Consider My Monkeys HAS MOVED...: The Happy Door

Do you have one of these?

I know I haven't gone very far in the post, but I need to back up and start over.

I love my house - inside and out. I've talked a bit about indoor features, but I'm not so good about singing the praises of the outdoor spaces.

I don't love the weeds that overwhelm my yard, but that's something that in a good year I could fix. I love the mint that grows under the maple that Jon planted. I love the rocks that have been transplanted both from my back yard and from Michelle's yard. I love the daisies that came from Aimee's house. I love the lily and Russian Sage from Elaine. I love Griffin's strawberry patch that he lovingly weeds and waters.

There are just some characters in need of pruning. The burning bush (which is Jon's favorite) is taller than me. The Rose of Sharon and other beast on the corner? Those things are OUT OF CONTROL. I seriously think they're over 12 feet tall. They scratch on the house when the wind blows and that drives me CrAzY !!! I used to try to prune the corner shrubs/bushes, but they grow too much in one season and Jon attacks them with the trimmer - not even worrying about my angled cuts. So each spring there are lots of dead ends that result from his straight, ill-placed cuts. When they grow as fast and the thorns get as large as these do - Oh Well!

We've installed new light fixtures on the garage. I have my hanging basket on the porch. Jon's working on repairing the porch railing - while I'm dreaming of new, wider, angled steps that fan into the yard. A couple of years ago Jon painted our garage doors. I love that they aren't white, but they are taupe. It's a nice color, but there just isn't any punch.

Our front door was painted in Smokehouse (SW7040 - see swatch at right - if your monitor even does it justice - looks REALLY gray on mine). It was SUCH an improvement over the tired, sun bleached blue that was there before, but I have already grown tired of the monotone facade. So I got out my paint deck and started looking for color. I found one that immediately made me smile.

It's a close cousin for the shades of geraniums in my porch baskets. It's a shade that's going to liven up my winter. It's named for one of my favorite flowers - which does not currently reside in my yard... You ready?

Here she is: Coral Bells (SW6593)...

This photo shows Smokehouse (which is still the color of the trim) and our Coral Bells door.

My dear Jon said that it's a slap-your-face-pink, and I adore it. Know what else I adore? The names of the other colors on the strip -

Alyssum, Loveable, Amaryllis, Grenadine, Poinsettia.

Jon said I could keep Coral until after Christmas and then he'd need to change it. I'm thinking Poinsettia may be in order.