don't forget the ps

I seem to be obsessing over my new room. but I get that way. anxious to finish it. content to let it just come together over time.

but while the hubs was away I was pulling out 'treasures' from the closet. things that I have accumulated to use at some point. and I came across a lampshade that I adore. let me repeat. adore. we bought it at the HD Buttercup clearance center (part of LA's greatest furniture/accessory store located in an repurposed bread factory. double heaven.) I was pretty sure it would be too big for the just relocated lamp (that I took out of our bedroom - there was a lot of shuffling going on). but I'd try anyway because I want to use it somewhere. and voila! perfect.

don't you just love the sensation of placing something and turning around to look at it and saying, smiling, yes. yes. yes.

ps love to all. happy valentines day!

'there are some days when I think I'm going to die from an overdose of satisfaction.'

dressed up

finally finished painting the den. the walls are clean and bright. but the Litchfield Gray is on the pink side. I'm trying to love it. but too pinkish. so we'll move onto the floors (pull up the horrible carpet and refinish the warm long leaf pine) and restore the fireplace surround (remove the ghastly inappropriate ceramic tile and either (hopefully) expose the original brick, or retile with era appropriate majolica tiles). and then see to a new paint color. I'm anxious to put the room back together even in its semi-finished state.

my little settee is back home. with a new dress. lovely vintage barkcloth. and simply adorable.

the house is ever so quiet this morning. the hubs is away for a few days. he left me with a kiss and a loving warning not to take out the carpet while he is gone. he knows me all too well.

'serious is a word that must be entirely avoided when it comes to decoration.'

daily message

I follow StoryPeople on FaceBook. artist Brian Andreas posts a story of the day along with a quirky image. his messages are potent. poignant. heartfelt. strong.

thank you. I need that today.

'he told me one time he forgot himself & his heart opened up like a door with a loose latch & he tried for days to put it all back in proper order but finally he gave up & left it all jumbled up there in a pile & loved everything equally.'

near misses

I count my blessings on a daily basis. and never so much as this week. for my family. my friends. my health. for the love that surrounds me. my faith.

I made a big decision recently to leave my job. still working but on an 'on-call' basis. the ability to set a schedule on my terms - seems selfish - but ever so necessary as life gets busy. busier. fuller. fullest.

the group I volunteer with is losing its staff person. she is going onto a wonderful new career and we/I am so very happy for her. but heartbroken at her departure. not only is she an amazing employee. but she is a kind and lovely person. I will miss not seeing her on a regular basis.

that announcement prompted me to make the decision about my own job. it has been very difficult to juggle all that I want (need) to do in my personal and volunteer life working (even part-time). so now I can work when they need me. as my schedule permits. a win-win for all. she says. but I am sad. I will miss not seeing everyone on a regular basis.

my so-called retirement is a happy predicament. the hubs and I want to do more. go more. be more. and this allows us to plan. a little project near & dear to our hearts. trips to California. trips for absolutely no reason at all but that we want to go. together. I missed not being able to spontaneous on a regular basis.

a very dear friend was just diagnosed with cancer. my heart fell at the news. I so regret not spending more time with her before the news. I do not plan on letting any more time slip by unattended. I will not miss another minute. (ps she had surgery yesterday and all reports are positive. prayers please.)

it is funny. odd. incredible. (she says with a sigh.) how life changes at a moments notice. such a domino effect. change is good. life is good.

'I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.'

la vie est belle

over the weekend the hubs and I did a little home improvement. been on the list for awhile. the arrival of a new sofa pushed us over the procrastination edge into doing.

we stripped the wallpaper in the den. and the 'it won't take long' project was a full two days. but now the dark stringcloth walls are a plain canvas. and the room is wonderfully bright.

I hadn't thought of it before but said hubs, 'now you have your Paris apartment.' and he was right. the white walls shown with that shabby plaster appeal. and with those wise words (he always knows the right thing to say) my decorating scheme for the room changed.

I had a clear definition of what the room would be. a picture in my head of exactly what I wanted. a bit mid-century modern combined with classic. but his comment and the discover of a chesterfield sofa on clearance have reduced that mental image to a memory.

seeing the room evolve is a journey. a rummage. a grand adventure.

'not all who wander are lost.'

tuesday

went to the dentist today. the bane of my existence. I don't like the dentist. it scares me. unnerves me. they have to give me gas to keep me in the chair. so they do. and I stay. and now it is over. thank goodness.

and my day was made brighter by running into a friend on the way home.

worked on some volunteer stuff.

sitting and reading. FanGirl by Rainbow Rowell. of Eleanor & Park fame. E & P was a favorite. all-time. FanGirl okay. but pales in comparison. but paired with a baggie of leftover m&m's and a cup of tea (TAZO focus.) and a bookmark that is my ticket stub from our Christmas trip. pure happiness. all is right in my world.

have some Society party planning to do later. and some paperwork to finish. and perhaps a nap to fit in there somewhere.

but for now back to chapter 23. enjoying the silence of the afternoon.

'some days, we just need to turn the quiet up.'

a few notes

on a gray gloomy day. as I start a busy agenda. I am in Heaven listening to Pandora through a new speaker.

I just carry the little box with me as I travel throughout the house. and Tommy Dorsey. the Andrew Sisters. and Frank follow me.

magic.

'life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music.'