Lucille's

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RED IS BEST

I love stuff…..vintage/new, chipped/pristine, quirky/traditional…..but especially all things red. Well except for blood…and red ants and of course sunburn. But pretty much everything else.

The thing about red is, it doesn’t just sit there…it punctuates! I love its clarity and boldness and warmth. It says, Come over and touch me.” It’s just plain folk, not showy like aubergine or magenta. It evokes plump Okanagan cherries, juicy beefsteak tomatoes, little red wagons, First Grade readers, 50’s canister sets,

cabooses, workman’s plaid shirts and window-box geraniums

My back-yard potting station

 Are you with me? Feeling the love?

Red never seems to be the ‘in’ colour, but for some reason it is with me. Even when I intentionally exclude it from a room it sneaks its way in. It is adorable paired with turquoise, absolutely fetching juxtaposed with white, alluringly fresh alongside mint green….well you get the picture.

Breaky a la Lucille's

A section of my summer-time mantle (til I change it!)

When I was 3 or 4, I had a red plaid dress with ruffles at the shoulders and a tie that cinched in a great big bow in back. I loved that dress so much that I would sit on the back step and wait for it to dry on the line because for me there was no other. I was more me in that dress than anything else.

I still like to wear red and I like to think it becomes me. I wear it not to draw attention, but to express joy, wholeness, old-fashioned individuality. For a lot of years in between I couldn’t wear red. It was too happy and confident….not for the wounded soul.

Did I mention I love stuff? Well I do, but just to be clear, stuff doesn’t own me. Almost everything I have is thrift-store, bargain-hunted, refurbished. I love that because it creates a fun, eclectic look that is uniquely me and allows me to spend my money on the important things in life. I must admit I get a thrill from rescuing poor lonely cast-offs and giving them a new home and pride of place.

 Honestly though, if I lost everything tomorrow, I would shed no tears. Stuff can make my heart skip a beat, or make me smile or feel cosy but it can never satisfy my soul.  Only Jesus does that. His unfailing goodness, steadfast love and open-ended grace allow me to walk this earth secure, hopeful, at peace and delighted to be me.

                                                                                             

Try red. You might like it!

* Marianne Lucille Mace Loades Dunbar