Open House OR Interior Disaster

Just a quick little thank you to all those of you who attended Open House.  I'm so glad all of you could make it.  I was telling my Mom today it was nice to reconnect with all of you, our clients.

It's kinda bittersweet.  Part of me loves running big events where I feel busy all day (or all week for that matter), but it's also VERY nice for business to be just, "the usual business" again.  Now it's back to marketing and improving our services--all that jazz.  I appreciate the slow pace for sure.

We're keeping a lot of the decor up though, presently.  It really livens up the halls a lot.  We're trying to invest a little more in decoration now.  It just adds so much life to the surroundings.  

Speaking of decoration--so, my Dad and I "share" this office.  That is, I use the office that's unofficially mine, and officially his, even though, he has yet to really "use" it.  Presently, it's also functioning as a holding place for our old big screen television (maybe I should hook it up and use it to have video games during the day--JUST KIDDING).  Anyways, so I'm looking around my rather drab office and I looked up just now to see my Dad's painting of a truck and tractor in front of a barn that says "Fresh Eggs".  

Now, don't get me wrong.  I've got nothing against tractors, trucks, and certainly nothing against fresh eggs.  But in my office??  That he's not using??!!  

...

Needless to say, I'm taking artistic donations and decorations for my office now, thanks.

john.

Flowers

So I don't think I've ever had a thing for flowers.  I remember when I was a kid, my vice principal at my elementary was casually making conversation with me (I was like, in 3rd grade) and she asked, "What's you favorite season?" 

"Fall," I said, thinking to myself, because the weather's somewhere in the middle. 

"You must like it because of all of its pretty colors."

Not really, I like it because it's not hot and not cold, and that never happens in Texas.

Somehow, though, from that point on, I learned to love Fall for its pretty colors.

Strange.

Anyways, she says, "Mine is spring.  Because it has so many beautiful flowers in bloom."

I'm sure I plaster on a smile (because I don't know how to fake it), thinking to myself, "Spring?  I hate spring.  When I think of spring I think of tornadoes."  Ofcourse, being raised in an Asian home, I politely supress my calloused opinion and keep it to myself.  And smile.

Somehow though, just as of this spring, I can't get enough of flowers.  They're like a drug, they're like God's artwork to me.

I went to "The Flower Shoppe" (rowlett rd and 66.  great place, great workers) just to see if maybe they could do flower arrangements for our open house event on the 26th.  At first, I'm a little skeptical, thinking, "C'mon John.  We can just use the budget money to go buy flowers at Sam's and just set 'em up real nice."  After a couple of looks at certain flowers and ideas, and seeing that it fit quite well into the budget, I'm sold, and in love with the store, Wendy the store owner, the smell of flowers, the look of flowers, flowers at large.

I love flowers.

Especially when arranged.

It's like taking artwork.  I was thinking today I wanted to buy some for my office (that is, my desk in a utility storage room with a lamp of monkeys choreographed to "speak no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil").  And I was like, "Why would I want to do that?"  And I realize, it's like artwork.  You look at this beautiful piece, essentially, that you've commissioned and it just inspires you.  The best part is that it's touchable, smellable, tasteable.. well.  Yeah.   

Too bad flowers die.

After that, I looked up some flower symbolism to put on the new Towncrier, and that added a whole new level to things.

Did you know Zinnias mean "longing for absent friends"?  That's kind of how I feel today.  And so now I'm thinking, I could "commission" (go talk to Wendy) "art" (the flower arrangements) that has zinnias and colors I'm feeling (expression).  And here I have this little 12 dollar piece of art sitting on my desk that I can look at and be refreshed by the austerity of office work.  

...

Well, that's a wrap on that one.  Needless to say, come to Open House -- The Advent of Spring: Flower Festival.  It should be a blast.

john.