SED - Day 03 - DIY And The First Three Chapters

[teddy_radiator]

Well, it's been a day of DIY and reading. We finished putting the concrete leveling grout in the cracks of the floor in the SteamLib, and decided to give it one more dryng day. It was supposed to be done when the lazy jerk replaced the carpet (they did it in the kitchen, but I was in here watching them) but since I wasn't back there with him, he just put the underlayment and carpet down. One of the cracks is quite long and about 1/8" wide, but doesn't appear to be uneven. We took some self-leveling grout to it, and I think that will do the trick.



In the meantime, I have caught the painting bug (it's only taken me 7 years of living with magnolia walls to get up the nerve). Since we painted the SteamLib that rich matte cocoa brown, I got in my head I wanted to paint our front room Chimney breast. It's a strange wall; it's built into the corner with a sloping ceiling, and really only gets noticed during Christmas when I decorate the mantle.

Well, I decided it would be lovely to paint it a deep wine red. TheHubs™, who is lovingly indulgent and has put his conservative, 'let's-paint-all-neutral-pale-colours' British reserve behind him and has embraced his inner Laurence Lewellyn-Bowen, and agreed to give it a try.

Here is the chimney breast blue-taped and ready to go.



Here it is after one coat - it's a rich, suede-y colour, but man it takes a lot to get it on the walls. I have dreams of painting my little alcove with this, but I don't know if I have the patience.



This is after coat two. I think there may be a couple of spots we missed. I love matte paint, but you have to really put it on thick. Tomorrow, we'll see if there are any other spots to touch up, then we'll remove the blue-tape and see how it looks against the white walls and mantle.



EDITED to show the chimney breast with all the tape removed - except for a couple of touch ups and corrections here and there, it turned out fantastic. I'm definitely going to do the alcove - the only problem is all the taping - the alcove has five doors in it!



We also took a trip to IKEA yesterday and bought a new light for the kitchen. Our previous light was also spot lighting, but only three, and it wasn't quite enough. Five is VERY much enough!




stgulik sent back Book One of Her Minder today. It's as ready for sending out as it's going to be. I'm planning on sending it out starting Tuesday. I'm still trying to come up with a Query Letter. This is the most stressful thing I have ever done. It's so hard. But Book Two will be going through final, final edit starting this week. The thing that encouraged me is that most query letters ask you to submit the first three chapters of the novel. I just finished reading the first three chapters and I was really happy with it. I don't think I've ever been able to say that. It was interesting, but also left me thinking, "I'd like to see what happens next." Wish me luck that agents will think the same thing.

Comments

[corianderpie.livejournal.com]

Nice accent wall! good work. :)

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I think I will end up painting the alcove, but I'll wait a day or two to let the frustration fade, so I won't remember how it felt slapping this paint up and still finding pale spots. Sort of like women who forget how painful childbirth is shortly after their child is born! ;)

[tamlane.livejournal.com]

Would you believe that I have never in my life painted a room? My parents always did it when I lived with them, and I've (happily) rented ever since I moved out.

That color is lovely - and perfect for a fireplace, I'd say!

Best of luck with the letter!

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

My mom and dad were very conservative with colour, and we always had rentals. It took me seven years of living in my own house to get up the nerve, but I am loving it. and it's like my friend K says, "If you don't like it, buy some primer and re-paint it!"

[mimimanderly.livejournal.com]

I used to have such a crush on Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen! He had such an Oscar Wildean way about him! When we first moved into the house, we switched from cable (which didn't carry BBC America) to satellite (which DID). We would watch the Beebs obsessively, and Changing Rooms was a favorite (as was What Not To Wear).

The red matte really looks great! You really DID need that shot of color there -- it warms things up. Now go forth and color your world!

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

LLB did a great piss-take on himself on a very creepy show called the League of Gentlemen. It was great to see him totally send himself up. I loved him as well. This is the honest truth: when Chamber of Secrets first came out and we were introduced to Gilderoy Lockhart, I could ONLY see LLB play that role. I thought he would be the perfect Lockhart. I realise Kenneth Branaugh is legendary, but I still think LLB would have killed it.

Thank you - the more I glance over there and look at it, the more I love it. TheHubs™ was a little reticent at first, but he's liking it as well.

[mimimanderly.livejournal.com]

Meh... The Hubs® is British; reticence is what they do.

[blueartemis07.livejournal.com]

Best of luck! You are a great writer, and I hope you get the publisher you deserve!

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much, sweetie. From your lips to the gods' ears! ♥

[arwitchywoman.livejournal.com]

I have always thought the dark, rich colors look great when you have the contrast of off-white moulding or the mantle. Good job!

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I like that contrast as well. I'm looking forward to taking the blue-tape off - that's the real moment of truth.

[ex-logospil.livejournal.com]

Oh, that red color looks amazing!

And the very best of luck to you, most beloved ♥

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thank you! The dryer it gets, the more the colour looks even and rich. I think we did good.

I really appreciate that. I think I shall need all the best wishes I can get.

[dragoon811.livejournal.com]

It looks lovely!!!

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thank you! As it fully dries, it's looking even more lovely. I'm relieved as well as happy - it would be a bugbear to paint over ;)

[dragoon811.livejournal.com]

That's so true. Dark colours are terribly hard to paint over. My first time with roomies, they painted over three rooms when I went on a weekend trip. Atrocious colours that were runny. Including a ferocious red in the dining room, which I had previously (as in, the previous year, it was my apartment) painted a seafoam green and then used a sea sponge to do a cream texture over. I was so pissed!

I really love the red you've chosen, it's so warm!

[m-mcgonagall-65.livejournal.com]

I like your new red wall with the white mantle!

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thank you - I love stark contrasts like this, so I'm hoping it's going to look good when the blue-tape comes off.

[bonsaibetz.livejournal.com]

Love the dramatic color. I would paint my bedroom that was papered in so,e hideous white and country blue striped paper with tiny flowers I've loathed for the 15+ years in this house. One wall is even paneling with the wallpaper over it, but the one time I atrempted to remove the paneling, I discovered why the paneling was there: to hide a big hole n the wall.

Good luck with your query letters.

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

This house was a brand new build, so we inherited it with all builder's grade cabinets and magnolia walls, and except for a major subsidance problem that was fortunately under warranty, it's been okay, but I've never gotten up the nerve to paint it until this year. I'm having a lovely time with the colours - it's been a case of go big or go home with the colours, but I'm happy with it.

[hbart.livejournal.com]

It is amazing how much better that wall looks with some bold color. I just love it!

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thank you! We've just taken off the blue-tape and we're over the moon with it. A few fixes are necessary, as always but I'm loving it.

[jenidralph.livejournal.com]

I LOVE your breast... erm... wall. It looks amazing!

I need a light like that in my kitchen. I think I'll steal it.

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

We still have the three-light unit. It looked nice but just not quite big enough. IKEA can't be beat for prices on lighting.

[melodyssister]

I don't think I'd ever have the courage to paint a dark wall, after renting our previous apartment to art students who (illegally) painted the lavatory blood red - which could still be faintly seen several coats of white later. But the accent wall suits your library very well.

Best of luck with the book! Publishing original fiction seems terrifying to me; you put even more of yourself into that, I should think, than when you publish your research (the only kind of article or book I've ever published). You write so well that you deserve to get published.

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

It was very intimidating to put such intense colours on the walls, and it will take a lot of work to cover it, but it felt like the right colour to me. I love colours, but I've always been afraid to try them.

Thank you for your lovely well-wishes. I will try my damndest.

[arynwy.livejournal.com]

Pretty!

Congratulations on feeling good about your current novels. Best wishes with creating your query letter.

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I've sent the first draft of the query letter to stgulik - we'll see what she thinks.

[sandlappershell.livejournal.com]

Teddy, I think your wall is GORGEOUS! My "fireplace wall" and foyer are painted a color called Drama Queen. It is a rich garnet red. I love the accent wall idea. You have done a MARVELOUS job on your DIY'ing! Can't wait to see what else you do!

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thanks, babe. I'm having so much fun, even though the house is a wreck right now. It's just lovely to see the walls infused with colour, and the SteamLib coming together.

[toblass.livejournal.com]

Your library is looking better and better each time you post pics.

Good luck with your letter!

[gelsey.livejournal.com]

Taping is SUCH a pain. But it looks so lovely!

Must remember to send you the name of a publisher a writer's group person just got on with. I know several people with them. I'll have to look it up though.

Yay you!

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thank you - I need all the help I can get from my friends.

[lady-of-clunn.livejournal.com]

Lovely wall!

I don't know what it is about Magnolia here. Maybe I just don't get it because my mum is an architect and has lectured me all my life on how something that looks nearly white but is not white swallows about 60% more light than white would. So, yeah, I am all for either white or something really dramatic that doesn't get to pretend to be "light and airy" :)

Oh, wow! Sending chapters out to publishers. Eeeek! Best of luck!

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

My mother is so timid about colour she automatically buys the same 'name' colour every time - Navajo White. This time she got it from Sherwin Williams, and it's the most uninspiring cream colour. Even she didn't like it, but painted her walls with it because she already bought it.

It's taken me a long time to get up the nerve to put colour on the walls but I've broken the seal now. I want all the walls to be bold colours!

Thank you - I'm going to need all the luck anyone is willing to send me.

[dickgloucester.livejournal.com]

Your chimeny breast looks wonderful!

Best of luck with the book. :)

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Waking up to it this morning was quite nice. It looks good in the morning light.

Thanks - I'm going to need all the good karma my friends can send me.

[shadowycat.livejournal.com]

Painting is tough and fussy work, but you did a great job. The wall looks terrific and really sets off the fireplace. It won't get overlooked now, I bet. :D Best of luck with your submissions!

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I woke up this morning and came in to the room and thought, 'Wow! That really rocks!' We decorate the mantle a great deal at Christmas, so I think it will be incredibly pretty then.

Thank you - I'm going to need all the luck anyone wants to send me!