This Cleft Rock Palette makes unlikely friends of orange, blue and green, balanced with a neutral tan. It all started from a small hike, and grew into some big thoughts. Recently we’ve been doing a lot of walking and hiking in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains. If you’re not from around here, the Sandia Mountains are part of the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains. Which means they’re very rocky. My kids love to climb on top of all the boulders, and the dog likes to think he can keep up with them. (We usually end up carrying him most of the way home.) The last time we were… Keep Reading
Seafoam Palette and Thinking Beachy Thoughts
This seafoam palette of light blues and deep greens has put me in the mood for a trip to the beach. Those who believe that vacation is a state of mind have clearly never been to an actual beach. Because I’m thinking hard about sunny beaches right now, but I’m still stuck in the state of New Mexico with snow falling outside my window. Perhaps if I closed my eyes and thought reeeeally hard about the beach, when I open my eyes I’ll be sitting on the deck of my beach house in Tampa. (Never mind that I don’t own a beach house in Tampa.) Let me try it… Nope…. Keep Reading
Frosted Palette and the Winter Blues
This frosty blue palette is perfect for bringing a chill to the air, any time of year. Here in Albuquerque it sure is frosty but there are no jolly singing snowmen to be found anywhere. The sun is shining, and the only glimpse of winter that we get is the frost on our rooftops in the morning. Not that I’m complaining. I’ve lived in other, snowier, places and while winter weather can be fun and interesting, days on end of clouds and damp are not built into my DNA. We haven’t yet passed the winter solstice yet, and I’m already pining for warmer weather and barefoot days. I’m a Texas… Keep Reading
Muted Pumpkin Palette and Thoughts on Changing Seasons
I must confess I’m not a huge fan of orange. I mean, I love color. I love all the shades, hues, and tones. I love how it changes in the light and how it can change our outlook. I love each and every color. Except orange. Like having a favorite student in a class, or a least favorite pet, I felt a little bad about my attitude towards orange. I mean, it’s never done anything to hurt me. Except assault my corneas. But it’s not Orange’s fault; it can’t help that it’s so… orange. So I set out to create a fall color palette that even an orange-averse person like… Keep Reading
Back to School Pencil Palette and an Ode to Pencils
This back to school pencil palette combines deep graphite gray with warmer wood tones. Ahhh the smell of freshly sharpened pencils. And the feel of that perfectly honed point against your finger. There are few things about back to school season that I love more than buying new school supplies. I didn’t realize this about myself until this year when my oldest started high school, and her only school supply was a Chromebook. They deprived me of all the fun of shopping! Fortunately, my youngest was happy to skip up and down the Target aisles with me for all her new folders, pencils, and markers. Yet another reason I hope… Keep Reading
Pug Palette and the Dog Days of Summer
I have a thing for dogs. There’s just something about their happy spirit that makes me smile. And their soft furriness doesn’t hurt either. I love all breeds and all mutts, but when it comes to goofy cuteness, there’s no comparison to pugs. Pug Palette When I saw this photo, it just made me smile. If you’re wondering, that’s often how I pick the photos that serve as inspiration for my color palettes. Sometimes I start with a subject matter or color idea in mind, but most of the time I just scroll through one of my favorite free photo sites until I see a picture that catches my eye… Keep Reading
Summer Cherries Palette
Few things embody summer like the taste and color of fresh cherries. This summer cherry palette reminds me of simple pleasures and living in the moment. This past weekend we got an unexpected visit from out-of-town friends. Their family was passing through town and stopped at our house for a couple of days. To entertain the kids, we walked to the neighborhood park. As we were getting ready to head home for lunch, my daughter noticed a single red cherry laying on the ground in front of her. She looked up and realized we were standing under a huge old cherry tree, laden with perfectly ripe cherries! The kids (and… Keep Reading
Moored Palette
This moody moored palette captures the deep blues and greens of the water, even though you don’t see much water, or really anything but what your mind thinks is black and white in the picture. My family has been talking a lot about change lately. As the school year winds down, I’ve got one kid finishing middle school, getting ready to start high school next year, and one kid having just survived her first year of middle school. One thing I can tell you, from their experiences and mine, is that middle school is aptly named. It’s a time in between. You’re in between elementary school where friends come easy… Keep Reading
Neopolitan Palette and 9 ways to Use Color Palettes
As a color enthusiast, I believe that color is an end to itself. Color is its own reason for existing. Or another way to say it: because things can be colorful, they should be. I mean, just look at the delicious macarons in this neopolitan palette. In theory, they would be just as tasty without their colors, but I somehow doubt it, at least for me. When I saw these, it took me back to when I was kid and we would visit the grandparents. My grandma always had giant bowls of neopolitan ice cream waiting for us as soon as we arrived. It didn’t even matter if it was… Keep Reading
Spring Bloom Palette
So I realize I might be jumping the gun a little bit with this Spring Bloom Palette, but I just couldn’t resist. My theme on the blog this month is “Spring Refresh” and when I saw this picture, it seemed to fit perfectly. I’ve also realized that I really like cherry blossoms, because as I was going through my archives, I found two other similar palettes. Oh well, you can’t have too much of a good thing, especially if it’s color! It doesn’t feel much like spring yet, but this is the time of year that I start longing for warmer weather, more sunlight, and greener trees. Oh, and summer… Keep Reading