dear i love lucy...

...I would be much obliged if you would take your mojo back.

I've got myself under a self-imposed deadline. I would like to have my etsy shop set up by the end of June, the end of the first week of July by the absolute latest. But there seems to be a conspiracy working against me that borders on a script for an "I Love Lucy" episode. Its slowed things down a bit. Both events involved paint...

Event #1: My bedroom is going to be painted in the next couple of weeks. It is currently a shade of green that reminds me of the tone people turn when they have a stomach bug so I'm looking forward to a new color in there. I'm doing something I never thought I would do - going neutral.

Its been quite an interesting experience picking out a neutral that isn't freakin' beige. (I swear that color is like a plague, it works its way into almost every color family...) I started paying attention to the decorating shows on HGTV and decided that a very soft pale gray would suit me just fine.

Off I went earlier this week to pick up quarts of paint to test out. I found five shades that I liked well enough in the store. But I know from past experience that they always look different once they are in your house. So I bought boards to paint large samples of each. I figure I can put them up on the wall and then move them around the room to make sure I like whichever one I pick out.

I painted the boards when I got home and stashed them in the bathroom - on the floor - to dry as my studio is a busy place at the moment (the polite way of sayings its a train wreck that will most likely never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever be clean).

I decided they needed a second coat because they were streaky and I could still see the white board beneath the paint. So I set the little quarts down on the floor next to each board and proceeded to open each one so that I could be quick and efficient about slathering on the second coat.

Cue the phone. Cue me knocking over one of the quarts that then splashes into three other colors. Cue me swearing and as I step backward to get out of the way, cue me placing my other foot directly into another quart.

I now have a lovely pale gray footprint on my bathroom rug. Perhaps if I did a few more it could double as one of those learn-to-dance posters...

Event #2: One of the main elements of my etsy store will be selling thermofax screens. I've got 18 ready-to-print premade designs that I will be offering in addition to making personal image screens so I spent this afternoon printing samples of those screens.

Its no secret that my favorite paint for printing is Plaid's Simply Screen. One of the biggest reasons I like it is that it comes in a squeeze bottle - which makes it easier for me to aim where I want the paint (yes, I'm just that simple to please).

I discovered today that they are also capable of flinging paint with incredible (and unfortunate) accuracy.

I dropped one of my sponge brushes and as I stooped down to pick it up, I put my hand on one of the bottles that had tipped over on its side. As I stood up, I must have pushed down on it and it launched paint directly at me. It made perfect contact with my nose and I spent an extraordinary amount of time cleaning Grape Juice colored silk screen paint out of my right nostril.

I've heard tell that these type of things come in threes. I've still got a lot of samples to print and I don't know how much more my carpet or skin can bear.

I'm beginning to wonder if I should invest in a haz mat suit...