Be Our Guest

I just want to warn you, this isn't your usual fab unveiling and chipper post.  This is a lament.  I know we used to get a lot of laments here on the Lowe Down (check the side bar for a few to get you warmed up for this one if needed), but I started to feel like all I ever did was lament and that would be too close to real life!  And this is blogland, right?  I only have to tell you about things I want to tell you about, and I can angle the camera just so I crop out the cat condo and you don't see the clothes piled up in the chair.

Not today, kids.  Today I tell the tale of the guest bedroom.

Most of you faithful readers are single or married with no kids.  You are comfortable in your 3 bedroom homes, and why shouldn't you be?  You have a bedroom to yourself, plus two extra bedrooms to do whatever you want with.  Gym, gameroom, man cave, craft room, office, whatever.  Even if you want to have a devoted guest suite, you still have another room to house your junk.

Not so once you have those babies you long for, my friends!  Say goodbye to your plethora of space!  Your guest suite and workout room!  Your sanity!

See, kids generally get their own room.  And then, you only have one room to work with it your cozy 3 bedroomer.  And it has to serve nearly every purpose:  office, guest room, pet area.

I think a picture is worth a thousand words, but before I launch a photo session, here's the prequel.  I repainted this room a mossy green about a year ago and got a new bedspread from Overstock.com with a pretty, graphic white print.  We added a desk in the corner for our computers.  Oh, and most importantly, this room mainly belongs to Queen Lola and Crazy Ginny.  You'll see what I mean.

So there's the desk, complete with a hot pink chair I got at Hob Lob on clearance, and some a dresser from my great aunt that I repainted a few years ago.  It was her wedding furniture, so it's 50+ years old and was in great shape.  Not exactly my style, but definitely a freebie that I am so grateful for (it along with the bed served as the master bedroom furniture for the first 3 years of our marriage), and sometimes you gotta work with what you got!!

I think a nice touch in any guest bedroom is framed pictures of your guests - and since my parents and sister are our most frequent guests, they stay in the frames year round.  But if I love you, know you're coming, and make the time to do so, expect to see yourself in the frames too.  I just got those new curtains - the previous set was hung far too low.  I think I have an addiction: white 95" sailcloth panels from Tarjay.  Sisters of these beauties in the kitchen.

Oh, and those are cat food bowls.  Seriously.  I move them out when people come.  But yeah.  Drives me insane.  And yes, see the window sill?  Thanks, baby Landry.

Here's a shot of the bed - I do love the bedding.  And above the bed is my absolute favorite shot of Marilyn Monroe.  Gorgeous.  But alas, there are no nightstands.  No bedside lamps.  Nothing.  What?  I'm working on it.  I should probably DIY a headboard in there - the current one isn't really cutting it from a focal standpoint.  But really, why work on a room overrun with cats?  Help motivate me.

Oh, why yes, that IS a cat litter box on one side of the bed.  Thanks for asking!  You tell me where else to put it in this tiny little house and I'll try it.  Seriously.  Same goes for the bowls.  I'm taking suggestions.

Pride and joy right here.  I wondered to myself at what point you become a crazy cat lady.  And when I walked out of Petsmart with this and I was excited about it, I realized I was at that point.

So that's that.  Do any of you have pet problems?  How do you keep a showroom perfect guest room with four pets?  Or do I need to resign myself that I'm always going to have to deep clean that room and move my cat crap out of it before anyone arrives?  On the list for the next house: cat room.  They should make those.  And maybe a special little litterbox closet.  And a pristine guest room with a closed door to keep the animals out.  A girl can dream.