Cloverdew Creative

A canary’s song, the bright sun on a cold winter’s day, a warm glow from a lamp to read by. What comfort and joy yellow brings to our lives!

1. ” Yellow Peppers “, 2. Yellow Leaves, 3. Yellow Rose, 4. Yellow Pom Poms again, 5. Yellow, 6. yellow pencils, 7. Yellow Hydrant, 8. yellow river, 9. Yellow balloons

For years, women used yellow ribbons to welcome home their men from war. Even today, they are used to embrace loved ones returning. Yellow is the color of creative and intellectual energy. Yellow symbolizes wisdom, joy and happiness. Yellow is representative of optimism and enlightenment. The color stimulates the long and medium wavelength cone cells in the retina. It stimulates the brain and nervous system, activates memory, and encourages communication. Yellow is often associated with food (see: McDonald’s Golden Arches).  Yellow is the color of the third chakra and is often associated with the South cardinal direction.

In design, yellow is used to add brightness, to evoke pleasant and cheerful feelings, and to generate muscle energy. Bright yellow is an attention-getter because it is the easiest color to see (even most colorblind people can see yellow). When used with black, yellow creates a warning sign.

As with red and orange, yellow is often used to emphasize elements of design that are most important. Yellow is best used sparingly, since it can easily overwhelm.

• For more about the benefits and effects of yellow in web design, read about the Anatomy of Colors in Web Design: Yellow and the Sunshine Feel.
• Look to pops of yellow to invigorate your interior design.
• Activate your Manipūra (मणिपूर) or yellow chakra to aid with dynamism, energy, willpower and achievement.
• About.com reveals How to Use Yellow in Feng Shui.

What emotions do you associate with yellow? Does it make you hungry? Angry? Mellow? Will you add it to presentations to emphasize import or will you use it to brighten a room? I’m looking forward to brightening up my room with daffodils this spring. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying the sight of the sun on clear, cold winter days. 

Fresh pumpkins. A bright evening sun on a summer’s day. Orange evokes brightness and happiness. Even the scent of oranges, the fruit the color is names after, is said to be energizing.

1. Orange flower, 2. orange vintage, 3. Orange Overload, 4. Orange Sunbrellas, 5. orange, 6. orange walls, 7. Orange on Orange, 8. Choco Orange Macarons, 9. Orange & Blue

Orange is the color of luck. It is the representative of the second chakra. It evokes the warmth of fire. Orange is full of energy. At its best, orange strengthens confidence and contributes to creativity. Orange stimulates. It increases activity, appetite, and socialization. It is a “love it or hate it” color, demanding action. It is a color of enthusiasm and joy, celebration and festivities!

In design, orange is used to create energy and is often used with and juxtaposed to blue and green.

As with red, a little goes a long way. Use sparingly for a little life or an abundance to give life to a project.

• For a little orange in interior design, check out this post from Cottage Home Decorating.
• If you’re looking for inspiration, try Color In Design: Orange.
• The Llewellyn Encyclopedia offers an article on the Seat Chakra, also known as Svadhisthana, which is associated with the color orange, emotion, sexuality, pleasure and polarity.
• About.com tells you How to Use Orange in Feng Shui.

How does orange make you feel? How will you use it in your life? I’m enjoying bright orange sunsets and fresh oranges in Florida to bring more joy and energy into my life.

from weheartit

♥ If you’re like me, you’re probably looking for a great bed to hide away in with a book while the weather outside is frightful. Take a gander at this nook bed complete with reading lamps and fluffy down pillow and comforter. I’d love to have one of those!

♥ DC is getting a taste of European simplicity with a new crêperie at the entry to Gallery Place. They are serving up both sweet and savory dishes and are in a prime spot for walk-in traffic. I’m making it a point to check out Crêpes on the Walk before it gets so popular there are lines around the corner.

♥ Interested in archaeology? This Tinysaur would make the perfect addition to your desk space. I think he’s adorable. But I’d have to find him a more adorable and clever name than Rex.

♥ These pretty prints and paper goods from Little Galaxy make me want to sit and write letters all afternoon. If you could write a letter to anyone, who would you write? What would it say? Would you write a story? These works of art are full of fanciful imagination. Inspiring!

♥ No matter if you are an aspiring photographer or professional artist, this adorable FujiFilm Instax Camera will win your heart. While not quite like the ancient Polaroid cameras, this one is lightweight, fashion-forward, and prints clear credit-card sized photos in just a few minutes with a click of a button. Great for photos of family and friends to hang in your office, cubicle, or workspace; perfect for documentation on shoes for storage boxes (or anything else you want to put away for a season or two); ingenious for all those times you want to take photos which can’t be deleted just as easily as taken…

♥ Take a few moments to check out the Freckled Cup, an artist collective that showcases the beauty of people, light, warmth, color, lack of color, skin, touch, mountains, exploration, and most things in between.

♥ Want to leave a little something sweet for Santa? Why not try making these adorable Candy Cane Christmas Tree Cupcakes instead of cookies this year?

♥ Find out from Copyblogger Why James Chartrand Wears Women’s Underpants.

♥ Lover of literature? Why not read Pride and Prejudice told through emoticons? Gave me a laugh and made my day.

♥ If you don’t have a foot fetish now, you might have one once you see these sexy little peds. These hot little numbers peek out of the toe of your shoe, lending a little lingerie to to those dainty little toes.

♥ I love music, particularly when sung by feisty females. This folk-rock duo call themselves Garfunkel and Oates and are just as quirky and strange a combination as they might appear. Making cuss words sound cute and addressing themes like one night stands and singing songs titled “Pregnant Women Are Smug” and “This Party Took A Turn For The Douche”, these California cuties are on my permanent listening rotation.

♥ Try these dreamy photos for a little inspiration: rumor has it they’re from 1962, the same week Yves Saint Laurent’s first collection was shown.

♥ Ever wish for a simpler time? Learn How To Sew A Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew.

And, with that, my friends, I’m off to Florida to visit with my parents and brother for Christmas. I’m not taking my beloved MacBook, so it may be a while until my next post. I hope in the meantime, these links will keep you satisfied and sated. More next week after I return from my trip.

What woman doesn’t feel better about herself when she’s wearing the perfect shade of red lipstick? Such a simple, yet complicated little accessory. Finding the perfect shade can be a challenge, but there’s a certain amount of accomplishment that comes with finding it. It’s such an unexpected little pop of power!

1. **Red~Star**, 2. Red Shoes in Tree, 3. Madagascar Red Fody, 4. Red Velvet Cake Balls, 5. red riding hood-less, 6. 060/365 red, 7. Three reds, 8. Summer Berries Red Current01, 9. iPod nano PRODUCT Red

Red is often associated with stop signs and traffic lights – and for good reason. Red is a show-stopper. Red attracts. Red pops. Scientifically speaking, red is a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm (wikipedia). Red is often associated with courage, happiness, heat, energy, and love, as well as passion, anger, blood, and pain. It’s no wonder red is seen as a powerful and intense color.

In design, red evokes urgency. It is known to raise blood pressure and respiratory rates. Red pushes for action.

A little red goes a long way. Use sparingly for tempered passion or in abundance for a bold statement.

• Some great examples of bold red websites in a round up from Tutorial Blog.
• Indeziner gives a 45 great examples of Using the Color Red in Web Design.
• About.com tells you How to Use the Color Red in Feng Shui.
• The Llewellyn Encyclopedia offers an article on the Root Chakra, also known as Muladhara, which is associated with the color red and survival, solidarity, grounding, and the body.

What kind of emotions do you associate with the color red? How would you use red in your life? Today, I’m wearing red lipstick as my only pop of color. And, in my opinion, it only comes second to one accessory I know – confidence.

♥ Check out the amazing textured, patterned wood floor inlay that Jana shared on her blog, Rooted In Style. Gorgeous!

♥ Jane, from Sea of Shoes, is one of the luckiest girls in the world. And not just because she gets to go shopping in Paris, walk down the runway in haute couture gowns, and has a great family to keep her grounded. This girl is fortunate enough to have been inside Coco Chanel’s home! Here she shares her experience of going to 31 Rue Cambon…

♥ If you sew, which I’m going to get back into when my new Brother LX 3125 Sewing Machine arrives, you might want these instructions from Simplicity on How To Resize Any Pattern.

♥ For those savvy green girls who want to save some money, save the earth, and DIY: crafting from trash, recycling and repurposing plastic bags for the holiday season!

♥ For those other Steepsters out there, check out this adorable homemade tea shelf! And there are directions on how to make one yourself, too!

♥ How much do I love Rachel Zoe? She’s fabulous and always gives the best dirt on the most amazing fashion and beauty products, like this twinkly Sublime Radiant Powder from Guerlain. I die. (Rachel must know that one of my favorite scents ever, in addition to my favorite color, is violet!)

♥ For some adorable and classy birthday humor, why not check out Wiley Valentine’s letterpress shop, Inspired Paper Designs, which have beauties like this “Happy Birthday Ewe!” card.

♥ Run out of pretty wrapping paper for your holiday gifts? Try wrapping them up with brown paper from the post office, plus some cut-outs of magazines or catalogues, and some pretty ribbon a la these beauties from Maura McGovern’s tumblr, texturism.

♥ Of course, if you’re a bibliophile like me, you might want to order up some of these library-themed holiday tags from ourcitylights.org.

♥ Nubby offers some great Shoe Care Secrets. Go buy yourself your ultimate pair of heels and then take great care of them!

♥ I recently discovered the cutest little porcelain and silver jewelry pieces from Wah Wah Wears by Zoe Churchill. If you like quirky quotes and kooky images, this independent artist’s site is for you.

♥ If you want to give your mom, dad, or significant other a great gift, why not leave your imprint on their heart on a chain they can wear?

♥ If you’ve ever wondered the difference between Pantone, RGB, and CMYK, check out this quick little lesson from eightyonedesign.

♥ In the season of giving, it’s most appropriate to visit a place like Ark° (Acts of Random Kindness). As their site (and t-shirt) says, “The name, the movement – Acts of Random Kindness° The idea – one ark° every time the clothing is worn. That’s it – buy a stranger a cup of coffee, give up your seat on the bus. Just make someone’s day, it’s up to you how you ark° on it.” Great idea and great clothing!

♥ Looking forward to the new year? I know I am. And with this adorable calendar from Sam & Cheryl, you can get your New Year’s groove on early, too. Check out this printable project on Ez’s blog, Creature Comforts.

♥ Daily Candy features green and good-for-the-soul trash bags: Green Genius (Get a free sample from their website and they’ll send you a $2.00 off coupon, as well. I’m hoping for these emerald beauties in my grocery store soon!)

♥ The A. V. Club picks the best short story collections of the 2000s. Among them is featured one of my favorites, Neil Gaiman’s Fragile Things (If you’re a fan of Gaiman, Lovecraft, or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, read: A Study in Emerald. Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire and October in the Chair were some of my other favorites.) They obviously have great taste and the reviews are worthwhile. I’ll be adding a few more collections to my “to-read” list.

♥ I’m so excited for Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland that I already have the date (March 5, 2010) marked on my calendar in anticipation. Midnight viewing anyone? I’m SO there! One of my favorite stories told by one of my favorite storytellers. And speaking of Tim Burton, I’m trying to figure out how to finance a weekend trip to New York to see the exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

♥ Get your daily dose of chocolate, whether you eat it or paint it on your wall! Dezeen Blog showcased this awesome innovative interior design for a Godiva chocolate shop in Harajuku by Japanese interior designers at Wonderwall.

♥ Paste Magazine shows the Evolution of the Hipster from this decade. Can you find people you know? Or maybe even yourself?

♥ I don’t have any fancy holiday parties to go to this season, but if I did, you can be sure I’d be wearing this dress!