Smiles of Nature

"Colors are the smiles of nature....

they are her laughs, as in flowers."

- Leigh Hunt

Every day I start my morning by reading inspirational passages from Alexandra Stoddard's Grace Notes. It's a beautiful book that my mom gave me many years ago - filled with "thoughts & inspirations for a beautiful life." Each day starts with a lovely quote (today's is above) and is followed by two "grace notes" from Stoddard for incorporating the sentiment into your day.

 

Today she suggests:

 

§  Let the radiance of Summer, its colors and warmth bring you joy. (LOVE it! Wish it was warm here!)

§  The colors that cheer you now – at the beach and in the garden – let them become a palette for the months ahead. Establish your colors and live them year-around. (This is not about the latest color trends, it’s about the colors you love and that make you feel your best!)

 

Here are the Summer colors I love and will incorporate into my life throughout the year.

 

As much as I love blue hydrangeas, I love the deep purple garden hydrangeas that are in bloom right now and I love wearing purple. It is such a creative and mysterious color. (photo)

Deep turquoise of Lake Tahoe. (my photo)

Red geraniums - always a Summer-time favorite. (photo)

Especially in windowboxes. (photo)

Lavender and sunflower yellow make me calm and happy at the same time and remind me of our travels to Provence. (photo)

Dramatic orange Seattle sunsets. (photo)

One of my favorite quotes from my color guru Leatrice Eiseman is "Nature does not lie" when it comes to color combinations. Isn't that the truth? 

What Summer colors do you love?