how not to turn a painting project into a disaster

If you enjoy what you find here, be sure to subscribe or become a follower, so you can keep up with all my bloggy goodness.

Yesterday was painting day in the Hull Household.  Er, make that painting afternoon because the sucker artist-in-residence was busy the whole morning.  Okay, okay.  I painted for an hour.  You got me.  Here's what I learned:

1. Tape.  Tape everything.  Even if you don't think it needs to be taped, tape it anyway.  It is better to be safe than to have to paint the ceiling and carpet because of a dozen oopsies.
2. Don't wear shoes or socks.  This way, if you step in paint, you know it before you turn around to see your lovely tracks on the fairly-new wood flooring. 
3. Even if you've painted a dozen or more times without getting paint on your clothes, take the time to change into some sweats and an old tee.  Trust me, if you don't you will get paint all over your decent jeans.
4. If your butt is big (like mine), look to see how close your bee-hind is to the wall before you bend over to reload the roller.
5. Do not go sit on the couch until you change your pants.  Remember the giant butt-print on the wall?  You don't want it to transfer to your furniture.
6. Pictures of lovely bathrooms and laundry closets that you find in Better Home and Gardens should remain fantasies.  There is a reason why they were designed and executed by professionals.
7. No, just because you've painted your fair share of rooms in your own home, you are not a professional.  Stop acting like it.
8. Rubber-tipped step ladders do slide on tile floor.
9. If the ladder says it only holds 200 pounds and you're even a smidge over that, don't stand on the top step.  If you do stand on the top step, don't be surprised when the ladder slides (see above).  If you fall, don't blame the ladder manufacturer, distributor, or that nice guy in the hardware store.  You were warned.
10. Never paint anything green (this one comes from my mother-in-law).  I chose blue. 

This post is linked up with Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop today, fulfilling prompt # 2, Tell us about a day you weren't sure you'd get through, because when you're covered head-to-toe in paint, your toddler is running wild up and down the hall, the dogs are barking like crazy, your nine year old is whining over homework, and someone knocks on your door in the midst of it all, sometimes you just want to run.