Thursday, July 07, 2005

Pretty in Pink

I'm pleased to report that TinyTuna's bedroom makeover is completed. Sort of. There are still pictures to be hung, and then the teensy weensy matter of all of her MEMORIES that are piled in plastic bins all over my living room. Oh, and the six-foot ladder is still in my bathroom. That makes a lovely addition to my house decor best described as Post-Modern disaster.

She came home from camp yesterday, and the first thing out of her mouth was, "Is my room done??" I looked at her with a sleep deprived smile and said, "what do you think?" In short, she loved it. All of it. It looks young and fresh, but not so trendy that six months from now she'd be clamoring for a redo. One of her favorite pieces in the room? Her bedside table lamp which is controlled by touch. Do we play with it all the time? Oh yes, we do.

The process has been an interesting one, to be sure. This was the first room in the house that we've redone, which made it one gigantic learning process. Because painting is far, far more complicated that say, DEATH, I'm here to impart the knowledge gathered along the way as we passed through the many stages of home renovation.

1. Excitement
Just the very idea of redoing a room makes one giddy. Oh, the grand and glorious plans! Oh, the immeasurable number of paint swatches! Oh the little toys and tools and knick-knacks to make it fun fun fun FUN FUN FUN!!!!!

2. Horror
Oh no. We're in deep trouble.

3. Determination
It doesn't matter how hard this project is going to be. We're going to do it, and we're going to do it RIGHT! Nobody did it RIGHT before, but boy-howdy, this time we are going to do it SO RIGHT. Grab a putty knife and go, go, GO!

4. Chipping
*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*
*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*
*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*
*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*
*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*
*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*
*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*
*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*chip*

5. Despair
We're screwed. We're sunk. What made us ever think we could do this? The room looks ten times worse than before. We aren't painters...We're Tunas. We should have called a professional. What are we going to do? What are we going to do?

6. Totally Unfounded Optimism
Unless we want the child to pitch a tent in the back yard from now until next April, we have no choice. We have to keep going. But it looks better, right? Right? If we keep saying it looks better, maybe we'll start to believe it, right? Right?

7. Spackling
*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*
*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*
*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*
*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*
*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*
*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*
*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*
*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*spackle*

8. Sanding
*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*
*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*
*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*
*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*
*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*
*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*
*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*
*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*sand*

9. Guarded Optimism
Hey, that turned out pretty good. The everything is flat. No more holes. No more chips. We did a good job. I think this just might (MIGHT) turn out. I hope. Oh boy do I hope.

10. Priming
Priming is like painting that doesn't count. Priming in a tiny closet is a one-way ticket to Woozyville. Priming the ceiling gives you albino freckles. Although primer left under your finger nails looks like an expensive French manicure, primer slopped all over the elbow gives you away. Priming sucks.

11. Painting
Finally. It's like wandering the desert for 40 years and finally discovering the land of milk and honey-colored semi-gloss. Boy, I hope this color doesn't look like Pepto pink. Please let it be pretty....Please let it be pretty...Please let it be pretty.

12. New Math
Two coats of white primer plus one coat of white ceiling paint equals two coats of white ceiling paint. The ceiling is done!

13. Drugs are Bad
If I have to go into that tiny space again, my next trip will be to the Betty Ford Clinic. The closet is done!

14. Awe
AWWWWWWWWWWWW! It looks SOOOOO good!

15. Putting Humpty Together Again
There aren't asses big enough to absorb the pain and hassle of rehanging doors and reinstalling vertical blinds. Even with two cordless screwdrivers and a now beautiful surrounding, Dances with Power Tools says UGH.

16. Totally Unfounded Optimism
That wasn't so bad.

17. Insanity
We kicked major home improvement butt. Let's do another room.

3 comments:

TVJ said...

Another room? Step away from the paint fumes. There are hamsters to watch. Let the next room wait. Until next year. Then maybe I'll come out and spackle for you. Heh.

Norma said...

I wallpapered my daughter's bedroom when she was a toddler. I was sooooo proud, but I never did it again. Great post.

Kat said...

I applaud your efforts. And award bonus points for purchasing a lamp from an "N Things" store.