Zillow, the most visited real estate website in the US, recently released its ‘paint color analysis’ for 2023. When getting ready to list the Seymour house last year, I took note of what colors garnered more interest for home buyers — and which colors could hurt a home’s offers. This year, it took me 2 months to remember to read it. 🙂
To summarize: Painting inside rooms in darker grays and hues inspired by natural wood and soil garner higher offers than homes painted in white or muted colors. For example, Zillow says just painting your bathroom terra-cotta can boost your home’s value by over $1600 bucks. It’s the color of the year! (And, it’s the color of the floors downstairs here at the barndo.)
I never understood why anyone would paint bland colors anyway.
Just like bland people, bland paint colors are boring. Sure, you can paint walls white or cream and use throw pillows, etc. to add pops of color, but I’ve always preferred darker/bolder wall colors to white/cream ones. Interesting over blah — bold over dull and drab.
While I might be in style in 2023, I’m sure it will circle back around and lighter colors will be “in” again. But not yellow… never yellow — especially in a kitchen.
But yellow is amazing when it’s in the sky!
TAKEN FROM THE BACKYARD OF THOSE PESKY NEIGHBORS
TAKEN FROM THE FRONTYARD OF THE BARNDO
Apologies to all people with yellow kitchens — and bland skies. 😉
If you live near my neck of the woods…
Get ready for a heat wave. A heat advisory has been issued for the next 6 days with actual temps of 100° F forecasted. I love it when it’s hot outside, but it’s not optimal for taking walks or for puppies feet on decking or a concrete sidewalk.
Now you know: Pet food taste tester is an actual job. (I will not be applying for that one, but I would guess it can be done remotely if you’re interested.)
When I was a student at Crothersville High School, there were two foreign languages to choose from — French and Spanish — both taught by the same teacher. At that time, Spanish wasn’t the popular choice so I took French. I went on to take 2 semesters of French to satisfy my foreign language requirement in college. If I knew then what I know now, I would’ve opted for Spanish.
Here I am, 100 years later, and I can’t remember much of anything from those courses — other than in college, I recall that I was made fun of. I don’t know how many times I was asked if I came from “the south of France” because of my Midwestern/Southern accent.
I recall the meaning of the French word “cochon” (pig) for reasons unknown — and the phrase “voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir” (would you like to sleep with me tonight) because of the song by Lady Marmalade. That’s about it. Thanks for the education, Mom. 😉
There are a few other words I can still recognize as they are similar to English.
Fleur — flower… for example. Belle fleur… beautiful flower.
Taken with the iPhone 14 Pro Max
Taken with the Samsung S22 Ultra
While I think the big yellow flower is beautiful, not every country and culture would agree. For example, in France; a yellow flower represents jealousy, betrayal, and weakness. Today in Mexico, yellow flowers (especially marigolds), are used in celebrations to honor the dead.
I don’t care what they think of sunflowers (girasoles) in Mexico, or (tournesols) in France, because this is the USA!
I love sunflowers!
Those in the photos above flank the garden of the Pesky Neighbors. You know… the garden that is producing more tomatoes than we can consume right now. I thought I’d never get a ripe one and now we have more of those red suckers than we can eat.
And I’m NOT complaining! 🙂
For extra credit: Notice the two photos above were taken by different phone cameras. Which phone do you think produced the better quality photo?
Now you know: Robert Brecheen was a convicted murderer who attempted suicide by overdose just prior to his execution in 1995. He was found, revived, and treated at a local hospital until he was better, then returned to prison and executed.
I’ve been fighting with the mini split units here at the barndo since moving in last September. First, it was the upstairs ones that didn’t work — then the downstairs ones decided to go on strike too. The upstairs unit outside was fitted with a new circuit board — that took FOREVER to get — and they’re now working just fine.
The downstairs outside unit now has a new circuit board too, but none of the inside units are working right. One ignores the thermostat and makes the dining room fit for hanging meat; the bedroom one is average cool; and the office one just circulates air. We’re waiting on yet another part.
But Perry is gonna’ be chillin’ like a villain!
The A/C in his vehicle took a dump late in the summer last year when we were all piled in there. Dressed for dinner, it’s a good thing we ate before it conked out since we all looked pretty darned haggard by the time we stopped at the nearest auto parts store to buy refrigerant. That wasn’t the problem.
Since fall was just around the corner, he put off fixing it. Now that it’s turned extremely hot and humid, I guess he got tired of sweating. A trip to the Honda dealership to drop it off — and another to pick it up yesterday evening — he’s now the proud owner of a new compressor and 3 repaired recalls.
He was feeling so good about his bad self that HE took a sunset photo and sent it to me via text.
Check out the mist, would you? And that’s a pretty field of beans…
Too bad my A/C woes weren’t fixed in a day.
Even with the HVAC issues, it’s still comfortable inside the barndo. Cold in the kitchen and dining room… a normal temperature in the place I sleep… and I have a portable unit in the office that keeps it just right for me to work. Although central air at the Seymour house was nice — I wouldn’t trade this place for that one. I love it here. ❤️
Today I Learned: The band KISS had to change their logo when performing in Germany because their S’s looked like the Nazi SS emblem.
It’s different for everyone… that age when you simply don’t have the drive to “grow your business” or “attain a higher level of success.” I’m there — my brother, who is 5-years older than I am, isn’t. He suggested I read a book about how “achieving 10X growth is exponentially easier than striving for 2X growth.“ I immediately thought…
I don’t want to grow anymore. I’m finished with that.
He wants me to absorb the book and have amazing ideas insofar as how we can apply it to what we do. He wants me to excitedly prepare a list of forward processes that he can modify to his way of thinking. My brain responded with, “NAH.“
I’ve got stuff to do like…
What I said to him instead is that my work related reading is more along the lines of technology. Afterall, just yesterday I was alerted to the fact that all the trials he’s downloaded in his energized frenzy for “new stuff” to implement has resulted in passwords of our secure areas being exposed in a data breach. Not just a couple places are we vulnerable because of these actions — it’s like more than 20. I’m herding mosquitos here. 🙄
I feel accomplished when I can simply maintain.
Maybe it’s different for men than it is for women. Maybe it’s the desire for a different lifestyle even going into that life after 65 (not there yet, but so close I can taste it). And maybe it’s a lifetime of experiences that culminate into goals that just don’t align with those who’ve had experiences that are different.
I’m at a place in life that I want to wind down some… enjoy things that don’t require me to make more and more money or sit for hours on end in front of a computer. I want to wrap up the last project of the spring/summer (there will be one more big project — concrete in the garage part of the barndo and possibly entry doors), think less and enjoy more.
What about you?
No matter your age, are you interested in “growing” or are you satisfied with “maintaining?”
My favorite brother sent me a photo yesterday of his morning view. He’s on a cruise to I can’t remember where — but the spot where he snapped the photo below is beautiful.
I’m obsessed with horizons.
I’ve said it a bajillion times, but when you live someplace where you don’t have an unobstructed view of the horizon, you’re missing a whole lot of beauty. I don’t even care if a horizon has houses or trees so long as they aren’t in your face. Oceans… mountains… fields… forests… all offer amazing views — and I love just looking at the grand displays.
I’m grateful I have a horizon of my own these days…
TIL (Today I Learned): Hugh Hefner tried countless times to get Raquel Welch to pose nude, and she kept rejecting the offer. Welch did eventually pose for Playboy with her clothes on. Hefner then called her boring, but still had to pay her.
