HDB - 2010 KCD color awards

This year March came in like a lion and quickly gave way to lovely lambiness with warm weather and sunny skies and that has made a lot of people very happy, myself included.

Sunny warm days make smiles bloom like crocuses, peeking their bright green shoots from the cold hard earth. And with all this giddiness, my mind turns to springtime color palettes. I must admit, I've never been a fan of pastels. They always seemed too watered down and wishy washy for me. I lean towards bold strong color palettes with striking confident color, but this year I'm starting to bend and sway with the gentle spring breeze and am finally enjoying the power of pastels. 

When I say power of pastels, I mean the ability of pastels to get into one's head with thoughts of Easter and babies, of laughter and lightness. I never gave pastels the credit they deserved for their quiet unassuming way of influencing one's thoughts. I am finally understanding and appreciating the soft touch that these colors bring to our lives. Pastels are not weak and wishy washy, they are the sage and seasoned grandparents that gently nudge, encourage and applaud discovery rather than the egocentric bright {look at me} colors that I've been so fond of all these years. Pastels play well with others, share the spotlight and give inspired performances. 

And like the kind nurturing grandparents, I also think pastels do best when they have that wild child of brightness to look after. It brings contrast and energy to the design. So with no further delay, the envelopes please...

The 2010 Krys Caywood Design Best Supporting Color award goes to... Pastel Yellow!!!

The 2010 Krys Caywood Design Best Color award goes to... wait, it's a tie... Turquoise and Tomato Red!

Expect to see a lot of  these accomplished colors in the next line...previews coming soon!

No More Merry-Go-Round

Roller coasters were never an amusement park favorite of mine. I preferred the merry-go-round as a kid. Probably because they are predictable; up and down, round and round. You never really get anywhere but you get there safe and content. Seems to me there used to be golden rings to reach for, but, I've noticed that most carousels no longer have them. I wonder why that is (although I'm guessing it's an insurance issue in reality) were they too dangerous?, too challenging?, was it too upsetting to kids who just couldn't grab the rings so they took away from everyone? It's pretty strange huh? It's like people are just content to go round in circles and listen to the calliope while bobbing up and down, and it's a good metaphor for life. So many of us just ride the merry-go-round for so long that when we finally get in line for a roller coaster we're scared, nervous, and desperately looking for the exit. And if we do manage to make it onto the ride and get strapped in we end up closing our eyes for the whole ride, or tossing our cookies shortly thereafter...

I guess what I'm saying is there comes a time to step up and ride the roller coaster, front row, eyes wide open.

The past few years have felt like that for me...going in circles, wanting more adventure, reaching for the golden ring and finally stepping beyond the comfortable confines of the calliope to ride the rollercoaster, open eyed. This week's events were my personal equivalent of tackling the Incredible Hulk roller coaster in Universal Islands of Adventure.  It's been unpredictable, unexpected, incredibly fast, exciting, energizing and emotional. And I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Lots of things happening here. Many twists and turns, loops and sudden drops, but I'm confident that it will all be worth it. And the best part is, I didn't throw up! (not yet anyway)