fun is the trend, color is the driver | part 2
feeling all the joy, one color combo at a time
I love stumbling upon pieces of writing that resonate. Often, these gems pop up in my inbox or algorithm at exactly the right time. I recently came across a post—The Last Mile Problem of Happiness—by one of my favorite writers, Bree Groff.
Bree writes beautifully about caring for her father, who has Alzheimer’s. Her reflectiveness, unwavering love, and devotion to him really resonated with me. She discusses how happiness often fails “at the last mile.” We’re constantly living through experiences that *should* bring us joy, yet we forget to actually *feel* them.
That doesn’t mean we need to bake a cake every time there’s a small victory in life (though honestly, I wouldn’t hate it if you did… I personally love a good funfetti moment). But it does mean we need to take the time to feel it.
When describing our inability to recognize happiness, Bree compares it to a package:
“This all intrigues me because of how much more joy might be possible if we could nail the final leg of the happiness process: feeling it. It’s like failing the “last mile” of a delivery service—a package makes its way across the world, through endless distribution centers and ships and trucks, all to be FINALLY delivered to your door. And then it gets kicked under your porch.”
What I love about Bree’s post is that she isn’t spewing toxic positivity or ending with a “be happy! be grateful!” Instead, she’s acknowledging that yes, life is hard—but encourages us to stay connected to both the highs and the lows. I know for me personally, the lows and challenges hit me hard, like a punch to the gut. Yet I rarely allow myself to fully savor simple joys when they happen.
Bree’s work has made me realize I can be SO MUCH better at this. Instead of only feeling the bad, I want to intentionally feel all the things—especially the good ones.
This time of year, I love to pause on my drive to work and glance at the trees. If I don’t, I just drive on autopilot. Remembering to look up and noticing how quickly these colors change helps me truly appreciate the beauty of the season. This small moment really lets me sit with joy for a bit. Have no fear, both hands are on the wheel at 10 and 2. Usually, I’m supposed to take an exit, but instead, I casually cruise by, smiling at a tree. But whateverrrrr, it’s joy, and I actually let myself feel it.
Most importantly, those colors and that beauty bring me happiness. Because if I forget to look up, they’ll be bare, black-and-white, and dormant before I know it.
So if you haven’t done so today, take a minute and let yourself feel ALL the things.
Let yourself feel the pain of grief, the sting of disappointment, or the weight of indecision at a crossroads in life. But just as importantly, let yourself feel the joy of a handhold, a smile from a stranger, that first sip of a matcha latte, or simply watching a leaf drift slowly from a tree.
Feel the joy in an outfit that makes you feel good, a color combo that makes you radiate, or a secondhand piece that tells a story. For me, color is one of the easiest ways to tap into that happiness. Last week we looked at part 1 of my favorite fall color combos. Today we’ll dive into part 2! If you missed part 1, feel free to catch up here:
This look was inspired by Katelyn Cnossen’s most recent post, Dear Diary, I’m a hot mess express! Who knew that the green in this combo is referred to as “slime green!?” The Mom in me literally hates all things slime, but here we are.
I don’t always love a monochromatic look, but there’s something about all-navy everything that just hits right. Didn’t have a silver shoe so I went with off white.
Full disclosure this look was completely inspired by one of my favorites in the entire fashion universe, Natalie Borton.
DISCLAIMER: Please don’t accidentally toss an organza shirt in the laundry on warm and in the dryer on normal with your kids’ dirty soccer uniforms 😭 it will shrink and become unwearable.
Green makes its return, paired with a rich chocolate brown suede blazer. I love these earth tones! I usually lean into red for my “pop of color,” but this green is definitely getting the job done.
Casually worn to youth soccer (not exactly my ideal look, but hey—this is literally my real life and I am a real human). Still, I was determined to pair burgundy and red before this series ended—and honestly, it might be my favorite combination yet!
I thought the post would end here, but then Jaymee Geelan posted this photo on her IG—and I immediately asked if we could use it as our exemplar of the burgundy and red combo! Thank goodness she happily obliged my last-minute plea!
I hope you enjoyed this two-part series! I’ve been loving experimenting with different colors during this seasonal shift, and I hope these ideas inspire you to try one of these combos—or a completely different one that you love.
A few reminders from the past two posts:
It’s okay to do things just for fun—it doesn’t have to be chic or monetized. (Although I’m still hoping my daughter becomes a woman in STEM)
Allow yourself to feel all the things…both the lows and the highs. Don’t let the joy package arrive at your door only to get tossed off the porch.
If you’re looking for more color and style posts, another one that caught my eye on this topic was by the one and only Anika Krueger!
Her post, Style Notes On: Linda Tol - where she discusses Linda’s style and the power of dressing with just three colors to create balance and harmony!
Let’s Chat:
What’s one small moment today that made you stop, look up, or simply feel joy?
Which colors or outfits make you radiate happiness?
As always, thank you for being here. It means so much to me.
With all the leaves, laughs, and little joys xo,
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I love how you weave beautiful life advice into your thoughts on style, because fashion is philosophical! And helps us find joy in those small moments. Especially with color. I’ve always loved red + burgundy - and add navy? Swoon. It’s got my vote!
I love all the color combos but think I am loving the navy, black and white.. and black, blue, and burgundy.. and burgundy and red.. just love it all.
You are rocking the black sheer shirt!!
And I love the art and pics you did with your daughter!
And keep looking up 🥹