Pictures of the family room, finally.

Before pic of the family room:


And after...

We finally got a new TV and stand after all these years. We knew if we waited long enough the prices would just keep dropping and the timing was right, still I was vacillating on buying a luxury item like this when our other one was still working. Then in February our old one suddenly up and died so then of course I was happy:)

We went a few weeks with this little tiny TV we drug down from upstairs and it was very annoying. So one day I picked Peter up from the airport and said we were going shopping for a new one right then. I pondered a great deal over the selection at Costco. I was worried about going too big. I don't like it when you walk into a house and the TV is the main focal point.
At least make it appear like we don't watch it that much, right?
The one we bought turned out just right. We are finally in the age of HDTV folks. Let me tell you--it is so nice.

Peter and I both love this quote and I found it on Etsy.

I am very happy with how everything turned out. I think it looks so much more open and I finally dared to go with cool colors. I've always loved them in magazines but just hadn't made that leap yet. I painted the kitchen 3 times trying to get a color I liked with the blue in the family room. When I decided I didn't like the 2nd color the kids were just shaking their heads.
"Again mom? Are you serious?"
I don't like to change things around all the time so I want to get it right. I ended up doing something I never thought I'd do--I went white. Surprisingly happy with it.

We bought the shelving at IKEA and yours truly assembled all but one piece. Their instructions are the best I've seen and they don't even have any words! I'm all about picture instructions. Don't you hate it when you are given 3 instructions and one picture? That is why I don't make clothes. I truly can't follow the patterns.

And this here is why I don't do electronics:

Just looking at this picture makes me feel stress. How can a man, who is supposed to be the more rationally minded of the genders, make any sense of this?
I mean, come on.
Turns out not only my husband but my son can.
I feel very dependent on them because I'd never figure this out on my own.