tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47369265816671592082024-03-13T20:50:50.030-07:00The Longshoreman's DaughterStormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comBlogger342125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-18397348893893856122024-03-08T00:00:00.000-08:002024-03-08T00:00:00.134-08:00Mother of Invention<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiO8BjMvoukvagURqo97-fLBDznXX-54zkFOU_lsGOK61WG_CfKkH27TfklWKAN-6hKN2wYtYulGR9DWcNdrqYx8jNAeW9iHvETdG3altzGCYfwIs_eAr2YYgEOhVnF3Nx7fnPKDglRkkQDRUybNhFNkU8o141c1o-ZAnMRmKOdAEiFEhzr2sGnSxhhE/s2251/Painted%20Lady.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2251" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiO8BjMvoukvagURqo97-fLBDznXX-54zkFOU_lsGOK61WG_CfKkH27TfklWKAN-6hKN2wYtYulGR9DWcNdrqYx8jNAeW9iHvETdG3altzGCYfwIs_eAr2YYgEOhVnF3Nx7fnPKDglRkkQDRUybNhFNkU8o141c1o-ZAnMRmKOdAEiFEhzr2sGnSxhhE/w426-h640/Painted%20Lady.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">“Women are really not respected
</div><p style="text-align: center;">To this day.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">That’s why we need humor,</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">style, stamina, art.”</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">-Pamela Anderson</p>
Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-47977513675996908462024-03-07T22:01:00.000-08:002024-03-07T22:01:00.514-08:00The State of the Onion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4li-UAKemW5KczDvADQaI9V8ARY_p-7UbxLT3Bp8NeQzfX3MIS25d9Fq07OEM4B4LsJUeWY29lJEBiDYCVBbl-pTViB51eaw_pCTRKy7EVrk_BqH03jpK7k295qsAdiPeoD-de4syllFZYY73O43qQbOin2c5sSvTExZXpV2WyV2cKbk959oxjh8qAbE/s1581/Onion.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1403" data-original-width="1581" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4li-UAKemW5KczDvADQaI9V8ARY_p-7UbxLT3Bp8NeQzfX3MIS25d9Fq07OEM4B4LsJUeWY29lJEBiDYCVBbl-pTViB51eaw_pCTRKy7EVrk_BqH03jpK7k295qsAdiPeoD-de4syllFZYY73O43qQbOin2c5sSvTExZXpV2WyV2cKbk959oxjh8qAbE/w320-h285/Onion.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>My fellow Americans, and little darlings <i>it's been a long, cold, lonely Winter </i>(are you singing along? Don't worry, I won't make you follow the bouncing ball). The good news is, I think I'm finally on the verge of thawing out ... Slooooowly, but surely. The bad news is, I'm not entirely positive I'm ready for it. I mean, I am, but I'm not if that makes sense. I could definitely use several more dark weeks of blissful nothingness. You know, those terrible blustery days where the light never seems to join the party, and morning just sort of stretches into evening completely unnoticed, and no one really expects much out of anyone? Yeah, I could take a handful of those right about now. I guess it's pretty lucky I'm in the PNW then, I'm sure something like that will be on the menu once or twice in the next couple of months, I'm just longing to overnight them for no extra fee.</p><p>Oddly enough, this has been the most productive start to a year I've had in a ridiculously long time. I've begun planning my garden, hell I've already started most of my seeds! I've got a jump start on Spring Cleaning - I've been scrubbing, and shoveling out my house, getting rid of everything I don't love, or has become useless. The thing is, in my regularly scheduled life I'm a very tidy person; everything has a place, and all that, but lately I have admittedly NOT been living like that, and for quite a while now when I look around my house, I kind of just see everything through a red haze, and hear synthesizers in my head. I knew something had to give, but now I've become reorganizing fiend! I've been framing & hanging, replacing, removing, washing, and folding, storing, and tossing like a mad woman. And now ... I'm <i>even</i> cataloging and spreadsheet-ing. I know, I know this pen & paper gal barely recognizes herself either, but It's amazing how my life changes when I start the morning by eating a complete protein! </p><p>Pray for me, send good vibes, or phone in a good old fashioned Care Bear stare that I will be able to ride this wave of productivity for the rest of the year, and I'll do the same for you. Wishing you all the luck in the world that you're successful in whatever you need to accomplish right now!<br /></p><p style="text-align: right;">xoxo<br /></p><p></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-19232207556520310702024-02-29T00:00:00.000-08:002024-02-29T00:00:00.134-08:00Bring Home the Bacon<p><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzj8mdWzgDa2cVmsNJTeQrUahmYH2USgBAAswDucui15YhYDf5dWI0uJLtNgtIern_pTvFWHkOKhB2GHMhjLNy3f70X0gZNzIkJhEu-ig_fVy868e1g1-OdTe5_K_5CfBW0lJB6EnwGqN9wnw72RUrryE1xny7dw7PxUnKQ6ueu_ix2bNwhMPUifgPCq0/s1280/Hold%20a%20Star.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzj8mdWzgDa2cVmsNJTeQrUahmYH2USgBAAswDucui15YhYDf5dWI0uJLtNgtIern_pTvFWHkOKhB2GHMhjLNy3f70X0gZNzIkJhEu-ig_fVy868e1g1-OdTe5_K_5CfBW0lJB6EnwGqN9wnw72RUrryE1xny7dw7PxUnKQ6ueu_ix2bNwhMPUifgPCq0/w640-h640/Hold%20a%20Star.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">"Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand -- and melting like a snowflake." </span><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">-Sir Francis Bacon</span></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-18884245429241262292024-02-14T00:00:00.000-08:002024-02-14T00:00:00.130-08:00True Calling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJwL2QdPffZrRWQ_w_fo2FgQeahn83qjf35qLdL9IDjf3jwha_20k_mGHHvgJvzYXfQx1roOCgAR-3dqT0g0EBSdsmEDyKAtzx6z86NOF_B2WoS6rrkXSC4b9Ew3VD0rMINfv5OmMkMh6ycxABPBW48B6xlmBpwonP87Gx8NBEvxuwT7fh6GmNkv0/s1920/phone-ge2c14686d_1920.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1920" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJwL2QdPffZrRWQ_w_fo2FgQeahn83qjf35qLdL9IDjf3jwha_20k_mGHHvgJvzYXfQx1roOCgAR-3dqT0g0EBSdsmEDyKAtzx6z86NOF_B2WoS6rrkXSC4b9Ew3VD0rMINfv5OmMkMh6ycxABPBW48B6xlmBpwonP87Gx8NBEvxuwT7fh6GmNkv0/w640-h330/phone-ge2c14686d_1920.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>"She puts her hands on either side of my face, and the room falls away. I have never gotten so lost in a kiss before. And then, the space between us explodes. My heart keeps missing beats and my hands cannot bring her close enough to me. I taste her and realize I have been starving. I have loved before, but it didn't feel like this. I have kissed before, but it didn't burn me alive. Maybe it lasts a minute, and maybe it's an hour. All I know is that kiss, and how soft her skin is when it brushes against mine, and that even if I did not know it until now, I have been waiting for this person forever."</p><p style="text-align: right;">-Jodi Picoult<br /></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-21605946359161472372024-02-10T20:12:00.000-08:002024-02-10T20:12:49.746-08:00If You're Already Draggin' Embrace the Dragon!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcGATNNYwY2OtJRR-c4imFQ7_2XIHorZt3x-o-8hUgEWZpnQ8RBtB98MMBVbBbzydtN6rnWhcQA6Kbz9CsgPkjWlZKfVB-aBjgUK8NO8kbjTMJ9GS4GJr_oty1JICnhPhK8dH4ETBJ08SUVeUm-jTY26NXiCiUFTIcZcXycw7UmvdD84quC8tYKHPFOo/s1800/Dragon%20Teapot.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1359" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcGATNNYwY2OtJRR-c4imFQ7_2XIHorZt3x-o-8hUgEWZpnQ8RBtB98MMBVbBbzydtN6rnWhcQA6Kbz9CsgPkjWlZKfVB-aBjgUK8NO8kbjTMJ9GS4GJr_oty1JICnhPhK8dH4ETBJ08SUVeUm-jTY26NXiCiUFTIcZcXycw7UmvdD84quC8tYKHPFOo/w303-h400/Dragon%20Teapot.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><p>The Lunar New Year is upon us once again, which (if you don't know) is like, only the biggest holiday of the year for approximately half the planet. But if you're like me, and won't be lighting firecrackers, or dancing in the street with silk dragons, as awesome as that would actually be, you can certainly use this time of year to check in with yourself. My new year starts January 1st, but I like to use the time between then and now to sort of test out some ideas I've cooked up for how to show up for the next 12 months. Who am I going to be this year? How am I going to navigate the months, and challenges ahead? What do I wish to accomplish? How do I want to feel? </p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>Typically, my goal-setting looks a little like this: Birthday & existential crisis in October, order new daily planner & start setting it up by November, wrap up & summarize the previous year, and begin dreaming up my future by the end of December so I can hit the ground running in January. <p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><blockquote><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">This, however, does not always go as seamlessly as one might imagine.</span></span></blockquote></div> <p></p><p>I find it's always good to leave a little room for the curve-balls, <i>and</i> some magic, especially because I'm the kind of person who will absolutely collapse under the pressure of super strict micro-management, even if (or particularly) when I'm the one scrutinizing myself. White-knuckling life isn't exactly an enjoyable experience, but another thing I know about myself is that I will totally zone out if things are too go-with-the-flow. Like, I will hang ALL the way loose ... Tie dye dresses and hammocks all day every day, and as I'm sure you're all quite familiar, bill collectors do not, in fact, prefer to be paid in v<span class="headword-line"><span class="Latn headword" lang="mul">ī</span></span>bz. So, finding and achieving balance has always been crucial if I intend to do more than just survive another trip around the sun clutching this rock for dear life, and this little swath of time helps me figure out what all of that means and what it will look like. </p><p>For many of you, you've already made and broken your New Year's resolutions by the 12th of January. And by "many," I mean 80% ... EIGHTY PERCENT (well, the 80% of you who made resolutions in the first place, if we're being totally accurate). Anyway, I'm not screaming that number from a mountain top to tease you, quite the opposite actually, it means YOU'RE NOT ALONE. This is an actual thing, and they're making it a pseudo holiday: International Quitters Day, which henceforth will fall on the second Friday of every January until the end of time, because that is when most folks simply run out of steam, especially if they haven't figured out how to set themselves up for success. <br /></p><p>Now, before we get any deeper into this topic, I want to make it clear I am talking about New Year's resolutions here. If you're currently living with a disability, or experiencing a mental health situation that has you physically, mentally, or emotionally feeling like you're circling the drain please don't feel piled-on by this stupid blog post. You are a person deserving of love, care, support, and help. For anyone experiencing a hardship that hampers progress or improvement in their life, I know posts like these can be incredibly frustrating. Setting yourself up for success may look a whole lot different than it does for other folks, and that doesn't mean it's less significant - it's probably even more so in many ways. Sometimes the first step to changing an aspect of your life you're unhappy with is just asking for help. Oof, I know that's not a "just" kind of thing, but maybe it can be this time? I know having the onus thrust upon you when most of us live in a reality that involves a completely crumbling healthcare system, and personal relationships are strained to the max, and, and, and can feel entirely overwhelming, but if you're still here, and you happen to be reading this, you obviously think you're someone worth fighting for, so maybe you could do this one extra thing for yourself today. </p><p></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">If today's not the day, just roll over, curl up, get cozy, catch some zZz and get some deep rest while the rest of us chumps tally up our recent failures!</span></blockquote><p>I often find that people talk about failure rates in terms of over-ambition, "Oh, they just bit off more than they could chew..." How many times have we all heard that one? But honestly (and this is purely anecdotal / observational), I think a lot of people give up on their resolutions because they simply are not fun. When you think of most resolutions, they're framed like a punishment; I have to quit this, or stop that, or give up a thing I love, or a vice that gets me through the day. It becomes this sick agreement you make with yourself couched in deprivation. It's like we're future-faking with ourselves: I'm going to feel SO much better later on, if I make myself miserable right now. I mean, that's a tool of manipulation that people use on each other to keep partners in toxic relationships, so why in the Hell should we be doing anything even remotely close to that to ourselves??? Wouldn't it make so much more sense if the process of building a future you actually want was something that you could enjoy? Doesn't that sound like something you <i>want</i> to be part of? Something you may even be able to stick with for longer than two weeks? <br /></p><p>What's worse is when you do fail, it's treated like some great moral, or character flaw within you ... "They just didn't have the <i>will power</i> to stick to it, they didn't want it <i>enough</i>, they didn't even <i>try</i>," And so it goes. Frankly, I think we all know, once you're demoralized it feels near impossible to get back on track. Why bother even trying again if you just never had the chops to begin with? You then get to spend the whole rest of the year with these unfinished / unexplored goals hanging over your head (because they really did matter to you at one point), beating yourself up (because you're not doing the thing you promised yourself you were going to do), cut to next December when you're chalking up all of your flops, making new promises to yourself in spite of it all, the clean slate of January 1st hits: New Year / New Me, and you start the whole dysfunctional cycle all over again! <br /></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Like, this is actually a horrible way to live.</span></span> </p></blockquote><p>Ok, so how does a person break free of this then? Well, first you can ask yourself WWTYWDD? No, that's not a town in Wales, it's what would the Yang Wood Dragon Do? Apparently this is the year to tap into our strength, perseverance, and intelligence, to set intentions with lasting, and long-term impact. What a perfect time to revisit some goals and resolutions that have fallen by the wayside! If you find yourself wanting to reapply yourself to your original set of aspirations you had at the beginning of the year, don't take the same approach that didn't work before. Don't be afraid to reevaluate and do something completely different. One thing you have to get crystal clear on, though, is what caused you to fail in the first place? Get ridiculously honest with yourself. Once you have that sussed out, you can create a new plan of attack. I mentioned earlier about setting ourselves up for success, and that's more than just a glib phrase, trust me, I took that happiness course from Yale a few years ago (I'll definitely be talking more about <i>that</i> later in the year!) and the fact remains, your goals aren't going to just manifest out of thin air, you really do have to figure out how best to achieve them, but our planning often stops sort of at the administrative level when the reality is, we actually have to plan it down to the mundane, boring, obvious, monotonous, and plain old uninspiring levels. It's often not enough to just buy the running shoes, or new workout clothes, or nicotine patches, or canceling your wine of the month subscription box, or whatever, and it's definitely more than scheduling your day to fit a new activity into it. Achieving goals typically requires us to create new habits for ourselves, and new habits form best through consistent repetition, and I don't mean repetition like going to the gym every morning (if your goal is to work out more). It's about all the (if you'll pardon the expression) piddly shit that gets you there in the first place; getting your work clothes prepared, or packing the gym bag the night before, and getting enough sleep, so you can get up early enough, so you can get a proper breakfast, so your body has the proper fuel, so you can get out the door on time, so you can get to the gym with enough time, so you can get the most out of your workout, giving yourself enough time to get ready for school or work afterwards so your new routine doesn't become a burden on your current responsibilities, and so on... </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Cool story, Sis, but how do even figure all of this junk out in the first place?</span></span></p><p>One tried and true method is simply to work it backwards (reverse planning). Start with your goal, and just take it step-by-step backwards until you've gone to a place where there is nothing before it, and THAT'S your real starting point. So like... </p><p style="text-align: center;">I want to start eating healthier, </p><p style="text-align: center;">| <br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">but before that I need to go shopping and buy better food, </p><p style="text-align: center;">| <br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">but before that I need to make a shopping list, </p><p style="text-align: center;">| <br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">but before that I need to figure out what ingredients I need, </p><p style="text-align: center;">|<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">but before that I need to look up new recipes I want to cook.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Granted, this is a pretty rudimentary example, but these lists can get as complicated or stay as easy as you need them to, the method, however, remains the same each time, and is surprisingly effective. If you really think about it, many of us have some kind of idea of where we want to go, but we don't always know how to get there. By breaking out goals apart, we can see all the little mechanisms required to ultimately get the machine running smoothly. Once you can see all the parts so clearly, the mystery is gone, and the power rests solely in your hands and imagination, and I always find that a bit exciting.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">If you've fallen off whatever wagon you tried to ride this January (so did almost everyone else!), and there's something truly important to you; something nagging at your soul, something you feel you absolutely have to change about your life, I hope you'll dust yourself off & hop on a dragon this time, and give whatever it was another go! It's so easy to fall into that post-holiday slump, and even easier to get lost in the first quarter grind, but there is still so much time ... There's practically an entire year stretched out before you just waiting to help you make your dreams come true. Go get 'em, Champ!</p><p style="text-align: right;">xoxo<br /></p><p></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-47749002344210572822024-01-31T23:47:00.000-08:002024-01-31T23:47:04.549-08:00Color Me Surprised!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OvdjX0wO-Lt2I8BbyBK92gdoMOC-zxEkzxsxFBCbbW6AmPv8GyrStu10lQdL47190SxagRq2SySQfB84q5jOMZ_LlFdsboHGqiOwTFEkaipl6bbNkHINs9kuv1r0mmPRYWePksOSOBadHu1qM0tmIBL_jVKvj07CXryhtVTuC9vVZx71rvLYZNDwxiE/s1500/Pantone%20Color%20of%20the%20Year%202024.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OvdjX0wO-Lt2I8BbyBK92gdoMOC-zxEkzxsxFBCbbW6AmPv8GyrStu10lQdL47190SxagRq2SySQfB84q5jOMZ_LlFdsboHGqiOwTFEkaipl6bbNkHINs9kuv1r0mmPRYWePksOSOBadHu1qM0tmIBL_jVKvj07CXryhtVTuC9vVZx71rvLYZNDwxiE/w400-h400/Pantone%20Color%20of%20the%20Year%202024.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br />Honestly, how are we at the end of January already??? I'd also like an answer for why this month has simultaneously felt like the longest, and shortest of my entire life ... Where's <a href="https://youtu.be/O6rHeD5x2tI?si=Smfq-58ZUkmjOUbc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mr. Owl</a> when we need him? </p><p>One question we are <i>not</i> lacking an answer to, however, is what our color overlords have chosen as 2024's color of the year. If you're not new around here, you already know each December the Pantone Color Institute selects a color to represent the vibe of the upcoming year ... And then they make sure of it by all of the licensing deals they make across all areas of commerce to ensure the color of the year is used on products that make it into our grubby little paws, one way or another. You also know <a href="http://stormaculus.blogspot.com/search/label/color" target="_blank">I have a couple opinions about this</a> ... I'll let you torture yourself with my color screeds at your own pace, if you so choose. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">This post is going to be different!</span></span> <br /></p><p>It's okay, I don't really believe me either. Before we dive in, I have to hype myself for a moment for getting this close to a prediction brought to us by <a href="http://stormaculus.blogspot.com/2023/02/viva-la-revolucion.html#more" target="_blank">last year's CotY diatribe</a>: </p><p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #741b47;">I often find myself wishing the folks at Pantone with all of their
bajillions of colors would muster up a little courage and go with a
true, full-throttle color pick for once, but something tells me this is
as adventurous as we'll be getting for a long while. Next year's option
will probably be some frosted out pastel, or a minty green of some
sort, or at least something that will lull us back into submission ...</span></blockquote><p>Now, we can certainly go back and forth over whether peach is a true pastel of course, there are certainly cases where it absolutely is not, but on the whole, and especially to anyone who was alive during the 1980s, from The Golden Girls to Miami Vice, peach is unequivocally pastel, but I find <a href="https://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year/2024" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Leatrice Eiseman's statement</a> interesting, and quite a departure from her last five (at least). It feels like after five years of trying to force an alternate reality, Pantone has finally reeled its neck in and accepted that they, in fact, have not been able to make "fetch" happen.</p><p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #741b47;">In seeking a hue that echoes our innate yearning for closeness and
connection, we chose a color radiant with warmth and modern elegance. A
shade that resonates with compassion, offers a tactile embrace, and
effortlessly bridges the youthful with the timeless.</span></blockquote><p>Coming down off of year after year of Pantone insisting we're all chomping at the bit for an exciting and exhilarating, mysterious and elusive future that is definitely arriving This Year<span class="expandableItem">™ </span>(because a quirky, silly color says so), but always manages to just be mere months out of reach. every. time. is quite the move for the company. Let's see ... Other key words have included fearless, freedom, individuality, escapism, joy, new, elation, anticipation, confidence, and connection, but always with the constant push, push, push forward like an amazing technicolor freight train; don't look back, keep trudging on no matter what, be excited about it, don't look around, ignore 40 years of stagnant wages as we enter the 5th year of a mass death / disabling event, enter this electrifying new era of 10 different genocides taking place at once, recession? What recession? At the very (and I mean absolute very) least Pantone has reined in their weird, over-the-top jubilation of racing into a future, that quite frankly may never exist. This year their message is heavy on self-care, community, and comfort ... Granted, in some of the most self-centered, and shallowest terms possible, but at least it's not the same saccharine sweet junk they've been peddling in recent years. I mean, just yesterday, Elmo asked us on Twitter how we were all doing, and the whole damn world trauma-dumped on a Muppet, to the point that the carpet-covered, make believe 4 year old had to tweet out a mental health hotline number. I think it's safe to say, collectively, we ain't doin' so great, and we're not going to be able to magically-think, or pretend our way out of this. And for once, in this brief moment in time a snooty color company almost got it right. <br /></p><p></p><p></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-36936138907927102832024-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:002024-01-01T00:00:00.159-08:00Vast and Brilliant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oZigF_tMvQVJNXpZR0LUPkqcH5B2q8paFhdf0p_uv2hAV3bImCUHoYCrON43FvNDoH2J6Axg0BN17LWXYXSnD1W9PSz62Y0kP8F75ZPlpR0krDampNc_aEhlMmN9CbrWXvZ3M_1lw0KknRtsAXZuMOPUfvvtcwbgwcEaWduyIuAwVhIDgEIfTg4Q1VI/s1800/2024.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="1800" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oZigF_tMvQVJNXpZR0LUPkqcH5B2q8paFhdf0p_uv2hAV3bImCUHoYCrON43FvNDoH2J6Axg0BN17LWXYXSnD1W9PSz62Y0kP8F75ZPlpR0krDampNc_aEhlMmN9CbrWXvZ3M_1lw0KknRtsAXZuMOPUfvvtcwbgwcEaWduyIuAwVhIDgEIfTg4Q1VI/w640-h160/2024.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Word of the Year: Boundless<br />Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-48053998161197952072023-12-31T12:00:00.000-08:002023-12-31T12:00:00.142-08:00Hop in Dork! <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFTnsP8QSp4yq0mibbBgR1Z9xDkaag_UoFUaTGcKzlkDYf2Kn7JspzDFFuhFK_xZzqqtOXqKbDWMSvAgX9khOw6bVi1wyTWrt-h1Hi_h-o5AeyeGdIG6M186WfrJSudK1eYzEYjvNzTjrEWZXmjh_0-nbMk8EoU3fjpvHla0sqI72Bl_8xrsKpXrV/s1920/Chevy.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1276" data-original-width="1920" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFTnsP8QSp4yq0mibbBgR1Z9xDkaag_UoFUaTGcKzlkDYf2Kn7JspzDFFuhFK_xZzqqtOXqKbDWMSvAgX9khOw6bVi1wyTWrt-h1Hi_h-o5AeyeGdIG6M186WfrJSudK1eYzEYjvNzTjrEWZXmjh_0-nbMk8EoU3fjpvHla0sqI72Bl_8xrsKpXrV/w640-h426/Chevy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We've got a new year to get to!<br /></div><div><p></p></div>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-11355641838325009382023-12-30T23:57:00.000-08:002023-12-31T02:39:43.981-08:00Better Late Than Never? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7FoG7JMOf58di3_zJjFRuKrE1nSHJr68NMp4bINL7zTyCz6b2mBR2EtDE76VvmEunnxsj543MqY_coQQkKLS74Z8pneNvSnaAMRuZGNsGTQ2x7cIwqbjD4XR1M_SrDnEKgxzs34gwp1y0Gm_DwvX2V9tinupfDipDT4emxwcM0E5tRM7oWCU2rzx_ek/s4512/Abstract.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4512" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7FoG7JMOf58di3_zJjFRuKrE1nSHJr68NMp4bINL7zTyCz6b2mBR2EtDE76VvmEunnxsj543MqY_coQQkKLS74Z8pneNvSnaAMRuZGNsGTQ2x7cIwqbjD4XR1M_SrDnEKgxzs34gwp1y0Gm_DwvX2V9tinupfDipDT4emxwcM0E5tRM7oWCU2rzx_ek/w640-h426/Abstract.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br />I think that depends entirely on who you ask, but for anyone eagerly anticipating my bi-annual color gripefest, the wait is finally over. Let's get into it!</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p><a href="https://stormaculus.blogspot.com/2023/06/color-is-my-day-long-obsession-joy-and.html" target="_blank">Earlier this year</a> I promised that I'd be back this September with a follow-up post to my Summer color complain-a-thon. Well, Fashion Week just sort of came and went this year without much fanfare, and maybe this is just me getting old, or something, but I was completely uninspired from the models, to the designs, to the celebrity guests, I just ... I don't know what's going on with fashion right now, but it is so UN-exciting to me in such a profound way, that even my thesaurus shrugs at trying to find the correct words for it. For me, Spring New York Fashion Week was like the year all of those social media "influencers" were invited to the Met Gala, and no one really understood the assignment and struggled to stay on theme, while all of us onlookers were left kind of scratching our heads over the whole thing. The craziest part for me is that I don't even believe something has to be to MY personal taste in order to be good design, interesting, or thought-provoking, and I'm STILL coming up short on things that were worth a second look. That being said, the color trend reports <i>were</i> released as expected, and uhm ... well, let's just rip off the band aid and have a look.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eskOhVdQc95Lv3_6IqIVZ51e8xDnbvCwAIYnIqY2VwmiTRKbOYAZCLiqgDsul0i4hbeIHtnPPY6N8PAtiBiUrskBwZDAEl9wGotz9jiguB-340MS1ENjyy7absFN8DEPkQjWdFLxa5_09Oh7xYGIYbHUDSsIaM1r6QAzXjz1_SOCc03RtOM_pe0CKpQ/s1200/NYFW%20Pantone%20Spring-Summer%202024.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eskOhVdQc95Lv3_6IqIVZ51e8xDnbvCwAIYnIqY2VwmiTRKbOYAZCLiqgDsul0i4hbeIHtnPPY6N8PAtiBiUrskBwZDAEl9wGotz9jiguB-340MS1ENjyy7absFN8DEPkQjWdFLxa5_09Oh7xYGIYbHUDSsIaM1r6QAzXjz1_SOCc03RtOM_pe0CKpQ/s320/NYFW%20Pantone%20Spring-Summer%202024.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New York<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Not to put it too bluntly, but what in the 1970s Fresh Autumn Hell is this? Not only are they a disappointment next to 2023's Spring colors, but this palette is so dusty and sad it's not even as stimulating as the moody Fall colors dominating commerce right now (<a href="https://stormaculus.blogspot.com/2023/06/color-is-my-day-long-obsession-joy-and.html" target="_blank">click here & scroll to the bottom for a reminder</a>)! I will grant you, it's not exactly an oddity for pastels to have strong representation in a Spring palette, and on their own I <i>am</i> getting a hint of <a href="https://youtu.be/pIgZ7gMze7A?si=TfpuSioNDsEGaeDG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wham!</a> vibes off of Desert Flower, Capri, Pastel Lilac, Lemon Drop, and even Chambray Blue to an extent that I can't exactly be mad at. When I think of warm Summer months, I immediately connect them with a carefree frivolity, and youthfulness that is perfectly captured in early 1980s Pop music in a way that no other era or genre ever could. However, that troika of <i>Design Mistakes Past</i> in the top right corner has me concerned. </p><p>I think everyone of a certain age shudders at memories of quite possibly the worst color combination of an entire decade (until it was usurped by the Suicide Blue + Vomit Pink concoction that swept American suburbs in the 1980s like a silent plague), and I'm honestly surprised to see them all here in one palette ... <i>Especially</i> for Spring, did I mention that already? You can dress them up, and call them whatever you want, but we all (especially my latch-key Gen X-ers) know Avocado Green, Rust, and Harvest Gold when we see them, in fact I'm surprised the group wasn't rounded out with a deep chocolate brown, though Rooibos Tea is making a valiant effort here. According to Pantone: <br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><a href="https://www.pantone.com/articles/fashion-color-trend-report/new-york-fashion-week-spring-2024/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">colors for NYFW Spring 2024 are infused with a hint of nostalgia...</a></span> <br /></p><p>I'll say. </p><p>If you're over 40 years of age and told me you never pulled a frozen chicken from a refrigerator to defrost, or set an oven to pre-heat before your parents got home from work (or wherever Boomers were during the day) from appliances in this colorway, I'd call you a liar straight to your face! We ALL did. These colors were everywhere, and scarred many of us for life. I simply can not believe my eyes right now.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9X9ShaFeRuQ3g0od9uz0PysIYTgLERVgQaw_k0ClpKdQduz-tKrCYMGmGjNnRDTX5Ja2vOon98Ga4ikouj4zRJ4HUFgLaspkU5slJRV8CfJPyQ57MKLJseF2LcY3Mwi63Rd3jw39QJrSca5Bacp97ktTBlgQ07ISteP14RotCVmw3cfUmhETCe1QS4HM/s1324/Wham.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlCQYhClW0DQvImX_GK5o5J4LKRiV0tX8wHKefj1N0MBFhMDEM7Y485eeaPMnamcFC2lYNvIFDBVuu5Lb8DJjpFT7g0loUK0qw-fUFROFJc5AyepVyTwBRKeQl4KDiarSDRA1E2UheXyb3r5Yq_uK9LkhNjKlnybN0VBiuclBSsu2Eg82rx9cHoV9sLU/s1200/London%20Pantone%20Spring-Summer%202024.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlCQYhClW0DQvImX_GK5o5J4LKRiV0tX8wHKefj1N0MBFhMDEM7Y485eeaPMnamcFC2lYNvIFDBVuu5Lb8DJjpFT7g0loUK0qw-fUFROFJc5AyepVyTwBRKeQl4KDiarSDRA1E2UheXyb3r5Yq_uK9LkhNjKlnybN0VBiuclBSsu2Eg82rx9cHoV9sLU/s320/London%20Pantone%20Spring-Summer%202024.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">London</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://www.pantone.com/articles/fashion-color-trend-report/london-fashion-week-spring-2024/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">London</a>, however, seems to be making a bold showing, and at least embraces the vibrancy of the season, but ... Mustard ... ? ... <i>really??? </i>If you insist, I guess. Chutney, I'm looking at you too, pal, sittin' yourself right there next to that brazen orange! I have to say, it's not leaving me very hopeful for what they're going to drop on us this coming Fall. To me, both of these palettes read as two sides of the same Autumn / Winter coin; one with striking hues often found in the final flush of the garden, while the other a bit more frosted over, but neither of them have that jaunty, invigorated spirit or excitement that I think of when the calendar rolls 'round to Spring and Summer. I may be completely off base here, and am willing to eat crow later on ... I suppose I'll just have to take a closer look at the way designers used them, and how that will trickle down to us regular folks on the street before I make my final opinion. I <i>am</i> hopeful that I'll be pleasantly surprised, but as of right now, I'm white-knuckling that hope.<br /><p>Nobody asked, but what I think would make a nice change of pace is for Pantone to scrap the neutrals each year, and give us a full spectacle of 16 <i>actual</i> colors being used across collections. That would give us 5 extra colors each season to, I don't know, maybe make these palettes make more sense? Or feel more cohesive? Or tell a more complete story? At the very least, stop insulting everyone's intelligence by making a point of including FIVE neutrals every single time. It's been decades, and fashion no longer has the air of glamorous mystery it once had, cycles don't follow the same rules anymore, <i>everything</i> is more accessible, fewer things need to be "decoded" for the masses nowadays, so one has to wonder, how many times do we really need to see some iteration of beige, white, gray, black, and navy regurgitated year after year? We get it. Neutrals are a thing; a staple in the wardrobe, no less, but I don't think anyone is actually out there fretting over whether their closet contains the correct shade of off-white, ivory, ecru, or dole-whip every season, certainly not to the extent that we need them included in the main palette selection. Anyway, that might just be a me-grievance because I'm so bored with all things fashion right now, and perhaps there <i>are</i> people out there that appreciate several decades worth of the same five neutrals being displayed each time ... There's a certain continuity and comfort I can acknowledge about that<span class="kY2IgmnCmOGjharHErah" style="-webkit-line-clamp: 3;"><span>—</span></span>something on which folks can rely in a world where nothing is guaranteed.<br /></p><p></p><p>While I put off holding my breath for that modification, one welcome change has come in the form of the statements accompanying each palette this season. Finally, the elation and bizarre level of jubilation over racing toward the future have been dialed back to a more believable level than what's been conveyed in the last several years' worth of reports. Now, it's a little more about self-expression, imagination, comfort, and a pining for simpler times rather than the <i>full-throated exultation for all things futuristic as we blindly charge ahead</i> <i>at breakneck speed</i> that's been alluded to in past reports. I mean, we're still plunging into a bold new era, apparently, but there's something a bit softer, and introspective, and even introverted about the press releases this time around that leads me to believe that at least one person at Pantone HQ is attempting to put a finger on the pulse of what's truly happening, and being felt out here.</p><p>And if you've come from my <a href="https://stormaculus.blogspot.com/2023/06/color-is-my-day-long-obsession-joy-and.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> on the topic, or remember the prediction I made at the end of it, and have even the smallest awareness of my sense of humor you will know upon laying my eyes on the 2024 Spring / Summer color palette I was equal parts amused, and astonished by what met my gaze. Is it possible that I'm world's best guesser, or was this a ludicrous coincidence, or am I being trolled by a Pantone intern (no, I am not actually delusional enough to believe a 15 year old blog with six and a half readers is being trolled by the leading color institute in the world, but it'd be <i>a lot</i> funnier if it were true!)??? Well, just have a look for yourself, and enjoy ...</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXClzrXCzksQLyVfgml7JFL83-G3BoVBeNCFhgCfO4KswkkTHiwBQYqG8zkPOuziLYWav_qvlqgM5N50z4ILg4PUyVTNfeqqfPoWvF5Uao5zUe9_qWHcc0rEQAxEPrIbC712YE92kLauDS5-MMrl7KkYMFS0qJl1sDUyRDHAoesGs12Ao-RYdKtv9WCBE/s1667/Fire%20Dog%20Color%20Palette.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="1667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXClzrXCzksQLyVfgml7JFL83-G3BoVBeNCFhgCfO4KswkkTHiwBQYqG8zkPOuziLYWav_qvlqgM5N50z4ILg4PUyVTNfeqqfPoWvF5Uao5zUe9_qWHcc0rEQAxEPrIbC712YE92kLauDS5-MMrl7KkYMFS0qJl1sDUyRDHAoesGs12Ao-RYdKtv9WCBE/w640-h640/Fire%20Dog%20Color%20Palette.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br />
I ... I have no choice but to Stan.</p><p style="text-align: right;">xoxo<br /></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-80447270439512605762023-12-25T12:58:00.000-08:002023-12-25T12:58:50.621-08:00Merry Christmas!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMzuXXIa8sVDTtazcBamvttVdNy7BY7zfOySH19ioLTzN21-EPNMZtQHLb0ERr2wNN5uMpBy4wvVSvx67nwtiFB63O9nIMkCfdqTg8Z78P2P7y5VgLFt5-qXle13BUSxoj_Yg3Cg-XZ2MG9tGtTOcLo7FL0zOPBFcF1Ku6jFw7TnrsSlguBDd9M4gsiw/s1800/Blue%20Spruce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMzuXXIa8sVDTtazcBamvttVdNy7BY7zfOySH19ioLTzN21-EPNMZtQHLb0ERr2wNN5uMpBy4wvVSvx67nwtiFB63O9nIMkCfdqTg8Z78P2P7y5VgLFt5-qXle13BUSxoj_Yg3Cg-XZ2MG9tGtTOcLo7FL0zOPBFcF1Ku6jFw7TnrsSlguBDd9M4gsiw/w400-h400/Blue%20Spruce.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Few things bring me more joy throughout the holiday season than my neighbor's baby blue spruce all dressed up in its party clothes. This certainly isn't the biggest display on the block, and it's not even the biggest tree on the parcel, it's just some little dude in the corner of the flower bed, donning a single string of old fashioned lights, with a pointy glass topper -- just a tiny showcase on a sleepy street that gives me a reason to pause and take in the splendor of the moment, and I absolutely love him.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wishing you all a season full of love, and wonder, and joy.<br /></div> <p></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-22085359413165240972023-12-21T13:16:00.000-08:002023-12-21T13:16:07.480-08:00Full Of It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJkcVafAjovs8oQuj-EUw0D_eDMKCkyoufJNqZdggOmZV3XUTIb99xVM9WRb9g6ePNexEOAckebO3QC8PpSDo2aJsB_XzyzEGMuQstV34IZxjCbqc2JQas4MQqlupO7hT0Zh-xV6QIrF_SCdRdDjHwj3JeWLYYJxOKSf9ETI03jr379V3KqM9GLMP/s1920/Sun%20&%20Snow.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1075" data-original-width="1920" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJkcVafAjovs8oQuj-EUw0D_eDMKCkyoufJNqZdggOmZV3XUTIb99xVM9WRb9g6ePNexEOAckebO3QC8PpSDo2aJsB_XzyzEGMuQstV34IZxjCbqc2JQas4MQqlupO7hT0Zh-xV6QIrF_SCdRdDjHwj3JeWLYYJxOKSf9ETI03jr379V3KqM9GLMP/w640-h358/Sun%20&%20Snow.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br />"It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it."</p><p style="text-align: right;">-John Burroughs, Winter Sunshine<br /></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-77528733600951126622023-10-24T20:17:00.001-07:002023-10-24T20:17:42.933-07:00The Calling<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXvE866z2wguu1Po6ciRVrYEAuTutkAtVwPzL7WadHOOIJ9UO9ghS8ululpVKtFiBwdbCPqhR64Qi9F8qmeb3UiKnUZCnmIgPYgXwRJEAM6zNZGidu4fWWQVeKYk6RnBY8UxDe7Dj7nprdTBBRS37UhVMwdH1q8qtQpxgZEqKkacyam-DLrVVSHpq/s1650/Ocean%20Child.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1650" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXvE866z2wguu1Po6ciRVrYEAuTutkAtVwPzL7WadHOOIJ9UO9ghS8ululpVKtFiBwdbCPqhR64Qi9F8qmeb3UiKnUZCnmIgPYgXwRJEAM6zNZGidu4fWWQVeKYk6RnBY8UxDe7Dj7nprdTBBRS37UhVMwdH1q8qtQpxgZEqKkacyam-DLrVVSHpq/w640-h640/Ocean%20Child.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-5138386283681369102023-07-04T05:57:00.000-07:002023-07-04T05:57:08.416-07:0024/7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfQPHBfu47q-IEdgcBJGynjq8-lNpliiVZbHuosYZYkAKuosT7DoEouxTSnOsfYQKzsggR9HPUFbXgoU94IU3alaXu-OxiEGab-11jSHDh1Hu9mnxinCYNQBHfdtstsJvUm_Fwqf3zhoX_imAxC6F2JKtUtiMxhe0JwJoyJpaeLtJiwB-L_3R6APvDGKY/s1920/Fireworks.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfQPHBfu47q-IEdgcBJGynjq8-lNpliiVZbHuosYZYkAKuosT7DoEouxTSnOsfYQKzsggR9HPUFbXgoU94IU3alaXu-OxiEGab-11jSHDh1Hu9mnxinCYNQBHfdtstsJvUm_Fwqf3zhoX_imAxC6F2JKtUtiMxhe0JwJoyJpaeLtJiwB-L_3R6APvDGKY/w640-h426/Fireworks.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"May we think of freedom not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right."</span></p><p style="text-align: right;">-Peter Marshall<br /></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-2659239580140998582023-06-30T23:16:00.002-07:002023-12-31T02:40:51.788-08:00"Color is My Day-Long Obsession, Joy, and Torment" -Claude Monet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjkeKr2uJOx13se5ah7iEEVaAxOrbIyeRuEtfA--k0O4Xibr7lBuUGAzP1r26m-eaKP8VwL2CSns9gVOMYdOsX4iAPtKPJd3neL9OobeHbiCxi-TahL-WGYeFk4z1zChQ-IGeSJXxd9r_iCjowHXYR3mmXVqXjXUUjy5bniF1iCDFunhj5iycxAb7/s1200/Pantone%20Spring-Summer%202023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjkeKr2uJOx13se5ah7iEEVaAxOrbIyeRuEtfA--k0O4Xibr7lBuUGAzP1r26m-eaKP8VwL2CSns9gVOMYdOsX4iAPtKPJd3neL9OobeHbiCxi-TahL-WGYeFk4z1zChQ-IGeSJXxd9r_iCjowHXYR3mmXVqXjXUUjy5bniF1iCDFunhj5iycxAb7/w400-h400/Pantone%20Spring-Summer%202023.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Preach, Claude, preach.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>Anyone who's spent any amount of time around here is no stranger to my hate / hate relationship with color-forecasting institutes as a whole. I mean, the sheer audacity to call themselves "forecasters" first of all, rather than what they truly are: Directors, dictators, or even enforcers sets my teeth on edge from the start, but we're all in this system together anyway ... My feelings on the issue will never stop the machine, and it's not entirely like I want to, it's just my fervent wish that the whole rigamarole was more honest across the board. That being said, I thought it would be fun, now that Summer is in full swing, to take a look at the "forecast" released last fall for this current time-frame, and see how it holds up. </p><p>What do we think, gang? Are these our Spring / Summer 2023 colors? Are stores, and magazines saturated with this palette? Are any of the colors popping up in home furnishings yet (it's a little soon still, but many things simply do not operate on the same timetable as before), automotive (this entire sector has been boring for a very long time, don't count on any miracles), industry (marketing, new construction), or even publishing? That last one might actually be an early adopter ... Book covers in the last several years have become much brighter and playful in color, and plastered with whimsical design motifs. I don't know why anyone needs their Tolstoy to look like it belongs in a children's nursery, but if that's your jam I'm not judging, I'm not going to pretend I'm immune to *aesthetic* culture. Back to the palette, though, let's see what Pantone had to say during its launch: </p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #4c1130;">Colors for Spring/Summer 2023 New York reflects how our experience of the past few years has influenced our relationship with color. Embracing a fearless approach that ranges from chaos to quiet, we strive forward with a color palette that celebrates a newfound freedom and the excitement of trying something new. Colors and color combinations that lend themselves to experimentation and quirky contrasts highlight our desire for individualism encouraging us to express ourselves in unexpected ways.</span></blockquote><p></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Okay.</span> </p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #4c1130;">Colors for Spring/Summer 2023 are recalibrated for the new era we are entering. Blending escapism with reality, wholesomeness, and joy, we embrace the exploration of extreme contrast in mood and color (Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute).</span></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Is ... Is that what you're experiencing? It's not what I'm experiencing.</span> <br /></p><p>I don't feel like this is a new era to necessarily be excited about. I find nothing bold or forward looking / thinking about it at all. I look around and see collapse, and backsliding in nearly every aspect of life and society, and for me there isn't any number of hot-pink blouses that is going to change a single thing about it, much less my mood about the current state of our affairs ... Trust me, I have several! I know this is a little strange coming from me, I'm usually a pretty optimistic kind of gal, not as optimistic as my mother, but my god, <i>nobody</i> is. I suppose I still kind of am, I do believe in my soul that down the road everything will eventually work out alright, I just don't feel optimistic <right><now> if that makes sense. I look back to when those above quotes were released, and I look around now, and it is all just so incongruent, and the sentiments feel so childlike in their naivety that it's almost painful. It's easy to shake your Magic 8 Ball and pretend everything's going to be fun, and awesome 6 months from now, but I'm getting the sneaking suspicion that a lot of these experts' fingers are firmly in their ears, and NOT on the pulse of what's actually going on *waves arms excitedly in all directions* Out There<span>™. </span></p><p><span>Since Fall's color trend report has already been generated, let's take a look and see what they have to say about that one as well, shall we?</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyJLo_MBYAifqX9GysgNBAmojZPhjSp5YfnCdBM4qaiFIJRwA6OD4qQiABJhu6FRK60_uENlCh9g4LrO2ZzH3kqa68xb9V66IV9PRdtqzzg6KQc8oxt3M2MYkvtNXdno5B9aFZRUIeADsuFkBQYAgjk7MQHt8bpO9ExPNc0Cq6ppYbUHTxnh1dzGSs-U/s1200/Pantone%20Fall%20Winter%202023-2024.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyJLo_MBYAifqX9GysgNBAmojZPhjSp5YfnCdBM4qaiFIJRwA6OD4qQiABJhu6FRK60_uENlCh9g4LrO2ZzH3kqa68xb9V66IV9PRdtqzzg6KQc8oxt3M2MYkvtNXdno5B9aFZRUIeADsuFkBQYAgjk7MQHt8bpO9ExPNc0Cq6ppYbUHTxnh1dzGSs-U/s320/Pantone%20Fall%20Winter%202023-2024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span>"</span>Pantone's selection of the Autumn/Winter 2023/2024 NYFW that are
expressive of a new reality. Striving forward into the future with
elation and anticipation..."</span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span>Oh my god.</span></p><p><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span>"</span>Colors for Autumn/Winter 2023/2024 NYFW reach out beyond what we think
is possible to catapult us into this new era, taking us to a place where
boundaries of time, place, and identity are no longer fixed." -
Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span>Is that right... </span><br /></p><p><span>So, not only are the colors mostly contrived copies of this year's earlier palette, but we're just recycling talking points, and catch-phrases from Spring / Summer, too. In the words of Miranda Priestly, "Groundbreaking." </span></p><p><span>I can't wait to find out how many ways we're going to be told how excited we are to be hurtling into the future, and how bright colors will kiss our boo-boos, and make everything all okay. Honestly, at this point I wouldn't be surprised if KC Green's Fire Dog was the Spring / Summer 2024 color palette. At least I'd respect the truth of it.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pDJ8F-CrNtz18NBzxNEi04kogYTx35Xa15lo2J8XkUHcEYoGObxzJHSNdLQEJ151ud8qiIIl38REDqATdn5Tg6uqJrj-9bwlWUT76MR6RUH3_b-VE3oL1Q_er-b609WR6E7ARisz2Z2zY0LCqh5MAoDcS-zD6Rc-FUp8V56LzmnRiHAGBzML5YBmFU0/s580/KC%20Green.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="580" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pDJ8F-CrNtz18NBzxNEi04kogYTx35Xa15lo2J8XkUHcEYoGObxzJHSNdLQEJ151ud8qiIIl38REDqATdn5Tg6uqJrj-9bwlWUT76MR6RUH3_b-VE3oL1Q_er-b609WR6E7ARisz2Z2zY0LCqh5MAoDcS-zD6Rc-FUp8V56LzmnRiHAGBzML5YBmFU0/w640-h312/KC%20Green.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Meet me back here in <a href="http://stormaculus.blogspot.com/2023/12/better-late-than-never.html#more" target="_blank">September</a> when the next color trend report drops!</p><p style="text-align: center;"> xoxo</p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-47396309968655742642023-06-21T22:13:00.002-07:002023-06-21T22:13:42.253-07:00In the Flash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tQkHS2D8m14/YRnMHzQPEAI/AAAAAAAAAqg/yJ-yBvtuD6QmZCAOVUrOj6ZypRH3WbpswCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/british-columbia-2382640_1920.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="1920" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tQkHS2D8m14/YRnMHzQPEAI/AAAAAAAAAqg/yJ-yBvtuD6QmZCAOVUrOj6ZypRH3WbpswCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h428/british-columbia-2382640_1920.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>"Life is fleeting. And if you're ever distressed, cast your eyes to the Summer sky when the stars are strung across the velvety night. And when a shooting star streaks through the blackness, turning night into day ... Make a wish and think of me." -Robin Williams </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>Each time the Summer Solstice rolls around for the Northern Hemisphere focus is mainly put on the sun, the length of the days, the warmth of the season, and the promise of abundance, and all of those things are true enough, I suppose, but today my mind is on the brevity of the night. Last night, the time between astronomical twilight(s); the actual darkness of night was only 1 hour, and 43 minutes before daylight came inching back. I went outside, because of course I was awake, and felt the damp night air on my face, and savored the faint perfume of a sweet Summer beach. In that tiny instant I felt alive in a way where all of my senses are awake at once, and refreshed. In an otherwise small, and unremarkable moment I knew I was existing <i>in the flash</i>. </p><p>In the era of wellness, self-care, mental health de-stigmatization, and soft living, "the moment" or "the present" has become, like, one of the major commandments of modern life. And I get it, being present actually is important and healthy, but the minute you give something a catch phrase you have people <i>live, laugh, loving</i> their asses off searching for whatever the mysterious "moment" is instead of realizing it's just this ... right now ... whatever that is. I have so many friends frantically trying to chase or create "moments" they can pause and be aware of, wondering why they're no happier or more fulfilled. That's not how it works, it's not a goal, it's not a thing you can attain. You can't plan the flash.<br /></p><p>The flash just comes, and it's up to you if you want to be aware of it or not, if you let it change you or not, if you let it destroy or uplift you. We all know what it is, it's an age old cliche too, but I think much more useful. We've all heard how something "changed in a flash." That's it! <i>That's</i> the moment. The thing is though, it doesn't always have to pertain to near-death experiences, or tragedy, or extreme loss, it can be all the lightning fast good things that go as swiftly as they arrived, but left a lasting impression. It can be a brief love affair, a surprise promotion, a chance opportunity, a smile from a stranger, a Spring breeze, and everything in between. </p><p>The flash has been tugging at my heart and mind a lot lately. When my sisters and I were growing up, our mother always, always, always used to say, "You never know what's around the next corner!" This was her go-to phrase that worked for a lot of different circumstances ... I suppose it's a bit like, <i>this too shall pass</i>, but I think a lot more optimistic; something to be excited about, something that inspired hope, and had a way of motivating a gal whether she was displeased with her current situation, or just super excited about the next. It kept us in the game, aware of what's happening right now, but also curious about what's next. As I look back on things, it was the surprises lurking around the corners that have shaped my life in more significant ways than all of the things I've sat down and planned out for myself. The magic truly is in the moment, or at least it has been for me, which is a hell of a thing for a borderline obsessive-planner like me to admit. <br /></p><p>I know a lot of people, instead of finding ways to enjoy right now, they're struggling to find, or see their life's purpose, or wrap their minds around the big picture of their existence ... And I think the fundamental flaw in that is looking for one in the first place. I think there are very few people who actually do recognize their purpose while they're here; the folks that have that no-mistaking, deep soul calling that puts them on a certain path, while the rest of us are just sort of winging it, and I don't think either way is more or less correct than the other. Whichever category you fall into though, I think desperately seeking your purpose is like trying to hear a song while you're writing it. Sure, you can get the gist in your head, and "hear" how you think it's supposed to be composed, but you absolutely can never hear the whole piece in its entirety until it's done, and as humans, we won't be finished writing it until we're finished living. Hopefully, on my death bed I won't find out my magnum opus was only played on an 8-hole recorder, but even if that's how it turns out I'm committed to feeling, enjoying, and dancing to every note as its played, and releasing the desire to hear the whole song at once. There will be a time for that, but not today.</p><p>And in a flash, the blog post was over. <br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Jolly Solstice tidings! <br /></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-24906337300360942982023-06-19T04:19:00.001-07:002023-06-19T04:19:14.434-07:00Let It Ring<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: x-large;">"The truth is, no one of us can be free until everybody is free."</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: x-large;">-Maya Angelou</span><br /></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-64752221728206306382023-05-31T21:46:00.004-07:002023-05-31T21:46:59.791-07:00Dress for Success<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKUzJyYyUdsR84ds1k9A1keGWkp9EeO56NVtytrV_fT2sKrVjbd9p2jMR1iVc1GWMX-kA3gMUr8ii7sETQbORxTDjbIfXtGpToIpbhVfiC9Fjl-Jknemdwl_C-q6UZsH72lPSykWqdtlojNRvJs2OKENu9ba8vEAs0qKVYvP438-DrYMGjFBI04yg/s1417/Garden%20Hermit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1319" data-original-width="1417" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKUzJyYyUdsR84ds1k9A1keGWkp9EeO56NVtytrV_fT2sKrVjbd9p2jMR1iVc1GWMX-kA3gMUr8ii7sETQbORxTDjbIfXtGpToIpbhVfiC9Fjl-Jknemdwl_C-q6UZsH72lPSykWqdtlojNRvJs2OKENu9ba8vEAs0qKVYvP438-DrYMGjFBI04yg/s320/Garden%20Hermit.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What career matches your set of skills?"<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>One of the ways to get ahead in your career, they say, is to "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have," and friends, I think I've found where my dream wardrobe marries my dream job flawlessly.</p><p><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">In the 15th - 19th centuries, many wealthy people hired "garden hermits," who were real-life garden 'gnomes.' They would dress like druids, live in a small shack in the garden, and offer wise counsel and guest entertainment.</span></blockquote><p></p><p>I mean... </p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>I don't think I've ever seen a job description speak directly to my soul, in my entire life, as much as this one has. The billowy robes alone are an instant draw for me, if I'm honest. I am so serious right now, if there are any ridiculously wealthy folks out there reading this blog who need a living gnome (think more along the lines of Stevie Nicks; lace, velvet, glittery shawls, etc., than unwashed guru) traipsing around their gardens popping off <strike>nonsense</strike> wise counsel, then please feel free to make use of the email address in my sidebar posthaste!<p></p><p>Until then, I'll be busy putting my own garden in. You read that right, my garden boxes are still not ready for this season. The good thing is, my dahlia starts are going wild all over the workbench of my garden shed, but this is the year I absolutely had to break down my old worn out boxes, and assemble new ones. There was no way around it, my poor boxes were hanging on last year by the sheer power of prayer, alone! So I was totally stoked when my mother surprised me with the delivery of new box kits this spring, the only catch is that I wanted to paint them before assembly, and being limited on space means waiting for the weather to cooperate. When the weather went straight from constant rain to 90<span class="js-about-item-abstr">°F heat, I was less than stoked - I live in a temperate climate on purpose, I don't want to have to deal with NiNEty dEgREe temperatures in May. Aside from that setback, if you'll recall from my previous post, I was already half-way painting my kitchen, and building new stairs for my back porch anyway, on top of keeping up on the maintenance of my lawn that was completely exploding under those tropical growing conditions, so it's not like I had a lot of time to dole out for another project. Hopefully this week is the magic week, I'm looking forward to getting my dahlias in the ground, and established by this Sunday ... That's the goal anyway. We'll see how that goes. The thing is, all the big growers I follow are just now (within the last week or so) getting their flowers out into the fields, so I really shouldn't feel like I'm lagging behind. In the big picture, I think things are all coming together as they actually should, it just doesn't always feel like it in the moment. But I think that's just kind of the nature of gardening, and being at the mercy of things, and elements so much larger than oneself, I am constantly reminded how much I am not in control of any of this. <br /></span></p><p></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-23410950260415365232023-05-26T11:40:00.008-07:002023-05-26T13:08:14.796-07:00Link In Bio<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyGkdInQjTNZEcklps6C_8T6gNA65KdiENtQS9eDgiI_kgGVtDvjj2P1IgK-R0mG1VkpizpY2lz6JywbswiKgKmFKPv0nkUeWesdLcpFh5mDtHFVFGkH-ucwTWXTgp6iZqhjGwUdp36kJQrC8po4vTLuSdiET8ZimqKTMEK52WD-ZyjhYPuwWQIJR/s5400/Reading%20List%202023.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5400" data-original-width="2700" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyGkdInQjTNZEcklps6C_8T6gNA65KdiENtQS9eDgiI_kgGVtDvjj2P1IgK-R0mG1VkpizpY2lz6JywbswiKgKmFKPv0nkUeWesdLcpFh5mDtHFVFGkH-ucwTWXTgp6iZqhjGwUdp36kJQrC8po4vTLuSdiET8ZimqKTMEK52WD-ZyjhYPuwWQIJR/w320-h640/Reading%20List%202023.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2023 Reading List<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Whew, this year has been a whirlwind of absurdity, and still, I've somehow managed to stay connected with actual time. </p><p>Huh? What is she on about this time??</p><p>So, I do this thing (it started in the last ten years or so) where my head-time, or the time of year it <b>feels like</b> to me doesn't match with chronological time, or the page on the calendar. Like ... We'll all be in October, doing October-y things, but my head will still be back in April, or somewhere. This year however, for the first time in a very long time, my head and calendar seem to be on the same page. I'll admit, May is getting a bit away from me, I mean here we are with June just around the corner, and I'm feeling a little April-y about it all, but I think I can sync up in the next few days, and put things right again. </p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>What's crazy about this (other than everything I've already said thus far), is that this year has been no less generous with its setbacks, and derailments than previous years, but somehow none of it has been axis-shifting the way its been in the past ... Maybe because I feel I have a little more control over outcomes, like as I accomplish things, I'm actually seeing the results I desire. I think sometimes, we forget exactly how destabilizing it is when our problems snowball; tasks that we just can't seem to get done, health matters that go extremely sideways, unopened bills stacking up, you know the drill<span>—</span> whatever that totally impossible thing is to you. It starts out small enough, and before you know it you're being chased down the mountain by a snow-boulder until it runs over the top of you, you stick to its underside (at least that's how it's always depicted in the cartoons), and before you know it you're going for a terrible, vomit-inducing ride.<p></p><p>I definitely didn't want to have to stop painting my kitchen half way through in order to build a new set of stairs for my back porch, especially because I'd mustered all the energy I had to begin tearing apart, scrubbing, patching, and painting the room in my house that probably needs it the absolute most. I don't know about any of you, but I'm extremely visual, and when I tell you that cleaning a room that never actually LOOKS clean after I'm finished kills a part of my soul each and every time, I am not exaggerating. To me, few things are more depressing than this. I know it sounds like an incredibly shallow, First World Problem sort of thing, but it's more than that. I've known people with dirt floors whose homes were immaculate, so this
isn't some snobby image-is-everything, nothing-is-good-enough-for-me scenario. It's actually about pouring your energy into something to make it better and it just never actually <i>does</i> get better, and how utterly exhausting, insidious, and destructive this kind of constant failure is. Ya gotta win sometimes, it can't <b>all</b> be toil and moil! </p><p>So anyway, it was half way through my kitchen paint job that it became abundantly clear that the back porch stair-affair was untenable, and when you have custody of a German Shepherd with mobility issues, who happens to outweigh you by 20 lbs there is no "going without," or "making do" with a bunch of wobbly shit that's going to cut it. Up rolled the sleeves, and out came the toolbox ... The most gripping piece of information came during the disassembly portion of the project when my mother helpfully proclaimed that the rotten stairs propped up by bricks, broken chunks of stone slabs, and that are completely UN-connected to their risers were not, in fact, <i>up to code</i>. </p><p>Up to code?! Bestie, this whole (waves hands wildly in every direction) stair situation doesn't even follow the golden rule ... I wouldn't treat my worst enemy this way! </p><p>Long story short, the stairs are made, painted, gripped (omg, I stuck <a href="https://amzn.to/428Ev3g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">these</a> down with some of <a href="https://amzn.to/3IIMVYi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">these</a>, and they're amazing!), sturdy as hell, and plumb. Major shout-out to these three dudes: My high school Shop & Materials Science teacher, Roger Records, my mother's first husband for letting me follow him around during our house remodel and giving me my first nail-gun experience, and my dad for always letting me do more than just "hold the flashlight." My flower pots look adorable and have something a lot more stable under them now, but the most important thing of all, the stairs are officially disabled-dog, and stray cat approved! I can't tell you the relief that brings my heart. The kitchen, however, remains unfinished.</p><p>In the meantime, you know, in my overwhelming abundance of down-time I've been reading. I decided early on that this was going to be the year of the biography, and memoir. Being an analytical problem solver irl, or as my folks often teased: The brains behind the operation - what I lack in muscle, I make up in the "bright ideas" department *Disclaimer, these ideas are not always bright, and do not always work out* I generally like to let my brain exhale with a dreamy piece of fiction, but this year I decided to read about other people and all of their problems, because I'm a glutton for punishment, obviously! No, it's actually been fascinating learning how others overcome obstacles (or not) in their own lives ... I'm a give me ALL your advice kind of gal anyway, so this is scratching a very particular itch for me, besides, real people are endlessly more interesting than made-up characters anyway.</p><p>And now I must away, to (hopefully) figure out how to tackle the rest of that kitchen in the most efficient way possible so June, and I can get along this year!</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0px; text-align: center;">Until next time Lovers,</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">xoxo</p><p style="line-height: 1; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2023 Reading List image description for screen readers, and links to purchase: <a href="https://amzn.to/3IJ9xrg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spare</a> by, Prince Harry. <a href="https://amzn.to/3OFFkgC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Love Pamela</a> by, Pamela Anderson. <a href="https://amzn.to/3MwKb14" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">'Tis Herself</a> by, Maureen O'hara. <a href="https://amzn.to/42bIQ5N">Accidental Icon</a> by, Iris Apfel. <a href="https://amzn.to/3WFxIwS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Fighting Chance</a> by, Elizabeth Warren. <a href="https://amzn.to/3oyzvXS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Frances: The Remarkable Story of Princess Diana's Mother</a> by, Max Reddington and Gavan Naden. <a href="https://amzn.to/3MuhZM8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Diana: Her True Story - In Her Own Words</a> by, Andrew Morton. <a href="https://amzn.to/3MGg3jQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Betsey: A Memoir</a> with Mark Vitulano. <a href="https://amzn.to/3q2OnxV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Meaning of Mariah Carey</a> by Mariah Carey with Michaela Angela Davis. <a href="https://amzn.to/3ozzAKQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem: A Memoir</a> by, Daniel R. Day. <a href="https://amzn.to/3MCT8pB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Beautiful Ones</a> by, Prince. <a href="https://amzn.to/3MAgex3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nobody's Fool: The Lives of Danny Kaye</a> by, Martin Gottfried.<br /></span></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-21968889514411618252023-03-14T12:48:00.002-07:002023-03-14T12:48:56.473-07:00Marching On<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpiRrxrYzhIx5_wH3UzWn8jBmE_4hRXdn1Buh7Sw_12MtvSMV-hz-hwVOeEtrILa_yKc6Fvx-gDmCIv0UtXT-odLEKzAVHCWEWq0l3W6DsxvBxHDEZEWE7BgMdPwuUfSzAnJKoPhq15SAyGXvZwXOKZDlSIFBvobG20Wey1pui39ZSOoWXfORbSGT/s1500/Great%20Expectations.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpiRrxrYzhIx5_wH3UzWn8jBmE_4hRXdn1Buh7Sw_12MtvSMV-hz-hwVOeEtrILa_yKc6Fvx-gDmCIv0UtXT-odLEKzAVHCWEWq0l3W6DsxvBxHDEZEWE7BgMdPwuUfSzAnJKoPhq15SAyGXvZwXOKZDlSIFBvobG20Wey1pui39ZSOoWXfORbSGT/w400-h400/Great%20Expectations.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-12656264792371182262023-02-28T16:39:00.000-08:002023-02-28T16:39:13.629-08:00Viva la Revolución<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3seXetmNqzdJYFqzn7naqubo_9YzD6d89-eptwrid-JxJHQgPmcR8X9z6rWaG91OFLRKqtOxt1KTgjQkezJpzqb2B2C5Gyvxn5xhn_Vaww6W4aFYP9zyG1UeIz3nt8aW1raztdOoNfNHTGW8ePNMXwJM03y-73mk9q4YST6dJrd6BsOHGJxqrNy0T/s1800/PANTONE%20COLOR%20OF%20THE%20YEAR%202023.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1800" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3seXetmNqzdJYFqzn7naqubo_9YzD6d89-eptwrid-JxJHQgPmcR8X9z6rWaG91OFLRKqtOxt1KTgjQkezJpzqb2B2C5Gyvxn5xhn_Vaww6W4aFYP9zyG1UeIz3nt8aW1raztdOoNfNHTGW8ePNMXwJM03y-73mk9q4YST6dJrd6BsOHGJxqrNy0T/w640-h374/PANTONE%20COLOR%20OF%20THE%20YEAR%202023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>With the close of 2022 came the Pantone "forecast" announcement of the new Color of the Year for 2023. Now ... If you're new around here, you may not be familiar with my Pantone gripe. The good news is, you can read more about it <a href="http://stormaculus.blogspot.com/2022/02/a-time-to-twinkle.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">over here</a>. The, uhm, <i>other</i> news is that you will very quickly discover how wordy I am. I'd apologize, but honestly? I clearly needed to get all of that off my chest, like, it can't be healthy to hold <i>that</i> much animosity for the color equivalent of groundhog's day -- A harmless holiday(?) that means nothing, but also kind of something..?</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>Anyway, we're back at it (like it or not)! <p></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #4c1130;">But wait ... There's more! If you think I've got problems with Pantone, you should give Artist, and Color Liberator @StuartSemple a follow over on the gram. <a href="http://stormaculus.blogspot.com/2017/03/semple-vs-kapoor.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I've written about my petty-soulmate before</a>, but he really has a beautiful way of taking his grievances to the next level ... One that you may be particularly interested in if you're a current user of Adobe software, and find yourself frustrated by the paywall behind which Pantone has secured its color palette: <a href="https://www.culturehustleusa.com/products/freetone" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Freetone</a>. Act now, for your free Adobe plugin!</span><br /></blockquote><a href="https://www.culturehustleusa.com/products/freetone" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>After two months of hibernation, I've stumbled out of my burrow. I've seen my magenta shadow, and have declared 365 days of a living pink nightmare for all! Muahahahaha ha haaha!! <p></p><p>I, however, promise to spare you six weeks of complaining about it. The annual self-fulfilling prophecy, and money-grubbing aside, I'm kinda digging this year's choice if I'm totally honest. That's not to say, I'm chomping at the bit to buy any trademarked merch, but I've rarely met a bold pink, or deep red, or juicy jewel tone I haven't loved, and for me, Viva Magenta is ticking the right boxes. In fact, it's been quite a while since we've had a color so alive. Living Coral tried it in 2019, and 2011-2012's Honeysuckle, and Tangerine Tango gave it a go, but even with this year's selection in the mix, I've always felt the reds / pinks since 2001 have been unnecessarily muted. I often find myself wishing the folks at Pantone with all of their bajillions of colors would muster up a little courage and go with a true, full-throttle color pick for once, but something tells me this is as adventurous as we'll be getting for a long while. Next year's option will probably be some frosted out pastel, or a minty green of some sort, or at least something that will lull us back into submission, so live it up while you can, be as tacky as you desire, and maybe break a few self-imposed rules with your raucous roses, funky fuchsias, and boisterous blushes ... Most importantly, have a little fun while you're at it!</p><p style="text-align: right;">xoxo<br /></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-12360369732581858342023-02-14T00:00:00.002-08:002023-02-14T17:55:16.335-08:00Pssst ... Don't Forget<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">“Life was meant to be experienced—fall in love. Leave your
hometown. Read all the books. Buy the vinyl. Go back to school. Sleep
with who you want. Book the flight. Pick up a new hobby. Write more
letters. Send that text. Take all the selfies.</span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Live this life, lovingly.”</span></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">-Joél Leon</span></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-19632234798606091142023-01-01T00:00:00.001-08:002023-01-01T00:00:00.190-08:00HNY 2023 <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEit1Y0LYdJJJNzoIxdDUl9VYcF2du_-Bw3sWqI6HmRkWWjTW-XMnbJ_LouH1rQOUgw_P1vxprd_TGTsbVSCT19ZFMv_hA7anWpg7jjKB-4z25fzsUC0Jdbp4cClOASEtuJonQXwF5NT8Yh5FkS_pguwdoJz613WLbVnLzedQWkXaF6f9ZnjAtNHbqNI=s3000" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEit1Y0LYdJJJNzoIxdDUl9VYcF2du_-Bw3sWqI6HmRkWWjTW-XMnbJ_LouH1rQOUgw_P1vxprd_TGTsbVSCT19ZFMv_hA7anWpg7jjKB-4z25fzsUC0Jdbp4cClOASEtuJonQXwF5NT8Yh5FkS_pguwdoJz613WLbVnLzedQWkXaF6f9ZnjAtNHbqNI=w640-h320" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>
Word of the year: звільнений (zvil'nenyy), Liberated<br />Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-74298732908696366562022-12-31T12:00:00.003-08:002022-12-31T12:00:00.208-08:00Let the Good Times Roll...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTDziS19sILe_20Hxsjn8S3ttlKho-uZwQDRxSfxZlQlqZaph9IXeAoX7qtIWiOc376dQ7Z0A09ootuxsjMOJq44C8I9r-k8ZC7n4ylV4S2XXohfwnF97i5mMvRim41PSt456ev_thpYP_VIL7nOhfZVJjKZB395O3qEC0MFadM3wfSfRjAxDXP3IN=s1920" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTDziS19sILe_20Hxsjn8S3ttlKho-uZwQDRxSfxZlQlqZaph9IXeAoX7qtIWiOc376dQ7Z0A09ootuxsjMOJq44C8I9r-k8ZC7n4ylV4S2XXohfwnF97i5mMvRim41PSt456ev_thpYP_VIL7nOhfZVJjKZB395O3qEC0MFadM3wfSfRjAxDXP3IN=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Have we done it? </p><p style="text-align: center;">Have we managed to make it through another year with all of our marbles? </p><p style="text-align: center;">Cheers!<br /></p><p></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-52165314327824240002022-12-25T07:30:00.005-08:002022-12-25T07:30:00.206-08:00Let Your Heart Be Light<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHuaw03VBXhsZwJxdchKCaE6i4XU6hSfTD8J99C9QwQoetkBut6U0ROzChNl1pD96kv3c0yG4C-h2XijDjZnDYUxEFeY7gaVNQ02jY1309YaoFjCs-TEeqvgc4ByreM8FYZ4nXbPBfM1V6BSRQBPBQiaoBvpyc7InrDAjVgURUlRmX8rAJBl2AUCV0=s1950" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="1904" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHuaw03VBXhsZwJxdchKCaE6i4XU6hSfTD8J99C9QwQoetkBut6U0ROzChNl1pD96kv3c0yG4C-h2XijDjZnDYUxEFeY7gaVNQ02jY1309YaoFjCs-TEeqvgc4ByreM8FYZ4nXbPBfM1V6BSRQBPBQiaoBvpyc7InrDAjVgURUlRmX8rAJBl2AUCV0=w390-h400" width="390" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736926581667159208.post-39851663087639807442022-12-21T00:00:00.004-08:002022-12-21T00:00:00.195-08:00Firelight, Firelight, Firelight Gleaming<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1YrWbXDyL6xAPfjobHhLBfSZPEx-ShfHNBna9gUTPclTHSW0ANxAplAsY8FtlJs4gXblwjzGXIy3vGxOOTNZZbIarTmyvATO3iaUwA23EMyIwoOm0hFv3Hh1VY2D3TxaqHpzahYEe6X-D9TSeayuRlwSzmvARS1Hmux1iG4e1YSDt3liw1id8PHeW=s1920" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1YrWbXDyL6xAPfjobHhLBfSZPEx-ShfHNBna9gUTPclTHSW0ANxAplAsY8FtlJs4gXblwjzGXIy3vGxOOTNZZbIarTmyvATO3iaUwA23EMyIwoOm0hFv3Hh1VY2D3TxaqHpzahYEe6X-D9TSeayuRlwSzmvARS1Hmux1iG4e1YSDt3liw1id8PHeW=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">"I like misty Autumn mornings, </p><p style="text-align: center;">and cold, snowy Winter nights. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Rainstorms bring me inner-peace, </p><p style="text-align: center;">thunder sets my soul alight. </p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;">I care not for Summer, </p><p style="text-align: center;">days too long, the heavy heat. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Give me candlelight evenings, </p><p style="text-align: center;">early darkness, a silent street."</p><p style="text-align: right;">-Natalia Crow<br /></p><p></p>Stormyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03340064017802407352noreply@blogger.com