And a friend did a little research and informed me that that bargain bin Clancy Brothers Christmas CD of mine is worth 50 dollars online. Who knew? Larry remains unimpressed. He is a Clancy Brothers refusenik.
*****************
Inspired by our bedroom rearranging, Larry and I decided to paint Anna's new room. As anyone who remembers the striped walls of 2007 can attest, Larry and I should not be allowed to choose paint colors together. This episode was no exception. After researching different shades of lavender on the web and finally agreeing on the correct color, Larry hurried to the paint store to pick up a gallon before it closed for the weekend.
He returned triumphant, with paint and primer (tinted to the paint color) and all manner of painting paraphernalia, happy in the knowledge that this was one household project he could knock out the next day. Happy, that is, until I told him he got the wrong shade. Too dark. Not the one we had picked out together just an hour before.
We didn't talk to each other for an hour. And then, only when we had to. Divorce lawyers did not get involved simply because we are too embarrassed to allow the words "Joyful Lilac" and "Feathery Lilac" to appear in the court documents.
Anyone need some purple paint?
[photo lifted from Foolproof Tips to Pick a Color Palette, a blog post obviously not written by yours truly]
No purple here--the holiday gift room redo here will involve a soft, pearly gray.
ReplyDeleteactually, we just painted roo's room a lovely shade of deep purple. her assessment when it was done? "i feel like a princess!!!!"
ReplyDeleteI'm confused...Anna didn't get to pick the color herself? We're paint egalitarians around here--everyone gets to pick the color of their own room, even the oldest when he was two (he did a great job, too!). My husband usually lets me pick for the common areas, even when he's not quite sure, but then he always says, Wow. This looks really good. He finally got some purple trim on with those orange walls but I haven't had a chance to see it in daylight yet... can't wait!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were able to put your differences aside, if only for the sake of your marriage.
ReplyDeleteOf course Anna chose the color for her room, Amy. She had already told me she wanted a light lavender shade, slightly darker than the one in my bedroom (which we both agreed was too light). Larry and I just had to find it on the palette. And, uh, manage to go all the way to the paint store without forgetting which one we picked out...
ReplyDeleteI once painted my office at work purple. Trimmed it in a darker shade of purple and painted the bookshelves teal. I loved it! It was a happy respite from the sales floor, which I despised. My assistant was sure she hated it, and two months later, she painted her kitchen the exact same color.
ReplyDeleteOnce, before kids, I stayed home and painted my wife's office/study (which we no longer have) for her as a birthday surprise. She had wanted Pumpkin. I gave her macaroni and cheese.
ReplyDeleteMy husband's idea of choosing paint color involves mixing the "oops" cans in the sale aisle with whatever we have at home already. Does anyone wonder why I PAID to have our kitchen wallpaper removed and then primed and painted?
ReplyDeleteAnd I merely stated that I was *supposedly* cleaning the kitchen when I was midnight blogging. Who knew so many others were joining me?
I'm thinking Larry's not going back to the paint store without a paint chip in hand initialled by every member of the Paint Color and Wallcovering Selection Committee (PCWCS). The primer should still be usable, though.
ReplyDeleteMy marrriage has lasted 25 + years because we agreed early on that my husband would ALWAYS make the decision when we are using some shade of white. Do you know how many shades of white there are????? And how little I care about them?
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to the song yesterday, I was sure I was going to have to find that CD. Now, finding out it might cost $50 puts me in a completely different frame of mind.
ReplyDeletePicking paint colors with DH usually results in white. My mother did a nice shape of lavender in her room recently. I'm sure she couldn't tell you the name of it either.
But that divorce document could make for some darn entertaining reading. Just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteWe never battled over paint. Over stereo speakers in the walls? Yes. Yes we did. And are.
Larry shouldn't go back to the paint store without a paint chip in hand with the approved color, said paint chip being initialed by each member of the Paint Color and Wallcovering Selection Committee (PCWSC).
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a teenager, I had my room painted lavender. I loved it.
ReplyDeleteLesson learned the hard way: never, ever let husband by wall paint...even if armed with the swatch and the name of the paint color.
ReplyDeleteNever.
Never send a man to do a woman's job. ;)
ReplyDeleteI leave tiny color chips taped to walls for weeks, deciding which one works best in morning, noon, evening, and artificial light. I figure I'm not going to get around to repainting the living room for another 10 years, so I'd better LOVE the color I end up with. Right now, I'm staring at "Mohair" and "River Reed".
We painted the back of the bookshelves in our living room a medium shade of dusty purple. And the wall behind the tv (which is above the fireplace) a darker, eggplanty color. Love it.
ReplyDeleteAlso, re: divorce lawyers? In my prior life I was one. And actually sat through a trial wherein my boss (I was just one year out) and the opposing counsel were arguing over a white wicker wastebasket and a framed piece of "art" which was made from a completed jigsaw puzzle of fish. The judge was not happy. (Come to think of it, neither were the lawyers.....)