I'm Gonna Paint That Man Right Outta My Hair.....

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

(With apologies to Rodgers and Hammerstein)

Someone just now mentioned redecorating as a constructive way to make a new place feel like home and I remember finding a pot of emulsion wielded with passion was a good way to exorcise the old home of exH vibes.

Survivors of heartbreak and life - what did you do to wash that man right outta your hair?.. :)

[CurtWild]

cog you just gave me the first laugh of the day..I'd buy those cushions in a flash! Thanks for starting my day on a good note, I'm veritably oozing positivity from every pore lately, I'm thinking I should get myself on Embarassing Bodies!
Doc: what seems to be the problem?
Me: I'm oozing positivity and it's making a mess on my new cushions.

[BeforeAndAfter]

I love Cog's ad - coming to a Relate office near you ...

[TheShimmeringPussycat]

I am not a cushion person. But even I succombed to some cushions from B&Q - in the shape of London buses. Of course, I bought 3.

[divorcedtobe]

Love love love this thread.

1. I had a Big Mac meal. And treat myself once every 6 weeks. He always moaned that it was crap unhealthy blah blah but drank like a fish and did drugs. What a stupid hypocrite!
   
2. I removed EVERYTHING of his from the house and shed. I mean absolutely EVERYTHING even the one or two things I have liked to have kept.
   
3. The house was always felt more like it was just mine and the DCs because he couldn't be arsed to do anything or choose anything anyway. I will be getting out my paintbrush soon and choosing colours that I like as opposed to the neutral scheme I chose to please him.
   
4. I go out and do something different every weekend he has the DCs. I'm forcing myself to get out there and be in the world instead of waiting for it to come to me.

[gaggiagirl]

We split in January. Me and DD will be moving out any day now.

I shagged a hot bloke.
Bought new kettle, toaster and cushions.
I'll be leaving behind all the shit he hoards. I hate stuff and can't wait to have only 4 mugs and 2 pans.
I'll be getting some fairy lights too.
I'm very much looking forward to keeping my vibrator and other such things in my bed side drawer and not totally hidden.

[smoothieooo]

I threw out the bottle green leather sofas he loved and replaced them with fabulous, comfy velvet sofas in gunmetal grey, complete with obligatory stacks of cushions. I also bought a huge rug to cover the wooden floor in the living room and hung some of my favourite Klimt pictures on the walls. It's lovely and cosy and mine!

I wielded the emulsion in my DS1's room and the spare room (after first sanding walls and making repairs). Very therapeutic.

Next to tackle is the office which is a weird blood red shade (that's he'd painted). It would look nice if the walls were smooth and if the skirting boards went all the way around and the ceiling didn't have tatty bits of flaking paint from when the protective tape was ripped away. I will do it properly, replace the skirting board and paint a lovely cream.

I'd quite like the house to not feel so familiar when he comes to pick up DC.

We've been separated for almost 2 years and he still has some of his crap in the house - other than the stuff I've eBayed

[pinkpeony]

I split 1.5 years ago (now divorced) and did the following, not necessarily in that order:

Shagged a hot bloke.
Bought a new home for me and DCs, completely different in every way to the old marital home and the kind of home I always wanted.
Bought a new bed.
Bought new cushions, toaster and kettle (all colourful).
Completely replaced all my lingerie (prior to shagging hot bloke!).
New haircut.
Decluttering (esp. anything that reminds me of our former life together).
Redecorating everything more girlie - getting rid of old grey sofa - going for colours (ex only wanted white and grey and neutral).

Love this thread!

[smoothieooo]

ooh I forgot that I shagged a hot bloke ... well actually a not so hot bloke but a jolly hot shag!

Plus, I bought myself a car (nothing fancy, just a little Peugeot) and it's mine, all mine! I MOT'd and taxed it this week - the first time in over 20 years I've had responsibility for that.

[buttonortwo]

This made me laugh, I had the 'overwrite' shag with hot younger bloke 2 weeks ago and bought new cushions today! Yay

[CurtWild]

Aarrgghh..everyone has had an overwrite shag and I'm still weilding a paintbrush and buying cushions ... (makes mental note to shuffle quietly away from MN and buy some killer heels and lingerie in hope that overwrite shag isn't too far off!)

[Ikeameatballs]

Ooh yes, I made sure that on the 1year anniversary of our split I shagged a new man in my new bed (though I didn't tell the new guy of the significance of the date). Onwards!

[Handywoman]

De-cluttered, changed bedroom layout, new bed linen, started running, did some private respiratory physio, started meditating and having two kids at a time for sleepovers (one friend per dc, previously too much of an imposition on my lame-ass XH).

Just about to re-mortgage. Currently getting quotes to plaster/decorate half the house. Just replaced boiler today - even a new boiler is another step forward!!

Gone is the sofa with XH ass-groove. I wonder how many of us were left with sofas imprinted by lazy arses?

[CurtWild]

handy My sofa not only had an ass groove, he'd taken to never coming to bed so he could be up all night chatting to god knows who online, so it had a veritable man shaped indentation where he finally crashed out..and lots of drool..most of it was drool, anyway ...
Gave it the clean and plump of it's life after we separated. Good as new with a few bright cushions to perk it up

[AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore]

I'll be getting a new bed soon. I'd love to get new living room furniture, but can't afford it. I think a sofa cover and some cushions are in order. Already have the new haircut and colour, and have painted and done some minor redecorating.