The Color Camel...palette cleanser

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Saturday, January 16, 2021

Dear Marion,

  Here we are in January and I am craving some simple, cozy style: my interior surroundings, the clothes I am wearing, and familiar comfort in the food I want to enjoy. It felt refreshing to take down the Christmas decorations, although I have to admit we are still enjoying the lights and greenery outside...which is turning brown by the moment. While The Holiday Season brought comfort in all of the decorations and sugar via baking, I am now craving some healthier options and simple open space. Let me not kid myself or you, chocolate is still a craving and most likely always will be, I am simply trying to limit my intake at this point in time. Hunkering down in front of our fireplace with some candles and a good mystery or bio is very much appealing. Time for a palette cleanse…

  Dad once showed me how he took his coffee, of course, he preferred caffeine and was stubborn about reducing his intake. You eventually broke through, it was time for him to accept, as there were many cups involved in a day. Part of dad’s early morning ritual was to make his coffee for the day, he would then pour it into a khaki-colored thermos with a red bottom and red lid that doubled as a mug. This was key as he drank from it during their coffee break in the am and again during lunch whether working in the merciless, raw, cold seasons or under the heat and blistering sun. Here is what was key...the color, let me just give you the credit as that is actually what you told me but in effect that is what dad meant. Black coffee with the right amount of half and half or milk or cream and sometimes sugar. This brings me to my point..finally, haha. Color- this beautiful shade of coffee brings me comfort. You could call it butterscotch, caramel, etc. Today I am thinking about Camel.

  Camel, the color, brings to mind camel hair and the luxury of that fiber. Out of curiosity I looked up Camel hair in Britannica and Webster’s, Camel hair comes primarily from the Bactrian(camel type which has two humps) and it is not sheared or plucked but primarily collected as the camel sheds its coat. Among the reasons this fiber has been long coveted is due to its insulating properties, the ability to keep you warm, and comfort. From my earliest memory, I loved the look of a camel hair overcoat whether for a man or woman as it looked formal yet approachable. More formal with a suit or elegant dress and a casual aire with dark indigo jeans or winter white jeans or trousers. 

  If you remember my first full-time design staff position was as a sweater designer. My earlier years of learning how to hand-knit and crochet, as well as machine knitting in college, came in handy. As a young tween, we would visit a Norwegian friend who owned a yarn shop and I absolutely treasured our time spent with her and in her shop. She carried the most beautiful cotton, wool, silk, and blended yarns from all over - really globally. One afternoon, you introduced me to another friend(also Norwegian) who was a yarn wholesale supplier. She was fascinating and invited me to join her(modeling some of the sweaters using her yarns) at Jacob Javitz Center in Manhattan for a wholesale yarn show. I was sold in that moment and have had a fondness for sweaters and yarns that have carried over time.

  The warm and cozy color of camel can be scrumptious in cotton, cashmere, linen, merino, wool blend, mohair in a fine gauge or lofty knit, fitted, tailored, or oversized in a solid, two-color, or multi-pattern. I love the look of these yarns in camel against white, chocolate brown, or black. There is elegance and simplicity in these color combinations but I equally love a pop of color which could be orange, yellow, or cobalt blue. Really, there are no restrictions and it is classic and timeless. A trend can be layered on using jewelry or a scarf, but the beauty is you can use what you own and build or top it off with something new and less costly.

  I received some nice gifts this year, one was a camel or amber-colored candle which partnered with a white candle on our mantle gave me a breath of fresh air. I pulled out some of our wool blankets and a tablecloth that carried this feeling through to each room. It feels warm, cozy, less fussy, and classic. Not that I particularly needed a new coat, but I am loving my new tailored, lightweight Christmas gift. It is a camel and white herringbone overcoat that I have worn with a sweater but also with an orange lightweight jacket(I already owned) underneath for extra warmth. It feels refreshing in this new season and I can pair with Ugg’s, cowgirl boots, or even my over-the-knee black suede boots as all fill the column of fashion and function. At this point, I am pretty much over feeling the pain in the name of a trend(ie. heels)...my feet and I have compromised on this point. I do, however, still love shoes(I keep them forever) as much as chocolate!... I blame you for both of these obsessions.

  I will never forget the delicious smell filling the air on a weekend of a roast of some sort that you were cooking while I still lived under your roof. This week we have been researching some new Roasted Chicken recipes and thought this would be a good time to share. The color is right(haha) and it is such good comfort food while still adhering to our attempt at moving into a healthier mode of this new season. The chicken is tender and full of flavor plus we are spending time together chopping, cooking, and laughing. Truth be told I think we may follow the meal with rice crispy treats or brownies….

Talk soon,

Forever Yours

Quote:

“I think I benefited from being equal parts ambitious and curious. And of the two, curiosity has served me best.”

Michael J. Fox

Canadian-American actor, author, film producer, activist

1961