Lifestyle & Aesthetic

“Spring drew on...and a greenness grew over those brown beds, which, freshening daily, suggested the thought that Hope traversed them at night, and left each morning brighter traces of her steps.” ― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre What is it about those few extra sunlit hours that infuse us with fresh energy? We put away the heavy sweaters, pull out the comfiest sandals, and sit at the hairdressers for a fresh cut. It's like coming out of hibernation when you didn't realize you holed up in a cave. March feels like everything might be alright. In my journal, I made a note to [...]

When I first studied birth month flowers, I vaguely knew that the sweet pea flower meaning was associated with love and goodbyes. The symbolism of flowers is deep — and imperative in understanding most allusions in art and literature. The Sweet Pea is well-known as a term of endearment. The simple, pretty flower reminds me of innocent Victorian love. History of Sweet Peas The blooms are native to Sicily and southern Italy — discovered growing wildly by a Sicilian monk in the 1600s. Their sweet fragrance endeared him so, the monk sent seeds to botanical institutions around the world. This [...]

"This is how it's supposed to work: Tell yourself that everything works out for you. The universe is rigged in your favour. You are the luckiest person. You have Lucky Girl Syndrome." - Riyah Collins, Lucky Girl Syndrome: Smug TikTok trend or life-changing positivity?, BBC As someone who eschews positivity trends, doesn't believe in personality tests, and mostly uses social media for my job, I rolled my eyes at Lucky Girl Syndrome when it started to trend in 2022. However, as a marketing professional, I was captivated by the concept. In the simplest terms, it recycles the concept of affirmations. [...]

Today, I woke up to a graph on Reddit that showed similar information to one of my most popular articles on this website (from 2019). Clicking through to the linked website for Wizard Pins, that their supporting information mirrored my own, original research. Wizard Pins Article: https://wizardpins.com/blogs/education/colors-ranked-by-how-many-fortune-500-logos-they-appear-in My Articles:  https://verderamade.com/2019/12/05/the-most-common-logo-colors/ https://verderamade.com/2021/03/18/the-science-of-color-in-branding/ Here's Wizard Pin's Chart: Here's My Chart: Here's Wizard Pin's Color Graph: Here's My Color Graph: Wizard Pin's Article provides similar information about color theory to my articles. Here's one example: Wizard Pin Article If you are interested in designing a logo and want to imbue it with psychological [...]

As the laziest of food preparers, I have abominable drink-making habits. I make my coffee by simply pouring straight from my Mr. Coffee carafe into my chipped mug. I drop a dash of flavored creamer in the top. I don't bother to stir. The end result? Literal clouds in my coffee. The top is cloyingly sweet. The dregs are bitter. From top to bottom, the drinking experience gets harder. Many of my days feel like this. Nothing particularly bad wakes me up. I don't have an infant anymore and I have a job that I don't hate. Two things that [...]

As the birth flower for March, I tend to under-appreciate the daffodil flower meaning. I would never name them as a favorite. Yet, I am always excited when I see the bulbs poking up. As someone who has moved through rentals over the years, unexpected daffodils offer homey delight. In my current home, my first house, I was again surprised and pleased to see a pile of white and yellow daffodils crop up along the treeline in spring. They're simple and a little bit silly with their trumpet shape. I always pick them and they drape beautifully out of wide-mouth [...]

I started writing this post at the beginning of February — is that an affirmation or a manifestation? Regardless, it kept me focused on how to make the most of the 29 days before me. As quickly as I planned it, it seemed to pass. Back to Heath and Happiness Looming on the calendar, I was waiting on February medical tests to confirm that my November health issue wouldn't return. I'm pleased to say, that I'm back to normal — and in the gym gaining back some of that lost muscle. Talking about this challenge made me feel vulnerable. As [...]

Years ago, my website held a freebies page — filled with phone wallpapers and downloadable graphic elements. I always dreamed of expanding my free resources to include helpful tools for eStores, shops, and makers. The first step to bringing back my freebies? Free Adobe Lightroom Presets. Free Adobe Lightroom Presets Although I plan to expand this at a later date, I started with a few essential presets. These presets offer aesthetics that my clients regularly request for their product photography and social media content. Vintage Haze Adobe Lightroom Preset DOWNLOAD This preset works well for brick-and-mortar stores. It softens the [...]

Until recently, I only knew a few radio hits from Kesha. I remember thinking she had a unique aesthetic when first hitting the scene — less airbrushed and sanitized than her contemporaries. Her voice and musical persona were a little rougher than many young female artists in her generation. I did tune into her lawsuit and the commentary surrounding it but, that's not the focus of this post. But, you can see the huge creative shift from that situation reflected in her work. I Listened to Ke$ha's Discography These are the songs I added to my playlist. I grabbed a [...]