Banishing the temporary

I wrote the other week about the problem with temporary items that come in to our homes: namely, that they become permanent.

While I try to avoid this situation, I have been known to succumb.  The biggest temporary-item problem in my current house?  The white vinyl roller shades in the upstairs bedrooms.  When we bought the house, I thought the window treatments were staying, so I was surprised to find myself with bare windows upstairs.  In order to get my kids to sleep on time in a different timezone and in the midst of summer, I ran to Home Depot, paid $30 a piece, and came home with White. Vinyl.  Roller shades.

In the girls room, I did what I could, block printing them into something quite cute, actually.  In the guet room I simply ignored them.  What I really wanted?  Bamboo blinds.  I love them.  I have pretty much always had them in every home ever.  And I knew that at the size I needed they were custom, and therefore expensive.

Or were they?

I recently discovered, thanks to Bryn Alexandra's blog, that overstock.com stocks bamboo blinds in virtually every size imaginable, and in many color to boot.  I used my birthday money from my mother-in-law and had a pair on their way in no time.

 (To remember the "before," go here)

So much better.

(Do you like that my 6-year old has already entered her "goth" phase?  And that her hair sticks up like she never washes it?)

I chose to put the same type in both of the bedrooms for continuity, and chose a light tone similar to the wood trim to keep the blinds from becoming a new element.  While I was trying with all my might to ignore the old shades, I am so happy that I was able to banish the temporary solution for the permanent fix.

Until they break, that is.  I will admit, you get what you pay for.