Dulux Colour of the Year 2014: Teal II

Teal Trivia! The first recorded use of teal as a colour name was in 1917 and it is believed to have been named after the muted blue-green feathers that surround the eye of the dabbling-duck known as the Common Teal.

So the colour has only been known as Teal for ninety-seven years. It's practically a baby. It will also be known dabbling-duck in my head now. And so you know, a dabbling-duck is a duck who feels mostly from the surface of the water rather than diving.

Now, we have the traditional nail polish, which you know I can't resist; heels and a dress; makeup and a mug; comfy, comfy sneakers, that have a double tongue which I've never understood, but are my comfiest pair and heels I may well be able to walk in and there's also a ring which is a planter and my new glasses, which I admit are very, very borderline teal, but after seeing some interpretations of the colour, I'd count them, though I am biased.

So here they are, my Dulux Colour of the Year 2014 list of teal toned treats:

1. Bleach Super Cool Colours in Sea Punk from Bleach London | Link
2. Color Show Nail Polish in Superpower Blue  from Maybelline | Link
3. Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Electric from Stila Cosmetics | Link
4. Kebaya Mug in Turquoise from Anthropologie | Link
5. Pepe Jeans 'Avery' aka my new glasses from Clelland and Boyd Opticians| Link
6. Teal Blue Origami Paper Cranes Ladies Scarf by Talented Apple on Etsy | Link
7. Zodiac Glitter in Cancer from Lime Crime | Link
8. Wearable Planter Icosahedron Ring in Teal by Wearable Planter on Etsy | Link
9. Teal Polka Dot Classic Satchel from Mozzypop | Link
10. Converse Allstar Low Double Tongue Mrrcn Blwt Smu from Office | Link
11. Editor Teal Heel by Not Rated from Heels.com | Link
12. Pigment in Teal from MAC | Link
13.Globe 10" in Green by Found by Fab | Link
14. Daymee Dress in Teal from Coast | Link

The fact that dabbling-duck wavers between green and blue makes it a relatively easy colour both to find and wear. You just pick the tone that suits you, or at least that's the story I'm sticking too since my collection does wander kind of carelessly through the spectrum.

You can be daring and relatively bright or safe, neutral and muted, but either way, it's a good colour and would look particularly nice with bright blue pinks, corals (which is the complimentary colour of choice) or even with a bit of Radiant Orchid.

Lucky that!

Link | Dulux Colour of the Year 2014
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Listening: Sleeping Sickness - City and Colour feat. Gordon Downie

At the bottom of everything...

...lies a paper reef, surrounded by paper fish.

*designed, handmade and fitted by Elizabeth, Emily & Louise Boyd.

It's been a few months since we put in our last window display at work. Up until last weekend it had been filled with a rainbow paper chain curtain, but on Saturday and Sunday Louise, Mum and installed our paper reef. Something which Mum has been wanting us to do since we took over the windows a couple of years ago. It also ties in with my dads current obsession with marine tanks, so it's nice to do something they both love.

It has taken us about 3 weeks (not full days, since I work in the mornings) 2 days to install, approximately 1,800 cocktail sticks and 2,400 cotton buds, plus a couple pads of tracing paper, half a dozen newspapers, a couple of hundred cupcake cases and as many toilet rolls as I could collect over the past few months. I've looked like a lunatic when heading to the till at the local supermarket.

Though I do love it myself. It's the first window we'd done in ages which I have really enjoyed making and the obsession which comes with a time limit didn't actually make me go completely mental. Plus, one of the things I really love about it is that it looks as good from the inside as from the outside, which is why it took us an extra day and generally never happens!

There are a few more photos on my Flickr Stream, and I will be uploaded more once I've tweaked one end of display where a stand for sunnies had to go and thus needed to be left clearer so there wouldn't be a massive collapse. Anyway, apart from trying to make strawberry jam (raspberry jam and elderflower cordial were made on Tuesday), that's my plan for my day off. Get the window finished, oh and not wear makeup or brush my hair or think about looking 'smart'...love a day when you don't have to do that!
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Listening: Medicine - Daughter

Monday Mood Board: Peach, Gold & Teal

Row 1: Home is Where the Bag is by Jo Meesters via Velvet Palette,

Origami by Calexico7,

Confetti System's Studio via Artessen

Row 2: Iridescent and Bronze Glitter via Pinterest,

Sparkles via Bijou and Boheme

Admittedly I was at a bit of a loss for inspiration for Monday's mood board*. I've been trying to give myself a more inspiring space, i.e. I've been tidying/rejigging my room so I can actually think rather than just switch off to ignore the mess. So initially, as I'd resurrected my lava lamp, I considered basing a board on a Bokeh photo of the glitter lava lamp variety, thus explaining the two images at the bottom. The lamp image however looked rubbish in the mix, so I decided on what we have, Peach, Gold and Teal. An odd mix perhaps, but it's actually quite a pretty combination.

You may have noticed these mood board are all rather colour based. I've always been kind of obsessed with colour. Maybe it's the dyslexics hatred of black and white, or the fact that I am drawn to the bright colours, but it's always something my jewellery has lacked. Despite resins and enamels being an option, I've never really embrace my colourful side. So maybe these will give me a little incentive.

I also love the image of Confetti System's studio, the photos I've seen of it - a few I may post once I've lurked around their site a bit - show a really busy, bright and joy filled studio. Which reminds me of uni. Apart from the fact that it's missing the panic, but I'm almost certain it's there. It's the kind of studio I would like to work it, so maybe I need to go into full on window design or making decorations.

Sorry for being a bit lacklustre again, like I said I've been trying to sort my room and the most progress I make, the more mess I'm making. Plus windows and more knitting for more windows. Fun.

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Listening: Howie Day - Collide (Acoustic Version)

*Incidentally, I keep calling them Monday Mood boards even on Tuesday or Wednesday purely so if someone searches for them on here they'll all appear. Also it means that my LinkWithin widget actually groups four of them at the bottom which looks pretty. When I don't add the Monday they don't appear. Which shouldn't bother me but it does a bit.