There’s something you should know about me.
I mean, just something I want to warn you about, should we ever vacation together.
I like to do things.
I’m not the Energizer bunny or anything, but to me, going on trips is more synonymous with adventure than relaxation. If you take me to the beach, I’m going to try to book one of those wave runner or zip lining excursions. If you take me to the city, I’m going to look up event calendars and comedy clubs.
And if you take me out to dinner after all of this doing of things, I’m going to drink. A lot.
And after I drink a lot, I might look around and think, “That wall should be blue. I mean, like a really classy, Nautica-looking navy blue.”
And before you know it, I’ll be painting your vacation home.
This is precisely what happened when first Hub, Peppermeister, and I, stayed in my aunt and uncle’s summer house in Long Island last week.
“Are you sure you want to PAINT on your vacation?” Peppermeister asked.
“It’ll be done before you wake up.”
“I don’t know why I asked.”
BEFORE
AFTER
I may have made a few other adjustments…
So what do my aunt and uncle think of my impromptu makeover?
Good question.
I haven’t heard from them in days.
What kind of vacationer are you? Less is more or go-go-go? (For more of my Long Island adventures, check out how I almost died!)
Disclaimer: Though my aunt and uncle own it now, this is an old family home, and I checked with my parents before painting. It’s not as funny with the disclaimer, is it? I should’ve just let you think I was a presumptuous asshat. Dammit.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Go Jules Go 
Hey, well all I can say is – wanna come and have a vacation in my house? I’ll leave the paintbrushes in the shed, help yourself, I’ll be back in a week…
I like a mixture when I’m away. I always like the idea of lounging by the pool or on the beach, but after an hour or two I’ve had enough and want to go off doing things. It doesn’t have to be anything wildly exciting, it can just be walking around exploring, stopping off for drinks here and there…yes, lots of stopping off for drinks here and there.
I’ll be there in an hour! I hope you like pink.
Yes, yes, triple yes. A couple of hours is about all of the ‘lounging’ on the beach I can enjoy before I’m ready to explore [the drink options].
Well, Vanessa stole my comment. Please, come here and feel free to decorate my sad home. You have great taste, the place looks awesome.
When on vacation, I like to basically sit around and do nothing. Y’know — the opposite of my daily life. Jim likes to go-go-go so he’ll drag me around and make me DO stuff. Sigh. I would draw the line at zip lining though.
We are totally going zip lining.
Can I have a shot of vodka first? Or valium-laced coffee?
Wow, talk about taking liberties……some may be insulted that you question so graphically their existing taste……but, I have to admit, that the wall looks way better, you can house sit anytime for me…..and yes, it’s a lot funnier if you imagine it without permission 🙂
I know, I know! I swear on my exceptional taste that I really gave it a lot of thought and wouldn’t have dared if I thought there was any chance they’d be offended.
Although I still haven’t heard from them… 😉
Hey, that’s a nice place. Is it far from the water? Do you know what a marriage of convenience is?
That’s your defense if they’re not please? Mom said I could?
I’m with D. Sleep in, go to the beach, fall back asleep with a book on my chest. If I want action I’ll do something after work in the city.
I love how taco shells now have flat bottoms. It’s pure poetry.
But she di-id! She said I could!
I’m not entirely sure how flat-bottomed taco shells came up, but I’m glad they did. I’m almost inspired to write a haiku…
Oh flat taco shells,
First I fill you up so full,
Then you fill me up.
Pure poetry, Jules.
You fill me up, Jules
With champagne, giggles, and love
Flat bottom taco
(That last line got away from me)
Right below your post was a YouTube vid for flat bottom taco shells. Hence.
I love haiku. That was a delicious one.
OHHHHHH. The video is different for different people, because YOUR COMPUTER IS SPYING ON YOU. RIGHT NOW. And you have some explaining to do, mister.
What? I like flat bottoms. On my taco shells. I’m not ashamed of anything. Stop trying to make a beautiful thing ugly.
My flat bottom taco brings all the boys to the yard.
I’m a do nothing but eat and drink relaxer and you sound just awful to vacation with, pretty face or not. Awful!
You sound fantastic to vacation with, and I’m basing this entirely on your stellar ability to compliment my appearance.
Lol, I’ve been around and learned a thing or two in my day, ma’am! I pray you will visit STL someday so I can consume alcohol with you and PM. We can tie that doodle to the tree in my front yard with Carly.
Aha! STL here I come (to drink alcohol with you and NOT to kick you in the shins for siding with PM).
Oh thank God, I dislike shin kicks very much! It’s a date!
Usually when I leave a borrowed vacation home, the only evidence I leave behind is a strange stain or two and maybe some broken stemware.
Ha! I put a bottle of wine right next to the wall, because maybe if they got drunk, too, they’d share my navy vision.
Let me know the next time you need a vacation location. We will vacate our house, and let you have at it!
I’ve got just the chipmunk motif in mind…
Don’t worry, Jules. I still think you’re a presumptuous asshat. Better?
The wall looks great. And all the other touches. Great job!!
I am either a doer or a relaxer. Then again, with kids, relaxation is hard. If we are at a place we have been before so there is no new things to see or do, I want to relax. If the kids are there, we must find activities. Then again, if we are in a new city, I want to see and do everything there is to see and do. 2 days in San Francisco? No problem. I can plan our itinerary so we don’t even NEED sleep. Too many things to see!! A week in ocean city or atlantic city? Can I please just take a nap and get a massage? Damn.
Ha! Thanks, Misty! And I’m so with you – if I visit a new city, I want to cram as much in as possible, and people always say, “You can always go back.” But I think, “No. I have, like, 150 other cities on the list, dude!”
My vacation consists of looking at the ocean. Jammed-packed looking.
I’d be happy to housesit while you do, Nancy. Although I might get bored, because I know for a fact your house doesn’t need a single design change!
I am the laziest of lazy when it comes to vacation. I will take a nap to prepare for my nap.
I’m pretending your gravatar is napping right now (since it’s sideways).
My gravitar is always napping, though a little creepily as his eyes are open…
I think we like to spend our vacations the same way – frittata served with blueberry scones, followed by a walk/fake jog, followed by lunch, then drinks, then dinner, then drinks.
I do like to sit on the beach – I could do it all day, as long as I have a good book, a friend (or second husband), and a cooler full of goodies.
Kudos to you for the paint! It looks muy classy. And I love the pillows – I am a throw pillow WHORE.
I want to buy every single pillow I ever see at HomeGoods/TJ Maxx. I had to stop myself at two.
Is that cooler from 1972, by any chance?
I almost bought a throw pillow exclusively for the crocheted whale on it. Weird?
Sounds like my kind of vacation too. Although, in my condition, I require a lot of bathroom breaks, which usually diehard vacationers frown upon.
“Too many throw pillows……” Words I have never uttered.
I have no less than three sets of pillows in closets right now. Mainly because I only have one couch set, which is already covered in pillows. It’s a sickness.
I think they multiply if left alone. You might want to check on the ones in the closet.
I have no decent throw pillows because our dog likes to lick them. Don’t know why. I bet he’d LOVE Angie’s whale pillow.
My dog likes to lick her butt…I’m guessing yours does too so I see the problem with the pillow-licking.
As long as your dog doesn’t like to lick YOUR butt, it’s all good.
Does sniffing count?
Sooooooo…What are your thoughts on MD? It’s a nice place to vacation. You can stay at my house.
Ooh, I’ll help decorate the baby’s room!
You’re hired!
Lol it is not as funny with the disclaimer but omg that wall looks amazing. You really do have great taste and a sense of humor.
This comment alone proves that you do, too.
I like to do, but I’m strictly minor league compared to you.
The place looks great! And I’m not suggesting any kind of asshattery was involved in your redecorating, but if the place belongs to your aunt and uncle, and NOT your parents, you would ask your parents permission to change it around, and NOT your aunt and uncle because…??? It was supposed to be a surprise present for them?
Thanks!! And this is serious Jules logic at play, right? ha ha Yes, I wanted it to be a surprise. I started to get really paranoid after seeing some of these comments come in, but Babs just reassured me everyone would really appreciate some colorful paint. I NEVER would have done it if I thought they had their own design plans – and if it couldn’t be easily undone!
Oh and she told me -which I didn’t know- that they painted everything all white to get ready to sell it, but then the family decided to keep it, so all the more reason to get some color back!
If I sound guilty, I have no idea why… 😉
Well, your touches look INfinitely better – really brighten up the place!
It’s just that some people are unreasonable jerks who look for reasons to cause trouble. I’m hoping your A&U are not those people, but are the “aren’t you sweet?” kind who appreciate someone trying to do a good deed.
ME TOO.
ha ha ha ha ha
P.S. – But on the bright side, if I have to repaint it white, I’ll get another blog post out of it…
I like how Uncle Jesse is showing the ‘before’ wall his arse… it is almost as if he is having his artistic opinion on the whole situation. But, oh yes, he graces the ‘after’ wall with his mug.
Ha! Exactly. He actually photobombed almost every single picture.
I noticed that! Talented dog. You should take that show on the road.
Yes, your decorating sense is quite superb. You’ll have people begging you to book the next trip at their place! I can take just almost half a day of not doing much without going completely bonkers. Gimme activities! I’m the sort that likes to be the ‘cruise director’
It does look very nice but … I’m not sure that’s what I would do on vacation, though. I’m more of a drink-a-lot-pass-out-eat-bacon-and-then-go-touristy-stuff type of vacationer.
p.s. Would you like to ‘vacation’ at my house next time? I have some chores that need to get done. By someone.
Do you have any desire to come out to Denver? You can “vacation” in our place, we’ll booze you up real good, and even feed you if you want to redecorate!
Hmm… I definitely wouldn’t do that on my vacation… Then again, I’m just a lazy person in general, vacation or not! That’s too funny though. I mean, it was funnier without the disclaimer but…that’s okay, we still think you’re a presumptuous asshat.
Kidding!
You should pitch this idea to HGTV. You could become a reality star and professional vacationer all in one. It looks fab, bee-tee-dubs.
That’s where it starts, and then you think, “Actually, this wall just closes up the place” and then “would a window box right here have an amazing view?” and pretty soon you’ve rented a bulldozer…
We could never get married! I do nothing. No surprise. Bryan is the same. The best story I have–I should blog about it one day–maybe I WILL!–is that on our first vacation together I signed us up for tons of tours, etc, that started at 7am (in mexico by the way) and both of us were complaining about going. I signed up because it’s what I’d always done on vacations with my parents. But I didn’t realize as an adult I could do it another way. I was about 21.
I would totally enjoy drinking on the couch while you painted. Or taking photos from the beach as you jet ski by. Sounds quite lovely.
Hi Jules! Just getting back from a week away at my brother-in-law’s vacation home. Wish you had come with me! Love the accent wall! His place is actually gorgeous and does not need a thing but I admire your adventurous ways in everything you do! I am a sit my butt down for 10 hours at the beach and have my husband feed me – vacationer. 🙂
The beginning of this post reminded me of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie….or If You Give a Moose a Muffin, etc. Adorable books that you’ll want to read to your nephew/niece/dog/Peppermeister.
You done good work there, Jules. Now I’m exhausted and need to lie down a while.
I like to do stuff and see things (and maybe snap a few photos while I’m seeing them) – just as long as I can also sleep at night! I thought I’d better throw that in there too as I have some friends and family who don’t prioritize sleeping on trips much at all – sight seeing all day and then partying until 4 or 5 and then up for breakfast at 8 or 9? No, I need more sleep than that!
But what I cant understand is how you changed the chair into a small basket. You do have talent.
Ever been to Europe? Next summer I’ll have a whole house to be pimped a bit 😉
(See, you didn’t think what great holiday opportunities would come with that one blue-painted wall, did you?)
I’m kind of the same:
I hate boring holidays. Lying on the beach on an island in the Indian Ocean is one thing. Renting a motorbike and exploring the island, which turned out to have a serious lack of streets in the first place, on your own (and nearly breaking your neck while falling of this thing) is another one.
But everything between is great 😉
I’m gonna chime in with everyone else and say, please would you come vacation at my house? Just imagine what you could do with a $12 tablecloth. Plus I have lots of leftover paint. In many conflicting colors.
Damn girl – great job by you! The blue wall is a huge improvement, as were the cushions table runner etc. I’m a lazy vacationer mostly, but in my defense I live with a 9yo so I need the breaks when they come please and thank you. Disclaimers are fine. Takes nothing away from your creativity, initiative and ability to engage in back-breaking labor while very intoxicated. Well done!
Nicely done! 🙂
So. We’d get on like gangbusters, because I vacation HARD. I sleep late, but then I ggggoooooooOOOOOO!!! (Except on my honeymoon. Because sex is awesome. I regret nothing.)
Painting, however, is beyond my scope. I hate painting with the fire of a thousand shots of tequila – I do it grudgingly, and badly, because I adore color and must have it everywhere… but I always end up trying to convince myself that the many places where I ran off the wall onto the ceiling are “authentic.” Whatever that means. Painter’s tape is a JOKE.
You did a pretty great job!!! Thumbs up! (y)