Random 5 for April 25, 2021 – Painting, new products, colors, spring, chipmunks

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Yep! This is exactly what I look like! 🙂

Still painting – The worst thing about being consumed with house updates is that you miss the experiences that inspire you to write and you eat a lot of “take out.” I work by myself so there are no stupid people (other than me) or oddball things to notice. (There is a lot of Murphy’s Law going on but that’s a post all its own.) The good thing is that I’m sleeping very well. So far my body hasn’t complained too much.

New googaws – I had to go to home depot for paint supplies. I was fascinated with the new gizmos they have to help you paint. There are flat fluffy pads for around windows and doors and narrow ones for woodwork. They have rollers of all sizes for different projects and paint trays to match. I was like a kid in a candy store. Two of those pads came home with me. I used the wide one for doors and the narrow for woodwork and was pretty pleased with both. The narrow one made quick work of woodwork. I would skootch a long run and then follow up with a trim brush. No need to constantly reload the brush as there was enough paint on the wood. I just had to be sure it got in the crevices. I’m waiting for a Roomba automatic device to paint. Hello Elon Musk! Are you listening?

Source: Forbes

Personal differences – The last owner had the house painted about a year ago. It was neat and tidy but her choice of colors did not suit. She painted all the woodwork white. I haven’t had pure white woodwork since I was a kid and certainly not the neon white she used. After a few weeks, it made me crazy so a good part of it is now a linen white. Just a few shades warmer but for me it made all the difference. You don’t need sunglasses inside. She also did not hang artwork or pictures. The only decoration was neon white switch plates and outlets for the electric. Kind of weird. I always paint them to match the wall as I don’t want them noticed. Different strokes.

Moving in the winter – It’s the worst time to move into a new house. Aside from the weather and snow issues we had, everything was brown, gray and drab. (We moved after a dump of 26 inches of snow which had to be cleaned off the driveways at both houses.) Spring is now bursting out. The neighborhood is full of flowering trees and there are perennial plants emerging from the ground around our patio. Can’t wait to see what everything is!

Importing chipmunks – Both the beloved husband and I have noticed that there are no chipmunks here. We had a large colony at the old house and all of us (including the felines) enjoyed their scampering and hijinks. We have squirrels. We have a bossy one and a smaller one that frequently gets chased by the bossy one especially when there are sunflower seeds involved. I miss the chippies.

So how was your week?

 

 

57 thoughts on “Random 5 for April 25, 2021 – Painting, new products, colors, spring, chipmunks”

  1. You ought to buy yourself something nice with the money you saved on hiring a painter! I had to paint in the basement after part of the tile was removed in laundry room to replace a drain. I went to buy waterproof paint and picked up brushes and wide masking tape. The salesman was chattin’ it up while mixing the paint color and was very helpful to me, the newbie, who had not painted anything since the ill-fated gel paint on the steel doors I told you about (we had a professional come in to do the entire house when needed). The tile was many years old so I decided to paint and put down a small rug. The salesman said “since you’re not laying down new tile in the area, you’ll need to paint at least three times – make it easy on yourself.” So I came home with throwaway paint roller trays and mini rollers. Easy peasy and no cleanup when done. I felt kind of indulgent doing this, but it was the way to go.

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    • I use easy peasy things too — tray liners so no clean up but I do use good brushes. If you do it right, they are easy to clean. Painting with it’s instant gratification has gone a long way to soothe me. Getting contractors in a “timely” way is tough right now so at least I can get the smaller paint jobs done. I will need a pro with scaffolding for the cathedral ceiling room. Even I am not that crazy.

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      • I’ll remember that about the good brushes. I seem to remember using cheapie ones for painting the shed and the bristles ended up in the paint job. No, I would never attempt anything that is high up … I don’t climb past the second rung on the ladder. When I change the lightbulb in the pole light, I have to take the light head apart and I am clinging to the pole for dear life the entire time.

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  2. Sometimes I share your posts with my wife, but this time I am not. Too much painting talk here! The other day she came home with color samples from Lowe’s, and I ran into my office and closed the door. I had forgotten you moved during some snow events — you deserve medals for bravery! – Marty

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    • It’s a miracle we are both alive. We got the storm of the decade, 26″ just before the move so my husband had to clean off our 100′ driveway and the shorter new driveway. We couldn’t get anyone to plow. All busy with commercial customers. Paint is an instant gratification thing. Cheaper than new furniture.

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  3. I’m glad to see you’re enjoying your (paint) work. So, just throwing this out there. Maybe the previous owner didn’t care for the white trim, and that’s why she sold the house ;). She could have had someone else paint it and they didn’t do it right and she had to live with it. Case in point: my powder room. I wanted a faux thing (this was 14 years ago) on the wall and gave the painter the color ideas. So now I have a CSI powder room. The walls are gold and what looks like blood spatters are all over the walls. I’m being forced to live with it because the gardener is a NUT about change. He hates it. But I am plotting something.
    That’s too bad about the chipmunks, but maybe you and the kitties can learn to love the squirrels. They are such little smarties.

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  4. I know what you mean about spring. I’m constantly looking out the window to see what my new yard will grow in the spring. Late snow killed all the flowers on one tree so I will have to wait until next spring to even see what it will look like, but I bet it will be pretty. And sorry you lost your chipmunk friends. I have a new chipmunk friend. He’s my favorite of all my new friends here. Salem made buddies with a squirrel. Maybe a chippie will move in soon. You never know.

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  5. We have squirrels here but they all run when they see people. It’s really strange. They don’t get fed and there are very few bird feeders. Lots of interesting birds along the back of the house in the preserve. I love those flat fluffy pads for painting and the tiny rollers. Almost makes me want to paint something. You paint the switch plates? I would like to do that. I am going to have to look at them in the morning.

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  6. I am imagining how lovely your home is going to be with paint that suits your sensibilities .It’s interesting how some people are more sensitive to color than others. I don’t think I’m in that category, but maybe I’m just lazy! I can’t imagine taking on the task. 🙂 We have squirrels at all times, and they do drive me crazy, but I suppose I would miss them. I’ve never thought about that. 🙂

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  7. It is wonderful when the plants that have been in hiding start to burst forth. Many of the flowering trees and shrubs here are in full flower. Seems like it happens overnight. One day, I was walking past bare branches, and the next, there was color everywhere.
    My painting days are over. Takes too much time, and it is hard, tiring work.
    I miss chipmunks. I have never seen any here, but when I lived in Ohio, there were a lot of them.

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    • I moved 4 miles. I’m not sure what’s so different here that there are no chipmunks. I can still paint. It’s not my favorite thing to do but it gives instant gratification and I could use that right now. Contractors take forever to respond so I feel like I am on hold for any projects. Painting I can control.

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  9. Glad the repainting is going well and your new neighborhood is looking better! It really is amazing how much stuff there is out there for painting. Really bright white definitely needs toning down – glad the new shades are better 🙂

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  11. Your squirrels sound like mine. They come up the front steps to the door and stare at me when I’m sitting in the porch. They have me well trained. I get the seed and head to the backyard.
    The chipmunks love to chase the squirrels across my back fence.

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  12. It sounds like you have this painting issue down although the list of places to be painted is probably long. My friend who moved to IN wanted her house all one color inside so she started painting bedroom walls and trim. She’d text me and ask questions. I thought she was done because she stopped texting about it. Well…it seems she wasn’t happy with the quality of her and hubby’s painting so after a lot of days of painting, she hired a professional to come in and do it all over again. I must admit I did enjoy a chuckle. 🙂 Chipmunks? I could ship you a dozen on a light day. 🙂

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    • I thought I’d do everything the same color (that’s what the previous owner did) but I’m going to use at least 2 or 3 different ones. Some just an accent wall but definitely two shade of off-white for the walls, one creamier than the other. Eventually I’ll have to get a pro for the high peaked ceilings but I’m doing as much myself as possible. I’ll take those chippies!

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  13. I read last week that someone invented the purest, whitest white paint ever. They said if you paint the outside of your house with it, it cuts out most of the need for air conditioning. Maybe we’ll all have to have pure, white white houses someday if the climate gets too hot.

    It’s amazing how many colors of white there are.

    I feel as though squirrels don’t pay much attention to people. But when we were about to move into a previous house, the squirrels didn’t know me, and as I walked up the sidewalk to the front door, one of them screeched at me and looked like he was going to attack. I thought it was really strange.

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    • It was very plain and simple. All the furniture was beige and all the walls were tan with neon white trim. It looked clean. I thought I could live with the colors but no way. Tan is going as it has a pinky undertone that makes it look like flesh in the afternoon sun. Each to his own but painting, while work, is an easy fix.

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  15. I think it’s got to be pretty interesting to see what kinds of perennials pop up underneath all those leaves you said were still around when you moved in! I would miss the chippies too – they are such fun to watch…..we had about a two year period when we saw NONE but they are back. Squirrels we have tons of them since we have woods front and back. Moving is stressful and I should think moving in the winter is the worst with unpredictable weather. You are getting lots done though! GO GIRL GO!

    Hugs, Pam

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    • We are in a small community of townhouses surrounded by woods. There aren’t a lot of units and they are all spacious and spaced out. I have no idea why chippies wouldn’t think this is a great community. Aggressive squirrels? Yep, we have them. They knock on the glass when the feeder is empty. “Yo lady dude! We’re empty out here and it’s happy hour!”

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  16. Call your local “critter control” and see if they have any chipmunks they’d like to relocate to your neck of the woods. So what if it pisses off the squirrels . . . especially Mr. Bossy Pants!

    Glad you’re sleeping well. That’s key! Enjoy watching Spring busting out all over.

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  20. Once you get to walk again, the neighborhood will surprise you daily with flowering offerings! That seems delightful.

    We need to repaint. Your descriptions of the new painting accessories and solid sleep at night almost make me want to take on the project. Almost.

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