Day 8: Re-decorate your house.

Two weeks ago I was thrilled to begin my holidays. I was going to read and lie in the sun and go to the beach and, of course, write! Well, my holidays have ended and I have returned to work. I am tanned and well rested but have not written much in the way of a book.
I have however re-decorated a couple of rooms in my house.
One Saturday morning (actually, it was closer to noon) my husband announced that he was full of energy and we should therefore paint our 'reading room'. I jumped out of my chair excited at the prospect of such a project. Our first stop had nothing to do with the reading room. We went to Leon's to buy two new futons for our rec-room. The rec-room should be called the 'wreck' room. Six years of children playing 'wizards' and 'shopping mall' and mini-sticks takes a toll on a room. Six years of toddlers finding the smallest piece of crayon beneath the couch cushions and applying said crayon to the walls. Six years of fort building and fort wrecking and mayhem devised specifically for wrecking those couch cushions. Somehow the stuffing slowly seeped from the cushions. The coils and springs began to show. Can't find a DVD from Jumbo Video? Can't find mom's favourite mug? Can't find the neighbourhood kids socks? Just look inside the couch. A real treasure trove of surprises.

The 'Wreck' room: Before.

Stop number two: The Brick to buy a new love seat for the reading room. We are going with a hot little condo sized red number to brighten up the room. Which brings us to the paint store where hubby and I had a snarky tete-a-tete over which colour would best suit our little room. I was reminded of my inability to steadily paint the corners of a room. So one wall red, three walls cream was out. In the end we opted for the hemp coloured paint which I approved of mostly because I could see how easy it would be to relax in a hemp coloured environment.
Next stop: home. I cleared the little room of its books and papers, the piano and the tattered blue rug. I carried out the curtains and washed the walls. I taped the trim and set out our painting supplies.
I looked around. Something was missing. Oh! Yes! Hubby! Who only a few short hours beforehand had enthusiastically declared his intent to paint this room.
He was in the kitchen washing dishes.
OK. I started. I rolled the first coat then called hubby in to do the *ahem* corners and trim.
It was looking good.
The next morning I applied the second coat of paint. Hubby, who was again washing dishes, called from the kitchen: "You know? We really should paint the rec-room."
Back to the paint store where I chose (gleefully on my own this time!) an eye-popping lime green and a bloody tangerine.
I bribed the kids to wash the walls for me this time. Hubby was still in the kitchen.
End result?

The new and improved rec-room: After.

One new soothing, mutely coloured reading room with a red couch on the way for me to lay on when I am thinking about writing; and one refreshingly bright and clean rec-room once more fit for six upcoming years of the children's shenanigans!
Oh! And deliciously clean dishes!