fun is the trend, color is the driver | part 1
a lego lesson in letting things just be fun.
Lately, my daughter has dove headfirst into Legos. A few months ago, after our trip to Aruba, I realized that my son and daughter were so glued to their tablets it scared me a little. Even in one of the most beautiful places on earth, all they wanted was their iPads. I started to think the iPad ran 90% of my daughter’s brain.
So, we made the decision to pack the iPads away for the rest of the trip. It resulted in (as you’d expect) more conversation, more creativity, more imaginative play, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH! But most importantly— a return to simple things we love.
Fast forward a few months into our iPad “pause” my daughter especially has been really reviving her creative energy1. She’s outside touching grass most of the time. However, one day, she was “SO BORED” that, in desperation, she found a random pack of Legos no one had touched since probably five Christmases ago. She took out the instructions and easily assembled the police station. I was so impressed with her ability to read the step-by-step directions and create something so incredible.
Now, we have a Lego maniac. Luckily, she’s eight, so the Legos don’t really end up on the floor, debilitating everyone and everything in their path when stepped on.
I spoke with her the other day after seeing the more rigorous and challenging builds she’s been tackling and said, “You are really incredible at Legos.” She smiled and thanked me (a long way from the eye rolls and sass that usually follow). Like any toxically positive mom, I took the opportunity to nudge her toward becoming a WOMAN IN STEM! and said, “You should consider things in life that have to do with building and creating—like an engineer!”
I’m shaking my head as I write this—it was so unnecessary. She’s eight. She does not need to have any of this figured out. She looked at me and said,
“Or, this can just be for fun.”
I paused, stuttered, and agreed vehemently. I even suggested maybe we could find a Lego club, a Lego-anonymous weekend camp, or an after-school program, and she said,
“Or, I could just do this for fun… because I like it.”
And as always, she stopped me in my tracks. Sometimes we’re so quick to see the big, lofty dreams and goals in everything that we forget—it’s okay to just do things that are simply fun. And as Xue pointed out in her Substack Note, hobbies can be fun… they don’t have to be monetized, work-like, beautiful, or “chic.”
For me, I love getting dressed, writing, and interacting with you here because… it’s fun! I never claim to be an expert or a style guru of any sort. If you’ve read my “About Me” on Substack, it clearly says I’m just a “civilian-level Substacker” trying out all the cool ideas I’m learning from the incredible writers on this platform. And if you know me, you know I’ll keep doing something for as long as it strikes the dopamine bell. Luckily, I’m still having a freaking blast.
But what is it about fashion/getting dressed that I find the most fun?
For me, the most fun part about getting dressed is how colors interact in an outfit. This will be in the format of a song reference by Shirley Ellis.
I see it — I spot a color combo I love on Pinterest.
I like it — I save it to my one and only board called Aesthetic (yes, it has like 600 pins on it, no organization here, as you know).
I want [to recreate] it — This is not the part where I say, “Buy everything you like!” Instead, I try to recreate it. I dive into Indyx or my own closet and piece together my version of the combo using what I already have. It’s not the exact look, but you’ll see how I use the colors to make it my own.
I’ll break down each category into the following:
The color palette
The inspiration (all photos are from Pinterest)
My outfit IRL
I also have to say, this Instagram post by Fanny Adams (which I think I’ve screen-shotted 52 times- possible world record) massively fueled my love for this color combination.
The good news is—this is Part I! I’ll have Part II out next week with my second haul of favorite fall color combos.
The most important takeaway? If you see something that inspires you—a color combo online, colors paired together in an interior (please see Emily Grady Dodge for this one!), or the shades in a floral arrangement—I give you full permission to screenshot it or literally snap a photo with your phone in the wild. You don’t need the exact pieces the person is wearing; just replicate the vibe with what you have, staying true to your own personal flavor!
Let’s Chat: Drop a comment and let me know:
Where do you usually find your color inspiration (nature, art, etc.)?
What are your go-to color combinations for an outfit or for use in your daily life?
Which look from this post was your favorite?
Creativity is all around us—we sometimes just need a little detox to find it.
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My daughter is a libra - very clever to solve any type of challenge in her way!
I like that idea of “just for fun.” I probably would’ve replied with something similar to what you said too, honestly! But kids are so good at reminding us to just live in the moment and appreciate it as it is.
I loved all your looks — I don’t think I can even pick a favourite!
I heard it said once that if you need color inspiration, look to nature (as you mentioned) and I’ve found it’s so true. The other week when I was spending a lot of time thinking about red I noticed red leaves against the blue sky and thought (that would be beautiful) or red apples against green leaves (another winner!)