Is it wrong?

Gosh, how i lamented over our new exterior paint color. I drove around for weeks and looked at houses, picked up swatches from different stores, and generally fixated over getting this perfect color that I pictured in my head.

We bought (at $13/can) about 5 cans of paint and tested it on the house. Several other packets were tried. There was practically a quilt on the front of the house. We asked everyone who came over to vote.

Finally we found the right color but it was the wrong shade.

I went back to the paint store and got the next darker shade on their palette, but it was somehow too green.

Finally, I had him create a custom color which was the right darkness but not so green.

We LOVE it. All of our neighbors who stroll by or catch us in the supermarket tell us they are in love with it too. Our house finally looks snappy. It's only been painted for a month, but every time I drive home I'm so happy. Just yesterday my stager (who stages my listings) called and gushed over it. Wow, all that obsession paid off!

So of course last night a neighbor calls to ask me what exact color it is because they want to copy it. Here's where I pull out my "it's not a real color - we invented it" card because I DON'T WANT anybody else in the neighborhood to have the same color house! I've always hated it when people copy me. Do you know how hard it is to be an original??? I work at it, I tell ya.

So anyway, this doesn't deter him. He asked if he could bring his swatches over and hold them up to our house. How could I say no to that?

Is it wrong to be so selfish about this? Am I being ridiculous? Probably. But I'm still annoyed as heck.

(now you're going to want to see a picture of my house, aren't you? I'm afraid it won't live up to the hype, LOL)

Bore You

Apple TV update:

We've synched our Dubai/Egypt pictures, added some background music and are ready for slide shows on our big screen TV.

It'll actually be a nice nap time for you - come over, have a bunch of free drinks and settle in on the couch. we'll dim the lights, and you can take a little snooze while we drone on and on ad nauseum.

And I'll be wearing my belly dancing outfit.

Seriously, I did NOT fall for that at the souks, but I did get gold embroidered curled toe "Aladdin" slippers.

My next obsession

Even though I don't know how it works yet, I know I'm obsessed with my new Apple TV.

Not as much as she is. But I'm expecting big things.

Thanks to my brilliant children for knowing I need this and to my dear darling for giving me a fabulous Mother's Day present, even though I'm not his mother. The kids do an excellent gifting job on their own, but don't tell him that he can stop with the presents.

More on my new toy when I get all the required cables. (that don't come in the box)

And if you know me, which you probably do or you wouldn't be here, you'll know that of course now I'll have to buy a new video camera ... all my listings are all going to be on YouTube before the end of the summer.

I hope this doesn't mean Norris needs a new tv.

Mother's Day Flowers

I'm sure it was Claire who chose this lovely bouquet for my Mother's Day gift from the kids. Peonies (her favorites) along with ranunculus, roses, parrot tulips, all in a neat pedestal vase.

Unfortunately, Martha's suppliers must have wrapped these up a week ago because there was mold and falling petals... and they weren't as they should have been.

One quick call and a new bouquet is on its way. How nice that they stand behind their product, no matter how perishable it may be. Now I'll have the pleasure of another ring of the doorbell and a box of pretty flowers.

Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms and Grandmas.

(I'll be in open houses from 11-5 on Mother's Day. Good thing my kids were home last weekend!)

Can I say how much I adore being their mother?

Going, going....

hoping by this afternoon, this one will be GONE!




As is this one...








They will bring a new little baby home to this house in October... what a fabulous yard for birthday parties and barbecues. You should see the back 40!

They're Here

The kids are home.

Dad

Norris H Perkins, II

1912-2008

Home

Home from Dubai & Cairo.

A few pics from the pile...


the spice souk


on Dubai creek


shopping for spices



the gold souk














the world's tallest building, right outside our hotel room






















did you want to ski while you were at the mall?


luxurious hotels, restaurants and shops on the Persian Gulf



















the burj al arab ~ we had such fun in the sky view bar























my new best friends


our view of the Nile


busy cairo


handsome police protecting the tourists


finally, our visit to the pyramids

Norris' Trip

and a stop at the gold souk for me.

See ya in a while!

Three Kims and a Fritz

So I must have jiggled the camera...and we hadn't even had a mimosa yet! Sorry about the blur.

Off to the Street of Eames with Kim & Fritz and Kim and Norris. The official Street of Eames website won't let me poach a pic of our favorite house, but it was the Saul Zaik in our neighborhood. Such gorgeous open spaces & I loved the curved fence!

After touring four houses, we made a pit stop and started hauling out all the food we brought. Such a feast, with champagne & tangerine juice, pinot gris, lots of wonderful spreads and crackers, meats, fruit & sweets. Who needs the last two houses? Not us... we came back home and opened more wine! Such a fun day with awesome friends.

After a power nap, Kim and I met the third Kim of the day at the Kingstad center for a benefit dinner. "How can we drink more wine? Let's switch to beer!"

'Lil Kim bought the most items from the auction... but I bought the worst junk. Anything to keep shoveling money into the coffers, though I couldn't possibly drink enough to get talked into bidding on that sailboat, sorry Rita!

Soon I'll be hitting the Nike Employee Store with Kim. (we each won a pass)

More Kim escapades to follow!