My goodness, is it Sunday afternoon already? I scarcely noticed, and that’s because I have ONCE AGAIN been sucked down into the swirling maelstrom of suckitude that occurs every time I pick up a damn paintbrush.
[You: Aren’t you done talking about painting, yet?
Me: Shut up and go tape that corner.]
See, I thought I was done in the dining room because “touching up” the trim was only going to take a few minutes. HAHAHAHAHAHA. HA. HAAAAAAAA.
*sob*
Oh, it’s fine. Really. I mean, I am going to finish painting the trim this weekend EVEN IF IT KILLS ME, and I am not at all bitter that Otto can’t help me with this. Really.
My husband has MANY MANY MANY fine and outstanding traits, but what remains to be done in there involves teeny paintbrushes and tiny edges, and when “WE” started painting something happened in “HIS” corner—he was painting while sitting in a vibrating chair, perhaps? I don’t know—that caused me to say, “Darling, sweetheart, soulmate of my dreams, I love you beyond all measure. And if we want to keep it that way I need you to put down that paintbrush and get out of this room immediately.” He obliged (very quickly, I might add) and after I’d had enough time to cool down (aided by his helpful farewell mention of how that’s the corner where the linen chest goes, so really, that will all be hidden) he came back to keep me company while I touched up the tiny facing edges of the baseboards.
No, I couldn’t tape. Because there are now roughly 80 layers of paint involved, there are great crags of paint here and there which must be gently dabbled around while inventing new curse words under my breath.
Anyway, Otto came and chatted with me, last night, while I worked, inch by painful inch, and by the time I’d worked my way around to where I’d started, I looked up and realized that it was well after midnight. Whoops!
We went to bed and I dreamt of moving into a house that was completely covered with layer upon layer of lousy wallpaper, and I woke up and started to tell Otto about how horrible it was, and he laughed because HELLO, THAT’S THIS HOUSE.
Oh. Yeah.
So today I’ve been doing similar touch-up on the chair rail, and I repainted the baseboards in their entirety, and I did one doorway. That means I only have THE ENTIRE FREAKING CHAIR RAIL and one more doorway to go. Hooray!
The point is, I’ve been a little busy. On the up side, I’ve invented some REALLY GOOD curse words.
Yesterday I did take a break from painting the dining room to paint my eldest. Remember how I promised her pink hair and then utterly failed to deliver? Yeah, HER TOO. Anyway, I ordered the appropriate dye and yesterday we played salon. She’s delighted, and I must say, I am, too.
I’m really not cool enough to allow her to bleach out her hair, first, allowing for a brighter (and more permanent) result, but it’s definitely pink—enough to be noticeable/different but not enough for people to give me disapproving stares at Publix. I hope.
Also, you’ll be pleased to know I didn’t swear AT ALL while coloring her. Possibly because I am much more fond of Chickadee than I am of the chair rail.
You are one cool mom for doing Chickadee’s hair. I love it. Especially the ends. And true, it’s subtle enough that most people will require a double-take before shooting you a glare. Given the length and (apparent) thickness, she much have gorgeous ponytails!
I have no words on painting. I live with my messy joins.
I hate painting with a hatred that runs deep and burns hot. Did I mention I am preparing to paint my daughter’s room? I am dreading it, but I promised and I try to keep them whenever possible.
As for the hair, you rock. And, I have to say that when I see a child (or adult, for that matter) at Publix with interesting colored hair, I always think how brave they must be. I would never color my hair any other color than it already is. I’m a coward and also lazy. But, you rock!!
I love Chickadee’s hair. it is SO COOL.
my husband is like Otto with a paint brush and I have the splotches on the living room ceiling to prove it. but only near the spots too high for me to reach. I generally love to paint. next time you start a project let me know (’cause random internet people are very helpful, ya-know)
oooh that looks pretty cool! glad you were ok w it too. see look how painting your house has made your painterly skills flourish! can you do my hair next? then my house>?
Have you tried using a painting straight edge or a wide plastic putty knife to paint against? I find that very handy in tight/fragile places.
The hair looks great! Very nice, not too crazy. I’m sure the trim and chair rail are going to be gorgeous when you get done. Anybody who is not painting should be bringing you cool drinks and chocolate and other goodies, every hour, and giving you a massage afterwards. Way to go!
Cool Kid Hair = Cool Mom :)
After dying my hair blue in college, I came home for a weekend. My mother and I went grocery shopping and the checker lady couldn’t stop staring at my hair. (I did bleach mine first and it was a FABULOUS electric blue.) As my mom was paying for our groceries, the lady said to her, “How could you let her do that to herself?”
My mom said, “Let her? She’s a grown woman!”
My poor mother got a few more comments like that over the course of the weekend! I think she was kind of glad to see me go back to school.
So, so cool.
When I was in high school, I used to ‘dye’ my hair pink with cherry Kool-Aid. No. Really. I did. I have great pix of it. Anyway, might not work as well on C. because I was blonde (back then it was natural. Now I have to pay $150 every month to make it look natural. Sigh). … but a thought to try. Certainly was fun! Google it. It works.
She looks like Nymphadora Tonks – the very coolest wizard aside from Harry himself, IMO. My oldest daughter would also like to colour her hair pink, but alas she was blessed with beautiful black hair, so to get any kind of colour on it she’s going to have to bleach it first. And I also am the kind of mom who is cool enough to allow pink hair but not cool enough to allow bleach near my third-grader’s head.
Chickadee’s hair rocks!
I hate painting with a white-hot passion, as does the hubby. Therefore, our house has not been painted since we moved in a few years ago. It was brand new then, and had a nice taupe color on all the walls, so I was pretty happy. We found out recently that when a four gallon jug of milk was dropped and exploded all over our very open floor-plan house that the “beautiful” paint on the walls was really, really cheap builders paint, and it washed right off along with the milk. Not a pretty site. So, on Wednesday we have a “guy” coming in to paint the whole main floor of our house for us. Glad to pay him to do this for us. We have painted together before, and find that for the sake of our marriage, it is better to hire someone to do this.
Punkin’s hair has been pinkish-orange for a freakin’ week after I let her get it spraypainted at AthFest last weekend. I think I finally got the last of it out last night. I hope she got it out of her system early. Maybe by the time she’s ten I’ll feel like lettign her do it again.
On our walk yesterday afternoon my husband and I started talking about the painting we need to do outside, on the railing around the deck and porch. It doesn’t look good…I knew I was losing him as I kept mentioning the things he could do to help. I decided to stop talking when he said he’d sand…because, after all he said, I am so good at painting. Maybe he’ll bring me cold drinks?
So what dye did you use? My daughter’s hair is probably about the same color as Chickadee’s usual color, and while I have sworn NEVER to dye her hair again (as H’s hair is literally down to her butt; dyeing it is a BIG PRODUCTION), I would like to know a good product to use should I suddenly go absolutely crazy.
(Also, I hate painting. We repainted our entire house one move ago, because the previous owners must have smoked crack before they painted their house. When we re-painted to sell that house, we totally hired somebody. Best. Investment. Ever.)
Just so you know, The Pretty One saw me reading this and said, “remember how I said sometimes I take a little poetic license …?”
So, really, my corner was perfectly fine. She just loves painting SO MUCH she wanted to keep it all to herself.
Which I have no problem with. None. At. All.
-otto
(Uh oh … she’s typing a response.)
“Poetic license” = “please don’t make me sleep on the couch”
May I just say that you are probably the only person alive that can get away with saying: ‘swirling maelstrom of suckitude’ and have everyone nod in understanding?! That – and pink hair! makes me smile!
Love the hair! It’ll look great in a braid. You do braid her hair now and then, don’t you?
Painting, painting. Husband lost his cool during a bathroom project a few years ago; I refuse to deal with house projects any more. They’re all his. That is, if we want to stay married.
Speaking as one who has pink hair herself (only highlights and yes, bleached first) I love Chickadee’s hair. Nice and subtle.
If any one else is looking to ad some pink I used SPLAT tm. It’s some random hair color that is pseudo-permnament. Emphasis on the pseudo. And the pink starts out more purple-y pink, rather than bubble gum pink. Which is what I wanted. It’s fadeing nicely to the desired shade of gum now though.
So kudos on having the nerve to allow your daughter to have the super-cool pink hair. And ignore any nasty looks. They’re just jelous that their moms never let them do any thing so cool.
It looks great! :-)
I feel the pain on the chair rail. Just bought a new house and have chairs that are ruining the newness of the kitchen. You can see the lines in the wall where the chairs hit. In comes chair rail… Hubby and I are now trying to decide whether to paint or stain the rail. I also have the cheapy “ceiling” paint that wipes off with water. Been moved in more two months and have had chef boyardee sauce spilled on the walls. Off with the sauce and off went the paint.
Love the hair would never have nerve to let me 9 year old do that. Let alone do it for her.
hollygee is brilliant. And I am thinking of seven hallway doors meticulously taped and caaaarefully edged and feeling very, very stupid.
The little back and forth between you two in the comments?
PRICELESS :D
love the hair. Memo to myself, do not let my own soon to be 10 years old daughter see this photo!!
P.S. I would have got a painter in long ago, but thats me, lazy. Either that or dumped a tin of paint on someones head!
Yup, I thought of Tonks, too. Cool hair!
Just reinforces that kids can have any hair they want in the summertime. Little Bug has been begging for a Mohawk. Just can’t bring myself to do THAT. Can’t he just beg for a trim???
I have no painting skillz whatsoever, but Chickie’s hair looks fantastic and you win Cool Mom Award!
I painted blue highlights on my daughter’s hair on Saturday as well, it only lasted her until her next shower but she was really happy and it was fun to do it, so congrats on being a cool mom!
I’m not allowed to paint in our house because I don’t do detail as well as my husband does. Not that I mind having him do it instead.
Love the pink!
Well I am thinking you could ad some purple stripes to Chickie’s hair, just for the people at Publix. I’ll chose hair color fun over chair rail any day.
My brother’s a painter, and he also does Hollygee’s trick, holding a wide putty knife angled between the stuff you want painted and the stuff you don’t.
it IS just like tonks hair! brilliant!
i need to paint most of the rooms in my house as well. i’ve had to for 3 years now. you can see what a priority it is for me.