Graphite, coal, silver

Seems like I've been reminiscing a lot lately about my old career, doesn't it? I was just thinking about how we used to name the colors in our palette every season, and names couldn't be re-used. If "grey" (which wasn't a very sexy name anyway, was it?) had already been used for a previous color, we couldn't name another color "grey" because it would confuse the vendors. So instead we would call our greyish colors "concrete," "slate," "steel," or "asphalt." You get the idea. And rather than sit at my desk trying to materialize a new name with no inspiration at hand, I started to keep a list of possible terms in advance. On my way to work I was constantly looking for inspiration in shop windows, on signs, and on the delivery trucks that passed me, hoping to find another new word for grey or pink or brown.

So if you're ever wondering who named the light green t-shirt in the J. Crew catalog "endive," chances are it was someone like me. (Although I've never worked for J. Crew, so don't blame me for that particular name.)


And speaking of grey, it's another slate-colored day here. The Kiddo and I both happen to be wearing pewter and black, perhaps in a subconscious nod to the weather. Of course, when it's this dark out it's also difficult to take photos, especially with our old automatic camera.

Don't you hate that delay between the pushing of the button and the actual taking of the photo that occurs with many digital cameras? I had forgotten how annoying that pause can be. But sometimes I just can't manage to carry the big camera along, particularly since I don't seem to be taking many photos lately. My Photo-a-day plans are failing miserably. Many days I tote the camera along and just never use it. Or I take the photos and don't upload them to Flickr. Perhaps I'll try again with the new year. Or maybe I just have too many pots on the stove right now. And should stop taking on new projects. (Yeah, like that will happen.)

In any case, today Kiddo is sporting her new tunic courtesy of an old wool/cotton t-shirt I never wore. Loved the fabric, hated the fit. So I chopped it up, making use of the existing raglan sleeves and the hems to create this much cuter top for her. As always, I'd make a few changes to the pattern for the next one: the skirt would be a little longer, the width a bit slimmer, and the sleeves a bit wider. But I like how the short sleeves on the original shirt were exactly the right length to become longish sleeves for her.

I think we'll take a little walk down to the library this afternoon, hoping that our carbon-colored skies don't result in a downpour. A charcoal-colored day doesn't necessarily mean our moods need to be a matching pewter, does it?