I guess I knew it would come to this. The love affair would end. And I would be left with a hammer. Literally.

A once thriving relationship with the contractor has been reduced to missed appointments, avoided calls, and aggravation. On both parts, probably.

We're not on the same page. Timeliness is key. And good gosh, man. You are SLOW! Frankly, I'm not surprised. I was getting tired of sharing the same space. Day after day. And night. Like I said, slow. 

Then you started putting me off. "I have to paint a house tomorrow and it might take me a couple of days. How about I show up at 5pm?" Umm, how about I don't want to spend my evening with you? 

We had a deal. Be here at 9am. Work all day. And don't take other jobs until we're finished. 

Then again, I thought we'd be finished. I'm not without fault. I'm sure he got tired of hearing me complain about straight lines, extra coats. So he moved on. And now someone else gets him at 9am. And I get leftovers at 5pm.

Which led to cheating on my part. Lately, I've been calling Hands 4 Hire for minor projects and avoiding his calls (hey breaking up is hard!!!)   

And I'm flirting with a new contractor. We'll see how it goes. Relationships are tough. And I'm picky! 

Or, at least the Dog Sitter does..... hee.

Imagine my excitement when I came home from a weekend trip to find these awesome comments left behind by our wonderful Dog Sitter (shout out to Lakeside Sitters woohoo)!

What makes this so special is that it was TOTALLY UNSOLICITED!!!!

And the house is nowhere near finished.

So, what can I say. I'm thrilled to know someone else likes what I'm creating here. Complete with an exclamation point.

Love!

It's only right that I give her props here. If you live near Lake Norman -- and need a Dog Sitter -- call Sandy at Lakeside Sitters! (704) 895-0540.

She might leave you a love note, too. 

I am so fortunate to live by the water. Sure, it's a lake and not the coast. Which I prefer (and isn't far). But, still.

There's something about the tranquility of water. In any form. That soothes my soul.

I am convinced it has magical powers. Like the moon.

If you don't believe me just look at this picture. Taken last Sunday before dusk. On the back of our boat.

Tell me it doesn't move you in some way. If nothing else, ignite a tinge of jealousy that you weren't on the other side of the lens.

I don't think there is anyway I can escape the water (or moon)'s hold on my soul.

I'm not sure I want to.

I can't wait to cover my first chair!

In addition to working on my new house, I spent the better part of this week working on insurance matters for The Community Arts Project, the wonderful nonprofit visual arts organization with whom I have the pleasure and good fortune to be affiliated, for an upcoming event we're co-sponsoring on Saturday.

No matter how hard I try to lose my insurance past, it somehow manages to find me. I guess, at the end of the day, I am just an insurance geek at heart. Albeit, a creative one.

Now that we've crossed all our T's and dotted all our I's, we're ready to enjoy tomorrow night's inaugural event.

The Sound of Love -- Brought to us by Bella Love, The Community Arts Project, Galway Hooker Irish Pub, DavidsonNews.net, and CorneliusNews.net. 

Join us!  

After a summer in transition, I'm giving a lot of thought to the concept of home. And what defines it.

The move from Texas to North Carolina, with its myriad of inconveniences, left me realizing how much importance we place on permanence.

It also helped me realize that permanence is a state of mind.

For over a month, home was an unfurnished rental. With two bag chairs, an inflatable air mattress, and a roadside table find (read free) that is doubling as a refinishing project (photos to come).

I kind of miss it.
                                                                                                                                                                           Pictured above: the bag chairs

To be or not to be... Black, that is. As in Black Doors...

How are you spending Labor Day 2011? I'm spending part of it reflecting on the decision to go black on the interior doors of my new home. And I couldn't be happier with the choice.

What were plain, white doors have been transformed into pieces of art. Strategically hung throughout the house. In a way that punctuates the walls without overempowering them.

I first saw this while visiting friends. When I entered their house I was immediately intrigued. Admittedly, it took a moment to sink in. And once it did I was hooked. 

This is nothing new. But not entirely common. Yet. Googling black doors will yield plenty of examples online.

Here's my contribution to the trend.

Want to transform ordinary doors? Go black. I did.
 
Tell me what you think! And have a safe, happy holiday with family and friends.

Consider: Finish -- I recommend glossy. Here, I used high gloss enamel black interior/exterior paint by Valspar. Black can have a tunnel effect. A flat finish on the doors would cause them to disappear into the wall. Versus standing out with emphasis. 

Even if it means being displaced, sleepless nights, disorganization, general mayhem and madness... Which, for people like me can seriously rock my boat... but like I said. It's beautiful. 

Especially when it brings me back to an area I love. Let's face it. I'm an East Coast girl.
 
That aside, I am super excited to be back in the Charlotte area and jumping right back into the creative scene. I recently joined the Board of Directors at The Community Arts Project and love what the organization is doing. I'll be mentioning it a lot.

But back to relocating. It allows me to CREATE. A new interior! Something I love doing. Decorating is in my blood. I love to see what I can do with a space. Cost being an issue, of course.

A realtor once said to me, "you have vision. You can see a space for what it can become. Not for what it is." I was flattered by her assessment. And, more importantly, I believe it.

I haven't really gotten to the fun part yet. And, truthfully, I wasn't ready to give up what I created in Texas. Man, I loved that house. But I love being here more. And I like decorating.  

Nothing like a fresh blank canvas to make you feel alive with endless possibilities. Like I said. It's a beautiful thing.