Wanna be by the water...

Hello dear readers!  Hope you are having a good weekend. It's hot here in Ohio and I am feeling a little wistful. I thought I'd take a little break from my Denver series to talk about the simple life.

I crave simplicity and nature. I've got an itch to move,  Here's the funny thing.  I know I will be moving. It's not a feeling, I know it. It's going to be a big move and it's going to happen quickly. Not sure where yet, top choices are Seattle, Portland or Denver. My ideal would be to own a small cabin. As you know, I love living small. I want to live a simple, low impact life.  I crave nature. I've always loved being near water, and I love trees.

I saw this cabin in Wooster, Ohio on Craigslist and thought very seriously about buying it. It's more of a vacation cottage, but  I could definitely live there year round.  Only problem is the place has only a camper toilet. I might be a simple girl, but I still need some luxuries.  I need a full working bathroom.  Still it's nice to dream.

Here is another dream home.  Ahh. I would sit on that porch, smoke a dube and chill to the max. Maybe even learn how to grow weed. Did you know you can take horticulture classes in Denver that will teach you to grow weed? (Warning: there are still lots of legalities which we will discuss later.) I'd probably get a pit bull to alert me if there's trouble approaching.

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Image by Peggy

I even thought about a house boat in Seattle. I am so enthusiastic about my future. Things are really looking up for me and it's about time. Better late than never!  I'll be sure to keep you posted. Have a great weekend and, as always, thanks for reading!  xo

Denver Peeps, Part Four: The Coolest Peeps You're Ever Gonna Meet......

WARNING!  ADULT LANGUAGE AND REFERENCES TO SMOKING MARIJUANA


My posts are not necessarily  in chronological order, but it doesn't really matter. The stories are true. I felt as if Denver gave me a big welcoming hug upon my arrival.

Meet John Elway's new press secretary.  He had just arrived, and he was one of the first people I met when I started exploring. BTW - John Elway is a big local hero. I heard him being talked about constantly by locals and tourists and saw posters of him everywhere, including at the airport.  I'm dating myself, but I remember him being the nemesis of the Cleveland Browns back in the day of Bernie Kosar and Marty Schottenheimer. We almost made it to the Super Bowl, until the fumble heard around the world. I remember that fumble clearly. We all cried. That's when I gave up football......

Sorry, I digress.  So dude told me he just arrived because John Elway had been arrested and his services were needed to spin the story and repair John's image. Apparently he's a master spinner.

Yeah, dude was talking shit. But he was pleasant, funny and welcoming. He had twinkly eyes and a contagious smile and laugh.  And here's something funny:  he was clean.  In fact, this was something I noticed about the homeless and transients in general. They look nothing like the Cleveland or Akron transients. They are much cleaner, have better clothes, better shoes.

See what I mean?  This is Capital Hill.  There were people from a social agency passing out food, blankets, clothes, shoes, backpacks, water, etc.  I'll try to get you a pic from a soup line in Cleveland to give you a comparison.  I'll tell you what else was refreshing about Mr. Press Secretary. He didn't ask me for money. Of course, a lot of people asked me for money since I had the large neon sign on my forehead that said: TOURIST. But it's okay, I can handle myself. I'll have more to say about poverty in a subsequent post.

By the dollar store I met a couple of good ol' boys from Alabama (their expression, not mine). I wanted to pet the dude's puppy. I approached and gently asked if it was okay to put his pup - you never know pup might be in training. He said in a drawl, "Why sure lil lady, and thanks for asking."  He explained that people approach the pup without asking him first and she doesn't like that.

This guy had the most riveting eyes I've ever seen. He told me he and his buddy had hopped a train from Alabama (I wish I had recorded his voice for you to hear). He said they had no choice. There were no jobs. Alabama (like Ohio) is broke so there's no welfare. He told me he was strong as an ox and wanted to work and that he found an agency like Minute Men, except they don't take a cut of the workers' pay. It's more like a social agency. He also said he doesn't like to give people money unless he can see they are trying to help themselves. Heard that.


I had nothing but mad respect for him. He said he and his dude hopped a train. Slept in the woods at night, and the pup alerted him if any one approached. We talked little about the myths the wealthy like to perpetuate:  1. The Safety Net.  No such thing, doesn't exist.  2. The Free Ride. Again, this is bullshit, it doesn't exist. and 3. That people are lazy and don't want to work.  Also bullshit.  See also post below where I talk about the guy who was putting scrap metal in his car. He's been accused of being lazy.

He told me, hey you do what you gotta do and for a young, strong buck like him that means going where the opportunity is.

Meet Jacob. The story of Jacob is one of synchronicity and mad hospitality. In our search for another lounge, we ended up at the wrong address. He was working in his garden, so I approached. His three legged, rescue pit bull greet me warmly, so the dude knew I was cool  I chatted him up a bit. He said, "Oh are you tourists looking for a place to smoke?"  Indeed. You're welcome to smoke on my porch. I asked our cab driver to come back in an hour. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

Again we passed the peace pipe - something we did often in Denver. He shared an out of this world bud with us and we shared one with him. Turns out dude is a chemist and was explaining a lot about strands, and growing methods and something called cytokines. There's a whole science to picking the strand for your physiology. It was good not to feel any pain. We'll get more into medical implications in a subsequent post.

We sat on the porch, smoked, talked and admired his beautiful rose bushes. Turned out his girlfriend was in Cleveland.  Small world. He talked a little about Cleveland, and mentioned the brutal killing of a woman by the cops. Turns out that's my step mom's niece he was talking about. Small world.

A cop drove by.  Out of habit, we hid our joints.  He said, you don't have to do that, it's legal here. He explained the police department was right across the street from him and that he was friends with the local sheriff.  I laughed, kinda like Andy Griffith, I said.  He said, funny. The name of the 'burb we were in was Mayberry.  I'm not shitting you.  That's how the trip was, nothing but synchronicity.

Jacob is an intellectual, and I love talking to intellectuals. It was a great experience that I will never forget.

Meet Yubo. Yubo is one of our kind cab drivers. Since we were smoking, and didn't have a lot of time in Denver, we cabbed it a lot. Cab drivers are great. I love hearing their story, and I learned a lot about the city. They are really ambassadors. Yubo was a gentleman, and really watched my back to make sure I was safe. He arrived at Jacob's house 59 minutes later. He was there right when we were ready to leave. Didn't want to wear out our welcome, and we still had a lot to see. Hugs and love all around.

I love hearing the cab drivers' stories. Yubo is from Nigeria. In fact, we met a lot of East Africans. You have to listen carefully because he's still learning English, but the dude is an intellect. He came to the U.S. looking for his permanent home. He explained the hell he went through with immigration - much like the hell I went through with looking for public assistance. No one gets a free ride in the U.S.  I repeat, no one gets a free ride in the U.S. It's a myth.

He said he first arrived in Columbus, Ohio. People were cruel and intolerant (I have family there. The dude is not lying). So he left. Didn't waste time. Went a couple other places. If it wasn't right, he left. He finally settled in the Colorado mountains and he loves it. My next trip will be all about the mountains.

Think for a minute about this bravery. Okay, imagine you are an average American. Meaning you watch a lot of TV. You speak only English. You decide to move to Nigeria and start driving a cab to support yourself while you find a place to settle. I don't know about you, but I couldn't do it. I Yubo, and others like him deserve props.  To be continued.......


All words and images by Peggy. Not to be used or reproduced in any manner without express permission.

Denver, Part Three: The Coolest Peeps You're Ever Gonna Meet.....

WARNING!  ADULT LANGUAGE AND REFERENCES TO SMOKING MARIJUANA

The next day in Denver we needed to find a discreet place to smoke. I'm all in favor (as is any pot smoker) of discretion. Denver is being thoughtful with the roll out of this experiment. I'd like to see it succeed. I'm not alone in this, many would like to see this succeed so it's all about responsibility, hospitality and peace. And hey, why not make some money? You need money to live in this economy. And a lot of it. Oh and BTW - most pot smokers don't drive high. We'll talk about this later, but we had some real cool cab drivers who watched our backs. I love cab drivers! You learn so much from them.

Our friends at Purple Haze gave us an address to a post-industrial area to the west of the city. Cool. I love post-industrial. Should be lots of photo ops. I was a little tired and I thought it might be a great break from the densely populated area of E. Colfax.

We made a quick stop at Subway. Have you tried the turkey with avocado?  Delicious!  We walked in this area, I was in heaven with my little camera.  Clicking away in the gray, drizzly weather. My favorite. I noticed these barracks behind what I'm assuming is a closed factory. Huh. You know you could stimulate the economy and put people to work in those areas growing hydroponic weed. And you know hemp isn't just good for smoking. It makes superior cloth, soap and paper. To cut down trees -when Mother Earth gave us this glorious plant - is a sin.

Or these could be converted to rental spaces for living, or maybe even lounges for people to smoke.

So we ventured into i Bake. We were greeted warmly. You pay for a membership (only $10) and you can hang out as much as you want 24/7. You bring your own smoke and/or pipes, although they have a ton of pipes you can borrow. You also bring your own snack if you want. And it's just a super chill time. Most stuck to themselves and were enjoying their medication of choice. I learned a lot from a local chemist about picking the strain that is good for your physiology. It's all chemistry. I learned just enough to know that I have a lot to learn! 

Had some cool conversations. Sat at the bar and smoked my favorite, Pineapple Express. Chilled to the music. It was heaven. And it was a lifelong dream of mine! I always thought I was going to have to go to Amsterdam to take part in this activity. I was fulfilling this dream in the U.S.!  And it was perfectly legal! Just on a side note: a friend of mine recently traveled to Amsterdam. He told me tourists are not allowed to smoke. Don't know if it's true or not. Please leave me a comment if you know anything about Amsterdam.

Actually, my lifelong dream is to sit in a coffeehouse and smoke a dube. You can't do that in Colorado. They are still being very careful. And I get it. There are kids to think about. Then there's the smell which is offensive to some. Weed smokers do not want to offend. In fact weed makes people better at difficult social situations.  But I think vaporizers are coming a long way. We may actually be able to use vapor in a coffee house. No smell, no smoke in your lungs.

Anyway this was a good time. I was feeling no pain. I was worrying about not a damn thing. We even sat on the porch and watched the rain for a while. 

While we were there we met this dude. Can't remember his name, my bad. Like so many people I've met in the last few years, he fell on hard times. I should mention that before the rain it was like 100 degrees and the sun was beating down. This dude had gotten an AC unit from the garbage. Yep the garbage. He was tearing it down enough to put it in his car - that he was living in. He touched my heart because that dude was in that sun, then in the pouring rain for hours performing extreme manual labor. He finally got it in the car enough that he could drive slowly, and we all prayed that the cops wouldn't fuck with him.

The irony struck me yet again. This is a man who the privileged would call lazy. They would say he doesn't want to work. And they don't have a clue what they are talking about. I sat and watched the dude for quite a while. He was sweating like a pig. He was cutting himself. He got drenched by rain. His muscles rippled cuz the shit was heavy as hell. Once he got it to the scrap yard he would get pennies for it. If that ain't work, I don't know what is.

He was good natured and pleasant to talk to. He did not mind my ignorant Euro-centric questions at all. So I gave him a bud. Hey, the dude's exhausted mentally and physically. Some bud will help him get through the day. I also gave him money for a meal because - I am not shitting you - he was so hungry I could hear his stomach rumbling. He didn't want to take it. But I insisted he take it,  and that he drink some water. I don't know how he didn't have a heart attack. He said in his loving way, "Hey you do what you gotta do." True dat. We shared a group hug, and I told him he's on the right path. I see people do this sort of thing in Cleveland all the time. The difference is in Denver there's some opportunity.

Want more pictures and less words?  Please see my Urban Photo Journal.

All images by Peggy

Denver, Part Two: The Coolest Peeps You're Ever Gonna Meet....

WARNING!  ADULT LANGUAGE AND REFERENCES TO SMOKING MARIJUANA


I headed out to explore Colfax and was immediately transfixed. The heady aroma from weed coupled with the mountain air was exquisite. Although it was too friggin' hot, just like Ohio. I had to stay in the shade and keep hydrated. Every time a breeze went by or a door opened, I breathed deeply of the scent. Ahh, just like walking into a coffee shop or a bread shop, only better. It's hard to explain what the smell of real quality weed smells like. It's like a home made spaghetti sauce that has been simmering and exuding its aromas all day. No that's not quite right. It's like a very fine tea that has been steeped to perfection. No that's not quite right. It's a lovely herbal smell. It's scintillating and very heady. There's a reason the indigenous people of this land passed around a peace pipe. It's because the herb - good herb - not the skunk shit you get in Ohio since it's illegal - is a gift from the planet. That's right it's grown. You don't need Prozac. Weed will do you right. You don't need sleeping pills, weed will do you right. There's a lot of money to be made in the weed industry if we do it right. And Denver is doing it right. But also, there's money to be lost by greedy factions that are destroying the economy (like the pharmaceutical industry). Weed just might be the great equalizer. 'Cause let's face it, the disparity of wealth in this country is part of the problem with the economy. You have to share the wealth and spread it around for a healthy economy. Right now a few fearful out-of-touch people are hoarding the wealth. But sorry folks, those days are soon over. And there's nothing to fear. There's plenty to go around. Just go with the flow.

That's exactly what we did in Denver. We went with the flow and went wherever the cosmos directed us. Man it's great to travel without a plan. Such freedom! At first we were afraid to talk to people about weed. I felt like a defector or as if I had just left East Berlin. I found myself whispering the way I do in Ohio. I'm not shitting you. Everyone reminded me I was not breaking the law and that I could speak freely.  Huh. Speak freely. What a concept. I thought the First Amendment guaranteed that...I have some things to say about the legalities and logistics, but that's for a post in the near future. Right now I want to talk about some of the fabulous peeps I met.

The first place we stopped at was called Purple Haze. It was right across the street from a dispensary. We met a couple of the owners, a lovely couple named Rubin and Stacy. They are ambassadors for Denver. The city should be paying them. They spent a lot of time telling us where to buy smoke, where to buy vaporizers, educating us on the geography of the city and showing us their beautiful, hand blown bongs. And coincidentally, it was Stacy's and my traveling companion's birthdays! It was hugs and laughter all around! Both Rubin and Stacy were articulate, friendly and welcoming.

I was amazed at the beautiful bongs! They are all hand blown!  Reminded me a lot of Seattle, where you see hand blown glass everywhere. I wouldn't even use these they are so gorgeous.

Stacy was kind enough to show me all the pink bongs they had!  Drool!  I can never find modern, pink art glass. I wanted that one in front, but you can't take paraphernalia in the airport - they will put your ass in jail. You can't own paraphernalia in Ohio - they will put your ass in jail. No lie. I swear I stepped into an alternative reality. Our lovely ambassadors told us we didn't need to be afraid to speak about smoking weed. It's legal. It took a while for it to sink in. And it took a while for me to stop whispering.

They even had smurf pipes! Sorry for some of the poor quality of my photos - some of my photos were done on the down low, at first I couldn't wrap my mind around that it's legal. Now there's lots of fine points to the law, which I will get into in another post.

Stacy and Rubin gave us a recommendation for the dispensary right across the street. Isn't it ironic that the dispensary is right next to a liquor store? It is the ultimate contradiction that liquor is legal, and weed is not. Drunk drivers kill people every day. Rape and violence is usually alcohol related. Not pot related. Pot makes you chill. The only thing pot smokers kill is a pizza.

So we ventured into High Level. The smell was, like I've said, heaven on Earth!  Just like walking into Starbucks...well even better than that. It was a pleasure to walk in there and just breathe.

Funny thing about me and my camera. When I get into my Austin Powers mode, almost anyone will let me photograph them and will give me some good face. It's fun, a lot of laughs and all about love. The lovely lady to the left is named Diva, and she's a fashion designer. Gosh, I think I lost her link. As I told you I was still learning to use my Android, so I was a bit disorganized. I'll catch her on my next trip. She was a doll.

As I crossed the street, I met this fabulous lady. She took part in the Occupy Movement for two years. I congratulated her on her bravery and thanked her. We arm chair activists owe the various Occupy Movements a huge debt of gratitude, but the work isn't over. She told me the experience changed her life. I bet. I love meeting a young person who can think critically. She was a doll. And I got another big hug. I remember reading one time that the average human needs eight hugs a day just to maintain balance. More are needed if creative growth is being attempted. Man, I'm in a huge deficit. But I was making up for it in Denver. Now we needed to find a discrete place to smoke. We had signed a statement at our hotel that we would not smoke in our room. That's cool, I don't mind a non-smoking policy. Hey, I don't want to breathe tobacco.  I'm cool with being discrete and polite. I'd like to see this experiment succeed.

The lovely folks at Purple Haze, gave us the address of a lounge where we could smoke and let us sit in their lobby while we waited for our cab.

I felt like queen of the world.  And let me tell ya...it's good to be queen.  To be continued....

All images by Peggy

Denver, Part One: It's all about love

WARNING!  ADULT LANGUAGE AND REFERENCES TO SMOKING MARIJUANA


Hi my loves!  As you know, I went on vacation to Denver, Colorado almost two weeks ago. Hardly seems possible that much time has passed, I am still processing all that I learned and saw. Denver has implanted itself deeply in my heart. Denver is a city engaging in an important experiment, one that I would like to see succeed. Upon my return, I got lots of questions about whether I smoked weed (of course, I did), but that's not really the point. I wanted to be a part of history, part of a cultural movement if you will. I'm too young to have been a hippy, but now I'm getting a chance. I've always wanted to go to Amsterdam, but now I don't have to. This is why travel is so important - my perspective on absolutely everything has changed. And it's all good. I'm feeling no pain and I'm not worrying about a thing.

First impression of Denver.  Really cool, modern and clean airport.

I love this pic!  Sorta looks like ghosts are boarding a ship. Amazing when you consider I took this pic from a FAST moving cab and I was ready to barf cuz of the crazy way dude was driving. You know, the U.S. is putting us on, people be traveling. Like a motherfucker. The travel industry - as well as all the ancillary industries serving it - could solve the economic woes of our country. But, that's the topic of another post.

At first, I was disappointed with our cheap little room on E. Colfax. But I fell in love with that room. Fabulous bed, black out curtains, great water pressure. I got some great sleep and showers! Best of all, it was in the middle of everything. We never even turned the TV on, who needs it when so much culture is outside your door? ('Course I don't watch TV anyway, as you know.) I had just gotten my Android phone, and now I can't imagine traveling without it. Just a week before leaving for Denver, I didn't even know how to answer the bitch! Now I was taking video and using GPS....I know you get it.

We made no plans for this trip, decided to let the cosmos take us where it would. I always regretted that I never traveled through Europe with a back pack. Now I was making up for that. And it was the best vacation ever!!!  We took it slow, saw a lot, rested and met a ton of great peeps.

Our hotel was on E. Colfax, east of downtown. And we were in the heart of everything! I had no idea when I booked the trip that Colfax is the longest continuous business district in the U.S. It extends a total of 26.5 miles - yep you can run a marathon on one street if you are so inclined. And talk about diversity, forget about it! We spoke with countless intellectuals, we saw every culture of people imaginable. Rastafarians, Cheyannes, Mexicans, goth biker wannabees, homosexual males going at it (I resisted the urge to tell them to get a room), tons of lesbians, transient, homeless, good old boys looking for opportunity, young men looking for opportunity, artists and musicians of every stripe..... Just what America should be! As a lover of diversity, I couldn't wait to get out and mingle. I hit the street with several cameras and totally felt the love, a camera is a great ice breaker! I was consistently greeted with love, curiosity for what I had to say, and the level of tolerance is absolute heaven. I realized I am wasting time living in a city that is so intolerant. Intolerance is a thing of the past, and I no longer want to be complicitous in the insidious damage it does to humanity and the economy. I told you, everything has changed. And c'mon folks, it's no surprise. It's not 1950. It's 2014.

No one acted as if I were weird, which is so refreshing. I'm not weird or crazy, I've just been living among the wrong people. Everyone acted as ambassadors, telling us to move there. People listened to what I had to say and didn't tune me out. They were interested in me as a person, and I was interested in them. I got lots of great convos, hugs, love and laughs. And learned so much. I am probably repeating myself, but that's why travel is so important for human development. It really raises the consciousness. And I say better late than never.

Stay tuned for further installments of my Denver series. Of course, I took a million pictures, so if you'd like to see less words, and more photos, please see my urban photojournal or my instagram.


All images by Peggy.

Leaving for Vacation!

Hey ya'll I'm going out of town for a few days!  I'm so excited, it's been too long.  I'll have a ton of pictures when I get back.  Have a great weekend my loves. And as always, thanks for reading! xo

I'm on Instagram!

Hooray!  I finally have an Instagram account, so please feel free to follow along. It's really addicting and a lot of fun.

Photo of Cherise by Peggy

You can follow me @Margiemax, or click on the link on my sidebar.  I'm sure there will be tons of pictures on there soon.

A Color Story, Part 4

Here's an update of what's been going on in my apartment lately. Last week I decided I had to have a lilac and/or a lavender pillow. Currently I am using a mint green sofa cover and I think mint green and lilac look fabulous together. Shouldn't be too hard to find since Pantone's color of the year is Radiant Orchid. But alas, it was not to be. I was actually surprised I couldn't find accessories in these colors anywhere. C'est la vie. I then stopped at my trusty Goodwill. As soon as I walked in the door I spied this beauty from 50 years away. It's like I have a radar for anything pink.

I couldn't get over there fast enough. $2.00 for this fabulous shade. Score! I love the color, it's kinda pinky-lilac. Since my color appetite was not satisfied, I made the decision to swing over the Home Depot for some paint. If I can't find the colors I want, I'll paint things!

As you know, Behr flat paint is my favorite. Did you know they come in sample sizes? An eight ounce sample costs $2.98. Such a deal. I bought these three gorgeous colors.

And oh yeah, I picked up this cute little eight ounce jar of paint at Target. It's by Martha Stewart and the color is Devine Blossom. Too adorable to resist.

Since I can't paint my apartment, I painted a canvas in Behr's Pink Bliss. Man. Just look at it. I am smitten. I'm going to paint every wall in my next apartment this color. Doesn't it look fabulous with the new lamp shade? For now I just have the shade perching on a vase. I'd love to make lamps out of vases, but I can't find a glass cutter willing to drill holes in vases for me. I couldn't stop there.

Remember this lamp that is now a vase? I'm addicted to the genie shape, but red is a color I really don't like in my decor. I painted the lamp with Behr's little pond. Ahh much better. Don't get me wrong, I love red. Just not so much in place. The canvas is painted with Martha Stewart's Devine Blossom.

Here's a mass-produced vase I got for 99 cents at the Goodwill. I painted it in Behr's Freesia purple. I love it!

Okay, I know you've heard me talk ad nauseum about my new bamboo etagere. I really do suffer with design ADD. After much consternation, I decided that I just don't like the wood color in my apartment. I like my place to be more airy and light. So I painted it white and doubted my sanity the whole time. It was a bitch and half to paint! I had to do it with a brush, having no where to spray paint. It took a million coats, and still needs a little sanding and touch up - but that's on my procrastination list. I must admit, I like it a lot better. I've placed this in front of the counter to be a sort of faux wall to my open kitchen. I think I'm still missing my studio apartment after all this time!

I took a risk and ordered this light purple pillow from Etsy shop owner Sukan. I just had to have a pillow in this color scheme! It's a risk because it's shipping from Turkey. I usually don't order from oversees because of delays in Customs. But I dearly love this color and I've had great luck with Etsy. I can't wait for it to arrive and I'll be sure to let you know how I like it. If I like it, I may order these gorgeous pink pillows.

Now I'm not really liking my mint green sofa cover, and really want something lilac or lavender. Oh, I do love a color dilemma. I'll be sure to do a tour of my place when I resolve the color scheme.  Hope you have a great day!  Stay tuned for an exciting announcement later today. xo

I just can't get enough....

of this color scheme.  Gorgeous art glass in lilac, periwinkle and baby blue from The End of History.

A Color Story, Part 3

Here's a color scheme that I've been falling in love with and that is mint green, lavender and lilac. With pops of hot pink, of course. Every room needs a shot of hot pink in my opinion. It also gorgeous with with pale blue added.  The uber glamorous New York apartment of jewelry designer Marie-Helene de Taillac via Architectural Digest is a superb example of this color scheme.

Notice the use of both a lavender chair and a lilac chair. If you're interested in the difference between these two colors, please see my post below.

Ahh.  Divine.  I love those silver globes.

Gorgeous lamp. You know I'm a sucker for a blue glass lamp, especially if it resembles Murano. (To see more blue lamps, see my previous post.)  Images via The End of History. BTW - if you are a lover of glass and ceramic vessels, you need to check out The End of History. I can't believe I haven't done a post about their shop yet, but it is definitely on my list of places to visit next time I'm in NYC. Ha, listen to me sounding like a jet setter!  This is a wish of mine that may be coming true. Stay tuned.

Here is another fine example of this color scheme. Love the colors and the mid century modern feel to this room. Green sofa with mint green pillows. Wish there was a lilac pillow on that sofa! Aqua chair, blue chair and fuchsia chair. Seems like a lot of color, but it works because the room is so airy and there is a lot of white to balance the colors. Also, by keeping pattern to a minimum, you can get away with using a lot of vibrant colors.  This image is one I've had in my inspiration file for a long time, from the now-defunct Metropolitan Home.

A Color Story, Part 2: Is it Lilac or Lavender?

I think many artists (including me) use the terms lilac and lavender interchangeably, so I did a little research into these colors. Lavender is a light purple with a bluish hue. Lilac is a light purple with a pinkish hue. Both are beautiful, soft and romantic colors. As you know, Jamie Drake is one of my favorite designers. In a previous post, I mentioned that Drake is a master at using lilac. Now I must change my opinion to say that he is a master of lavender (in this post anyway, I'm sure he can master any color scheme). I know I want to add one or both of these colors to my decor.  Here's a little inspiration.

LAVENDER

Lavender makes for a very serene room. The bedding is almost a periwinkle (another of my favorite colors). Periwinkle looks gorgeous with lavender.

Lavender walls look gorgeous with the blue headboard, green pillows. The lilac lamp is a lovely, unexpected touch proving that lilac and lavender work well together. Image via House of Turquoise.

Morocco is a place I'd love to visit. It seems to me they have mastered the use of color. This color combo is simply divine. Photo by John & Lisa Merrill via AllPosters.com.

Lavender and blue make for an ethereal and romantic bedroom. Image via Living Etc.

LILAC

Aaah. Surely this is what heaven looks like. Original image source unknown. Please contact me if you know the source of this image.

A lilac vase by Ikea looks gorgeous with the cobalt blue Heath bud vase.  And speaking of the Heath bud vase, have you seen their Summer 2014 seasonal collection?  It's yummy.

Now, when does lilac become orchid?  When the pink gets a little deeper.

Image via Wikipedia

Orchid looks great with green as this picture from the fabulous Doe Deere proves. It doesn't really matter what you call it, color is fun! There's nothing to fear when experimenting with color. Don't listen to rules about colors, like this crap article from the so-called experts at Yahoo Shine. There is no such thing as clashing colors. Just look at the cacophony of color provided by nature.

There's only one rule when it comes to color: it should make you happy. There's no such thing as a mistake. If you don't like what you've done, change it. When you walk into your place after a long, hard day you should feel embraced.

A Color Story, Part 1

Hello dear readers!  How are you doing?  It's great to see you, I've missed you.  I've been a little under the weather and neglectful of the blog.  I am thinking of unplugging for the whole summer, but for now I'd like to take you on a little color journey.

As you know, I adore color. Color never ceases to cheer me up. So while I was laying around and resting, my thoughts were of color. As you know, from my last incarnation of my apartment, during the Winter I thought a lot about blue (see previous post here). For Spring I started lightening up, and I became obsessed with mint green and lavender, a color scheme I dearly love. I found as I experimented with mint green, that I wasn't really happy. It reminded me of my decor from the 80s - where I used sea foam green and dusty rose. As I ventured into blue and green, I missed pink. I really am a die hard pink girl, and any scheme I use will have to incorporate pink.

As I was laying around, I watched re-runs of Project Runway and thought a lot about how fashion influences decor.  Here are some fashion pics that I adore.

Doesn't Lady Gaga look fantastic here!  I love the combo of the hot pink and aqua.  She is rocking that Philip Treacy fascinator! I could totally see a room design influenced by this look.

I'm always a sucker for:  (1) jewel tones and (2) men wearing color. Designer extraordinaire Ozwald Boateng. Green is one of those colors I typically don't use in my decor, but this emerald green paired with the lighter green is gorgeous. Of course, if I used these colors in my decor, I'd have to add pink.

One of my favorite colors is salmon or coral, but a little goes a long way because it can become too fleshy.  It looks great with hot pink. Of course, everything looks great with hot pink. Design by Betsey Johnson.