Summer Break 2011

I always try to get a picture of the kids getting off the bus on the last day of school. They just look so happy. I miss the crowded bus stop in our old neighborhood, where all the parents would clap and cheer as the kids got off on the last day. But having the bus stop right in front of my house, just for my kids has been such a blessing.



With one week down and nine to go, I'm feeling optomistic about this summer. We have a cleaning chart and work on a different section of the house every day. Last week was pretty intense. We cleaned windows, under the beds (yikes!) and even shampooed the carpet. I'm hoping that we'll just have to do touch-ups for the next several weeks. We also have reading time after lunch, which the kids really enjoy and I love the peace and quiet. On Fridays, if the kids have done all of their chores for the week we'll do something fun, like go get snowballs. And so far, the fighting and whining has been pretty minimal. Here's hoping we can keep it up!

Color Dilemma

I mentioned in a recent post that I wanted to paint the piano. Well, I finally got it sanded and primed. I was planning on painting it white. I thought about painting it some cool accent color but decided on white because:

a) I never, ever want to have to paint it again. White would go with whatever I do with the decor in that room.

b) I've never been good with color. Even when I used to do art I felt like I wasn't good with color and preferred to work in black and white. So if I were to paint it some other color, I wouldn't know what to pick. And I'm not gutsy with color either.

c) I like white. Seriously, it's one of my favorite colors. I love that light, airy, beachy look.

Soooooooo . . . seeing the piano covered in white primer is making me have second thoughts about the white paint. I don't know why it's not working for me. Is it because the hardware is dark? Or because the wall is such a light color? Is it just becuase it's the primer coat and it will look better painted? Is it just too much white (can there be such a thing?)?

So here's what's going on in the rest of the room. (Ignore the toys. We're keeping it real here.)

I have my new ivory sofa that I love. I was thinking of getting white drapes. Again, white to keep it airy and since I would need six panels over 100 inches long (expensive!) I don't want them to be a color or pattern that I will get tired of in a few years. Then there's the greenish rug that I had in my old house. I still like it but I feel a bit restricted color-wise because of it. Do I keep it and work with it? Move it to my bedroom and make it work there? Then I would have to buy a new rug for the living room. Selling things makes me very uncomfortable so craigslist isn't an option. Accent pillows and wall color are easy and cheap to change. I've been thinking about painting the walls a medium gray flat paint and then doing an all-over stencil pattern in the same color but high gloss.

So what color should I paint the piano? What should I do with the rug? Any other suggestions for the room? My favorite designers are Candice Olson and Sarah Richardson, if you want to know what my style is. And my other favorite color besides white is blue, especially the light aqua kind.