Thursday, December 16, 2010

The Calm (& the Curtains) Before the Storm

"Ah but its cold outside ...."

The forecasters say we are just about to be blasted by one of those Pacific storms that drenches the California coast, causes expensive home to slide into the sea, and dumps so many feet of snow in the Sierras it causes visions of the Donner Party eating one another to dance in our heads.

Bring it on. My gutters are clean. And my drapes have arrived, so I'm ready for anything.

I wanted this fabulous toile de jouy fabric for the new drapes that had all these pictures on it of happy French peasants making toile. When I found it I thought to myself, Voila! Eureka! Zis eees pour moi!

Il est très joli, mais il est très coûteux!

That was until I discovered the drapes would have cost me $6000. Gosh my taste is good.

I decided to settle for a nice check for about one sixth the price. It is an honest-to-goodness linen and I like linen's durability as well as its feel of "old tablecloth." This one is reminiscent of a Madras shirt I had long ago. To me, it looks great: feminine, but with overtones of early Beach Boys.


I will have to move into that room, temporarily, when I'm ready to paint my own, so, it is comforting to know I'll have drapes on the windows. I don't want to feel like I'm on television again when I get into my jammies. Not that anyone would care at this point, but there are those guys who are just crazy for little old ladies. One can never be sure.

I bought three yards of the toile to use for something. Can't think what, but I hated to let down those happy peasants doing all that toile-making. They will find themselves useful somewhere in this house.

Meanwhile, the guest room will have an added glow in the months ahead. It faces southeast, and is so sunny there in the spring and summer that, in the early morning light, the new check will put rose colored glasses on the waking world.



I'm hoping I still have a few more decades of productivity left in me: and I honestly don't plan to spend what's left of it decorating this house. In fact, I'm in the middle of making plans for new projects in the days ahead that I hope will engage what is left of my brain.

But today, as the sky is darkening, I'm hunkering down. I'll be counting my blessings and praying the cedar in the front yard stays right where it is. I'd hate to have a hole in my roof dampen my rosy outlook--not to mention my new drapes.



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3 comments:

Don Meuler said...

You are most certainly NOT a "little old lady" - good call on the drapes. For you, anyway. :o)

Robin Chapman said...

Thank you Don. When I took down the old drapes to paint the room, they just about shredded in my hands. Meanwhile: I'm hanging in there just like the new drapes!

Don Meuler said...

I like what you're doing with your home. It's nice to follow its rebirth, and yours.