Mad Scientist Musings ..

OK in my last blog, I talked about getting the foyer walls primed and ready for paint. Well, I completed the prep and was all ready to slap on some muted green paint, but then a big problem arose: namely, the ''muted green paint''.

Why so hard to find, MGP? I want a fairly pastel hue with maybe a touch of grey to make it just the tiniest bit sage. Is this too much to ask? Apparently so. Thus far, I've picked up dozens of paint sample cards and actually purchased two cans: one a sample so light that Mr. Hubby had a hard time even finding where I had tested it -- and the second an actual quart (I was just convinced that it would be the right color, plus I wanted to move this project forward toot-quick).

But alas, the second color looked like a candy apple jolly rancher projectile vomited on the wall. So off to a different paint store? Not a chance for this penny-saving optimist. I thought I could just CREATE the color I wanted by mixing paints until the elusive "muted green'' color would be attained.

So I went into the garage and began mixing the candy apple explosion with white ceiling paint (I don't want any sheen to the wall; better to cover up the imperfections, my dear). First, it was a 2:1 ratio (two jolly ranchers to one ceiling). There wasn't much of a discernible difference.

Not one to give up so easily, I next tried a 1:1 batch -- better, but nothing to paint home about.

My third experiment was a 2:1 reverse ratio: two ceilings to one JR. This time, I got a variation on the original vomit hue, only this time the jolly ranchers ate their own poo before throwing up. The color is this weird brownish green, not fit for a baby's diaper, much less an entryway wall.

So I'm back to square one. I'm going to try a new paint store that I'm sure will have colors never even imagined by the first two stores.

If anyone has a nice, soft green paint color they've used with success, please Facebook or email me the cutesy name. PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU!!

The mad scientist color wheel (start at the bottom and moving clockwise): pukey brown-green 2:1 reverse ratio; two 1:1 ratio swatches, still a little intense for such a small space; the full-throttle candy apple color with the ''TOO MUCH!" factor; and the oh-so-pale original with two coats (don't feel bad if you can't see it; only LevelHead, Jr. with her youthful eyes can).