A lick of paint, two chairs and some pansies...

It's amazing what a lick of paint can do to turn a house into a home...In my last post I wrote that a man who loves me was going to paint the front porch. It seemed like an inane comment at the time, but it has changed our house and our relationship to it.

I'll admit it: we live in a suburban cookie-cutter neighbourhood, in the middle of a street where dozens of beige-sidinged homes face each other. We love our home, but it's a little funny how we have all been trying to assert our individuality on this street.

Last year, our neighbour painted her front door grey. It completely transformed her house. Soon after there was a green door, then an orange one. Crazy fuschia pink and brown doors followed suit. It seemed we were living on Jellybean Lane - our street became a rainbow of painted doors.

As winter and the Christmas holidays approached, the wreath wars began. Each of us trying to find that "perfect" circle of green to adorn our door and welcome guests. And neighbour after neighbour hung a bigger, and a more ornate wreath.

Two weeks ago, S and I decided to purchase a Victorian-looking screen door. It was startling how it changed the look of our home. Now *we* had become the individuals on the street. And for some reason the door became the talk of the street, according to some.

Two days later, our neighbours facing us put up a Victorian-looking screen door.

The following week, S spent five hours painting our porch white and the front door an electric blue (though it was meant to be a royal blue - you never can quite trust those "paint experts" at the hardware store...). We hung two baskets of pansies and bought two plastic Adirondack chairs.

I love driving up to our home now. On warm evenings, S and I sit out front and enjoy the sun with a beer. Some nights, our neighbours stop by for a chat. We feel such a sense of pride in what we have accomplished with a lick of paint, two chairs and some pansies.

Home is definitely where my heart is...

Has this ever happened to you? Why do you think our front door plays such a big role in asserting our individuality? I'm curious to hear your thoughts...In an era of cookie-cutter homes, I'm sure we're not alone in this experience.

~ Ceebie