The last twelve years our bayside home has endured it’s fair share of alcohol induced fun. It has been a reprieve for our friends; mom’s needing a break from family life and husband’s in need of a break from their wives. The house was and is a true reflection of my life. The color taupe, my color of choice, surrounds me in my attempt in staying grounded in life.
Paint color alone isn’t going to keep me grounded, but writing about it does.
A Girl’s Weekend: the summer of 2019:
“The earth got in my way, as I fell out of the Uber and onto the uneven sidewalk. Or was it the seat belt that caught my foot, causing me to faceplant on my driveway?’
“My girlfriends could barely contain their laughter as we all stumbled into my house, in search of a first aid kit, in attempt to cover our alcohol induced fun. I had a half dozen moms trying to mend my open wounds.’
“The next morning it was apparent after examining their handy-work, each mom struggled with their dexterity as they attempted to cover each wound. The bandages missed their mark, revealing that alcohol should have been used to douse my wounds, and not just to drink excessively.”
In effort to appear tope, I invited a group of mom friends for a weekend of alcohol fueled fun to my beach house. Each mother’s intention to get toped, but not necessarily to tope our heads on the ground.
Because what grown, almost fifty-year-old, mom doesn’t want to be the cool mom, and drink excess amounts of alcohol with her friends until we fall, hitting our head on the ground?
Remodeling the Beach House
Shortly after I turned fifty it was time for me to grow up. No longer would our beach house be the party house, but simply a place to gather, sharing stories and laughs. It is time to create a space for grownups to act their age.
I look at the swath of paints, all neutral colors to be the foundation of my design. Bright white, gray, and brown, none of which speak to me. I don’t like these colors so I continue my search. My eye lands once again on taupe, a variation of gray and brown. The color taupe offers me flexibility.
Clearing Up the Confusion
Taupe is a color.
The color taupe is based on la taupe, the French word that means mole. It evokes balance, relaxation, timelessness, neutrality and modernism. All words that best describe the theme of my remodel.
Tope is a verb.
Per Dictionary.com tope is to drink alcoholic liquor habitually and to excess.
Tope is also referenced as a term for hitting an object with the head.
It is a word best representing the actions of my past life.
Pop Culture
In the Urban Dictionary tope is a combination of tight and dope, a slang word for cool.
As a middle-aged woman, I lived out my mid-life crisis at my beach house, refusing to grow up.
Tope is also a noun.
Per Dictionary.com tope is a small shark.
Who doesn’t hang predatory fish in their homes?
Prior to three years ago I lived my life in chaos and confusion. Today, after cleaning up my lifestyle and through my writing, I am able to see life clearly. And as I share my beach house remodel it is my goal to grow an audience, making literary friends with those who share my interests.
My series, Remodeling a House Built On Sand, offers a peek into my life as reflected in my written work. And as a nobody on Substack I find its difficult get noticed. This is my approach to garner your attention. Not only am I sharing an interesting remodel, but I am introducing my style for both design and writing.
Selecting Just the Right Taupe
Once again I find myself at the local Sherwin Williams looking for just the right color to clearly express my message. I need to pick one color that will offer a sense of being grounded. And from there, each room, like each chapter in a book, needs to flow.
Taupe is a grounding wall color that is already incorporated into my scheme and blue is the complementary color on the color wheel that will be my accent. When I struggle with paint color I find myself picking a color based on the name. Much like a post title, the color name demands my attention.
Selecting the Theme
When a house is built on sand, it will shift throughout seasons of change. When we lose our footing we will fall and that is precisely what happened to me. I can not change the existing foundation, but I can implement a stronger way forward.
If my post is titled correctly it will offer a foundation that will help clearly define my message. The idea behind my grow-together.blog and Substack is to share how I remain grounded while I continue to grow. And to invite others on a journey of growth.
There is several practices that I use to maintain my foundation. Personal development steps within a recovery program, healing through writing/sharing and yoga are each implemented daily. However, it is through the written words found in the Bible that strengthen my weak foundation.
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13 NLT
Great reflection on life, Karen! I, too have splashes of taupe in my home.😊
Yes I second the tope on taupe reference, I laughed out loud at that.
I love this entry using both spaces in different parts of your timeline. Your approach in describing your growth through the remodeling of your home makes so much sense. The foundation built on sand yet the trust and belief the ground will be strong with the steps taken to assure the sand turns to cement rather than separate from shakiness. I love following the process and wish you continued calmness during this venture!