Yes, Winter Has Color

Will winter really end? As I look out at the snow, I have some forgotten the color of the lawn and the flowering landscapes. My puppy Macy kicks the snow about with her nose and makes it all look a lot more fun than it really is.

Yet today, I saw the colors of winter differently. I have been in several furniture stores of late looking for a desk for my office. I found myself attracted to the furnishings with the shades of white...that is white with a hint of pink, white with a creamy yellow base, white with a tint of green. They are to be calming colors, the ones that you find in the basics section of the paint samples. When I stepped outside amid the snow again, I realized that the surrounding landscape reflected many shades of white. Even the snow on Macy's paws looked gray peaking through her dark fur.

I then went to the store and pulled out Alex Anderson's new book on neutrals and realized that the attraction to themes of white and neutrals are a study in color that takes even more finesse than recognizing complementary colors or being able to navigate the color wheel with ease. Working with shades of the same color is more the work of appreciating color values and the weight of those to carry a design.

I challenge you to find the color of winter...even if it is all white or dingy brown or gray.

jill

When Are You Moving?

We are getting ready to move to our new store. My brain is totally consumed by the details and scratchings of figuring out how to navigate the huge task of moving everything from as small as a needle to the massive check-out counter that serves us and our customers with the grace of a fine furnishing of a well-crafted piano and heft of a small tank! Through each day, I endure the ever-ending query, "when are you moving?" I smile and try to make light of the massive shifts of decision making that are swirling around in my mind and then toss out something like, "Oh, I am not sure" as if I wasn't sure if I was going to have hamburgers or chili for supper.

I wander around the store trying to remember which pieces will fit in which place and how to safely store it for transport. Through the processing, I look at the store more from the vision of my customers than the practicality of moving. I gaze through the thread and tell Diane to order more because I truly want everyone to have a chance to stock up on threads because thread is a like a paintbox of fun. Do you remember when you were a kid and you got the box of watercolor paints and you just couldn't wait to add water and let the colors slide over the paper?! I loved experimenting with how much blue I could put into the red to make it various shades of fuschia and then to really mix it up with a drop of purple to make a sunset. Thread is a lot like this and I want to share the paintbox with all of my customers. How disappointed I am for each of them who wander over and look for the ecru for the practical task of piecing!!

I know I didn't get to play near enough as a kid. Regardless of that whining on my part, I am reminded by one of Vicky Tracy's favorite quotes, "it is never too late to have a happy childhood." On that note, since I didn't get near enough time to play today... I think I will go to my sandbox of fabrics and dig through my books and my patterns and my fabrics and see if I can match them up or audition them (aka: play with my toys).

All the Best to You,
jill