Red

I didn't use to like red.
I didn't DISLIKE it exactly, but it certainly wasn't my favorite color. Then somewhere in my early-to-mid thirties, that started to change. In fact, I think it happened when we bought our first house, and I was able to (FINALLY!) paint and decorate the way *I* wanted.

I'd always said that my favorite colors were shades of blue.
But when I was shopping for house stuff and looking for inspiration, it was the reds that spoke to me and made me happy. I'm picky about my reds, though. I don't like tomato red. I like the color of Red Delicious apples. Red with blue undertones. Deep, dark reds.

I painted my family room a dark red. Darren was having a heart attack when I picked out the paint and brought it home. He couldn't imagine. A RED ROOM? We compromised by installing bead board on the lower half of the walls and painting it a creamy white. The red went on the top half. I love it.

I have little accents of red throughout my house - on candles, bookends, lampshades, stained glass, pillows, books....

My kitchen is dotted with red things. In fact, one of my favorite things of ALL is a simple little enamel colander that I bought at Target. (LOVE Target, too. Probably 'cause the whole STORE is red. Tomato red, yah, but red just the same.) When I had to buy a new toaster recently, I searched high and low until I found a red one. At the antique auction that Darren and I often attend, we've seen a gazillion old bread bins. I never was interested...until a beat up old red one came along. At Canton, I was frugal and thrifty... until I spied an old red bucket that I had to have - I could see it hanging from the pot rack in my kitchen. I talked the guy down 3 bucks, but still spent $15 on it. Don't regret it, either.

My car is red. Darren KNEW I'd love it.
I love reddish shades of lipstick. You won't catch me in pink.
My favorite shirts are reds and corals.
In our most recent professional family portrait (taken *gasp!* 4 years ago!), I made the whole family wear deep red. Still love that photo... us in reds and denims and khakis sitting in a field of Texas Bluebonnets.

Tonight, I googled "favorite colors", just to see what was out there. And I discovered that red means this:

The color of strength, health, and vitality, Red is often the color chosen by someone outgoing, aggressive, vigorous, and impulsive--or who would like to be! It goes with an ambitious nature but those who choose it can be abrupt at times, determined to get all they can out of life, quick to judge people and take sides. Red people are usually optimistic and can’t stand monotony; they are rather restless and not at all introspective, so they may be unaware of their own shortcomings. They find it hard to be objective and may blame others for any mishaps. Quiet people with a preference for red may feel the need for the warmth, strength and life-giving qualities of the color, or they blanket their true feelings under a sober exterior. Red is usually chosen by those with open and uncomplicated natures, with a zest for life.

I'd say that's mostly accurate - the good AND the bad.

But there's one red I most definitely do NOT like.
One of these is not like the others.
One of these things just doesn't belong.

Can you guess?
(aw MAN. I created a cool collage of all things red, but Blogger is being a punk and won't upload my photo. Will try to add it later. Until then, you can view it HERE.)

What's YOUR favorite color?