Wednesday, January 27, 2010

9 Words to Make an Unhappy Husband

Now mind you, I haven’t said these 9 words yet to my husband.

But I plan to, soon. He’s been working a lot of overtime lately, so a tired husband is not a good husband to say the 9 words to.

I have to wait until perhaps the weekend, on his days off.

“Sweetie, I’d REALLLLLY like to redo the dining room”

I’ve thought a lot about how to break this news to him. I could easily condense the 9 bad words to 7 words….

“I’m going to redo the dining room”

But I know what his repsonse will be …

“oh you are, are you?” Which means that he knows that I know that he will NOT allow me to do this by myself.

My husband tends to take charge of any house remodeling job whether I want him to or not.

The last project was 1 1/2 years ago.

The bad 8 words were said, “Sweeetie, I’d really like to redo the kitchen”. After about 4 months of HARD work, headaches, body aches and lots of money, we finished that project. It was a nightmare project. BUT … I have a beautiful kitchen now.

He knows that no one can do it as well as he, so after 34 years of marriage, I certainly know by now what I can and CAN’T do by myself around here.

This morning, when finishing up the cleaning of my dining room, I realized that it’s been probably more than 10 years since it was painted. It’s due.

What started my thinking for a redo was my dining room table.

Well, no, it was the penny rug table runner that I had to get a picture of before I send it out to the new owner.

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Btw, anyone that has purchased the pattern for this “Oh Snowy Night” tablerunner,keep in mind that the length size is very adjustable. The customer for this one requested it to be 25” long instead of the pattern stated size of 18”. So you see, the design is very easy to adjust to the size that you need. Just add some extra french knot snowflakes.

So anyway, when taking the picture of this on my table, I was reminded how how the center table leaf isn’t a perfect match with the wood of the table.

A few years ago, after I had refinished this table, hubby and I took the tabletop up north to an Amish woodworker to have some table leaves custom made for it. We even paid extra to have him match the wood.

When we got it home, I discovered that the leaves didn’t match …

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Can you see it in the picture? The center leaf has almost a pinkish cast compared to the table wood.

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Also, I when I had refinished my table, I had put about 10 coats of gloss polyurethane on it for a really nice shine. The leaves were a satin finish.

I should have taken them back to the Amish guy to redo, but I didn’t. It was an hour drive one way and it would mean that they’d have my tabletop for another couple months so I just thought I’d live with it.

But I haven’t lived well with it. Because of the mismatch, I keep the table covered. Instead of showing off the beautiful oak, it’s covered up … and it shouldn’t be.

So this morning, when I uncovered it to get the tablerunner picture, I was reminded again of how much that mismatch wood bothers me and I’m just not going to put up with it anymore.

It shouldn’t take too much for me to strip off that finish, apply some stain and gloss polyurethane. I’ll have to wait for warmer weather so that I can do it outside. I don’t want those urethane smells in the house.

But that decision made me look around and see how badly the dining room needs a fresh coat of paint and a new chandelier …

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We have an old home and this is the original chandelier. I don’t really like it, but yet, I’d like to keep it just because it is so old. (my daughters, when they read this, will both be screaming, nooooooooooo, because they hate this light).

It needs rewired though because we go through a lightbulb every few weeks in it. So this is where my husband takes part in the whole dining room redo.

He will allow/trust me to paint by myself , but he will have to rewire that light. Even if I did get a new one, the wires leading to the light will have to be replaced. That’s not going to be an easy job.

So I’m going to start making plans for room colors and figure out exactly what I’m going to do and then present the plan to him this weekend.

He’ll grumble for a little while, but ya know what?

He’s a sweetheart and he’ll help me get the job done simply because he knows if he doesn’t, I’ll do it by myself!

I’m taking the day off from home today. I’m doing lunch with my sister (casserole Carol) and then off to do some shopping.

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On Friday, I will announce a very special GIVEAWAY. It will involve these 16 pennies so be sure to check back. :)

Happy day everyone! :)

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

We are leading parallel lives. I find just the right words when I want my DH to "help" me redo something. He is ever so helpful but timing is everything. Hee!!

SueWis said...

Oooh, I can see why the table would bug you. It would bug me too!

Good luck with your project. :)

Shakerwood said...

When I want to tell Dear Hubby something without really telling him, I send him an email or a text that just says, "Read the blog"! He usually calms down before he gets home.

Something Nice and Pretty said...

Good luck with the diningroom and yes I can see why the table would bug, you not being able to see the nice oak. I so want to redo mine but involves moving the computer to the bedroom because now I have a lap top and Stush uses the pc. Just wish I could twitch my nose and have it all done.lol

Rondell

Unknown said...

LOL I"m sure hubby will grumble but he'll help too, so you win ;)
I can understand how that table would bother you, I'd have gone batty after a few months.
But yeah you should wait until he's not so tired, they're much more reasonable then. And that gives you time to come up with a while plan, and cost estimate. He'll probably like that.

Granapple said...

I think the chandelier is charming and has lots of character. I vote for keeping it.

Pat said...

I'd be bothered by the table, too. I'd try to keep the light as it seems it fits well with the character of your home. Good luck with all of it!!!

appleberrycottage said...

I can send you a dining room ceiling fan and light kit! It's "vintage" 1980 with ornate/victorian brass. The light kit has one broken light (wiring). I'm hoping with a tax refund that I'll be able to get a couple projects done - one of them being the DR light!
Laura

Diane H said...

Thanks for the reminder! We too have an oak table but the extensions are put away. We are supposed to expose them to light so they change as the table top does. Oops. Looking forward to seeing your beautiful redo.

Linda said...

Usually the only way I can get my husband to see "my way" is to let him think it was "HIS IDEA"--then bingo, it get's done quick, otherwise it will take months, years, never.......

I love your light fixture!!!!!

I Purr-Furr to Craft said...

All the best with your re doo, 10 years is a long time between revamps.
We only re painted last year for the first time after 22 years, but what did we do? we painted it the same as what we had already! Cream paint in every room, just as it was when we first moved in. My hubby does not like change, but at least it looks fresh.

Lisa said...

Oh a giveaway! I can hope he will be ok with your 9 words. And I hope it doesn't take 4 months! yikes!
Good luck!
Hugs, Lisa

Brenda said...

OMG! I'm laughing just thinking of the hubby's face. Mine would say, "Oh, no you don't!" and he would URGE me to "call someone who does that kind of thing"...You know that's his way of saying "don't even THINK that I'm getting involved". Yeah, my husband rolls his eyes and
asks, "How much do you think it would cost to have that done?", LOL! I swear, I have seen the rolling of the eyes so many times in last fifteen years that all I have to do is think of a homeimprovement and his reaction comes to mind.
Thanks for the laugh, and as my husband would say, "Good luck with that!" hahahaha!