Pink

I don't love pink, but Anna loves pink, and I love Anna.

Her love of pink may have started with our German au pair Marina, who came to live with us when Anna turned one.  Marina loves pink.  I suspect her love of pink has left a lasting impression on Anna.

Anna's room has been a gray-green color since we moved into our house almost two years ago.  So on my free day last week, off I went to Sherwin Williams.  The Christmas cards could wait.  I was going to paint.

Normally, I have a very earthy sense of style, but there's something about going into a paint store that makes me want to do something bold. When you're staring at that huge palette of colors, something overtakes you.  You don't want to pick something boring, right?   Just ask Dan about the creamsicle-colored room Anna had in our old house {but he'll still say he liked it}.  I chose "Dragon Fruit" pink.

Shortly after the first few brush strokes of that non-returnable, custom-mixed paint hit the wall, panic starts to set in.  This time was no exception.  The first coat of Dragon Fruit over the previous gray-green looked hideous.  At this point I was in full-on panic mode, What have I done?

After the second coat, I still needed sunglasses, but it was more bold than hideous.

All the while I was working on this {from Thursday morning to Saturday night}, Anna was not allowed in her room.  She had no idea what I was doing in there, only that there was going to be a big surprise.  So, when she got home from hockey practice on Saturday evening, she finally opened the door.

But things quickly degraded when she realized that a) there was no toy in her room, and b) she didn't get to help paint.

Apparently she believes I'm an elf capable of making an amazing toy in three days in her room {I guess the hammering and power screw driver noises threw her off}. She really thought there was a new toy in her room.  Plus, I forgot how much she loves to paint for fun on the walls before we start any real painting project {we usually let the kids do this}.  It wasn't the magical moment I was dreaming of, so my over-tired girl went to directly to bed, while I looked for some reading materials on raising a grateful child.

However, after a good night's sleep, her outlook was a lot more rosy {pun intended}, and now I think she's really enjoying her new pink room.  As for me, I am enjoying Dragon Fruit pink a lot more by the soft glow of the Christmas lights I strung up in her room this week {you can almost leave the sunglasses behind}.