I still remember a particular photo box — soft purple with a print of hydrangeas as the background pattern. I think an aunt gave it to me as a gift. People knew I liked purple ever since my precocious toddler self proclaimed lavender as my favorite color.
I remember doing a color study with that box — I loved the colors that much. I sat the box on my desk and mixed up watercolors. I tested the tones out on scraps of paper until I found all the perfect, dusty amethyst shades. Then, I made little notes in my journal about what I used to mix them up — and dried out a palette to use on future projects. I was probably 14 or 15 — just as enamored with that shade as I am now.