Day 7: Pink Is Not My Color, But It’s Evidently the Girls’ . . .
Feb202013
I never buy pink anything except for a cheapo pink and white polka-dot collar for Mona which amused me because Mona is the least pink poodle I’ve ever met. Mona should have a black leather collar with studs and a tattoo that says “Born To Kick Deer Ass and Take Delivery Men Names.” Mona may be the smallest of the dogs, but if any of the others cross her, she turns into that poodle from the penguin’s Christmas movie, all teeth and enraged black eyes, and the others back off because you do NOT screw with Mona. Whenever I get to feeling defeated, I think of Mona, taking no crap from anybody, bounding through life with the certainty that God made this patch of grass just for her, and I think, “At least I have kneecaps” and keep on trucking.
Where was I? Oh, right, I don’t do pink.
But things have been tense for awhile here, so when I absent-mindedly impulsed a marked-down $25 duvet cover and pillow shams because it was warm and bright, I didn’t even think about it being pink and orange until I got it home and stuck it in the mess that is the office and noticed that it went really well with the boxes I’d bought last year. They’re pink, too. Which is when I started to think about why the Girls were buying all these hot colors for a very small house that is almost entirely white with some blue and yellow dropped in so the place doesn’t look like a snowstorm.
Part of is that I am an Old. At 63, according to what I’ve read, I don’t see colors as brightly as I did at 23, so I now gravitate to more intense colors. Given how rapidly my eyes are failing due to age–I can’t read without glasses any more, damn it–with the extra kick of the AMD, I am willing to believe that that’s part of it, but it’s not all of it.
The truth is, as much as I love the rest of the house–the parts that are painted anyway–and as much as I am grateful for the quiet of all the white and pale blue and pale yellow (it’s called Champagne Tickle, which is probably why I picked it), it was starting to make me twitch. I know once I drag in all the yarn and the folk art, it’s going to be brighter, but until then, it’s just . . . white.
But once I dumped all the pink in that tiny, tiny room between the kitchen (all white with one pale blue wall) and the garage (will be all white one day), it felt right. It’s off at the end of the kitchen so it’s not going to fight with any of the colors in the other rooms, it gives that cold little room a warm glow, and it reminds me that I’m a romance writer and a women’s fiction writer. I’m not a romantic any more than I’m a pink person, but I didn’t sit down to write fiction until I read a romance novel at 41, romance is where my Girls live, and I think they just wanted a work space that reflected that, so they decided to spruce up my plan for a black and white office. Since it was pretty drab . . .
They went with a little pink which turned into a lot of pink and orange, and now thanks to one manic night, I have a decoupaged door and corkboard as the first color in my office (yes, it still needs one more coat of Mod Podge; I’m on it):
Go big or go home, that’s what I say. My next move: paint the window frame hot pink. The Girls are going to LOVE it.
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41 Comments to 'Day 7: Pink Is Not My Color, But It’s Evidently the Girls’ . . .'
On February 20, 2013 at 11:05 am Terri Osburn said...
Color is good! And those shades of pink are nice, not off-putting. Good for you. I like that the girls are helping decorate. Means they’ll be ready to help write too.
On February 20, 2013 at 11:17 am German Chocolate Betty said...
OMIGOD, I love that door! It is just FAB-U-LOUS!!! Nothing like warm vibrant colors to warm up a cold room.
We have a lot of peachy-terracotta-y color in our house to do the same. Remember, here we are at something like 50°N (think: southern tip of Alaska) and the winter light is thin and bluish. This color counteracts it (in mid-winter it’s more pink than peach/terracotta because of the blueness of the light).
Everybody needs some color in their lives. Your Girls will be over the moon on this one!
On February 20, 2013 at 11:35 am Max Xavier said...
I cannot wait to see how it all comes together in the end.
On February 20, 2013 at 12:39 pm KimCz said...
I am not a pink person either and orange is my least favorite color. Even I have to admit though that it looks great with the black. The door is amazing. I would love to do that with my pantry door in the kitchen but red with white polka dots. I am so glad you are having fun in the midst of the chaos. I can’t wait to see it all done.
On February 20, 2013 at 2:25 pm Maine Betty said...
I love pink, without being a particularly girly-girl. A good strong pink and a true orange is a warm and juicy combination. Another favorite of mine is fuschia and scarlet. It crackles.
My house is mostly blues and browns, but the study is light yellow, with green and blue in an old quilt.
Now, I am motivated to go wild with the door!
On February 20, 2013 at 3:07 pm Judy, Judy, Judy said...
I like pink and orange. I have a pink smocky-thing that I wear with all black and an orange smocky-thing that I wear with all brown.
Your office is going to be awesome. Want to say can’t wait to see it, but don’t want to pressure you. I can wait but I’m going to be happy when it happens.
On February 20, 2013 at 3:17 pm nan @ lbddiaries said...
Love it. As a woman with an office with light grey walls and, as I look around, NO color, now you’ve got me thinking about incorporating something… hot red curtains? Yeah, baby – I’m gonna have fun now with this. Thanks. I think,
On February 20, 2013 at 3:19 pm Leigh said...
When I was twenty-four, I made a mistake choosing paint for my new apartment. (FYI: never choose paint after a night out on the town).
Between the hangover and the store lights, the paint chip read warm white with faint pink undertones. Uh huh. Slap that on 4 walls and warm white morphs into hello-I’m-pink. Since I couldn’t afford to buy more paint, I lived with it. Big surprise. Pink is easy to live with. Who knew? The Pink Palace ended up being one of my happier apartments:-)
On February 21, 2013 at 5:12 am German Chocolate Betty said...
FWIW, my mother always said, find the chip that has the color you like, but then buy the paint TWO SHADES LIGHTER. Because there’s more color than you think when it covers a complete wall. So far, I haven’t gone wrong with that advice!
(Of course, I have never picked any paint colors out while hungover…)
On February 21, 2013 at 8:59 am Ginny said...
My Mom had the same advice and yet when she painted our house in South Texas, you could have used us as a Google Maps satellite landmark. She even went back several times to have the paint in the buckets “lightened”. I have it on good faith that people used our house in giving directions for YEARS!
On February 21, 2013 at 9:00 am Ginny said...
I forgot to add that the house was painted yellow. International Distress High Lighter yellow.
On February 21, 2013 at 12:04 pm Maine Betty said...
Oh, THAT house!
On February 21, 2013 at 12:06 pm Jenny said...
I always go to the lightest shade on the strip and buy an extra can of white paint because I know I’m going to be making it lighter. It helps to put the strip on something white to begin with, but it’s amazing how much darker that lightest color is once it goes on the walls. Happens to people all the time.
On February 20, 2013 at 3:21 pm Katrina/ItsAKat/Beachy Betty/Cherry Smoothie said...
You got Mona a pink-polka-dot collar because it was sarcastic. & another reason to love you. LOL I love Pink but I don’t judge those that don’t.
On February 22, 2013 at 1:43 pm inkgrrl said...
Pink polka dots are totally goth.
On February 20, 2013 at 3:22 pm Katrina/ItsAKat/Beachy Betty/Cherry Smoothie said...
Grr. Wrong email.
On February 20, 2013 at 3:23 pm merry said...
It’s wonderful! If the desk and chair and monitors, etc. were all white, it might look girly, but the black added in makes it eclectic in the best possible way.
On February 20, 2013 at 3:24 pm Olga Godim said...
That is one funky door. Made me smile. Definitely fitting for a romance writer.
On February 20, 2013 at 3:45 pm Sure Thing said...
I quite like deep, dark pinks. Pastel is not for me. The more dramatic the shade, the more I get noticed. I know this and “work it” accordingly.
I envy you, your Aeron. Want, but it’s pricey and with a car and Macbook in recent purchases and soon to be (expensive) concert, hotel and flights, I’m playing it safe(ish, safe-ish.)
*blush*
On February 20, 2013 at 5:21 pm Louise said...
The fabric’s gorgeous. Parts remind me of Japanese chrysanthemum art, yet on the door it looks lacy. Lovely
On February 20, 2013 at 5:51 pm Robin S. said...
Awesome. Now grab one of those lighter colors off the door and paint that door frame too…
On February 20, 2013 at 6:04 pm Deborah Blake said...
I’m not a pink person either, but I love the way that looks. And maybe the age thing explains why I suddenly started buying things that were red….red recliner, red throw pillows to tie said recliner in with the couches… I have a house where almost all the walls are cream (soothing) except the mudroom/entry which is pale yellow. Of course, the outside door finally got painted last year (I had the door for 11 years, and never got around to painting the gray primer it came with). Guess what color I painted it? Yup. Red. Hey, the Chinese say that’s good Feng Sui.
Hope the girls are ready to get back to work. I just finished rereading MAYBE THIS TIME, and loved it even more than I did the first time around. GO GIRLS!
On February 20, 2013 at 7:56 pm Micki said...
That looks great! I love the lacy arabesques and things, and never would have thought of combining it with polkadots. (LOL, there’s a lot of things I never think of when it comes to color and pattern. I thought I was quite daring to copy Martha Stewart’s robin egg blue and chocolate color scheme for a notebook.)
My favorite color schemes right now are pink and blue — which really aren’t “me” as I knew me. If that makes sense. I’m very surprised. But instead of looking baby shower, there’s a delicious depth the things that I’m seeing that turn out these colors.
Would you like to see? This French blog page is just too delicious with those colors: http://gipsybazar.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/un-sac-du-crochet-du-liberty-de-la.html
Scroll down to about the 5th picture — the flapper with peacocks. Yum! (BTW, I think I’ve pinpointed when I started loving this combo — there was a little sidewalk garden with an old-fashioned pink rosebush blooming next to blue hydrangea — all against a blue Tokachi sky. Wow. I have GOT to do this this year in my garden. One little corner of gorgeousness.)
On February 20, 2013 at 11:25 pm Jenny said...
I pinned that page about six times, including two for Fairy Tail Lies. Thank you!
On February 21, 2013 at 5:19 am Micki said...
I’ve never seen another website that made me fall in dizzy love like that. Everything is just over the top, and . . . wow. I want a little gypsy wagon with stuff in those colors!
(And I would have totally forgot it, except I pinned it! I just ran across it again two weeks ago . . . .)
On February 20, 2013 at 10:29 pm Rozasharn said...
Wow. When you said “bought a duvet cover for the door” I thought you just meant ‘to hang on the garage side, as very thin insulation’. I had no idea you meant this.
Your craft skills are impressive.
On February 20, 2013 at 11:24 pm Jenny said...
Well, they were. Here’s a tip, don’t use Mod Podge on a hollow core door if the temperature drops below freezing. ARGH.
I’ll fix it, but JEEZ.
On February 21, 2013 at 12:10 am Betty Fokker said...
I’ve got a bathroom covered in purple fish. I do not make mock of anyone’s color choices. I am a fauve and proud of it, by gum.
On February 21, 2013 at 6:34 am Clancy said...
My brain insists on associating colours to people, odd apparently, since I’ve not come across anyone else that admits to it. Not pink on its own but I know two Pink and Orange people and they are both brilliant, energetic, creative and especially happy people. They also rate high on any scale of scattered or absentminded. Still, I invite the pink and the orange in. I tend more toward burgundy and forest green left to my own devices.
That door is gorgeous. I rent, I’m supposed to get permission in writing to put in a hook for a painting. Oh, but I am collecting such good ideas.
On February 21, 2013 at 12:05 pm Jenny said...
You can cover foam core with fabric and stick it to the door with double-stick tape to make panels. When it’s time to go, peel them off and use Goo Gone to get rid of the sticky.
On February 21, 2013 at 7:30 am Carol-Ann said...
Love it
It really warms up the space, plus pretty. And if it makes the Girls happy, so much the better!
On February 21, 2013 at 8:02 am Barbara said...
I’ve always loved the poem “When I am old, I shall wear purple.” When I hit my early fifties, I decided not to wait to be old. I got a funky purple PT Cruiser. Glad to hear the factoid about not seeing colours the same as I did when I was younger. Gives me an excuse. Other than eccentricity, that is.
On February 21, 2013 at 8:56 am Ginny said...
Sarah Vowell did a piece on NPR a while ago about the Goths. She decided to hang out with them wearing pink and they loved it. She was so Goth that black wasn’t Goth enough. If I remember right, her Goth name was “Becky”.
You, Mona and the Girls are that kind of Goth.
On February 21, 2013 at 12:03 pm stephanie said...
I’m not a pastel pink kinda person either but I love color and I love pink and that room is awesome!! It makes me want to head over to Pinterest and look up those ‘make your own Mod Podge’ recipes!!
On February 21, 2013 at 12:44 pm Robena Grant said...
Wonderful! That door is a piece of art as well as supplying extra warmth. I think you’ll get great pleasure out of your spot of color. I’ve had touches of red in my house for years and am slowly replacing with orange/taupe and green. Still have not decided on the feature wall color that I’d decided to paint five years ago. Will get to it. Soon.
On February 21, 2013 at 2:48 pm katyL said...
Think it’s a great idea.
I am a pink person and have pink accents in my office. My son always says it’s a great office, even though it’s got a girly vibe–which I take as a compliment;)
And I absolutely believe setting the right environment helps my writing. But then I believe all surroundings give off certain energies. So much so that I actually did the Feng Shui colour charting when I picked accent colours for each room in my house. It was super easy & there’s Google info aplenty about the process, but essentially it just involves using a compass (I used one in hubby’s iphone) to map house placement then dropping in colours in the right zones accordingly. I have no idea what the basis for Feng Shui is, but it works for us so I’m not messing with it.
Thinking your office will be fab when you’re done. Look forward to window frame pics.
On February 21, 2013 at 9:02 pm Betty Fokker said...
I feng shui too :0)
On February 22, 2013 at 11:43 am Jill said...
A Happy Door !
On February 24, 2013 at 10:45 am Sheila Larkin said...
You decoupaged your door? I’m SO impressed!
On March 26, 2013 at 12:35 pm Christine Griffin said...
Jenny ! I live the pink… And it’s not really pink anyway, it’s melon and sherbet . BTW, just picked up my library’s copy of Be Mine (also pink) and just read sizzle on my flight to Austin! Can’t tell you how happy I am to read it!! I’m sending a revision of my manuscript Crashing Into Tess to Wanda Ottowell ( Lani Storywonked it) and it gives me hope!! I’ve been paralyzed by the last chapter, not feeling confident about character arcs, dialogue, internal conflict, ruminating and obsessing, and sizzle convinced me I have to let it go!!! Because Maybe Next Time my hero will be as awesome as Phin, my heroine as cool and endearing as Quinn or Min… Nothing but good times ahead!! PS the sex was v hot, v 90′s!! And VCR ‘s and dominatrix in the boardroom… Tight!
On March 26, 2013 at 12:36 pm Christine Griffin said...
Also, the pink is a happy color, you won’t feel like you are going to work…..I’m breaking out the pink myself!! Springify it!!