$5 Raffle Prize/Free Paint Re-Fresh

The dining/sun room served as my temporary studio for 2 years. To access, I would climb over piles of fabric, paper, and other crafty crap to sit at the built-in desk. To eat at the table, Eric and would shove piles of aforementioned crafty crap onto the floor to make room for our plates. It was an untidy nightmare, but we had lots of decorations to make for our wedding, so we let this very visible space go to hell for a while.

Then a magical thing happened. Well, we got married (no more wedding projects) and I moved my studio to the basement, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I won a magical prize that would change the course of the dining room forever.

One night, Eric and I met up with some pals at an art opening at MCAD, waltzing in just as the raffle began. Perched at the end, upon an easel was a magnificent gilded frame encasing an equally magnificent elk tapestry.*

I frantically demanded $5 from Eric and ran up to the raffle master. I got my ticket, placed it in the bowl for the elk piece, where there were only TWO other tickets. What IDIOTS didn’t want this glorious prize?! To be fair, there was barely anyone participating in the raffle. Thanks for the poor advertising, MCAD (I mean it). Raffle master slogged through the other prizes. They were probably also interesting, but my intense focus on the elk blinded me to all else.

THEN I WON.

My friends giggled at how the center elk’s face looked like E.T. I can’t say they were wrong, but the slightly-off proportions made me love it more.

I didn’t want to leave its side, for fear it would get stolen as I walked through the galleries. I contemplated carrying it with me, but that was impractical/dumb. Turned out to be fine, just as Eric assured me.

Driving home, I knew we had the perfect place for it; a place that would honor its glory.

Eric wasn’t as crazy for the piece as I, so when I chose this spot, I maaaybe didn’t tell him. I also maaaybe planned to paint the wall a beautiful shade of baby diarrhea** green to compliment it without telling him. Around the same time, this splendid can of paint was about to be thrown out at work, so I rescued it. Things were falling into place.

I didn’t think he would hate it, but I also knew that if I checked with him in advance, he’d have to think about it for a while, and I needed to transform this space NOW. So, one day when he was out, I made this happen:

Yep, also made some lampshades, and here we are. I’m in love. Eric handled it ok.

*Technically, we already owned an elk tapestry, but this one was more vibrant/magnificent/creepy.

**I always talk about how Baby Diarrhea green is one of my favorite colors, but I’ve never changed a diaper and don’t plan to. Parents, is this about right?