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Go ahead — make someone's day. Forward this week's issue to a friend and remind them to sign up to get next week's issue here. 😊
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Morning
,
Last week, I felt a little tinge of hope for the first time in a while. It landed with a mix of relief and renewed motivation. It felt a lot like a light milky blue to me.
This isn’t the first time I’ve associated color with feelings — in softer moments of life, I’ve had a closetful of coral; in emboldened moments, I’ve obsessed over neon yellow nails; and in moments of neutrality, I’ve felt green, surrounding myself with the plants to prove it. I even recently wrote about my apartment’s color inspiration, something I call “the sandwich palette” — a mix of blush, beige, yellow, and green.
This week on The Lounge, I co-hosted a color therapy workshop led by designer Tanya Taylor (inspired by her new Pantone collection), and it confirmed some of my suspicions about the relationship between colors and feelings. As Tanya puts it, color therapy is about “associating color with emotion and finding therapeutic solace in creating art with those colors.”
It felt good to hear someone agree that colors can play a big role in helping to manage our moods, feelings, and — to some extent — care. And it felt timely too.
Now, when so many of us are spending long stretches at home, adding some color can help achieve some of the visual interest, variety, and escapism that we’ve been missing this year. So I’ve been leaning into it, slowly teaching myself how to decorate with brighter hues, reminding myself to plan wintry projects that encourage color play, and even flirting with the idea of a bold statement wall in our living room.
Here are ways I’m intentionally adding color — and maybe more joy — to my life during this weird season:
💗 I Love Hue is a really visually satisfying phone game that I cannot recommend enough, especially if you’re into gradients
⭐️ Bright winter hats have become my latest unexpected around-the-house staple (especially since I haven't gotten my haircut yet this year 🥴)
🎨 I love letterpress printer Erin Fong's color-coded newsletter, The More Hue Know, and highly recommend subscribing
☕️ Studio Hecha mugs and Mimi Ceramics are just WOW
🌿 These green daisy earrings from Romy Studio
😍 And my latest fascination: bright punch needle/tufting crafts for winter. I’m starting with this kit but aspiring to one day be able to do something like this
How are you incorporating more bright colors into your life lately? Are they showing up on your walls, your nails, or your phone background? I’d love to hear. Hit reply to let me know the colorful things bringing you joy right now.
Here’s to more yellow days ahead,
Tyler, Director of Content at GNI
P.S. Unrelated to color but very related to fun: I’m hosting a You’ve Got Mail watch party on the Girls’ Night In IG Stories tonight at 8pm EST! I hope you’ll tune in and watch along with us because, well, I have a lot of thoughts on this movie. 😂
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weekly picks
how we're slowing down this weekend...
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- If you're starting your holiday shopping early... 🎁 "Our GNI holiday gift guides are here! Some of my favorite colorful items from them include: Whiled puzzles, this tie-dye kit, and a cross-stitch kit that says 'doing my best' because we really are." - Katrina, Partnerships Team
- Perfect for hot cocoa with extra marshmallows... ☕️ "I've been on the hunt for a ceramic mug for a while now, and I'm determined to finally get one in time for warm beverage season. This shop has 52 (!!) very aesthetically pleasing options, all crafted by independent makers." - Mary Anne, Community Team
- The only shoe you need this winter (probably)... 👢 Thursday Boots has perfected the delicate balance of 'durable chic.' And we've got our eyes on their Legend Chelsea Boot because they're ready for whatever this season throws at us. Buy a pair now and get free shipping and returns on all orders (AKA peace of mind). #SPONSORSTHING
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Do yourself a favor and... 📱 "Update your phone if you haven't lately. I'm loving the iOS 14 update. I got into 'Shortcuts' for the first time this weekend and set up a nighttime shortcut that sets all my alarms for me and bumps me over to my white noise app with one tap." - Jenna, Content Team
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If you're looking for a little sunshine... ☀️ "I’ve been thinking about adding removable wallpaper for a pop of color in our bathroom or behind the bed, and I keep coming back to this bright and cheerful option." - Jenny, Partnerships Team
- One small thing to add to your taking care routine... 💆♀️ Equilibria was made by women, with women in mind. They make organic, farm-fresh, full-spectrum CBD products to support both mental and physical wellbeing — from everyday stress-management to a more restful night's sleep. Sometimes a little calm and balance makes all the difference. Try Equilibria daily drops ($35 value) for just $5 now. #SPONSORSTHING
- To add some color in an unexpected place... 😱 "I've never spent so much time thinking about trash cans until we moved to our first house earlier this year and all of a sudden needed a lot more of them. Can I just say, I get a lot of joy from a bin smiling back at me? Makes me think more about what I am throwing out!" - Carey, Content Team
- If you're looking to tap into your artsy side... 🎨 "This tiny tip from Malaka Gharib is exactly what I needed to hear this week." - Alisha, Founder/CEO
Bonus rec: Two colorful new kitchen products we're eyeing: Pineapple Collaborative just released new colors of their Olive Oil and Great Jones' new colorful bakeware is just begging to be wrapped up for a friend that's had a particularly tough year.
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sponsor spotlight: Fierce Reads
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The YA romance with a dash of magical realism that you need on your bookshelf, like, now: 📚
Sometimes the best salve to a stressful day (or a couple of weeks, if we're being honest) is a book that will give you butterflies. Fierce Reads — your go-to destination for discovering the hottest new young adult books — is bringing you a sweet and magical rom-com from #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer.
Instant Karma is the joy-sparking telling of how Prudence Daniels miraculously wakes up with the inexplicable ability to cast instant karma on those around her. If you're in the mood for a delightful escape into the world of karmic insight, snag a copy of Instant Karma from a bookseller near you.
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read/watch/listen
how we're unwinding at home...
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Some gentle reading: 📚
How to create your own herbal tea garden. | The New York Times
Everyone's talking about Bridgerton. | The Hollywood Reporter
The new rules of holiday gathering in 2020. | The Kitchn
Our dinner tables won't be the same without Alex Trebek. | The New Yorker
Read this if you've got questions about cultural appropriation in interior design. | Capella Kincheloe (Thanks to Emily, who shared this in the Lounge community Slack this week!)
Give this a listen: 🎧
This week, our founder Alisha was on the Latina to Latina podcast with Alicia Menendez to discuss her mixed-race identity, how she grew this newsletter, and what it's like being a massively introverted business leader.
A colorful cookbook to add to your collection: 🍅
If you've got color on the brain now, might we suggest this cookbook that focuses on bright flavors from around the world? Not only is the book a treat, but we're big fans of its author, Asha Gomez, as well.
Our very cheesy holiday movie rec of the week: ⛄️
Three reasons to watch Operation Christmas Drop on Netflix this weekend: 1) The acting is... kind of believable!, 2) It's got some escapist moments if you're feeling wanderlusty, and 3) Our team cannot agree on The Holidate so this was the next best option. 😂
Bonus cheesy holiday movie rec: The trailer for Happiest Season with Kristen Stewart and Dan Levy is very endearing (pls watch it immediately). It comes out November 25th on Hulu and our calendars are marked.
Some colorful things to make you smile: 🤗
These taper candles. Disco balls you can buy from @libbylivingcolorfully. This bold and tonal SE London home that will probably make you want to paint everything. The most satisfying Instagram account to follow if you're type A but also really love color play. This cake that's serving an incredible '90s palette. A colorful mani to inspire your next DIY polish endeavor. An artist to follow who Alisha describes as "the playboy of the British countryside gardening set." WE'RE LISTENING. 👀
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heading into the weekend like...
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some colorful ways to help the world around us (via @beciorpin)
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GNI may receive a small commission from items you purchase from this newsletter.
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