{Five Reasons Why THM May Not be Working} It Might be Your Thyroid.

I'm not even gonna try to explain why it's taken me so long to write Reason Two of this series of posts I promised you I'd write months ago.

Sometimes you can manage to do ONLY that which keeps your children alive, one moment at a time, know what I mean?

2014 has been one of those "barely keeping the children alive" kinds of years, but I'm finally breathing some fresh air at the end of this mine shaft that's included starting a new part-time job, reinventing an old business, and just some other crazy nonsense that you don't want to know about.

But SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT MY ADRENAL GLANDS ARE GETTING YET ANOTHER WORKOUT because that is the ONLY way I know how to roll.

Which brings me to the point of this blog post... There are five reasons I can think of why you may not be losing weight, in spite of faithfully following Trim Healthy Mama to a T (or an S or an E, I should say...hehe, get it?) and the first of those reasons is that it might be your adrenal glands. So if you, like me, have been massively stressed out with absolutely NO relief for WAY too long, it's PROBABLY your adrenal glands wigging out on you, so start with this post HERE:

#1 Reason Trim Healthy Mama Might Not Be Working: Adrenal Fatigue.

The thing is, your adrenal glands and your thyroid work so closely together that they're like two cells on your car battery: when one is drained, so is the other. To fill up one, you have to fill up the other. 

At least that's the way an amateur medical expert with a PhD, from the University of Google, understands it. And I also have my IMD (*Imaginary Medicinae Doctor) from BlogLovin, just so you know. Yes, I know it's impressive that I have so many advanced degrees but I try not to make a big deal out of it.

*I'm just kidding. In case it's not painfully obvious, I'm not a doctor and therefore unable to diagnose or prescribe. But it won't stop me from believing... 

The list of hypothyroid symptoms is UNBELIEVABLY long, but these are just a few from hypothyroidmom.com... 

• Chronic fatigue
• Less stamina
• Long recovery period after any activity
• Inability to concentrate
• Sleep apnea
• Snoring
• Insomnia
• Need naps in the afternoon
• Weakness
• Wake feeling tired
• Frequently oversleep

And the symptom most concerning to us non-weight-losing-Trim-Healthy-Mamas *****drumroll*****

• Inability to lose weight

There you have it. The GOOD news is, the Trim Healthy Mama plan is one of the best ways to boost that weary thyroid gland of yours. The BAD news is, the Trim Healthy Mama plan may not be enough.

And as I am prone to do, being the total book-loving geek that I am, I'm going to recommend yet another book to add to your library.

The Iodine Crisis by Lynne Farrow

Because you're already bought The Mood Cure and The Diet Cure by Julia Ross, right? Because Julia delves all the way into what's exactly going on with your thyroid. Those books are life-changing. 

I want you to know that you can trust me when I recommend a book, so in the nicest way possible I want to let you know that The Iodine Crisis isn't the most well-written book I've ever read; she skips around from subject to subject and chases rabbits and repeats herself oh so annoyingly and includes a whole lot of eye-crossing, mind-numbing history (repeatedly) that I didn't think was relevant to the vital information we need about Iodine. But it's an interesting (mostly) easy read (easy to skip to the good stuff, I mean) and very informative and my two cents is that I think all women need to read it. 

AS I have learned in pursuing my advanced imaginary medical degrees, and as Ms. Farrow says in The Iodine Crisis, Iodine is critical to the health of your thyroid gland. There are many ways to add Iodine to your diet with food, but the best way I've found to add Iodine to my diet is through this little supplement called Iodoral. (NOT to be misconstrued as medical advice, mind you... just sharing what works for me, and what works for me is to take 50mg of Iodoral daily!)

I've seen my thyroid symptoms improve by LEAPS AND BOUNDS since I began taking Iodoral. My hair isn't falling out anymore, for one thing... 

There are so many websites devoted to how to help an ailing thyroid that I won't waste your time cutting and pasting; just do your own research. Click the links I included (and this one! Tons of good info on Hypothyroid Mom). Read. Find out for yourself if Iodine is a piece of the puzzle that might help you (and don't forget to ask your doctor because I am NOT one, even though I play one on this blog...)

And one last caveat? JUST BECAUSE your labs come back showing your thyroid to be 'normal' doesn't mean that it is. A standard lab test measures only your TSH level.  And don't ask me what that means because I'm too busy to explain it. Or something. 

But just KNOW... that if you KNOW in your heart that you've faithfully committed to this Trim Healthy Mama thing and the scale isn't budging? And you just KNOW that SOMETHING IS WRONG? It might be your adrenal glands, and it might be your thyroid. 

And then again it might be one of the other three reasons I'm gonna tell you next.

Stay tuned to find out! Follow me on Pinterest if you don't already.

And let's get all buff and trim and healthy together!!


If you liked this post PLEASE share it with your friends! ~ Melissa Beene Taylor

I'm reading: {Five Reasons Why THM May Not be Working} It Might be Your Thyroid.

Come On SPRING.

I think I speak for all of us when I say I have NEVER longed for spring as much as I am longing for it now. I am so ACHING for spring I can't even stand it. This winter has been a beating and I am OVER IT.

I'm a Texas girl after all, and we like our weather nice and warm down here, and our NORMAL winters that last about 3 days are JUST FINE. Break out the coat and the Uggs, wear them 3 times, THEN YOU PACK THOSE THINGS AWAY because FLIP-FLOP SEASON LASTS 362 DAYS A YEAR. That's how it's supposed to work, down here in Texas.

Remember the days when we got to wear swimsuits on Spring Break? Yeah, those were the good ol' days... 

You're breaking us, Winter, for the LOVE.  All this cold, dreary, icy weather that WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE has me getting all misty-eyed over the garden that isn't quite here yet... 

And sort of misty-eyed from, uh, pollen too. 

Oh, sweet harbingers of better days ahead... and also: harbingers of itchy eyes. 

Such a THRILL to see tiny green leaves poking their heads out of the ground, especially after a long, long, long winter. Did I mention it was long? 

So much hope. So much expectation of a bright and sunny new season. 

And... uh... so much sneezing. And a tiny bit of sore throat... 

It happens every year. Winter gets tedious, and at the first sign of spring's arrival, we can't even help ourselves: the first chance we get we dive head-first into our new garden, and inevitably, head-first into feeling really lousy.

As happy as I am to see spring arrive, I REALLY want to avoid that allergy nonsense that goes along with it. My sore throat is here already, but I have my go-to HALLS® Honey-Lemon drops at the ready. It's a tradition, really; I know there are other cough drops out there, but I'm a classic HALLS Honey-Lemon girl. In fact, I've had one in my mouth the whole time I've been writing this post.

Here's hoping that this year, my HALLS will knock this sore throat out so we can get outside and enjoy our garden before our tiny green babies get any bigger. I think after the brutal never-ending winter, we deserve a bright and sunny (and allergy-free) spring.

HALLS Drops for Allergy Season
When you have a cold, HALLS is the #1 cough drop that most people choose for effective relief. Did you know that the same HALLS you trust is also effective for allergy-related coughs and sore throats? Don’t let allergies get the best of you. Grab your allergy cough by the throat and try HALLS Cough drops or HALLS Breezers throat drops as a complement to your primary allergy medication regimen. Click here to learn more.

If you liked this post PLEASE share it with your friends! ~ Melissa Beene Taylor

I'm reading: Come On SPRING.

The House of Fairies and Pirates.

You know, fairies have been a huge part of my life for, oh, probably a dozen years now. 

You can't be a mom of girls, really, and not have a huge part of your world occupied by Tinker Bell and her pals. Yeah, we own a Tinker Bell movie. And Tinker Bell pajamas are part of our recent history. And there's been a lunchbox, I'm pretty sure. 

And all the things Tinker Bell. 

And of COURSE we've been to see Tinker Bell on ice. Yeah, it's safe to say Tinker Bell has held a place of influence in our family. For a while there, Annie wasn't fully dressed without her fairy wings.

They're the perfect cooking attire.

We're girly in our house. All. Things. Girly. 

And fairy wings complement a Sleeping Beauty dress and Minnie Mouse ears nicely.

Yes, those little fairy wings were quite battered by the time she outgrew them... though I daresay she'd still be wearing them if I hadn't sent them on to their mansion on the sky... She does love to dress up in outlandish, sparkly costumes, to this day.

I'm sorry about your fairy wings, Annie; really, I am.

And then there was the time that Katie was a Summer Fairy in her dance recital production of Snow White. There was lots of ballet in those days, because, hello, we're GIRLS here. 

  

But all the ballet and the fairy wings, that was all before... ...BEFORE the day that two worlds collided.

See, Michael came into our pink, sparkly, ballerina fairy world ....  ... and brought skulls and crossbones with him. Because he's so dangerous and fierce and scary.



We've had at least two pirate birthday parties since Michael came into the picture.

And he wears pirate shirts all the time. At least that's what my little girls call them.... a 'skull' always means 'pirate' in their minds. 

Oh, that's not to say he hasn't gone to work with glitter on his clothes more than once... that's what happens when worlds collide, you know.

But since Michael wears pirate shirts, two little girls want pirate shirts too. And the fairy wings.... they've been missing for a while.

And then there's this. This also happened after Michael came into our world. 



She's so much Michael.... and so much us. And THIS is proof that fairies and pirates can coexist. 

For her next birthday party, I'm envisioning a Pirate Fairy party, of course. In fact, I created a Pinterest board with that in mind! 

You can follow me here: My Disney Pirate Fairy Birthday Party Board. 

Of course, Disney has their own Pirate Fairy Pinterest Board here. 

I saw some of the CUTEST Pirate birthday invitations on this Pirate birthday party board here. 

Some Tinker Bell and Pirate party ideas here.

SO many Pirate Fairy ideas here... I've already pinned several of her ideas! Love!

And as the mama to this little one who is SO much Michael and SO much us, I'm thrilled to welcome Tinker Bell back into our lives as the ALL NEW Tinkerbell The Pirate Fairy movie is now available on Blu-ray and Digital HD (keep up on Facebook here), you better believe I'll be in line to buy it. 

I'm reading: The House of Fairies and Pirates.

{Book Review} Fly Away by Kristin Hannah.

I read lots and lots of books. Scratch that... I BUY lots and lots of books, but since I have a toddler on the loose at home I don't have too much time to sit and read anymore unless I just WANT her to climb onto the kitchen table and pour all the salt out into the leftover syrup onto a stack of napkins like she did this morning.

So, no, I don't read as much as I used to, but I still read... 

And what with my limited amount of reading time these days, between diaper changes and sippy cup refills, a book has to 'wow' me. Especially novels; if it reads like a 'B' movie, that book is gonna fall off my nightstand and slide under the bed with the dustbunnies, forgotten. 

Such has been the story with almost every novel I've read (or... started to read...) lately, until I got my hands on Fly Away by Kristin Hannah. 

And I have to tell you... I was gripped. I read half the first 200 pages of the book the first night I had it. Not many books have the power to keep this exhausted mama awake and INTERESTED past 9pm.

I had never read a book by Kristin Hannah before, but I'm her newest fan. I lot of authors can tell a story, but very few of them make me read along with a pen handy so I can underline brilliant words and phrases (because I love words), and some of hers are pure perfection...

There was a very large girl with pimply skin and greasy hair who was chewing so hard on her thumbnail she looked like an otter trying to open an oyster.

That was one of my favorites. That was brilliance, right there, and I can tell you I will be looking for the perfect opportunity to use the phrase 'like an otter trying to open an oyster' as soon as possible.

It's not just the wording; the characters drew me in immediately. And then the story... so much grief, love, heartache. I'm not one to LOVE a sad story like some people do, but found myself getting emotionally involved with Tully and Marah as their story unfolds, because I KNEW them, and because I KNEW them I couldn't WAIT for their messy, tangled story to work itself out. 

I have never lost exactly what they've lost (and I'll leave it at that, because I hate a spoiler....), but grief, in whatever form it may be, feels exactly like the most torturous kind of pain to us all, and we ALL know an earth-shattering loss that caused the world to crumble under our feet. We've all had to go right on breathing.

Though my losses may have been different than theirs, I've ALSO lost more than anyone should have to lose. I've ALSO had to wake up in the morning and know that I had to keep on living even when the pain was so great I thought my heart could not possibly keep on beating. 

At first.... I didn't think I could go on. I was sure somehow that my heart would simply stop beating or my lungs would stop filling up with air.

YES. THAT. I HAVE FELT THAT. 

I've felt so completely betrayed that I couldn't breathe. All those things, I've experienced, and so I KNEW.

There is a river of sadness in me; it's always been there, but now it is rising, spilling over it's banks. I know there's a possibility that if I'm not careful, it will become the biggest part of me and I will drown in it.

YES. THAT. I HAVE FELT THAT. 

And so I read this book of trauma and tragedy and heartbreak with so much hope for the happy ending that was sure to come, because the beauty of most stories of heartbreak is that there is redemption or love or forgiveness or all of the above at the end.

When I look back one last time, from far, far away, she is smiling.

And just like that, Kristin Hannah ends this book brilliantly, and the story of hurt and heartache becomes one of hope and restoration, and love that was there all along but it took a tragedy to realize it. And stories of hope and restoration and love in the aftermath of tragedy are the best stories of all.

You can order the book here ---> Fly Away by Kristen Hannah
Or download the Kindle version here ---> Fly Away by Kristen Hannah (Kindle)

If you liked this post please click that blue 'F' and share it with your friends! - Melissa Beene Taylor

*PS: those are affiliate links above. It doesn't cost you a thing to order through my link, but it might be beneficial to The Blue House Blog if you do. ;)

I'm reading: {Book Review} Fly Away by Kristin Hannah.

Words.

I was doing a little reading in the New Testament about Jesus the other day, and a few words jumped out at me. It was the part in Luke 19 where all the church leaders wanted to kill Jesus, but they didn't, 

...because all the people hung on his words...

I loved that. 

Maybe because I love words. Reading has always been my favorite hobby, and then there's my other hobby, this blog, which I fill up with words. And then just this week, and I'm not trying to brag ok yes I am but three different people commented about how I always whip them in Words With Friends, and it must be because I have this storehouse of random words in my memory bank from all the library books I've devoured in my lifetime. 

Not to mention the shampoo bottles and cereal boxes I have this COMPULSION to read.  Seriously, if there are words in front of me, I HAVE to read them. Got papers on your desk? Yeah, I read those, upside down, while I was sitting in your office. Email pulled up on your computer monitor? Yeah, don't be fooled; I will try to read that over your shoulder. 

I'm not nosy, I think. OK yes I am. I just have this THING about words. 

They're my love language, I'd say. 

Wanna hurt me? Say mean words. I promise you, they'll still be haunting me years later. 

Wanna make me feel betrayed worse than anything? Share words with someone else that should be spoken only to me. Don't bother finding out MY side, but be quick to talk about me with someone other than me. 

And so THE THING about this Bible story is that when the people were hanging on Jesus' words... to me, that shows the depth of their devotion. They loved Jesus. Clearly. Obviously. Obsessively.

Because how often do you hang on someone's words? Do you ever? I have to admit I don't often hang on anyone's words. Because the most important people in MY world talk while I'm trying to cook dinner, or DRIVE or ... play Words With Friends (ahem). And I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry I haven't shared ALL the words with the ones I love most.

To people like me, lovers of words, that's the definition of love. Love is hearing what someone says and letting it make a difference to you. 

Listening and truly hearing. And then caring about it. 

It matters that the people I love hear me. 

It matters to me that the people I love read my blog. 

It matters to me that the people I love understand what's important to me for the sole reason that I said it and they heard it. 

It matters to me that we have lots and lots of shared words between us.

And I don't think it's just me... don't we ALL want to be heard? For our opinions to matter? For someone to JUST LISTEN? 

Because I've had conversations with several people lately who aren't feeling so loved at home, and it's not because they aren't given gifts or provided for or because you say "I love you" every now and then. If you wanna KEEP making them feel unloved? Don't listen. Care more about someone else's opinion than you do theirs. Spend hours listening to your clients or buddies or anyone but them.

Drop everything to call everybody on the phone and tell them everything, then ignore her when she texts, until a more convenient time, of course (which might be never).

Maybe it's a lot to ask. Not one of us is the Messiah, after all, and since we're only mere humans, I'm not sure if we can expect to draw the crowds Jesus did with words.... but if you do care, just maybe listen to me, and let what I say matter. 

And, OK, if you want to hang on my every word? I'll never complain. 



If you liked this post PLEASE share it with your friends! ~ Melissa Beene Taylor

I'm reading: Words.

{Trim Healthy Style} Breakfast Egg Scramble {and a Shortcut!}

I KNOW there's nothing about this recipe that's earth shattering or even remotely original.

It's just that I kind of get stuck in ruts on this THM journey, and found myself SO. BURNED. OUT. ON. EGGS. for breakfast.

But they're cheap, fast, and easy, and so incredibly healthy, chock full of PROTEIN and that incredible amino acid Tyrosine that makes you feel good.... so I want to eat lots of them, but had to shake up my usual morning routine, and I found a shortcut that probably EVERYBODY in the world knows about but I just stumbled upon in my grocery store freezer section.

So I'm sharing what *I've been doing lately in the hopes that this simple recipe might provide some inspiration to someone else who needs a 'new' idea for something to do with eggs! 

Ready? It starts with THIS, Bird's Eye Recipe Ready veggies already cut up and ready to go! DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS? I did NOT! I LOVE shortcuts like this that make it easier to whip up healthy meals in a hurry! *I'm not affiliated with Bird's Eye, just enamored with this Recipe Ready business, FYI.

There are several different varieties.... I like the Pizza Supreme because it has mushrooms and olives. YUM.

Dump half the bag into your skillet and saute them with a tablespoon of butter. 

While those are sauteeing, break three eggs into a bowl. THREE EGGS provide a hefty dose of Tyrosine, which helps your body make Serotonin.  

Whisk the eggs with a little bit of heavy cream. You know Trim Healthy Mamas believe in healthy (low carb) fats like butter and cream.... 

Pour your whisked egg mixture into the skillet with the veggies. Is there anything more appetizing than raw eggs? I hope you said yes.

Use a scraper to pull the eggs from the edge to the middle of the pan as they 'set' around the edge. As if you needed a lesson in how to make scrambled eggs...

When the eggs are set and there is NO trace of anything glistening (unless you're my husband who likes his eggs slimy...*insert gagging emoticon here), turn them out onto a plate. 

Now, this may sound weird, but I LOVE garlic salt on my egg scramble. Michael thinks that's weird, but then he likes snotty eggs, so what does he know? I like this Real Salt from Redmond.

I have to share my eggs with THIS cuteness most mornings, which is why I cook 3. But then she ate 2/3 of them. I'm not even kidding. So tomorrow... FOUR EGGS. It's OK because she's cute and cute goes a long way.

See? None left. If only Tyrosine helped grow hair... 

Trim Healthy Style Egg Scramble

Ingredients

1 T butter

1/2 of a 12-oz package frozen veggies (I like Pizza Supreme blend from Bird's Eye)

3 eggs

2 T heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Saute veggies in butter in a skillet over medium heat. As veggies are cooking, whisk together eggs and cream  in a separate bowl. Cook veggies until tender, then add egg mixture to skillet. Using a scraper pull the eggs from the edge of the pan to the center as they 'set,' and repeat until eggs are desired doneness. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves one adult and one very hungry toddler.

If you liked this post PLEASE share it with your friends! ~ Melissa Beene Taylor

I'm reading: {Trim Healthy Style} Breakfast Egg Scramble {and a Shortcut!}

Our Living Room Tour {Before} and a Remodeling Update.

It's been TEN MONTHS since I filled you in on our remodeling progress. TEN! I know you've been lying awake at night, panic-stricken because you don't know WHAT'S GOING ON?!?! HAVE THEY PAINTED?! HAVE THEY GOTTEN CARPET?!

And I'm sorry about for leaving you hanging, but you can stop making a big deal out of it because I'm about to fill you in.

Meanwhile, if you're new here, you need to know where we left off in our remodeling saga, because the last time I updated there was carpet on the roof and a certain spouse getting all bug-eyed about it, so click here to read that. Go ahead. Click. I'll wait.

There are few reasons I haven't posted any remodeling progress in a long while, and all of those reasons may or may not be related to how after 2+ years of marriage I've learned that we disagree on more than where the couch should go. (Like, three things total. Don't be alarmed). First, scrambled eggs; one of us makes them perfectly, the other one likes their scrambled eggs wet like snot. I won't say who.

And then paint colors. I believe that you should paint, repaint, and paint some more until you find your SOUL MATE paint color that will COMPLETE YOU and make all your dreams come true forevermore; Michael believes you pick ONE PAINT COLOR AND COMMIT TO IT UNTIL THE DAY YOU DIE. Even if it turns out to be a color that looks TOTALLY different than it did on the card and you HATE IT and every time you are in that room you curl up in the fetal position and cry, TOO BAD. YOU MARRIED IT AND YOU'VE GOT IT FOR LIFE, BABY.

And preferably (in Michael's opinion) that color should be pretty much Transfiguration White. ***Please don't make that color, Sherwin Williams, because then I'd have to live with it.*** Because BRIGHT and LIGHT. And speaking of light, I want blinds and blackout drapes. And LAMPS. Cozy. Ambience. All that. I want to snuggle up in a dark and cozy room and be all cozy and snuggly and secure.

And he wants our house all bright and lit up, like you know when you drive up to a gas station at night and all the fluorescent lights are all crackling and humming and it's so bright you can see it from space?

Yeah. He wants our house lit up like that.

It's just a lot of pressure, you know? Committing to ONE paint color we can BOTH live with from now until THE RETIREMENT HOME? I'M SCARED AND INTIMIDATED. So sometimes you do what's in the best interest of marital harmony and put the remodeling on the back burner.

BUT I just found out that my beloved best friend Sherwin Williams wants to WORK WITH ME on some painting projects... which I am totally doing backspin cartwheels about... AND SO IT'S BACK ON! We drove to my happy place (Sherwin Williams, of course) Saturday and brought home ONE OF EACH PAINT SAMPLE COLOR CARD and went NUTS taping them EVERYWHERE! 

OK, not really. 

Just a few dozen. Light grays, mostly, because the next project we're about to complete is our LIVING ROOM. Can you BELIEVE we've lived with decades-old aged and yellowing paint on the walls for ALMOST A YEAR? It's the longest amount of time I've lived with hideous ugliness, well, except for... nevermind. But FINALLY, miracle of miracles, I think we've on the verge of choosing a color we can BOTH live with.

Our living room presents a challenge for lots of reasons, the greatest of which is that since we married a little over two years ago, we both had junk and baggage from the past that we wanted to lose, and START OVER with our own style, keeping the BEST stuff from both of our worlds. And merging our two styles into ONE is challenging to say the least, but I think I finally narrowed it down to a lil' something called RUSTIC VINTAGE COTTAGE GLAM WITH A TOUCH OF 50's RETRO. It's a real thing; just look it up on Pinterest if you don't believe me. 

As a disclaimer, we've both had pretty living rooms before (check out this post to see them both...) but this isn't one of them, so without further ado, here's our TEMPORARY living room, BEFORE the makeover...

First of all, let me show you these great lamps I scored at Tuesday Morning! I eyed them for several weeks and loved them and DROOLED over them, but they were $50 each... and that wasn't in my uber-thrifty budget. Trying to do this house remodel for as close to zero as possible, ya know? We have a WHOLE big house to do. So anyway... I was making my usual Tuesday Morning bargain-hunting rounds and spotted my lamps... WITH A YELLOW CLEARANCE STICKER. For real. They came to less than $8 each. Score!

Found these great burlap lamp shades at Lowe's... $20 each. 

And there's my homemade January mantel art! Yep, I made that. Found a board... painted it Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Duck Egg Blue... and scrawled on it with a white Sharpie marker. I had planned to take it down after January, but baby, it's still dang cold outside.

The silvery glitter painted pine cones came from my mother-in-law. Perfect for January. Or until this Polar Vortex ends and I change this cold-looking stuff out for something else.

These candlesticks I found on the clearance table at Dillard's. Vase, Southern Living at Home a LONG time ago.

And there it is... my January mantel. Or my First Quarter of 2014 mantel. Whatever.

Drapes... custom made for my last house. I like them but they're too fancy for the room I envision, so they won't be staying. And they're hanging too low. But they're there (temporarily) because of my room darkening, blackout-drape fetish (see above). The rod came from Tuesday Morning and it might stay. Who knows.

And there are my beautiful lamps on the table my Man built for me. Partially painted ASCP Duck Egg Blue... but not finished. That's on account of because after I started painting it we realized it needed a more substantial weight to it, and Michael added more wood. And so it's sitting in the house acclimating to the new temp before I paint it. Or something like that. 

For now, this table is a catch-all. But part of my room re-do includes finishing this table and decorating it all up right. No sippy cups allowed... oh, who am I kidding. It will stay covered up in sippy cups and Elmo paraphernalia. 

These two prints from Marshall's might stay, might go, who knows. I like them but we'll see. And those are all of our paint choices from Sherwin Williams.... and surprisingly, we agree on our top three choices which are On the Rocks, Zircon, or Big Chill. Mostly leaning toward Zircon... I just really want a TRUE gray that at isn't too blue or beige. And definitely no 'greige' because I hate that word.

.... which is the color in the middle above. And I want to paint the ceiling that Sea Salt color on the bottom left... and Michael does not agree because you can't really see a paint color with all the fluorescent shop lights he wants to hang from the ceiling. So we're in negotiations on that right now.

This painting... love it... keeping it... just not in this room. 

 Umm.... when we moved in, there were nails already in the wall. This stuff went on these nails (to get them off the floor) and it's been hanging there all crazily ever since. #thingsthatdrivemecrazy 

Map of Wales I got on my college graduation trip with my mom... keeping it, just probably not right here. 

Southern Living iron thing... keeping it, not sure where. 

Very cool mirror I found at Ross... definitely keeping it. For sure not right here. 

This room has just been hanging there in a big state of paralysis... but no longer.

This sarcastic Oreo-covered baby? Keeping her. And that chair; I love the color and fabric, but the style doesn't go with the picture in my head, so the set of two of them will most likely get bumped up to an upstairs room eventually. Or sold. Who knows.

And just to clarify, when I say "the set of two of them," I mean the set of two CHAIRS. Not the set of chair + baby. Because I'm keeping the baby. I said that, right? Unless you catch me on a morning after she woke me up at 3am, then she will be much more likely to get bumped to an upstairs room. Or sold. Who knows.

That armoire behind her... keeping it. For now. Until the day comes when we get a giNORmous new tv.

And there's my fireplace wall. I've already painted that... Dover White from Sherwin Williams is my trim color of choice.

This coffee table... my very first purchase (from Canton) for my very first apartment back in 1996. I was trying to go all Shabby Chic with quilts and rustic stuff and whatnot back in the day, and all these years this table still fits with the room I want. Love it.

The floor under it? Keeping it... but not. It's covered with some sort of wax or yucky brown residue here and there that NO MATTER WHAT I'VE TRIED (everything) it will NOT come off. I think I'm gonna have to rent one of those industrial floor stripper thingies and strip the top layer of brick off. Definitely in the top 3 THINGS I MUST DO TO THIS ROOM. That floor is ugly, y'all.



This is a better picture of that floor. I've spent HOURS on my hands and knees scrubbing this thing, used every kind of chemical known to man, and baking soda, bleach, every kind of floor and carpet cleaner and a carpet shampooer on this floor and IT STILL LOOKS LIKE THAT. But I'm not done yet....

I do have plans for a rug too... I have the ONE all picked out already.

This throw... found at Marshall's, bought with the gift card my sweet Katie gave me for Christmas. It has all of the colors in it! Perfect! 

The couch... I like it. It's staying but it's temporary until I can afford the sectional I want (something like... this one... only it must not cost more than my car is worth.) 

And that concludes our room tour! Can't WAIT to see what Sherwin Williams and I come up with. Stay tuned... 

I'm reading: Our Living Room Tour {Before} and a Remodeling Update.