This one sentence of my mother's has stuck with me and become my best advice to throw around (and remind myself of) for fashion, dating and paint colors... Yes- I am saying you can apply the same theory from the dressing room to both dating and paint colors, and it works!
So before you go committing to a color (or guy) just consider my words of advice...
Don't put too much stock in names... Balboa Mist might sound a lot better than Mannequin Cream but the reality is- you have to find the shade that works for your house...and it might have an awful name. When I work with single guys on picking paint colors, I try my best to never let them see the names of the colors before they decide.
Coincidentally, I have found that in the dating world, there are some unique names out there...don't worry I'm not going to actually name names but I will say, some of the coolest guys I have dated and become friends with over the years have had strange names...girl's names, porn star-ish names, single letters and just down right bad names. I mean really- who am I to talk, my name is a city, granted it is The Queen City but still...
Don't rule anything or anyone out based on a name.
They all look the same on paper/ they all look good on paper
Paints in particular are hard to judge on paper- they look very similar and they aren't actually the real paint- thus the subtle differences don't really come through...
Once we enter the working world, we all learn the importance of selling ourselves... so any guy worth his salt can make himself look like a catch on paper...and most of them describe themselves pretty much the same way- funny, outgoing, athletic....you see where I'm headed with this
Just as a paint chip can appear to be the perfect 2x2 square of color- a guy can be a dream boat on paper...living with the reality is quite another story.
There is a reason for paint testers... Try them out, and try several different shades- throw in a wild card color, even just to assure you that you don't want that color
Don't start planning your life away with the first guy who asks you out...date and date different guys, how will you know if you've found a good one if he is the only thing you have to compare it to? My Dad calls it the Raisin Bran theory- You have to go through a bunch of flakes to find a raisin. Now don't get me wrong- the first guy you meet might be Prince Charming but have fun and date a few other people so that you can fully appreciate him when you are ready to settle down.
Go ahead and paint them on the wall! and pick the wall that the light changes the most on... the paint color will change dramatically depending on the light.
When planning a date, I find it is always interesting to go somewhere to see how a guy handles different things...pick a restaurant with a broad menu to get a feel for what kind of pallet this guy has for food- does he go the easy safe burger route or is he daring and try a sophisticated sounding appetizer...or does he just drink his dinner (run now if that's the case). Don't choose a place that has glowing comments about good service, try the one that has a few negative service remarks and see how he handles poor service- how a man treats his mother and service people (like waiters) tells a whole lot about a man's character.
I'm not saying forever, but live it for a little while, let the colors grow on you... as you see the colors shift with the daylight you might realize that on Sunday afternoon you like the second from the left but on Wednesday night it might be the first on the right...Don't over think it too much but do give it some time to soak in.
First dates can be inherently strange and awkward... every now and then you have one that is great and you talk for hours without realizing the time that has passed, but more often than not, one or both of you are nervous and you don't always put your best foot forward due to that... Now if it was horrible- let it go...but if it wasn't too bad- go on a second date, more relaxed and more yourself (he will be too) and see if there are any sparks...
If you are going to do it...do it... you are looking for paint to paint- so go ahead and paint big squares on the wall- they will get covered up once you pick one! little tiny samples are no better than the paint chips- you can't tell anything from that! and if you are too scared to paint squares of tester paint on your walls them maybe you aren't ready to paint your walls...or just stick with a fresh coat of the same builder beige you no doubt have...
If you are not ready to date- don't! there is nothing wrong with needing to figure yourself out or be alone. But don't date and meet people who are ready- if you're not...or at least be clear on what you are looking for- it's just not fair, plus how much would that suck to meet Prince Charming when you just aren't over your ex and so you blow it!!!
When you find the right one...go for it! Stop hesitating and commit!
You can't live with squares of paint on your walls forever- so after some time to marinate- pick one and paint!
In dating- when you find that one, I like to believe you know it, go for it- tell him you like him! No risk no reward... you might get hurt, your heart might get broken...or you might get everything you are hoping for.
After all, we are just talking about dating and paint...if you pick the wrong one you can always start over with a fresh coat. Wallpaper, however, is a bit more like a marriage- it's a big expensive commitment so make sure you really love it!
You can take it or leave it with my advice, either I'm good at dating or horrible at dating since I've now been dating for half of my life...but, I have gone through loads of paint testers and can't think of a room that I've finished that has had to be repainted due to the color being a shocking surprise...
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