Me and Painting My Fireplace

If you know me, you know that I paint...a lot.  We have lived in our current house for 30 years this year.  I have painted each room at least 5 times and some rooms (like my kitchen and living room) have been abused more than that.  There is nothing I am worse at than picking out paint.  How can anyone pick out paint from a little sample square??  Really, how?
I have given up being assured that what I buy at the store will actually end up on the wall as is.  No way.  I get out my witch's brew of paints and begin the whole 'double bubble, toil and trouble' method of mixing.  It is embarrassing to behold. Actually, I have gotten pretty good at it, but then by now I should be an expert.
Recently I decided that my fireplace needed a redo.  "No, no, my ugly bricks, there is no escaping the inevitable."  Once I get an idea in my head, there is no turning back.  Realistically, I knew that this would be a once and for all paint job.

Did I mention that I am impulsive in this area?  Well, I am. Very. So, without further adieu, I jumped up from the couch, took inventory of my paint supply, chose one...then two...then three...then mixed...then sat down a very unhappy girl. Hmmm...deja vu.  I wasn't sorry I had painted - but I was once again proved to be the worst paint picker outer in the world.  This was not going to work.  Big sigh with sad face.  Finally, I turned to the internet.  Isn't that where we end up when we should have started there in the first place?  (Maybe that just applies to me.)  I googled 'painted fireplaces' and voila!  So much to look at, so many choices.  Most of them were either black or white.  My house is on the rustic, grandma, country, old-fashioned side so I chose flat black...and crossed my fingers.
Below are the pictures in order of  mistakes...ending with beauty. I had to go back into my vast supply of pictures in order to find a "before" picture.

A Fall picture...notice the black above the fireplace.

What was I thinking?  See all the cups of paint?  and the plate?

Green on bottom somehow made it worse...as if that was possible.

Finally...ta-daaaaa!

I feel certain that there is a moral to this story...but for the life of me, I can't figure out what it is.  Suffice it to say, use what you have if you can, and if that doesn't work, call your daughter-in-law and ask her what color to paint...which is exactly what I did. Thanks, Shannon!