This month we’re feeling Fava Bean (by Valspar)! It’s energetic yet subdued, and whether or not you go green this shade is sure to make you smile. Here’s why the hue has us inspired:
Jackie Jives with Avocado
Creating meals based on color is a great way to shake things up in the kitchen. Even better, the best colors are found in oh-so-good-for-you fruits and vegetables. Cue, the Avocado!
For me, avocados are an instant reminder of the good life, and are a treat that I can put in and on everything! Some examples: use it on a sandwich to replace high sugar spreads; eat it plain or mashed on some toast with sea salt and fresh ground pepper; add into a fresh made pico de gallo with other fresh fruits for a vibrant and unique salsa; or go with the old standby and make a killer guacamole that goes with more than just tortilla chips. Beautiful color, endless versatility, outstanding flavor…doesn’t get much better than that!
Blaise is all Revved-Up
Green is the most emotional color. It has a sinful side, full of envy and greed. It has a virgin side, lush with youth and natural beauty. But my armchair psychologist days are over, and green now makes me think of something far simpler than feelings.
As Richard Hammond once explained, every major motor racing country has its own national color. France is blue, Germany is silver, and Italy is red. England’s is green, and it’s not because the English are all sinners and virgins. In 1903, the English were meant to host the Gordon Bennett Cup (predecessor of Grand Prix). But England’s speed limit back then was only 12 MPH, so they held the race in faster-paced Ireland, then part of the UK. They chose green to salute the Irish.
Go put your feelings aside and look below. You’ll find three beautiful Aston Martins: the DP212, 214, and 215. Only one of each exists today, and they’re all green.
Aston Martin DP215
Aston Martin DP214
Aston Martin DP212
Rachel Hones in on Hedera Helix
I’ve been obsessed with gardens ever since my grandmother took me to see The Secret Garden when I was in kindergarten (see the running theme there?). To me, there’s nothing more whimsical and magical about an ivy-laden door that leads to acres of greenery. Though it’s not your typical Fava Bean hue, the veins throughout ivy, and specifically English Ivy (or, Hedera Helix), are a beautiful light green, contrasting quite beautifully with the darker green leaf. Now, if only I could get everyone in my condo building on board with letting this climbing plant take over the façade…
Meghan Is Feeling Fresh
To know me is to know that the color green does not make me envious. Honestly, it’s a hue that I don’t happen to fancy unless it’s in the form of cash, kale or jelly beans. But, after unearthing the following fresh finds I might be turning over a new leaf when it comes to this lush lovely. Here are three bright ideas that are opening my eyes:
Stefan Sagmeister, Banana Wall, 2008
Mona Hatoum, Jardin Spspendu, 2008
Anne Lindberg, Taut Green, 2013
Margaret Comes of Age
My first “big girl” piece of jewelry was a prasiolite cocktail ring that I wore for many years on my ring finger. It was a gift to myself to celebrate independence on many levels—it was my first time living alone in a new city with a new job and a new relationship status. I picked the prasiolite because it was surprisingly versatile as a cocktail ring as it shines a fresh minty green in the light and quietly blends into whatever it’s surrounded by in the evening. I was surprised to discover that prasiolites are actually the rare result of treating (purple) amethysts with heat. The February birth stone just got a lot more interesting…!
