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I had the most fabulous, funny, loving and well-dressed roommate for seven months.   

My cousin Katie moved into our house in October after leaving the family on the west coast and moving to this foreign land of Pennsylvania for a job in beauty at QVC.  Katie and I weren’t close before.  She is really a second cousin or a first cousin twice removed or some odd familial algorithm no one can even really figure out. But, family is family and I knew from my aunt and uncle (also her aunt and uncle, not her mom and dad, can someone tell me what that makes her to me?) and the few times we spent together that she was a lovely human being.  I wanted to help. I’d have wanted someone to help me like that when I was young in my career, and I pray one day someone will help my girls.  Everyone needs people. Hubby and I insisted she move in with us to get on her feet and make sure she really wanted to be on the other coast.  We had two weeks to completely remodel our very old (but new to us) farm house we bought the month prior and make, what was essentially a dilapidated,  glorified shed, into a bedroom and bathroom.  

The result wasn't perfect but Katie helped with the painting when she arrived…

…and with the addition of a 28 year old's clothing and life it became a home.

Katie promised it would be a month or two and she would be out in her own apartment.  A month came and went, then two, then Christmas.  Within weeks she became such a part of our life that we couldn’t imagine her not living downstairs.  She fell in love with our girls and them with her. 

We told her not to rush it, take her time, save some money. Then the record breaking winter hit and no one was leaving home most days, let alone moving. I loved that she had to stay. Close quarters (our home is a whopping 1200 sq feet on a good day, containing 3 big humans, 2 little humans, & 2 canines who think they are humans) brought us closer together.  She watched the girls when I worked overnight shifts and the hubby was travelling.  We ganged up on hubby, the only man in the house. We survived power outages, stuck cars and hours of shoveling.  I made her a Vitamix green shake every morning that she actually loved, and she helped me cheat on my diet whenever possible with anything chocolate.  We comforted her through home sickness and struggles being the new girl at work.  She cried happy tears with us when we decided to expand our family and mourned with us when I went through one of the greatest losses a woman can experience. There was no hiding our lives from each other, but no need to. Days didn’t go by without the impact of Katie on our lives and it always made us a better family.  She went from “that” cousin to a permanent, necessary part of our immediate family.  

But the day came.  She found a place not far, with people her own age in an area that will encourage doing things childless 20 something’s do. I went with her to look at it and meet the roommates and I knew it was perfect for her, even though it hurt my heart a little knowing what that meant.    

She moved out and for the first time since we moved into this old farm house, we are only 4 under the roof. That room we spent every waking minute preparing for her is lifeless without her. The bathroom bare without the plethora (and I mean more than you have ever seen in your life!) of beauty products.  But we have promised not to be sad.  It wasn’t goodbye; she lives 10 minutes away for goodness sake.  Still, there is a loss.

So to comfort our girls who have literally grown up with Katie, since 7 months is a long time in a 4 year olds life, and consider her as integral in our unit as me or the dog (yes that’s a compliment,) we promised them we would turn her room into a play room (slash guest room slash workout room…shhhh.) It’s a work in progress but I was so excited to be able to get them one fun new item, their own TV. 

They have never had a TV in their shared room.  We have just one relatively small TV in the house, the same one we have had for more than nine years.  As a result, the girls usually watch their programs on tablets, streaming Netflix as opposed to Saturday morning cartoons.  At Christmas I get asked what they have seen that they want for Christmas and the answer is always nothing because they have never seen commercials!  What a different world.   

But now, I can insist they go to their room and watch a half hour (educational and informative ) show so mommy can enjoy a cup of coffee with Matt, Savannah, Al & Natalie in peace!  The really cool part is the girls get to customize their TV.  I saw this technology when I was at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.  It’s a fabulous HD TV that you can change the bezels on.  We didn’t have it here at QVC but when they asked what I thought I said, “Yes, get it, like now!” We love color and choices right? Isn't it always hard to decide between the white one, the black one, the red one…??? Now you don’t have to decide.  You can just change the border to match your mood or your décor.  In fact, QVC is offering the first colored bezel along with the great 24'' TV, all for a featured price of under $220. You can also buy more colored bezels here.   

They asked me which ones I wanted to try and, knowing we had a sad transition coming up in our life, I chose to bring some glee to my girl’s lives and go for as pink and sparkly as we could.

Then add even more sparkly.

They good news is, when family comes to visit I do not need to subject them to a little girls fantasy world. I can just snap off the bezel and put on a shade that's a little more grown up.

Brilliant right?  And if one day the TV moves to my husband’s office to use as a computer monitor, since it’s the perfect size, I can pop on the bezel that works for him.  While we’re dreaming, if by some miracle we ever decided to put the TV in our bedroom (late night reruns of Friends & West Wing in bed = heaven!) there’s a bezel to match that as well. 

It works! What a great way to thrill someone in your life; Dads, grads, parents who have moved in and of course the kids.  I can even see a little bling in the kitchen or the man cave.  Just pick your colors.

Don’t misunderstand, a sparkly new TV cannot replace the constant presence of someone in a little (or big) girl’s heart. We are always closest to our college roommates, or parents, or kids, when we share a roof right? It’s why I am a fan of the idea of a family (and by family I mean my best friends and maybe a few select family members) compound where we can all live together.  There have been tears and disappointment that we can’t wake up and run to see Katie in the morning.  We have all agreed to weekly (if not twice or thrice weekly) family dinners and Katie has insisted on taking the girls to run errands and just to be around their infectious little laughs. We miss her.  Luckily she loves the Q as much as I do and she isn’t going anywhere.  We joke with the west coast family that she is ours now, slowly we’re moving everyone out east!  The good news is, if they end up staying with us, they can choose any color TV they want.

What colors do you want to see in a customizable TV?  And how can we stay connected to Katie even though she isn’t living with us anymore?  Leave your comments here or come “like” me at www.facebook.com/kerstinlindquistqvc and see my daily crazy adventures with my little farm girls.

We miss you Katie, thanks for being our person and letting us be your people too.

Have a blessed day!

Kerstin