Shades

Today's post is about different shades of green. As Caroline pointed out on Day One, I have green eyes, so I've always had a special affinity with green clothing and accessories. I remember reading somewhere (probably a magazine) that people with green eyes should actually wear plum or wine to bring out their color, and that wearing green doesn't work. Not true for me--I don't know why.

Forest Green

This was my junior high go-to green. I had lots of corduroy jumpers and pants in this color. I think it was popular at the time. It always said "back to school" to me.

Kelly Green

Ah, a real '80s moment. I had a ton of Kelly green stuff--earrings, socks, t-shirts--but two items really stand out in my memory: a ribbed Benetton sweater that I wore with black leggings and lace-up boots, in which I could be seen from space, which was useful when my friends misplaced me in a country where we didn't speak the language and couldn't decipher the maps. Also, a Kelly green chiffon scarf I bought for a dollar at a Northampton thrift store, which I used to tie on top of my head in a huge bow. I know that might sound crazy, but it was very chic at the time.

Army Green

I was big into Army surplus for a while. I had an Army jacket, and once I bought some Army pants that were so big I had to tie them on with a bandana. The reason they were big is I had a period of about a year when I was 18 in which I decided that all dressing rooms were a form of patriarchal oppression designed to keep women in submission to the consumer complex, so by resisting, I was a kind of hero. And I did--resist. For about a year, I wore nothing that I couldn't just squint at and decide "I could get that over my head/hips."

Hunter Green

I get this one confused with Forest, but it's darker. I know I had Hunter green things, but my main memory of it is my sister dated a boy actually named Hunter Green, which provided endless mirth for my family. The fact that he hailed from Lompoc, which sounded like a joke place, didn't hurt, either. (I also remember he had impeccable manners, and was super-sweet to my sister.)

Emerald Green

Ah, emeralds. I am not a jewel girl, but I've often thought I'd make an exception for emeralds. They dazzle me. When an actress wears emerald/diamond earrings to the Oscars, I am wowed. Of course they are the most expensive and rarest of the colored jewels, so I'm not likely to be procuring any.

Celadon

I like the sound of that. It's almost the shade of our bedroom walls, but not quite.

Pear Green

Happy memories of painting ceramics at a shop in Solana Beach before it closed. It was owned by two older ladies who didn't mind if you sat there for eight hours (I'm not exaggerating--I did that often) and attached to a good coffee shop that also had pie. I would choose a plate or bowl, spend the better part of an hour researching designs in magazines, and then create an image in pencil, which took another hour. When I painted, I used several brush sizes, as well as toothpicks for tiny detail, and then I layered over some of the colors after that. I would get completely lost in the connection between the brush, the image and the feeling of dusty clay beneath my fingers. The music filled my head, and even if I had company (I usually did) we often didn't speak for hours. Sheer bliss. My favorite piece was a large holiday platter requested by my mother which has cluster of fruit in the middle--a pear, grapes, cherries. In my mind's eye, I can see the precise shade of pear green I chose, with a light sponging of rose across one side for depth.

Jade green

In high school, I was obsessed with jade accessories--necklaces, bracelets, earrings. I had so many. So it was weird when I went to China and saw all that stuff there--apparently it's one of the things you're "supposed" to buy in China. I no longer wanted it.

Viridian, British Racing, Lime, Sea, Mint, Chartreuse

I wish I had something to say about these. Just writing them makes me happy.