was running a costume contest for kids age ten and under, so she got all dressed up for the occasion. And she won! Our little pirate spent her $25 gift card prize on Play-dough kits, because then she could "share them with her brothers." Ah, I have trained her well...

In other news, putting my Etsy shop on vacation for a week and spending the entire week getting my home in order was exactly what I needed. A close friend and organizing aficionado came over EVERY day to help clean and organize every room in the house. She was a powerhouse! I took an entire van-load of boxes to Good Will and another van-load to the dump. Hopefully later this week I will have pictures, but I am just in awe at how clean and uncluttered each room is. I am sitting here in MY living room, with almost no toys in sight. It is glorious!

And now The Framed Frog is back from vacation and running a fabulous Christmas Blitz sale all this week. Thirty-four items are on sale - french memo boards, photo frames, paintings, trains, etc., all of which make great Christmas gifts! And I have a SPECIAL OFFER for my blog followers! Purchase any of the items in the sale section in my shop and tell me in the Notes to Seller box that you follow my blog, and I will give you half-price shipping! Just a little way to say thank you for following my blog. :) (and if this is your first time here, go ahead and follow my blog to get the discount!)

And finally this post is my 200th post! Who would have thunk it? Next week, I will have been blogging faithfully (more or less) for a whole year! I am looking forward to so many things - mainly this migraine and fever to go away. :) Happy Monday, all!

Wordless Wednesday - pumpkin massacre

2009-10-27T20:50:00.001-07:00

wearing Daddy's shirts and scraping vigilantly with spoons, the offspring have created a new family out of pumpkins. Meet Goofy Dad, Spider Mom, Angry Beast, Joyful Drama Queen, and "My Life is Crazy" Spud.

more wordless fun at 5 Minutes for Mom...

The Framed Frog Will Be Back

2009-10-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

For those who haven't noticed, the Etsy shop button on my sidebar is blank. No, I haven't closed down my shop permanently. I just put it on vacation for a week so that I could get a few other things done, and get ready for the Christmas season for my shop.

It has been a great blessing already. Without the shop to worry about or orders to work on, I can focus on some things that desperately need help around here. With the help of a good friend, I have already completely cleaned and reorganized two rooms in the house, and today we are tackling the next two. It feels good to finally get to the things that have been put off for months!

But be sure to check out The Framed Frog next Monday, November 1st. My shop will be coming back from vacation with a bang, and a Christmas Blitz sale will be running then. Lots of great deals on Christmas gifts such as photo frames, memo boards, and custom name trains will be available.

For now, the closets are calling!

Little Brother

2009-10-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

Ever since the Spud started walking (um, I mean running!), he has been working hard to fulfill his duties as pesky little brother. No book, toy, or quiet play is safe from this new master of havoc and destruction! He steals his siblings' food right off the table. He sits on a book when you are trying to read it. He gleefully topples block towers that have taken his sister a long time to build.

It is no wonder then that the Drama Queen gets just a little frustrated with her little brother. "Mom, make him stop!" I often hear her wail. And sometimes she gets a little carried away and tries to discipline the Spud herself. I remind her that her little brother is still just a baby and that we need to be patient with him. I know how she feels, having grown up with a couple of little brothers myself.

So, the other day the Drama Queen was hard at work using every Mega Blok in the box to build the most awesome tower ever. The Spud made a few unsuccessful attempts to destroy the tower, and then he saw his chance. The Drama Queen turned around to check for any extra blocks, and as she did so, the Spud careened into the table and completely demolished her building.

Her response?
"Mo-om!" she wailed. "He's wrecking my future!" :)

Wordless Wednesday - our new neighbor

2009-10-20T22:26:00.001-07:00

yeah, we didn't send him the welcome wagon or anything...

Reclaiming Our Living Room

2009-10-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

I used to be quite pleased with our living room's decor. It was the only room completely finished and decorated, and I loved sitting in it after the kids had gone to bed, catching up on email or TV shows and drinking some yummy chai tea.

But now the aliens have taken over my favorite room in the house. Three little aliens with a whole LOT of stuff, to be exact. As I sit here on our comfy leather couch, there is not a single direction I can look without seeing all their stuff. I'm tired of it - the little aliens are even overwhelmed by it, and it's time to make a change.

They don't know it yet - although there has certainly been some clues - but over half of their toys are leaving this house. We are taking our living room back! I have filled several large plastic containers with their toys and stuck them in the garage to be sorted through. The toys that survive the cut will be stored in the garage and only brought out for "dollhouse day" or "train day" or building blocks day."

So suddenly, I need to come up with a new solution for the living room. The room basically has been designed around all these toys, and so I am trying to figure out how to best use the space that will be freed up. Last night we hit IKEA in hopes of figuring out the perfect idea for our space. We left with lots of ideas but no concrete ones yet. Basically we are moving out a large toy storage unit and replacing it with. . . an entertainment center? a storage unit with locks that the kiddies can't open? a sofa bed to provide more seating plus a sleeping area for naps/guests? We are still not sure what the best option is yet - I will post pics of the space later and perhaps you all can chip in with your ideas.

Beyond reclaiming our living room as a mostly adult space, we have been talking about getting rid of a lot of the toys for another reason. Our kiddies, especially the Drama Queen, have seemed a little "entitled" lately. Just last week, Grandma brought over some new toys for the kids to enjoy. I was shocked and embarrassed to hear my daughter ask, "What else did you bring me, Grandma?" At Sunday School, she thinks that she deserves to get a special treat every week. I've observed her and the Beast go from one toy to the next, none of which hold their attention span for more than a few minutes. It's time to get this under control. I want my children to realize that you don't just get everything you want - things come with hard work and wise choices.

I expect the Drama Queen will not be pleased with the changes we are about to make. She will probably have a few "moments" but will get with the program fairly quickly. I dare say that the Beast will not even notice. He's usually too busy playing with things that are not toys! And the Spud's too young to really care.

I can't wait to get my room back!

Hurry Home

2009-10-15T11:25:00.001-07:00

Excitement

Anticipation

Love

Hurry back from San Diego, Daddy! We missed you so much and can't wait to see you tonight! (oh, and Momma is just a little too eager to see you as well. She says she misses you but we all know that she just can't wait to pass us off to you for a while) :)

Multiple Personalities

2009-10-13T06:14:00.000-07:00

Heard over the kids' room monitor:

The Beast aka "Davey": "Hey, Davey, you wanna soda?"

(pause)

The Beast aka "Davey": "Why, sure, I wanna soda."

(pause)

The Beast aka "Davey": "Momma! Davey wants a soda!"

uh yeah. Just a little more evidence that our son may indeed be schizophrenic. . .

A Kaleidoscope of Fall Color

2009-10-11T21:25:00.001-07:00

We had the perfect day to visit the pumpkin patch on Saturday - beautiful, sunny, with just a touch of chill to the weather. The most adorable children featured below enjoyed choosing a pumpkin, petting various animals (the Drama Queen fell in love with the sweet chicks), eating cider donuts and kettle corn, and posing endlessly for Momma's relentless camera. So most of the pictures feature the one and only Spud? Sorry, I can't help the little guy is so cute and more than willing to pose for photos. . .

. . . and what better way to end our annual fall excursion taking a walk with Daddy by the pond? That, and maybe just one more cider donut. . .

Wordless Wednesday - my little Spud

2009-10-06T21:49:00.001-07:00

isn't he the cutest thing ever?

Introducing Wally

2009-10-05T21:54:00.000-07:00

We have a new addition to our family. Well, he's actually been here now about two weeks, which has amazed me to no end. We have tried adding new members like him to our family before, but they all came to a quick demise.

Take Carl the Caterpillar Senior, for example. We captured him right off our front door and gave him a little plastic container as a new home. The kids loved him and probably gave him a little too much "love", as I discovered him "legs up" the next morning. A few days later, we managed to snag Carl the Caterpillar Junior (the Drama Queen is not the most creative name producer) and gave him the same container. He seemed much more tolerant of the exuberant "petting" and gawking from the kids. After three days, however, he crawled in between two leaves and covered himself in a filmy gray stuff. I thought perhaps he was building a cocoon of sorts, but we soon realized that Carl Jr. had bit the dust. Literally. My kids aren't old enough to really understand death; I explained that Carl Jr. had to go back outside to his own family.

I was really done with the whole Carl thing and really didn't want any more creepy crawly family members. Nevertheless, my man caught a woolly bear caterpillar a couple of days later and introduced him to the kiddies as Wally. This time I did some research on the computer and learned that woolly bears like to eat crumbled green leaves and are most comfortable in an environment with twigs and dirt in which to burrow. We set up Wally's container accordingly (thank you Gladware!) and have been watching the fat furry fellow ever since. The Drama Queen is in charge of his leafy food and remembers without any help to check each day to see if he needs more leaves.

So, for the inevitably short time you will be with us, Wally, welcome to our home. You have probably noticed it is not a very quiet or orderly place most of the time. Just so you know, we relish the time the kids go to sleep as much as you do. You can thank me for making the rule "We never poke Wally". I am trying to make your stay as comfortable as possible. Please do the same for me by not escaping from that container! :)

It's My Life

2009-10-05T08:56:00.000-07:00

Oh, you know you've heard it before. "It's my life!" someone will declare. "I don't see why they care so much about how I live it." Maybe you've even said it yourself. No one has a right to tell you how to live your life, right? After all, no one really knows your "situation" like you do, and they couldn't possibly know what it is like to walk in your shoes for a day.

Wrong. It is not YOUR life, and never has been, not from the day you were born. Like it or not, there are other people who depend on your life, watch your life, and are affected by your life every day. When you make a big decision to change your life, it doesn't just affect you - it affects everyone around you. Our pastor was preaching on this subject last night and gave this verse: Romans 14:7-8 - "For none of us liveth unto himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord, and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's."

If a faithful Christian gets hit with a hardship and uses it as an excuse to quit going to church, he may think that it's no big deal. It's his life, after all! But who knows how many other Christians were relying on his faithful churchgoing to inspire and encourage them? How much easier is it going to be for that brand-new Christian to fall when his formerly faithful friend is no longer there to lift him up? And he himself is going to be much more susceptible to the devil's pulls when he is not surrounded by his fellow Christians.

As our pastor spoke on this important truth, it made me think about how it specifically applies to moms. As a momma to three little ones, I certainly cannot say "It's my life!" Every decision I make affects them. When they see the choices I make, they in turn will make similar choices in their lives. Take nutrition for example. I can set a plate full of fruits and veggies and grains in front of my children, and then give myself a fatty cheeseburger and fries, thinking that it is no big deal. After all, they are eating healthy foods, and if I want to wreck my body with junk food, I should be able to have that choice. But I don't have the freedom to make that choice. If I do, two things will happen that WILL affect my children - 1) they will see the choices I make and emulate them later on in life, and 2) they will have an unhealthy mother that is not able to care for them as well and may even die early because of unhealthy food choices.

I'm not trying to preach here - that's the pastor's job! :) But I was even more deeply affected by this message because I have been thinking a lot lately about how much the world and the media have changed the mom's role in life. Professors, talk show hosts, and even commercials work hard to convince mothers that if they are "just" stay-at-home moms, they do not have a fulfilling life. Supposedly if mothers don't follow their dreams and have a life outside their family, they are "suppressed" and "unfulfilled." I recently saw an episode of Dr. Phil in which he interviewed a mother who, after her divorce, left her ex-husband to raise their children so she could travel the world and write a book. It was always her dream to travel and write, but having a family and staying at home was holding her back from her dream. So she left the family to fulfill her dreams, but at what cost? Her daughters grew up without a mom present in the house. She set an example of abandoning responsibility to do what she wanted, and I would not be surprised to see her teen daughters follow their mother's example. I do not think this mother realizes how many lives are affected by the decision that she made.

And so I approach my day today with much prayer and great caution. How will I speak to my children today? What will they observe their mother doing? How will simple decisions I make today affect the people in my life?

It is not MY life. It is the Lord's first, and then my husband's, and children's, and family's, and friends'. . .God, may I make wise choices and live for You today.

Wordless Wednesday - my little baker

2009-09-30T07:11:00.001-07:00

guess who made Grandma's birthday cake with minimal help from Momma?

Not Me Monday -

2009-09-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here sipping my morning smoothie and contemplating the previous week. Time for a little "Not Me" therapy! It's always relaxing and completely freeing all at the same time. You may want to see how many others are releasing their stress through "Not Me" therapy and perhaps join in yourself. Nothing like not really admitting to anything!

First of all, I would just like to say that I am not sitting here gloating that my fantasy football team decimated my hubby's team 144 to 86. No, not me! That would certainly not be very Christ-like even though he should have been better prepared to lose to such an awesome team as the Fightin' Frogs!

And I am not here drinking a smoothie for breakfast because the man and I have finally made a commitment to eat healthier and become generally more healthy people. Nope, not me! Everyone knows that this girl cannot resist junk food and especially anything sweet. So obviously I have not been tediously recording everything I eat in my "Lose It!" application on my I-phone.

Because of course I would not have worked hard to convince my hubby that I needed an I-phone. Now. I would not have agreed to pay out of my contract so I could get one. And naturally, if I had, I would not have been sitting up late at night playing with all the applications that the glorious I-phone comes with. As if!

It is not me that uses my children as slave labor, making the 2-year-old do mountains of laundry. He most certainly would not agree to pose for such a photo so it must be a very skilled use of photoshop.

And finally, I absolutely did not get the deals of the century on the kiddies' winter wardrobe this year at the local consignment sale. I mean, $8 for a brand-new Old Navy coat? $2 for Gap jeans for the Beast? $1 for a brand-new Carters blazer for the Drama Queen? Pretty unbelievable, I must say. Nope, not me!

Are you "not me-ing" today?

Green Shoes

2009-09-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

The Drama Queen has been begging for a pair of green shoes. Currently her favorite color is green, and she already has a green jacket, green coat, several green shirts, and a green star necklace.

And while I would love to give my little girl anything she wants, it's hard to justify spending money on a pair of shoes that will not match everything. Especially a pair of shoes from the oh-so-cute but oh-so-pricey Gymboree.

Last night I went shopping for the kids' fall/winter clothing. We have this fantastic huge consignment sale twice a year here, and I usually sell enough to pay for the kids "new" clothes. I always make a list of each child's needs before I go and set myself a budget. This year the budget for all three little ones was $100.00. I was thrilled to find everything on my list - from winter coats (brand-new) to shoes to skirts that were actually long enough to keep my little girl modest. The total for the 35 items I was purchasing was $95.00. And then, the Drama Queen saw them. The coveted green shoes from Gymboree! I checked the size - just right - and there was exactly enough money left in the budget to get them.

I am thankful for the big things in my life - my familly, my home, my church, our vehicles. But every once in a while I can be thankful for the little things. Thank you God for green shoes!

Loaded Questions

2009-09-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

Recently my father-in-law received a board game entitled "Loaded Questions" for his birthday, and we were able to put it to the test at some family gatherings. The premise of the game is simple - answer the question and hope that no one guesses that it is your answer. Basically, on each turn, a moderator (changes each turn) reads aloud a question and everyone else writes down their own personal answer to the question. Another player reads aloud all the answers, and the moderator must guess who wrote which answer. Questions range from "What do you complain about most?" to " What is the best purchase you ever made?" It is the perfect game for a lot of discussion and laughter.

I myself have been pondering some loaded questions recently:
1) Is white tea a marketing gimmick? Is there really such a thing as white tea leaves that supposedly make a milder and healthier tea? Come on, people, have you tasted that stuff? It tastes like water with a little added flavor. Personally I think someone made it up, bottling flavored water and selling it at ridiculously high prices as "white tea."
2) And now to the coffee creamer. I recently purchased a bottle of Limited Edition Pumpkin Pie Spice creamer for the fridge. Seriously, folks? "Limited Edition?" What - should I run out to the store and buy up all the pumpkin pie spice creamer before anyone else does because they are collector's items and marked "limited edition"? Isn't all coffee creamer "limited edition" anyway - limited by its expiration date?
3) Should I cut the Spud's hair? His luscious blonde curls are starting to get rather long. Every day someone stops me to tell me how adorable my little girl is. I am afraid that if I cut it, all the curl will go away. Ah, decisions, decisions,...
4) Why are people always asking me what my secret is to my kiddies' good behavior in public? There is no secret, people - you just happened to catch us on a good day. Either that, or I've discovered a new source of bribery - recent bribes have included a trip to the pet store, licorice, "special" papers to color when we get home, and an extra half-hour of tv. And I'm just curious - was everyone oblivious when the Beast threw a major tantrum just minutes ago?

What questions are weighing on your mind today? Share in the comments please!

Wordless Wednesday - why I stay up late at night

2009-09-23T01:47:00.000-07:00

30 pairs of shoes and 110 items of clothing - washed, ironed, hung, and tagged for the big fall consignment sale this weekend. . .

and for more wordless fun visit 5 Minutes for Mom...

Seen on a Leather Couch

2009-09-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

Drama Queen - "Daddy, are you asleep yet? How about now? Are you tired, Daddy? Wanna play a game with me?"

The men - (snoring)

The lady in the kitchen - (smiling, and then recruiting a very chatty little girl to help her finish making dinner)

Mission Mommyhood

2009-09-19T09:25:00.001-07:00

I have a bit of an unnatural obsession with mommy jewelry. Show me a beautiful piece of jewelry with my angels' names on it, and I want it. Badly! I especially love unique pieces, like the gorgeous spoon handle necklace my hubby purchased for me for Mother's Day.

Isn't this mommy necklace just stunning? I love the slight distressing of the metal and the lovely pearls!

This mommy necklace and many other beautiful pieces of certified mommy jewelry are hand-made by Heather at Mission Mommyhood on Etsy. Heather not only makes unique and gorgeous jewelry, but she is also unique in the fact that she herself is not a mommy. Yet. She has been making her mommy pieces now for a long time, all the while longing for a sweet baby of her own. As a teacher, she is daily surrounded by other people's children, but she has yet to come home to her own precious baby. Heather and her husband have been troopers through the infertility treatments, and now they know that their only option is in-vitro. Which, folks, is a pretty spendy treatment. It costs between $15,000 and $20,000 - way more than Heather and her husband can afford. Instead of feeling worry for herself and having a giant pity party (which I think she is totally entitled to, by the way!), Heather has launched her mommy jewelry shop called Mission Mommyhood to help pay for the in-vitro. She estimates that she needs to sell about 500 pieces to fund the in-vitro costs.

She has sold about fifty jewelry items already. Besides mommy jewelry, Heather makes beautiful hand-stamped pieces as well, including the clever coffee cup design on the earrings shown above.

Will you help Heather in her quest to mommyhood? If you are unable to purchase something from her shop, you can at least get the word out to others through blogging, twitter, facebook, etc.

I would love to see her announce on her Etsy shop - "Mission Accomplished!"

Some Inspiration to all You Crafters Out There

2009-09-17T09:06:00.001-07:00

Inspired yet?? There's still time to enter The Fantastic Froggy Fall Craft Contest! Just email me with your craft idea for one of the four categories described here, and you could win Starbucks cards and a host of awesome goodness from The Framed Frog.

I need people to spread the word too, so head on over to the contest post and leave me a comment on how you blogged about, tweeted about, or mentioned it on Facebook.

I need some more entries! Help me out please!

Wordless Wednesday - playdough birthday cake

2009-09-15T23:23:00.000-07:00

ah, the sheer joy of molding homemade play clay and various accessories into a "birthday cake" for Mommy, and then having her "blow out" the candles a bazillion times. . .

more wordless fun at 5 Minutes for Mom...

Design Style

2009-09-14T00:37:00.000-07:00

HGTV has become my channel of choice lately. I love watching all of the home makeovers, getting ideas for my own space and getting jealous of those who have the money to pour into their own spaces. :) I also enjoy watching Divine Design and other HGTV shows to get inspiration for the pieces I create for my shop The Framed Frog.

Anyway, I also enjoy a little reality tv here and there; so The Next HGTV Design Star was the perfect show to watch and unwind after church on Sunday evenings. Talk about great design ideas! I became a big fan of Loni's beautiful graphics that she painted on the walls and the interesting furniture that Dan and Antonio built themselves.

And then, after a little catching up on my blog-reading, I found that Monica at The Writer Chic also had been keeping up with The Next HGTV Design Star. She has been doing some fabulous things to her master bedroom, and I love her design style. She posted her results to a design style quiz she had taken at HomeGoods.com, and I was intrigued enough to take the quiz myself.
Here are my results:

"Jeanette, you are an Elegant Classic

You have a refined sensibility with an appreciation for history and tradition in your furniture and your rooms. You value beauty, things that are well crafted, and family heirlooms. You are visually sensitive and understand how symmetry and a formal layout give order to a room, and hence your home is refined and calming. You are not taken in by the trends of the moment. You go for things with a timeless appeal, and appreciate old-fashioned virtues like manners and handwritten notes and making a home that is welcoming for others.

You value creativity. You are stylish and fun loving, and can be an inspiration to others. You have a natural sense of drama, and you know you have to be willing to take risks—whether with colors, finishes, furniture choices, or ideas—for your home to stand out. Your home can be happy and lively and the place all of your friends want to be."

Hmmm....I am not sure about the elegant and refined part. I think the second paragraph completely describes my sense of style. I absolutely love color and have banished the white walls in most of our little home. In fact, I am sitting here now trying to think of where in our home I can incorporate that beautiful green color Antonio used in the bedroom in The Next HGTV Design Star finale.

What is your design style?