Joyous Living: Blue Paint and blog post turned blog story

Mariah's been begging for months - if not years to paint her room. Months and months of picking up paint samples and bringing them home for her to tell me over and over that those weren't exactly what she had in mind. Finally I took her to Sherwin Williams last weekend and let her pick out the blue of her little hearts desire. Capri is what she came up with:

Color:Capri

So we brought home a little sample of the paint and experimented with it on all four of her walls- because we just couldn't stop with one wall. I say its because given my vast knowledge of the best way to choose a wall color- you have to see it in all lights and at every angle. Teeheehee. (I can't remember the last time I painted)


Don't look at the mess...


Or this one either...

Feeling inspired by this bright bold blue and determined to be the next diy wonder mom, I felt the necessity to makeover the old-stain covered-ugly pink-was going to the dumpster at work-thought I'd bring home anyway- office chair. It went from ewww to beastly - but in the good way:

Even Mariah said, "Mom I am so proud of you!" YAY, my heart leaped and a happy dance resonated in my head. I almost broke out into the running man. I did that once to show Mariah that it was very similar to some new dance that's out now - the jerk, its just backwards from it...kind of... WELL she almost keeled over from laughter. Now I try to keep my dance skills to myself.

SO, Friday after work I set my goal to get her room painted. Stopped at Sherwin Williams and bought Capri in eggshell Sherwin Williams' Harmony. The man very convincingly told me it was low in odor. Score. I was already plagued with an irritating headache so I was hoping to not add to it with overwhelming paint vapors. With materials in tow I headed home looking forward to a productive night and excited to see the end result. Then I got home. I started pushing and pulling and stuffing things out of the way of the walls. I was ready to start painting above the trim and along the windows and ceilings. I thought that I'd try it without taping it all off. I hate taping things off. I also hate going along the trim wiping away all the paint I got on it - which is what I ended up doing 20% of the night. Anyways I was all gung ho and ready to go when in comes the kiddos. Ray being the rambunctious 4 yr old that she is was being...normal. Wanting to help paint and take a few spins on the beastly chair and grasping at all her older sisters cool but yet prohibited stuff, such as the fair sticks that she is never allowed to play with because she instantly turns them in to swords. This set off the 13yr old. Horns came out and attitude reigned. She was not going to paint with Ray in the room and Ray was not going to be anywhere besides the room where all the fun was going to happen. Hubby thankfully bribed her with the promise to turn on Icarly. YAY hubby! However Mariah had already declared she was not painting and set herself to win the pouting with the most attitude trophy. So it looks like I was painting all by my lonesome for the night with the occasional visit from Ray to take a few spins on the chair and roll the spare paint roller on the wall. I was not entirely opposed to going at it alone. It was keeping me from going ballistic on how absolutely absurd Mariah was being and I was fully preparing a 'she's grounded for the rest of her life' punishment slowly turned to I need to turn this into some kind of a life lesson slowly turned to I think I should make them share a room to force them to get along with each other then came to my senses and though that would make it worse not better. An hour and a half into it Mariah came around discarded the attitude and horns and put on her humble sweet hat and came in to help :) Life lesson speech saved for another night. By now the room looked like this- almost ready to roll:

Now: bring on the roller and let's knock this baby out!
Wall one, DONE.

Ray did a happy dance- while I was taking the picture.

Wall two, then wall three, DONE.

Even Frank got in on the paint action:

Mariah finished up wall four, DONE. Room = DONE. With painting anyways.

Still on list: paint desk, paint dresser, crown molding, maybe take out carpet and refinish wood floor, make curtains and a headboard, decorate and maybe a fun chandelier like this one here, though out of my price range or this one here which would soooo go with the beastly chair.