Move That Bus!……. Or….Ummmm….Maybe Not

I have secretly been planning a mini office-redo for the hubs.  Being that it was a “secret” I obviously didn’t  mention too much about my plans on this here blog.  The office already looked pretty good.

Here’s the before.

I just felt like the room wasn’t quite finished (as if it ever is!).  It’s the first room on the right when you walk through the front door, and it’s actual a living room that we converted into an office (for the hubs since he works from home).  I was going for a welcoming, more “lived-in” look.  My plan was to turn it into a reading room/ den that would also function as an office.  I wanted to give him an organized office space that would inspire and encourage him.  A room that the entire family could use; but one that felt like “his” space with a masculine yet totally warm feel.

He was gone on a business trip this past weekend, so I had just the opportunity I had been waiting for to surprise him with a totally reinvented office when he came home!  To test the waters and see if he was game for the changes I had in mind, I non-chalantly mentioned to him that I might play around with the furniture arrangement and paint the ceiling (which was already on the list) while he was gone.  He seemed ok with the idea and even mentioned that he could really use some better organization!  He left Friday afternoon, and I started putting my plan into action (otherwise known as running around like a crazy person).  I went to the fabric store and then to Target.

A couple of things threw me for a loop and plans changed.  Don’t you just love when that happens?!  I bought a couple of  these bookcases at Target on Friday evening.

Ummm…..yeah….. I didn’t realize how looooonnnngggg it would take me to put them together!  The instructions were easy enough.  I mean it’s not rocket science, but it was indeed a process.  So, then after I got one bookcase built I thought that maybe a little grasscloth wallpaper would be just the thing to add to the back of the bookcases for a little texture.  Great idea, but it was already 10 p.m. so I’d have to wait until tomorrow to hit up Lowe’s.  No worries though because I had to run out to the other Target anyway because the first Target I stopped at didn’t have everything I needed in stock.  Oh, and I needed to pick up a couple of things at the used furniture store that I had stopped at on Friday but had already closed!  All of this with the kids in tow.  Fun times!

I could literally write a book about all the reasons why this room didn’t get finished before the hubs came home, but instead let’s just skip to the pictures.  So true what they say  – a picture is worth a thousand words.  What I was hoping would be a MOVE THAT BUS moment for the hubs…… was this.

Yep, this is what my dear sweet man came home to on Sunday night.  Not exactly how I saw this happening in my head 🙂  I wish I had a picture to show you of his face!  Priceless!  He’s not mad or anything, but I don’t think this was quite what he expected to find upon his homecoming 🙂

Ok, so your turn now.  Anyone else ever fail miserably when attempting to surprise someone?  Anyone ever under estimate the amount of time something will take?  Anyone?  Ok, so it’s just me.  Oh, well.  It was the thought that counts  – right?!