If a boy and girl walk off into the sunset...

"If a boy and girl walk off into the sunset hand-in-hand in the last scene, it adds 10 million to the box office."
-George Lucas

Maybe so and most likely because who can resist a good sunset... that single moment in the day when the sky is on fire- for just a minute or two that you can so easily miss if you don't slow down... Today's color is just that- that electric fiery orange of sunset.
 Cadmium Orange (Pantone 15-1340)
Romantic
Desirable
Dramatic

Cadmium Orange encourages a healthy and flexible outlook on life...it helps you move forward with vision and freedom.

Who couldn't use a little help moving forward and having a healthy outlook? so add a little (or a lot) of Cadmium Orange into your life.

for me nothing says Romantic Desirable and Dramatic more than if I walked in to find:

Aghhh- Heaven! Hermes orange falls squarely in the Cadmium Orange family!

And for all you UVA fans out there- you finally have a good excuse to wear those crazy pants...

Happy last day of June!

Ah me, love can not be cured by herbs

"Ah me, love can not be cured by herbs."
-Ovid

Ovid may be correct that love can not be cured by herbs but a stagnant room and a hot summer day can be!
Today's color: Forest Shade (Pantone 15-6423)
Emotional
Quick
Private

Wearing and surrounding yourself with Forest Shade promotes growth and helps you let go of old ideas and patterns.

It's no secret that green is one of my favorite colors (who am I kidding I love color of all shades and hues!) but this particular shade of green is the perfect summer green-- it is the color of fresh herbs- not the ones cut at the grocery store but the color of the ones in your garden that are glowing with sunshine... it is a happy and whimsical green without being juvenile and it is the perfect pick me up to any room...

Bottle green glass bouncing sunshine and light around gives a nostalgic feeling when placed on display

I adore this shade of green for curtains- the way the sun shines through looks just like a fresh basil leaf!

When paired with crisp white in a geometric pattern it is the perfect preppy solution

No excuses- you can always bring this color into your room with something living

(kind of looks like she might kick that cat out the window!)

When paired with a darker, more saturated emerald green it helps liven up the space and not feel so serious

It absolutely pops with orange and has a very retro feel

But it isn't just rooms that this color can liven up...

use those herbs in your garden before the worst of the summer heat zaps them- herbs are a great accent to cocktails on a warm summer evening.

My favorite for the summer...

The Moscow Mule

Servings: Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 ounce vodka
• 1 tsp. sugar syrup
• Fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup ginger beer (*note- this is NOT ginger ale)
• 1 sprig fresh mint
• 1 slice of lime

Directions

In a copper mug (totally unnecessary but very cool if you can find one), pour vodka over ice. Add sugar syrup and lime juice. Top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with mint sprig and lime slice.

Enjoy!- you can thank me later

Prep for the 4th challenge...

I have to confess I have a bit of a teenage crush on Kiel James Patrick...who is that you ask? If you aren't familiar with KJP then you are not preppy enough. KJP is preppy- he is over the top, lives and breaths prep- I find it hysterical and have a hard time believing that he is an actual person- how can anyone really be that preppy, but I guess with that name you have only one road to take...
Kiel is known among the popped collar set for his bracelets, belts, bow ties and just all around fabulous-ness. I personally am a huge fan of the driftknots - earring made of tie silk= adorable!
I could go on and on about this character but what I love most about KJP is his 4th of July contest he has going on : Prep for the Fourth...This Fourth of July we are challenging our fellow Americans to dress to the nines in American-made Products. To help spread the word to support local made business we are offering Kiel James Patrick fans (heroes) the opportunity to spread the word for a chance to win $1,000.00 worth of American-made products.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this contest- preppy combined with American made product support. 
So KJP- in your honor, I raise the stakes and challenge my readers to Prep their homes... 

add some color and some fabulous-ness inspired from your favorite preppy attire

and go one better by using American products

yes- these pieces are made in America!

or just do a little update...

Hubbardton Forge makes gorgeous hand forged lighting in Vermont- and they have some stunning new pieces!

or click on over to Etsy to find some original pieces by American artisans

Game on readers- Challenge extended! and feel free to share your American made finds!

sorry- there is no prize for my challenge- just the joy you will have of sprucing up your pad!

xoxo

this is a clever little pig....

I had full intentions of blowing right on past June 26th's color...
Raw Sienna (Pantone 17-1436), it is the color of a brick and frankly I was too busy yesterday, out gallivanting in the city to be inspired by Raw Sienna...except I spent a better part of my day actually surrounded by it! DC is a fantastic walking city- we who are lucky enough to live here tend to take the city for granted, but yesterday I played tourist and spend the day on the mall wandering around the Smithsonian's when right in front of me it hit me...
That oh so uninspiring shade of Raw Sienna is a perfect match to the bricks!
Then I looked at the descriptors: Feisty and Adventurous- perfect descriptors for a Sunday Funday too! Raw Sienna increases your resilience and helps dissolve old wounds...what a perfect color to house our old artifacts!

Bricks are a an amazing tool and a fantastic toy...you can make anything your imagination can create out of bricks and no wolf can destroy it!
And I can't think of bricks without my mind immediately slipping back to childhood and Lego Bricks...did you know that when they were introduced in 1949, they had a very poor reception because people did not like the idea of plastic toys! imagine that now! If the original creators could only see now how far their little plastic bricks have come...

Lego counter...what a fun and colorful way to bring a kitchen to life!

Lego bases for the chairs...I don't know what would be more fun, making them or decorating with them!

bye bye boring conference table- hello conversation piece!

CEO desk out of black legos...chic and whimsical- a hard combination to pull off...but it works

now this guy took his obsession a bit far....

by building a life size Lego house!

I wonder if you need a building permit for that???

What's up Tiger Lily?

June 24th: Tigerlily (Pantone 17-1456)
Communicator
Insightful
Mystical

"If you were born on this day: Your ability to affect people is powerful..."

Wearing and surrounding yourself with Tigerlily uplifts your spirit and helps you stay connected to the truth and your special mission in life.

I promise- I did not make that up- it is straight from the Colorstrology pages. Apparently we are going a bit deeper this morning!

I was ready to pull together a posting based off the colors of the gorgeous and slightly exotic flower it is named after with a joke or two referencing Tiger Blood- but really, Charlie Sheen is over, not even remotely funny anymore and well- if you have read my blog at all the last few weeks you know I'm kinda over orange tones... However- I do love the deep complexity of this shade and find the flower itself to be an amazing point of inspiration... I still am not going that route...
How could anyone read the descriptors for today's color and not immediately think of Crystal! Mystical- Yes! Insightful and Communicator...well legend would love for us to believe they hold those powers.
Crystal Chandeliers are a funny thing... I love the old fashioned styling, I respect their history in design, I love anything that sparkles but I'm not so sure about the direction they are headed... Sometimes less is more, sometimes you don't fix it unless it's broken... so what's going on with Crystal??

Take the classic...

Change up the coloring... OK, that's fun in the right place (maybe)

Use found objects to make your own... again- I can get on board with this. I actually really like the juxtaposition of the luxurious crystals against the plumbing materials

Modernize it...

Stylize it

Again- I like this clean sleek collection of modern crystal pieces

I adore how this sphere treats the crystals in an almost jewelry setting to create this shimmering sphere

I love this fixture, loved it even more with Saks installed a wall of them for their shoe department

I love the organic bubble feel of them.

and this is where is starts to fall apart for me...I understand that the heavy facets result in amazing sparkle for cheaper quality crystals but it looses the bubble or raindrop quality that I love of the previous one

And from here on my I present to you...the worst of crystal chandeliers (if you call them that)

Enjoy!

the Hug...possibly the strangest thing I have seen made of crystal and electricity.

Now I know there is chocolate and vanilla ice cream for a reason but these odd creations make love and appreciate the simple classic beauty of a good ole' fashioned crystal chandelier...

it works just fine in a contemporary setting!!!