It’s hard to believe that we’ve been in our “new” house for almost four years now. We’ve changed a lot, mostly just to simplify the overall palette because I’m a fan of neutrals. Jonny and I haven’t done anything to our bedroom because it was already painted a neutral off white making it feel less urgent. I hung pictures to cover a couple of speakers on the wall, and on nails that were already in place when we moved in, though not necessarily where I would have chosen to put them. A few weeks ago, I decided that I was ready to take everything down, make repairs, and paint. Actually, it was Jonny who did all of that. My job was to agonize and obsess over the color. I am terrible at choosing paint colors and find it really stressful. I can never envision how a color will look in an entire room, even though I buy samples and move them around and do all the things you are supposed to do when choosing a color (along with the things you aren’t supposed to do like painting splotches all over the place). I ended up choosing a color called Olympic Mountains by Benjamin Moore and Jonny painted our room a couple of weeks ago. In the photo above, the new color is the darker one behind the candles. That was painted on when I was still in the painting splotches phase. I see a big difference between it and the original color, but Jonny thinks he basically painted our room the same color that it already was. True to myself, I initially hated the color and felt sick over my mistake. Jonny painted the room over the course of about a week. While I was in the hating phase, I would try not to look at the completed walls because I thought they were so ugly. Poor Jonny kept painting, wondering if I was going to want a different color.
In this lovely “after” photo complete with a litterbox, utility light, and laundry, you can kind of get an idea of the color. It’s obviously VERY different than the previous color. I really like it after all! I’m just no good with change, especially when it’s such a drastic one, so it took me a few days to adjust. We still need to paint the trim and I am planning to make some changes to the furniture. I haven’t hung anything on the walls yet because I’m not ready to mess them up and I kind of like everything being plain. I suspect it will be another year before we complete everything because that seems to be our pace these days.
My flower beds are all such a mess. I completely let everything go this summer as I always do. Next year I plan to do things differently. I don’t think I will plant vegetables in my vegetable beds, but instead plant my annual flowers there. And then I will start filling in my flower beds with perennials that will hopefully look a little bit tidier. I definitely won’t plant pumpkin vines along our front walkway. It’s been an impassible mess for the past couple of months. We are now in the process of ripping everything out and it’s already looking so much better.
We haven’t worked on many puzzles in recent months, but I loved this “kissing” puzzle. (affiliate link) The kids made fun of it, but they still worked alongside me. I think 300 piece puzzles are perfect for summertime. I’m sure we’ll get back into the bigger ones this winter.
This photo was taken right after I asked Mabel to stop pounding on the piano while I was doing a spelling lesson with Silas and Job. I have to remind her not to pound on the piano every single day during spelling.
I’ve started putting a different art postcard on display on my dresser every night before I go to bed. I didn’t make any big deal of it or even mention it, just started doing it. Mabel noticed right away. Every morning when she comes running into our bedroom she goes straight to the dresser to see the new painting. We discuss them together and I tell her the name of the artist and the name of the painting. I always feel a little better about my own attempts to title blog posts when I read titles such as, “Mother Combing Her Child’s Hair,” “Child in Sunlight,” and “Peonies in a Vase.” I have purchased books of art postcards at museums over the years but you can buy sets from Dover online as well. I’ve used this program for art appreciation in the past, but right now I’m loving the simplicity of one painting a day.
Silas is completely obsessed with fishing. I’ve been making an effort to take him and the other kids somewhere to fish at least once a week, though I have to say, I am not a fan of fishing! I am a fan of getting out of the house and taking walks with friends so everyone is happy.
I am very excited about my latest batch of playsilks! I probably say this every time, but surely these are my favorite ones yet! My goal was to get them listed in my shop about a week ago, but I wasn’t able to get everything photographed and listed until last weekend. At least they were ready for the first day of fall!
The easels I ordered from Ikea many weeks ago arrived last week and Mabel was so excited. We haven’t had an easel since before she was born and I felt like I was ready. This type of painting means lots of cleanup for me, but it’s worth it. Look at her face! I told her that she’s an artist and she was so pleased.
When I’m not up to big paintings (and big messes), we do small paintings. I buy blank notecards because they are inexpensive but a little thicker than regular paper. Young children love to make tiny paintings! Mabel has been painting stacks of them every day.
Speaking of painting, the other night I was reading Miss Rumphius to Mabel at bedtime and I was really struck by her blue bedroom. I thought to myself, “I might like a blue bedroom…” Don’t tell Jonny.
Ingrid Marsden says
I think your colour choices are soothing and lovely. I would love to know where you buy/source your jigsaw puzzles from please? We can’t find any like that in New Zealand.
From Ingrid
JennieD says
For more art appreciation we have been watching sister Wendy Beckett on YouTube! Short and informative
Lana says
I am just like you about paint colors. Mostly we leave things alone because I can’t decide.
About a year ago I hired a painter to paint our back hall and laundry room because almost the entire project was doors to be trimmed around and we would make a mess of it. So when the painter arrived my husband gave him the paint which matched our foyer and stairwell and upstairs hall. After the painter was finished and left I went to look and it was not the neutral tan but yellow. My husband had given him the outside color of our siding. So now all that area is yellow whether I like it or not and I don’t. End of story. Not paying to have it done again.
Penelope says
My bedroom is robin’s egg blue with white trim and I couldn’t be happier with it 🙂
Marilyn says
Fall cleaning is a must. I mowed the lawn Monday and did some trimming and tidying up. Love Mabel at the easel.
Marilyn
Rita Moeller says
Your posts bring happiness when I see a new blog in my in basket. I used to feel like you do about the decision to paint. What if I don’t like it? What if it is a mistake? Then I made one. I had decided a pale pink would be nice for my bedroom and painted the biggest wall only to discover it wasn’t pale it was “hot” pink. I repainted, immediately. That made me realize it was JUST paint and I could redo it. Yes, it makes the job last longer and it is a little more expensive but it is okay if it’s a mistake. One time my husband came home from work after the professional painters had done the whole front of the house and he said, “I hate it. It looks blue!” It was supposed to be a light gray. They repainted it. It took an extra day but was so worth it–we didn’t have to live in the “blue” house. We were living in the house we wanted. One year I repainted the laundry room 3 times! But now I love it. I understand anguishing about it but it’s only paint. My husband and I currently can’t decide on a color for the exterior of the house. We have swatches painted all over the house. Last Sunday, I suggested a compromise: He gets his color for the back of the house which is where he spends most of his outdoor time and I get my color for the front and sides which the neighbors view. You can tell I don’t like his color–too bold for me. He might agree. Of course if we ever sell, we’ll have to repaint the back but what the heck! It’s our house now.
Marion says
Cleaning and decorating for Fall has kept us busy. Could Mabel have a future in music? She is a cutie. Love Silas fishing, He looks so relaxed.
Marion
Joan says
Monday I pulled and trimmed a lot of weeds mostly and vines that grew and grew. Much more to do. A budding artist is among you.
joan
Erin says
Thank you for continuing to post, Ginny, I say at the risk of putting more pressure on you to continue writing. I too am amazed at how much you accomplish–far more than I, with no kids in the house anymore. In these dreary and frightening days you are a spark of light and peace.
A quick question: Is it of any benefit to you if I click on your post daily, or only on the day a new post is published?
Martha Kimball says
It was so satisfying ripping out all the tangled mess of pumpkin vines, too. We were hauling it all to the road for the brush truck and he happened to just be driving by, so he took it all right then and there. I felt very accomplished. 🙂
You’re inspiring me to pull out our paints. I always sort of dread the prep and clean up process, but man do the kids love it. Small postcard sized paintings — brilliant! Would make great cards to use in the mail, too.
Juliana @ Urban Simplicity says
I’m mid-ships with several painting projects right now (including having just finished a room) and I would say stick with the neutral you have. I’ve never regretted neutral walls (either light gray/white or white) but I’ve often regretted colors on walls (blue is fine, but it is limiting in palette, and one does grow tired of it). It is easier to swap out accessories or bed linen for a different color palette.
Patricia says
Loved your blog this morning… I go through the same thing about painting – live with a color for a couple of years and for one reason or another, find I simply MUST change it. After it’s changed, I mourn the loss of the last color.
I was overwhelmed with your pictures of Miss Rumphius – took me back 30 years to a university class I took about books and reading for elementary school.. On the first day we were given an assignment, go to a bookstore and choose two books you would want for your 1st grade class. I went to a huge B&N in NYC, went to the children’s dept and began searching.. pulling out a few books here and there, then I went to the counter with this small pile and before I could pay for them, the clerk apologized for the “mess” because they had just opened a box of brand new books and they were scattered on the counter… right in front of me was Miss Rumphius and I picked up the book and fell in love with it. It was the book I wish had been written when my daughter was 7 (she was 20 at the time) but I had to buy it for her. The book is incredible – when my Jenn read it, she cried and said it was a perfect example of “Bloom where you are planted”… It still sits here in my bookcase – over 30 years onward – and it was the first book I bought for her daughter when she was born. May my granddaughter grow up making the world beautiful for future generations. For a few years after that class, I walked around on Block Island with a pocket full of seeds – spreading more beauty.
Ellen says
My husband is a painter and so I found your painting story great. You are not alone. If only I had a diary of all his customer stories. He’s put up a lot of swatches and dealt with a lot of indecision and some regret. Benjamin Moore is his go to paint and I do love your color choice and will recommend he try it out (maybe even for us).
Thank you for sharing your wonderful blog and photos –truly a respite from the craziness in the world.
karen says
It took us 10 years to paint the main floor of the house in 2015, I will need another 10 years to recover. I have a hard time choosing paint colors!!
Bee says
Those pictures of Mabel are just the best. She looks so happy and proud – I love it! (and I like her artwork, too! So colorful!)
While I can’t tell the difference between your previous wall color and this one, it DOES look really fresh and clean. Soothing. You can always paint another room in the house blue. Would Jonny be up for that? 😉
You know, Ginny, I know many people have said this over the years, but it bears repeating: your blog is such a wonderful oasis of peace and rest. I don’t know how else to put it; it just feels cozy and calm.
The world seems to be on fire right now (literally and figuratively speaking) and your blog offers some counterweight. And I thank you for it :).
Heidi says
My how times flies! It seems like Job was just born….and Mabel the artist…Wow! All your children are so special.
Personally I think you should stay with the neutral bedroom (I’m helping Jonny out here!) We painted our bedroom a sage green a couple of years ago and now it reminds me of a hospital room. ?It’s going back to a fancy white sometime this winter. Even the whites aren’t white. Ugh.
Katie @ The Cozy Burrow says
This was such a lovely post. Thank you!! I also totally let my gardens go as the summer went on, and I also always do that. And at the end of every summer I think, next year will be different. Here’s to doing things differently next year!
Susan Kuhlman says
It is 5:30 AM and I have finished scanning the NYT and WP avoiding articles that would not make me feel happy, which was most of them. As I read your blog, I laughed so hard that my dog, Cubby, barked at me, which set the dog across the hall barking, which made his dad mad. We were all busted. Though I can not see the difference between any of the off white color choices, I have a dear friend who also hates change. She repainted her living room and hated the color, wished she had the old color until I did research and discovered her new color by a different brand was actually the same as the old color. It seems that there is an interesting idea here since the yarn is dyed fabulous colors so perhaps the neutral walls are a mental background for creativity.
Pamela Hans says
It’s always lovely to read your posts and marvel at all you accomplish. Mabel I just so adorable. You’ve given me ideas for my 4 year old grandson. He loves to paint rocks so I’m thinking he might like the note cards or the easel.
Janel says
Love Miss Rumphius and her blue bedroom, and her beautiful larkspur, too! Glad you got a color you can enjoy – change is indeed hard. Sweet to see some of your happy & healthy kiddos. Wishing a very happy autumn to you and yours!
Tracy Henwood says
Beautiful post ?