A Work in Progress...

Remember those 2012 goals I have? I do. I'm chipping away slowly but surely. I'm certain that some will not get done, however there is one big one I want to finish by the end of this year.... okay, most of the way... the dining room.

Yesterday, I decided I wanted to paint. I had to get somewhere with all the painting that needs done in the house. I don't want to spend the entire summer painting when I could be at the zoo, pool, amusement park, or anywhere else little man would like to go. I looked at the 2 prospects: hallway leading upstairs (lots of trim work) or the dining room (that I've been bothered by for 5 years). I chose.... the dining room!!!

I don't know what came over me. Maybe it's that I hadn't really slept much in 2 nights. Maybe it was the sense that I wanted to get something done over my 4 day weekend. I don't know. I just figured I needed something to show for my 4 days off and painting the dining room would have to be it.

I didn't have much idea what color I wanted. I had pinned a bunch of colors, but I chose none of them. I didn't even bother to review them prior to heading to the store. I simply grabbed the pic I loved from the winery (that hubby surprised me with) and went to the store to find a color to match. Therein lies the problem.

This picture is infused with lots of color goodness- greens, yellows, tans, browns, blacks. It's totally fun and I love it. While looking at the pic, I chose to go with this brilliant yellow-green color that is far more yellow than green, by the way.  This is a far cry from the mauve and tan I had going on. Mind you, I have decor that goes with mauve and tan... not vibrant yellow and green.

Why did I chose this color you ask... I just wanted to do something drastic and different. Boy is it ever! I was thinking, "Gosh, it would be fun to try to mesh modern with classic/vintage (the rest of the house)". I may have also lost my mind or just been overconfident.  Whatever it was, I chose the brightest of the 3 colors I was looking at. Should have gone with the more muted, but what's done is done and I'll be able to change it after spring break if it doesn't grow on me once I start piecing things in there.

So, I painted and painted for 5 hours in my dining room- while hubby cleaned the fish tank and lil man leaned against freshly painted walls, attempted to help daddy with emptying water from the tank only to get dirty tank water on the floor (not a lot, but some), and tried to help mom with the painting. All while saying how "purdy" everything looked. When he saw it finished, he told me it was like a school bus. Yep... although I feel more like I'm sitting in the middle of a lemon while the walls serenade me with "Good Day Sunshine". It's all good. It's paint. It's not terribly expensive and can very easily be changed... with a lot of time and effort!

Before painting- after spackling, removing art, curtains, and decor and starting the taping process.

Before- entry to living room.

Before- opposite side toward living room.

small wall... maybe plate wall???? If I can find some I like

middle of the night... the transformation

Holy brightness Batman!!! Yes, I know... the rug doesn't go now... UGH!

New glimpse into the entry from living room....

Natural lighting in the morning. So need to paint that molding...

Looks almost white here....

So, it isn't beautiful or perfect yet. It won't be for a while and I'm okay with that. Those with SAD, feel free to stop in for a dose of vitamin D from my walls!

I'm thinking I may like it once I paint the molding and chair rail. See those spots on the chair rail? Why would I bother taping off when I know I have to paint them because of all the old paint on there- some of it a glaze.  I'm only painting the molding near the ceiling and the chair rail. I refuse to paint the beautiful oak baseboards and door jambs. REFUSE despite how many people tell me white would be gorgeous. I know it would, but with 2 dogs and a 2 year-old, I'd be cleaning and painting constantly. No thank you. I'm too lazy for that!

Now, I'm sitting here, looking at the old decor wondering what to do with it as it really fits no where right now and what in the heck I'm going to do to try to make this work (teal??? aqua??? plum?? fuschia???). Really, I don't care at this juncture. I'm gonna let it grow on me over the next 6 weeks. If it doesn't, you know what I'll be doing over spring break!