Extreme Makeover- Deluxe Edition

What do you get when you put together a very brave husband, a day off work, HGTV, some power tools, and a very emotional pregnant wife??

Oh, your guesses may be good my friend, but you just wait...

You may think you know, but you have no idea.

Here are a few snapshots of my living room; we'll call this "The Before"

Hey, I never said I could decorate. Let me be honest, I would love to, but it is so intimidating to me, I'd rather just stay in the kitchen where my creativity lies and just let the rest be. Obviously, that leaves a pretty dull living room. I see that.

Now.

Here's the long and short of it.

Ben had free time, and unbeknowest to me, a lot of episodes of Design on a Dime. Good ol' HGTV.
So on Monday when I am getting ready for work, while he has the day off, he gets up at 6 am and is already drinking coffee and very energetic.

I should have known something was up then.

So we talk a few times during the day, and he's a little distracted, I assume doing schoolwork stuff.
That evening I go get a massage (I realize now this was an act of God, as I would need as much calm energy as possible).
So on my way home he asks me to call when I am 10 min. away.
Then to call when I am at the mail box.

I think to myself, this is gonna be good!
So I pull up to the house, he meets me outside, and covers my eyes and leads me into the house.
Ooh, he has surprised me with a romantic, candle-lit dinner! Please keep in mind that has happenend before so I am not thinking too far fetched here.

I wasn't thinking anywhere close.

We get inside and he uncovers my eyes, and my world shifts underneath my feet.
I sit down on the floor.

Ben has repainted the entire living room, along with a chair rail and some crown molding.

SURPRISE!!!!

About 5 minutues later he asked if I was ok and if I was going to close my mouth anytime soon.

Let me remind you that I'm 6 months pregnant. Emotional, unsteady, probably a little overly sensitive... so my reactions are understandably extreme, right??

So whats the biggie, you ask? Hadn't I wanted to repaint?

Ha. Funny.

Well, had we talked about painting it, or redecorating, it would have been understandable. Not expected for him to do it in a day while I was gone, but definitely understandable.
But no. We hadn't.
Not even close. The word chair rail hadn't been used in my vocabulary once in 2008, swear.

Ben, bless his brave, brave heart, had wanted to surprise me. He thought we needed to kick things up a notch.
(Yes, the surprise worked. The effects were constant for I'd say atleast 48 hours.)

But now I have come around, love the surprise, tackled a little decorating, which isn't as hard as I thought, and our marriage endured a wonderful test of communication and honestly, among other things. :)

So, there you have it. We have a new living room!

I have to be honest and say I adore it now. I wouldn't have it any other way.
It was a needed change because it was so dull before, but like I said, decorating just intimidates me too much to do anything about it.
But not Ben.
No sir.
Just call him GrandMasterColorSplash.

(fyi, the pictures I took really don't do it justice. Ben's paint job is immaculate, and the new art we have on the wall and the throw pillows are just the best. Thanks for helping me learn a few things, Em!)