Friday, April 21, 2006

Party bloopers

All is quiet at the Sugarmama ranch just now. It's the calm before the party storm tomorrow. I mean that quite literally, I'm afraid. It's supposed to rain buckets and thunder and lightning tomorrow, beginning right around the time that our first guests arrive. Husband is in a panic because, as I think I've mentioned, there will be 9 older kids here along with 5 1-year and younger kids. I'm thinking it's just time to go hit the movie store for a stack of DVD's. There'll probably be some running around, but movies ought to work to keep them still at least while they're eating. And an inside party just means I don't have to knock myself out getting the floors spotless, right? There'll be muddy, pine-needly tracks all over it in short order anyway, so why stress? (said through a steely, tight-lipped smile)

No, my bigger concern just now is that I finished repainting the window shutters on the front of our house yesterday. Now, everyone who knows me in real life knows of my love affair with the turquoise and aqua color family. My kitchen is painted aqua, Bean's room is painted turquoise, I have turquoise sandals, jewelry, etc. 'Why not take it outside, too?' methought to meself. And so I took it outside and had a lovely time painting the shutters a pretty, Robins' egg sort of turquoise blue. The contrast between that and the orange-y brick of our house was pleasing indeed while it was 12 inches from my face. But once I finished and fairly skipped to the curb to get a good look from the street--oh.my.god. What have I done?! You can't believe how garish it looks! Like blue eyeshadow heavily applied on the innocent lids of our house! Ack! So goes another painting mishap here at the Ranch, my third after a year of pink-beige bedroom walls that I initially thought looked serene and vaguely Japanese but in fact looked like cheap foundation after awhile. I painted our shutters once before, too--a weird purplish-mauvey-beige color that matched the brick, but clashed with all the plants I ended up planting in front of the house. (Don't look at me that way! These things matter!)

Anyhow, the shutters will remain turquoise for the next couple of years at least, til I can't stand it anymore and the memory of what a pain in the ass it is to haul our extension ladder around and jam paintbrushes into hundreds of shutter louvre cracks fades completely. Until then, please say how much you like it when you see them, okay? I'll pretend not to notice your steely, tight-lipped smile if you do.

13 comments:

Stacie said...

painting heck! so sorry! I always clean after the party, not before. I'm sure everyone I know thinks I'm a slob, but whatever! Have a fun time and good lick herding all them lil ones!

Mall Worker said...

I love how you refer to the paint job as bad makeup! I can see it so clearly in my head! lol

Rachelle said...

I hope the weather stays nice! And happy birthday to your adorable girl!!!!!

Erin said...

Where are the pictures?? ;)

Of course, the rain may just wash it all away! LOL!

Mommygoth said...

Oh, slime. I'm sure it's not that bad. I'll tell you true tomorrow when I see it.

thisbearbites said...

I once went to great pains to paint a quaint little house white with wedgewood blue trim. The I painted the doors an accent red - I choose a softer" red, to compliment the softer blue.
When DH got home he wanted to know why I had painted our doors hot pink.
I went to the road and looked back and so they were!
Made it easy to give directions to our house!

devilishsouthernbelle.net said...

I am sure it's not that bad! My grandmother, however, has a red brick house and had my cousin paint her shutters a periwinkle blue. All of us, painting cousin included, offered to redo it but she loved it. ::shrugs:: oh well.

But as for the colors you picked out, turquoise and aqua go really well with different earth shades, from brick red to adobe sand. It's probably just a matter of getting used to it.

I don't envy you one bit, with your party! My oldest son is having company tonight, and I am stressing.....not over the kid, but the parent I don't know who will be dropping the kid off and scrutinizing my housekeeping skills, or lack thereof! The place will be as clean as I can get it, but our nasty carpet and stained sofa makes the whole place look dirty :/

Bobita said...

The thought of all those children under one roof inspires me to ask...will you be having cocktails prior to/during/after the party?

:)

Suzanne said...

I hope the party went well today. As for the shutters, well, at least you won't have to look at them all day long!

Anonymous said...

oh, i wanna picture!!

i once though that our small entryway would look regal and daring if i painted it a deep beautiful purple. i thought, it being a very small amount of wall and everything, that it could handle such a 'splash' of color. it ended up looking like Trashy Nightclub Purple. Sin Purple, we called it. oops. painted right over it, oh yes we did!

Anonymous said...

what a fantastic analogy. the blue eye-shadow one. Good luck for your party! The thought of having 14 kids in my house scares me to death!

Amber said...

How did the party go? Pictures? I'd also like pictures of your gardens. Demanding aren't I?

Anonymous said...

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