Championing the makers, artists, and wanderers in all of us.
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)”
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.
We’re right smack dab in the middle of Sonoran Restaurant Week, when around 100 (!) restaurants in Tucson and surrounding cities offer special prix fixe menus for $25, $35, or $45 (plus tax and tip). The price often includes several courses that would regularly cost more.
The idea is to encourage diners to try restaurants they haven’t been to, as well as revisiting old favorites. You many need to ask for the Sonoran Restaurant Week menu if you’re at a participating place and don’t see one. Find participating restaurants and menus on TucsonFoodie.com.
I’ve paired 7 of these Tucson restaurants with something fun to do (relatively) nearby that complements them.
Continue reading “Sonoran Restaurant Week Pairings”
The Summer Night Market is starting up again, so I’ve updated the links and info in this post. There are now over 60 participating vendors! The Market happens from 6-10pm the last Friday of the (Tucson) summer months – May through September.
2023 dates are May 26, June 30, July 28, August 25 + Sept 29.
—S
Tonight is the monthly Summer Night Market at the Mercado San Agustin (MSA) Annex here in Tucson. (You may have seen it on the summer Happenings List.)
A few dozen vendors bring their handmade goods and set up around the shipping container shopping center – along with food trucks and a DJ. Of course, the regular shops, restaurants, and bar stay open too.
I wrote about all the food and beverage options over on Tucson Foodie, so I hope you’ll go check that out!
For now, I thought I’d share a few photos from the Night Market in June.
Updated May 2023.
Originally posted July 2021.
Links to Etsy shops have been converted to affiliate links. Etsy purchases you make after clicking them earns a small commission that helps this site without costing you anything extra!
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.
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