Muted colors = Muted Lives

New homes, originally uploaded by foodchronicles.

I drive by new sud-division after sub-division. They have built 70,000 new homes in our small community over the span of 18 months. And they are still building. Aaaack. Not only does this make our small community too big, it also adds 140,000 new cars to the area. Driving is insane. But that's another post.

What I'd like you to notice is the color of the homes. One beige house after another. And mine is not any different. It was built in 1963, but still painted the glorious color of white. Ugh. I always wanted to live in a yellow house. On Maple street. Instead I've joined the masses and live in a whit ehouse with an interior from restoration hardware's line of muted browns.

Of course the colors are tasteful. But muted all the same. Then when you go inside this is what you see:





The only room that was a "color" in one of the homes was the laundry room. It was blue.

So out here in the burbs we live muted lives. I think of the pictures I see from all over the world with people dressed in bright colors and living in brightly colored homes, with color seeming to adorn their lives. We seem to be so afraid of emotion that we "hide" ourselves in muted tones. Where is the passion people? Have we become so consumed by our 40 hour workweeks that we don't have time to be "us"? Are we just drones that have lost our passion for life, living, or fun?

Well, I am no longer going to be the muted person I became when I became a home owner. For so long, I tried to "fit in". I never really have, but I tried to anyway. So another resolution of mine this year is to add color! The house will be painted, tastefully, but with touches of color to show what passionate people we truly are. We will also be painting the inside of the house. Gone are the muted tones of the middle american! Gone is the buttered tones of toast! Don't get me wrong, I love toast, but I nibble at toast. I only eat it up quickly when it is dribbling with strawberry jam or raspberry preserves! I want to devour something! So let's see what colors I'll discover!