T Stands For - When One Project turns Into Another

For Thanksgiving dinner, I set the table with the fine china and Ma's sterling silver. It seems silly to have these beautiful pieces living behind glass doors waiting for a special occasion that never seems to come. Thus, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for the annual cleaning of the china hutch after the festivities were over.

Himself thought with the hutch emptied, the opportunity to try the sample of paint we bought last week, was too good to pass up. So after the hutch was emptied, and chairs, table, and rug moved, Himself vacced the floor, washed and painted the wall behind the hutch.

I actually joked that we should just paint around the hutch like the previous owner did when we moved in. The dining room/living room combo was painted a beige color. The only room that had been painted that didn't have a dozen different layers of wallpaper peeking through. We originally saw the house with the previous owner's hutch in place. When we stepped foot in the house, besides finding trash left all over the place, there was a giant turquoise rectangle where the hutch had been.

Because of Himself's bad knees, I got the job of painting the baseboard. The paint chosen was Benjamin Moore Ice Mist with an eggshell finish. My parents always used Benjamin Moore paint so that is what we use, too. The paint glides on and covers well with one coat. The downside of painting walls are the paint fumes. A few years ago, Moore came out with a low odor line of their paint called Natura. That is what we tried this time around. Same great texture and coverage and no nasty smell.

I also got to wash brush, roller, and the roller tray lining. That was a quick and easy clean up compared to washing the china and crystal by hand. (Though to be honest, Himself had offered to help dry the dishes, but it was easier for me to wash, dry, and arrange without giving instruction.) Besides, Himself wanted to watch the Patriots' game and deserved to watch it in peace.

China and crystal waiting for a turn in the sink.

Dining room back in order.

We probably should have painted the ceiling first, but can start with that when the big paint project happens after Christmas while Himself is on Winter break.

It's hard to tell in the bad lighting, but the new color is a huge improvement over the color on the wall which I've called White Trash. The last time the inside of the house was painted was 2001. The outside of the house needs to be painted, too. Shhh, don't tell Himself, but that's the project for his Summer break in August.

This is part of the T is For meme sponsored by Elizabeth and Bleubeard. You can pop over there to read the posts from the T is For participants.