the cloud room - part one

So this is the beginning of one of the momma brilliant ideas.

Last year we gave the boys a new room. We painted the walls dark blue and then on one wall we made it look like a log cabin. They call it their cowboy room because we decorated it with fun things from Grandpa Bill and Grandpa Strub.

We wanted to give Leannora something special too. I had in mind to paint her room a lovely shade of lavendar (similar to what I had in my room as a young girl). But when I asked her what she would like she said BLUE. (At the time, Owen was Leannora's best buddy. It was a very sweet stage. Because Owen's favorite color was blue, that became Leannora's FAVORITE color.) So blue it would be.




Now I've always wanted to try painting clouds. I remember trying to get Chris Padgett to help me paint a sky scene in my room on Boyd St. It didn't work cause no boys were allowed in my room and it was way too full of smiley faces. So of course, this was my big chance. And of course, the original artist that I am -always wanting something different, led me to the idea of painting a night sky. (I would have loved to have done a stormy sky, but that wouldn't have been very peaceful for a little girl's room.) I found a picture of the idea in a magazine and was determined to give it a try.



So in February I finally convinced Mark, with the help of my mom, that we could accomplish this creative task. My mom planned to come for a few days to help me. We had a variety of leftover paint in the basement that I was going to mix to get the choice color. But once we mixed it, it was much lighter than what I had as my original idea. I was too cheap to buy paint. That was part of the deal - a quick, inexpensive, fun project for the family. I debated for a while, and then decided to try the mixed color. But then we ran out of paint. Uhh.



So we tried painting clouds down low on the walls, which was not what I had pictured, but we can be creative with what we've got. It turned out to be so much fun painting with my mom and the children. As Strub grandchildren they all have painting clothes and lots of painting practice. This time we painted O's on the wall with rags.



Nikao got a paintbrush so he wouldn't be so messy.



I had lines chalked out for the children so they would know where they could play with the O's. At some point Leannora and Nikao found the chalk and made their own little doodles on the wall. At first I wasn't so happy, but then it wasn't a big deal as we were IN the painting process. It turned out to be a cute thing. Leannora was practicing her own O's and the letter L.



Owen wanted to make the highest marks on the wall. Oh that brotherly competition.



The children all did a great job and had so much fun. Looking back at it now, a part of me wishes that I would have kept it as it was. But then I couldn't keep you in suspense for the cloud room - part 2. More to follow soon. . .