🌱 Happy April!
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After the warmest, driest winter on record here in Colorado, everything is budding and blooming early.

However, April is typically Colorado's second-snowiest month and we all know that anything can happen!
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Springtime in our state always seems to bring unexpected turns, something I witness daily because of a minor mishap last summer.

Right after we moved into this house, I tried to manage all the little fixes we needed to be comfortable.

For example, the windows required blinds so we could have privacy and avoid flashing our new neighbors.

Hanging blinds is a home job that seems like it should be so simple and straightforward, right? WHY IS IT NEVER EASY?

After breaking one drill bit, wrenching my shoulder, and going through half a bucket of wall patch hanging window blinds, I was ecstatic to discover an old, existing set of blind brackets already installed in my bathrom window.

Even better, the new blinds slid perfectly into the old brackets!

Hallelujah for small miracles! One less job to tackle!

However, when I pulled the blind down it not only immediately fell out and cascaded loudly to the floor, but both of the old brackets broke into little pieces of dust.

Have You Been There?

Have you ever reached the absolute end of your patience and energy?

I remember feeling tired, cranky, and so disappointed that my "easy" fix wasn't easy after all.

I cried pitiful, pitiful tears before I surrendered to defeat, put the tools away, and ate Häagen-Dazs Caramel Cone directly from the carton.

But here’s the unexpected part.

⭐️🌙 That night as I gazed bitterly at the uncovered bathroom window, I noticed the most beautiful starry sky.

High in the treetops with no houses nearby, I realized the window didn't really require a blind after all.

Problem solved!

Even better, the little blind-less pane of glass turned out to be a daily, ever-changing source of pretty sights.

Here are just a few of the skies I've seen:

If I had succeeded with my project, I would have missed all of the views!

Blessed Detours

This got me thinking about other times in my life, when something that seemed to go wrong was actually something that went right:

• The corporate job I didn’t get, that would’ve required a 90-minute commute.
• The cheating, heartbreaker boyfriend I thought I wanted back.
• The real estate deal that fell through, preventing me from buying the "charming" fixxer-upper house with (I found out later) major foundation problems.

How About You?

Have you ever dealt with disappointment, only to realize later that the roadblock was a blessing?

If so, will you hit "reply" and let me know what happened? I'd love to read and share your stories.

I hope you enjoy the best surprises this month, and a beautiful April.

Warmly,

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Eliza Cross Owner, Happy Simple Living ​Read my story​

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