When Did The Recession Start for You?

This past weekend, my friends and I worked in the yard. As I was teetering on my ladder cleaning the awning over my front door, I remembered . . . I used to have this cleaned.

Once a year, in the spring, I'd get a call from Summerday Awning Service asking me if I'd like to make an appointment to have my awning cleaned. I always said "yes." I mean really, who wouldn't want to do business with a company called "Summerday?" I asked her once if that was just the inspired choice for the name of their awning service business or their real name.

"Yes, it's our real name." Genius.

I want to say it was in 2008 when I got a call from Summerday Awning to set up my annual cleaning that everything changed. I paused. No, I thought. I know it's only $100 but . . . it's a luxury now and I can't afford it. I really need to be mindful of every penny.

I said "no." I must have given her an excuse, but the gist was still ~ NO.

I've thought of Summerday Awning many times over the years hoping they were still in business and that they didn't have too many customers like me saying "no" while they are tap dancing as fast as they can in this economy.

When I talk with friends about when I thought the recession started, I always think of the day I said "no" to Summerday Awning Service. That is when it became crystal clear that I needed to change my spending habits. I think of the toll this downturn (read "depression") has had on small companies around here. People who work hard to grow their businesses but just don't have the resources to withstand the economic uncertainties swirling around. From customers rethinking their expenditures to banks tightening their lending guidelines, small companies have suffered greatly.

The day I'll know this economic mess is over? When I can say "yes" to Summerday Awning Service.

So, to all the Summerdays of the world ~ A Cheer! Here's to your courage, vision and fortitude. It's really you and the tens of thousands like you that give me hope for the future of the country.

Oh dear! My new home is completely Dead White wallboard!

A while ago, a client of mine moved up to Redmond to be near her children. She brought with her a life-time of wonderful antiques. To her horror, the new downsized home was all the "builder's special-Dead White" painted wallboard. Quelle horreur!

 And, the fireplace? Scary bad.

Rather than repaint the whole place, we decided to concentrate on the fireplace. She wanted a more Old World feel rather than the "Just Out of college" fireplace supplied by the builder. For tile that I turned to Architerra NW for a beautiful solution. Using a combination of their field tile and wonderful trim pieces, we turned to fireplace from "factory ordinary" into a beautiful focal point for her living room.

Often, when we see a lovely old tile job, what we are really responding to is the exquisite trim pieces ~ the crown molding, the ogee edges, the base, the v-cap, the corner moulding. In handmade tile designed by the tile genius at Architerra NW, you get the depth of detail not found in the big box stores and the type of detail that sets the finished project miles above the ordinary.

 

After the tile was installed over the existing fireplace, the change was dramatic. It was a fireplace that suited her French antiques. It made her new place feel like "home."