Do you know those television programs where designers paint walls while dressed in fancy, pristine clothes? Well, that's not me. I have spent the past three days painting my eldest daughter Emma's room and have been pretty much covered in paint from head to toe. Witness my paint-splattered Toms' shoes. (I used a pair of old ones with holes in the toes. Do I have particularly pointy toes or does that happen to everyone? :)
Emma's room was previously a deep aqua colour which suited her perfectly six years ago. Now at sixteen, she has her own grownup taste. She chose a pale, elegant green. It's called 'lime sorbet' on the paint chip but Emma says that it makes her feel like she's inside of a cucumber (a good thing, by the way). The room is completely painted as of the end of yesterday afternoon but is not yet 'photo ready'. I will let you have a peek in a few weeks once she has everything the way she wants.
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| A quick painting of cucumber slices to celebrate finishing Emma's room! |
I wanted to share a story and have asked Emma's permission to tell you. As I was about to paint the frame of her doorway, I noticed that she had been using it as a height chart. I asked, 'Are you okay with me covering this up?' As I spoke, I looked up and several inches above the last pencil mark and well above the top of my head was a line with the word 'Goal'. I grinned and asked, 'What's this?' She said, 'Yeah, that was my goal but I don't think I'm going to make it. I think Chloé is going to be taller than me.' That's my quirky, lovable Emma. Setting a height goal. Mind over matter. And why not?
Oh! I can't wait to see it. Love the idea of living in a cucumber!
ReplyDeleteSounds really interesting and will be fun to see! :-)
ReplyDeleteLOL!
ReplyDeleteI love that you added the height goal story.
My hubby has two cousins that are like brothers to him. When they were younger they were visiting Science North in Sudbury. There was this program that you plugged some info into and it told you how tall you were going to be as an adult.
The story goes that the machine estimated Maurice was going to be way taller than Andre, who is the older brother. Andre was so upset, because, if he's the oldest, of course, he should be taller.
'Lo and behold it's over twenty years later and Moe is waay taller.
Love your cukes!
That room sounds 'cool'.... as a cucumber, he he, get it? We did lots of painting like this over the past year (me and my Son) Trouble is, he was like a whirling dervish, (whatever that is?) Paint everywhere, I just cleaned up after him. Like the cucumber painting, some nice washy bits there!
ReplyDeleteNancy--Cool and calm!
ReplyDeleteTina--Will post sometime...
Jody--Thanks for your family height story in exchange! :)
Julie--Sounds like he paints quickly at least, albeit not neatly. Thanks for your nice comment on my painting! I think the early morning sessions are working for me. :)
Ohhh it will be a very fresh room! ;) I can,t wait to see it!
ReplyDeleteMy eldest son is 14 years old, and he,s growing, and growing.. if he keeps on doing it, there will be no frame enough for him!! He,s now 1,85 cm. tall, pretty big for a mom with barely 1,60 cm. :))
Karin--It sounds like your son is growing like my 12-year-old daughter, Chloé. I swear she is taller every day when she comes home from school.
ReplyDeletemaybe if you wore those toms for all your paintings they would become pieces of art like arounna's drop cloth
ReplyDeletexo
SNAP! We've been painting inside as too! So strange going from tiny wee watercolour brushes to big fat housepaint brushes!
ReplyDeleteLoved the cucumbers.
Kids think all parents are wee shorties!
Margie-- :) (Did you buy one of Arounna's dropcloth pouches? I did. I haven't figured out what I want to put in it yet, so mostly I just look at it. I love it. I have it on my work table.)
ReplyDeleteCindy--Been doing that paintbrush swap thing too! I think they look at us that way because so often we are!
Congrats Kathleen, Emma's room in cucumber green must be lovely ! and your watercolor painting is so delicate, I love it. Many thanks for the handprint.com info, I found this website very interesting (and beautiful too)
ReplyDeleteLucile--That cucumber green is going to look so nice with the Chanel perfume bottle print I bought from you for her 16th birthday.
ReplyDeleteThe Handprint site is a wonderfully generous resource. My only problem is that I can spend days there!!!
Your green is perfect...
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying reading your blog and getting to know you and yours....
Mouse is too cute! My daughter is a knitter I bet she will love mouse! Will share your blog with her....
Happy 2012...your cucumber painting is wonderful.
Toes are always the first to go.
Sherry, who misses the butterflies
Sherry--So nice of you to join as a follower! I've sent some of my nature- and bird-loving friends to see the gorgeous photography on your blogs. I look forward to the return of my garden and all of its summer inhabitants too. :)
ReplyDeletewhat a refreshing color for a young lady !
ReplyDeleteI had to smile at the sight of the Toms, because when I visited Margie, she told me they were very popular in Canada, and I had absolutely never heard of them before ! Stupid me I didn't think of getting a pair before I left ! Maybe the heat was a reason ! I'll need to go back to Canada for getting a pair ! LOL
xo
Sonia--I think I'm on my fourth pair of Toms! I love them. They are so comfortable on our hardwood floors and I really like that a child gets a pair of shoes each time I buy them. Do you know what? I just looked up their international locations and they are sold in Montpellier! No excuse now. :) http://www.toms.com/store-locator/
ReplyDeleteLove the cucumber painting! Delicate, fresh and interesting!
ReplyDeleteCullen--Thank you. I appreciate that very much from someone who does beautiful paintings of vegetables herself!
ReplyDelete