HAPPY AND GRUMPY ARE MY FRIENDS

Okay, now that the new floors are down in the living and family rooms I am getting excited about moving towards some designing.  Here is what I've come up with for the family room.  I must tell you that we found the area rug last weekend at Home Goods.  However there was another couple already expressing interest in it.  They walked off (probably because we were hovering) and my bad self wanted to snatch it up, but my gooder self won over and we waited to see what they would do.  They bought it.  I was quite disappointed, esp. after checking the rug out online.  Well, my awesome husband had to drive up to LA on business this week and on his way back he stopped at 4 Home Goods stores and finally found another rug.  I know, please don't hate me.  He did that totally on his own, he's that kind of guy.  The best thing is that it's an indoor/outdoor rug, yet doesn't look or feel outdoorish at all. No wait, THE BEST THING is that it was $100 less than the websites were charging for the same rug.  Happy dance.

When Jennifer and the kiddos were here for Spring Break last month we had an art day together.  I started this painting of Tim, Wyatt and Amelia at the beach, but that's as far as I got.  I see that it might just have a promising future in the family room and am excited to finish it along with some seascapes.  I confess I am one that likes my art to match the sofa.  Shocker, huh?

My need for nesting is taking a front seat lately.  That's a good sign that I might be getting back to my old self.  Finally not obsessing about the exterior paint colors so much.  Ask me why.   Okay, because our next door neighbors are having their house re-stuccoed, painted and tile roof removed, repaired and replaced.  Why should that matter?  Well, we recently spent a weekend cleaning up our courtyard of the piles of crap the prior owners left us.  After hauling away broken pots, dead plants, etc. we washed the windows, bought new planters and flowers and by Sunday eve celebrated our accomplishments.   Seriously, the very next day the workers set up shop in our courtyard.  Because we are all on top of each other here my courtyard became a staging area for roof tiles, scaffolding and equipment.  What we have right now is trampled ground covers, a couple broken things and layers upon layers of sand, grit and overspray.  Just when I thought to sneak a photo from the living room of all the chaos and people, they had just removed the large scaffolding and tarps off my greenery.  You can't see much through my filthy windows and narrow view but there are 6 very boisterous people and loud machinery all in my tiny courtyard. CRAZY.  It's no one's fault and I'm happy to have neighbors fixing up, just can't wait until I can reclaim my space and privacy.   I sound old and grumpy today...I AM, okay?!

Finally, I wanted to thank you all for your great comments on my last post.  I got a few interesting suggestions, in fact, here is one from Funky Kim.  It makes me smile, but don't think the neighbors would have the same reaction.

THE LAND OF LOONEY

Since I last posted: another painting, another birthday.  Yup, I've been busy.  First, the painting.  Told you I was obsessed with ranunculus lately.  And to think just a few months ago I couldn't even spell the word.  Photos are dark due to our May Gray/June Gloom.

I know I've said it before, but I sure do enjoy getting back into painting on a regular basis.  Anticipating what I want to do next, but absolutely must get some long overdue projects completed.  We have torn out the disgusting carpet on the first floor and installed hardwood in several areas.  Oh, what a wonderful change.  This place is beginning to feel like ours.  My studio is completely torn up though and I am in the middle of painting the living room, entry and hallway before I can get to the studio.  So I'm back to painting where I shouldn't be and we are back to eating at the coffee table.


Then I had me another one of them there birthdays.  I guess that's better than the alternative.  I was in the midst of wallowing in a vat of sadness leading up to that day because moving here hasn't always been easy for me.  Here's the story about why I was in such a terrible funk leading up to my birthday.  Fair warning: if you don't want to hear my sob story just skip to the last paragraph.  This is my journal and it includes all things Paula; the good, the bad and everything in between.


Okay, so remember the garage door I posted about here?   Here's a closeup reminder of the before for the visual drama.  Promise.  That is exactly what it looked like before.  No joke.

ACCEPTABLE old paint color(s)

So, guess what?  We have to repaint.  Yup.  Not just the garage door but we had been scraping and painting ALL the trim because it was as bad as the above photo.  Unfortunate for us, we asked the only neighbors we knew on either side of us if there were color palettes to choose from for the neighborhood.  We were told no, which is a true statement.  However, we failed to ask enough questions to know we were required to submit our color choices for approval by the HOA.  The day we got "the letter" we also went to a small gathering, excited to finally meet some new neighbors.  Just about everyone we introduced ourselves to said, "So you are the people with the garage door".  One lady referred to it as "unique".  I told her I wasn't sure how to take that, as unique isn't always meant as a compliment, and I sensed she didn't intend for it to be taken as such.  She didn't change her attitude and restated that it was indeed unique.  Turns out they live two doors away and her husband is on the board, as were many of the others at that small gathering.  Scratching my head after that little event I googled the title on the header of the letter and found the rules on their website.  That prompted us to dig deeper and finally found the rules buried within 164 pages we received upon closing on this place.  We went through the required hoops but as I suspected, the decision had already been made. 


Apparently, the old color was much less offensive, or at least that's what I heard in my deeply rejected state of mind.  I took this very hard.  My life revolves around color.  I thank God constantly for color and I'm not exaggerating either!  I hold high mass over my color choices because I believe our personal colors reflect who we are.  So to reject my color choice is the same as rejecting me.  I immediately found myself wandering around in the Land of Looney.  All those years of being an interior designer, all the awards, the national publications featuring my designs, sitting on the board of directors for the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) in Indiana; all flushed down the toilet.  Not really, but that's what happens when I go to that forbidden place.  I thought the old paint was hideous, but my color choice was worse!  Sob. In reality I do get the point, just wish there had been a more neighborly way to go about it.  Thank goodness Tim never visits the Land of Looney with me and was just happy they weren't making us remove the new garage door, which they could have done.  In the meantime I AM working on the Love Thy Neighbor thing.  I'm dragging my feet, but I'll get there.

UNACCEPTABLE  new paint color

Now, back to my birthday.  I received several phone calls and emails from friends and grandkids back in Indiana and Tennessee from morning till night.  It was just glorious to laugh and chat with the people in my life that really know me, accept me and can instantly pull me out of that nasty place.   


Look at this flower cake I received from a dear friend back in Indiana...because she knows I love flowers even more than cake.  I am welling up just thinking about it.  She even wanted the lime slices on the top because I love lemons and limes.  I had a day filled with friends, family, love, a little color and perfect timing.