I am good at a lot of things.

Humility, clearly.

Also running, singing, speaking in front of people, and baking. I’m kind of a big deal.

But there is one thing that terrifies me that I am absolutely NOT good at. And I’m woman enough to admit it.

I HATE arranging and hanging pictures in my own home.

It’s not necessarily design that intimidates me, it’s all the leveling and measuring and figuring out what will look good where (oh wait, I guess that is design).

For years, I have done the Jennifer method of picture hanging which has resulted in at least 6 nail holes behind every picture and, most recently, in my just putting nothing up at all.

On the left is  what we had to work with

Yup. Completely blank. There were once pictures hung here, but I was never really happy with the way it looked, and when painters came recently two years ago, I never put anything back up. Too scary.

So I called my friends, Kristi and Dawn, from It’s Simply Yours. I was desperate.

And it was the best idea EVER. They showed up at my door with levels and hammers and painters tape and, evidently, magical voodoo. I had set out the pictures I wanted used and told them I could spend up to $200 on additional frames or accessories. Knowing that MANY of the frames were from the 90’s when evidently frame manufacturers had a bumper crop of honey colored wood they needed to unload on the public? No idea.

I immediately got the vibe of “we got this, go do something else” and I’m pretty intuitive so I listened. (I actually think Kristi may have said “we got this, go do something else.”)

And guess what? I sat on my couch drinking coffee while they chatted some secret designer language I didn’t understand, and then they shouted as they walked out the door, “we’re going to Michaels! See you in a bit!”

Um, OK, so you’re going to shop for me too? I love these women.

They came back and immediately started hammering and leveling and doing all manner of designery type things . . . . .they even kicked me out of the hallway at one point so we could do the big reveal.

And the end result is . . . beautiful.

They did something I never could have done and honestly, since they left on Tuesday I can be found just standing in my hallway staring at it frequently during the day. It’s warm and says who we are (yes, there are A LOT of pictures of us at Disney) and they even incorporated some family heirlooms that had been left unframed for, um, years (sorry, Aunt Leona, may you rest in peace).

They also surprised me with a brand new frame for our wedding picture and a fun accessory for a wall in my dining room.

I’m not sure why it took me so long to call them. So here’s what they want you to know about what they do:

• They use what you have! (those cross stitch pieces had literally been in my closet just collecting dust and they also pulled some photos from other areas of the house)
• They work as a team! So you’re paying for Kristi AND Dawn (and they sometimes sing which I, of course, found delightful. That might have just been for me, though, your experience may vary)
• They  bring all their own tools and supplies. I love this. Because I don’t know if we have tools and if we do I don’t know where they are.
• They SHOP FOR YOU!! I walk into Michael’s and break out into a sweat. These girls evidently love it there. I couldn’t believe how quickly they bought everything AND, btw, they came in UNDER BUDGET.

I was thrilled with my experience and now want to have them come back and help me redesign my family room. Which I’m sure they were silently judging. Just kidding – they wouldn’t do that. But seriously, it needs help.

Check out their website here  where you’ll find all the details, or check out their Facebook Page for more information!

Thanks, Kristi and Dawn, for such a great experience! I enjoyed every minute! (especially the sitting on my couch while you did all the work part).

And they were even super nice to Walter. Can’t ask for more than that.

Contact Kristi and tell her you read about her services on my blog, and she’ll give you $50 off your first hour!! If you’re design challenged or just super busy, it’s going to be a great investment in your home!!

From Kristi: “Let us help you refresh your rooms! It’s Simply Yours wants every house to feel like a home. Whether we are redesigning your home for you to stay, or staging your home to sell… we will create a ‘Simply Home’ feeling. We have customers from all over the North Texas area — Flower Mound, Grapevine, Coppell, Irving, Southlake, Carrollton, Lewisville, and Denton.”