11th Answer part of OY VEY Q&A Tuesday

Well everybody, my thumb still hurts.

I had my family over for dinner last night, and there were 4 doctors sitting around the table discussing my cut thumb.

Of course,

no one did anything,

 because my father (the oldest doctor at the table), told them to leave it alone.....

My youngest brother,

 (the one who operated on me),

 wanted my oldest brother

 (the one who usually tends to bleeding emergencies in the Speert  households)

to change my outer bandage, (aka: band-aid.).

By now the band-aid is covered in blue and green and white chalk paint.

My brother told me not to get my thumb wet, but he didn't say anything about keeping it unpainted.....,

But my Dad

(the oldest doctor at the table.....)

insisted that I just put another band-aid over the existing one, since the bleeding had stopped, and we didn't want no more of that there blood coming out to possibly stain any white slipcovers.......

Betsy Speert's medical fact #1...

If you put a clean band-aid over a dirty one, it looks like your finger is clean!!!!!

My sister, Nancy

 (another doctor)

 wisely stayed out of the conversation....

 but as she was sitting next to me, I graciously and generously

made

let her look at my band-aid.

Yeah.... OK.....you can maybe tell from this story.....

I'm the youngest of my siblings.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now!!!!

ON TO THE QUESTIONS!!!!

The first one is from Debi Jaynes

Tried to to the above link--wow too early in the AM for that. Love your tropial bedroom ideas in Trad Home and as I live in the Tropics, would love to do the bead-board on the headboard wall in our bedroom. What is the best height? I was thinking to go just past the top finials of the headboard which still leaves a good bit of wall. Finials are a bit over 5 ft--it's one of those really nice iron beds in a verdi finish. Rest is green walls, mahogany floors and an antique persian rug. Thanks!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

She's referring to my guestroom in Florida.

My advice is to go up more than just to above the headboard.

It's just as important to consider the proportion of bead-board to the height of the ceiling, as it is in considering the height of the bed.

I don't know what your ceiling height is, but if it's 8 feet, and the bed is 5 feet, I would probably do the bead-board up to the ceiling.

If your ceilings are high, as many are in Florida, then I might do the bead-board up to around 6 feet.

If I were in Florida, I would measure my wall for you.

But I'm not.

I'm in Massachusetts, serving dinner to my family with a dirty band-aid.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next.....

RKay asks.....

I think I was the one who pushed your number up to a more desirable one :) I found your blog and spent the entire day here content, enjoying your beautiful homes, design tips and witty sense of humor. Does this get me brownie points for getting my question answered? I did come up with one naturally during my day here, so here goes: I just love design, so I appreciate many design styles. The problem is, I'm saying I love it to everything! How does one pinpont their own style and stay true to it without getting sidetracked? I guess this is a general question without a picture, but I could include something if you would like. Thanks! ps, love the Sanderson room, gorgeous! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a hard question.....

It's easy to get distracted, side-tracked, and confused when trying to figure out your style.

I think the most important question is: what feels the most like home to you?

What's going to make the tension leave your body, when you come home at the end of the day, walk through your front door, and really make you feel HOME.

Just because you think a style is pretty, doesn't mean it's going to make you happy to live in it.

Once you've chosen what makes you feel the best...

STICK TO IT!!!!!

I used to repeatedly bark at my clients.

PICK A STYLE!!!!

ANY STYLE!!!

(isn't it cute, how I let them think they were in control?????)

The main point, is once you have the major pieces, and have a direction, 

Don't go off into some other style!!!!!

Hope that helped.

It's hard to do it.

Unless someone pays me a gazillion dollars, and then I am able to figure it out.

'Cuz I'm the

goddess of decorating.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next....

Virginia Allyn asks.....

Betsy, I'm ponderously decorating my apartment and have made several hideous errors along the way. I would be interested to hear the story of the worst decorating mistake you ever made. (Misery loves company and all that...) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Silly, silly girl.....

I've never made a mistake....

Decorating or otherwise, 

in my life!!!!!!!

OR!!!!!

THERE ARE NO MISTAKES!!!!

ONLY LEARNING EXPERIENCES!!!!

The truth of the matter is.....

I've blocked them all from my memory.

That is one of the great benefits of aging!!!!!!!