Isn’t this a nice wall clock? It’s 10” wide by 13” in length, I found it on Etsy for $65.00. It’s a very heavy cut steel, with a brushed gold finish. When I first got it, I worried it was too “glam” for my bachelor digs, it didn’t seem to go with anything. But it does—it’s the same gold finish as the floor strips that separate my various rooms. That’s good enough for me.
This is going to sound mental, but this wall beside the dining room window has been driving me a little crazy for a few years. Everything I got to hang there just felt wrong. A square of red glaze ceramic, a small framed art print, a half “wall pot” for succulents…
The last thing I hung here was a small framed mirror that forced me to look at my chubby, tired face everytime I went into the kitchen to feed myself. No! And then I found this—modern, minimalist, functional. I like looking at it from my livingroom sofa.
It’s a bit more subtle without the camera’s flash
After hanging it (and convincing myself I liked it), I went down the hall to see if my friend/neighbor Pearl wanted to come up and have a look. She had the laundry room door open, and was standing there folding her bloomers.
When I asked if she’d like to come up and see it, she said “Oh I’m too tired. Why don’t you bring it down to me.” I said “No! Besides, you were supposed to come up and see the new artwork in my bedroom two months ago and I’m still waiting.”
She said “Why don’t you go ask your precious Maureen? I’m sure she’ll dash right up there!” I said “Fine, I will.”
I love Maureen. She’s 83 years young, has a neat, trim figure. She’s always dressed like she’s ready to meet friends at the country club for a round of golf and drinks—and SHE HAS THE PRETTIEST APARTMENT IN THE BUILDING.
I don’t mean pretty as in frills and lace; her place is decorated in a smart, fashionable style. When she moved in last year, she didn’t like the wood parquet flooring throughout and had Molyneaux come in and lay down carpet. But NOT wall to wall; it has a perfect 3” gap from the walls, even in the nooks & crannys. Her place—I love it.
(Here’s the one thing that creeps me out a little; from the neck up, she looks like Bette Davis in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. She wears a lot of pancake on her face, and paints her cheeks with too much rouge. Still, once you get to know her--she’s a super nice person.)
So I head downstairs, knocked on her door—she was just leaving to go to Mass. But she said she had time so she rode the elevator with me back upstairs to check out the clock. She said “Sweet Mary, Doug! I love it! And this whole apartment—it’s the nicest man’s apartment in the building!” Well, she didn’t have to go that far…
But who am I to say she’s wrong? ;^)
I do like that clock. That golden glow is pretty special too.
ReplyDeleteThank you Debby. 🙂
DeleteIt's a nice clock and fits the space well. Maureen sounds like a lovely woman, despite the over done make-up.
ReplyDeleteThank you Maebeme--maybe I shared too much about Maureen here, but I think her style makes her interesting. :^)
DeleteLove the clock! Very suitable for a bachelor pad!
ReplyDeleteJust what I wanted to hear, thanks Miss Merry!! :^)
DeleteI love the clock. It is contemporary and fits the space perfectly. Maureen seems to have excellent taste for decor. The makeup is an attempt at a more youthful appearance. Like you say, it is easy to overlook.
ReplyDeleteSusan, thanks very much and nicely said on your part. I wish I had your way with words. :^)
DeleteAs we age, our eyesight changes, and depending on whether your friend has a magnifying mirror, she may not realize that what she puts on her face is "too much." She sounds, though, to be a person who keeps up with trends and society so hopefully she gets her makeup at a lovely cosmetics counter where they would offer to do a makeover occasionally. It's my way of keeping up.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing dkzody, I think if I was a woman I'd stop wearing makeup after age 30. I can't imagine having to do that everyday! But Maureen does a nice job of keeping up with things, I do like her style :)
DeleteThat clock is beautiful and serene somehow. It definitely belongs there and adds a lot. What a lovely thing for Maureen to say!
ReplyDeleteThanks very much, Margaret! You're as nice as Maureen, that's for sure :^)
DeleteI love the clock. It's perfect and fits the decor of your fancy man-cave very well. And Maureen sounds like a wonderful person, makeup or not. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you DJan, I always appreciate your positive feedback.🙂
DeleteI like your 'photo of the day'... not so much for the clock (which is a nice clock and unusual), but for the glimpse into your kitchen which looks neat, warm, and comfortable. What kind of plant is that on the windowsill? As for your friend, Maureen, she sounds a lot like my mother was... always well dressed (jewelry included) and make-up well into her 90's. Nothing wrong with that... (but not me, only make-up if we go somewhere fancy - which doesn't happen very often - thank goodness).
ReplyDeleteThank you Rian, I like how you always notice other things in a photo. The plants in the windowsill are a tiny tree of some sort, I've had it for so many years. And the smaller plant is a Chinese money plant, an offshoot from a bigger one that used to sit on my bookcase but died. And I very much agree about your mom and Maureen, if they like getting gussied up more power to them! 🙂
DeleteHi Doug, I love your new clock, very simple and not fussy. Like Rian I noticed how tidy your kitchen is. Your cabinets are lovely. I have gone opposite to how I was when I was younger. I never wore make up but now would never go out without it on. 😆 You have a lot of interesting people in your building Doug!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the rest of the weekend.❤️
Thanks for the nice words, Robin! And I appreciate what you said about my kitchen, I know how nice & tidy your own home is so I am honored. :^) And really about the makeup? Haha that's great, I used to complain in the office that the women weren't gussied up enough and they'd just tell me to shut my mouth or else :^)
DeleteI never liked Bette Davis; her face gave me the creeps. But Maureen I like. She sounds sincere and very nice. I like her, too. And that clock looks very elegant. You have good taste.
ReplyDeleteGigi, thanks so much. Yes you would like Maureen, she is elegant and sincere. And thank you for the clock comment, I'm familiar with your home as you know, and I like your own good taste very much :^)
DeleteOh dear, so Pearl is jealous of Maureen. I agree that the clock is very suitable for the space - I like a clock I can really see, too. As you say, golden hours.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Ceci
Haha, thanks Ceci! Pearl shouldn't be jealous of Maureen, but at the senior center Friday I asked a simple question about one of the women being absent (Elaine) and Pearl told me to stop playing favorites. Oh dear :^)
DeleteI love the warm tones in your apartment. Yes, the clock is very nice and perfect for your style BUT your kitchen really has stolen the lime light! Neat and clean and oh so inviting. Maureen sounds like a sweetheart. I'm wondering if she wears perfume to go with the make-up. (What, people still wear bloomers these days?!?) --- Having trouble publishing my comments from my Google account, but it's me, Florence, a.k.a. Out To Pasture.
ReplyDeleteFlorence, thanks so much for this nice comment--I appreciate your feedback about the clock -and- the kitchen, coming from someone with a nice home like yours! Well I don't think Maureen wears perfume but she does have a hint of tobacco about her, haha. (As a former smoker, I don't mind...) And shoot about your Google account, I went thru something similar a couple months ago on the Firefox browser. No idea how it resolved.
DeleteTotally cool clock! It even has slots in it so you can place a note in it....Please leave the clock to me when you write up your Will. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda, haha--you are in my will. :^)
DeleteIt's the perfect piece for that spot. I like the golden look of it with the lamp turned on. I remember Baby Jane, Bette Davis sure was scary in that.
ReplyDeleteThank you River, I always appreciate your feedback. And I so agree about Bette Davis in that movie, to this day my middle sister refuses to watch it!
DeleteRouge? Not greasepaint? I'd say blush or blusher. She's right about your apt though.
ReplyDeleteThanks Shawn, the apartment is slowly but surely getting there. 🙂 As for rouge vs blusher, I stand with rouge. It is heavy, it is dark, it is old-school.
DeleteYou do put a lot of thought into your furnishings, and I agree from what I can see it is the best man’s apartment I have ever seen too! Love that you shop on Etsy. I was a seller on there for years. Joyce
ReplyDeleteThanks Joyce, very nice of you to say! (I need to buy more stuff for the walls though.) That's interesting that you were a seller on Etsy, I love all the unique stuff on there. :^)
DeleteThat’s a very elegant clock.
ReplyDeleteI’m not into clocks – I don’t have any. I do have a wrist watch, that’ll do for me.
Before I read the column I thought Bette Davis in “Baby Jane”. I see we’re in agreement there.
Thank you Peter! Didn't you tell me once you had a self winding watch? I'd love to find one of those, could you tell me your watchmaker again if you see this?
DeleteMy watch is actually solar-powered, it doesn’t need a battery or any other such power source.
DeleteIt’s a Citizen Eco-Drive. I’ve checked on line and there are many different models. Mine just has numbers and hands – black numbers on a white background, simple and elegant.
Thank you Peter, much appreciated--they're a bit pricey, but I still want one. :^)
DeleteMine wasn’t super expensive, but it has been 10, 12 years since I bought it.
ReplyDeleteI guess that’s no consolation to you, though.
Maestro, it IS a consolation--I'll have some peace of mind knowing my watch will probably last more than a year or two! When I decide on one and get it, I'll post a special shout-out to you :^)
Delete