Ketchup and Mustard

I'm really not a matchy-matchy kind of decorator. I prefer things to look like they have been carefully planned, intentionally selected, and acquired over a period of time, even when it comes to my outdoor furniture. To achieve my desired "haphazard, yet pulled together" design, I painted part of my metal pieces a soft yellow and for the rest I chose a warm red. I really like the combination. It's fresh and fun. But leave it to one of my witty sons to remark, "It looks like ketchup and mustard!" Some days I just can't seem to win with the critics that live in my house.

I'm waiting to hear what they have to say about the treatment I chose for this piece.

I'm sure it will be something like,
"Why did you ruin a perfectly good paint job?"

And then there's this before and after:
It's no longer a heavy brown. The shades were transformed by removing the bamboo. I may add some trim, or replace them, or remove them all together.
But for now, it will stay like this.

I'm sure that one of the critics will say,

"Now it looks like a chocolate covered strawberry!"

Yes, some days it's hard to live with a bunch of critics.
But they are lovable, laughable,
and I couldn't imagine my life without them.