Paint by number? I think NOT!

I went to Jess' house tonight to help her paint her bedroom. I don't think I've ever mentioned it, but I LOVE to decorate,paint,sew,build, craft,hot glue..anything that requires a "DO IT YOURSELF" attitude.I don't really know why I enjoy it so much. It would be a lot easier to buy the furniture the color you want it, or the pillows with the fringe. I think I just really enjoy the creative process of trying things, and the satisfaction that the accomplishments bring. Compliments from friends on things you've done help alot too! LOL I've always been this way. I remember painting things to hang on my bedroom wall since I was 12. I was much more interested in going to an art store rather than the mall. My..how things have changed! LOL I still love to go to art stores, but the Mall.. come on...it's #2. (right after Jesus!) LOL Inside Joke. Anyway, I was just telling Amy the other day how much I miss painting. You see, my gradpa, who from now on will be refered to as Pap-paw, was a profesional house painter. After he retired, he began painting artistically. He would teach my brother and sister and I to draw by challenging us to drawing contests. I became quite interested in art, and have all the embarrassing clay formations and ink paintings to prove it. I once made a dinosaur candle holder. I don't really know who would want that in their house, but I know my mom loved me enough to at least keep it under the sink with the cleaning supplies. She told me she was saving it for a special occasion, but that occasion has yet to come. My art teacher was one of those people that believes that the body is a piece of art itself and should be celebrated. Being the teacher's pet that I was, she was very excited when I presented her with my latest creation...a topless mermaid soap dish. I have NO idea what I was thinking. I was 13. Enough said. Anyway, back to painting. When Pap-paw went to Heaven about 4 years ago, he left me all of his paints and brushes. It's sad to say, but I've yet to use any of them. I just haven't made the time. I'm really not any good, but I enjoy it emensley. I suppose the creative process of writing music has kind of taken it's place.

Tonight really reminded me how much I love to work with paint of any kind. Jess painted the top of the wall a grayish blue and the bottom chocolate brown. I know it sounds kind of funny, but it looks great! If you know Jess, you know she's incapable of creating anything ugly. She asked me to come over and help her. I was delighted when we started talking about texturing the bottom of the wall. We didn't really have any professional tools, so we started rummaging around the garage to see what we could find. We tried using a putty knife which gave it a venitian plaster look. We tried using the edge of a piece of cardboard for a cordoroy look. I don't think that's how you spell it. Anyway..we tried using a sponge, tin foil and like 4 different colors of paint. We played for like an hour. Eddie was frightened. He kept coming to check on us every five minutes! It was histarical. He looked at us like we were going to burn down the house of something. I found it very amusing, and in the end we decided to leave it alone completely so that Eddie could start taking breaths again. Now, I know that Eddie sometimes reads my blog, so I'm taking a big chance on saying all this. I just hope he understands that I was rather amused by this and had to share. He was being such a good husband. When Jess and I came out and announced our decision, he acted as if we came to the decision completely on our own and that it was the greatest idea in the world! I made Jess promise me that when I get married she'll come over and help me paint a room and freak out my husband too! It was fun.