Yes.  That’s what it’s called.  The color my sweet hubby selected for our kitchen facelift.  It would be far more accurate to say that he absolutely insisted on it.  I am certain we spent at least 45 minutes in the paint aisle going around about this color choice.  Me, holding my ground for a subtle aloe green.  Him, pressuring me to go bolder.  Ay yi yi.  It was clear that I was not going to win this war.  After all, it’s paint.  If it doesn’t turn out, you paint over it.  No problemo.

Lucky for us, the previous owner nicely remodeled the kitchen, leaving only the walls undone.  So the last 5 days we have been buried in our kitchen, held hostage by layers of crumbling wallpaper, joint compound, and paint fumes.  I am happy to report that the deed is nearly done.

Hal.  Le.  Lu.  Jah.

We knew going in that the kitchen would be the toughest room in this house.  And because I spend so much time in there, it had to be done first or I was going to tear my hair out.  We meticulously removed 5 layers of wallpaper.  Yes.  Five.  This house was built in 1900 so we knew there were likely some hidden surprises beneath those layers.  I was time-traveling via wallpaper, literally peeling decades off these walls.  I am not sure which I found most intriguing, the 1950s fruit bowls or the circa 1930s teapot prints. 

My kitchen is mostly dry and back together.  And… I love the Mango Mania.  It’s warm and Tuscan and not nearly as wild as it sounds.  As much as I hate to admit it, my sweetheart was right.  In this case.  And now I get to pick out new window treatments and accessories to go with my new kitchen colors.  Score.

And when I find a way to manufacture more time into my schedule (ha!), I will be stripping paint from the gorgeous woodwork on the five doorways in the kitchen.  (Yes.  Five.)  Seriously, who paints over such things?  Happy this madness seems to be contained to the kitchen and the wood work in the rest of the house is beautifully intact. 

Originally, this five-day vacation was slated to be just that.  Vacation.  Friday is our 10-year anniversary and our intention was to finally take a trip to celebrate.  But then we bought a house.  And I got a new kitchen for my anniversary.  And you won’t find me whining about it one bit. 

So don’t worry about me.  I’ll be sipping coffee amid the warm, Tuscan mangoes.  Wait.  Are there mangoes in Tuscany?  Well, whatever.  It’s just plain pretty.