ON PAINTING

On a recent visit to my son's place in Vancouver, WA, I told him I'd be willing to help paint his house but to be forewarned, I was a very messy painter!  I knew this was true--I've done my share of painting!--but the view was further reinforced just the other day.


You see, I'm on a remodeling kick of my own. Don't know if it was inspired by my son who must get his house ready for the market or if it was just because "it's time"! We've been in this house for five years and the wallpaper (which I'm sure wasn't new when we bought the place) is beginning to fade. Besides, there's sheet flooring in the bathrooms and since they're small anyway, we figure it's a good time to upgrade to ceramic tile. 


But you know how it is. You can't do just one thing to a room because it makes the rest of the room look shabby. And if you're going to do the floors and have any ideas of doing anything else, you'd best do the "anything else" first as the floors are the last thing you want to do. Thus, I've literally been on a tear the last couple of weeks.


Tearing off the wallpaper, tearing out the shower doors (which I happen to hate!), tearing down the register in the ceiling because it's yellowed with age, etc., etc., etc.  Now, finally, it's time to paint. The only problem is, I haven't completely decided on what color!


Well--not totally. I basically want a white bathroom with gold accents but a little dab of color here and there wouldn't hurt. Since I'd done some faux painting in my kitchen when we remodeled it a few years ago, I thought I'd attempt that in the bathroom. The base color is easy, the rest is still, at this writing, pretty unresolved. Oh well, I digress. I could at least put on the primer and paint the ceiling--all white--and even the base coat--also white. So now the adventure begins!


None of the bathrooms in this house are very large which explains why we can afford to put ceramic tile in them both at the same time.  But, bathrooms are still bathrooms with barely an unconflicted wall or space. In other words, there's something to work around on every wall! But, honestly, to paint this small room really shouldn't take that long--maybe an hour at best?!


I've been smart enough to don my "paint clothes" as I've approached the job. Still, for me, getting more paint on the wall than on me is a challenge! Climbing on stools and ladders and maneuvering them in the small bathroom space is also a challenge. I didn't think much about wearing gloves while I put on primer but I've learned that even my hands aren't safe! The thing about primer is that it's made to stick to the wall--so, of course, it stuck to my hands.


Before this job, for one of the few times in my life I had fingernails that looked good enough to warrant pretty polish--even a trip to a nail salon. I said good-bye to them two weeks ago! 


And speaking of getting into the nooks and crannies (was I?), and stepping up on step stools placed in the bathtub -- well, the problem with step stools placed in the bathtub is that you have to get up and down them to refill the paint roller. Being naturally lazy and thinking always to save time and effort, I figured the job would go faster if I simply balanced the paint tray in my left arm while applying the paint with my right. It was working pretty well, too--at least for a minute. Then, while concentrating on getting the paint as far into that upper crack as possible, I began to feel something wet dripping down my side. 


To my horror, in the natural movement of my stretch, I'd tipped the tray towards me and it was running down my side into the bathtub covering the lower have of my shirt, the entire front side of my shorts (soaking through to my stomach and upper thigh), and doing a pretty good job of covering the step stool! (Note to self: buy new step stool for kitchen--this one's trashed! the paint job didn't take!).


The thing is, even though this is all "washable" paint, no matter how hard I try to scrub I simply can't reach every area that's been painted--on me! So when I go some place these days, people invariably point out some patch I've missed and say "Oh--I see what color you're using!" Now, the paint is white, and I'm white, but there's still a big contrast to my skin!


And did I mention my hair?! At my advanced age I discovered a few years ago that it was alright to give up coloring my hair because the color I was buying (a pale blond) was just about the color it was coming out--a pale gray! I can now add that it's been "frosted" with white paint--and that doesn't come off in the first washing either!


So, to my son who occasionaly reads this, you were very wise in rejecting my offer to help you paint your house and I was being very truthful. I am a messy painter! 


Having said that I wonder how much of the green paint I can keep out of my hair when I begin the faux painting! And can I claim it as a new trend in highlighting?! Somehow I doubt it! Oh well, at least it will make me ready for Christmas!


In Love and Peace!


Carol