Gollum's Decorating/Writing Game

Gollum of Designs by Gollum is hosting a Decorating/Writing Game! If you follow her blog, you also know that she is Michael Lee West, a best selling author! I'm currently in the middle of reading her book "Mad Girls in Love," and she is also the auther of "American Pie" (no, not like the movie), "Crazy Ladies," and "Mermaids in the Basement." I find it very exciting that there is a real author among us!

Edited to add: Gollum has challenged us yet again! Part 2 of this story will post at 6:00 a.m. eastern time on Monday morning. This has been so much fun!

Here are the rules to her game:

1. Make up a decorating story that involves this setting:


2. Then watch the video and/or listen to the song posted on her site.

3. Write a sketch about the photo and the song, and use the following words:

French blue

daylight (or rain)

cinnamon (or cloves)

invitation

smooth (or rough, crinkly, glassy)

clock

Circle (or circles)

apple

keys

summer

lovers

You don't have to use all of the words--just use at least 5.

Okay, well mine is not so much about decorating as it is about romance. I posted the Mona Lisa picture, because she figures in there too.

I hope you like my little story!




It was a stormy summer day in Paris when I met him. The rain poured down in sheets from the roofs of the centuries old buildings, filling my path with puddles. I was drenched by the time I reached the Louvre. I took shelter under the glassy pyramid shaped entrance and proceeded down the stairs, my sandals leaving wet spots on the smooth marble floors. I had yearned for sunshine for the month that I would be vacationing in Europe. Failing that, I would happily settle for a day among the world’s most famous paintings.

I made my way to the Grande Galerie and the Italian paintings. As I gazed at the famed Mona Lisa, La Joconde, I felt someone’s eyes on me. I glanced to my right and noticed a man with pale blue eyes, the same color as the French blue curtains that hung in my room. He smelled of cloves. His eyes met mine, and I shyly looked away, but not before a hint of a smile escaped my lips. He smiled broadly in return. As I passed from gallery to gallery, I found him twice more, and when I made my way back to the museum entrance, he appeared yet again. This time I turned to boldly face him. He was tall with dark brown tousled hair, a startling contrast to his pale eyes. And those eyes were smiling at me, as welcoming as his grin. I accepted his invitation to a local café.

The rain had nearly stopped by this time. An occasional raindrop created circles in the puddles and steam rose from the pavement. We walked to a lovely restaurant where he requested a private outdoor balcony. Through French doors, we were led to a charming table set with a single pale orchid, vintage linens, and weathered iron chairs in a creamy white, a perfect contrast to the soft blue of the tablecloth. The waiter poured a glass of Beaujolais into lovely pink crystal glasses, and as we drank, he told me about his life as an artist and his appreciation of all things unique and beautiful. The wine was making me feel warm inside and heightened all my senses. Bread had never tasted so buttery, cheese had never been so flavorful, and the apple that I bit into tasted especially sweet. As the juice dripped onto my chin, he reached across and wiped it off with his thumb, then brushed his thumb against the inside of his bottom lip, a gesture that gave me a tingle that reached all the way to my toes. The warm air caressed my skin. As the hour hand on the clock swept across its face and the sun began to fall, the candles in their red pillars cast a rosy glow upon upon our bodies. Day turned to night and we felt darkness enclose us. As he pulled me into his embrace and pressed his lips softly to mine, I knew we would become lovers.

The End
(or is it the beginning?)

For our efforts, Gollum is awarding each participant with the Good Writer award.



This was so much fun! I didn't want to read anyone else's story until I finished my own, so I'm off to check out everyone else's stories!