Wife and mom is missing one thing: friends
But making friends is challenging. And transforming an acquaintance into a friendship can seem like a delicate dance. One of my own besties simply approached me in our daughters' kindergarten classroom and said, "Hey, you seem cool. Do you want to be friends?" Turns out, I'm not that cool (she is!), but we've managed to stay friends for 25 years.
Read "Friendships Don't Just Happen!: The Guide to Creating a Meaningful Circle of Girlfriends," by Shasta Nelson (2013, Turner). Nelson is also CEO of the innovative friendship matching site: girlfriendcircles.com.
Dear Amy: We built a custom home a few years ago and went to great lengths to research our neighbor's house colors before we decided on a color.
After much thought, we chose a white-and-black scheme for our house.
No other house on our street is similar to ours.
Fast-forward to today, and a new house is being built directly next door to ours. They are intending to paint their house the same colors as ours (although they believe their white paint will be "quite different").
They bought their lot knowing our paint choices. They also are aware that this decision will frustrate us.
Is it tacky to copy someone's house colors when you're direct neighbors?
-- Frustrated Neighbor
Dear Frustrated: There are many neighborhoods and housing associations where people are forced through strict rules and design limitations to paint their houses within a very narrow range. Lucky you -- you have the freedom to paint your house the way you want!
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