Uh-Oh

Certain people from Littlefield, Andalusia, and Issaquah might not want to look at the next pictures. (Kathy and Debby can look.)

My life is just so boring with nothing to occupy the long hours that I've decided to take down all the wallpaper in my house.

There's no turning back now.

The little toilet nook is the first room I tackled. It's about 3 x 4 feet and with a 9-foot ceiling. The vertical stripes make it look 12 feet tall - and purple - not my color.

As soon as we decided to delay selling the house, I started attacking it (well, as soon as Mike left the state). I forgot how much I love removing wallpaper. It's nothing like putting it up. It's therapeutic. I actually have to set an alarm to make me stop, and once I get a good audio book to listen to, I may be in trouble.

None of the wallpaper bothered me when I looked at the house, and I guess I've just gotten used to it. It's not really offensive - except maybe this one.

After a hard day sometimes when I get out of the shower I get the idea I might get tangled up in these fronds.

Now I'm not sure what I'll do with it. Easy way out is a creamy beige, which would make it boring but more attractive than this. Any ideas are welcome. I guess the red towels and tipsy candle are an attempt to brighten it up - or maybe they were left over from the bathroom in Columbus.

I've started to search for some decorating pictures to get an idea of paint colors. The good thing about beige floors and fixtures and white cabinets is that there are a lot of options. I'd very much like to do this in that teeny room - if only I could do mitering - but probably not in blue and not in the whole bathroom. Rhoda's wonderful decorating blog is one of the ones in my favorites in the right-hand column, Southern Hospitality. There's nothing she won't tackle, but I'm a little afraid of some things. I feel like I could do the bead-board wallpaper but not those moldings.

Anyway here are some more examples of wallpaper that has to go.

This is what surrounds me at night on the ceiling of the bedroom - restful, huh?

And the area of the bedroom where I work. Again, it's not ugly but kind of not ME. The moldings are great, so a pretty solid color will work here - just not sure what.

I think the worst is Mama's bathroom. I almost forget it because I don't have to see it much. Awful.
I believe it's supposed to be Italian maybe, bricks and ivy - or something, but all I see when I look at it are smiling pigs running around the walls.

The other 3 bedrooms and hall and living room are just painted, thank goodness.

The foyer is not bad, kind of a marbly look, but the seams are obvious, and it's a little dark. That could be improved but it's not at the top of the list.

The dining room has paintable wallpaper below a chair rail, and that can be painted over.

Once I get rid of that particular shade of green, I'll be a happier person.
And the kitchen! Strangely, as busy as this wallpaper is, it seems to work fine with all the ceramic tile. And the tile in this kitchen is pretty. If I can manage it, it will come down. It would look so much nicer painted.

If I can find Lima Bean Green again, I'll grab it. In Meridian, we inherited a sunroom and kitchen with green and purple grapevines - huge purple grapes. It took a lot of hit-and-miss tries, but we turned that mess into the prettiest little sitting area and kitchen.

We sure do miss that house in Meridian and that particular time in our lives. I'll look for a picture of the disastrous grapes to scan later.

So, I've completely lost my mind, I know. I also know I'll have to have some help sooner or later to fix what I start and can't finish.

At least I don't feel the need to change this. It will stay this nice shade of red as long as I live here anyway.