PAINTIN'

Last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday was dedicated to the painting of Ruesch Manor.

I might have mentioned a time or two that I was agonizing over what colors to paint my living/dining room. Literally agonizing. I decided that I wanted to do most of it grey, but do you know how many different variations of grey there are? Do you? About infinity, that's all. I didn't want it too cool, but I didn't want it too taupey  It couldn't be too dark or too light. Literally months you guys. Basically since I got our couch...in January? My poor sister-in-law, Melinda, has bore most of the brunt. I would pretty much call her every day  (twice a day) and make her talk to me about colors and what-ifs and the such. And guess what? She still answers the phone when I call. I hope everyone gets to have a SIL like her one day. Having no sisters is less sad when you have one like her through marriage.

I also talked to my mother about paint colors often, only, she wised up and stopped answering her phone most of the time (we're actually doing the same thing with family picture colors now. I'm a handful.) But once when she forgot to check the caller ID she casually mentioned just getting it done Saturday, it was Sunday, so I had exactly 7 days to pick out my perfect gray PLUS an accent wall color. So, we met up at Lowe's on Tuesday evening and my patient mother walked around the paint section with me for an hour while I went back and forth. The paint man even asked if we wanted him to bring over chairs from the lawn and garden section. He was joking, I seriously considered it. Finally, she just picked a grey and it's name was Gravity and then we fell in love. Well, almost. I went home and tried him on my wall and then we fell in love. The accent wall came a bit easier. I reeeeeaallly wanted to do a bluish green peacock color, but j.rue was not having it. He was going more for a BYU blue, no thank you. Again, my mom just picked out a blue, not quite navy, kind of peacock, and I don't know what BYU blue is, but j.rue was happy, I was happy, and my mother got to go home. Our accent wall goes by the name of Fine China Blue.

Thursday came and again the SIL to save the day. She taped up my dining room like nobody's business while her sweet hubby (the other j.rue) chased around our favorite toddler and moved furniture. My j.rue was in the kitchen assisting a dishwasher install. The fur children were all out of sorts. Melinda taped while I washed and spackled the walls. Really, I don't know what I would have done without her. I got the first coat of fine china up on the wall and we deemed it a day and went to bed.

Friday was the second coat of paint and then to bed.

Saturday I woke up bright and early, bought my paint, finished the taping (3 rolls of frog tape later) and sanded the spackle (least favorite) and then we got started painting. It was quite the job, but my mom and I had a system down, I did the trim and she followed with the roller. I think we got the hallway, living room, and dining room done with 2 coats in 4 hours, with only a tiny bit of paint on the rug and a HUGE paint spot on the blinds. What do ya do? And then we sat. My pregnant back and hips were not pleased with my activities of the day. They actually moaned and groaned at me until today. Rude.

For those of you who have visited Ruesch Manor, you know that it's not the roomiest. Having all of the furniture pushed to the middle, and in our room, and in the basement, and in the bathroom, made me a little panicky on the inside. Not comfy. Sunday, j.rue helped me move everything back to it's rightful place and hang up the curtains and a few other things. Let's just say the final product will not be documented today, because, well..it's not final right now and there is gobs of empty wall space. I'm actually okay with this because it hurts my heart a little bit every time another hole is put back into my freshly painted walls.

So, thank you to those who helped and even those who were willing. We're done! for now...