Happy Birthday to me...

Seriously...Golden Apricot is my birthday color!!??!!  what a rip off! I always thought myself more the Shelby of Steel Magnolias type..."Pink is my signature color."

So here goes nothing..let's see what Golden Apricot has to offer me...
Pantone 14-1041 (well none of those are my lucky numbers...)

Influential
Methodical
Lively...Ok I can stretch and see this a little

According to Colorstrology... being born today means:
I notice opportunity and am always ready for something new and exciting (ok- I'll give her that one). I am quick on my feet, and people naturally like me (hmmm- most of my best friends say they were afraid of me before we became friends...) I am usually found with a smile on my face, no matter how hard I'm working (Well these days that is true and certainly something I am willing to work towards making true about me.) I have a way with finances (Oh do I ever! haha!! she is good!)

By wearing and surrounding myself with Golden apricot it will help remind me to keep things fresh and not get stuck in old ideas, habits or relationships... sounds good- but really Golden Apricot! I will admit this color has proven to be my greatest challenge...

I like this earthy kind of flatware- especially if I can fill it very full with cereal and milk and and drink the sugary milk after the cereal is gone

Not horrid- kind of chic modern bohemian

I do love a good day bed...and velvet!

I will never ever do a 100% solid on a big piece of upholstery- little flecks of another color (like Golden Apricot) give this fabric some depth and dimension without being disruptive or jarring

those look yummy!

I do love tulips...

Seriously- that's all I had...Until I realized one of my favorite things on earth is MY signature color!!!!

That's right! The widow is my signature color!!!

And what a better thing to have as my signature!

Oh the Widow Clicquot...not exactly a looker, but Barbe-Nicole (Ponsardin) Clicquot was an amazing woman... how many widows today would take on the passionate whim of their deceased husband and turn it into not just a premier champagne house, but pioneer the way the world would make and drink champagne?  This strong willed woman lead the helm and forged the way for many a French man and turned a failing wine operation into what is now an over 400 million Euro a year empire! 

Way to kick ass Barbe-Nicole!

So yes- I will wear and surround myself with Golden Apricot...

I'll fill myself up with it!

Cheers!

Along the Veuve line... check out Elle's Champagne Update

If a June night could talk...

"If a June night could talk, it would probably boast that it invented romance." -Bern Williams

The days are hot and the nights are hotter- June is roaring in with a heat wave! Winter is long gone and spring never really happened; it is summer and everything is coming alive...and what is more fitting than the fact that the color representing the month is Aspen Gold (Pantone 13-0850) a bright, bold and energizing shade of yellow that harnesses rays of sunshine and can't help but make you smile. This particular shade of yellow is known for stimulating the brain and increasing intelligence and mental agility so what better color to use in your home???

Aspen Gold is bold so it is best to use it as a single accent

And like the month, today's color is also a bold yellow: Daffodil (Pantone 14-0850)-Described as Generous and Entertaining, a slightly calmer shade of sunshine that can help renew your energy and remind you of the light and enthusiasm that you have within.

And you don't need to just leave these glowing shades hanging around the living spaces- fill you closet with them too!

So if June 1st is your birthday..."you have an unusual mixture of inner tenderness and extroverted star quality. Balancing both sides of your nature will keep you busy as you try to keep a foothold on your integrity and express your talents to the world." -Colostrology   

(and based upon my favorite person born on this day- I have to say that statement is so true!)

hope: verb. to cherish a desire with anticipation

I find it fitting that the color most often used to symbolize hope is yellow...I have been hoping with my whole heart that spring is coming soon and we are past winter's harsh grasp. And despite Monday night's snow in DC, I got my first sign of hope yesterday...in the form of blooming Jasmine cascading down a front wall.
 In your home yellow can help lend a sense of happiness and cheerfulness while softer more buttery shades give a more calming happy feel.

And leave it to mother nature to give us yellow's perfect partner...green. Green is a secondary color smooshed in-between yellow and blue on the color wheel; this gives green a unique characteristic of taking the calming qualities of blue while still holding onto the energy of yellow. Being analogous colors (next to each other on the wheel) they go really well together and are an easy combination for color harmony.

  

Aghh the Hair of the Dog....

An expression that dates back to Shakespeare's time... originally referring to to belief that if you were bitten by a dog, applying a few of that same dog's hairs to the wound would cure you of rabies and any other diseases. Today the same notion applies only to the idea that after a night of drinking too much, having a bit more will cure your hangover... so Mimosas it is this morning...
And while Mimosa was the color of the year in 2009, I feel today it is still fitting... Yellow is associated in color theory with joy, happiness, intellect and energy.  Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity and generates muscle activity.  And what could be a more fitting color to start off the new year?

Happy New Year!

photos: Country Living, Martha Stewart, Apartment Therapy, Style Estate, Manolo Home, Real Simple