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The Psychology of Yellow
Yellow just makes me happy! I love spotting it on my walks (a front door? a yellow center of a daisy) as well as wearing it – in a sweater, scarf, t-shirt! We only moved once during my childhood, and my parents selected the yellow bedroom to be mine before I had seen it. The room had yellow checked wallpaper. It was so cheery! Perhaps that is where my love for yellow started! The Psychology of Yellow It’s no surprise to find the psychological reactions that yellow can people. Here are just a few feelings and thoughts people have when they see yellow: optimism happiness hope positive thinking friendship good…
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Creative Travel: Capturing the Look of a Neighborhood – A Walk Down Grand Ave, South San Francisco (incl Free Printable Coloring Page)
Trying to capture a neighborhood or location with a few simple drawings can sometimes feel like a daunting task! Take any given neighborhood, from residential to downtown and it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the many things to see; different building styles, different colors, different types of nature, etc. In a recent online class I hosted with South San Francisco Library, I boiled down this problem and created a simple recipe to help you capture your own neighborhood! Recipe to Capture a Neighborhood = Common Elements + Nature + Unique Elements + Oddities Using this recipe, I headed to downtown South San Francisco’s Grand Avenue to see what I could…
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It’s a Colorful World – December Color Palette
December is one of the best months to get out and about, open your eyes and see the colorful world we live in! Here’s a new palette for the month to keep an eye out for. These are some of my favorite holiday shades– cherry red, crisp turquoise, vibrant chartreuse, forest green and a rich brown. Once you spot these colors, whether it’s thumbing through your holiday ornaments, or at walking by an elaborate Christmas window display, snap a pic, make a quick sketch, then let me know! Post it on social media and tag #itsacolorfulworld, or send me an email! I can’t wait to see what you find. December…
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It’s a Colorful World – November Palette
Many years ago, while traveling with my family we came up with a “game” for the day where we’d pick a color and while we were out touring we would snap a picture when we saw the color. The picture could really be of anything; a door, a flower, some food, a painted wall, a sign. It’s amazing how many pictures each of us would find, and how artsy some of them were! For instance, when touring Istanbul, I picked the color red. It was everywhere, from flags hanging proudly to the bright red trolly in the Taksim neighborhood. I even found this very random red chair, on the side…
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Palette+Place: Sunsets at Lake Tahoe
This New Year in Lake Tahoe, California we were treated to quite a show. Night after night we were dazzled with pure visual entertainment. Jaw dropping colors magically changed before our eyes and in a matter of minutes it was over. No this wasn’t some marketing stunt put on by a glitzy casino, or a laser light show at the local high school, this was just Nature doing her stuff. With 4 decades of trips to Lake Tahoe, and a 2 year stint living there, I’m convinced Lake Tahoe sunsets are some of the best in the world. Night after night the sun dips behind the Sierras and the sky…
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Palette+Place: Springtime in Sonoma County Wine Country
Sonoma County is a must for any wine lover traveling to Northern California. Quaint towns and picturesque scenery is in abundance– as well as world class wine, of course. For over 10 years, I’ve headed up to Healdsburg in Spring with my husband and family for the annual Dry Creek Valley “Passport” weekend. Participating wineries open their doors with loads of wine to taste and food to eat. Although the wine is delicious, I must admit, I go for the scenery. Sonoma County in the Springtime is like a breath of fresh air. The rain and cold of winter are gone and everything is in bloom – the trees, the…
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Palette+Place: Antelope Canyon, Arizona
When we pulled up to the dated strip mall to start our adventure of Antelope Canyon, I must admit I was a little turned off. The small office was packed. Tourists of all shapes and sizes milled around the Navajo souvenirs and trinkets, all waiting for the bus. A tour group is not always my first choice in exploring a natural wonder, but it actually is the only way to see this spectacular slot canyon. Antelope Canyon is one of the most photographed slot canyons in the world. It is on Navajo land, thus solo visits are prohibited. One can only tour the canyon with a group lead by a…
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Palette+Place: The Colors of La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Many times you hear people describe a location or place as being quite “colorful.” The first thought I have when this is said is that this place is full of a interests, excitement and potentially eccentric… Rarely do I interpret this to mean, literally, there is lots of color. Well, La Boca in Buenos Aires changed that for me. La Boca is truly a colorful neighborhood filled with bold bright hues everywhere you look. Located along the Riachuelo river, at the “mouth” (hence the name), this spot can’t be missed. The brightly painted doors, windows, trim, shutters, sidings and more playfully play with the everyday life of hanging laundry, light…
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Palette+Place: Roussillon, France
We came to Roussillon after a long leisurely French lunch filled with delicious food and wine, so, needless to say, we weren’t in the best condition to start a touring adventure… but once there, we were in for such a rich colorful treat our eyes became wide open! A town in the Luberon area of the South of France, Roussillon is at the base of Monts de Vaucluse. It is quite unlike many of the typical Southern French hill towns in that it is painted in rich reds, rusted oranges, golden yellows, and dark greens of the pine trees. With the striking Provençal blue skies, it offers quite a feast…
