How the Infatuation Began

From time to time, people ask me when and how my absolute love of purple came to fruition. Well, as with most things, I have a story about that.

I was between the ages of 7-9, and up to that point, I had been the most pinkalicious girl anyone had ever met; Cotton candy pink, for clothes, shoes, books, doll clothes, bubble gum, etc., was my shade of preference. One day, while driving in our big white van with my mom, an aunt, and some girl cousins, everyone got talking about favorite colors. I said pink instinctively. Then I proceeded to hear my aunt say she liked purple, and a cousin just younger than me repeated, like a little parrot, what my aunt had said. There really wasn't anything else to the conversation, that I can recall, although I was changed forever.

Until that moment, I had never considered admiring or perhaps loving any other color. Then and there the seed of the love of all things purple was planted. I saw how some tints of purple were nearly pink. I began to notice how fabulous the Bubble Yum grape flavor tasted to me. All of a sudden, lilacs and lavender were beyond beautiful. Purple really came into sharp focus for me the summer I heard about The Purple Lady of Santa Maria

From then on, I was officially enchanted and never looked back.


The infatuation was in full swing by junior high, for sure, when I got my first and only pair of Converse All-Stars, which were lavender high tops. I cannot even tell you how awesome I felt when wearing them.  I wish I had a pair now. Well, maybe not high tops, but I have seen some of the most purplicious All-Stars coming out and want some!

By ninth grade, jewel-toned denim was in high fashion and my mom bought me purple and green pairs. I don't really know why I bothered with the green ones; I wore the purple ones out and the green ones were like an ugly pimple I tried to ignore at the bottom of my dresser drawer.

I had the best dress ever for the Homecoming Dance my junior year of high school. Since my mom was an amazing seamstress, it didn't matter what colors were in style. We went to the fabric store where I found the most gorgeous purple and black rose-embossed fabric I have ever seen. ever. I think that might have been the first time I remember what purplicious felt like, in my purplicious dress with three-quarter length, black satin gloves. My only regret was that I didn't know how to do my hair better at that point in time, but it couldn't be helped. I was still figuring out what to do with my new-found curliness. (another long story for another time)

In more recent years, I have embraced purple home decor, including but not limited to paint, frames, photography, bedding, and one day hope to own a purple sofa.  My children get a kick out of it most of the time, knowing it is always easy to find something mom will like so long as you can find something purple. They have given me shoes, watches, lipsticks, jewelry, and decorations in purple. The most recent purple thing was from my twelve-year-old who gave me a purple Swiffer mop for Christmas.

Most of what I own is in a variety of colors because I do appreciate being colorful in general, but purple just does it for me.

As if you couldn't tell...

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