2012: The Happy Home Project (Downstairs Living Area Wall)

We're completely snowed in & it's absolutely great! I have all the children filling the house with lovely sounds consisting of "I'm bored!" and "What are we going to do?" as if I am the ringmaster and in charge of orchestrating this circus. 


I was the type of kid that you'd put me in a room by myself with a pencil, a piece of paper, and anything I could use for a straight edge and I'd be occupied for hours upon hours. I'm still that way come to think of it. Nowadays it's like kids have lost their imagination sometimes. I don't mind showing them though; gives us more time to spend together AND makes the world seem to slow down for a bit while seeing the world from their eyes.


Upon deciding to paint a portion of the living room wall that was (you guessed it) left in despair, I threw all the pillows and cushions off of the couch to make easily accessible to the space needing a face-lift. Imagine having to show the children how the pillows and cushions could be used for many things if they only used their imagination a bit. "Like what?"- it appears I must be the brains and fun behind this operation as well huh? Gladly! 


After getting them to engage in fort building, dog piling, puppeteering and wrestling to their hearts content, I slowly proceeded stepping backwards and got to work on the wall that needed work.

(Clowns in my circus)

Here is a look at the wall that needed work (which is exactly what I have named it upon moving into the house). I'd say, "I might get to work on that wall that needs work," and I'd continue to roll around in bed; making every possible excuse not to exit the egyptian cotton hug I am always wrapped up in.

Today, while being snowed in, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to get started since I had the extra paint and the frog tape left over from the previous painting gigs.

It's not as though it needed an entire face-lift but the patches I have grown accustomed to since being in the house really have no place in my life, especially on walls I see every day. 

So, I got out the supplies, and got to work!

I didn't have enough paint leftover to do the entire wall 2 coats and that would make my downstairs living area entirely too dark and gloomy anyhow. I simply taped off the area I wanted highlighted and covered the spots with a symmetrical square to accent some artwork I wanted hung.

And wah-lah! In the words of Alicia Silverstone in Clueless. "Not a total Betty but a vast improvement." Not to mention very inexpensive and took me approximately 2 hours (drying time between coats included).

I will eventually frame out the rectangle with some basic black trim to add dimension. I might even add some small black shelving (2) to add some candles and other small treasures we have from my husband's home land of Greece for additional detail.

(and I'll replace that lamp that sticks out like a sore thumb)...but all in due time! :)

Snow is fine by me so long as I have something creative to work on while stuck inside all day. I managed to color (with crayola) a self-portrait of myself and surprisingly enough it was actually ok. Sophia says, "You are killing me! Is there anything you CAN'T do good?!" I replied, "Do well Sophia...Is there anything I can't do well? And the answer is NO. If you enjoy doing whatever it is you are doing, you will find you will always do it well." And it really is that simple. (I didn't start in on a deep conversation about being a perfectionist or OCD- I figured I'd better wait to open up that much. She'll figure it out soon enough on her own anyway.)

I'm behind a week in the Happy Home Project it would appear to the outside world. I haven't posted anything for last week that was done around the house and that is due to the fact that I ran out of staples for the project I was working on. I had to put it in the garage until I can get to Lowe's. It really drives me up a (freshly painted) wall to start something and not be able to finish it but I know it will get done, again, all in due time. 

Simply put: "Too many trials I have personally known, I'm trying to give my kids a happy home." :)