Monday Musings From The Construction Zone
Happy Monday, ladies. I hope your weekend was more restful than ours. Mine involved a delayed flight, a very long rainy drive, furniture shopping, home construction, and an unfortunate run-in with a marble coffee table. More on that later.
Lately, I can’t seem to get enough of red. Not just any red…a cool-toned raspberry red which is most flattering on me. It feels fresh, happy, and just the right amount of bold for fall. I’ve found myself eyeing raspberry sweaters, shoes, and even a handbag. (Yes, I said it. A red handbag. We’ll see how long I resist.) I fell hard for these shoes, but Nordstrom was sold out of my size, so I checked on Amazon and scored a pair! They’re super comfy right out of the box and certainly put a pep in my step.
I’m not planning to drench myself head-to-toe in scarlet….but I’m enjoying the way a small pop adds some sass, the way a swipe of lipstick can light up your whole face. It also lifts my spirits…which I could certainly use these days.
Meanwhile, the saga of furniture shopping continues. We went to check out a floor model sale over the weekend, and everything looked a little… tired. The colors were off, the finishes dated, and nothing felt like it belonged in a fresh home. The headboards were too large to even contemplate our famous narrow corner, and the coffee tables…well, let’s just say one met an untimely end at my hands.
In my defense, it was displayed precariously, but there’s nothing quite like the sound of marble shattering on a showroom floor. If you’ve ever wondered how to command instant attention in a store, that’s one way.
Back at the condo, things are no calmer. Half the floor is currently ripped up, which means I’m walking around in closed-toed shoes indoors like some kind of warehouse worker. They’ve now decided to patch only the damaged parts, rather than replacing them all…which is either very clever or a slow-motion disaster. I’ll let you know in a few weeks. Mostly, I just want to reassemble my home and remember what it feels like to live without tiptoeing around construction dust.
The weather here has turned cooler, which caught me off guard. The California me thought a white shirt would suffice yesterday, but apartment-in-renovation me found herself wishing for a trench or packable nylon jacket during Sunday’s stroll. It’s that shoulder season where the air is crisp and the leaves are threatening to change…I can’t wait. This lightweight coat arrived, and I am stupidly excited to wear it! The color is one of my very favorite neutrals, and the shape could not be more classic. I sized down to an XS, so it does run large.
We had a long, exhausting travel day that cost us tickets to see Neil Young on Saturday night. I’d been looking forward to it, but maybe it’s just as well. At this stage, I mostly want to hear the old hits anyway, and their new albums don’t quite hit the same nostalgic nerve. Besides, a concert in the rain, on a picnic blanket, isn’t nearly as appealing as a chair in a climate-controlled symphony hall. Rock and roll is fun, but so is lumbar support.
Finally, I highlight of my week was something far more uplifting…Grandparents Day at my littlest guy’s school. I wore a blue dress, and he showed up with a bright green cast on his leg after cracking his tibia in a toy-related mishap. He’s already figured out how to hobble, hop, and maneuver like a pro. His spirit is unstoppable, and I was reminded that resilience doesn’t just belong to kids; they certainly show us how it’s done.
So tell me, what’s been on your mind lately? And more importantly…raspberry red… do we love it, or is this just me needing the medicinal uplift of color these days?
So glad to hear you are moving towards wearing more red. It looks great on you.
Love your red loafers! The raspberry red is pretty. I have always loved a good red. And so did my parents. I have had a pair of red suede loafers for years. Hang in there with your apartment! Remember that things have to get worse (messy) before they get better when remodeling. And enjoy those wonderful moments with your grandson!!
Those red shoes are just perfect! I did not realize marble would break somewhat easily – I thought marble was the thing that other things broke on when they hit it! There are certainly far worse things than renovation, but I would class it as being like the home decor version of the common cold – miserable until it clears up and goes away. Friends of mine had to cancel a trip to Yosemite right now because the husband suddenly needed knee surgery (trip was booked before my friend found out she’ll be having hip replacement in two weeks herself – luckily they insured everything). Silver lining – the husband can now see The Who in concert this coming week after that show was recently postponed due to some kind of illness in a band member – talk about senior citizen issues!
That’s wild. Silver linings are important to focus on!
Thank you . I love the red loafers .
You have been an inspiration for my upcoming Cruise . ❤️
Amazing!
Jennifer,
I love the raspberry red shoes! I managed to snag a pair of red slip on shoes during the Munro shoes clearance sale. I bought 5 other pairs too. Let us know when you find a substitute for Munro. Their shoes fit my wide feet 99% of the time. Blessings!
I will! I already miss Munro
Sorry you are living among construction. Never fun. I recently read that red is replacing black . Red certainly looks good on you!
Take care of yourself! Missing Sunday is not a big deal. All that matters is that you are doing well.
Thanks Nancy!
I have had my eye on those shoes too!! Love gentle souls and love that color!!
They’re so comfy! You’d love them my friend. xo
Jennifer, Oh boy, did you have a weekend! I like the raspberry red color. It’s one that works well for me. I hope your floors are back to normal and look good soon. My son recently pulled up carpet and laid down good quality laminate wood flooring in his office and the (coming in December) baby’s room. It was a dirty job and he’s glad he wore a respirator at his wife’s insistence. He’s allergic to everything. I love that girl. He wore short sleeves, so his exposed arms still have a nasty rash. Be careful about what you’re breathing in and touching. The point of this is that pulling up any flooring is not fun. He did a great job installing the new flooring. Not bad for a biomedical engineer with a friend for help.
I hope your grandson continues to heal well. I have a recent tibial fracture and was told today that kids are put in a cast and bounce right back from this. More mature people, not so easily. And these things too, shall pass.
Keep us up to date and keep sending those great try-ons and ideas.
Raspberry red sounds absolutely wonderful! I started wearing red… head to toe and I feel great in it. It does lift one’s spirit, and I don’t feel ignored at all.😊
Amazing!
Love the raspberry red accents. Got my mind moving in that direction
I like the Raspberry Red! Reds are hard for me – it definitly has to be on the cool spectrum for it to work. The Raspberry Red looks like I might just be able to wear it! It looks great on you!
Whatever the reason, I love your raspberry shoes!! A colorist once told me my best color if fire engine/Chinese red!! No blue. But the raspberry is so pretty
That is a beautiful shade of red.
So much real life happening, Jennifer. I hope your grandson heals up nicely. All the other stuff will pass.
Some concerts where I live are stand-up only in an event space. Not happening for me. (Neuroma here. They seem to be a thing at this age. Specialty running shoes, anyone?)
I have one raspberry red item: a handbag. I highly recommend a nice pop of colour when the days get shorter, colder and rainer.
Agreed! Stand up only is out for me. Life is pretty “full” these days.
Hi! I just ordered the really cute raspberry red loafers you’re wearing – such a fun punch of color without being overbearing! I’ve been reading your newsletter for awhile – I look forward to getting it, enjoy reading it and get many good ideas for shopping and trying new things! Thanks for writing it and doing all the fun “try-ons” in the stores (so I don’t have to!!!).
My pleasure
The marble table story made me laugh. Sounds like no one was hurt:)
Raspberry is a once-every-few-weeks color for me. Actually, most reds are like that, too attention-grabbing for every day, but wonderful when the weather is not.
Glad to see such a nice bag purchased on “ resale.”
Hope your grandson heals soon!
Three years ago we had all of the flooring removed except for the tile in the kitchen and laundry room. We also painted most of the house interior. We had to move out for 8 weeks! Movers put all of our furniture in our neighbors garage and they were in Maine for six months and let us stay in their home five houses away from ours. It is a lot of hassle and expense to move out for that length of time but necessary to do most all of the house. I hope you share what your home away from home will look like when finished. Do you get any choice in floor color or type? We put in LVP in a light oak wider plank look and we love it. It doesn’t scratch with our dog Trixy’s claws or me moving stuff or dropping stuff. Good luck with furniture shopping. We still haven’t found a new sofa. Still using the loveseat from the family room.
We had no choice, They are matching what’s there…I hope or it will look awful
Love raspberry red. I just purchased a darling suede crossbody purse. I can’t wait to carry it.
Love those loafers! I’m pretty sure I need them.
And me, too……would love a post on red….particularly lipstick.
Oh my goodness, you are having a stressful time of it. I hope you didn’t injury yourself in the coffee table fiasco. I too am drawn to raspberry red – I always found the winter red too bright for my taste. I have my eye on a raspberry colour sweater and a wool coat. And if you find a lipstick in that colour, please share.
I will share. My hunt is on