Following the rules of color, was boring. And then . . .it wasn’t.
I have grown to love color.
Orange, raspberry, lime green, tomato red, mango yellow.
But it hasn’t always been like that. I would look, but not touch.
Only in the past two decades, or so, did I start surrounding myself with more color. Painting my walls bright colors, wearing more color, noticing color, and combining colors.
My favorite color growing up the red violet crayon in the Crayola box. It came with me to school, and it was the quickest color to diminish to a nub.
I could color with it, but not wear it.
“Red heads can’t wear red or pink,” mom would say.
Green was the outfit I received, while my blond sister got red.
“Choose clothes in neutral shades that go with everything else,” mom would advise when I started spending my blueberry picking and babysitting money on clothes.
Browns, tans, greens, and cream began to fill my closet. Occasionally a wild large, flowered pair of Capri pants would sneak home.
“You wear those once and everyone will remember them,” my mom said when she saw my jungle flowered pants.
My mom, sister and I enrolled in a sewing class. The blouse and skirt I sewed were mushroom brown. Destined to go together and mix and match the meager wardrobe I already owned. The dress, a cream background with light brown swirls and petite brown flowers, was also destined to be unmemorable.
Mom chose a blue gray color for her skirt and blouse. Dark brown for a suit.
For her suit of a circle skirt and bolero jacket, my sister choose a bright orange fabric.
Instantly I was jealous. I wanted orange. I wanted something cute and bright. But I had already chosen the dull tan fabric and it was cut and waiting at home.
Mom tried to talk my sister out of the vivid orange. Brown and blue were suggested, but my sister stuck with the crisp orange cotton.
“You’ll wear it once and everyone will remember it,” mom said.
She was right. People remembered her cute bright outfit. They complimented her over and over again on it. And every time she pulled it on she sparkled and smiled and was bright herself, like a radiating star.
The years passed and I stayed safe with my greens, browns, blues, and other dull colors. I followed the rules I had learned. My clothes were safe, neutral, and unremarkable.
I approached my clothes and their colors like I had my spiritual life.
Follow the rules to the letter and little joy remains. I didn’t see the rules as providing freedom and creativity and encouraging differences. I didn’t see the rules as love and protection. I couldn’t get past my greens and browns and realize that orange and pink can go together. Yellow and purple. Orange and green.
Slowly my spiritual understanding expanded. And my clothes began to deviate.
One day I went clothes shopping, and all the clothes were bright, alive, and happy. I came home with new colors to add to my closet. I found pinks and orangy reds that complimented my red hair. I began wearing the colors I liked. Painting my walls and surrounding myself with color.
I discovered I liked color. I discovered freedom within the rules.
I quit caring about whether everything I bought would coordinate with all my other clothes. I stopped worrying about whether people would remember my bright skirt or vivid shirt.
I wear what I enjoy and what I like.
Sometimes I wear pastels, subdued colors, maybe even a monochromatic outfit. And other times I am in that outfit that people will remember.
Thanks for stopping by. Keep remembering what’s important.
Theresa
Discussion question: What are some of your favorite colors?
May link up at Crystal Storms (#HeartEncouragement), Maree Dee (#Grace & Truth), Anita Ojeda (#inspirememonday), InstaEncouagements ((IE Link-Up), and Jeanne Takenaka (#tellhisstory).
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I can relate!
My dad is a realtor, therefore his stance is that our homes should always be ready to sell. Or in other words, white walls & neutral floors. In my home I have walls of red ( 2 shades), bright blue, yellow deep green & cafe au last. I love the color in my rooms.
I’m glad that you’re finding your style & your voice!
I would love your colorful home. We have very few white walls in our house. I think one bathroom. I panted my daughter’s bathroom a bright happy pink color with white trim. The other day one of my son’s high school friends was visiting and used her bathroom. I heard him call his other friend, “Come here, you have to see this. Have you ever seen such a pink bathroom?” I heard the whole exchange and was laughing.
Theresa, I really enjoyed your article, I was much like you with color for so long, drab and stuck to the “rules”. But God created so many vibrant colors for us to enjoy that fill our hearts with joy. Love breaking the rules now with color in every area of my life!
There is such joy to play with colors! I imagine He is surrounded with a multitude of colors.
‘Slowly my spiritual understanding expanded. And my clothes began to deviate.’
It’s always so bright and vibrant around here, Theresa. Now I know why!
What a fascinating nudge to step a bit out of my comfort zone. Thank you!
The color of flowers, does bring me joy and fascinates me. They have such shades and combinations. And they can be so bright and cheerful.
Yes! I love discovering this about you, Theresa. “I wear what I enjoy and what I like.” I currently am enjoying sweatpants and sweatshirts. 🙂 I know when I begin reemerging more in the world (which is already in progress!), I’ll need to switch back to a more normal wardrobe, but I hope to still go by your advice to wear what I enjoy and what I like.
Good for wearing what you enjoy, Lisa. This past year I feel my wardrobe has shrunk to a few yoga pants, tee shirts, and sweatshirts. I look in my closet and see all the clothes not getting worn. Occasionally I will wear normal clothes. Pulling out the jeans and cords. And then I am back with the over worn comfortable clothes as I am staying home the majority of the time. My warm weather clothes tend to be the fun and bright clothes. So I will start pulling them out soon, and wearing them.
I love this, Theresa! My favorite color is red. But I especially like touches of bling—in my shoes, my rings, bracelets, that sort of thing. My philosophy is wear clothes that feel good and make you feel good, so I love that you no longer feel bound to wear a certain set of drab colors. I also had to laugh when I read your response to Lisa … yesterday, when my daughter sent me a “one-year-ago” photo from her files, I realized I was—at that very moment—wearing the exact same outfit I was wearing in the picture. I think it’s time to do some shopping!
That is too funny. Wearing the same outfit a year later. I am sure that has happened more than we think with this past year. Shortly before Corvid, my sister and I bought some bling earrings just because. And boy are they bling. But so fun to wear. I am sure red looks great on you, Lois. My question is do you wear a matching red lipstick? Lipstick is the one bright makeup item I like top wear.
What a beautiful testimony, Theresa, “I discovered I liked color. I discovered freedom within the rules.”
Thank you, Lisa. For visiting and commenting. May you walk in freedom.
The past two houses we’ve lived in as a married couple, have had lots of different colored walls. When we moved into the second house, I wanted to paint the white walls a taupe color. Neutral, but softer than white. All my husband wanted was white. White everywhere. (I won the argument and every room had a different color….and quite a few times!) But when we built a house recently, I couldn’t decide on colors, so all of these walls are neutral. (I have a feeling once we get all settled in, there will be some color added. lol) My favorite color is pink…it seems to bring out some rosiness in my cheeks. Having all boys, pink is like a “treat” to me! 🙂 I try to color within the lines of the rules. I’m glad you branched out and got what you wanted!
It’s fun to live in both. We have had homes we knew we would be in just a short amount of time and kept neutral, for resale value. And others we have painted. With neutral colors, you can bring color in other ways. Furniture, pillows, accessories. I too love pink. My office is painted a salmon pink with a yellow ceiling and white trim.
I am a rule follower too. All varieties of blue are my favorite colors especially aqua and turquoise. Maybe I should branch out! God want our love, not checking all the boxes, so true.
Blue is such a versatile color and has so many shades. Periwinkle has been a favorite of mine for years. As for aqua and turquoise, they are so lovely. God does want our love, Susan. Not just following rules and checking boxes.
I love your story about color, Theresa. Isn’t it amazing that as we get older, we find our voice and become more and more the person God intended us to be? I am so glad you began surrounding yourself with color, including your wardrobe. I think by following someone else’s strict rules that may not fit us, we deprive ourselves of joy. I am trying to find that freedom within the rules too!
We do find our truer selves and voice as we get older. And yes, Laurie, it is quite the adventure to discover the person God wants us to be. Following the rules of another can take away our joy. Following God’s rules, though, brings freedom and joy. Blessings, Laurie, on your journey and freedom.
Beautiful post, Theresa! I love so many colors it would be hard to pick a few. Like you, I so often chose muted colors, but I am branching out more. I would love to have a beautiful many colored flower garden. Maybe one day.
And you are right, there is so much freedom within the rules and there is also joy!
Blessings to you! I’m your neighbor at #InspireMeMonday.
Hi Gayl! Yes to a beautiful many colored flower garden. I have always wanted an English cottage flower garden. Sadly we don’t have the right soil or zone. So I have a different type of flower garden. Which also brings me great joy. Blessings on your dreams, neighbor.
Theresa, I love this post. I’m so happy to hear you found color. My favorite colors are teal and purple. Blessings.
Paula! Purple and teal. Love it. They even look good together. I have a friend whose favorite color is purple. She has a big medium dark purple couch in her living room. It looks so scrumptious.
What a wonderful way to encourage us with the truth. I love the way you’ve shared something to brighten the very regular part of daily life and brought home how that very thing has implications for our walk of faith. Thanks for that.
Thanks Natalie. As time marches on, I am better seeing how most things in life have implications on our walk of faith. It is like searching for treasure, and it all leads back to Him. Thanks for visiting.
This has gotten me thinking about the differences between myself and my daughter-in-law, Theresa. She dresses and decorates with whites, creams, tans and all things neutral. Occasionally, she lets a pop of peach show up somewhere but not very often. I truly love the subtle, calming, and clean look of her home and clothing choices. All of it is very stylish and makes her photos (she’s a photographer) look perfectly color-coordinated in every possible way. But I just love color way too much to leave my home or wardrobe limited to those neutral shades–no matter how picture-perfect they might be. Thanks for this thought-provoking post! I’m glad you’re rethinking your mom’s rule of thumb!
Beth. I love the look of Creamy neutral rooms. But I would get tired of living in one all the time. We are all different and I love to see the variety of what we like and what colors appeal to us.
I loved that bright orange outfit. Even though I was called a pumpkin all the time! I still love orange the best, but since it is hard to find I wear lots of reds. Except now I have dyed my hair red and I can clash with lots of the pinks, oranges, reds and maroon colors I have! How funny to go from blonde to red and now have my clothes clash! I still wear the colors I like even it it clashes with my new hair color. Add bling and any outfit is FABULOUS!
I would have to say my favorite color is Bling/Sparkle. (No surprise there. LOL 🙂 When you are given the first name of Bliss by your parents, make the best of it. 🙂 🙂
Bliss, now you understand the color clash of having red hair!! Your new hair color looks so good on you. Love it. And red goes great with bling. Keep being the colorful sister you are!
This was a great illustration for me and something I can relate to. I’ve had similar changes in my wardrobe. I used to have a lot of black, but am switching to more color as well!
The great thing about switching from a black wardrobe to color, is so many colors go with black. One of my favorite black color combinations is pink and black.
I’m glad you found the freedom to experiment with more colours and discover what you liked. I tend to go for blues and purples quite a lot, but I do like something with a bit of colour rather than just beige or black.
I like blue. but usually the blue items are gone in my size when I go shopping. but the last few years i have gone shopping early and gotten a number of blue items. Blue is so versatile.
I love color and patterns on birds and flowers and sunsets–but on my clothes? I stick to solids. I DO, however, have a large collection of colorful, splashy scarves ;). About 20 years ago I painted the dining room a cheerful mango-newborn chick combo using a special paint pan and brush. It was suptuous. I love color on walls. Until you brought it up, I never realized my spiritual revival and my color revival coincided as well ;).
Thanks for sharing a part of your story, Anita. Yes, some patterns and colors we may not want to wear, but we enjoy them elsewhere. Your mango dining room sounds lovely. I rag painted one of our living rooms in a different house, and loved the way it turned out. I have also painted contrasting one inch vertical stripes of at a number of our houses, often hallways or bathrooms. Once I used red and glittery gold with a gold ceiling. It was a very small square hall that joined three spaces and was so cute and festive. I imagine heaven will have so many extra colors we don’t even see now.
I’m not one for colourful clothes either, but I’m learning. It’s funny but one of the first things that struck me about your profile picture is the lovely contrasting colours you’ve worn! And of course all the lovely colour in your photographs!
Thanks Connie. I am learning how colors interact and enjoy mixing them.