I LOVE painting!!!!!!!!

I moved into my current apartment last July. Until this past weekend, I tolerated the floor-to-ceiling beige grossness of every room because I was afraid to paint. There. I’ve said it. Never having painted before, and having some balance/coordination issues because of a neuromuscular condition, I never thought that I would be able to paint without injuring myself horribly or spilling an entire can of paint on the floor. Those fears could still come true, of course, but this weekend I took a chance and decided to at least try. I painted for two days (unless you count several trips to two different hardware stores and a couple of hours doing something for work), and I am thrilled with the results!!!

I started off in my spare bedroom, which was a really wise move because I made lots of mistakes, but I won’t have to see them very often. One of the best tricks I learned was since I tend to be a bit wild with a brush when I’m edging a wall, for the ceiling in particular it’s best if I put two strips of wide paint tape to ensure that I don’t dot the ceiling with the wall colour (because I really don’t want to paint the ceiling). I tried two-toning the room, but it didn’t work out. The Stratton Blue was a sentimental choice because I have an aunt whose married name is Stratton, but the colour was too dark, so I ended up with a single colour throughout the room (excepting trim and *most* of the ceiling) – Wythe Blue, a blue with hints of grey and green, from Benjamin Moore’s historical colour collection.

Then I had a good start yesterday on my living room and hallway. There the colour is Beacon Hill Damask, a very fresh and vibrant greenish-yellow. It too is from Benjamin Moore’s historical colour collection. The colour is gorgeous!!!

I have to admit I’m on pain meds this morning to cope with the sore muscles and knees, but I really enjoyed this past weekend. I loved making something beautiful, but I also enjoyed the physicality of the activity (it’s a great all-body workout!) and it made me realize how much I miss being physically active. At the same time, it was also somewhat meditative. I didn’t play the radio or any music – I just enjoyed the quiet and the solitude.

So the plans for next weekend are to finish the living room and to paint my bedroom. I can’t wait!!!