True to my daughters word, she and her fella came over yesterday to start painting the now vacated room. I had been busy through the week as usual with my 'day' job, but still managed to get ceiling paint, along with paint for the walls, including choosing a feature colour.
I bought said paint on special and will get some more as this special lasts till the 18th of this month. I also got some cheap paint trays with the throw away liners, some rollers (have the extension pole from my days renovating the Rosebud house with Ali S and my first 'bought' Unit via the horrendous Ministry of Housing Loan in East St. Kilda), paint brushes for cutting in etc and drop sheets I have plenty of at home.
Good to go.
Decided on keeping the ceilings just white. KISS - keep it simple stupid.
Wanted a warm white for the walls, which I chose one called Orchid White. As for the feature wall I am going to go bold and go for Aubergine!
Here is the sample of Orchid White. It is the top LHS of the photo. Amazing how many whites there are!
And here is the sample of the feature wall colour.
It looks a little darker than what you see here. This colour will compliment what I have already in bed linen, curtains, lamps and furniture.
The day has finally arrived and my handy helpers arrive late. My daughter had no concept of the preparation involved and how lengthy a process this can be. She thought we would be finished that day!!! Hilarious.
Walls get washed and carpet vacuumed. Curtains taken down and given a wash since Mum died, almost 5 years now. What furniture is left in the room is moved to the centre and covered. There are some cracks that I had overlooked so had to run down to the local hardware store to pick up some filler and sandpaper while the room is being prepped.
The photo below shows the room in all its original glory. When Dad was alive he regularly painted going from room to room every second year so by the time he got back to the beginning it was time for a spruce up. Dad died over 10 years ago and this room was one of the ones he was getting round to do, hence it had been a long time in-between licks of paint and TLC by him.
Back to fill those cracks.
Aija started with the cornices, while Keith started on the ceilings and I did some cutting in on the feature wall.
Now this is white and bright. Will lift the room to no end.
Once the feature wall was undercoated I left the 2 to it and periodically came in to help. I think the fumes from the paint got to them in the end and we had the proverbial 'sillies'.
Here is a pictorial explanation as to why.
Aija making a final statement with her hand prints just like when she was 4 years old.
Then from this...
To this...
You may not see it, but her nose was rolled!
And the fun just kept on like a Berger paint! (And by the way that wasn't the paint I was using!) Somewhere around now my roller extension broke, but this didn't stop the continuing fun.
Tit for tat continued...
But I had to intervene once I saw this...
Way too much fun and frivolity was being had. That and it was dark and time for them to both go to get ready to go out to celebrate their one year anniversary.
I finished off the paint while they cleaned up a bit and I then cleaned the rollers and brushes once they left.
The Orchid White was looking rather 'WHITE' with no contrast to the ceiling. I may have to rethink the wall colour. On the sample next to Orchid White was another that maybe suitable and would give that much needed definition, yet still compliment my chosen feature wall.
Today you could barely see the difference between the wall and ceiling whites. Will be better able to see and decide once the afternoon sun hits the room.
However, I did find this under one of the drop sheets!!! There had to be some sort of payola for all that fun and frivolity!
Here is how it looks in the light of day...
The first coat is almost finished and we will only be able to come back to finish the job in 2 weeks time due to commitments. Also, by doing this it has highlighted the area of doors, skirting and the pelment now looking decidedly tired and in need of fresh paint also. I will endeavour to do just that by then or before I set up my bedroom. At least then the painting will be done.
The only thing the room will need after that will be one of those new holland blinds. Then and only then will the room be complete.
It was such a joy to have this work done amongst peels of laughter and commaraderie without frustration, which I have always found to be unnecessary. This was a welcome change from my past partners way of doing things. Much nicer memories being made now. My son even commented how wonderful it was to muck in and muck around.
It is abundantly clear that I wont be in my new bedroom for some weeks as on another note my neighbour who is still housing a few pieces of furniture for me had her gate fall due to the recent high gusts of winds and is now blocking the garage with no access. Due to the fact that the room is taking time to complete, I do not see this as an issue.
All will happen in good time.
This is where one has to decide is the stress of worrying worth it or choose to go with the flow. I am now flowing like a massive river.
Once I am in the said bedroom and the pieces of furniture across the road have been placed and the dining room reclaimed only then will it finally start to feel like a real home.
Don't get me wrong, there is still much more to do, but to me this is my peak, my hurdle and from this point on I will have broken the camel's back finally and on the homeward bound stretch at long last.
I will see a glimmer of light once we get past that point.
Sometimes we have to wait for what we want. Other times we have to pursue and never give up for what we want. Many times we have to struggle for it. On the rare times it comes naturally. In the end no matter how you do it or how you get it done, it will be worth it.
Don't listen to those who say you are too slow in decluttering or criticise what you are or are not throwing out. Where does it say it has to be fast and by what authority. If you are on your own you can only go at your pace. And most who put you down tend to talk only and never even consider offering to help either.
Just do it for yourself and know that there is no 'right or wrong' way. Just 'the' way.
Hope this makes sense as I have listened to others in the past, which has got me into the deep depths of sadness and lacking in self-confidence, which only made matters worse not better. You find yourself in a funk that is hard to get out and then those that have put you down in the first place just see it as you procrastinating even more rather than them having affected your state of emotion and or mind set.
So don't listen. Be kind to thy self first and foremost. In the end it is you who has to live with the outcome.
Also, had an email from my secret weapon, Kim the hoarder's helper. I had told her about the plans with Aija way back when and was following up on where I was currently at. Will let her know that after the move into the bedroom I will be in need of a day of her services to get the lounge finalised for Christmas and maybe squeeze in one more before then to get the Kitchen all ship shape. That second part is the plan, but I may need to be flexible on that part of the plan.
I am so glad I found her as she really is a huge help. She gets alot done and heads you in a direction that you may not have otherwise thought of. That and extremely helpful and encouraging.
Will add more soon as this has now gotten longer than I had at first intended.
If nothing else just remember one thing. BE KIND TO YOURSELF. It is afterall 'just stuff'. You come first not the stuff.
As for me, I now take it one day at a time. Slowly, slowly, I am getting there.
Hope this helps in some way some one or more who may be having a hard time going through the process of coming to terms with stuff. Whether you inherited it or gathered it together yourself just take your time, make a plan and disect it into smaller compartments and then take a deep breath and just start. Dive right in. Even if it is just one item at a time with months inbetween. Trust me.
You will feel alot better and as time goes by that one item becomes two and the months begin to be weeks and so forth, hence, why I don't focus on the 'time' factor and rather on the 'out' factor.
And one more thing. If I can make it possible to take the shame away, that sting of judgement that one can feel from others when one goes through this unique experience then I will be content.
The power after all else is with you in the end. All you have to do is just find that power within.
Cheers all,
Anita - finally finding that power and taking it back.
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