Call Me, HGTV!

I’m a bit of an HGTV junkie. I love to watch home design and makeover shows. Not that I have the time, funds, or skills to take on projects in my own home, mind you. (Although I think I deserve some props for my monogrammed upholstered headboard!) I think I just like looking at clean, attractive spaces. Because they are so rare in our house.

One of my favorite shows is “Find Your Style,” where sassy redhead designer Karen McAloon comes to a couple’s house, walks around, and then tells them what their style of interior design is. Mine would be on the opposite end of the spectrum from minimalist. And it’s not exactly contemporary or country or traditional, either. It’s more like maximum clutter and multicolored plastic. Is there a “bomb went off” school of design? ‘Cause that’s us.

It’s not my fault, people. I’m not the neatest person in the world, but I have an appreciation of feng shui and good design. I feel better in a comfortable, uncluttered environment. Too bad my toddler’s running the show around here. His motto seems to be, “Every surface must be covered with everything I own at all times.” Or perhaps, “The more stuff, the better.” There is barely room in his bed for him, because he sleeps with about 14 assorted blankets, stuffed animals, and pillows.

I tell you, these darn kids are sabotaging my efforts to make my house NOT look like the aftermath of a natural disaster. Who doesn’t love a good “before & after”? Here are some from my house.

The coffee table before Miles:














The coffee table after Miles:














The kitchen table before Miles:














The kitchen table after Miles:














Sometimes I wonder why I bother. Some weeks I just give up and let the clutter consume us. Then it gets so I can’t stand it anymore and I clean up again. Only to have my bright, uncluttered space accessorized again with Spiderman and Mr. Potato Head. I wonder what Karen McAloon would say if she saw that?

LINK O’ THE WEEK: Hey, look, Karen has a MySpace page! It says she has a son, so maybe she DOES know where I’m coming from!

LAUGH O’ THE WEEK: I was saying goodnight to Miles and he stood up on his bed and said, “Night, Mom. Pea soup.” Huh? Then he held up 2 fingers in a V and repeated, “Pea soup!” Ohhhhh, OK. That would be “peace out.”

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