Spring Color Story: Salmon, Blush + Eucalyptus

We often think of pink with Valentines Day. But if you take a couple shades that go well together – like blush and salmon – then balance it out with green, it becomes an all-spring color scheme.

In this case, I’m thinking of minty, sea foamy greens. In the neighborhood of a lighter, warmer teal. Like the tones you find in sea glass. Or eucalyptus leaves.

So here are some DIYs, places to go, handmade items to shop⁺, artwork and more in this Salmon / Blush / Eucalyptus spring palette!

In Shades of Spring Color…

Top image: Fabric on display in the Quilter’s Oasis booth at a recent quilt show in Mesa

1. Pink astilbe flowers via Festival Brides 2. Eucalyptus shower bundle by Self Care Shower 3.⁺ Nopalli (prickly pear) by Sandy Rodriguez via Getty Museum / nature journaling 4. Silver Princess eucalyptus via Flower Power plant nurseries in NSW, Australia

5. Cosmic + Ombre Pebble earrings made by Tucson artist Tawney Weir of Little Toro Designs 6. Tapas plates by Hana Karim Studio, Slovenia 7.⁺ Tiffany art glass dome in Chicago Cultural Center / Chicago short-visit sightseeing 8. “One Block Wonder” pieced by Kathy Thompson + quilted by Mad B’s Quilt and Sew / full quilt (photo #2)

9. Upcycled Kantha Waterfall Necklace handmade by women artisans in India via World Finds 10. The best mail day! collage postcard by Geninne on Flickr 11. Fabric slashing technique by Hot Pink Haberdashery 12.⁺ Lemon Drop Drive-In in Madison County, Indiana / via Roadside Architecture

13. Ocean-tumbled green sea glass via Florida Shells and More 14.⁺ Casa Amistad in Havana, Cuba / via Architectural Digest (Mitchell Owens) + Domino (Meghan McNeer) 15.⁺ Moroccan pedestal serving dish imported by Curated By Clay 16. Bouquet at Windmill Winery in Florence, Arizona / photo by Blubird Pics

17.⁺ Activist postcards from Phoenix Art Museum’s exhibition ¡Viva la Revolución! José Guadalupe Posada and the Taller de Gráfica Popular 18. Planter in candy floss pink by Charlotte Manser Ceramics 19. Four creative ways to give stairs a new look by Beau of HomeDeco / HT Sofie Johansson 20. February planner art by Bárbara Salas Studio

21. Luna Moth polymer clay earrings by Velvet Orange Designs 22. Small-batch skin care products handmade in Tucson by Artemesia Soaps, Salts, Scrubs 23.⁺ Fabbrica di Confetti Rapone in Sulmona, Abruzzo, Italy by Kerry of Colourspeak 24. DIY Fig and Thyme cocktails by Sarah of Broma Bakery

(The End.)

paint colors in shades of green — Sea glass inspired paint palette from BHG via Reclaiming Your Castle.

Notes…

+Shopping: You can find all the Etsy items from this post in my Spring Color Palette collection. I may earn affiliate commission for Etsy products you purchase.

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+3: Nopalli – Opuntia basilaris is beavertail prickly pear cactus. The artist, Sandy Rodriguez, paints with pigments made from the minerals, plants, and insects she’s collected across the US.

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+7: The largest of its kind, this beautiful Tiffany + Co. art glass dome was completed in 1897 in what was originally the Chicago Public Library. It remains in the building, which is now Chicago Cultural Center, and is free to go stare up at. We went in 2019.

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+12: We had planned to visit the Lemon Drop Drive-In when we were exploring Anderson, Indiana and the surrounding Madison County, but we happened to be there during a summer closure.

The marquee in the photo almost reads like a haiku:

Lemon Drop Drive-in
breaded tenderloin or grilled
both are delicious

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+14: The Garden Room at Casa Amistad, said to be “the most beautiful building in Havana.” The former mansion was built in the 1920s and has since been converted into a restaurant and bar with live music in the evenings.

+15: This elevated bowl is handmade and dishwasher safe! It’s 15% off through 3/31/25, along with the rest of the Moroccan tableware and decor in Curated By Clay’s shop.

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+17: The Taller de Gráfica Popular (People’s Print Workshop) believed that “art must reflect the social reality of the times.”

Beginning in 1937, they created prints to share their post-revolutionary, pro-worker ideals with a wider audience. This included printing bilingual postcard sets aimed at tourists, which were part of an installation we saw at Phoenix Art Museum.

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castle on a mountainside — Caldora Castle, Abruzzo in the Apennine Mountain Range. By user Verdenex84 via Wikimedia

+23: Located in a region full of nature preserves and historic architecture (Abruzzo), the town of Sulmona has its own claim to fame. It’s known for making candy-coated almonds, called confetti in Italy and “Jordan almonds” in the U.S.

One of the factories instrumental in carving out this niche is Rapone Panfilo, in its (appropriately) candy-colored storefront. The family-run company uses traditions handed down through the past 10 generations to make their award-winning confetti confections.

Confetti Rapone — Photo by Marta Di Gioia via Accidentally Wes Anderson

I don’t know if it’s just the Google translation, but they describe the company’s director in such a grand way, it seems like it should be preceded by a fanfare.

(Cue imaginary trumpets.)

“Mrs. MARIA RAPONE GIAMMARCO, Faithful Descendant Continuing the prestigious production of very fine CONFETTI that fear no comparisons, because of unsurpassed quality.”

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February 7, 2024November 20, 2024

Color Story: Gems + Jewel Tones (part 2)

l had so much jewel-toned goodness to share with you in part 1 of this color story that it overflowed into this whole separate post!

So you can continue to revel in jewel-toned art, nature, artisan goods, destinations, and DIYs.
Continue reading “Color Story: Gems + Jewel Tones (part 2)”

January 27, 2024November 20, 2024

Color Story: Gems + Jewel Tones (part 1)

Beyond just decoration, color is elemental.

Think of mineral pigments. The way a body of water takes on shades of what it carries – a cloudy blue glacial stream, a teal bay concealing a forest of kelp, a river that turns mud-brown with sediment. The hue of flames shifting from fuel and temperature changes. Or the impact of heat and chemical makeup on the color of lava, of aurora, of stars.

The rich, saturated colors of rubies, emeralds, sapphires, amethysts, and other gemstones are actually from trace elements within them. It’s those so-called imperfections that create the gorgeous palette we call jewel tones.

With Tucson’s gem show season beginning today, it seemed like the perfect time to explore jewel-toned things to make, places to visit, handmade items to shop, and nature to marvel at.

Continue reading “Color Story: Gems + Jewel Tones (part 1)”

March 23, 2023March 22, 2023

Color Story: Deep Teal

Updated March 2023.

Originally published January 2020.

While Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year is Classic Blue, I feel like I’ve already explored that in my 2018 Blues color story. Instead, what’s been on my mind – colorwise, at least – is teal.

It’s a tricky one to define exactly.

Teal resides at the divide between blue and green, undulating from one to the other, like waves over the border between sea and ocean. The side it falls on depends on who is seeing it and how.

You might find dark, dramatic shades of teal in a flowing river, in paint and pottery, in flora and fauna. Maybe it’s made its way into your home.

Teal can feel tranquil. Like a deep breath. Like that time after the holidays but before you’ve completely resumed your regular routine. Like the peace we need more of in 2020.

For now, maybe we can start by simply taking a moment to breathe deeply and take in some gorgeous teal tranquility.

1. A dramatic shade of natural stucco paint made with minerals sourced in Europe. / via Kromoxi (H/T A Girl Inspired)

2. Diving kingfisher near Kirkcudbright, Scotland. / One of over 720,000 photographs Alan McFadyen shot during his 6-year quest to perfectly capture the birds’ dive into the water. / via Daily Mail

3. Detail of VisionShift, Sonia King’s mosaic installation for the HALL Arts complex in Dallas.

4. Mudstone font sample. / I’m not sure whether this festival actually exists, but I kinda hope it does. / via You Work For Them

5. Tips for making a eucalyptus leaf bundle to hang in your shower. (Or purchase a ready-made one.) / Photo via Healthline

6. Prickly pear cactus earrings created by Australian artist Amelia Marks. / via e.g. etal

7. Tiled steps at The Dreamcatcher Guesthouse in Ocean Park, Puerto Rico. / via BLDG 25 + Dreamcatcher on Facebook

8. DIY tropical wreath with paper foliage by Lia Griffith.

9. Ceramicist Gwendolyn Yoppolo shows the lovely variation from different glazes and firing techniques.

10. Hand-printed vintage camper tea towel by Cara Hibbs. (Her Etsy shop, ohlittlerabbit, is taking a break. More fun, hand-screened tea towels here.)

11. Sea lions and pelicans enjoying a sunny day at Old Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey, California. / I took this photo when we were there in 2012. We stayed in a cute little vintage camper that looked a bit like the lower right one on the tea towel above.

12. Lacinato kale + recipe for kale and sausage skillet via The Rainforest Garden.

13. 1960s brushed metal pendant lamp by Doria Leuchten via VNTG.

14. “You Belong Among the Wildflowers” embroidered Tom Petty lyrics wall hanging by BreezebotPunch on Etsy. (Currently out of stock but you can get on the waitlist or request a custom order.)

15. Abstract sketchbook painting of the Smith River in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park (Northern California) by Heather Day. / Her work is more about sensory experience than the literal represensation of a scene. She camped + painted in a spot overlooking this river in 2017. / via VSCO

16. The Vintage Turkish Over Dye Rug by Cadrys is one of the accessories “Interiors Addict” Jen Bishop selected to help your home feel cozy over the winter. (H/T The Home)

17. This adorable little square planter is handmade in Maine by Elizabeth Benotti.

Teal we meet again!

Photo sources: the Monterey and Venice photos are mine. Others are as cited.

This post contains Etsy affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission on purchases – at no extra cost to you. So shop away!

December 6, 2022December 6, 2022

Antique Gold and Forest

Updated December 2022.

Originally published December 2017.

Since my recent autumn and indigo color palette article received such a great response, I thought I’d keep up the color-themed posts with a more wintery entry this time.

Currently on my mind is the combination of vibrant greens (from kelly to forest) paired with softer golds – think mercury glass, champagne, heirloom jewelry, candlelight.

Small table with cakes that look like birchwood. — Cake table via Elizabeth Anne Designs (photo: Jacque Lynn Photo)

While this combination could go modern, I particularly love it as a complement to rustic decor. It looks fabulous with natural materials like birch bark, adding just enough sheen to make it all feel chic and festive.

For a woodsy vibe, you can bring in the classic evergreen boughs and pinecones or whatever’s growing outside your door. Twigs, olive branches, rosemary sprigs, eucalyptus leaves, berries, potted cacti, or mossy driftwood could all work well.