Every two years my school district has a "Kitchen Tour" to raise money for our schools. It's always a fantastic event.
The committee that puts it together gets chefs, florists and decorators to create a theme based on the kitchen's style. (i.e. French Bakery or Asian Flair). Hundreds of people pay to come and the tour raises huge amounts of money. All in all, as Martha would say, "It's a good thing."
This year, one of my friends who is on the board of our Education Foundation asked me if I'd like to have my kitchen on the tour. Usually when someone asks me to help out I think at least one second before I give my answer.
In this case, my answer was MORE THAN instantaneous... I just said (quite emphatically) "NO!"
In this case, my answer was MORE THAN instantaneous... I just said (quite emphatically) "NO!"
First of all, I was surprised she even asked me. Yes, we do have a great kitchen. We redid our home three years ago after living with a kitchen the size of a postage stamp with a stove that didn't really work, and a bad decor straight out of the seventies. Basically we lived in a cute old house in desperate need of work until I was forty. FINALLY, after living here ten years, we had the means to make the house into what it is today. It's really nice, but truth be told, in my town, my house is rather ordinary. (I'm not complaining-just speakin' the truth.)
The houses on the tour are always dream homes from top to bottom. As I already said, we live in a great house, on a small lot that we absolutely love-but there is NO WAY IN HELL I'm going to open myself up to 500 people, including architects, decorators and builders parading through my home critiquing it. The thought makes my blood run cold. I swear to you, I would rather stand naked on stage in front of 500 people and have them critique by bod. (Which would also be a nightmare, but that's another post)
Anyway, I politely thanked my friend for the compliment, and offered to help in ANY OTHER way.
The days leading up to the tour solidified for me how wise my choice was. I watched my friends who agreed to display their kitchens run around like chickens...landscapers, window washers, cleaning people and electricians were all called in to make already gorgeous homes BEYOND perfect.
All in all, it was a nice day, it raised over $75,000 for the school, I helped out and I dodged a MAJOR BULLET.
And I have no regrets.
25 comments:
You're kitchen is beautiful.
I would have said, no, too. I just couldn't handle that kind of stress.
Your kitchen is very beautiful AND you were very smart to say "no"! Life's too short for that aggravation!!!
Good for you for saying no. I find that very hard to do (though in this case, I wouldn't have been asked -- we still have our "charming" 1970s wood cabinets :). Your kitchen is lovely, and the hassle isn't worth it.
good for you. I would DIE if I had 500 people tramping through my house. D-I-E.
oh my...
first off - awesome kitchen
second - you should be flattered they asked you
third - you are a smart cookie for saying NO
fourth - i could only imagine the homes they have on the tour, i haven't done one but i want to go on one. however, i also feel that it will just be depressing...i mean really the money in our little towns is beyond normal.
fifth - raised an awesome amount of money !!!
Good Lord. Sounds like an absolute nightmare. I know how I get just having a party with my FRIENDS over, feeling like everything has to look and be perfect even when I know that they don't care one single bit, or they wouldn't be my friends in the first place. I can't imagine having all those people traipse through my house critiquing....you are a wise woman, with a beautiful kitchen. :)
Your kitchen is GORGEOUS!!! I'm so with you though - I would die before I would sign on for that. It's bad enough scrambling to keep things tidy for realtors, etc.
Fabulous kitchen, and you are very, very wise!!!
YOU do have a gorgeous kitchen, and I think you were wise not to do it!
But I am going to STEAL the idea!!!
Oh and by the way, no trailer park, it is just a trailer across from a house with a Volvo.
I think having all those people trapse through is a pretty big invasion of privacy. Feels good to say no, doesn't it?
Your kitchen is gorgeous, you've got such wonderful taste ... it reminds me a lot of mine (LOL... we just reno'd it last summer ;).
Good for you for saying no... it saved you a lot of headache and stress... It is very nice that they asked you, though.I'm also one who has problems saying no.
That's a great fundraiser, though ...$75 K!!!
Happy Mother's day to you!
It looks like a lovely kitchen. I'm totally jealous, as a matter of fact! But, I can't blame you for not wanting a parade of people coming through your home.
Isn't it funny how often we say yes without even thinking? Yet there you were with your immediate response "no." Wise woman. Keep having the courage to say no. It really isn't a bad word after all.
Saying no can be tough. Nice work.
And your kitchen looks pretty fabulous.
there is no possible way that i would have said yes, either!! my house is always mass chaos. i would have been too stressed!!
yay that you got out of it.
so, did you hear the robert plant album yet? what did you think?
happy mothers day!!
Good for you for staying strong. I'm with you; no need to make yourself crazy.
I tagged you for a meme, come visit if you wanna play!
Happy Mother's Day-your story about your house, small kitchen,lived in it for years etc.. carbon copy situation here. Your kitchen is wonderful! I was a total dumb sh** & said yes to the pressure. It was to raise money for our Old Opera House. I live in a small town-maybe only about 100 people went through. What still freaks me out is when someone I don't know says to me-"I walked through your house" ICKY & Creepy. NEVER AGAIN.
May 11, 2008 9:58 AM
I would have said no too. Totally. And...is that a pic or your kitchen??? It's bitchin'. (Heh...I rhymed.) Seriously, it's gorgeous. Can I come over and cook?
Gorgeous kitchen. Brilliant cook.
So glad you said no because kitchen really means first floor, gardens, yard, landscaping. My to do list would go on for months and would make me crazy. So glad you avoided that. They did raise a lot of money...wow!
Good for you saying no! But your kitchen is beautiful!
HOT DAMN woman! Your kitchen is GORGEOUS!!
Since moving to NJ and witnessing the massacre of The Hearth Of The Home, I so appreciate a great kitchen!
I was a docent for the JLA tour of kitchen in atlanta. Very fun, but the owner seemed beyond nervous and paced the whole time.
Love your kitchen! I live in LA too & have been in the same house for 12 years & we are going to be re-doing our kitchen! Wish we could re-do more but private school eats up the decorating budget pretty fast. I'd love to know who did your kitchen, would you mind referring them to me?
Thanks!
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