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Welcome to austinagrodolce … My family and I garden with more intention and enthusiasm than allocated budget or overall design plan. It shows. Wildlife populations don't seem to notice our lack of cohesive design, they just like the native plants here. It seems by growing local we've thrown out a welcome mat. Occasionally, we're surprised at who (and what) shows up.



Monday, January 11, 2010

It's What's for Color

So long to 2009's Mimosa (14-0848). Buh-bye 2008's Blue Iris (18-3943). Adios '07 Chili Pepper (19-1557). It is 2010 and you can relax because the suspense is over. Pantone has announced our latest color of the year and it is....TURQUOISE (15-5519)!

Be the first on your block to celebrate. Impress everyone with your fashion forward thinking and haul out everything you've got in shades of turquoise (remember to lift with your knees!).

This being a some of the time cooking blog I even found you a recipe for making your own (color) turquoise.

Essentially, turquoise is one part green to two parts blue. Play with the ratio a little if you want to, just don't tell Ruhlman. Only Pantone has to get that color right in a specific way every time.

According to my (superficial/arbitrary) research, turquoise gemstones range in colors depending on how much copper (blue) there is compared to the iron (green) in the soils in which they formed. Turquoise gemstones are attributed with all sorts of healing properties (especially on websites that offer the gemstones for sale. Charming coincidence!)

Stymied as to how/where you'd use Turquoise, the Color? No worries, Pantone has this from their press release announcing the color choice:
In fashion, Turquoise makes a statement that can look elegant and dressy in fine silk and gemstones, or casual and fun in cotton and athletic apparel. Because of its versatility, Turquoise is a great accent color in jewelry, purses, shoes, hair accessories and even nail polish for women, and ties, shirts and sportswear for men.
Because after all, (again from the press release so caps all theirs)
Turquoise Transports Us to an Exciting, Tropical Paradise While Offering a Sense of Protection and Healing in Stressful Times
Protection and Healing? Who doesn't want that!?!If asked, (go ahead, ask, I'm waiting) I would not have said I liked turquoise per se all that much as a color, but when I started looking around my house, I've got a bit showing here and there. Apparently I may be prescient, fashion color wise (which may come as a shock to those who know me well).Don't let that throw you. Take a look around, somewhere in your stuff is hiding that perfect example of turquoise something or other to casually display as a bit of color I-told-you- showmanship. Wait, showomanship? Showpersonship? Whatever, showoffyship.

Find that turquoise accent in your own belongings. Put it out artfully, all casual like. If you have lots of turquoise (really, why!?!?) try displaying in groups of three. If you have a house full of the stuff then I'm not sure what to say, except perhaps, "Enjoy 2010! This must be YOUR year!".

Then rest, basking in a growing sense of protection and healing, knowing you are safe from the Color Police for at least another year.

7 comments:

Kathleen Scott said...

What a fun post!

I LOVE the color turquoise, it's warm and cool at the same time. Energizing, peaceful, the Caribbean at rest.

And the woman who 'did my colors' years ago told me that every woman in the world looks good in turquoise. Can't get better than that.

Iris said...

Advil is considered turquoise in color, too, right? I have a little cold a headache today so that's the turquoise I'm noticing most. (Cue music from world's tiniest violin here.)

I generally like the color but notice I don't have much of it around. I DO have one of those COOL glass things like your bottom photo. What are those? I love them!

TexasDeb said...

Awww - feel better fast Iris! Cold headaches can be the worst. And yes - Advil is totally turquoise now you mention it. How fashion forward of them!

Those are old fashioned glass insulators - used to be on the cross poles for telephone and telegraph wires.
http://glassian.org/insulator.html
Most are clear - some are blue (my favorites) and I've seen photos of yellow and red and PURPLE! ones online but never found one in real life.

Have you noticed if you turn it upside down a tealight candle just fits?

Iris said...

Thanks, Deb! I feel a little better already. And thank you for the info on the glass insulators--I'd vaguely remembered that they related to telephones. I've never noticed the tealight fit--how cool! P.S.--Husband Kurt prompted me (in the comments section of my last post) to post my most recent "homemade" Caesar salad dressing recipe. He's a Caesar fiend.

TexasDeb said...

Iris - thanks for the tip off to the second recipe post (first was for lettuce soup - you should all see Iris' bumper crop!). Here is a link (I hope!) : http://tiny.cc/VovSF
so the rest of you can share in the wealth.

Anonymous said...

Growing up I had a pair of turquoise bell bottoms. They had Sean Cassiday's body going down the left pant leg - and I thought I was pretty hot wearing them!

Loved this post Deb!

Anonymous said...

Oh biz, those pants sound a-dor-a-ble. I'm sure you were super hot in them and then were sorry to part with them (and tell me you don't still have them because if you do, you could sell them for a fortune on ebay!). Thanks for dropping in!