I have this plan.  I need to get rid of a plant in my bedroom.  It’s a fairly large plant, one I’ve had for years, a palm which clicks with the tropical vibe I’ve tried to cultivate.  But it’s too big and pretty much taking over the world, so I’m going to get rid of it.  Don’t throw it away you say, cut it back, you say!  Ah, but I tend to have a way with plants and they are all way too big right now.  And every thing I cut grows into another huge plant.  But I digress, so, moving that never ending plant leaves an empty space, so I’ll move another plant into it’s place, not as big.  Perfect.  But now there’s going to be an empty space in the bay window.

I was thinking of moving the chair and ottoman out of the office anyway.  Doug has pretty much taken over and it’s too crowded.  So I’ll move it into the bay window.  Then I can move one of the bookcases over into that spot.  That works.  So, now, all the spaces are filled.  Except the upholstery pattern on the chair and ottoman don’t match with ANYTHING in the room.  So now of course I’m going to have to buy new bedding, maybe new curtains and look at all the nick racks in the room to make sure they go together.  Which leads me into the master bath.

There is this fairly large beach scene print in the master bath.  I’m thinking it might look better in another frame and moved to the living room.  Which leaves an empty space on that wall.  Well, I’m going to have to coordinate with the new colors in the bedroom, so obviously I’ll have to change out the shower curtain and linens in the bathroom and new artwork will have to follow.  Then what to do with the stuff I take off the wall in the living room….

Do you see how my brain works?  You should have seen Doug’s face when I described the plan. Building the nest for me is just a huge game of dominoes.  One move obviously leads to what must follow next.  I don’t do this often, contrary to what I may have just lead you to believe, I don’t spend money freely.  After all, I bought new furniture in 1981, 2000 and 2019/20.  I make things last.  What I’ve just bought has to last until I die. Don’t laugh, I’m serious. But just like other things, like going on CD buying sprees in the ’80’s, I don’t buy often, but when I do, look out.  And I feel a binge about to happen.

It’s a creativity thing I think.  And a boredom thing.  My days tend to look a lot alike.  Not like I’m not doing different things, but I’m just sitting on my computer all day, every day.  I’ve covered my balcony in colorful flowers and plants, I’ve made the front of the apartment comfy and cozy, now it’s time to go down the hall and fix everything else.  It’s time for more color.

I have to be in the mood for it too, and whatever I buy has to be screaming.  It needs to be something I’m going to love for a while and I don’t mind paying more if it’s really “the thing”.  It took me at least two years to find MY Beetle.  Finding that thing that makes you feel at home sometimes takes time and sometimes what you THINK you were looking for, wasn’t what you ended up with.  I was thinking lavender or green, not yellow, but can you find a happier color than yellow?  It literally makes people smile, starts conversations on the road with the person next to me and causes families to “slug bug” each other.  What more could you want?

So, back to the retail rabbit hole.  I don’t know exactly what I’m looking for, but I’ll know it when I find it. It will begin tomorrow I think with cutting down the plant, maybe saving some palms to put in vases, and then the dominoes will begin to fall.