Blooming Mondays: Explosions of Color (gerber daisies, 04.30.12)

It’s spring. Really, is there anything to do but laugh and spin?

bell peppers

I try to go to the Hollywood Farmers’ Market every Sunday. I don’t always make it. This weekend, I had a slew of errands to run but I really wanted to pick up some organic zucchini and fresh flowers. I rarely go with that clear of an agenda, preferring to poke around and see what strikes my fancy. My success on this trip, however, has made me wonder if a clear agenda might be a wave of the future. It’s very effective and keeps me from buying too much and then observing in dismay as it rots because of my poor planning.

These eggplant-shaded bell peppers, juxtaposed with the green, stopped me in my tracks. I have no idea what their flavor might be, as I proudly stuck to just purchasing my zucchini and sunflowers, but how could anything this gorgeous taste anything other than delicious?

What would you do with theses if they were in your kitchen?

denim toes

Legs covered in denim. Toes painted in denim. What could be better?

I’ve never before tried this color polish. I’m kinda digging it, in perfect time for my road trip to San Diego tomorrow to give some real-time hugs to some originally virtual friends.

Don’t you just love life in the details?

So, it occurred to me to try finding beauty in the mundane and to share with you the little things I love about the spaces I inhabit every day and rarely honor with the respect and appreciation they deserve.

in the office and in the moment

Here is the engraved stone gifted by a friend, with its wise message;

the crammed pencil holder, hinting at my obsession with pens;

the plant that continues to thrive, despite my neglect;

one of my two windows, both of which actually open to allow for air and light;

the fruit co-workers frequently bring into work from their gardens, available to anyone;

the gaudy, fabulous pillow that perches on my office couch, which I finally made from old kimono pieces I’d gathered years ago.

When I’m present, I see the beauty in these simple things and in the life I’ve created for myself.

in the office and over exposed

When I’m not living in the moment, the world loses it’s color and everything get overexposed by critique and judgement.

I prefer to live in color. Don’t you?

a dash of color is almost as good as a sip of water

So many firsts today! It’s the first day of the month – August. It’s the first day of the week – Monday. And it’s the first day of The August Break, created by Susannah Conway.

It’s also the first day after a long hike. The above picture should be memento enough of a delightful day spent traversing a burbling creek, multiple times; sharing the discovery of salamanders, tadpoles, fallen acorns and rocks with a precocious four-year-old; trudging up exposed, dry hillsides sporting runaway-truck-ramp type grades; and glorying in being immersed in nature, complete with waterfalls, only a few miles from Hollywood. My calf muscles, however, have decided I need a deeper reminder than that achieved with an iPhone and Instagram.

Since I can’t pass on my aching legs, blistered feet and slight sunburn to you glorious folks, I hope you enjoy this burst of color that greeted us on the way down the hill and mocked us on the way back up. Also, happy Blooming Monday.

How was your weekend?

By Generate Design

I love time, how it disappears when I’m having fun and mysteriously lengthens if I’m bored, anxious or sweating profusely in front of a new crush. I don’t actually respect it very often, however. Which is why I love watches. I have a place in my heart for a particular Movado, but until then, I totally did this little cutie, from Generate Design and available in a bunch of different colors.

What color would you choose?

It’s digital, but in all the right ways. The hands and minute marker dot are LED, but in order to make sense of the light, you still have to know how to tell time the old-fashioned way. And if you set your watch like I do, you’ll then have to subtract between five and ten minutes from that. I always set my watches fast. That way, I’m on time… sometimes.

Price: Affordable. Available at Generate Design and other fine contemporary design studios.

Green with Envy

I’m heading over to Ireland tomorrow, after having spent the weekend playing amongst the manor estates outside London. I can’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else. Don’t hate me.

This vacation is an overt escape from the trials and tribulations of every day life back home, where I frequently feel a bit green when comparing the trappings of my life with those of many of my friends. I’ve decided, however, that I’m going to soak up as much green as possible while I’m here – green hills, green dales, and even little green males if I come across them at the end of a rainbow – so that when I return to “reality,” I will remember not to fall into the comparison vortex.

I have an amazing life. It’s not perfect. Far from. But it is amazing. And for today, I’m getting to do one of the things I value most, which is traveling to another country and absorbing all I can from the experience.

I’m in the midst of receiving a massive transfusion of hope and inspiration.

I’ll keep my eye out for a four leaf clover too.

Just a reminder: I’ve invited some awesome guest bloggers to have their say in this space in the coming week. Give them a hearty hello, will ya?

Going Green

After all, my world would be a lot less colorful if someone hadn’t decided to reproduce Forest Green.

Did I mention that I am humbled by the divine power of pedicures, too? And I don’t even have a foot fetish.

What is your favorite sense? And why?

Galaxy Martini Shakers from iloveuma.com

Which color would you choose? I’ve decided I prefer the orange. Just don’t make me drink an onion.

The Rainbow Quiz is basically a personality test of sorts. And I secretly love these things. I’m always curious to know what they profess to reveal about my identity.

I took the Rainbow Quiz for the first time a few weeks ago. Here’s the result:

My thoughts? Well. I’m actually not a big fan of yellow. I like green. And blue. And black. And red. And— well, pretty much every color BUT yellow. Maybe I should look at this. Does this mean my external tastes do not reconcile with my internal impulses? Am I paying too much attention to what I want and what brings me pleasure, but not enough attention to what I need? And what’s this thing about patience? Clearly, this test is flawed. I have the patience of a gnat. Ask anyone. And what exactly is this test inferring, saying I’m “good at getting people to like me.” It’s not like I’m forcing anyone into the back of the Bada-Bing to make a blood pact or having folks craft piles of friendship pins – although, now that I think about it, rows of seed beads in these colors might actually improve the look of my thrashed New Balances. Minus the yellow.

Clearly, I should have walked away at this point. Instead, I pondered the results for a few weeks, with time-outs for work and sleep and American Idol. I decided to take the Rainbow Quiz again. I really wanted a prettier rainbow. Here’s what I got:

White, huh? Is that even a shade? Now, I’m conflicted. The second rainbow is much prettier than the first – not as muddy. But what it says about me is so dreadfully boring! And I still see some yellow. Why can’t my rainbow look like sherbet? There’s no yellow in sherbet.

By Loguk

Or, perhaps, I should leave quizzes to those less likely to self-indulgently analyze the results ad nauseam. I’ve learned my lesson – leave rainbows to those who can handle them. I can find comfort in the fact that unicorns, at least, never disappointed me like this.

Why don’t you take the test? Just be sure to let me know how pleased you are with the results.