Things That Make Me Say Hell Yeah!

First and foremost right now is my job. I love my job and I am finally starting to do it. Recently I was hired to finish a family room, this week I am working on a kitchen, and it looks as though things are starting to pick up more so after that as well. The family room was a wonderful light color wash over a deep blue base and everyone (including the homeowners) was a little scared to see that initial color go on the wall. Not me though. I kept saying ‘trust the skills’ and everyone stepped back to let me do my thing. The homeowner called me two days later to say how they both loved it so much now that everything was back in the space. I don’t have an official final photo yet but here is the gist of the finish.

This email is something that made me smile and laugh this morning so I really wanted to share it.

A man in Topeka, Kansas decided to write a book about Churches around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco and started working east from there.

Going to a very large church, he began taking photographs and making notes. He spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was intrigued with a sign, which read

'Calls: $10,000 a minute.'

Seeking out the pastor he asked about the phone and the sign. The pastor answered that this golden phone is, in fact, a direct line to heaven and if he pays the price he can talk directly to God. The man thanked the pastor and continued on his way.

As he continued to visit churches in Seattle, Dallas, St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee, and around the United States, he found more phones, with the same sign, and the same answer from each pastor.

Finally, he arrived in Massachusetts. Upon entering a church in Boston, MA, behold - he saw the usual golden telephone. But THIS time, the sign read

'Calls: 35 cents.'

Fascinated, he asked to talk to the pastor, 'Reverend, I have been in cities all across the country and in each church I have found this golden telephone and have been told it is a direct line to Heaven and that I could talk to God, but in the other churches the cost was $10,000 a minute. Your sign reads only 35 cents a call. Why? Why?'

The pastor, smiling benignly, replied 'Son, you're in Boston, Massachusetts now, home of the Boston Red Sox, the Patriots, Celtics, Bruins and Boston College! '

You're in God's Country, It's a local call.

Learning to play the drums, sort of. I am working on that kitchen this week and because the home is that of my best friend’s Mom we are spending a lot of time hanging with S & B. They are gamers, specifically Xbox, and have introduced us to all kinds of entertaining game play over the years. None of those games ever made me want to purchase a video gaming system until now. Their latest purchase was Rock Band. You build a band that initially has no money and no prayer of ever making it big and after a few days of singing and playing along to some seriously crazy rock tunes at gigs all over the country the money and fans begin to flow in. The game comes with a mic, guitar and drum kit. B is typically the singer, although Matt gives him a run for his money now when he isn’t on bass, S plays guitar and I have decided to follow my life long dream of learning to play the drums. All of them admitted that the drums are the toughest to play because the timing needs to be just right but after a handful of tries I was scoring an 80% on ‘Say It Ain’t So’ by Weezer. I am hooked and have the blister on my right hand ring finger to prove it. I generally don’t make resolutions so let’s just call this a goal for 2008 – I am going to finally take drum lessons which is something I have wanted to do since about age nine.

The last thing that really makes me scream hell yeah is the power of positive thinking. For the past three months I have been working to build a business and decided that there is no need to worry about it working out even though money is a little tight and I am doing all of this on faith; all of the seemingly random directions my life has taken to get me to this point, the skills learned, my ability to be organized and my positive outlook will provide more than enough for our little family to survive. You know something, it is working and I am not afraid of it nor am I going to walk away from it like I have managed to do so many times in the past. This is exactly where I am meant to be and it feels great.

Tomorrow Will Soon Be Today

My first faux project begins tomorrow; I go over in the afternoon to prep the surfaces. It is something totally liberating and scary all at the same time to be completing the first faux job for an actual client on my own. This business was never something I even planned to start but when Matt accepted a position in Boston it was clear I had to do something so this business began to take shape. It makes me glad because not all people can say they truly enjoy what they do for a living and I love that other people feel happy through the artistic contribution I bring to their homes.

The reality that I was looking to run my own business is true but faux finishing would not have been what I would have considered two years ago. After completing 2 years of design school my brain was going to explode if I had to make any more labels for a CEO so when I came across the job ad it was like my creative nature began to smile. I dove into finishing with reckless abandon, and OCD, just like I tackle everything else. Working with those crazy LI gals was the best education I ever could have asked for! Now, with every job I complete on my own I will think of all the time we spent working together and inevitably start laughing hysterically.

Although my job does not define me it does encompass such a large part of my day that it is important for it to provide some joy while I do it. As my business begins to take off I am reminded of all the things I love about doing finishes. Number one is the level of satisfaction to stand back and enjoy the beauty of the final result. It is also gratifying to mix a color perfectly to match what a client is looking for without having more of a reference than what they are telling me they would like. I guess the final joy would be that it keeps me in shape; thousands of steps up and down ladders will surely tone my butt over time. No drama. No stress.

Things that are happening right now that are long overdue:

The world is catching on to going green and reducing CO2 emissions
Writers are going on strike
Jason Mraz is working on a 3rd studio album
Newscasters are hosting SNL and proving they are funny
Brett Favre is helping to lead the Packers to an amazing winning season
New England sports are at the top of everyone’s radar
Designers are contacting me to view my faux portfolio

A plane is landing in Boston today with sick crew members and the dark side of my brain immediately begins to laugh as the movie Airplane comes to mind. “Chump don’t want no help chump don’t get no help.” I am sick this week with some heavy coughing and yucky green stuff which is forcing me to cut down on smoking. Maybe it is fate telling me that this is truly the time to be done with that nasty habit. This is the year I have pledged to quit after all. Life keeps moving and shaking through all its many ups and downs and I plan to do the same.

The war of my world

Today is the day that I begin creating ump-teen-billion sample boards so my new business can finally begin. I have been up for a couple of hours going over all the items that need to be purchased to make this dream a reality and although it is a fairly small list that can be acquired from just one shop, I am finding it difficult to get ready to go. Is it fear of success that keeps me tied to this stained and uncomfortable chair or is it fear of traffic like I keep trying to convince myself? Either way is inconsequential, all that really matters is I need to get it done and once I am back here glazing or troweling plaster on 18" x 24" pieces of polystyrene I will feel like a million bucks.

Getting over the fear of rejection is something I have never been good at so I have never really put myself out there to experience it. BAD! It is a difficult battle that always takes place in my head where the perfectionist meets the artist and I sit back to let them fight it out. The big secret is that neither of them ever does win and the battle continues to rage on. For the first time, today is the day where I pick a side and let the artist win. After all, how can I make any mistakes to learn from if I never allow myself to do anything at all?

My first client meeting is already booked for next Monday, she wants a finish in her bathroom and will possibly re-hire me to do her living room as well, so having my book together when we meet is necessary. The job will definitely be a test of my creativity and intimate knowledge of color interaction seeing she loves the colors of autumn but has slate gray tile in the shower. This is where my training in Interior Design will certainly come in very handy as I furiously thumb through my pantone to locate the perfect color to mix. This job will go off without a hitch though, I truly believe that, because I know my skills exist to make it so. Sometimes I just need to write it down to convince the perfectionist to take a hike.