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I love paint decks. (You have to be a contractor/designer to be able to get them for free, but you can sometimes purchase them.)
Some people get overwhelmed. You know the type (it may be you)…standing, blank stare in front of the florescent lights and the display of thousands of colors. “How can I tell what will look good in my home? It’s just a teeny tiny little square of color.” They bite their lip. Call their husband out of “tool heaven” aisle. Ask total strangers, “does this look like a soft, airy blue to you or is there too much of a purple undertone?”
I look at a paint deck…thousands of little squares of color…and I get excited. There are so many possibilities. So many colors to try! I am fortunate enough to have lots of uses for paint, so if I see a color I like, I just buy a $5 test pot of it and try it out on a piece of furniture. I also have a bit of a compulsion with painting walls. I think I’ve painted my home office so many times that we’ve actually lost square footage in that room.
I’ll often just look through my paint decks. I am familiar with a lot of the names and can immediately picture the color. It’s totally useless information to store in my brain, but it’s there. If someone is in a real pinch and needs me to describe Maison Blank or Stolen Kiss to them…no problem. I could save a life with that knowledge. “Just tell us the name of a good red for this piece of furniture…or the lady gets it!” You never know.
OK…yeah…anyway…
All of this to say, don’t be afraid of color, paint decks or the aisles full of displays. Options can be overwhelming, but they’re good. You can get the absolute perfect color of crisp white that looks like linen. You can wrap yourself in the most delicious blue that calms your soul when you enter your room.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a paint color…
Take your time. You don’t need to be in a rush to pick colors that you’ll end up wanting to change later.
Buy test pots of paint colors you think you like and try them out on a patch of wall.
Colors change in the light. You may love it in the morning and hate it under incandescent bulbs in the evening.
Choose colors that flatter. Not many people look good wearing fluorescent green and not many people will look good (or feel relaxed) in a fluorescent green room.
Remember that it’s just paint. It’s not expensive and it’s not permanent. You don’t need to be afraid.
And lastly…parents…let your kids express themselves through choosing the paint for their own room. It may be wild, but it’s just paint and they’ll love it and be proud of it. My mom wouldn’t let me paint my room red as a kid and look what happened to me!
What’s your favorite paint color right now?
On another note, most of you wanted me to share some recipes, but there were a few with reservations. I totally understand where they are coming from. I would much rather look at a beautiful room or decorating ideas than posts with recipes and cooking tips. This blog is going to stay a DIY/home blog, but I’ll throw in a few recipes here and there if I concoct something that’s tasty and worth sharing. I’ll also give some updates on my weight loss journey and you can share yours, but, again, this will stay a DIY/Home blog, not a weight loss blog. Sound OK to everyone?
I work the same way in the kitchen as I do in the craft room. I don’t like to follow recipes (generally.) I just like to tinker and figure out what tastes good, so the recipes I share will be my own. Also, since I’m on the Weight Watchers Points Plus (WWPP) plan, I’ll include the points value for the recipes. (I’m glad many of you out there are on it, too. We can encourage one another!)
Mini Quiches
(Makes one serving, four quiches)
WW PP = 7
4 won ton wrappers (found with the Asian vegetables in the green grocery section)
cooking spray
2 large eggs
2 T skim milk
1/4 small sweet onion
1/4 green pepper
5 asparagus spears
handful of baby spinach
salt/pepper
1 wedge light original Swiss Laughing Cow cheese
flat leaf “Italian ” parsley
1.) Finely dice onions, peppers and asparagus and saute in a lightly greased (with cooking spray) pan until soft. Add spinach at the last second and stir off the heat until it is wilted.
2.) Gently place won ton wrappers in muffin tin.
3.) Mix eggs and skim milk in a bowl. Salt and Pepper to your personal taste. Add cooked vegetables to egg mixture and stir.
4.) Spoon egg mixture into won ton wrappers.
5.) Break cheese wedge into pieces and gently push them into each quiche.
6.) Bake at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes or until egg is cooked through.
7.) Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Tips: Change the veggie mixture if you don’t like asparagus. Use egg beaters to make it even healthier. Add some chopped ham or turkey for additional protein. For a little more crunch, keep the veggies raw. Don’t worry about the fresh parsley if you don’t have it on hand. I almost always have a bunch in an ironstone creamer on my window sill. Adjust this recipe to make it something you and your family will enjoy! The possibilites really are endless.
I’ve lost 4 lbs in my first week. Next week, I’m going to pump up the cardio. If you’re on WW (or some other diet) and want to “weigh in” just tell us how much you’ve lost, so we can celebrate with you!
Whew! Two posts in one!
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Love your blog, love the recipes, good luck on WW!!
I dabbled in graphic design many years before I had my kids and I used to love the Pantone color cards I used to choose printing colors. Mixing combinations and picking just the right shade was always a delight. I have to admit I am not nearly as bold when it comes to paint colors in my house.
I am so making those little quiche. They look so so good.
Love the paint decks! I have a big set from Benjamin Moore and I think it is so much fun to flip through them … I would love to be one of the chosen few who get to name the colors :o)
I love the paint isle too! But I have about 90 kabillion of those little sample squares that they have in the aisle.Thanks for the recipe it looks sooo good.I'd have to make a lo carb. version but that wouldn't be hard.
Those look so good, how many points for each?
Nevermind, just saw it under the heading! I'll open my eyes better next time!
Great post…I'm one of those that stand in the paint aisle in a trance but now I know to buy the sample cans of paint, should be alot easier.
Love the recipe, hope you post more!
Rondell
I've been on the South Beach Diet since Thanksgiving and have lost 8 lbs. The Mini Quiches look great! It looks like a recipe I have that uses a thin slice of ham (lunch meat) instead of the wonton. 🙂 Good job so far!
Oh good. I was hoping you would post the recipe. They looked really good.
I started a low carb diet in May of 2010. I have lost a total of 48 pounds so far … and more miraculously didn't gain an ounce over Christmas (I was a little freaky about what went in my mouth over the holidays). I want to lose 10 more!!!
WOO HOO!!!!
Good luck on your diet … four down …..
Woohoo! Thanks for the recipe MMS. And, you just pushed me over the edge to get to WW tomorrow to sign up. Have been "planning to" for weeks – tomorrow is the day. 🙂
What a timely post, as I sit here staring at yards of fabric for my office redo with my trusty paint deck. 🙂 I love the bang for your buck you get when you paint a room!
I see you've discovered the laughing cow! My standard breakfast is egg beater and a wedge of laughing cow for 2PP! I have to try the quiche soon! Thanks for sharing.
Sarah
Great advice! On both decorating and diet fronts!
I have something to add about the colour chips. There was one paint store in particular that would encourage me to check out the 'book' rather than go by the chip charts. They had this amazing hidden book that had about 50 hues in between anything you'd see on a paint chip. And we always chose out of the book. The chips were simply a guide!
If you find a chip that isn't perfect but close, I encourage you to ask the paint store if they also have 'a book'. 🙂
Donna
http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/
Oh, you should have seen me trying to choose the right color white when I wanted to paint my living room 4 years ago! LOL! Oh my goodness! The walls were plastered with various paint chips! And do you know how many whites there are out there????? lol!
Thanks for the delicious sounding recipe,too, Marian! I'm passing on to the head cook (hubby). 🙂
xoxo laurie
Love to paint too! I always get excited to pick new paint colors out.
Those quiches look very yummy! I love trying new recipes and will look forward to trying yours. 🙂 I too am starting on the Weight Watchers Points, hoping for a great outcome!! Sending positive thoughts your way on your success as well!!!
Hugs and love friend,
Victoria
Love your whole website and wonderful style. In case you didn't know, bestbites.com website includes Weight Watchers points with their tasty recipes!
Thanks for posting the yumy recipe, Marian. I seem to be obsessed with paint colors lately. Your test pot idea is a good one. I'm veering into turquoises and blue grays these days. Growing up we were able to pick our own colors for our rooms. I went with a bright sunny yellow…I needed happy and color!
My sweet husband got me a paint deck (or paint fan as I call it) for Christmas and I have been loving it! I think I have him ready to repaint our kitchen and also the cabinets! My favorite color at the moment is SW Online (it is a nice grey color). Have fun with that bathroom re-do 🙂
Rachel
http://www.purdyburpy.com
We are birds of feather when it comes to (what most consider) useless paint color knowledge. I almost died because I have a gallon of Stolen Kiss in the basement that I purchased at SW a while back. You need it? I must share my paint can "collection" with you some time. Several family members are convinced that I've moved beyond a love for decor into the realm of mental illness. Ha!
"Just tell me the name of a good red…or the lady gets it!" Hahaha!
You're right. You never know.
My favorite paint colors for 2011 are white, gray, lavender, that darn robin's egg blue (which has yet to infiltrate me home other than some Silver Sage towels folded up in my closet), and red. I'm suddenly all about pops of red against a gray and white canvas.
Wasn't hungry before, but wow – now I am!
About the color tips – you're so right. Those are the things we did when choosing paint for our new home. And when sample pots weren't available, we took the swatches home and put several of them on the wall together to make a bigger patch. It really helped a lot to see the paint in sunlight, shade, and in the evening.
I say bring on the color! Love it…
My favorite place to get sample paints are from Sherwin Williams. You get the biggest bang for your buck. The give you a quart of satin sample paint for just under $5.
I agree that you should let your kids express themselves with color. My kids rooms are bright orange and bright Fuschia Kiss pink…You need your sunglasses in their rooms, but they love it and so do I.
Thanks for the yummy looking recipe.
Take care,
Lisa
LURVE paint/fan decks!!!! Totally with you on that one! Also lovin' that WW updated their points system…it's about time to focus on healthy food and not processed food. Wishing you the best with it!
Shannon
http://www.akadesign.ca
I'm in such a non-painting rut right now. Our last house had color and I loved it… but now we're in a parsonage – and I can paint the walls – but not the wood trim… I keep looking but I'm having a hard time choosing paint that works
We're in the process of painting out kitchen. I wanted a creamy white for the main wall, we are using a red with bit of orange for a focus point on certain features, and a chocolate brown on the woodwork.
They all looked fantastic under both incandescent and fluorescent lights in Home Depot.
Then I painted the "creamy white" and found that it was really, really peachy. At night it was darn close. But, during the day, wow. (The red will bring out even more of the peach, too.)
So, I hunted down in the basement for some left over Behr Cottage White I used on a former project. Love it. The peach is still showing through just a tad, but think I'm going to be very happy.
Lesson learned. While we had the red chip hanging on the wall for months – we picked the white in the store. Never again.
I think I really need to buy a paint block (or whatever you called it) so I can always have them on hand. I think it would be a great investment.
Thank you for all of your inspiration. 🙂