I did something really stupid last week all in the name of pretty.
One of my very first blog posts was all about having fun with design. Beau inspired it, actually, when he built me a lego house for my “flog” 😉 Anyway, in that post I talked about the time that I have made some, ahem, poor choices with design in the past. I’d say until last week, the winner was the fact that not once, but twice I have made huge holes in walls by accidentally dropping mattresses down flights of stairs while changing rooms around. Those were not fun texts to have to send to Michael, let me tell you!
I’m gonna set last week up for you. We have a flower bed with some liriope in it. We had a good bit of rain over a few days, and seemingly overnight poison ivy popped up in it, and twined its evil tendrils all around that liriope. Not just a little bit of poison ivy, but a lot. Handfuls. Ask me how I know how much.
I know, I know. Stupid! But, I was in a hurry. We had just had several trees removed, and the tree service left a huge load of mulch for us. Which Michael was in a hurry to put in the beds. If you know Michael, when he wants a job done, he gets it done. There is no “honey do” list for Michael, because by the time the ink is dry, he has done it. It’s almost always- 99% of the time- a blessing. But sometimes- like in this situation- I don’t use my head because of it. He wanted to mulch those beds, and he wanted to spray down the poison ivy first- and the poor innocent liriope with it.
I could not let that liriope become a victim of that poison ivy! It lines our driveway, and it just looks so nice when you drive in! The little purple flowers are just so sweet.
I suited up with long gloves and got to pulling. I’m sure that had I thought about it, or researched further, I could have found a better solution- maybe there is a herbicide that kills poison ivy but spares liriope? Instead, I just told myself that surely by now I had outgrown my childhood severe allergy to poison ivy (even though I know better- of course I know better!)
Of course, the poison ivy won. My arms, stomach, and legs are covered. I even have a small patch on my face. #hotmama
The worst part is, I would totally do it again. But probably I’d wear longer pants and a long sleeved shirt instead of a t-shirt and yoga capris.
Edit, 2+ weeks later: After a steroid shot, two rounds of steroids by mouth, antibiotics for a secondary infection, and three different doctors telling me this was the worse case of poison ivy they had ever seen, I now realize the extreme stupidity of my above statement and my actions. I most certainly WOULD NOT ever, ever go anywhere near poison ivy ever again. Ever. Sometimes I am an idiot. I believe I have now made that statement twice on this blog now. But who’s counting? 😉
Please tell me I’m not the only one who has done something like this, all in the name of pretty!
Oh no Beth! That is terrible 🙁 I have always been highly allergic also, I have had it in my eyes before which is no fun at all. I hope you get to feeling better friend!
OMG Ashley, poison ivy in your eyes??!! I cannot even imagine! Bless your heart! I am getting better every day, thank you! I am learning my lesson, that’s for sure 🙂