31 Days of Aging Gracefully: Day 24 — Living Out Loud

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Here’s one of the great things about getting older — you can not only tell the truth and live it, without apology, but you can get away with living your life out loud. Don’t ask me how or why that is true, but it is. I think people are more tolerant of eccentricities as we age, don’t you? Remember that old poem about wearing purple when you get to be old? Well, yeah, I”m that woman! I love clear bright colors. I know they’re not necessarily de rigueur  in the decorating industry (unless you look at beach cottage magazines like I do), but they make me happy. And my husband likes them, even loves a few of them, so there you have it.

And another thing, while I’m at it. Things don’t necessarily have to match to still look great. We and our granite fabricator shopped several stone yards trying to find something that would match/blend with the two existing granite countertops in our kitchen. Which, it happens do not match each other, but have the same combo of colors. I found this one — on sale — , my son-in-law who is also my contractor agreed, and the fabricator make this gorgeous top in ONE PIECE. The colors are the same as the other two, but the pattern is different (all over spots rather than movement/streaks) and overall, it is darker. But we really, really like it.

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And though we loved the basic idea of the trim color on our home, it was fading fast and had a bit too much gray in it for us. So we found a clear, beachy turquoise (Yes, Kristin Schell – turquoise!) and it is indeed BRIGHT. But you know what? It makes me happy. And, of course, it will fade. It gets full sun all afternoon, every afternoon! A couple of before-and-afters for you:
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I think I’m going to like being eccentric and living out loud. What about you?

Just Wondering

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Comments

  1. I love your kitchen!

  2. I love the turquoise!!!

  3. having spent my life as a people pleaser in so many ways, I feel like I am finding my voice with the help of some really good people. I like my voice.

    and if I were getting new kitchen dishes, I’d get Fiesta Ware – Love your colors. and the turquoise house

    And another thing, unrelated to the subject of this post. My husband and I want to know if dropping things, spilling things is part of this aging thing? and if it is, how come no one ever told us…maybe we weren’t listening. It’s disconcerting. yesterday i set a full smoothie on my desk…but didn’t quite make it since i set it on the EDGE. It hit the floor, the wall all the way up to the ceiling, on the other side of my desk, so say nothing of the floor and furniture. Yikes. we are feeling like adolescents.

    • You know, I bought that Fiestaware as we began a major remodel in our former home about ten years ago. And I built everything I did in that house, and now this one, on that color palette. I have LOVED IT. I had hoped that the blue plates (which were called Periwinkle) would truly be periwinkle, but they are more of a colonial blue, which has too much gray in it for me. But I pull the truer blues in in other ways, so it works out.

      I don’t know if dropsy comes with age or not! I’ve always been clumsy, so I can’t answer your question very well at all, I’m sorry to say.

  4. I’m a purple lover too, and oh, that glorious turquoise! So suitable for the property you are in. Yes, be bold. Be colourful. Be you. At the very least it might help our fading eyesight to see things more clearly and (hopefully) avoid the dropping problem Carol mentions here and which I suffer from too. Oh the joys of ageing! Thank you, Diana. Your words and images are a huge tonic on a grey day in the UK. 🙂 x

    • I love your note about helping our fading eyesight! And advantage I hadn’t even thought of, but so true! Glad this spot of color could cheer you a little bit, Joy.

  5. Though I tend toward rustic, earthy colors, I absolutely love what you’ve done with your house – it really pops and looks like it belongs on the beach.
    Blessings, Diana!

    • I used rustic, earthy colors in the 70s when they were very popular – and I enjoyed them. But as I’ve aged, I’ve moved much more to spring and summer tones. They work for us now. I love being in other homes that use different palettes — to each their own, you know??

  6. I love turquoise, so I’m right with you. 😀

    Do you… and do that fabulously.