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In this section, you will find articles about the use of color within various industries. Click to subscribe to our Color Articles feed in your newsreader.

Colorful Graduation Party Ideas: How to Celebrate Accomplishments with Style

Date: 2012-05-14 11:05:13, By: ColorCombos

Graduation is an exciting time to celebrate accomplishment. Whether it is a sweet kindergarten event, a middle or high school graduation, or the completion of college, university or trade school, a colorful party and graduation gifts are usually part of the package.

The graduation tradition stretches back to the eleventh century and the medieval universities of Bologna, Italy and Paris, France. Apprentices who had successfully completed their course of study under recognized master tradesmen were officially recognized and given their own teaching status. By the 1300s, caps and gowns were included. The cap may have been an imitation of the hood attached to the capes worn by highly respected Druid priests. Soon the specific color of the cap or scarf and gown was used to identify the particular institution and the accompanying tassel signaled the specific academic achievement. The first baccalaureate service was conducted at Oxford University in England in 1432.

Until the 1950s, the traditional graduation cap and gown outfit in the United States was a somber and serious gray in color. However, after WW II, high schools began matching formal graduation apparel to their individual school colors. While the tradition varies from country to country, American colleges and universities have attached specific colors to recognized degrees and accomplishments. For example, white designates the liberal arts; purple signals law; green is for medicine; daffodil yellow represents the arts and the humanities; and dark blue is associated with philosophy and all doctorates.

Tags: graduation party, color schemes, school colors, graduation traditions, party planning, graduation gifts, celebration, accomplishment, history, tableware, decorations

Mothers Day Flowers: Exploring Global Traditions and Popular Choices

Date: 2012-05-06 23:05:16, By: ColorCombos

Retailers estimate that 96 percent of the American population usually participates in celebrating Mother's Day each year. As the second-highest, gift-giving holiday, this figure translates into more than $16 billion spent on flowers, cards, phone calls, gifts and meals at fine restaurants. While the United States has highly commercialized Mother's Day, at least 70 other countries of the world also take time out to recognize and appreciate mothers and their invaluable role in their families and society. In France, cakes resembling flowers are given as gifts. Red carnations, scarves and handbags are popular in Japan. Mexicans start the day by serenading their mothers and preparing a huge brunch. In the United Kingdom, tradition requires giving a Simnel cake and purple violets.

It seems that mothers have always been valued and revered to some extent. During the days of the ancient Egyptians, red roses were associated with the goddess Isis, Mother of the Pharaohs. The Romans celebrated Cybele or Rhea, Mother of the Gods. Early Christians honored their Mother Church and their mothers at the same time. In the U.S., it was Julia Ward Howe, writer of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic," who first suggested calling mothers together to protect their sons from the ravages of wars. Anna Reeves Jarvis continued her efforts, but it was her daughter, Anna M. Reeves, who would advocate celebrating all mothers as she wished to honor her own.

In 1908, at the first official Mother's Day celebration at Andrew's Methodist Church in West Virginia, 407 attendees were presented with white carnations, Anna R. Jarvis's favorite flowers. Pink and red carnations would later be associated with mothers who were still living, and the white would be reserved for those who had deceased. In 1914, the second Sunday in May was recognized by President Woodrow Wilson as the official date for Mother's Day.

Tags: Mother's Day, flowers, gift-giving, global traditions, carnations, roses, lilacs, irises, orchids, history, symbolism, flower arrangements

Popular Home Interior Wall Colors and Trends

Date: 2012-04-29 15:04:52, By: ColorCombos

This year's popular home interior wall colors include a few carry-overs from 2011, but there are also some new, emerging trends worth understanding. A new collection of popular neutrals includes off-white, beige, sage green, teal-blue, yellow and smoky gray. Adding tans, browns, grays and purple to teal-blue softens and controls its power. Choosing red, blue, peach, black, green or coral to pair with yellow can create an energized space. Be careful of your shade of yellow, however, because natural and artificial lighting can change its warmth or coolness significantly. Lemony yellow is more associated with anxiety and should probably be left as an accent. Dark gray is the most popular neutral for 2012. It grounds a room and allows you the freedom to add vibrant pops of colours such as intense reds, yellows, purples, blues or black.

Once you have your neutral choice, it's time to consider what to add to it. Generally speaking, for a more compatible combination, match warm-toned neutrals with warm-toned accents and cool-toned neutrals with cool-toned accents. On the other hand, 2012 is all about unexpected combinations. While bright, bold shades seem to be declining somewhat, intense colors and contrasts definitely have a place in today's home design. The following combinations pack a lot of punch: cherry-red with blacks, blues, whites and grays; juicy, tangerine-orange with dark reds, browns and blacks; and deep blue-purple with yellows, blacks, whites and reds.

The following interior wall colour combinations can bring new life to the important rooms in your home:

Tags: interior wall colors, home design trends, color trends, neutral colors, color combinations, kitchen colors, bathroom colors, living room colors, bedroom colors, personal preferences

Prom Time: Color, Style and History - Making the Perfect Choice for Your Memorable Night

Date: 2012-04-23 06:04:35, By: ColorCombos

As "prom time" approaches, colour and style are just as important as they were a century ago. The word "prom" is a shortened version of the word "promenade." A hundred years ago, a promenade was the formal march of couples into a ballroom after they had been publicly announced to the guests. For wealthy Americans, debutante balls were grand occasions specifically designed for their daughters' "coming out" into society. This meant that they were now ready to entertain and be courted by approved suitors.

It seems as if these grand balls were envied by middle-class parents who also wanted the best for their own children, including good manners and fine tastes. While there had been formal dances for young people in the late 1800s, the early 1900s saw the first proms. Teenagers dressed up in their Sunday best for these high school banquets. By the 1920s and 1930s, dancing had been added. After WW II and the Great Depression, proms took on new, more elaborate identities. They moved from school gyms to country club ballrooms, and students competed fiercely to being recognized as the best-dressed couple.

Today, some students choose to go as singles and others go in groups. Of course, couples still want to look striking, and every girl wants to look beautiful. That's where the colors for 2012 become important. This year, almost any color of the rainbow is acceptable, but the most popular colors seem to be the brighter jewel tones. Metallic fabrics, geometric shapes, large patterns, and classic silver, gold and white colors will be swirling around the ballrooms of America. "Bling" is big too. However, the classy black dress seems to be sitting out this year's prom. With so many styles and colours to pick from, how can today's teen ever make such an important decision?

Tags: prom, promenade, history of prom, prom colors, prom styles, prom dresses, prom fashion tips, coordinating outfits, jewel tones, metallic fabrics, dress choices

Colored Diamond Engagement Rings: A Trendy and Unique Choice

Date: 2012-04-16 07:04:13, By: ColorCombos

The first colorless diamond engagement ring was given in 1477 by Archduke Maximilian of Hamburg to Mary of Burgundy. This unique gift started a trend that became popular among the wealthy ruling classes of Europe. However, as diamonds became more available and affordable and the Industrial Revolution put more money into the hands of a rising middle class, the 1800s saw "commoners" purchasing diamond engagement rings for their sweethearts as a token of their love and good intentions.

Today, 80 percent of America's married women wear engagement rings. While colorless or white diamonds remain the most common and more expensive choices, once again the masses are following the lead of the rich and famous. Rare, colored engagement rings such as Paris Hilton's $5 million yellow diamond and Victoria Beckham's $1.8 million pink diamond have been widely publicized. The demand for non-clear diamond engagement rings continues to grow. For some, the intention is to imitate the choices of favorite celebrities. For others, it is a desire to be unique and non-traditional. Still other women simply find a colored diamond to be more visually attractive than a clear one.

Fortunately, there are several ways to afford the look of a coloured diamond ring. Natural "fancy" diamond engagement rings are genuine and unaltered. Artificially treated diamonds are enhanced to bring out their best features. Synthetic diamonds are man-made replicas. For some buyers, a more affordable, matching gemstone is an attractive substitute.

Tags: colored diamond engagement rings, fancy diamonds, history of engagement rings, unique engagement rings, celebrity engagement rings, popular fancy diamond colors, affordable colored diamond options

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