posted on February 19, 2015 by Joanne Rock

Romancing the Ordinary

by Joanne Rock –

I bought a new bed last week.

In the process of doing some redecorating recently, I’ve been visiting consignment stores and thrift shops, looking for fun new treasures. One of my fun finds was an antiqued wrought iron bed frame that I promptly dragged home and set up in place of a heavy wooden headboard. I liked it right away. It looked at home in my bedroom and with my new bedspread—score one for thrifty shopping.

lightsHere’s where my story takes a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup turn. [Remember the old “two great tastes in one” commercials – “you got peanut butter on my chocolate”?] I was sitting on the bed last night, unpacking some things I’d picked up at IKEA for the Great Home Redecorating project. On impulse, I’d grabbed two boxes of white floral string lights, having no plan what to do with them. Impulse buying happens way too often for me at IKEA. But this time, it seemed sort of fated. As I sat wondering if I should return the floral string lights, I was staring right at my new iron head board. Voila! Two great tastes in one. I immediately started weaving a strand through the bars.

It looks amazingly cute—like a fairy came and waved her wand over my bed, especially at night when it’s the only light in the room. It’s not terribly practical since I can’t prop a pillow in bed against the headboard so well, but I’m going to enjoy the fairy lights for a few months before I turn practical again.

Nights Under the Tennessee StarsOne of my favorite non-fiction authors, Sarah Ban Breathnach has a book called Romancing the Ordinary that celebrates these kinds of small triumphs. It’s a wonderful inspiration to me, and even just thinking about the title helps free me from my practical side to enjoy the whimsical. I hope you find a way to romance your ordinary today!

Are you an impulse shopper? What catches your eye when you are out in the stores? I’ve got a book to share with one random poster! Win NIGHTS UNDER THE TENNESSEE STARS by leaving me a comment below!

***Joanne Rock is a regular contributor to the Writerspace blog, look for her posts on the 19th of each month.

Joanne Rock

Joanne Rock

Four-time RITA finalist Joanne Rock has never met a romance sub-genre she didn't like. The USA Today bestselling author of over eighty books enjoys writing a wide range of stories, most recently focusing on sexy contemporaries and small-town family sagas. An optimist by nature and perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance fits her life outlook perfectly---love is worth fighting for. A frequent speaker at regional and national writing conferences she enjoys giving back to the writing community that nurtured and inspired her early career. She has a Masters degree in Literature from the University of Louisville but credits her fiction writing skills to her intensive study with friend and fellow author Catherine Mann. When she's not writing, Joanne enjoys travel to gather new ideas.

https://www.Joannerock.com

Joanne Rock Contest

Joanne Rock is giving away the first three books in her Single in South Beach series-- SEX & THE SINGLE GIRL, GIRL'S GUIDE TO HUNTING AND KISSING, and ONE NAUGHTY NIGHT, to one winner. Open INTL. Winner will receive digital editions.

Enter Here

9 thoughts on “Romancing the Ordinary”

  1. Sarah says:

    Would love this book!

    1. joannerock says:

      Hi Sarah! I’m excited to share it 🙂

  2. C-Jay M says:

    Your headboard sounds wonderful! I am not much of an impulse buyer — just got two kids through college, so we watch our pennies. If anything, I splurge (too much, my hubby would say) on books. He just doesn’t understand 😉

    1. joannerock says:

      c-Jay when I lived close to Burlington, VT there was a B&N store with a huge backroom of used books. My sister-in-law and I could shop there for hours. I knew it was time to leave whenever her stack got to her chin… when you can’t carry anymore books, it’s time to go .

  3. Christy says:

    My mom is a total impulse buyer. Even for the silliest things that no one could ever want or need. It drives my dad crazy!! I’m pretty much the opposite of her. Although I like to indulge occasionally (and by indulge, I mean buy something from the sale rack), I’m a complete penny-pincher most of the time.

    Your headboard idea sounds really fun and romantic! I’m sure the lights would drive my husband crazy, though!!

    1. joannerock says:

      Christy, my lights would make my husband crazy too! We are having an odd year of living apart for half the time as we have one son in high school in one state and another finishing up senior year in our old hometown. It’s weird, but it won’t last forever. On the upside, I can decorate like a teenager and play with white lights for a few more months .

  4. Judy says:

    I love to go to flee markets and look around. They are a lot of fun.

    1. joannerock says:

      Hi Judy! Me too! And garage sales! A fun bonus of life in Florida is that I can go to garage sales in February, which is unheard of back in the Adirondacks where I’ve spent many winters. Thank you for stopping by the blog!

  5. joannerock says:

    Congratulations to C-Jay, winner of the thread prize!! I’ve emailed you privately, but all you need to do is send a mailing addy to me at [email protected] and I’ll ship the book out ASAP! Thank you all for visiting and i’ll be back on 3/19 with another post and giveaway!

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