Spoiler: I’m at the beach.
Sooo my version of red white and blue is a cold red coke can, white creamy sunscreen and blue blue blue waves tickling the toes of my little guys. Yup. No Independence day crafts this year…which is kinda really nice because sometimes you just want to relax on a holiday weekend. canigetanamen?!
While I am soaking up the rays (aka cursing at the storm clouds), I thought I would share yet another step on our front door journey. As you may remember, the front doors started off a brown color with our mud colored trim.
Then I painted them a lovely color of red….ironically called Front Door Red. #nameforthewin
I actually really liked the color. I felt like it popped much better and let’s just face it…anything was better than the poop color.
Here is what it looked like with terrible lighting….and all that mud colored trim really needed to go.
Well, don’t ya know that when we started the whole house painting journey, that the doors started to look a little TOO much for me.
Then one of the painters told me in broken English that he really liked the new trim color but the red front doors were “in your face”. He was so right.
So literally while they were still in the middle of painting, I got out some Glidden interior/exterior paint in Martha Stewart’s Onyx and starting with the mini makeover.
I get high gloss for front doors because I like a shiny door…especially since Georgia dust and pollen tend to dull everything up just a smidge.
HUGE difference, right?!
Now I just need a little more color for the front. I’m thinking some pretty pillows on the wicker chairs and maybe some more colorful flowers in the planters and even some hanging plants.
It’s amazing how small things like two coats of paint on front doors can help make things look really polished and cohesive. So yeah…consider me officially on the ‘black door trend train’ 🙂 Choo choo.
(here’s the process on how we paint front doors)
So what are y’all doing for the holiday? Anyone painting front doors? Or jumping at the chance to redo something when the pros say it needs to go?
Happy 4th y’all!
Love me a black door!
I just ADORE all the outdoors paint choices you made on your home…It’s has completely changed the whole house vibe!! Jealous!! Keep up the great work Katie! You’re on a roll!! Xx
We repainted our house last November and actually did the opposite of you and changed our black front door to red. It definitely shows all the imperfections a lot more (old, solid wood door) but I always wanted a red front door and now I have it!
Jealous of the beach trip. I live in mid-Missouri so ocean beaches are far, far away.
I’m a fan of black doors. I was going to paint mine black but once I started striping the many layers of paint, a beautiful wood door appeared so I kept it.. BUT I’m going to paint the trim black. Here’s a post about it. http://thebrickbungalow.blogspot.com/2012/09/front-door-labor-of-love.html
Happy 4th!!!
You’re at Gulf Shores, right? I’m so jealous… I have fabulous memories from childhood vacations, there. I hope to get back some day! Have a good time, storms or not!
And the black doors – love them. I loved the red, too… but the black is all dressed up and ready to party or something… 🙂
It’s amazing how one slight change can make such a drastic difference. I was digging the red doors until I scrolled down and saw the black. It’s a brand new house! Love it!!! Not exactly a shocker, I love everything you’ve done 🙂
I liked the red, but this looks even better, KB! Enjoy your fourth.
I prefer the black doors, too! Very nice. I think taller plants in your planters would look great.
I love the black! Really timeless and classic. Our front doors need a facelift, and I really want to stain them in a deep, rich tone, but haven’t gotten the courage to dive in just yet. I’m getting closer though. Love how yours came out!
The doors look lovely! You have such nice decorating taste.
On a side note – was it necessary to make the “in broken English” comment?
“Broken English” = rude
LOVE the black door and that one of the painters felt so strongly about the red that he wanted to give you another perspective on it. 🙂
Is that rude? That’s what I’ve always heard it called…what do you call it?
xo – kb
Is that a bad thing to call it? That’s what everyone I know calls it…even friends that speak English as a second language.
xo – kb
Obsessed! It looks fantastic! So classy looking, great job! Have a great Holiday!
It’s not what you called it. The term “broken English” is acceptable. It’s that you said it at all. It adds nothing to the point that he thought you should change the color of your door. You obviously meant no disrespect since you declared he was correct in his sentiments, but the sentence would have been less offensive if it had read, “One of the painters told me he liked the new trim color, but the red front doors were, ‘in your face.'” It really comes down to semantics, and people should probably be less sensitive about things like that, but the fact remains: they are.
I think I few us wondered why you had to say “how” he said it instead of just what he said. It really didn’t add to the story.
Am I the only one who thought of the song…I see a red door and I want it painted black…
I wasn’t offended by it or anything but if you want an alternative you could say limited English. Limited English Proficiency is the generally accepted term used in government. I get it though, you want to say that even with the language barrier, the guy wanted to express his opinion.
That’s what I call it too! Katie, I love your wit and wording, please don’t jump on the PC train.
Katie- I love the black doors. Very classy looking. You could even paint the wicker chairs for a pop of color. In a few minutes, I am going to paint an old wicker end table that I got at Goodwill recently a bright red and put it on my back porch. Btw, I wondered if you would get backlash on the ” broken English” comment when I read it. These days you can’t say anything without people thinking it’s not politically correct. I guess they felt like you didn’t need to put that in there at all, just say ,”the painter said.” I don’t think it’s a big deal, and I also don’t think Paula Deen should be raked through the coals for something she said years ago.
It just seemed unnecessary to even mention it in the first place.
I don’t consider the “broken English” comment rude, but just as fact. I took it that even though English isn’t his first language, he felt it important enough to tell you that he didn’t think the red worked as well with the new colors. My grandmother spoke broken English and didn’t feel it was rude for us to point it out if we couldn’t understand her.
Sorry – had to chime in since, with everything going on in the world today, it is very tiring to have to be so PC. BTW – love the black doors!
Love it! We changed our front door from white to black and it made a huge difference!
I never comment on here, but please. “Broken English” is not rude. If I went to Mexico and tried to speak Spanish using my 5 years of grade school Spanish I learned 20 years ago, they’d say I was speaking “broken Spanish”. So what?? Get over it. Happy Independence Day!! Enjoy the beach , Katie. I kow it’s not the best weather, but it’s still nice! (I’m right down the road 🙂
Love the doors either way but I do miss some colour!
On a side note, why is saying ‘in broken english’ rude?? That is what it is. By saying that is rude you are actually saying that you think there is something wrong with speaking ‘in broken english’ and so one should not point it out. Believe me, when I lived in another non english speaking country they absolutely described my native language attempts that way and why wouldn’t they?
Love the colors you painted the house! And the black doors look great! Really elegant looking! Good choice!
“I see a red door and I want it painted black…”
As someone who works tangentially in sociology (my primary field being political science), I’d say it’s an innocent-enough description, though still in poor taste. Although broken English is indeed what the young man spoke, describing it like that–even in an attempt at humor–still conjures up a rather poor stereotype of many Hispanic-Americans. It would be more “politically correct” (and does nothing negative to your story) if you simply left that qualifying comment out. It’s your blog, so whatever, but there’s a delicacy here that should probably be observed. And I say that with respect. 🙂 Door looks great!
It’s definitely not anything to start an internet war for 😉 but it’s definitely not a necessary part of the story. It would be just as odd and inappropriate if he went home and stated that he commented on the door color of a woman speaking fluent English.
I just painted my front door black this week! I used Glidden Beluga. My husband is away, so it’s a surprise….shhhhh….
I’ve talked about doing it for a few years, so he shouldn’t be too surprised though. If he even notices!
Now I just have to get a ladder so I can paint our second floor shutters.
Wow – your doors look fantastic! So classy looking.
I started my blog a little over a week ago and my first post was on my front door, which used to be banana yellow! Much like yours, it looks WAY classier now. Come by and see it if you get a chance!
LOVE your blog, by the way!
Annie XO
I see nothing wrong with the term ‘broken English’… And I really am English. Totally acceptable here 🙂
I loved the red doors but you’re right, the black is better with all the new trim paint! One thing you could do to bring in more color would be to get a large outdoor rug/mat for the front door. I have been loving some of the southern porches I’ve seen on Pinterest that have large door mats/rugs. Seems so welcoming! And you definitely have the porch for it! 🙂 enjoy the beach!!!!
Love the black paint! Much better than the red. Do you ever anticipate getting new doors? (Different style)
For what it’s worth, I didn’t know saying “broken English” was rude either.
I agree with the other commenters. The ‘broken english’ comment is not necessary to the story and as a result makes you sound ignorant.
xo.B
Yes, Katie it is rude. Even if it’s what people have always said, it doesn’t make it okay. If you always heard people use the n-word, would that make it okay? It also doesn’t make sense as to why you wrote it – it really didn’t add anything to your story. It was a superfluous comment.
I also recall in one of the birth stories, you mentioned one of the nurses was black. That also didn’t seem like a very necessary comment. Would you have mentioned if the nurse was white? Minorities are ALWAYS reminded of the color of their skin. People whose heart language is not English are ALWAYS reminded of it. Yes, race matters and I don’t think we should be color blind, but I really don’t see why it’s necessary to mention when it doesn’t seem to matter in the contexts where you state it.
So what would I call it? I wouldn’t call it anything. My question is, why do you think it’s necessary to communicate to your readers when you have experiences with people who aren’t white and whose first language/heart language isn’t English? Do you think it gives you credibility as someone who isn’t racist? As someone who is post-race even though you live in the South? These aren’t hypothetical questions – I’d really be curious to know why you think it’s important to include these details in your blog.
Oh my gosh I LOVE LOVE LOVE the black!! So classy and chic! 🙂
so elegant!
I agree with Beth and Leah, it was very rude of you to say “in broken English”. I don’t think that you necessarily had to put that in to get your point across that the painter agreed with you.
I love the black doors too! My parents had done this before they opted for a beautiful wrought iron and glass one. I’ve been afflicted with black door envy ever since. Only problem is I love our nautical blue home and navy trim. If figured the black would look to harsh against it. Right now the door is this lovely vintage naturally stained wood with carved details of a ship so I’m rethinking to paint it altogether. Oh well I’ll just have to admire your doors! Enjoy the vacation =-)
The black still makes the door stand out but unlike the red coat, it definitely does not distract onlookers and passers by from the beauty of your nice home.
I am French. I used to live in Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) where the big joke was to tell me that I was learning to speak “broken english” as they themselves call the Trini English. I am now proud to be able to communicate in another language than French, especially this tasty broken english 🙂
Oh my goodness.
1. Love the door, really I love the whole exterior. It’s great and you’ve made some excellent choices! Can’t wait to see what colours you choose!
2. I hope the negative comments haven’t impacted your holiday! Hope you’re enjoying it! You and your family deserve the best time off!
3. I really don’t think the “broken English comment is a big deal. It was apart of your experience, which is what you share here. I don’t understand why people read if they are so offended. Anyways, you are a lovely person who seems to always treat people with kindness and respect, so this hardly seems like something worth worrying over.
Xo!
No… No. No.No.
The issue people have with Katie (or anyone) saying it was that it was pointless to her story.. It just makes her sound ignorant. In one of Westons birth stories she also commented about a “Black nurse” why does it matter that she was black? Because I have never heard her mention “the perfectly speaking English painter” or the “white nurse”
I love Katies blog, but that did make me roll my eyes, the post would have been great without it.
“Even though English isn’t his first language, he felt it important enough to tell you that he didn’t think the red worked as well with the new colors.” Dude, people who call a language other than English their first can think, feel, and express just like the rest of us. What? People who aren’t proficient in English can string thoughts together and express them through use of language? Second language learners are smart? No way!
It’s just culturally awkward. A lot of people here are claiming they don’t want to be “PC”- is that a Southern thing? Here in the East Coast, it’s considered absolutely embarrassing to be not politically correct. That’s why I bring it up.
That being said, I feel like this blog has lots of racist/culturally insensitive undertones- the “black nurse!” or “I shook like a Jew at the sight of Mel Gibson” (<—I mean, really?), "black like I like my babies, don't worry Will 50% ain't bad", the whole Amy Winehouse………… It's sad.
It must be a US thing to be offended by the term broken English, because I have never in my life, which has included more international travel and living than most, encountered any problem with it as a description of someone speaking. And I would be the first person to be offended if I thought it was racist or rude. Somewhat like another commenter said, if you went to Spain, Italy or France and tried to speak a few words, that would be considered broken Spanish, Italian or French. I think broken here just means fragmented, not anything rude. ANYHOOSLES, your door looks fab.
Get over yourselves…it is just a detailed description of an encounter…so you can visulaize how the exchange happened…that is why she is such a good writer…and why you keep reading…because you can really imagine yourself in her situations…that is what makes for good blogs, articles and books…would you keep reading if she simply wrote my door was red and I painted it black…no…stop making drama where there isn’t any
Just gorgeous! Stunning really.
You are amazing and paint (no pun intended;) a wonderful description of your daily life, experiences and projects. I love your stories. They make me feel like I’m standing right there with you.
Contrary to a few of your readers opinions, you do not come across as ignorant or racist and certainly do not deserve to be spoken to like a child. I hope these people did not ruin your 4th and holiday vacation.
Your descriptive story telling, did not ‘conjure’ anything ill towards foreign citizens, hispanic or otherwise. A hard working man, giving insigntful opinions does just the opposite. Glad you trusted your gut and his opinion, the door looks amaze-balls!.
Love the doors Katie. It was a good choice.
As far as the broken English. I guess it wasn’t necessary, unless for whatever reason you wanted to convey he was different from you in some way.
But as far as the Paula Deen, “PC” stuff. I didn’t realize using a racial slur was considered politically incorrect? And for all these years I thought it was a hateful term used by bigoted, ignorant people…hmm, interesting. Learn something new everyday! Thanks Sherri!
Borrowed the sander. Bought the paint. I’m going in! I finally found the shade of red I wanted for my front door and I’m painting it this weekend (if rain holds off – 60% predicted). Been wanting to do it for a long, long time. Your house looks amazing, Katie. Don’t let anyone’s negativity get you down. If that little phrase is all they picked up from your post, then it seems to me, THEY are the ones with the problem. Enjoy your time at the beach with your family and don’t let any of this get to you.
I thought it added to the story because it was THAT important to him that I change the color. In fact, he didn’t speak but maybe three English words the entire time he was at our home and still communicated the need to change the door. Of course, probably ALL the words in this post aren’t needed because you can get the gist from all the photos. I would still like to know what the appropriate term is if you know!
xo – kb
I too did a double take when I read the “broken english” line. Not really sure if it was necessary to include it in the description. I thought it was in poor taste.
Katie, I’m in love with the black door! I think your house looks amazing with the new color scheme. I want to paint my house gray STAT because it’s a muddled tan mess . While we have to wait on the redoing the exterior for a while ($$), your post did inspire me to paint the doors in our nursery either Seal or Zinc (not sure yet) by Martha Stewart for a little bit of “daring”. Why not, it’s only paint! Anyway, love your blog – it’s my daily read.
I don’t know about everyone else, but I think there is a vast difference between what I said and the n-word.
xo – kb
Oh my gosh I LOVE the black doors! Absolutely gorgeous!
Oh for crying out loud……Guys, people speak different languages. I have a white french friend who just moved here and she describes the English she speaks as “broken”. She also describes how my French when I speak to her is “broken”. Its a very common term to describe someone speaking a different country’s language that they are visiting or just moved to. Katie was saying that even though the man barely spoke English and didn’t speak much through the entire job, he had a strong enough opinion about the door that he spoke up, knowing it would be difficult for him to say and Katie to understand his opinion. She was describing a conversation, apparently that had to be spelled out in great detail for some.
And another thing, since Katie’s description of her nurse also came under fire: I am tired of white people trying so hard to never mention someone’s skin color, and jumping on someone who does. If you’re trying to give a detailed description of someone, you mention a few major things typically: eye, hair, and skin color. To me, saying someone is black is on the same level of saying someone has blue eyes. The sooner everyone stops trying to dance around describing someone’s skin color the sooner we can further ourselves away from racism. Is “black” a blanket term? yes. There are so many different shades of an African America’s skin color, just like there are so many different shades of Caucasian skin color, but worldwide the words to encompass all of those colors is “black” and “white”. Katie’s nurse at the hospital was black. My husband’s father is black. We’ve all got skin, and it all comes in varying colors. How can we move forward to seeing everyone as equal if we can’t even mention what color it is?
Seriously?! That’s what you got from someone relating her grandmother to the man in Katie’s story? I could attempt to describe what was ACTUALLY being said here, but my mind is blown by the unnecessary use of intense sarcasm.
I’m surprised how much more chic it looks! Now I’m second guessing that red paint can I’ve had for our front door for forever.
Enjoy the beach… storms and all! It’ll be awhile til we get to go and I’m JEALOUS!
I agree with you Helen, 100%. There is such a thing as being TOO sensitive and making mountains out of molehills. The fear of acknowledging differences, as if they do not exist, is as foolhardy as defining everything by those differences. Both are the extreme and in the middle you can describe your world with eloquence and honesty.
Now that is just absurd…she didn’t say he was DUMB. When you are not a native speaker of a language…any language…naturally it takes a lot of effort to get your point across in that language, intelligence notwithstanding. My father-in-law is Pakistani and has lived in America for forty years. A very intelligent, respected businessman, he still calls me or my American mother-in-law for advice on the right way to phrase things when writing a business letter. It takes much more effort than communicating in his native language, Urdu, and he is not so foolish as to be bothered by that. Sheesh. So…if something is difficult for you, you must think it is important if you bother to go to the effort to speak up. Why is that hard to see?
This is so ridiculous.
Did I notice the “broken English” thing? Yeah…I went to a liberal arts college with a bunch of people more concerned about being “correct” than being kind. I read no malice or denigration in your tone, it clearly came across as a casual observation. If my Pakistani father-in-law knew someone described his speech as ” broken” he would laugh and acknowledge it. It IS reality, after all. I speak broken French, broken Urdu and very broken Spanish. My roofer is trying to teach me Portuguese and we laugh at my hideous accent.
I love your blog, your sweet nature, your honesty and your willingness to listen to all of these people getting their panties in a wad.
Oh…and I have a can of high gloss black paint in the closet waiting for me to get to that part of the front porch list. I feel inspired to jump right to painting the door now!
Friends of mine from other countries say the same…they have a sense of humor about trying to speak English, as I do about speaking their languages. “Broken” describes it well and no one would be offended. “Beyond hope” might be a better term for how well I speak my Ugandan friend’s native language.
Wow Kay,
Your recollection of birth story is not so clear. If you could remember correctly she wrote “her” story as if you were reading a novel. The story of her birth. If you read, most books use these exact descriptions so you can picture in your mind the story as she tells it. I want to know what the nurse looked like, I pictured her as a pretty black lady. It’s simply a description. Have you ever listened to a book on tape. The good writers give you all the details! You people don’t understand the way she writes. It’s incredible, and moving, funny and informative. You knit pick everything.
I NEVER comment, but always read the comments and usually see someone twist her sweet nature into something wrong! What is the deal? Why? I could picture clearly the guy trying to tell her his view with his broken English. Read a book, a good one and see if they ever just say this guy walked up and said he didn’t like the color. That story would be over in no time. It’s got to play out. I believe this is her writing style and I enjoy reading every word. It’s okay to have an opinion but always question, what is wrong with you that you only see negative in others. For the ones offering suggestions, thats cool.
Katie,
keep on keeping on. I’m not sure how you do it. All of your success comes with a price I will never understand. People trying to turn your amazing birth story into a racist one. Come on people!
I think you are missing the point, its not “broken English” that’s the problem its that it adds nothing to the story and yet you HAD to add it (You could have said, “He didn’t speak much all day, but he really felt he had to tell me to change the paint color!”) Also, its not the first time you did this.. I remember you referring to an Asian cashier and a black nurse.Not at all trying to attack you, as I do enjoy reading your blog daily. I just don’t want people or you thinking your getting picked on for little things.
Hope that helps!!
xo
You just don’t mention it all…things like that are not needed to tell a story or to paint a picture unless you WANT TO come off as a racist or whatever that might be considered.
I don’t think anyone would deny that. I think Kay’s point was that just because you hear others say it (as was your excuse) doesn’t mean you need to.
So ironic… Just painted my front door a shiny black as well!! Wish you could upload pics to comments here…
I see your point in that I left out a bunch of info and so it came across as irrelevant…but in my experience, he only spoke about four words for the duration of his time here (ten days!) so to me it felt very relevant that he made it a priority to express his opinion about the door even though he was obviously not a big talker…and it was not his first language making it more uncomfortable for him.
Just for the record, I do recognize when people are a different race than me…don’t you?…I recognize when folks are different and I also recognize when people share similarities as me. The thing that I think is most important is not their descriptions…but that we all not be prejudice or show favoritism because of those differences or similarities.
xo – kb
Well, this is definitely the first time I’ve ever heard that anyone say its rude…not that it’ll change my opinion on it…but I’m just surprised!
xo – kb
The color of red for your door isn’t even a little ironic; it is coincidental, which isn’t synonymous with irony.
We had a burgundy-colored door at our first house, and although I loved the pop of color it was a bit too much. We actually never painted it (in 5 yrs), but we did have the front door on our new house painted glossy black. And we love it so much! We add pops of color with potted flowers and colorful wreaths. It’s so easy to match most anything with black!
This post is from Fall, but it shows our door. http://managingthemanor.com/fall-front-porch/
BTW, I respect that you respond to comments so nicely, rather than deleting them or lashing back! One of the many reasons why this blog is still so loved 🙂
Love the black doors! Hate all the b.s. in your comments….especially when people aren’t forced to read your blog and can move on if they don’t like your writing style 🙂
Broken English is what it’s called, but it wasn’t an important part of the story. Maybe you don’t do it deliberately — it seems to be ignorance on your part. But each time you point out race when it’s not an important part of the story, especially when you don’t say add the qualifiers “in perfect English,” or “a white nurse” when a minority is not involved, you are drawing attention to the fact that you are the majority/dominant/superior of that person. Calling attention to his “broken English” also calls attention to the fact that he is a minority. Had you actually explained that he didn’t speak much the whole time, but was so passionate about hating the red door that he made sure to get the point across, it wouldn’t have come off as racist.
I hope that you won’t take my and others’ criticisms as attacks, but instead take it as a learning opportunity about the way it comes off to others. Someone once pointed it out to me in my own speech and I appreciated it because I didn’t want others to think of me as ignorant, insensitive or racist.
Whether you’re talking about a Hispanic worker who doesn’t speak the best English, calling attention to a nurse’s race, or the race and English fluency of a CVS employee, it is all rude.
Similarly, when you tell us about your sister and each and every time, you have to make sure to add in the bit about how she was an unwed single mother at the age of 19, it comes off as condescending. As though you must constantly point out the error of your sister’s ways, regardless of how long ago it was, how much she’s learned, and the strides she’s made in her life to overcome adversity. I’m sure you love your sister and are proud of her, but it really comes off as though you must continue to point out her mistake just because it was a different path than your life took. She’s not the only woman to have ever gotten pregnant at 19 or to be a teenage mom, but when you point it out every time you mention her, it’s like that’s the only thing that defines her and honestly, I feel sorry for her, because it sounds like a backhanded dig to (just as with the race/language comments) establish your superiority.
WHOA.
Yes, like I said before in a different comment…maybe this is all because of my failure to tell the entire story. And yes, I do make mention that Norn was a single mom because I am freaking proud of her and she is of that title. What you call a mistake, I call the best thing that ever happened to her. And obviously you don’t know us because everyone knows she is far awesomer to me in pretty much everything and I am thankful to call myself her grasshopper 🙂
xo – kb
I am as politically correct as they get. I am a Mexican-Californian-Obama voting-gay loving-LIBERAL who has every race you can imagine in my immediate family. White? check. black? check. Indian? check, and so on and so on. BUT Seriously, the being SO politically correct at every corner you turn is getting exhausting and with social media everywhere, people are dissecting every one else’s words so they can say ‘A-HA!!! I caught you!!!! I am better than you!!! Let me tell you how you can be more like me!!!!’
Katie, LOVE the black door. Goes so well with the new paint colors and when you mention hanging plants, I couldn’t help but think of hanging ferns all down the front like the old Southern homes I see in magazines. Like this: http://pinterest.com/pin/314126142729609176/
For what it’s worth, I’ve never once interpreted your descriptions of your sister and her path in life as digs at her. It’s always seemed like facts and a lot of love. This commentor is being highly presumptuous (and, I suppose, so am I — but my interpretation of what you’ve said in the past is more charitable, so hey).
And moving on to something I actually do know something about, I was a long-time ESL teacher/tutor, and I have lived abroad several times, so I have also been the broken language speaker many times myself, and I married an ESL speaker (an immigrant), and how you referred to how the guy in your story spoke is TOTALLY fine. I’d never have given it a thought if I never saw these comments.
I just can’t believe that comments could have come from people who have any real experience with being the language outsider or with knowing the feelings of language outsiders, else they’d not have this opinion.
I mean, broken English is just simply that. I have many times spoken broken Spanish and broken Italian and whatever is significantly worse than broken Mandarin and broken Japanese and broken French, and if someone else described my speech that way, I’d have thought it accurate and that would have been my entire thought.
It’s not like someone who isn’t fluent in English isn’t AWARE that they aren’t fluent, and it’s not like you made fun of him or despised him or thought less of him for knowing one and a half languages (presumably) instead of just English.
It’d be like making a reference to any other skill level. “An amateur basketball player came over and told me my front door really needed painting.” “Someone with a really contentious relationship with her sewing machine told me my front door should be repainted.” “Someone forgot how to boil water and then came over and told me my front door should be repainted.”
In this case, your description was less of non sequitur and underlined your point about the front door, but you catch my drift.
Holy Moley that is beautiful. REPIN!
xo – kb
Katie, I’m Mexican and though I speak fluent English I did not find the ‘broken English’ comment as rude or offensive (or the other comments they are bringing up). My parents speak ‘broken English’ and I’m sure they wouldn’t be offended by it. I don’t understand why some people are making it such a big deal and feel that they have every right to judge you when they don’t even know you.
And like a previous commenter said.. I also respect you for being so nice on your responses.
PS. I love the new black door.
Saludos desde Sonora, Mexico!
Wow…I wasn’t offended at all, barely even noticed it at all. I ADORE the black door…I have always thought I wanted a red door, but I think the black looks so classy and polished!! Great job, and excellent recommendation by your painter. In other news, your pre-pregnancy bucket list idea and your PS prayers last week seem to have done the trick 🙂 I am finally pregnant and you are the first “friend” I am sharing the news with! Thanks for being so supportive and awesome!! xoxo
commenting that he used broken English when his fluency had nothing to do with the story is the racist equivalent of telling somebody “I bought groceries at the store — it was a black/latino/Asian cashier — I bought six bags of chips.” Why bring race into it when it’s unrelated. And yes, in this case, the broken English comment was calling out that it was a Hispanic worker to make him seem less than. Like “even this nobody who can’t really speak English knew the red was too much.
YAY! I’m so excited for you! I am gonna keep you in those prayers for a healthy pregnancy!
xo – kb
Like I said before, I probably should have told more of the info…like how this particular gentleman was very shy and how he probably only spoke four words the entire ten days he was there and how even though it was not his native tongue, he felt it important enough to communicate how he felt about the color of the door. And to be quite honest…I have no idea what race he is…and I gave more weight to his opinion than the average person due to his experience in the area of painting. Others had told me that they didn’t like the red before and it never changed my opinion.
xo – kb
I really liked the red, but the black rocks too. And I’m passing out over your house. I love that you’re a jedi knight…I use an old jedi mind trick to try and get people to follow me. 😛
-andi
Sigh. I already commented about how I love your recent exterior choices. I’m sad about the negativity in the comments, I couldn’t do it. I hope you keep on being awesome. I realize I sound like a creepy 12 year old. I hope these negative comments don’t make you not want to write anymore!!! I’m still sounding creepy. I promise I’m not this weird in real life. Just on the Internet I guess!
WOW… do people just troll blogs looking for grammatical errors and offensive descriptions?
Love the new door colors and your blog!
LOL If I said something that caused anger not from one commentator but from tens of them!! and someone defended me by bringing up someone like Paula Deen, I would most definitely pause and reconsider what I said or just apologize because clearly I was wrong.
But not you Katie!
Your defense clearly demonstrates that you doesn’t get why it was offensive (even after several thoughtful explanations) – that the term ‘broken english’ wasn’t offensive but the context certainly was – just like ‘the black nurse’, the ‘asian cashier with the broken english’ and you are unable/too lazy/ignorant to understand another perspective
I love the black, I loved the red too. Beautiful house, beautiful doors and beautiful you for telling us about it.
This whole response thread is absolutely amazing. Everyone is criticizing you for making what they deem to be a critical remark. Pot – kettle – black.
I often read the comments on your blog and usually most comments are made by other bloggers with links to their blogs, for the sake of self-promotion. This time, these same people throwing stones don’t have the courage to add their links. Anonymity makes for bold statements. Funny thing is, even with the term you used, which is descriptive and perfectly fine, if you had been giving away a high-value freebie these same people would be all over it and cooing and oohing and hoping they win.
Assumptions are dangerous and if these commenters are willing to judge you by one word from your blog, they need to find another hobby rather than bullying you from the safety of their anonymous computer screens.
Keep up the writing and know that lots of other anonymous readers love your blog, just like I do. If I had a blog, I would proudly add a link.
This looks so great! I thought the red looked nice until I saw the most recent after pics, what a big difference! Good instincts!
Thank you Chrissy! I never called the man dumb nor even thought that for a moment. Most people don’t look at things through a black/white/brown, etc. lense, including me, although, apparently, some still do.
Those of you who do not speak another language other than English may not know that English is a very difficult language to learn as it has a lot of exceptions to its rules. I was reminded of that fact when I learned Spanish and, also, when my kids ask why you do or say something that way in English. Very often, there is no reason as there would be in other languages.
At any rate, Chrissy explained things much better than I did, so thanks again!
I have a red door.
You have a black door.
I ♥ you Katie Bower. Chin up and move on…
Hi Katie!
We live in a 1965 split level- part brick, part siding. We started prepping the house to paint the entire exterior… ourselves. I completely underestimated the amount of time it would take to prep the house. I thought that it would take 1 day to scrape/repair and 3 days to paint. After 4 days of prep work, we still are no where near painting. You’re so lucky you hired the job out!
Hope you enjoyed the beach!
OUCH! I am so sorry to hear that for your sake but honestly I’m kinda relieved to hear that it takes forever because I kept doubting whether or not we should have done it ourselves. Hope you get to painting soon!
xo – kb
Dear Pree…I heard the other side…I chose to stop the course, think about it, ask others opinions, do a little self reflection, and realize what I could have done differently (in this case, I didn’t tell the full story or make it clear why I used the term…I am sorry for that) and decide for myself my own stance on this. I encourage others to do the same. Obviously we end up on different ends of the spectrum.
I am a story-teller…it took me 6 chapters to tell one birth story…quite a long winded kinda cookie….always have been. Ask my mom. I will use descriptives to paint a picture of people I encounter (like race, hair color, eye color, accents, etc.) and situations that I experience. I do not try to offend anyone and always try to use the appropriate terminology. I usually only describe folks that I have positive encounters with (which is a lot of different kinds of people since Atlanta is so diverse) so that negative encounters do not become part of a profiling. My perspective is that we should not ignore the things that make us different or the same…but celebrate them and try to remember those individuals as just that!
xo – kb
i find it very interesting that many of these people accusing you of being racist or politically incorrect are straight up jumping to the conclusion that this painter is hispanic?!!! -isnt that more racist than mentioning that someone doesnt speak perfect english? you have no pictures of him on here, he could be russian or italian or thai for all we know. but he’s a painter so he must be hispanic. oi.
I’ve been contemplating painting my front door black and I think you just sold me on it! It looks lovely and very sophisticated!
You are amaing, Katie!
This whole thing is crazy, but well said Helen. However, I believe it’s an issue for some when they say that because it’s usually only used when the race is different than theirs. I never hear a white person say the white whatever or a black person say the black whatever. Also, I think people have taken this PC thing way too far and everybody gets offended way too fast. Crazy town.
I absolutely LOVE the black it looks WAY better! I had no problem with the red as my front door is red but the black looks amazing next to that stone! Woohoo, good job!
she’s american. we live nowhere near russia, thailand, or italy. we do, however, live a short drive from mexico. how is it racist to assume someone speaking “broken english” in america is hispanic/mexican? it’s common sense. anyway, you’re clearly misinformed in more ways than one. she does have a picture of the painters up. they look hispanic. scroll back to the original post about the trim being painted to see. stating that he spoke to her in broken english was completely unnecessary and mean. there’s nothing more to it. does it make her a bad, mean, or evil person? no, obviously not.
I do like the black, but I really loved the red.
To think, changing the color of your doors would create so much controversy! 😉
http://happinessiscreating.com/
Yikes! I originally commented that I felt the notation wasn’t necessary to the story which in turn made it stand out in a negative way. HOWEVER, none of that makes me think you are a racist and none of that spurred on any thoughts that you were also then hating on your little sister for having a child out of wedlock. It’s obvious that you love your sister and your nephew. I’m sorry this has turned into a nasty thing for you!
Also, just so you know where I was coming from: I’m puerto rican, with puerto rican parents who had a limited ability speaking in the english language. They encountered a lot of racism because of this and I am ALWAYS sensitive to items that infer any negative connotation or flat out racism to people with language limitations especially knowing how hard they must be trying to communicate.
Hope you don’t take the haters too much to heart 🙂
Ok people. If you want KB to stop blogging completely, keep up the negativity. Seriously, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with her description of situations. She is open, honest, and paints a vivid picture with her words. I would venture to say that if you read “broken english” as a description in a novel you wouldn’t think twice about it. Let’s all put our big girl panties on and get over it. Also, if you continue to have issues with her writing style STOP READING HER BLOG. I am so tired of people who are so scared of possibly offending one person (who shouldn’t be offended in this case for sure) that they try to censor everyone else. Enough is enough.
Katie, love the door and love your work. Keep it up!!!
Katie, did you sand the door before painting or just give it a good cleaning? And I am always confused if I should paint the…i don’t know the correct term for it..sides of the door the same color as the outside color or the inside color if different. thanks!
I love all your responses Katie, but this Pree and several others don’t even deserve a response. It’s ignorance on their part and they just seem to be seeking attention. You have responded enough to the negative. People go back and read through the comments. She has responded! Enough! I like the commenter that said “this is ridiculous”!
It looks nice Katie. However, I don’t LOVE it. The sum total of the front looks very dark and Halloweeny. Anyway, do what you do girlie, it is your house after all 🙂 I would advise a dark blue door but that would bring too many comparisons to the Peterstiks.
Your doors look amazing!! BTW, I seriously have no idea why people are attacking your choice of words. Be yourself Katie because we love you that way. If they don’t like it then they don’t have to read.
Keep your chin up 🙂
I, too, have a black front door. I love its decorating versatility. It looks especially great with yellow. As for the fuss…I don’t get it. You simply described the way a bilingual person spoke his second (or third) language. The fact he can even speak a second language, at any level, is commendable. I would be thrilled to get my second language to the “broken” stage. Then maybe my kids wouldn’t have to correct me so much, and strangers would actually get the drift of what I was trying to say. Unwad the panties, people!
I suppose I really don’t have much to say that hasn’t already been said but I will comment any way. First I love the new color choices on your exterior. Secondly, I have seen the negative comments on this post, some of your other posts, as well as online. It really makes me sad that some people honestly think it’s OK to be so judgmental of others. You read all this nonsense yet week after week continue to DIY, document, and post. Admirable.
Now, for fear of sounding like Chris Crocker but saying “leave Katie alone!” (Hahaha, crack my self up) I will end with this. If my blog is so blessed to be as successful as yours… when the negative comments come (and I’m sure they will) at least I will know I am in good company. So in the words of all you other fab followers, keep doing what you do girl.
Thanks Joy. That was a really sweet comment and meant a lot to me.
xo – kb
I used the 3m block which is like a cross between sanding and steel wool. And then I did a good cleaning. I always paint the edges of the door the same as the front…but I’m sure other people do it differently.
xo – kb
i don’t know about the black door. it’s looking kind of dull or even sad.
i think painting the other doors black on the facade would give it a more sophisticated look…and would maybe flow better?? its just a thought.
I questioned that same thing about the other doors. Maybe I’ll photoshop it first. And the door actually looks really shiny in real life so it’s like a shiny black handbag that is the shining star of an outfit 🙂
xo – kb
Katie, love the blog and all the choices you make, housewise and other.
I thought it was a good description of your conversation with him.
Keep on keeping on.
Cheers!
Honestly, i loved the RED door….felt a ghost house feel with the black door…reminded me of halloween :(..
awesome. I’ve never used the 3M block before, I’ll have to check it out. thanks!
I agree with Grey that it’s worse to assume they’re Hispanic based on their “broken English,” profession, or even their appearance- as one small example, there are a number of people in the US who may look Black but prefer to identify as Latino/a. Additionally, I don’t know about Atlanta, but where I’m from (mid-Atlantic region), most Hispanic people are not Mexican; even if these painters are Hispanic, they may not be Mexican. It’s equally wrong to assume their race or their ethnicity.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the black front doors! We’re doing a major renovation and have a pair of black front doors on order. Can’t wait for ours’ to arrive. I know they’ll look great after seeing your makeover! 🙂
LOVE this post:) your blog Is always so inspiring in every way.
If you want to see some cute blue colored decor…Check out my blog:)
Have a wonderful day dear
LOVE Maria at inredningsvis.se
(Sweden)
Your comment… “My perspective is that we should not ignore the things that make us different or the same…but celebrate them and try to remember those individuals as just that!” … I love that way of thinking. and when I saw this blog post today, I thought of that comment and thought you might love to read it. http://courtneydefeo.com/a-moms-heart-on-race/#disqus_thread Hope you’re having a wonderful day!
Thanks Katie. I just read it and it was a great perspective. She seems amazing!
xo – kb
Don’t you wish you could totally block idiots that come to call you names and really have NOTHING to add to the story! I do! I read every post, I read every comment, I’m so sick of the people who take a word and change the definition to something mean, racist & hateful! They ruin MY day, I hope for sure not yours, but mine! Re…dick…ulous!! Spaz isn’t bad, Spazzy or Spastic! Not in our language! Just keep typing for those that matter! The ones that get you and love your humor and your heart! The others are just trouble makers!
You inspired me to paint my door too. http://pumpkinloves.blogspot.com/2013/08/entry-way-part-ii.html
YAY! I love it!
xo – kb