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life{in}grace

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Color Trends, Big Hair, and Blue Eye Shadow

by 238 Comments

You can ask my sister, I’ve never been one to pass up a good trend. In 1987, I had big hair. In 1993, I wore stirrup pants. In 1999, I bought a Suburban—- and in 2008, I started a blog. With age comes the wisdom to know when ‘trendy’ touches on ‘why is that forty year old woman wearing skinny jeans?’ So, although I’ve bridled my passion for fashion trends, I’m still a sucker for all things hip and ‘edgy’. Enter ‘Duchess of Windsor Pink’ (a vintage Ralph Lauren color I discovered at Home Depot).

Stop.The.World.

I’m not gonna lie. I am completely 100% smitten with this romantic, warm, and fleshy color.
But we need to set some ground rules: this color is NOT peach or mauve or coral. Forbid those words to cross your lips. It is almost exactly the color of a Wendy’s frosty. I know this because I had an ample amount of paint on my hands/clothes/hair when I took the girls for Frosty’s on Saturday. I thought it nearly divine that this very ‘fleshy’ color is so frosty-like. Not peach-like. Nor mauve-like. I’ve done mauve. This is not mauve. Southerners should never do mauve because we completely butcher that word.

“Is ‘at ‘Maaawwwve’ “—I hear my aunt say—with her almost angry southern drawl.

” No, no it’s not. It’s Duchess of Windsor Pink. “

This color so puts me in the mind of an old English study that I paused midafternoon for tea. And why an English study you ask? I have no idea. But neverthless, that’s what it reminds me of. When I got the walls done, my plain stark white trim looked frail and weak. It could not stand up to duchess of windsor. Duchess is soft and sultry and tender but she is a force to be reckoned with. It took the strength of a cowboy named ‘Coronado Dunes’ (Behr-Home Depot) to tame this duchess.

They are a match made in heaven. Love at first site. Sonny and Cher. Steve and Edie. Mawve and Blue.

I cannot stop sitting in that recently recovered $2 chair that I bought a few weeks back at a thrift store. Why, you ask? Because the romance that has ensued in my dining room is compelling. The duchess draws you in. The next installment of this love story will be posted later this week when the painting and ‘fluffing’ are done.

And just to prove that I am no respecter of colors when it comes to trends, I’ve also recently tried the canary yellow (which I adore)…..

…..and the peacock blue (which I highly recommend)

To further prove my commitment to past trends, I give you 1988, the year I—-‘had the time of my life—-and I owe it all to you-ououoou’.

There, I’ve done my part. Easy on the eye makeup Tammy Faye.
FYI, I like this link for current color trends. I like using trendy colors on objects easily repainted or in smaller rooms that are completely contained. When making daring trendy fashion statements, I recommend going all-out. Own the parachute pants. Don’t be scared.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sheri says

    #1: You're back!
    #2: I read that as English Armageddon tea..eek
    #3: I had that same hair, but in 1989
    #4: I'll totally admit that I do the dark eyes on days I wear makeup. I'm so confused I either wear NONE or I wear it ALL.

    Reply

  3. Melissa Stover says

    i'm glad you're back. i looked like that when i graduated in 1988 too. though not as pretty. and i wore a mauve sweater with a lace collar.

    Reply

  6. Kathy says

    I am sooo not trendy. I am really bad sport….BUT it is so amazing how many of the things you mentioned I was "guilty" of 🙂

    You are cute in your big hair. I laughed outloud, loudly, at the relationship between southerners and mauve.

    Reply

  7. Gina Williams says

    Hi sis!!! Finally…love the flesh color. The trim is perfect too. Great Job! And always will love your senior picture. Makes me feel good about mine. HAHA! It was such a relief to read your blog this morning.

    Reply

  9. duchess says

    I'm honored that they actually named a paint color after me & I'm thrilled that you love it so.
    It looks great (so did that blue eye shadow btw.)

    Reply

  10. cindy says

    Now my morning feels more normal – great post – glad you're back and if ever the word peach crosses my lips when in that room it will be becuase I am saying yes to a piece a peach pie. I love the color and that chair is so cute! Can't wait to see the rest. Love the 80's hair and now my head is full of memories of doug in his hammer pants…It's like that song you can't get out of your head…I'm not sure if I should thank you for that one.

    Reply

  12. marty39 says

    What a fun post. I love all the great colors and how corageous of you to try all the trends. I usually finally decide to try them just as they fad out of fashion. lol Hugs, Marty

    Reply

  13. Heather says

    Thank you! I've been trying to determine what color to paint the front room in the new house, and I think this. is. it! Now to just convince the hubby…

    Reply

  15. Jen - Balancing Beauty and Bedlam says

    Those were they eyes I wanted in high school but my dad would send me back upstairs to wipe it off…every once in awhile, I would be naughty and reapply it in the locker room at school, but I always felt guilty. 🙂

    Love this post. 🙂 Missed you.

    Reply

  16. Jessica says

    You can sure do a mean smoky eye…definitely reminds me of my sisters high school days. The 'flesh' colored walls remind me of our front room…my mom did a number on it when my dad was out of town, refurnished the entire thing in blues and 'flesh';). I'm so glad you're back and painting up a storm!! I REALLY think we deserve to see a smoky eye tutorial (video style) of course. Just make it a h.s. lesson.

    Reply

  18. Carmen says

    This just made me laugh out loud. I love that picture of you! Totally 80s! Totally! Love the new wall color as well.

    Reply

  20. Mandi Shandi says

    HA! YOU'RE BAAACCCKK! I see your sense of humor survived these recent heartaches unscathed. I can hear your Aunt in my head, is she a smoker with a deep scratchy voice? Mauve and country blue are a part of my childhood I will never forget. Who are we kidding, my grandmas house is still those colors! Love the changes you have made. The Dutchess suits you and I bet you were smokin' hot in those stirrup pants with your Sam and Libby's. Thanks for the trip down memory lane and glad you're back!

    Reply

  21. Mary Jean, also known as "The Dough Nut" says

    I graduated in 1988 too and my picture looks just like yours! Oh we were so hot!

    Reply

  22. Amy says

    I love the Duchess color! The only problem I have with following your blog is that it makes me look at my own decor and wonder how long I have to wait to copy you? 🙂

    Loved this post!

    Reply

  23. Penny Lane says

    Edie-
    Thank you for hopping onto this blogging fad. I found your posts for the first time this weekend on a search for Christian women who have postive things to say and I landed upon you. I have schizophrenically read your posts, never the same subject;)Congrats on starting your Second Year of homeschooling. Reading your posts about your experiences has really made me think about homeschooling in a different light (I have a tumultuous relationship with this subject). You have also rekindled in me (yes in just a few days) the desire to read and memorize everything. I am excited to tear into some of the books you have read including 'The Well Educated Mind'. So very long comment rounded up. I say thank you for posting and sharing your life with everyone.
    Penny

    Reply

  24. Kimm at Reinvented says

    Ha! SOOOO glad to read a "happy" post! I hope you're feeling better, my friend, and I'm glad that the "duchess" had something to do with it!
    Love the big hair, but I think mine was WAAAAY higher! 🙂

    Reply

  25. Sarah says

    That's some powerful paint. I'm so glad that the Duchess was charming enough to bring back our old friend, the trend setting Edie. I missed you girl!!! God's blessings on your decorating projects and by all means don't forget to share them with your friends! 😀

    Reply

  27. Denise says

    Welcome back, friend! You never cease to amaze me. I may post what I painted this weekend–or I may not. Where oh where does the time go?

    Reply

  28. Tennille says

    Love the new color- It's really pretty. I would so love a personal tour of your house!! P.S. I see nothing wrong with the makeup:)

    Reply

  30. Jessica says

    Hey Edie, You'll have to tell Taylor he's got a fan/copy cat…my son Jaxon is trying to grow his hair just like his. I think he's pretty close. 🙂

    Reply

  31. Queen to my 3 Boys says

    Made me smile…whenever I can't choose between paint colours, I go with the 'yummiest' names.

    Lovin' it!

    Oh, and, missed ya…

    Reply

  33. LuLu says

    What I find so refreshing about you is your love of color! I definitely need to step up my color love!! and smokey eyes always looks great!
    LuLu

    Reply

  35. gina says

    And speaking of stirrup pants- I just saw some for sale in the juniors dept. at Walmart. For real. I did a double take and my 15 yo says to me "Those pants are like that to keep your pants in your converse sneakers mom." As if I never rocked a pair of stirrups in my past. lol. 😉

    Reply

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