Life is unfolding…

I finally arrived at Bald Head Island on Tuesday afternoon.

Yesterday morning I was up early working on my blog post when I got a text from our next-door neighbor. It simply said, “Y’all home?”

I replied, “No…why?”

Her response: “Well…a tree just fell on your house!”

That is definitely not the way you ever want to start your day.

So, I immediately called my daughter to see if she could go over and take a look and send me some pictures. Then I called our contractor to see if he would check out the damage, and after that I called our insurance agent to get the claim started. From there, it was a morning of endless phone calls with everyone under the sun…the tree company to get the tree off the house, someone to put a tarp over everything, someone to dry it all out. It was absolutely nuts!

Needless to say, my blog post had to take a back seat…not only because of all of that, but also because my youngest daughter and her family were arriving that afternoon.

Bald Head has had so much rain lately that sand has piled up at the entrance to the harbor. My daughter called to tell me they had canceled the ferry because the boats were having trouble getting in due to the buildup of sand.

So…I quickly had to figure out another way to get them here. I called a friend who owns a boat charter business, and thankfully he agreed to pick them up at the ferry landing and bring them over to the island. The catch was that they were about to close the harbor, so everything had to happen quickly.

At the same time, all of the employees on the island who don’t live here had to leave before the harbor closed, which meant the grocery store and just about everything else was closed.

Thank goodness I had brought some of my homemade pesto and fresh tomatoes so we were still able to have a delicious dinner!

It was quite a day, and it just goes to show you that the best-laid plans often don’t mean a thing. Sometimes you just have to take life as it comes and roll with it.

I think I did a pretty good job of that yesterday, but I was exhausted when it was all over. I’m actually still feeling a little tired this morning. I think it’s partly mental exhaustion…worrying about the house, everything that needs to be done, and how I’m going to deal with it when I get home.

But I’ve decided I’m going to stay here, rest, enjoy my family, and make the most of this time together. The house…and all the work that comes with it, will still be there waiting for me when I get home.

Worry isn’t going to change a thing.

My motto for life going forward because yesterday taught me a few things. Things I already knew, but now I’m living like never before! And now…on to the post.

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After a day like yesterday, I found myself craving things that simply felt happy. Beautiful things. Bright things. Maybe that’s why I kept coming back to this collection of orange pieces.

Orange has always been one of my favorite colors. I love it in my wardrobe, on a beautifully set table, in fresh flowers, and of course, in nature. There’s something about it that instantly lifts my mood.

I especially love it paired with unexpected colors. Bright orange with hot pink feels bold and confident and are the primary colors in the parlor of our home. Orange with red has a richness that reminds me of an Italian summer and I use those two colors together at Christmas. Mix it with green and everything suddenly feels fresh and vibrant. Even navy or chocolate brown takes on a completely different personality with a little pop of orange. Think of orange as a neutral!

As it turns out, there’s a reason so many of us are drawn to it.

Orange sits right between red and yellow on the color wheel, combining the energy of red with the optimism of yellow. Color psychologists associate it with creativity, enthusiasm, warmth, confidence, and joy. It’s also considered one of the most social colors because it encourages conversation and connection, which may explain why it feels so at home around a dinner table or at a gathering with friends.

Nature seems to agree. Some of its happiest gifts come dressed in orange…ripe peaches, juicy tomatoes, monarch butterflies, glowing sunsets, marigolds, citrus, and before long, pumpkins lining front porches. It’s a color that seems to signal abundance and celebration.

One of my favorite things about orange is how versatile it is. Because it’s opposite blue on the color wheel, it looks incredible with denim and navy. It also plays beautifully with pink, green, chocolate brown, cream, and even leopard print (love that bold combo). It somehow manages to make every color around it look a little more alive.

Designers return to orange season after season for that very reason. It makes a statement without overwhelming everything else. Sometimes all an outfit needs is an orange handbag, a pair of earrings, or a scarf to completely change the mood.

Maybe that’s why I never get tired of orange!

After the past twenty-four hours, I think I needed a little reminder that beauty can still exist right alongside chaos. A fallen tree, canceled ferries, endless phone calls…and somehow there was still homemade pesto, fresh tomatoes, family gathered around the table, and today, a little orange inspiration.

Life has a funny way of balancing itself…

So if you’ve been looking for an excuse to add a little orange to your wardrobe or your home, consider this your sign. If nothing else, it’s a small reminder that sometimes the brightest things have a way of changing your outlook…even if it’s just for a day.

I’ll keep you updated on the renovation. We’ve decided to go ahead and do the kitchen renovation while all of this is happening because, honestly, it just makes sense.

The kitchen has been on our radar ever since we finished the bathroom renovation, but I needed a little break to catch my breath before jumping into another big project.

In a strange way, the tree falling on the house did part of the demolition for us and made the decision about the kitchen. I guess it’s time to start.

I had hoped to have everything planned out first—all the appliances chosen (thinking of a bigger version of this range), the cabinet hardware picked out, every decision made. I do know one thing, though…I want marble countertops. Beyond that, I have a LOT of work to do.

Life rarely unfolds according to our timeline. Sometimes it gently nudges us forward, and sometimes it pushes us before we feel ready.

Either way…life is unfolding, and I’m along for the ride.

Thanks so much for reading today!

~XOXO Suzanne