I’m so blue

First of all, I need to shout out to the world a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our not-so-little man! Can you believe he is eight today? I know some of you have been following along with me for years (thank you for that) and I simply cannot believe that he was only 18 months old when I started this blog. We are truly the luckiest parents ever – he is such a sweet, respectful, fun, happy child. He is growing so, so fast and I love him so!

I’ve mentioned before that this month kicks my BUTT. Like, a swift kick. We celebrate birthdays for my brother, husband, son, nephew and now grandson all in the first two weeks of the month. And ten years ago (setting the tone for this crazy month) we went and got married in late December. Plus the holidays…and I know it’s all coming every year. It’s not a surprise. I just can never get caught up enough from the month before to get ahead during this one. ;)

So this weekend I was trying to decorate my house and clean it (which is just a losing battle) while taking care of bday plans for the Bub. I’m sharing our Christmas house tour tomorrow and I still have bins and garland and ornaments strewn throughout the main level…I’ve got some work to do.

All that being said…this is the most special month of the year to me and our family and I absolutely love it. And after this week I will be able to slow down and bask in all of the Christmas joy. ;)

So me being me…Friday night I pulled out more Christmas bins and instead of decorating I decided a dresser needed to be painted. Makes sense. Do you ever look at something for a while and the more you look at it the more it drives you totally crazy? Like you just can’t stand it all the sudden? It doesn’t happen often with me but when it does I can’t get it out of my head.

For some reason I have wanted to paint over this color on the dresser in our foyer lately, like, big time:

It’s a really gorgeous color called Aubsusson Blue (chalk paint) and I truly loved it when I did it two years ago and for a long time after.

But lately – just in the past two months or so -- it’s seemed so bright (it’s a little more subdued in that photo) and out of place with the rest of our house. This shot shows the color a little better:

Literally every time I walked past it I just wanted to paint over it right that second. I couldn’t figure out what color I wanted to use though. I really wanted to do a gray, but we’ve got enough of that going in our house right now. I couldn’t decide what else I would like. So Friday night I walked past it, couldn't stand it one more minute and head for my paint stash.

I found the navy blue I used in the Bub’s room:

It’s a beautiful blue called Admiralty (Lowe’s color I had mixed at Home Depot) and I knew it would be a nice change. What I’d really love to do is take the dresser down to it’s original natural wood – but that will take a warm day and more time. :) I bought it on Craigslist already painted but the insides of the doors look gorgeous.

I painted it over two nights – both when it was dark. Brilliant I know. The morning after I started I realized it was so not coming out that same navy blue as the walls:

Isn’t that crazy? Not the same color by any stretch. Scroll up and look. I’ll wait. :) But I kept going because I liked it and it was almost done anyway. It’s this color instead of a deeper navy because the Aubusson that was already there.

It really toned it down and I quite love how it turned out:

When I look the color in the can it does have a “dusky” tone to it – so it more natural light maybe this is just how it looks? My son’s room doesn’t get a ton of light so who knows.

I wanted to simplify a bit so I centered the mirror and took down all the decor on there as well. Right now it just holds a lamp (I’d love to find something different eventually), a poinsettia and our nativity:

I don’t think anyone would even notice the color changed if they just walked in – but I’m just so happy it’s not that bright color anymore. I can now walk past and not twitch:

Next up…the tile. That’s another thing that I want to change out so bad but that one I can’t really do on a whim. It will take some planning, dang it.

Here’s a before and after – a brighter blue, beautiful! But just not what I want anymore: 

And as it looks now – a more subdued look and a lot less stuff, which is welcomed in life right now:

For the whole month of January I’ll probably have the lamp on there and nothing else – I crave clean and simple after the holidays. :)

Is there a project in your house that you’ve started at a really bad time? When you have a million other things to do? But it was driving you so crazy you just HAD to? Or is it just me? ;)

I’ll be back tomorrow with a tour of our Christmas home! :) Until then, check out last year’s tour here.