What I learned about painting

It takes a long, long time to prep before painting. Moving furniture out of the room was a chore. Then, applying blue tape to the ceiling took longer than I expected (window sashes, doors, and the odd angles of my attic added extra time). Plus, I had to clean the walls, spackle, sand, and cover the floor with plastic. Even though I've painted a lot of rooms, I'm always surprised by how long it takes.

I skipped the primer and crossed my fingers.

Yesterday, Bonch and I put the first coat of paint on the walls as we debated which of Prince's songs was his best ever. Him: "Let's Go Crazy"; me: "Purple Rain," though I might also argue "Erotic City" or "I Would Die 4 U" or even "I Wanna Be Your Lover." Luckily all of these are on the Hits and B-Sides album, which I'll listen to again tonight when I put on the second coat/touchups.

By the way, I went with Sherwin Williams' Verve Violet. I was planning on a more purple (less red) shade, but changed my mind once the duvet cover arrived. One thing I love about SW paints: they're very true to the color on the card. I'm happy with the results.

One last thing: my favorite painting tools are a 9-inch roller, a 6½-inch roller, and a foam brush. And 3M tape, 2 inches wide. I have mixed feelings about regular brushes and the edger, but maybe this is because I don't know how to use them. I could learn for my next project.