Following a feng shui philosophy, Lin believes that color influences everyone's emotions, affecting everything people think, say and do. She believes that green especially as nature's color is easy on the eye and considered "the color of love and compassion."
Lin suggests to eliminate stress, expense and anxiety by gifting loved ones with handmade, live or silk evergreen wreaths (circles are symbols of togetherness and longevity), and instead of gifting traditional red accents, which may cause impatience, use blue (greens partner) for more natural inspiration. Just like the color of a crisp, springtime sky, add blue silk flowers, bows, or ornaments for more tranquility. Create items during a gift-making party or have friends and family bring recyclable objects to share, recreate and re-gift. Lin believes that it is impossible to be stressed when thinking loving thoughts or being surrounded by people one loves.
All colors have special life-enhancing benefits. Consider this rainbow color wheel:
- Red/Excites and energizes: Fill a red container with cookies to sweeten the most seasoned sourpuss.
- Orange/Inspires play and spontaneity: Make a small, whimsical orange-flower arrangement to brighten a workaholics desk.
- Yellow/commands confidence: Bead a yellow bracelet with special charms for timid children, friends, or co-workers.
- Green/lovingly nurtures: Present an IOU with the gift of quality time. Show up with a picnic basket and head off to sit beneath a wise, old tree.
- Blue/clears the mind and is thought provoking: Gift your favorite water and sky picture (that you took yourself) in a frame.
- Indigo/inspires insight: Make a gift card for an evening walk in the country to count shooting stars.
- Violet/quiets and deepens inner peace: Sew an eye pillow in luxurious purple fabric filled with dried lavender.
Lin also reminds everyone to be eco-green when creating gifts as a responsibility to the environment. This means to consider recycling garage sale and thrift store items, some of which require little or no refurbishing.
Lin received a Bachelor of Design from the University of Florida School of Architecture and has practiced interior design for more than 30 years. Since she fell in love with finger paint and color when she was 3-years-old, she has made color her trademark. Her book, Color Alchemy: Self Mastery with Color (Earth Design, Inc., Literary Division, July 15, 2008) is available from Amazon.com.
--- Editor's note: Find amazing items at the following Joplin area thrift stores (call for hours):
- Second Chances - Lafayette House, 802 E. 15th St., 626-7022
- Disabled American Veterans - 1201 E. 7th St., 624-4644
- Goodwill Industries - 2102 S. Range Line Rd., 782-6363
- Salvation Army - 2419 Fairlawn Dr., Carthage, 358-3500
- ReStore - Habitat for Humanity, 315 S. Black Cat Rd., 782-7467
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